It's cold at Moscow

Cold Winter Morning

It was a cold, winter morning. Hills were covered in a thin, white layer of soft snow. The sun was shining, but the snow did not melt. Just some kilometres away, Moscow. And all of this, on the 12th of May, 2022. The Winter had begun.

And soft like an angel's kiss, someone stepped on the snow. One bare foot, followed by another, came into the scene, and the eyes of a girl whose name we all know, now contemplated the rising of the sun, destroying the darkness, and revealing the raw, simple truth.

One of her hands went down to the snow, and slowly, without making a noise, picked up something. To be specific, it picked up a key.

The girl looked at the key. Then she looked around. Back at the key. Where was she anyways? Who was she? Why was she? And most importantly, who the fuck had turned on the sun two hours early?

No answer. Or answers. Just no logic.

And then:

-Wake up.

-I don't wanna wake up.

-You have to.

-Why?

-Life still goes on, Wu. Wake up.

Opens her eyes, and finds herself laying down on a bed, in the middle of a city.Then, a bright light envolves and surrounds her, and then, death.

And back again.

Back again, to that hill, covered in snow. This time, the girl picked up the key, but instead, she threw it, as far as she could.

Then smiled, turned around, and walked away. Her long, black hair left a path on the snow, but her feet did not. 

-I have been awaken, Wu.

Silence.

BOOOMM...!

-NINONINONINONINOOO...! ALARM, SECURITY BREACH! 

Ruth woke up, sweating, and alarmed.  

-No, this can not be happening.

Ruth ran to the control room.

Everyone looked at her, including Anči.

-It looks like this is it, boys. The NSU has violated international law, and launched an ICBM, looks to be heading to the states! It is time to initiate the counter-attack system. We need an authorisation of the US President, so Ruth, make a call.

Ruth ran to the communications department, where she was handed a phone, with an encrypted signal. She inputed the number, and then waited. 

-FUCK, IT'S NOT WORKING! 

Ruth ran back down to where Anči was. She looked at her.

-We need to do something, NOW!- Ruth said.

Then Anči put her hand over Ruth's hand, and gave her some coins.

-Find a payphone. Now. With the local network it night better, but it is much unsafer.

Ruth went outside of the control room, and then into the main security door.

-I gotta go now, quick, open!

With this order, the doors, moved by the guards, opened.

-Girl, if you aren't back in 10 minutes, we are closing, Okay? - one of the guards said.

Ruth ran, into the snow. It took her two minutes to find an old payphone. She put the coins in, and then dialed the President's number.

-Please... Let it work...!

-Bzzzzzz.... Hello?

-Mr. President, it's me, Ruth! The NSU has apparently launched an ICBM, and I request your authorisation for a counter-attack from the US embassy-HQs.

-We know about it, Ruth, and I give you a complete authority to launch a counter-attack. Good luck. -And the call ended.

-Okay, now, I gotta come back. -she pushed the door. It did not open.

She tried again. Nothing. The door had freezed, and it was now impossible to get out of there. She decided to use her almost-ran-out-of-battery radio. She could make one call to HQs, but it would be a very short, and maybe even without an answer.

-OK, so here we go.

She pressed the button, and the seconds started counting.

-Anči, the President has gaven us permission, launch NOW, UNDERSTAND? I have been locked at the payphone, so pl- and the batteries went dead.

-I hope they got that.

And, luckily, they did receive it.

-Listen, people, the president of the United States of America has given us specially the permission to counter-attack on the NSU's capital, Moscow. Launching this missiles may get us all killed, but you knew this since the beginning of the mission. Start launching sequence.

And outside, Ruth saw something terrible. The missiles, they weren't there. They were fake signals sent by the NSU to trick 'em. It was a trap!

She started pushing, but the door wouldn't open. Then, she thought about the crystal. With all her strength, she puched the crystal that separated her from freedom. The crystal broke.

She ran,desesperately, until she reached the entrance. It was closed.

-OPEN, FOR FUCK'S SAKE, OPEN THE FUCKIN DOOR, NOW!

A little window opened.

-Who are you...?

-Please, don't piss me off, because IF I DONT STOP THOSE PEOPLE FROM LAUNCHING THOSE MISSILES YOURE ALL GONNA BE DEAD ENOUGH!

Ruth's hand was bleeding. All the crystals were deep into her soft skin, making her feel it.

Feel the pain.

Of all those millions of people that were about to die.

Because of her.

-I CANT LET THIS, OPEN NOW!! 

She punched the little window with the same, bleeding hand that she had used to punch the payphone's window.

It broke, again.

Ruth slidded her hand thru the broken glass, and opened the door from the inside. Then she went past the guards, heading straight to the control room.

5...!

Every step she took looked like hours.

4...! 

Blood drops slided and flew away from her hand, and then collided with the ground, leaving a path of red drops.

3...!

She opened the control room's door.

2...!

-STOP, ITS A TRAP!!

1...!

Anči heard her, and quickly pushed the button of cancellation.

0...! DEACTIVATED.