text: Alexei stood before the forest. In the distance, he heard the whispering of the engine of the truck that brought him before these woods. His air tank hung heavily on his shoulders and dug into his back. His radiation suit stuck to his sweaty skin. His mask felt choking and heavy. Alexei heard the footsteps of the soldiers that accompanied him. He took a look around and saw dark shadows moving forward in the thick fog. Alexei stepped forward into the mud. Massive dark trees stood over the group and disappeared behind the fog. Their leaves were mixed in with the mud underneath his feet. Their blanches hung bare and dead, murdered by the outrageous amounts of radiation spilling from the center of the forest. Alexei’s Geiger counter ticked away on his chest. The soldiers formed a single file and started into the forest. Alexei blindly followed in the group, clinging onto the straps of his air tank. The fog stayed close to the group, sprinting and weaving between the members of the group, casting a blur over them. Blurry outlines in the fog were hidden behind the dark and scorched bark of the trees that stood within the group. Alexei made sure not to break eye contact with the leader or any of the soldiers. They had been walking for some time now. Alexei was growing tired. His legs ached and his vision blurred. He muttered to himself, hoping that the group would hear him. He bent forward with his hands resting on his knees. He shut his eyes tight as he tried to regain his breath. The ground shifted beneath his feet, causing him to fall backwards. Alexei opened his eyes. Before him stood a massive wall of contorting metal and lead blocks. Spinning, diving, and climbing, slamming against each other, each time sending ripples across the floors Alexei now sit on. The top of the wall no longer disappeared into the fog, the fog no longer surrounded Alexei, but the wall disappeared into the dark. Into the nothingness that lies above Alexei. The wall loomed over him like a man looking into a fish tank. Alexei’s eyes drifted to the floor. Through the darkness he saw the rough outlines of lead cubes and metal. The sound of his Geiger counter broke through and entered his ears. Panic came over him as he scrambled and pushed himself away as fast as he could. The sound of his gasping filled his mask and his hands brushed past rough and cracked blocks of lead. His back slammed into something behind and caused his hands to slip. Alexei felt something strong grab onto his arm, and when he turned to look, his view was once again filled by the looming dark forest. “Sergei...” Alexei whispered at the soldier. “Come on doctor, keep moving. We’re almost there.” Sergei pulled Alexei back onto his feet before he turned and continued deeper into the forest. Alexei ran his hands over his radiation suit and checked for any damage. He suspected that there must’ve been some kind of leak, or perhaps one of his systems failed. Anything to explain what he just saw. He found no reason for his vision, other than the realization that his radiation suit might not be enough. He quickly caught back up with the group that was beginning to disappear one by one into the fog. Two hours later, Alexei was once again exhausted. He stopped and leaned against a tree to try and catch his breath again. But before he could close his eyes and take a deep breath, Sergei bumped into his shoulder, causing him to stumble forward. “We don’t have time for rest.” Alexei looked back up. Just behind the fog was a sharp shadow that didn’t resemble anything he had seen in the forest. The group seemed to be moving in that direction anyway, so Alexei decided to take a look. As he came closer, the rough outlines began to become more and more clear. He began to make out the large rectangular shape of the object. It seemed to be lying crooked. Alexei reached the object and noticed that its door had been opened. He rested his hand on the camouflage surface and leaned in. His flashlight poorly lit the inside of the helicopter. Through the darkness and the fog, he made out the shape of two feet. Alexei stepped into the cargo hold and hesitantly approached the shape. As he grew closer, the light from his flashlight cut through more and more fog until he finally reached the body. Through the cracked glass on the corpse’s gas mask, Alexei saw brown skin drawn tight over its protruding cheekbones. Its eyes had sunken into its skull. Its clothes were contorted around its half decomposed body. Alexei felt his breath catch in his throat. Alexei quickly backed out of the helicopter cargo bay and back into the fog. He stumbled back into Sergei, almost knocking himself over. Alexei looked back at Sergei only to hear him mutter, “So this is where they kept their vehicles.” His arm slowly rose and pointed into the fog. Alexei followed his finger and saw the outline of the warehouse behind several silhouettes. “Come. We need to keep moving.” Sergei began to walk after the group and Alexei quickly followed. He didn’t want to go off on his own again. Alexei had lost track of how much time had passed. They must’ve spent most of the day walking by now. He couldn’t tell. The sun was blocked out by the tall naked trees and the thick fog. The same measly amount of sunlight made it through. He couldn’t even tell which direction the sun was. He was going to ask them to stop. There was no way they expected him to continue on for so long without rest. This was outrageous! The only thing stopping Alexei from falling over asleep was the occasional spike in radiation that caused his Geiger counter to squeal. Before he could demand a rest, the group suddenly stopped. Why did they stop? Alexei focused his gaze to the front of the group. Through the dense fog, he saw five dark figures standing before the group. And there the two groups stood, motionless and silent. Alexei stepped forward and approached Sergei, who was at the front of the group. “Sergei, what’s going on?” Sergei didn’t speak. He slowly turned his head and looked at Alexei. Alexei couldn’t see his eyes through his vision, but he felt his gaze resting upon his shoulders. He felt everyone’s gaze resting upon his shoulders. “What’s going on?” he asked loudly, to the entire group. Alexei turned and faced a member of the other group, the man who stood closest to him and Sergei. He wore a different suit compared to the other four of his group. His suit had a massive visor that stretched from his head all the way down to his chest, while the other members wore plastic suits sealed at the face with gas masks. “You didn’t tell him?” the lead asked. “Tell me what?” Alexei questioned. “Do you think he would’ve come if I told him?” Sergei replied in a monotone voice. Alexei took a step back, and then another. He turned and tried to take a step, but before he could, the members of his group all raised their rifles. “Sergei, what-?” he asked as he turned back to Sergei, but his sentence snagged in his throat as he noticed Sergei’s rifle was also pointed at his head, “This isn’t what I signed up for...” Sergei motioned for Alexei to move forward. Alexei took a shaky step forward before Sergei reached out and pulled him before the man in the visor. The man stared at Alexei motionless for a moment before he stepped to the side. The sound of grinding stone filled Alexei’s ears in an instant. His hands instinctively covered his ears, but the thickness of his radiation suit stopped him from fully pressing down on his ears. The sound was deafening. He grit his teeth in pain as he slowly looked up to look behind the man. In a clearing of fog and trees, dull white sunlight shone down on a deep crater. Within the crater, held off the ground, was a mass of stone and lead, in a constant state of movement and dance. Up and down, back and forth. The mass contorted and shifted, never stopping, never resting. Pulled and manipulated by unknown forces. “What is that?” Alexei yelled over the sound. “Approach the object, Alexei.” the man said. Somehow, through the deafening orchestra of noise, the man’s voice could be heard clearly. “What?” Alexei yelled again as he turned. But he was met with no response, only the sparkling tips of their barrels. Alexei looked at the man and only saw his arm pointing at the mass. Alexei turned back and took a step forward. He felt a wave of resistance wash over his body, pushing him back and almost causing him to lose his balance. His Geiger counter screamed. He took another step forward and again, a wave of resistance. This time stronger, like a warning. He stepped forward again. And again the resistance washed over him, but the pressure didn’t leave his head. His Geiger counter now produced a single note. With every step the sound coming from the mass grew. It was shattering now. The wave was much stronger now. Alexei stumbled back. He shot a quick glance back to the group, but still he was met with the same greeting. He stepped forward again. This time he didn’t feel the push, but it felt like something pierced his forehead. His head exploded in pain. He felt his mouth open to scream, but before his breath could escape his mouth, the pain disappeared. Alexei fell to his knees as a cold sweat raised goosebumps across his body. He forced himself back onto his feet, but before he could step forward, a pain exploded from the innermost part of his head, radiating out and down his spine, dispersing throughout his body, reaching every inch of his flesh. Every part of him hurt, in the most intense pain possible. His mind went numb as he collapsed onto his hands and knees. Through the pain, the single idea, the single thought, of what he was sure to face if he turned back floated to the surface. Digging in his fingers, he forced himself forward. Somehow, the pain grew more intense. He now no longer felt the pain, all he knew was the pain. Pain. Pain. Or... Or death. Death for certain. So loud. Back there. No. Can’t go back. Forward. Forward? Sound. Pain. Pain? Maybe. He looked up and stared at the mass. Maybe. With all the strength he had left, he dug his hands and feet into the mud. He tried, he really did, but to no avail. He was stuck. Between certain death and eternal pain. He contemplated turning back. Anything, *anything*, was better than this. He had to turn back. He felt his body relax, despite the pain. It was deafening... A single thought rose in his head, so alien and clumsy, so random. A single thought, one word, one command. *Stay* He didn’t know why, but he listened. He wasn’t aware of his choice, nor his thought process, only aware of his final decision. And so, he stayed, his muscles tensed. The pain reached a pinnacle. Alexei passed out. His face mask pressed against the cold mud. And all fell silent. He opened his eyes. He was now standing. His mask was clean. His suit felt new. The stickiness and humidity was gone. His air tank felt like. His Geiger counter was silent. He looked forward and noticed the mass, quiet and unmoving. Calm. Settled. He stared at it, felt it staring back. And both stared, an equal mix of curiosity and fear between the two. Alexei slowly raised his arm forward. He was so close to touching its surface. Before he touched its cold surface, the world changed. The mass returned to its violent state. Alexei jumped back in fear. Above the sound of the grinding blocks came a screaming, a screaming so violent and feral, so desperate. Above the mass, the man with the visor could be seen, paddling and struggling within the mass. He pushed and shoved, and begged. He screamed at Alexei. He screamed at him to help, to save him, to take away his pain, and, finally, to kill him. Alexei stood motionless, shock overcame him. He was frozen. Blood pooled at the feet of the mass. Blood spewed forth from every opening. The sound of tearing flesh and crushing bone echoed throughout the impossible space. One final scream, one final fight. Alexei awoke and pushed himself off the mud. He stood up, adrenaline pumping, and tore off his mud covered gas mask. He took in a full breath in what felt like days of strangulation. Before him, in a neat half circle, were the bodies of the men, all with their blood dripping down and into the crater. All artificial in appearance. The mass was gone. The fog was gone. The sunlight now dominated the space. And above all else, it was quiet. Silent. Finally. Silent.