They felt the wet soil beneath their feet, the freshness of the night air. Nine persons on the bank of the Delaware, five men and four women. The world is brand new before their eyes. No one else is along the stretch of land, but in the distance, they see it. Something inside, deep, inspires them to go there.

The city of Wilmington. Evacuated two months ago, but now, she has regained many of her people. Bombed out industry is on the move. Cars are driving down its hilly streets. People. Action. Society.

The nine want to take it in, every aspect. Stranded at sea, cut off from a homeland they barely recall, they have no other momentum save one.

Forward.

Through the woods they creep, silent as felines. What will they do? How will they do it.

The first house they encounter, an old one of brick from Penn's days suits their purpose. They enter. A sleeping couple, elderly, unaware, snore for the last time as knives separate each larynx. The nine scour the house until all possessions of note are theirs: money, identity papers, clothing, jewelry, a Dodge truck and a '40 Ford  Coupe in the barn out back. These will do.

Before sunrise, they've eaten a meal with the couple's food and set the house and barn alight. Two in the Coupe. Two in the truck. Five on foot. All in different directions. Before the part ways, each looks upon the other, knowing what the other is thinking. Their eyes, all identical. One red, one black.

"We will need sunglasses."

"Ja."

"Success or death."

"Ja. Sieg heil."

They will take jobs. They will learn about society. They will do these things, following their unified instinct deep down until it should, one day, tell them otherwise. Follow the one true goal, and wait.

The instinct is life to them. It tells them the one word, in a whisper behind their individual thoughts, neverending. Awake and in their dreams, she calls...

grow

                                                                                              END

                  NOTE:   To be continued first in FIRST STATE FIREFIGHT here on WATTPAD

If you read this all the way through, I can't thank you enough! This was the longest rough draft I ever wrote, two years of going ahead and not looking back. I will begin the editing process later, so some things may change, be added or removed. DJD is my first dieselpunk baby and I really want to know what you think of it as a story, as a war tale, and as dieselpunk. If you didn't comment on a chapter, please take the time to comment here so i know what you think!