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Post by The Karcolith on Mar 10, 2011 11:58:10 GMT -5
"Many thanks comrades." Oleg replied, turning and walking along side the group. "My name is Oleg."
Walking back in the direction he'd just came from seemed slightly absurd to him, but he knew nothing of this part of the metro and thought it might not hurt make several contacts.
"Pipes", said Balalaika. "They say the wind or the earth make the pipes groan and creak..."
"Indeed." Oleg agreed before falling silent thinking about the day he'd fled from the Reich, he was hunted for weeks and than they gave up. Oleg had been forced to survive by scavenging resources and trading with passing traders or stalkers, shaking his head helped clear the thought.
The darkness seemed to stick to them like humid air, even someone as unbelieving in the supernatural.
"There's a strange presence in this tunnel." Oleg muttered, his flashlight reflected off the moist wall. Pointing the light down to the ground he spotted his own boot marks.
"The other stations a much like the one you were just at."
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Post by Roj Makhnovsk on Mar 11, 2011 17:48:01 GMT -5
Roj felt himself become increasing hesitant, and perhaps vigilant. There was something very wrong with the silent tunnel. Something horribly wrong. He did not find this sense ironic; he seemed to be more interested in staying alert. He had a foolhardy urge to see what the hell was scaring the Hanse. Shortly after leaving this station, Roj found himself armed with his Kalashnikov.
'There's a strange presence in this tunnel,'
Roj heard the new-comer comment.
'-Yes, but do you have any ideas on what exactly this presence might be?' Roj asked. 'The tranquility of this line is... abnormal. Shit, you lot were right.'
The last comment was directed at Ferret and Balalaika.
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 14, 2011 10:54:37 GMT -5
“Who knows,” said Ferret finally after a few moments the tunnels eerie darkness and silence was starting to get to him. It was almost like being back in the Kremlin just without the feeling of the something watching him and waiting to make a wrong move.
“Some say that it’s the voices of the people that died in the Metro or the so called ‘Unseen Watchers’, to others it’s gods or devils,” he said scoffing at the part of the Unseen Watchers, “I think it’s some kind of mutant, that has some kind of telepathic abilities, we just have yet to find a way to over come them.”
"It seems logical to me anyway," he continued,"after all look at all Nosalises and things that now roam the surface."
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Post by Lawnmower Joe on Mar 26, 2011 10:34:48 GMT -5
"You're so full of shit, Ferret", said Balalaika. However, her voice held little conviction, and only came out as shallow and shaky bravado. Doing her best to ignore the groaning pipes, she continued onwards into the darkness, her lamp illuminating the walls of the tunnel for a small distance before the electric light got swallowed up in the darkness ahead.
After a while, Balalaika had the distinct feeling that there was something wrong in the air around them. A feeling of agony and grief that clawed at her mind like a hungry beast.
"Anyone else feel this?", she asked, her eyes wide. Suddenly, a howl of something that was not wind swept through the tunnel, a terrible sound that made Balalaika's last shred of bravery and confidence vanish. Terror overtook her, but she found herself unable to run. Instead, she dropped to her knees, her face a mask of pure terror.
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Post by The Karcolith on Mar 27, 2011 2:27:58 GMT -5
Stopping and glancing around suspiciously, something was very much wrong, the tunnel wasn't like this when he had came from the surface, that or maybe something had been awakened by his previous trip. Oleg's breathing began to become ragged, but he remained vigilant despite the unnatural presence, he'd fought off terrible things before and lived to tell the tale. But this was different to anything he'd ever faced.
Keeping the modified assault rifle raised he looked across to the others they too were all battling the same demons to more or lesser degrees. The howl made him jump in surprise shock.
Tightening his grip on the gun, however he heard the sound of someone dropping looking to his left Balalaika had dropped to her knees. Another howl made Oleg shiver. The sound was like nothing he had heard, he was forcing himself to remain where he was, standing on the left most side of the group about an arm length from the tunnels wall.
"Be strong comrade." He said with a slight waver in his own voice. Shaking his head to focus.
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 28, 2011 8:38:04 GMT -5
As the group fell silent once again, the uneasiness returned to Yuras’ mind. It was like the darkness of the tunnel was invading his mind. As they continued he could have sworn that the pipes where starting to sound like the voices of people. A few times he thought he heard the voices of people he knew where dead. They had to get out of this tunnel, the before the pipes drove him insane.
Just then howl from some where in the dark momentarily silenced the voices, but they returned with vengeance, even louder then before just flooding into his mind. The force of the voice made him fall to his knees and hold to his head. However this time they had a message or notion that they where driving into his head.
“Get off the tracks,” he manages to mutter out, “something is come from down the line.”
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Post by Lawnmower Joe on Apr 9, 2011 16:46:01 GMT -5
Balalaika was not sure how she managed to get back to her feet without getting dragged, but she did. Ferret's tone of voice and the events transpiring around them was enough to make her listen to the other stalker, and she got off the tracks as quickly as possible. Thankfully for the small group, there was a metal walkway going along the side of the tunnel, and they were able to get onto that.
"What...what's coming?", asked Balalaika breathlessly, but her question was never answered. Well, not by words at least, since the answer suddenly came roaring round the bend.
It was a god damn train. Balalaika's mind first struggled to comprehend why the hell and how the hell a working train was running through this abandoned part of the metro, but when it drew closer, she gave up. The damn thing was translucent, as she could see the opposite wall of the tunnel through the train as it clattered noisily past them. The sound the train made also seemed hollow, or rather distant, as if it were echoing through a great void. Balalaika could see the silhouettes of people in the ghostly lit windows of the train, and she opened her mouth to scream in terror. However, her cry died in her throat, and all she did was stare wordlessly at the otherworldly phenomenon in front of her.
After what seemed like an eternity, the train vanished, and Balalaika hopped down from the platform, landing stiffly on the concrete below. She was even more pale than usual, and her eyes were wide and glassy.
"Bloody fucking hell...son of a whore...shit...", she said, her voice hoarse. "What the...what the fuck...?"
Strangely, the tunnel's temperature had dropped drastically from cold to almost freezing. Balalaika knew that temperatures did not change that fast in a tunnel, so it had to be associated with that damn train thing.
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Post by Roj Makhnovsk on Apr 10, 2011 17:06:18 GMT -5
'The devil! What... the bloody devil... was that?!' Roj choked out, barely being able to produce the words. 'Let's jus--' He nearly suggested leaving, however, he cut himself short, realising that he hadn't looted anything, and that --frightened or not-- he was still in desparate need of money.
Fuck!
'Ah... devil, that... what... I have never...' Roj's voice was nearly inaudible, and what could be heard was merely murmurs. He was more focused on listening to the sounds of the tunnel, rather than speaking. He wanted to hear of any warnings that it might provide. He was given fear, and a gradually rising blood pressure; not the most ideal signals.
'That, that was probably merely a hallucionation, or some sort of reflective rubbish I've heard about in science textbooks. It's... let's just keep going.' Roj suggested, doubt present in his voice.
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Post by The Karcolith on Apr 11, 2011 1:16:17 GMT -5
Watching the train with wide eyed horror Oleg's breathing was ragged and the comments from his new found companions summed up his own confusion and disbelief.
"Tho-those people, they must of died riding that train..." He said trailing off, he'd encountered ghosts before but not an entire train, bad things happened to those that touched ghosts, madness or death. "They live it out over and over with no escape, no rest."
Looking back to Roj who had commented.
"It is not a hallucination comrade, we all saw it, and we all felt that sheer sorrow and terror. Some things science can't explain."
Shuddering to the sudden change in temperature, Oleg looked ahead shining his light over the tunnel, "There!" He exclaimed while pointing at something, another shade standing looking for something on the roof, trembling, quiet sobs echoed in the tunnel.
Seconds later the shade turned and towards them with a scream, before a blood curdling cry came and another shadow dropped upon it.
Both shades disappeared but the scream echoed for a few seconds more.
"Brace yourselves comrades, this will only get worse the deeper we go, the exit is only a couple of stations down." Oleg said charging his light to make it as bright as possible.
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Post by Lawnmower Joe on Apr 11, 2011 6:17:19 GMT -5
"Bloody hell, how can you be so confident?", asked Balalaika, her eyes still wide with terror. She had heard many stories about "haunted" tunnels, but had never actually seen anything vaguely supernatural. Her confidence was utterly gone, and she was even starting to experience "tunnel fear". The darkness beyond their torches seemed to be actively trying to choke them, and her usual confidence regarding her orientation had also vanished. All she wanted was to get the hell out of this accursed tunnel, even if it meant going to the surface.
As the little group continued to move deeper into the tunnel (at a much slower pace this time), Nadya's eyes suddenly caught an odd flicker off in the distance, like a weak electric torch. Balalaika froze, but quickly saw that nobody else in the group had seen it. A few metres further down the line, their torches suddenly reflected off two luminous green dots that floated mysteriously in the air before rapidly vanishing.
"Stop!", said Balalaika before staring off into the darkness. Whatever the eyes belonged to was not coming out, but Balalaika had a feeling she knew who it was. "Gadiuka? Nadya? It's me, Balalaika! Come on out!"
There was a long silence during which the group waited for said person to emerge. Finally, very soft steps were heard heading towards them, followed by the appearance of a tall woman clad in an old pair of jeans, a telogreika and an ushanka. In on hand she was holding a small plastic torch, while the other was holding on to the shoulder strap of an old SKS rifle she was carrying on her back. The most striking thing about her, though, was how her eyes reflected the light of the group's torches.
"If you would be so kind as to lower your lights", said the woman softly. "The light is blinding me...now what brings you people to these tunnels? Only the foolish, the greedy and the lonely walk these parts."
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Post by blackpapermoon on Apr 11, 2011 10:44:47 GMT -5
Ferret barely managed to get of the tracks, the voice that where pouring into his mind where crippling him. Pushing himself against the wall he looked up to see the ghost train and all of its departed passengers pass by him before disappearing into the tunnel.
His heart was still pounding away in his chest, if it had been beating any faster he was sure it would broke one or more of his ribs. It hadn’t been the first time he had seen the dark silhouettes, but never thought them to be real, only the darkness playing tricks on his mind. It also seemed that the group had differing thoughts of what they had just witnessed. Yuras was not sure what they saw or even what the voice he had heard where any more, right now he felt a deep almost cosmic loneliness and sadness. He wanted badly to return home back to his wife and son, but first he would have to complete what he started.
“Either way Oleg’s right,” he said now back in control of his mind and body, “bad things lay a head, things that we yet have no way of understanding we need to be on guard.”
They continued on a ways, until they came across two floating green orbs that turned out to belong to a rather tall woman that Balalaika seemed to know very well. His father had told him about a snake eyed woman who helped to guide people through parts of the Metro that no one else to get to, was this person the same woman or was there a whole station of snake eyed people.
“Forgive us comrade, our eyes aren’t as adapt to the dark,” he said as he lower his light, “We where just exploring this tunnel.”
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Post by Lawnmower Joe on Apr 11, 2011 14:48:22 GMT -5
Nadya eyed the group sceptically.
"Exploring, eh? With Balalaika in your midst, I don't think you're telling the whole truth. Anastasia does not go somewhere unless there's money to be gained..."
"-Ah come on, Nadya", said Balalaika with a chuckle. "I was just accompanying these people to new lands."
"-Of course you were", replied Nadya. "But, as you probably know now, these tunnels are very dangerous. Neither man nor beast walks here, save for the mad, the greedy and the foolish. You should leave this place at once, and the only options you have now are to turn back or continue to next station exit. They're all sealed save for Sevastopolskaya, whose blast door is open to the surface and the elements. It's two stations away. But, you could also follow me into the side tunnels. It's dangerous, but I know them well."
Nadya stopped talking, pausing a few minutes and seemingly listening to something, although Balalaika couldn't hear anything save for the weighty sound of the tunnel's silence and the occasional metallic creak of pipes. After a long silence, Nadya turned back to the group and spoke again in her oddly quiet tone of voice.
"This place...it is as if the past and present were mingled here. The past is forever forced to repeat itself, and those who are unlucky enough to get in its way never..."come back."
Again Nadya paused and turned to the darkness ahead of them. Although Balalaika couldn't see anything of particular interest up ahead, Nadya spent a while gazing into the obscurity before redirecting her attention to her friend and the group.
"Evidently, it's just a theory. All I know for sure is that I know nothing, but it is best that you make a decision soon."
Balalaika hesitated slightly before looking at the others. Ferret and Roj were obviously as much in the dark as she was, but Oleg seemed to know his way around. However, she had just met Oleg, whereas she knew Nadya well and trusted her more than anyone when it came to finding one's way out of a sticky spot. Where Balalaika had her home in populated stations, Nadya's only home was these empty tunnels, which she had been in and out of hundreds of times. She also seemed to know a lot about the ghosts, shades, hallucinations or whatever they were.
"I'm going with the side tunnel idea", she said finally. "You're a real tunnel rat, Nadya, and you know your way around better than...well, anyone else I know."
"-Save your compliments for someone else, Anastasia", said Nadya. "It is now up to your friends to make their minds up on the matter...even if they do decide to go to Sevastopolskaya, I'll follow. I can't let people go without proper guidance and help."
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Post by The Karcolith on Apr 12, 2011 0:45:37 GMT -5
"Bloody hell, how can you be so confident?" Oleg heard Balalaika ask.
"I've seen terrible things, things that freeze your blood, these shades I've encountered before but they always give off a sense of misery.
He remained quiet as Balalaika's friend emerged from the shadows ahead. He'd heard of her before the snake eyed woman was one of the many stories that often circled the metro, often mixed reactions about her, some saying she a demon other saying she was just misunderstood.
To Oleg he had to agree that she seemed normal, even if her eyes were slightly off putting at first. Lowering his light he listened quietly thinking over what Nadya had said.
"I've not traveled here before, save for returning from the surface only recently. I will follow you also, with a guide as knowledgeable as yourself we can avoid much trouble." He replied looking to Ferret and Roj waiting for their response.
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Post by blackpapermoon on Apr 12, 2011 8:24:46 GMT -5
"I'll join you as well, I don't enjoy the idea of traveling that tunnel on my own," Yuras said, it was strange exploring tunnels had always been something his father thing. But lately Ferret had been walking the darker parts of the known parts of the metro each time pushing more into the unknown.
He had been thinking about his father a lot in the pass few days as well, perhaps he should visit his memorial in Polis. But first he would have to get out of this tunnel.
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Post by The Karcolith on Jun 9, 2011 12:24:18 GMT -5
"Well comrade it seems that it's settled. Let's get moving this place is depressing." Oleg said quietly, watching another shade ahead as it whirled around flailing at something or someone. Shaking his head he looked away. The thought of mindlessly reliving his last moments over and over seemed an unspeakable horror he'd prefer to avoid.
With a sigh he re-adjusts his bag again and followed their guide into the quieter side tunnel, walking quietly at the back of the group he was flooded with memories again, memories he could never forget, of the atrocities he had been so willing to perform when he first joined, the faces of the family he'd been so defiant to execute was the hardest hitting thing, cowering in fear unable to defend themselves. Nothing in the world would erase that memory, self harm, alcohol or even killing members of the Fourth Reich didn't seem to fade the images.
But what really made him worry was that someone might identify him as an ex Reich member, however his appearance and armour were similar, his nature was definitely not the same, not anymore. Though he still despised the Red Line, that was a deep seated hatred from many small clashes and injuries he'd sustained from it. He knew if they caught him he'd be shot in the back of the head before he knew it, this involuntarily made him clutch the modified assault rifle slightly tighter. He had been lucky to find such a rare weapon, let alone in such good condition on the surface.
They had walked a considerable distance while he had been day dreaming, someone had said something but he had been so distracted he'd failed to hear it properly. Looking up he asked politely, "What was that?"
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