I woke up in the snow. The blizzard howled as I came to my senses. There was darkness all around me. I felt that my hand was clutching something as I regained consciousness. It was a PPSh-41 gun. I managed to stand up but I staggered a little. The wind was wailing and the storm was blinding. I was knee deep in the snow and my head was throbbing. I could not figure out what happened. Where was I? Why was I holding a gun that was nearly 80 years old? What had happened to me? I tried to think straight but my analysis was cut short by a blood-curdling howl. It was dark. I felt fear. My gun felt empty but that did not matter. I somehow knew that whatever was out there would not be stopped by my weapon. So, I started marching. I could make out a small house in the distance. I saw a light. Warmth. I thought if I could reach the house, I could take a moment to calm down and think. I kept marching on. The storm got more violent with every passing second. The darkness seemed to be relentless, clutching on to all that it could with its dangerous grasp. The howl grew louder. The beast was close. I kept marching on. With every passing step, I should have been closer to the house. But somehow, that did not happen. The house seemed to be as far away from me as it was when I woke up. I started hearing whispers from the shadows. Forsaken. Awoken. Lost. Eternal torment. They were speaking to me. I paid them no heed and I kept marching on.
I could now hear my pursuer’s footsteps and I could hear its grunts. A repeating, methodical series of noises. It was close now. Too close for me to evade it. I closed my eyes and readied my gun. I turned around with my eyes still closed and I squeezed the trigger. I hoped that this would scare the beast, if not kill it, but I was a fool to think that. I heard the distinct click of my gun running out of bullets. I opened my eyes to stare directly into the eyes of fear itself. A creature born of darkness, raised on fear and terror. Its piercing, reptilian yellow eyes would cause even the bravest warrior to quiver. Its spine-chilling howl would freeze even the most seasoned hunter in their tracks. It had no body, like a phantom. A beast made of pure darkness. Made to inspire terror. I felt helpless and terrified as it lunged at me. I could not move. Nor could I breathe. I lost all control as this creature of the darkest horrors of my mind knocked me into the snow.
I woke up in the snow. The blizzard howled as I came to my senses. There was darkness all around me. I felt that my hand was clutching something as I was regaining consciousness. It was a PPSh-41 gun. I managed to stand up but I staggered a little. The wind was howling and the storm was blinding. I was knee deep in the snow and my head was throbbing. Everything was coming back to me. “Was I not attacked by that thing?” I asked myself. I heard the creature’s howl again. I saw the house too. But I did not go there this time. I decided to march towards the beast. As I trudged on towards the noises of the creature, I could see a light in the dark. Flames. Yes. Flames of a wreck of some sorts. A plane perhaps.
I could hear the beast but that did not deter me. I readied my weapon once again and I moved towards the wreck. I could hear screams and voices. “Echoes of the damned”, I thought. “This must be how the creature gets its strength. From the terror of the souls trapped here. This must be how I woke up in this forsaken land. I must have been knocked out by the blast. But that does not explain the weapon….” My thoughts were once again cut short by the howl of the creature. This time, I faced it. I saw it coming out of the wreck, twisting and turning as it moved
towards me. Its darkness engulfing the light of the flames and smothering them. A fight of light and dark. I imagined that it was grinning at me. Menacingly. The whispers got louder. Forsaken. Awoken. Lost. Eternal torment. Trapped. Hopeless. The whispers became voices, speaking to me. The creature looked at me and growled. It prepared to lunge at me. I tried to fight my fear but I was only partly successful. I managed to hold my gun up but my hands were shaking. I tried to be as steady as possible and I waited for the beast to attack. As soon as it moved towards me, I unleashed a bullet storm. I screamed as I squeezed the trigger. This….thing was a manifestation of pure darkness and fear. My fears. It was created out of the echoes of the damned and the negativity of those who perished here.
I had to fight it to free myself. Click. Out of ammunition. Again. This time, I did not let the beast take me. I rushed forward and slammed the butt of my rifle into its face. But it simply turned into smoke. I stumbled and fell forward, close to the wreck. The heat from the flames was more painful than warming. I quickly turned around to face the monster but it was too late. Its darkness formed shackles around my arms and legs and it manifested above me, revealing its ghastly form. Fear and helplessness took over me once more as it let out a loud howl, just before it silenced me.
Once again, I woke up in the snow. The PPSh-41 in my hands. The familiar darkness and blinding snow engulfing me. The howl of the monster echoed from the shadows and I saw the tantalising house and the flames of the wreck. I sighed as I readied my weapon and cleared my head. Once more, I began my eternal march.
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