44. Duke : The red forest

Waking up in the morning as the light penetrated the mouth of the cave I forced myself to my feet even though every muscle burned. There wouldn’t be much light and no time to waste. Waking up the others and helping them up proved arduous enough. Some sat upright with their backpacks waiting to be helped up with grunts of pain. Helping up Baron as he struggled Yeti took his time unloading a backpack and stocking up his. Looking over to him with a grin impressed he was willing to assist someone who was struggling his grave face suggested otherwise.

Taking note of the rifle strapped to side realising it was Line’s backpack I walked by to find him shivering violently as his skin peeled and flesh began to fall apart leaving open wounds bleeding freely. Going for a bandage Yeti already stepped forward pushing me back instructing me not to get any closer to him. Sheepishly I spoke out to him from a distance with a hint of hope in my voice.

“How are you feeling?” Shooting over a pained look he choked out a reply.

“Fucked.” Not sure how to proceed I tried to convince him to stand.

“Just… walk it off pussy. Only one more day to go.” Chuckling he let his head rest against the cold stone again.

“I can’t feel my legs Duke.”

Refusing to leave him behind I stepped forward again for Baron to stop me this time. Smiling Line closed his eyes again as Yeti finished transferring anything of use from Line’s backpack to his own. Standing up he offered Line a pistol which he took with weak hands fumbling the gun onto his heaving chest. Being pulled away by Yeti I saw the glint of bloodsoaked teeth as Line smiled watching us leave as a broken laugh reverberated over the uncaring stone.

Reaching the mouth of the tunnel the darkness swallowed him whole to be left behind. Spun around by Baron he marched me forward with the others while providing a dust mask. Quickly the burning sensation of muscles being consumed for energy returned but it wasn’t enough to mask the pain of leaving another comrade behind.

Reaching the forest we stopped to pull over plastic hoods and strap goggles over our eyes. The trees sprinkled down a mix of white and red ashen fallout. Throughout the area we wouldn’t be able to stop or even rehydrate ourselves with the threat snowing down from above. Even under the plastic barrier the heat could be felt from the ethereal fallout.

Looking back again the cave had disappeared behind the mess of monolithic undead trees. Being pushed forward by Baron again I noticed the slight fog in my goggles. Everything was reaching breaking point. Trudging forward every step threatened collapse. Red sap began to flow to the ground sticking to anything that wasn’t the tree it originated from.

Occasionally bubbles of the sap formed bursting once full of air. The formation gave plenty of time to evade but under so much fatigue noticing them was hard enough let alone reacting. With the sighting of a deathly bubbles someone would collapse to the ground not have to energy to quickly dart away. Once bursted they would be helped up by three people with grunts of exertion. The constant stopping and starting was proving to be too much for some.

With a sudden burst the sap managed to cover Collette's visor. Throwing the helmet to the ground while holding her breath she was quickly issued with a plastic hood, dust mask and goggles as her visor quickly degraded emitting a plume of smoke as it shattered and curled in on itself. The sap immediately went to reform a ball of liquid tearing back anything it stuck on to do so.

Trying to take extra caution but ultimately failing we came across a stream of the sap. Though it would only take a small leap the sight alone was mind rending. Little things such as taking a small jump when walking was arduous enough began to tear at our minds. Every jump to collapse on the other side was met with a yelp of pain sending us further into crushing despair as our bodies failed.

Helping up the last one who leapt over the lethal stream the trees could be heard creaking above. Paranoid we all swung readied rifles around as a blizzard of fallout embers blew in all around us. Any exposed flesh immediately burnt with a sensation previously unencountered. Hunkering down curling up in groups covering the exposed sections of our faces the blizzard continued to rage on.

Waiting for minutes Yeti stood up ordering everyone to continue on through the storm as the trees swung irregularly and violently. Pushing through the storm of embers it dawned on us that the entire forest had been turned into a tear. The longer we stayed in it’s domain the worse the storm would become but it was imperative we reached the other side.

With hands braced in front of my face the ashen fallout still made it’s way to unprotected flesh leaving deep sears. Trudging forward becoming blood shod from a collection of minor wounds the hood came free leaving my hair to catch the wind of the storm as well as fallout. Quickly the intrusions and whispers became ever present behind every trunk in the surrounding walls of corrupted woodland.

Pushing on regardless Baron’s voice carried on through the storm incoherently as the harmonious orchestra insisted for me to lie down underneath the scorching storm threatening to tear flesh from bone. The residual white fallout I trode through looked so enticing and comfortable to rest in. The fact it was heavily irradiated seemed to matter less. Tempted to take it’s offer a burnt skeleton could be seen being covered in the residual white bolstering my resolve to push on over a bridge towards our objective.

Looking through my braced hands again the group seemed to disappear into the madness of the storm. Searching desperately through the coated goggles I saw nothing but the raging storm of embers. With a soft thunk looking to my right Baron had also collapsed to my side into the celestial white fallout we marched through.

Desperately pulling him up a steam already came from the heavy sweat his body was covered in. With a cry of pain pulling his body over my shoulders after removing his backpack I stumbled forward slowly. He weighed significantly more than me and on a good day was difficult to carry. Now it took everything not to scream. My very bones felt as if they’d fracture and give way under his weight.

Gritted teeth threatening to shatter against the pressure of which they clenched together exhaling through them with pained grunts I refused to leave him to die. With the fallout clumping over my head the whispers only became louder as oily beings black as the void began to appear from behind the trees. Stomping forward with each irregular step the whispers turned to demonic hymns and the beings approached ever so slowly tightening the noose.

Crunching forward another stream of sap began to form getting wider. The trees bled trying to encircle me and prevent progress. Behind a significant area had already been covered preventing retreat. Throwing my and Baron’s weight forward it took every ounce of what concentration was left to stay upright. Throwing us both forward we cleared the distance only to land with a stuttering wail of pain. Legs finally gave way leaving me buried in the white fallout with Baron’s unconscious body pinning me down.

The fallout felt so warm and welcoming. A well made natural bed that began to bleed out my thoughts preparing me for desperately needed rest. An eternal rest. Fear and determination were replaced with content and satisfaction. I would finally be able to sleep. I wouldn’t have to lose anyone ever again. Not friends or comrades or family. The oily figures closed in to hold me in their embrace. This would be the end to all of the loss.

Rolling my head with one final effort I could see a light through the edge of the forest beaming through even the embers that flew around us. The edge of the forest. Something penetrated even this horrible storm. Digging into the absolute last reserves of strength with a cry pushing my own weight and Baron’s up and out of the snow drift of fallout the comfort was quickly replaced with tearing pain once more.

Getting to my feet with resolve failing I pulled Baron’s steaming body onto my own forming a plume of pure steam from the both of us. Blood flowed down from him down my goggles impairing vision as the storm blew with increased ferocity. Muscle began to slowly tear with each step as I approached the light. Even though it was a hundred meters away each step brought us that little bit closer.

Pushing harder the glow of the sap radiated through the ashen fallout on the ground approaching me. Stepping forward with indefatigable purpose the saps glow began to leave us in the distance behind. Thirty meters from the door I could make out a group standing at the front trying to kick it down. Fifteen meters away they noticed us rushing, or more accurately stumbling over to provide assistance.

Dragging both me and Baron to the wall the door was finally dislodged. Completely exhausted they didn’t even bother with a proper breach and stumbled in hoping the building didn’t hold any hidden horrors. Once dragged in the door was barred behind us while whoever was still focussed enough tended to our wounds.

With bandages slowly being wrapped around the torn flesh I caught a look of Baron, his chest slowly heaving up and down even if he wasn’t with us for the moment. With the fallout being swiped from my hair the whispers died down while bangs on the door ceased. Closing my eyes the world quickly left my senses as the satisfaction of saving my friends life settled in over the overwhelming pain. No one else had to die. Not today at least.