Story contest!

“Mikhail, everyone means you as well.” The Red Army captain said. I looked up at him. The captain coughed “It is 2017 now, four years since the Great War of 2013, scientists think we can inhabit the world now or at least look around, our food stores are growing low and the harmony between the stations will not last long. We are Polis, the strongest station with the largest amount of soldiers from before the war, and therefore we should investigate the surface. Mikhail.” He said to me “You were Spetnaz?”
“Yes.” The captain looked around before his eyes fell upon one of the other men out of the twenty.
“Vassili, you were a marine?”
“Yes.” Vassili was a tough son of a bitch, he was going to do the Spetnaz but after tensions between America and Russia had died down, if he was my wingman, I was happy.
“Okay, you two will be the new explorers. Get to the exit from Biblioteka Imeni Lenina, you will be kitted out, the soul of Russia itself goes out to you boys. Good luck.” The captain saluted me and Vassili..


I had a map of Moscow on the bonnet of an intact car. Vassili half looked at the map and half scanned the terrain. I looked for the library. We had been told to bring some books back for the bookworms in the station. We had heard some animals in this city we didn't want to see.
“You know where the library is Vassili?” I asked turning round “You lived here.” Vassili turned round and looked at the map before pointing at a section. I looked at it, sure enough, the library. I got my bearings from the map and looked around, the library wasn't far off.


After twenty minutes, we had reached the Great Library.
“Vassili, open those doors.” I said pointing at the massive double doors. Vassili walked up to one of them and put all his body weight behind it to make it open. There was suddenly a loud screech and a beast rose up into the sky, I tried to look at it but the sun blinded me. I started to dive. Towards us.
“Shit, shit, shit. Vassili! Get inside!” I shouted at him, he turned round to see the disturbance and saw the giant flying beast coming towards us. He loosed off a few shots. I ran at him and tackled him through the door, the creature wanted to join us though, it broke down the double doors, covering us with debris. Vassili pushed me off, he fired fully automatic at the creature from the hip as he slowly walked towards it. It recoiled as the bullets hit it. There was an empty clicking sound. Vassili threw the rifle to the side as the injured animal rose to full height and went onto all fours with a screech, it looked bat like but was easily two and a half metres tall. Vassili pulled out his dagger and with one swift moment drove it into the animals throat and sawed as the animal let out a death cry and flopped lifeless onto its side as Vassili withdrew. I brushed myself down and walked up to the dead animal.
“It is a demon.” Vassili said in his deep voice.
“The beast speaks.” I smiled. Vassili smirked.
“Where do we go now?” He said. I looked to the second set of double doors.
“Deeper into the library.”


I swapped a filter out as Vassili looked through shelves of books.
“Can you even read?” I asked him, laughing as I screwed the filter tight.
“No, I will learn to though.” Vassili said as he looked to me. He held a book in his hand.
“What's that?” I asked walking up to him.
“I do not know. I can't read.” Vassili said, passing it to me, Vassili was a country yokel who was great in a fight but the problem was he was uneducated and therefore could only be a grunt in the army, maybe he wouldn't have passed the Spetnaz training, he has no subtlety. I looked at Cyrillic.
“Roadside Picnic, good book but out of your range.” I said placing it in my backpack, I'd like to read it again. Vassili nodded. We then carried on into the library as a screech pierced the air. I didn't want to meet another one of those 'demons' as Vassili called them.

We walked through the rows of shelves, my back pack was becoming heavy with books and Vassili was carrying even more . I was in the children's library area. I'd pick up a few children’s books for Vassili, I would teach him Russian, that would be my challenge. I heard a snarl. Outside I hope.
“Vassili?”
“Yes.”
“Good, you're alive.” Vassili walked into my aisle of shelves.
“Why would I be dead?" He smiled, there was a thump from upstairs. We both looked up “Let's check it out.” He smiled.

We held our rifles to bear as we entered the room.
“Put your flashlight on.” I whispered to him as he entered first. The cone of light appeared and as I entered a creature darted out from the shadows. Vassili's rifle was smacked out of his hand. I loosed off a few shots at whatever it was, wherever it was. I felt a heavy paw smack me and it sent me flying and broke some ribs. I righted myself in the corner I slid into and looked at the horror which happened as Vassili was dragged upwards, he swore repeatedly but the creature quickly gutted him. It sniffed the air, looking for me before leaving the room, Vassili's stench was too strong. I silently cried.

How I survived I don't know but now Polis knows they can explore, it's not safe but there's something living there up in Moscow.

 

A metro short


“Viktor wake the hell up!” I jumped awake as Dimitri; one of my best friends kicked me awake. “What!” I asked sitting up from my cot, Dimitri was a somewhat small man. We had met when I had been on the surface and found him trying to break into a Pre war safe; he was a good man though who made up for his small stature with loyalty and technical skills. My other friend who was not here was named Raikov. He was a big man who is our teams current heavy weapons expert and all round good guy once you got to know him. Me however? I was nothing special, a slight athletic build with an inbuilt sense of honor.

I stood up to my full height of 6ft; Dimitri was leaning against the wall now. ”The Polis council wants us to head out today and grab those documents from the library. Their man hasn’t shown up so they are assuming the worst.” He stated while checking out his VSV. I sighed before walking up and looking at him tiredly. ”Alright, go grab Raikov and we’ll get moving.” I started to walk down the hall before hearing Dimitri shout. “The Rangers are sending one of their rookies with us too!” I turned around, disbelief on my face. He continued. ”They want to make sure we get there and back with the Docs safe and sound so they called on the Rangers to send one of their own.” I shook my head and continued while thinking on this new revelation. ‘Why would they send a rookie with us? Do they think we cant handle this on our own?’ I put it out of my mind as I walked to the airlock.

When I arrived I saw a young and jumpy kid who could be no older than eighteen, he jumped when I clapped him on the shoulder. “So are you the rookie?” I asked him, he seemed to stare at me in surprise and a little fear as he shook his head and nodded. “Y-yeah, the captain said I was supposed to accompany you to the surface and help you and you’re team bring back some documents.” He said in a surprisingly clear voice. ‘Must have more backbone than I thought’ I turned and saw Dimitri and Raikov walk up. Raikov took one look at the kid and laughed. “More fodder for the mutants eh!” He joked, Dimitri walked up while shaking his head. “Don’t mind him, hes just a big lug who likes to scare the new guys. I’m Dimitri, that’s Viktor and Raikov.” He stated while indicating Raikov and me. The kid nodded his head, looking a little unnerved, and said with a clear voice. “So should we go now?” I nodded while motioning to the guard. He started to open the heavy airlock doors. I put on my gas mask, as did the others as we walked forward and up the ruined escalator into the dead city.



“Contact! Their all over the place!” Dimitri shouted as gunfire reined down from above. I ran to the entrance with the others right behind me, as soon as we got in, Dimitri slammed the doors closed, I could still hear bullets impacting the floor and wall. I looked around for a moment before seeing a fresh body on the ground just a few feet away; I kneeled down and rummaged through the pack before pulling out a large vanilla colored folder. I put the folder in my pack before standing up and addressing the others. ”Okay we got what we came for, lets get the hell out of here. Raikov! You’ll cover with you’re 74. Dimitri sticks close to me in case I fall and grab the folders. Rook! You have rear guard. Alright swap filters and lets go!” I shouted kicking the door open as bullets once again rained down around us. There was no way to tell who the guys attacking us were; they only wore pure black uniforms. I followed Raikov as he kept advancing down the ruined street, then it happened. A large crack filled the air, everything slowed down to a crawl, Raikovs head snapped back with a spurt of blood. I ran up to his fallen body and pulled off the dog tags I had made for our group, I pushed down the cold feeling of sadness and despair at losing one of my closest friends. I turned and kept firing my AK while running through a ruined building.


”We’re almost there!” Dimitri yelled as he ran forward, the young Ranger joined him. Both were eager to get back. The fight had died down long ago, still. I had cried for Raikov and silently promised him a service for when we got back. I walked forward slowly, I was not eager to tell the news to his wife. An explosion erupted in front of me, putting me on my back; we had tripped one of the traps set by the Polis guards. I got up dazed and saw Dimitris burnt and torn in half corpse. A small groan caught my attention the kid was still alive. I hauled him onto my back and started jogging forward. ”Hold on kid, we are almost there.” I whispered. I stopped and picked up what remained of the tags hanging around Dimitris neck. I jogged through a small opening in a building, as I walked down the street trying to get to the airlock.

I had stumbled through the airlock when they opened it; I put the kid on a stretcher they brought. After getting patched up I walked to Raikovs place, knocked on the door and spent half a day consoling a widow.

“Sir?” A young voice asked. I shook my head and looked at my squad. I couldn’t do much to help her; I had felt empty since they died. I gave her his tags while I kept Dimitris. ”Lets go.” I stated.

 

(37 words too long, don't mind not being a part of the contest - just wanted people to get a taste of one of the Metro shorts I wrote.)

Smoke crept out of every orifice and danced briefly on the black obsidian steel of the silenced 6P9. The man holstered his sidearm and knelt over, alarmed that the weight of the beast may have crushed the boy. Putting a gloved hand between the shoulder-blades of the corpse, he pulled the monster from the boy. He lay there, gasped for breath and looked upon his savior. The man paid no mind, for as soon as he saw the boy alive he turned to retrieve his fallen weapons. When he turned back, he saw the child wheezing for air. His filter was dry, and the man’s would soon follow. Removing his backpack and rummaging through it, the man saw what depicted his near-demise. He pulled the last filter from the rucksack before placing it back on his shoulders, and outstretched his arms.

“Last one.” He muttered to the boy with a grin.

The boy took it into both hands with no argument. He understood the man’s mission. Replacing his filter with some struggle, he took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. He did not know how they would make it back to the nearest metro station, but he was worried of crossing more sinister inhabitants of the surface.

“Ready?” The man looked to the boy, who picked up his bear and nodded his head worriedly.

“Let’s go then.” The man turned, slinging his rifle and walking full-fledged out of the house. The posture and tranquility the man walked with was almost alien, given the surroundings. He walked proudly, yet silently. The boy followed, watching as the man stepped out of the front door and took a deep breath, surveying the landscape.

“The station nearest us is run by the Nazis. Surely they will have a squad guarding the entrance to the surface. I will take out as many as I can, but it is up to you to sneak in and get through undetected.” The man’s words muffled through the gasmask, and he didn’t look towards the boy as he spoke.

“Okay.” The boy understood as they began to jog through the empty howling streets.

~~~

Just as the man had predicted, the surface entrance to the station was well-guarded. He had counted nine well-armed soldiers walking amidst the graveyard of cars. Tulskaya was a station newly taken by the Nazis after a battle with the Reds. As far as the man had heard from whispers amongst the metro denizens, Tulskaya was currently being used as a barracks and training ground for the Fascist war machine.

He turned to the boy, who was shivering and afraid. Taking the boy by the arm, they both skulked forward in between the vehicular remains. The man had yet to see the officer, likely wearing a long trench-coat and a fancy general’s cap. Lifting his head to see where the enemies patrolled, the man was calmly unnerved to see a soldier walking straight towards them. Thinking quickly, the man turned to the nearest car and picked up the weary child, forcing him through the window and into the passenger seat. Next in was the man, who slowly worked the frosted door open. Slouching down into his seat, the man pushed the child down so as to not be seen. He then took the silenced pistol from his holster and rested it on the center of his chest – facing out the window.

The soldier approached the driver-side door of the car, looking ahead into the distance. The man turned his head ever-so-slowly to face the intimidating armor-clad soldier. The nervous boy began to wheeze, but the man was ready. When the sound of labored breathing registered with the soldier, he slowly turned his head to the car. Without lifting the 6P9 from his chest, the man fired into the soldier two successive times. The first shot shattered the soldier’s mask, while the second tore into his face with brutal ambition.

The man’s filter was nearly empty, and when he looked to the boy, who continued to wheeze, it startled him. The boy knew nothing of the surface, and was naïve enough to not consult his rate of breathing. He was gasping through a filter in half the time it took for the man to consume one. The man’s rate of breath was his secret to life on the surface, to successfully control his own breathing meant he knew exactly how long a filter would last him. As he watched the boy panting like a mutt in the sun, he began to forget about how thin his own breaths were becoming. He knew that only one of them would survive with the filter attached to the soldier’s shattered mask.

“Come.” The man muttered as he kicked the door open and knelt by the rearranged face of the soldier. Unscrewing the filter from the useless mask, the man handed it to the boy and simultaneously took off his rucksack.

“Give me your pack.” His commands were cold and calculated, even if the boy did not understand his intentions. The boy heeded the request and took off his small pack. Quickly, the man took essential items to his survival out of his pack and dropped them into the boys: military grade ammunition, monocular, knife, morphine syringes, and the three extra pistol magazines. Zipping up the pack and handing it to the boy, the man finally unholstered his pistol. He put it into the hands of the child, quickly going over his preferred tactics:

“6P9 silenced pistol, uses 9 millimeter rounds; always double-tap – one for the mask, one for the face. Never use it against armor, the bullets rarely penetrate. Understand?” The boy was becoming overwhelmed, and tears began to well under his heavy eyes.

“Put the bear in your pack so you can hold the pistol with both hands. Only kill who you need to – every soul taken is a soul missed.” The boy did as he was told, and the man stood up valiantly. He pulled the gasmask from his face and took the crisp, irradiated air into his lungs with a deep breath. Smiling at the boy, he patted him on the head and took the Vintorez into his hands.

 

I object, please shorten it to make it fair.

 

What do you care? You're not participating, as far as I can tell. I wasn't posting to be a part of the contest, and besides, I've already cut away some 2,000 words of the story or so. To take away a mere 37 words would cut into the details, mood, and tonality of the story/writing.

 

I'm good with it, Pip will most likely win though.:lol:
And TheStalker, you cant really object since, as Pip stated, you haven't even posted a story.

 

Damn it, I need an extra few words

 

wait, wut r the gifts?!

 

Huh............cool.

 

Congrats duders!