The Exclusion Zone

Why not?

"We're sorry, but due to sub-par safety conditions within the exclusion zone, we cannot allow any visitors at this time." The attendant at the gates politely declined us access to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. I scanned the length of the fence that blocked off the empty looking area from the rest of the wilderness. I turned back to our rental car, getting back in with my friend following.

"Should we come back?" My friend asked as I performed a two-point turn and started down the road the opposite way we came. "Maybe we should come back in a couple of days."

"I don't know. I don't want to put this off any longer." I said. "Maybe we should have just booked a tour. We might have been able to slip away from the group to look around on our own accord."

"They would notice us gone. I don't think that would be such an easy task. Besides, isn't it expensive to book a tour?" My friend replied, pulling out his phone to check up on some Internet resources.

"I think it's only about $200." We passed a barely visible dirt road.

"Wait!" My friend suddenly called out, causing me to pull to the side of the empty road and stop. "Back there!" I craned my head around to see what he was talking about. I took a second glance at the empty dirt road, not cluing in to the idea that my friend apparently had in mind. The road looked rough.

"What if we could sneak in?" He suggested with a very optimistic facial expression. I wasn't following.

"And get ourselves killed? It's guarded!" I retorted, getting ready to start driving again, but he stopped me from shifting the car back into drive. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that idea is?"

"It's a risk, but what's life without a few thrills? Besides, it's probably not that guarded. I mean, who wants to break in besides us?"

I sighed, and shifted back into drive, but I turned around and began down the dirt road. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" He chimed in affirmation, scanning the thick forests. The car's soft suspension absorbed the biggest blows delivered by the rough terrain, but it was still not comfortable. The dirt road's rough terrain implied that it was rarely traversed. The road was also significantly grown in.

"So...What are we going to do if we get caught? What's our excuse?" Imploring my friend for a response, I tried contemplating a potential excuse myself. I was sure that the penalty for trespassing in a restricted area was rather stiff, probably a hefty fine and maybe even some jail time. We'd be deported back home for sure and the money we spent flying to the Ukraine, staying in our hotel and renting the car would all have been for nothing. My desire to explore the ruins of Pripyat would also have been for nothing, and if we got caught I probably wouldn't have any chance of going back.

I reduced the speed of the car so that the bumps in the road wouldn't be so significant. My friend quietly exhaled. "I don't know. We'll think of something if that happens. But I don't think it will. Just keep out of sight and blend in with the shadows." I shook my head. I couldn't believe I was going through with this. We went deeper into the wilderness. The road started to become narrower and harder to discern from the surrounding flora. I further reduced the car's speed in response.

Minutes later, the road ended and we couldn't drive the car any further. I parked it and shut off the engine. "So, are you sure this is a good idea?" I said as I unbuckled my seat belt. My friend put his phone into the car's centre console and got out. I got out as well as he motioned for me to leave.

"I'll leave my phone in the car so that we can find it later with the GPS on your phone." He got his backpack out of the back seat of the car as I set up my phone to track his. "This is a mistake." I muttered to myself. "My phone is tracking yours. Finding the car again won't be an issue, just as long as we don't get caught." I couldn't stop thinking about the repercussions of what we were about to do. My friend looked at me like I was crazy. "We won't get caught. The Exclusion Zone boundary will be that way."