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Secrets Kept

Tales of the Wasteland Wanderer #2

By Mark CrouchPublished about a year ago Updated about a year ago 3 min read
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Image created using DALL•E 2

“How’s that look?”

The old man spun the chair around to allow me to behold my reflection. I turned my head slightly to one side, then the other.

Just long enough on top, short on the sides, and my beard is neat and trimmed. I thought to myself.

“I don’t know why you ask me that every time, Pete. There’s never so much as a hair out of place.” I slipped the elderly barber a twenty dollar bill for his eleven dollar haircut and made for the door before any protest could be made.

“Grey?” a voice called out.

“Grey, are you ok?”

Coming back to my senses I turned to my traveling companions.

“Yeah, Terra, I’m fine, it’s just…” I trailed off.

“Just what man?” asked Barrett. “You don’t seem fine. You seem off. We all said no secrets man, so out with it.”

“It’s just this place is my last memory of normalcy before it all hit the fan.” I could almost smell the cologne and pomade, feel the sanex strip around my neck and hear the sounds of clippers buzzing, all while customers were coming and going, setting off the little bell that perched above the door.

I regarded myself in the same mirror, now covered in dirt and grime, only this time my hair was long and greasy, my beard ragged and shaggy.

The same green eyes stared back at me, only they now held grief, sorrow and memories of terrible deeds.

Horrible deeds.

Unspeakable deeds.

And many done by my own hand.

“His name was Peter Atreith. Best barber in town.”

“Sorry for your loss.” Jeremy mumbled and I didn’t know if it was sincerity or sarcasm but I thanked him nonetheless.

“I need a few moments. Alone.”

Barrett nodded and eyed me suspiciously but he, Terra and Jeremy all donned their gas-masks and returned to the wasteland.

I decided to give myself haircut and shave using what I could, mostly straight razors and scissors. I found clean water in the tank of the toilet and after I filled a wash basin, I filled my canteen. Once I was done I would let the others know of my find.

Later that evening, around a cook fire, my biggest fear became reality.

“You know, somethings been sittin’ real heavy on my mind, Grey. You know, somethin’ just ain’t addin’ up.

“Like what?” I asked

“Like how you remember getting a haircut at a barber shop from a person, but that ain’t been the case for years, man. They had them humanoids, them robots with lasers and stuff. They did all that. And you say your name is Grey? What kind of name is that?”

They knew. Cold sweat dotted my brow and my stomach flipped as Barrett stared me down. Jeremy poked around at his meager meal, unwilling to acknowledge the confrontation that was taking place mere feet from him.

“Barrett” Terra spoke softly, “leave it be.”

“I ain’t leavin’ nothin’ be. If he remembers human barbers, he’s got to be over a hundred years old, or better! Does he look that old to you? Tell me you ain’t that stupid, woman!”

He saw it as well as I did, the hurt that swept across her face before it was rapidly hidden. She would never say a word. That’s how the world was now, you couldn’t afford to let the sun set on your anger for fear it wouldn’t rise the next day.

“Let’s just get some sleep,” I placated, “we’ll discuss this in the morning.”

The grunt I got in reply told me he wasn’t happy about it, but he wouldn’t press the issue any further, at least not until daybreak.

When all eyes were closed and all breathing was relaxed and slow, I opened my suitcase and activated my temporal anomaly generator.

I feel bad for leaving them, they’re now one less mouth to feed but also one less gun, one fewer set of eyes and ears, and I was resourceful. They would miss me for that.

But I had broken their one rule from day one. I didn’t just keep secrets, I was a secret; my name, where I came from, where I was going, my plans, my past and the outcome of every future I had ever visited.

I miss them dearly and perhaps one day I’ll seem them again, but if I keep jumping, keep meeting new people and making friends then I’ll never be able to decide on one singular outcome.

I can’t save everyone, all I can do is instill hope and knowledge, and pray they are able to save themselves.

AdventureSci FiShort Story
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About the Creator

Mark Crouch

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