Stalker - Call Of Pony

by SureFreeD

New Guest

The Zone, thats what people called it. Full if radioctivity and mutated animals. All caused by a faulty reaction in the CNPP nuclear power station, it all happened thrity years ago, many people were evacuated because of the disaster, many others stayed in their homeland, the ghost city, Pripyat.

Only the military dared to go in the forgotten city.

Stalkers, the common inhabitants of Zaton, over three hundred of them wandered the Zone, searching for artifacts ans other hidden treasures.
Zaton was the first place a rookie would want to visit, Skadovsk, the only safe camp for any human.
It was a broken down ship, rusting through it's age, breaking down part by part, but it still held life inside it.

Still, people came to the Zone, legends and myths about, still uncovered artifacts worth billons, massive hidden stashes under some abandoned train station, deep underground.

This cought the youngters attention, and so they came from their home of safety, into survival and war.

Bandits, trashy people, looking for their next hit on some lone wanderer, always in groups, bandits, simple as that.

Stalkers, more experienced in combat, usually they stay away from bandits, but they always end up in a brawl. Their significant suits, simply hand crafted by themselves that rezemble them, their weapons were much more expensive and stronger than the others. Usually they search for artifacts in anomonous places.

Zaton, no one knew what it was before, but now, on some point of views it looked like a swamp. Some structures here and there, spread across the whole place, wrecked down ships and boats, some say it used to be a part of the sea, if it was, but radiation had drained all the water from it, leaving small lakes and puddles across the land.

Nikolai Odski, a young Russian chap has heard all thoae rumors about artifacts and anomalies, his curiosity got the best of him and travelled into the Zone, reaching it's entering point, he wondered - 'Will I find any artifacts?' - soon he will find out.

___

Nikolai held a tight grip to his father's old 9mm pistol in his hand. The bushes and grass brushing across his yellow jacket, his boots were muddy and wet from all the puddles he has walked it, his jacket's hood covered his head and a green mouth mask. His blue eyes stared from another direction to the other.
Then he entered into a big clearing, it was all green grass and dead trees, in the distance he could see a couple of large buildings, but the thing that catched his attention was the wrecked down ship with a camprife on the bridge. Clearly illuminating a few stalkers.
Nikolai held his foot high and jumped over a boulder, his medkit and a bottle of Cossacks vodka, jingling in his backpack, which was strapped across his shoulders.
It was night and nothing can be barely seen, only the moon illuminated the landscape which wasn't enough.

The stars shinning above him and the cricket's ambiet noise, the cold night breeze made Nikolai shiver.

When he came to the end of the clearing, he realized that it was a small cliff, he slowly made his way down.
He sighed and wiped off any dust he had on his trousers with his free hand. Then continued walking towards the ship.

On his way there, he stepped in many puddles and wet mud, his shoes were wet and the water was almost penetrating his socks, still the pistol in his grip, he checked it for the tenth time if it was loaded, as it always was.

Nikolai looked at his surroundigs which were limited, becayse the brown grass was towering over him, blocking his line of sight. But that wuickly came to aj nd as he stepped on something hard and metalic.
He arrived at Skadovsk, the ship camp, he looked abive his head and saw the label 'Skadovsk' in Russian letters. He ponited his head towards a metal door, which he presumed it was the enterance, he walked towards it only to be stopped.

"Skadovsk is a safe area, holster your weapon"

Nikolai looked around confused, then he looked at the side if the door, there was a small intercom, he holstered his pistol into his backpack and opened the door.

Inside there were several tables scattered around the metal room, with some people leaning over them. Then he saw a bearded man wave to him, as Nikolai got closer he bearded man spoke.
"Welcome to Skadovsk my friend, the safest place on Zaton, have a cold or two, I'm Beard, the local barman, if you need some grub, you call me!" he said in a deep, enthusiastic and some little happy voice, he was smiling, he gestured his hand.
Nikolai simply nodded and shaked his hand.

Nikolai made his way up the wide stairs, two stalkers were making their way down in a conversation.
"No, no no, is this, bread!"
Then they both laughed at he random joke, Nikolai ignored it and continued his way up.

He finished climbing the stairs, there was a small hallway with a stalker sitting on a chair at the end. And another pair of stairs to the right, Nikolai entered a doorway to his left, there were two more doorways, one led a safe room with lots of lockers ans the other full of beds. He turned to the room with the beds.

He spotted a single bed in the corner and quickly claimed it for himself, he unstrapped his backpack and threw it on the bed, then unzipped his jacket and flapped the hood back, revealing his dark brown, short hair. He dropped the jacket on the bed too, revealing the brown t-shirt, then removed his mask from his mouth.

Nikolai lazily dropped his body on the bed, relaxing as he made himself comfortable. No blanket, that was alright, the inside of the ship was warm enough to keep him throuh the night.

He began to close his eyes.
When a Russian accent voice called out.

"Brother, come down to the bar, drink with us!"

Then the sound of a crashing bottle was heard, following a series of Russian curses.

"Come om, stand up, it is your first night here!"
The voice insisted.

Nikolai sighed and stood up, wrapping his jacket around him again, Nikolai ans the unknown stalker- bandit, he was dressed in a black cloak and a darknhoodie hung over his back.

They came down at the bar, with multiple cheerings and whistles.
"What is your nane my friend?" Beard asked.
"Nikolai" he answered.

From that, the night went on, with lots of drinking and cheering, shouting and small games. Nikolai felt accepted ajd trusted.

'More like a welcoming party' he thought to himself.

Comments

[Hirn123]

I will keep an eye on this. First chapter was good.

[Prism Smasher]

The wording's a bit awkward the 'flow' could use some work, but so far it's been looking like you're off to a good start!

[DJ Cobalt]

looks good

[Dimitri Markovich]

I like it. Это хорошо. It is good.