How not to traverse the zone
By Patrick Sheen
1300 HRS: Insertion was clean, that Border Guard didn’t even know I was there till I had stuck my kabar into his throat and drained the life from his eyes. Wrong place at the wrong time, I needed to get in, I needed to hunt, I needed to see how good I really was, me and Mr M-14 that is. I hoped that guard wasn’t going to be missed, but then again, the incursionary patrols, wouldn’t be happy. The fence was of a basic construct, rusting away, crowned with barbed wire, whip out the old multitool, 5 mins later, I was in, and it began to cloud over. A forwarning of what was to come, I should of taken heed of it.
1400 HRS: I’ve never seen any plants like the ones ive been snekaing through for the past half hour, they give off a strong odour, almost like rotting flesh, I’m glad I didnt have a big breakfast, apparts from the plants stench, and the heavy clouds, I haven’t encountered anything living yet, I did find part of an animal before, not too sure what it was, it looked like an arm, but it bent in all the wrong places for a humans’ arm, so I know there is something interesting in here, and its not just a bunch of military propaganda. I really don’t like the look of those clouds…
1445 HRS: Its just started raining, and it almost burns the skin, there is somthing very wrong about this rain, its almost grey in colour, I sat down for 15 mins and could of sworn that there was someone standing in the forest edge shadows not 100 feet away to my right, I went for my binoculars but it had gone when I tried to find it, so someone or somthing is taking an intrest. I ate some compound chocolate for lunch and had some canteen soup, I hope it lasts me until I bag somthing.
1530 HRS: The rain has picked up, my exposed skin is turining bright red from it, ive gotta find some shelter, better then red trees and rotten meat plants. Im going to go into the forest a short way to try and find a cabin. Theres been a hell of a lot of Helicopter activity off to the north, so I know which way not to go. The ground is soft here, ill have to becareful, not to get caught in mud… interesting, ive just found some tracks, big, and widely spaced, but the impacts are wrong for someone running, the creature that made them has to be at least 8 feet tall, I wish I’d brought something a little heaver then a 7.62mm… its only 3:30 and its almost pitch black, the winds kicked up and the trees are creaking all around me, I dont like this im very vulnerable right now, and im strating to wonder if im the hunter in this place.
1630 HRS: I pray every night to the person who invented night vision, these goggles are a god send, thats the only comfort ive got at the moment, Howls, a lot of them, closer and closer, I see light in a pair of eyes everynow and then, then it vanashes and appears 20 feet closer, if there only dogs then thats ok, Mr. M-14 is ever redy now, im boiling in this weather suit, better that then freeze and scald in this rain. They keep their distance, then one will appear in front of me not 20 feet away, and challenge me, ever feel like your being herded…. I really dont want to discharge my rifle, fearing I’d let everyone and everything near me know where I am.they come any closer though, and ill have to put them down.
1715 HRS: something has just happened, the pack that was watching me, has just split, don’t like it, its gotta be bad. Im stating to see ghosts, and I could of sworn I saw a 10 foot tall man, meandering along the tree line to my right, he was watching me, and I was watching him, in a flash of lightning, he was gone, theres some strange stuff going on here and I really dont like it. But ive found a house of sorts, its dilapadated, no windows, the floors rotten and thers a strong smell of heavy chemicals in it, I guess, Ill setup some claymores at the doors and block the window spaces with what solid furniture I can find about, ill call it a night.
1845 HRS: my goggles have just stopped working, damn it lowest bidder C***!! And now my torch dosn’t work either, I changed the batteries over in both and still no dice, not good, NOT GOOD!!! It sounds like torrential downpour, the roof is baerly holding together, and now it sounds like all the pack of dogs is back and they’ve got friends, lots of them. I am….nervous about the situation, but ive got a gun and grenades and a knife, claymores should hold the door.
1900 HRS: The strangest thing, the rain just stopped….completely. no warning, just boom, gone. I got a fire started, my zippo lighter doesn’t need batteries, the wiring in the torch and in the goggles is melted, thats why they didn’t work, but its like some one put a massive electrical charge through them, not from the rain, there water proof, so thats gotta be from an electrical blast or somthing, but how?……some ones coming!!
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Rifle to the ready, full auto selected, quiet, BANG BANG BANG! The dogs are jumping against the walls and the furniture. Yet none goes for the front door, smart, defenetly not good……There was just a loud roar, very loud, inhuman. The Dogs ran away yelping, so what am I dealing with now. Im backing my self into the second room now, its small, theres one window space and I can easly get out if I have to, just kick the chair that was bracing the cupboard, it’ll fall away and I can run. Simple, no problem, right?
1915 HRS: ITS COMING!! ITS F***** HUGE!! AND STRONG!!! IT JUST SMASHED THE FRONT DOOR IN! AND THE CLAYMORS DIDN’T EVEN SLOW IT DOWN!!! Im running now, in the field out side, it smashed the wall out and is chasing me!! Oh god no not like this, If I can just get to the forest I can hide, WHO AM I KIDDING I DONT KNOW WHICH WAY IM HEADED!! My compass was in my webbing and I left that in the house… just me Mr. M-14 and FRANKENSTEIN….im ahead……………………………………………………………………………………………………not by much its close, trying to catch my breath, its relentless, I turn bring Mr. M-14 up and Brace for the recoil, BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!….click click, outa ammo!! Not like this…10ft no no NO!!!…..(he turned to run but thats as far as he got, the Mutant grabbed him and ripped his arms out of their sockets, he lived for a few seconds, saw the smiling face of death, then passed out for ever, and the mutant dragged him back to the house….”havent had a roast in a long time”