Good Night: An Apocalypse Story

As she pulled up to the familiar abandoned cabin, she dismounted and started to unpack, her senses still sharp but unaware of the imminent danger. The sound of engines revving suddenly filled the air, growing louder. Three bikes sped up the road, stopping just a few meters away from her. The raiders quickly dismounted—a woman and a man on one bike, followed by two more men on the others.

Immediately, Stephanie recognized their intent—the predatory glint in their eyes, the way they moved with practiced violence. Raiders.

Before she could fully process the situation, two of the men charged at her, machetes raised. Their intent was clear: they wanted to take her down. Stephanie, relying on her instincts, dodged their first strikes with precision. As one swung at her again, she sidestepped and, in a fluid motion, plunged her knife into the man’s neck. His eyes widened in shock as blood gushed from the wound, and he dropped to the ground, dead.

The second man, caught off guard by how quickly she had dispatched his companion, hesitated for just a moment. It was all the time Stephanie needed. She kicked him hard in the neck, the force of the blow snapping bone with a sickening crack. He collapsed beside the first man, motionless.

As Stephanie prepared to turn her attention to the remaining raiders, a sharp pain exploded in her stomach. She looked down in shock, feeling the warmth of blood spreading across her midsection. The woman, standing behind the two men, had shot her with a pistol. Stephanie gasped, dropping to the ground, the world spinning as the pain seared through her body.

The third man approached her, raising his machete, ready to finish her off. But the woman stepped forward, grabbing his arm.

“Don’t be stupid,” the woman hissed, her eyes narrowing as she appraised Stephanie. “Look at her. You see how beautiful and sexy she is? The boss would want her as a slave, not dead.”

Stephanie's mind raced through the haze of pain. Slave. The word echoed in her head, fueling a surge of rage that momentarily overpowered the pain. Her body screamed in protest, but her survival instincts kicked in. As the man turned toward the woman, debating whether to finish Stephanie off or capture her, she saw her opportunity.

With a sudden burst of strength, Stephanie kicked the man hard in the legs, sending him crashing to the ground. Ignoring the pain tearing through her abdomen, she forced herself to her feet. Every movement was agony, but she gritted her teeth, her vision tunneling with focus as she lunged toward the woman.

The woman, surprised by Stephanie’s resilience, fumbled with the pistol, trying to fire again. But she wasn’t fast enough. Another shot rang out, hitting Stephanie in the stomach again, but the adrenaline in her system was too strong now—she barely registered the pain. With a savage burst of strength, she grabbed the pistol from the woman’s hand and, in a swift motion, headbutted her. The force knocked the woman unconscious instantly, her body slumping to the ground.

Breathing hard, her vision blurring, Stephanie turned toward the final raider—the man who had just begun to pick himself up from the ground. His eyes widened in fear as he realized what was about to happen.

With no hesitation, Stephanie raised the pistol and fired. The bullet hit him squarely in the head, his body collapsing lifeless beside his fallen companions.

For a moment, everything was silent except for Stephanie’s ragged breathing. She stumbled backward, her hand pressing against her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. The pain was unbearable, but the immediate danger had passed. The raiders lay dead or unconscious around her.

Stephanie gritted her teeth, the pain in her stomach sharp and raw, but her enhanced physique gave her strength beyond what most people could endure. With her knife in hand, she set to work on herself, ignoring the lack of sanitation or the risks involved. Her focus was entirely on survival. She used the knife to dig out the bullets, each motion sending waves of agony through her body, but she didn't flinch. The cold steel met her flesh, and she worked quickly, pulling the bullets free from her abdomen.

Once the bullets were out, she bandaged herself with strips of cloth torn from her pack. Blood still seeped through the fabric, but it was less than she expected. The wounds were already coagulating, the bleeding slowing faster than it should. Her enhanced abilities were kicking in, and it was like her body was accelerating its healing. The pain, while still present, was already dulling.

“Good,” she muttered under her breath, forcing herself to stay focused. She knew she couldn’t stop now.

After tending to herself, Stephanie ate a small portion of her rations, feeling her strength gradually return. Her body was working faster than before—recovering more rapidly than any normal human could. As her mind cleared, she turned her attention to the unconscious woman who had shot her. It was time to get answers.

Using some old rope she found in the cabin, Stephanie tied the woman up, securing her tightly to a chair. She couldn’t afford to take chances. The raider had wanted to make her a slave, and that wasn’t something Stephanie would forget—or forgive.

As she tied the last knot, Stephanie straightened up and checked her own wounds. They were healing faster than expected, the pain reduced to a dull throb. The blood had clotted, and it seemed like her body was adapting to the damage with eerie efficiency. She still felt the tension in her muscles, but the danger of blood loss was gone.

Not long after, the raider woman began to stir, her eyelids fluttering as she slowly came to. Stephanie was ready, standing in front of her with a cold, unyielding expression.

"Where’s your base?" Stephanie asked, her voice low and dangerous.

The woman’s eyes darted around the cabin, her fear barely hidden. “I—if I tell you, the boss will torture me. He’ll kill me, and it won’t be quick.” Her voice trembled slightly, but she tried to sound defiant.

Stephanie’s face remained impassive. She leaned in closer, her eyes locking onto the woman’s. “And you don’t think I’ll kill you? After you shot me twice and planned to make me a slave?” Her voice was steady, calm, but the threat in it was unmistakable.

The raider woman went silent, fear flashing across her face. She knew she had crossed a line, and that Stephanie wasn’t bluffing. But still, she said nothing, her lips pressed together in defiance.

Stephanie’s patience wore thin. Without warning, she delivered a sharp, brutal punch to the woman’s mouth, the force knocking out several of her teeth. Blood spurted from the woman’s mouth as she gasped, choking on the sudden pain. Her head lolled to the side, barely conscious from the blow.

“You’ll talk,” Stephanie muttered under her breath as she watched the woman’s body go limp. The raider was unconscious again, her breathing labored. Stephanie’s fist throbbed slightly, but the satisfaction of the punch outweighed the pain.

Stepping back, Stephanie wiped the blood from her knuckles, her thoughts turning to what she’d do next. She still needed information, but the woman was proving difficult. Torture or not, Stephanie had already survived worse—and this raider had no idea who she was dealing with.

For now, the woman would sleep. But when she woke up again, Stephanie would get the answers she needed.

After some time, the raider woman began to stir again. Stephanie sat across from her, eyes cold and unyielding, waiting for the truth. The woman’s face was swollen from the earlier blow, and she looked weary, but the fear of what was coming finally cracked her resolve.

“Talk,” Stephanie commanded, her voice calm but deadly.

The woman swallowed hard, glancing around nervously before finally speaking. “Our boss, Ivan—he’s been the leader since the start of the apocalypse. He runs the entire raider gang. Hundreds of us, but we’re spread out around Cluj.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, but the words kept flowing, as if some part of her knew there was no escape. “We deal in slaves and drugs. It’s how we survive.”

Stephanie’s eyes narrowed as the woman continued, already calculating her next move. “And the camp... the Big Bear camp. What do you know about them?”, the Big Bear camp being the one Mariana sent her to.

The woman hesitated for a moment before answering, her voice softer, more fearful. “Big Bear is one of our subordinate camps. They help us... procure slaves. Train them.”

Stephanie’s expression didn’t change, but inside, the betrayal stung deeper. Mariana had set her up to become a slave. The web of lies and alliances spread further than she had thought.

“How many camps like Big Bear are there?” Stephanie asked, her voice tightening with controlled anger.

The woman shifted, her head hanging in defeat. “Eight. Eight subordinate camps scattered around. They all work for Ivan.”

Stephanie felt a weight settle over her. Eight camps. Hundreds of raiders. She was alone, and despite her growing strength, she wasn’t delusional enough to think she could take on an entire network of raiders by herself. She didn’t have a big enough hero complex, like her father always used to call it, and charging headfirst into this mess would be suicide.

She stared at the woman for a long moment, considering her options. The woman had provided her with everything she needed to know, but there was one last question that lingered in her mind.

“And the factions in the city?” Stephanie asked. “Tell me about them.”

The woman, still slouched in the chair, sighed in defeat. “There are three main factions in Cluj. Ivan, of course—his raiders control a lot of the area. But then there’s the university, led by a man named Matei. They’re at war with us. They don’t deal in slaves, but they want control of the city. They’re more organized, more... civilized, I guess.”

Stephanie leaned in slightly, her interest piqued. “And the third faction?”

“The underground,” the woman said, her voice lowering as if the very mention of it brought unease. “They’re led by a woman named Stella. She stays neutral in the war. Doesn’t pick sides. Some say she controls all the black markets, others think she’s just waiting for Ivan and Matei to destroy each other. No one really knows.”

Stephanie absorbed the information silently. Three factions, all vying for control in this decaying city. And here she was, caught in the middle of it all, when all she wanted was to find the facility her father had mapped out. The chaos of Cluj was more than she bargained for, and the thought of getting entangled in the city’s power struggles sickened her. She had to get to the facility and leave this place behind.

The woman slumped in the chair, watching Stephanie carefully, as if waiting for her judgment. But Stephanie had already made her decision.

“You shot me twice,” Stephanie said softly, walking toward the woman. “Planned to make me a slave. And now, you’ve told me everything I need to know.”

The raider woman opened her mouth to speak, but Stephanie was already moving. With swift precision, she knocked her out again, ensuring she wouldn’t feel what was coming next.

Standing over the unconscious woman, Stephanie drew her knife. There was no hesitation as she drove the blade deep into the woman’s brain, killing her instantly. It was quick, efficient, and the last bit of unfinished business she needed to take care of.

Wiping the blood from her knife, Stephanie stepped back, her mind already on the next step. She now knew everything she needed about Cluj—the raiders, the university, and the underground. But none of that mattered to her. She wasn’t here to play hero, nor did she care to get involved in their war. Her goal was clear: get to the facility, uncover the secrets her father had left behind, and get out of this city.

Stepping outside the cabin, Stephanie took a deep breath, the cool air filling her lungs. Cluj was a dangerous place, crawling with Freaks and human monsters alike.