Metro 2033 - Sanda's Story

8.Trust

We finally got out of the pipe leading to a station . We saw people in front of the barricaded entrance. One of them halted and shouted a signal. It seems everytime we are mistaken for monster.
Why do I feel like one? I turned looking at Artyom. He just shrugs . They put their guns down and gave us an option. The station was evacuating so, their captain wanted us to help them protect the entrance of the station from the mutants. It's not like they would let us get in. We agreed netherless and then out of nowhere the lights, that were at the sides of the area, broke making the place look even scarier than it already was. Then we felt a small breeze and suddenly it became stronger killing two of the other men. Except for me the others fell unconscious on the floor. To say the truth, at that time I would had rather been knocked out. A very dark like precense filled the place making me drop to the floor.
What the hell is this? I was scared. I was just sitting there. Didn't try doing anything. Then that dark precense turned faintly into a form of a person. It was standing in front of me. It asked me.
"Do you want to become stronger ? Do you want to survive this hell and save everyone?" I looked at it and reached out my hand to it.
"Ye-".
"Klaudia ". I came back to the area. Artyom was in front of me with a terrified face and looking worried. He sighed in relief seeing me alive. I just stared at him with a shocked look with what I just witnessed.
What is going on with me? I don't feel like myself....what is going on anymore. I sighed giving up thinking about it any longer. There were only four of us left. Then a monster charged itself at the captain. More of them were coming out of any possible openings into the station. Then the breeze started but this time it was stronger and I passed out. The last thing I saw was that creature lurking over me.

I awoke and found the rest to be dead. I panicked and quickly look around for Artyom. He wasn't too far but he was laying on the floor. I tried to stand up but to no vain. When I tried, my head started spinning. I crawled instead and took a few moments to get to him. I checked his pulse and breathing which seemed to be normal. I shook him a little bit to wake him up but to no avail. I shook him harder and still no response. I took a breath in and slapped him. He stirred a little bit but still didn't wake up. I did it a second time even harder and that's when he woke up shoving me hard back onto the floor. It seemed to me he realised his mistake but I didn't bother letting him get me to my feet. Before I could had helped him with anything he was already standing next to me. He went past me and climbed to the captain's side. The captain himself was in a very bad state. I wanted to him but he just shoved my hand away from him.  What's wrong with people now, not accepting any help from me.?    He asked us to send a recorded message to the rest of the soldiers. He gave us a cassette and then passed out. He was dead. I checked for his pulse which couldn't be felt anymore. We went through the fort and walked around the station searching for the recording room. While we were there, monsters once again attacked us. Without much difficulty we managed to take them down. We jogged to a door where lead to a smaller room and then to a corridor.

Artyom suddenly turned to me and looked into my eyes. I have a feeling he wanted to know something. He then spoke.
" I heard you talking to someone just back there. Care to share who was it?" I stared at his green eyes which would always leave me mesmerized whenever I would set my eyes on them. I looked down for a few seconds and admitted.
" I was feeling very dizzy when I fell. But I could clearly see a figure talking to me about me becoming more powerful. I was about to accept but you woke me to my senses." I glanced at him and saw his skeptical expression. He was still staring at my face as if trying to see if I was telling the whole truth. He just shrugged and kept on going. Then we heard a child's cry. We quickly hurried. And what we stoned us. A mutant's body was lying before a door and we could hear a boy's voice weeping. We got closer and there was a small boy trying to wake up his uncle as he said. He then talked to us.
"Go away! Leave me alone, Mom told me not to talk to strangers! Please, Uncle.... Are you hurt? Say something?" Both me and Artyom just stared at the boym, pitying him for his loss. The kid continued.
"He won't wake up.... I think he's dead. He's dead, isn't he? How will I get home?" Helotes down at the man's lifeless body. Artyom looked at me for a second and spoke to the boy. "We will gladly take you home." I just smiled at the boy. "You two will take me.?I don't know you.... But if I don't.... I guess I will get eatwn by the monsters...." Then I spoke next. "Both of us have guns to protect you. Take you home safely" the young boy looked at me and continued. "You have guns? Okay, maybe I will come with you then. You both can shoot the monsters, right?" Both me and Artyom nodded our heads towards the boy. Then we introduced ourselves to the boys. Sasha, the youth boy, insisted to get on Artyom's back and watch our backs. I giggled at the kid's determined attitude and looked at Artyom. I imagined him for a moment being a father with kids surrounding. At that moment I slapped myself which startled both and shoot me questioning looks. I just shrugged it off and just asked to go on.