Metro 2033 - Sanda's Story

6.Words

Hello, I apologise for such a long pause, but I am done with my first year of college and I will admit, its pretty fun. I hope I will finish this story this summer and my other one I had started writing based of games I really like and have played. I want to thank people who read my stories and hope you will enjoy them up to the end.

***

Words are made of letters, formed into sentences to tell our feelings, thoughts, needs and wants. Our understanding, explaining and doings. Sometimes, the words we express towards someone do not always mean what we really meant to say. We use words to comfort, encourage, hurt or misguide and many other ways. Words for many years were also something people look up to, never stopping in creating their own lives with them and as well forming their own character. While others use words to their own advantage and manipulate the other people for their own benefit. Others, wisely pick words to guide others and learn by the passed down to them knowledge. Sometimes, the best way in some circumstances is to not utter the slightest word in order to survive.

***

All I see is darkness. I cannot move, I can feel someone is carrying me, but I have no power to struggle or even move against the grip that keeps me from falling. I hear distant and fading voices shouting and a faint breathing of a person near me. Shots being fired and a slight breeze hitting on my face. Seconds turn to minutes until I am awakening. My surroundings becoming clearer and finally I look up to meet with a pair of emerald orbs looking right back at me. I freeze and get lost into the green eyes of the tall man, as in my mind flow memory of the beauty of green I was used to meet in nature. The man is quickly distracted by the incoming bullets in our direction. He leans forward with me in his hands, to avoid the shots being aimed at us. He runs towards a stack of crates and lets me down and allows me to gain my composure. I stumble a little but regain the energy through the adrenaline I feel building up in the situation we are currently in.

"Are you okay?" The man asks me as he looks around for any enemies sneaking up on us. I look around along with him and reassure him with a "yeah". He shakes his head with understanding and signals me with his hand to follow him. We carefully cross the metal floor path for a bridge. He stealthily manages to kill a few of the soldiers from the german army that were in our way. We end at the bottom of the huge area, where the most radiation is seen. Both of us put our gas masks on. As he proceeds through the full of radiation field, I stop and ask him.
"Do you not recognise me?"
He stops and confused looks at me. I stand towards him on a higher ground looking at his barely visible face because of the mask and he just snorts and answers back.
" If I do know you, you would be dead."
He turns around, his back facing me as he is progressing further into the area. I stare for a few seconds at his retreating back and finally jump down the same level as him and walk slightly faster to catch up to him. I feel the awkward atmosphere between us but keep marching next to him. I ready my weapons; In case we encounter anything unexpected. He extends his hand to stop me. I lightly shrug from the sudden action and look at him with an annoyed look.




As I am about to complain he quiets me down with his finger pressed on the front of his mask, where his lips would have been. I observe him and follow his gaze on the light that is casted down on the radiated ground by the soldiers. The green-eyed man just grabs my hand and tags me along with him. He is being very careful and tell me to be quiet until we get to the entrance that probably leads to a safer place. We quietly and carefully with each step get closer to the canal door, until we hear a female voice from above shrieking.
"NO, Let me go, you disgusting perverts."
As I am being held, I try to listen in to what is happening. I hear faint voices and the woman still shouting. After mere moments, I catch on to multiple people laughing and then a gun goes off. I freeze and shocked, keep somehow walking along with the tall man guiding me. I feel tears go down my face and a hand gripping mine harder.
"Please, try not to focus on it too much right now. I need you to be here with me."
The words make my attention to immediately turn my head towards the man that stopped for a few moments to avoid the passing light. He looks at me with sad and empathetic gaze and lowers his head. I nod to his plead and focus on getting out of here quick.

A few more minutes of tense and almost getting killed, we arrive to the entrance, both of us leaning our hands on our knees from the stress building up in us and getting a moment to breath. I wheeze a few more times and turn towards the familiar man. He notices and answers before I could even ask.
"I'm Artyom."
I stare blankly at him as memories of me and the younger version of him play in a playground when we were younger. He notices and snaps his fingers in front of my faces. He looks at me concerned and says.
"I am worried you will not make it far if you keep so blankly staring at me. Which gives me not pleasant vibes when its constant."
To which he finishes with a frown. I open my mouth several times, embarrassed and with no clear explanation to my weird behaviour towards this man. I turn towards him with an apologetic expression.
"I will be more focused. Although, there is one thing I don't really understand."
He looks at me confused and I ask him.
"Why are you helping me?"
His gaze remains at me, as if in his mind he is asking himself the same question and searches an answer to solve the complicated puzzle that involves me. He looks me up and down as I await for an answer with a demanding look.
"Let's go, I will tell you once we get to the next station or at least safer area."
I stand for mere seconds, until I start walking after him. My sixth sense tells me to trust that man. There is nothing deceiving about him. Only a presence of a kind person.

A while passes, and we climb up back to the same level as where the german army is. We avoid some of them as we enter a room with metal stairs leading downwards. I notice the electricity sparks throughout the metal platform from a broken cable and approach the switch nearby to turn it off. As I do, Artyom thinks of the same thing and we bump into each other. I let out a slight whimper, while downstairs we hear footsteps approaching the stairs. Before I even come up with a solution, Artyom jumps over the rail, while I see him falling into the level below. I slowly approach the rail and support myself while looking towards the ground. There stands Artyom with the soldier knocked out in his arms, moving him to a different location. Quietly, I walk down the stairs and look around for any potential enemies.
"Did you hide him?"
He nods his head and stands next to me looking into some sort of a map.
'Perhaps of the tunnels?'
I gaze at it before I realise and he puts it back in.
"Upstairs is a small shelf with the keys through this door."
I stare at him confused while he looks at me and just gestures to go. I look at his back and come to an understanding, this man is what I need to get to Polis like Kaia wanted.

***

A while later, we mingle through more corridors, until we further down the large bridge. We go up the stairs and carefully look around for anyone blocking our way. I realise we are a tunnel and keep very keen on any slightest noise I might feel or hear. We continue opposite to the bridge further into the tunnel. Artyom is in front of me obviously focused of getting us out here. I get goose bumps when I feel the rail to be slightly moving. Without uttering a word to him, I pull him to the closest opening and shut his mouth before he says anything. Without caring what he is thinking I push myself close to the wall and to the ground as possible. I notice as he does the same. I hear a railcar's metal wheels screeching and then a quick light passing by us. I take a few moments before I take notice of how close I was to Artyom. For some reason I felt my cheeks heat up and my heart went banging inside my chest. I tripped and managed to gain my footing by the stairs, as I used my arms and braced them before I would hit them. I stare at him as he stares back at me. We gaze at each other with wide eyes, as if we got electro shocked of some sort. After what it seemed like moments, he clears his throat lightly and picks himself up. I swiftly went up the stairs leading to the railway without making any noise, waiting for Artyom to join me. He gets closer to me and looks at me. I return the gaze with a confused hint in it. I sigh and just say.
"Let's just focus on getting out of here."

I slowly start walking and did not even dare to glance at him back. I could hear his footsteps, which was reassurance of him being there with me for now. I keep walking and come towards an opening full of red soldiers. I wait for Artyom to get next to me and I ask him.
"Will you cover for me?"
I look over at him expectantly and he prepares his sniper at the same time nodding for me. I prepare my knife and crouching head towards the ladder not too far from us. I climb up and find myself on pipes that lead to the electrical source of this smaller area. I steady myself and start crossing them. I concentrate on every step I take, making sure I don't make any noise. I can hear the German soldiers talking clearly about the ongoing operations in their appointed groups. They kept on bragging and commenting on those missions. But... What was said next made my mind blank and brought my thoughts to a stop.
"I heard a Darius guy let in a monster in a non-infected area by the bombing on the surface. Apparently, it went out of control and its shriek called upon a full-on group of other mutants, completely annihilating the whole sort of camp." The older man finished while drinking from a glass bottle.
"Damn, and why did they do that?"
says the younger man while scratching his neck as he seems to pay more attention to the man's incoming words.
"To get the women that lived there to the communist groups , bad luck for him he ended up dead by one of our Officers."
Answers the drinking man.
"You must mean a guy called Alex, he was a spy between us and the Russians. He tried to be safe on both sides, but I guess bad luck bit into him deadly."
Chuckles the other one.

I stood there listening without paying attention on my current ground. Seconds later, the pipes underneath me make a squeaky sound. I finally return to reality and the men notice me above them. I quickly sprint till the end of the pipes, while some started falling from where I was, hitting a few of the men below me. I throw myself at the cement floor as the rest of the rest disappear after me and quickly gathering myself, I smirk and pulling down the switch, I whisper to myself.
"Let's have some fun gentlemen."
And everything is dark. The soldiers panic. I put on my night goggles and swiftly manage to land from my position on one of the men. While they continue to look ominously for a light source, I bring down more and Artyom kills more of them with his rifle. With the last man going down, I slowly turn to Artyom and approach him. He stands up and looks at me with concern. I know what he will ask. My mind is prepared to answer but I know my heart will mess it up.
"Are you okay?"
I open my eyes wide, not expecting that question and I say a light yes. He smiles and brings up his hand on my upper arm.
"Good to know. Let's get the hell out of here."
He takes his hand away, as he notices he is touching me for too long. I keep my face down, with the hope that my blush will not be visible. I slightly smile at him shyly. I clear my throat and smile more at him. I finally answer him back.
"Okay"
And I walk ahead of him into the nearest entrance. Upon my entrance into the silent room, the smell of corpses hits me bad, making me stumble back into Artyom. I turn around and look at him in horror. I start pacing around the big room and notice cells and dead bodies inside of them.
"They are torturing people. Dear God"
I hear Artyom step towards me.
"Sadly, not everything is fair on this earth. It's the same with the bombing. We have lost people we hold important in our hearts, but we still somehow keep going. I am sure, these people had a deep hope inside of them until the end. I am sure they didn't die in vain, just like the people in your camp. I am sure their loss is not in vain. You survived to make a change in this world. So, keep your head high and remember them, make those memories a hope for everyone to live normally again."
His voice getting softer and softer. I could hear the sympathy in his words. I didn't cry. I felt relief and comfort. I turn to him and slightly smile.
"Thank you. I am lucky to have met you, Artyom."
He smiles back and retreats, continuing down to the next room. I simply followed him as I looked around for any useful resources. We stop at a closed door, while Artyom turns the handle and proceeds to the next room, I feel a pair of hands grabbing me by my hands and holding me in place. I try to wrestle out of their grip but without any success. Next thing I feel is a cloth being put over my mouth. Last thing I recall is Artyom's shouting words and him being hit by the Germans.

Artyom

I saw her lose consciousness again. This time by those damned Reich's. I felt anger and worry for her. I knew who she was the moment I saw her standing by that wagon. Sanda. She was my childhood friend and probably the only person I cared for most. After all these years in bleak and sadness, I thought she was dead. Why? Cause I thought she was dead. That summer I went to Moscow with my mother, to visit her brother. I regretted I could never see her again. My own mother gave her life for me to survive in the tunnels. I was depressed for many years. Being focused on survival and caring for the new people with me, I was able to distract myself and find a new goal in my life. I devoted myself as far as leaving that home and setting my mind into helping as many people as I can. To end this madness that takes the lives of innocent people. This madness which presence I felt many times on my journey to Polis. But ever since I saw her, standing there, I didn't even feel the slightest mad presence about her. I could not believe it was her. She did not change the slightest. I managed to save her off the disgusting Reich's and i hope to get her to Polis, where its safer for her. But I feel like my memory, will and goals are cut there. I don't see anything else happening after this.

At this instance, I feel water splashed over my head. I choke and gasp with the impact. I am cornered, I feel my cheek being swollen and I notice Sanda lying unconscious behind them. Thankfully clothed in this situation. The two Germans keep on with their conversation about killing me. Why? Cause they think I am a Red. Why? Cause of course I look Russian. Why? Cause I think they just hate us.
"If you don't talk, we will kill you." The guy closer to me raises his gun towards me and threatens me.
I just stay silent until the other guy gets closer to Sanda and picks her up.
"Talk or she will never see the day light ever again." I raise my hand and a gun is pressed against my forehead. I gulp hard and sweat starts to settle on my face. I keep staring at Sanda and notice a man entering the room behind the Germans. They motion for me to keep quiet. Next second one of the Germans notices my gaze behind, the second he turns around, he gets a knife to his neck. The one aiming at my forehead responds too late and is slaughtered by the man who saved me and Sanda. When I saw the two men dead and Sanda safe, over my whole body washed relief which made me pass out.

***

A light awakens me, and I see the man who saved us from those Germans. I woke up completely and looked around for Sanda. Finally, upon my eyes laying on top of her body I ignored the men and went over to her side. I checked for a pulse and ensured she was not hurt by them.
"She is in one piece. Don't worry."
Both of the men standing there show concern and one of them goes of joking about the bad guys always talking a lot before they pull trigger. I smirked to him as a response and I lay Sanda on one of my thighs. I notice upon closer inspections, the man's jacket with the word Sparta written in Russian.
"You don't look to be like one of the Reds... Who are you?"
The man crouches in front of me. With hesitation, I take out Hunter's token. They both shocked but calmly identify his token and look at each other.
"It is true then... Well, we need to get you to Polis. Whatever message you have, it has to be delivered to Miller."
He stands up and looks down toward Sanda.
"What about the girl?"
I look down and answer him back with determination.
"I need to get her to safety. She has suffered enough, and I will not handle anymore with her hurting. I want to rest from all of this madness."
They both nod. The younger man turns toward the other one.
"Take them to Miller, to Polis. Make sure they get there safe. Also guard them through the Hole and Black station. I will handle the mission myself."
He turns his attention at me and continues.
"I am sure Miller will reward you with the message you have for him. And he will help the girl if you ask him. Now, off to the armored car. And good luck."
He says as he lets us out to the vehicle. I look at it and look at the unconscious woman in my arms. I take her along with me and lay her in the small area of the turret. I look at her and graze the hair that sticks out from her messy braid.
"I will take care of you, like I promised. When we were young."
I sit down on the turret seat and prepare myself for the upcoming obstacles on our way to Polis.


****
Thank you everyone for reading the story so far and I am sorry for the late chapter. I am rewriting the chapters and preparing new ones. Hope you are enjoying this, as much as I enjoy writing it .