After quite some time, I woke up. A sharp pain throbs from the back of my head, and I reach up to feel it. I bring my hand back to my face, and I sigh with relief that there wasn't any blood. I get up off the ground onto my feet and quickly notice the lack of weight on my back. I tense and brace for the awful reality as I reach for my bag behind me, but I only grasp air. I quickly look around, and I notice my sledgehammer is gone as well. God damn it, that's why the abandoned outpost was in such good condition: it wasn't abandoned at all. I fell for the easiest trap in the book, a falsely abandoned camp. The inhabitants must've waited for me to fall into a sense of security as I took the things they set out specifically to lure me in, and once I turned their back to them they knocked me out and took my shit. At least I didn't really have anything besides my sledgehammer, but losing that is definitely a big loss for me.
I look around and note that I don't see the outpost anywhere. They must've dragged me away from their camp after they knocked me out so I wouldn't just wake up and beat them back up. Thankfully they also didn't take my watch. As I brought my wrist close to my face, I took in a breath of air and immediately winced in pain. The air tastes sour and bitter, and my lungs sting. I notice I can barely see five feet in front of me, and my eyes widen in horror. Oh fuck, how long was I knocked out?!
I quickly lift up my skirt and reach behind me for my emergency respirator that was slung around my hips and hidden by my skirt. Thank god I decided to store it there, otherwise that would've been stolen as well. I choke as my body desperately tries to breathe in air and is immediately met with the toxic, sickening air of the storm as I bring the respirator to my face, fiddling with the strap as I start to feel light-headed. Thankfully, I manage to get it on before I pass out, and I fall onto my knees, taking a few deep breaths through the respirator. "Oh fuck, that was way too close.." I whisper to myself. See what I mean by someday you might not return home here? This was a super close example of just that.
I get onto my feet and hastily bring out my watch, first looking at the radar. I remember that the camp had a generator of sorts, and I'm grateful to see a blip on the radar, which must mean that they're using it right now. This gives me a point of reference of where I am, and using the compass I can easily determine the direction to my bunker.
I quickly turn myself so I'm pointing in the direction of my bunker and begin to sprint at full speed. Even though I've got my respirator, it won't last long because the storm chews through these things like paper, so I've got to get home fast.
After a good ten minutes, my lungs begin to sting again, which must mean the respirator must be close to its end. I take a few deep breaths, and once my lungs reach their limit I take one final gulp of air before discarding the respirator. Thankfully, the bunker comes into view, and I use the last of my energy to sprint to the entrance, groaning in exhaustion as I desperately try to turn the handle, but I only make it halfway. My body screams for air, but I know that if I breathe it'll damage my lungs and hasten my sickness, which I cannot afford to do, but if I don't breathe I'll pass out...
The situation is starting to look extremely grim, and to top it all off my arms fully give out. "No, no no no no, not like this..! Please, just-" I lift my arms and risk a breath of air, resisting the urge to cry in pain for it would just nullify the air I took in, and grip the handle. I lean my entire body against the handle, giving it my all to open the door, but it's no use, the handle won't budge. In a last ditch effort, I bang on the door, praying that somehow the little perv had undone the trapdoor lock, which I know is practically impossible.
"Please, let me in..! Let me in!!" I cry out one last time before collapsing to my knees. A single tear rolls down my cheek, for I was not ready to die just yet. As my eyelids begin to wrap around my eyes, I see...the handle turning..? N-no, that's impossible...but it really was..! I lean against the door and let myself go limp, all energy having been spent. I beg to whoever is the god of this cruel world to let me not be hallucinating, to let the door actually be opening. Midway through the desperate prayer, I lose consciousness.
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"Echo Playback finished."
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