Artyom was born after the fall of Soviet Union in early 1990's. He spend most his childhood hiking in the hills and forests of Chernarus with his elder brother and father who taught the two brothers how to hunt, how to use a rifle or a bow to provide food, how to survive in the wild in time of need. "The strong and smart survive and the weak die, that's the way of the life boys." said Artyoms father while they were sitting around a campfire. Artyom always thought that it was waste of his childhood and usually hid away from his father when they were about to head to the wilderness. He realized that all those days spend with his father and elder brother didn't go to waste when the outbreak happened.
A tragedy struck when Artyoms parents were infected. His father knew what would happen soon so he knew what had to be done. He told his sons to pack their bags and pour gasoline on the old wooden floor of their house. Artyom and and his elder brother packed only necessary items in their backpacks and took old mosin that had been passed down in the family. "Remember boys that one bullet is enough, one bullet is enough" said the father as Artyom took the mosin. As the brothers walked outside and closed the door they heard a gunshot, it came from the inside. After few minutes a second shot was heard. Artyom light a newspaper and threw it on the gasoline covered stairs. The brothers walked away from the smoking house, tears going down their faces. Now the only thing they had were each other.
Weeks passed and the two brothers had been living in the wilderness, hunting what they could and trying to avoid the hordes of dead. They had enough food to survive for few more weeks but not many bullets left for the old mosin. Artyoms brother was trying to get in contact with people with small radio but it was no use. The signal was weak in the wilderness for it so they decided to move to Green Mountain and try to get better signal on the top of the massive radio tower. After 5 days of walking they got to the tower but sadly they were not alone. A group of 6 survivors had made camp inside the walls of Green Mountains compound so the brothers decided to wait and that they did. After 2 days multiple gunshots were heard coming from the survivors camp. Artyom and his brother walked near and took a peak over the walls. One of the survivors were dead and the others looked rather angry. In hour the survivors had packed everything and were leaving. The brothers waited until the survivors had walked away.
As the brothers walked inside they saw a body of a naked man in the middle of the compound. Multiple wounds on his chest and blood around him. The brothers searched the compound for supplies but found none. They decided to set up on the radio tower for the night since it seemed like the only safe place at the moment. The elder brother had luck and managed to get working signal. They decided to celebrate it with some nice dried deer meat. As the brothers were eating they heard a broadcast coming from the radio. "Stay away from large cities...hordes moving...avoid making sound...attracts them easily." the broadcast said as it got darker. The brothers decided to sleep and move back in wilderness in the morning.
At sunrise Artyoms brother woke him up and made him look under them inside the compound. A horde of dead had walked inside the compound, attracted by the survivors gunfire. They couldn't escape the dead. The brothers sat down and started talking how to get out of the situation. Climbing down was suicide and they only had 2 bullets left for the mosin so fighting also wasn't possible. Only chance they had was to wait for the dead to roam out and make a run for it. Days passed and the dead didn't move away, the brothers were worried about their supplies. They had food and water for 2 weeks tops. Surprisingly they spend another 2 weeks up on the towers platform. "So this is how we die, starvation in a god forsaken world." said Artyom and threw empty can off the platform. The elder brother looked at Artyom and stood up. "There is no way I will die like this, father said that the strong survive" the elder brother said. Artyom saw him sharpening a knife and dark thoughts filled his mind.
As the night came the brothers went inside their sleeping bags once again. Few hours passed as silent footsteps were getting closer to a sleeping bag. "I'm sorry brother but the strong survive and the weak die." quiet whisper was said before the elder brother jumped on Artyom and stabbed his neck. The elder brother looked down and realized that it wasn't Artyom but something soft.
BANG
The elder brother fell on his brothers sleeping bag, a bullet wound next to his heart. "No, the smart survive longer than the strong" said Artyom as he watched his brother bleed to death. "Hehehh...o-one bullet is enough" said the elder brother as he took his last breath.
Artyom took his brothers knife and took the clothes off his brother. He sank the blade in the warm body and cut a piece off it, he proceed to fry the meat on portable gas stove. He cried as he ate the flesh of his brother. He kept cutting meat off the body and cooking it until he was full. He sliced last pieces off and threw the remains off the platform. Sun was rising when Artyom was done. He could hear the dead feasting on his brothers remaining flesh and organs.
As the horde of the dead moved to the body Artyom climbed down and ran over behind one of the buildings, quickly climbing over the wall and crawling under the fence. He had escaped but had to pay ultimate price to for it. Life of his elder brother who would haunt Artyom for rest of his life.
