The wood fell away at my gentle nudge, revealing a new world. The first thing I noticed, was the light. The cold, dim lights of the Vault were nothing compared to this, and even looking down, the pain was intense.

Quickly, I ducked back into the cave, looking up slowly, allowing my eyes to adjust.

What I saw was awe inspiring.

A wasteland, with huge towering skeletons of what were once buildings, dead trees, and pits, glowing faintly with radiation. In the distance, dogs were howling, and the faint wind carried the smell of sand, and ashes.

On the horizon, something resembling a heap of scrap metal could be seen, shining with the light of the sun.

I took a tentative step forward, feeling the dirt crunch beneath my feet, looking around to my sides.

There were rocks on either side, and the ground seemed to drop out in front of me, which meant I was on a cliff somewhere.

I stepped forward again, standing on the edge, looking down. It was a heavy slope, dirt and rocks that I had kicked sliding down.

"Well, damn. I expected more death, and less dirt...", I muttered, talking to myself. I stepped back, and looked around again, this time spotting a narrow ledge leading down.

I pressed my back to the cliff, and edged my way down, slowly. As I neared the half-way point, a piece of the ledge gave way, and I began to fall.

___________

To be continued?