森林

His blond and white hair was tied up high at the back of his head.The backpacks filled with food and water were heavy, and the leather boots did not avoid puddles on the ground.

Wet strands of hair stuck to his face.Along his knife-like face, a drop of water gathered on his chin and hit the ground.

Sam squinted his eyes, the cold air was full of raindrops, large and small, falling sparsely into the withered grass.For him who just woke up from a dream and started straight away without feeling sleepy, there was an indescribable smell here.

Not some rain-and-dirt smell, or the dangerous dusty smell of a fallout zone.Just like his dream, the smell of newspaper in black and white.

He decided to keep going and not take a break.

Because he found that even if he fell asleep, he still wanted to go back to the forest.Since the moment he dreamed of that tear and sat up suddenly from the bed.He made up his mind that even if he didn't find that person this time, he would spend the rest of his life to accompany him to the end.

……

After he woke up, no one came to see him.But there was a "cleaner" who lived in a ward very close to him.

After the accident, the government sent more than 10,000 people to participate in the work of dealing with nuclear pollution to stop the spread of the disaster. They are called "managers".The man named Krasiniko was tasked with helping evacuate the residents of Pripyat.

"I've been there before, so I was appointed captain."

"Is that place scary? I heard that the radiation zone is different from normal places."

"That's different, desolate like a dead city. After the explosion, the animals around the radiation area returned to the forest..."

"Oh, my God." The person next to him frowned.

The man went on to say: "The vanguard team that sent people in last year was killed. I heard that they were attacked by mutated animals... and no one survived..."

When Sam strolled to the door of the ward, he stopped to listen.The last word made his skin crawl. "There is no life left..." He felt a headache when he thought of this sentence that day.That forest is indeed a dark memory.

But what he noticed now was, "A mutated animal... mutated?" His footsteps stopped.

So if they met mutated animals, they should also be "cleaners".And depending on the situation, no one expected those damn things in the forest at the time.So they are very likely to be the first team sent in.

The vanguard?

"Impossible...Impossible! Isn't there no life?" Sam clenched his lips, "But if... I said if... yes."

Unknowingly, I have seen the isolation net that separates the two places.The silver-white iron grid has peeled off the paint here and there, and red rust has grown out.

Sam walked a little further, just as he saw the iron sign with a screw missing.

Next to the radiation symbol, "Chernobyl" was written in mottled patterns.

"Looks like I'm here..."

He remembered that man's blurred face again, such a tall and mighty soldier, kneeling beside him, with tears streaming down his face...

Those tears from the memory forest hit his heart heavily, Sam just dreamed here and suddenly woke up, and set foot on the road north without hesitation.

The sudden dream that night seemed to have made an appointment with this forest to meet today.

"If it is... I can survive, why can't he..."

The tall and thin boy squatted down slowly in the rain, holding the half-broken photo with both hands, his knuckles turned white from the exertion.After so long, all the things he learned were put together piecemeal, but he couldn't remember anything about that person. Sam closed his eyes tightly, only to feel a huge buzzing sound in his ears, "So who are you?! Who are you..."

At this time, there was a faint sound in the originally quiet forest.

"Squeaky..."

Sam suddenly opened his eyes wide!

"Squeak... squeak..." The voice was getting closer.

He stood up and drew the snatch from his waist vigilantly. "This voice..." Sam swallowed unconsciously.Along the brown sleeves, I saw that my hands were trembling.

"Squeaky..." The voice was closer, and the bushes not far away were shaking.

He took a step back.His eyes were fixed on the gray-white dead bush.

Suddenly, the bushes stopped moving.As if it was just the wind that was causing trouble just now.

"Squeaky..."

As soon as the sound was heard, Sam deflected the angle and fired two shots.

Sure enough, a ball of white sprang out from the other side! He fired another shot at the white, but the next second, he was thrown to the ground by that thing!

"Squeak - squeak -" Its sharp teeth and claws were clamped by Sam.This time, he finally saw clearly that this thing was clearly a huge mouse!

Rats mutated by radiation!

The gun had already been thrown into the wild grass in the distance when it fell to the ground.He could only use one hand to pinch the mouse's neck desperately, while the other hand fumbled on the ground.

"Squeak——cheep..." Touching a stone with his fingertips, Sam grabbed the stone fiercely and smashed it on the mouse's head! He didn't know how many times he hit it, but he stopped only when he saw blood splashing on his face. down.

"My photo...my photo!" He pushed away the giant rat's body, struggled to get up from the ground, and searched for the half of the photo that had just dropped together with the pistol.

When he finally found it in the grass, he breathed a sigh of relief, and loosened his frown half a bit.Picking up the photo, he sat on the ground leaning on a tree trunk.

The cold air covered in fog, the trembling hand holding the gun, the creaking sound from the lifeless forest... everything fits so well.

Like sinking into the bottom of the sea, all the memories are like an undercurrent hidden in the bottom of the sea, coming in turbulent waves.

He and Alan were born in a small town with a cathedral and vineyards.That person has been better than him since he was a child.

family, grades, studies...

The two later chose to enlist in the army.

Before they enlisted in the army, they once took a group photo at the train station in the small town.

"When is this? Are you still taking pictures? What's on your mind, Sam?!"

"I've found all the people, so I'll take a picture. Why don't you cooperate." Sam took the hand of the blond boy next to him and pressed it firmly on his shoulder.

"Ahaha, okay, okay, let's have a laugh, you can't be in the same team after joining the army, let's keep it as a souvenir." Sam tied up his hair, which was half-length at the time.The soft hair was tied up, and a few strands were scattered, looking inexplicably delicate and beautiful.

Alan looked along those ears and neck, his eyes reached his hand on Sam's shoulder, and he turned his face and smiled unconsciously.

"Click." The person who helped take the picture pressed the shutter.

After getting the photo, Sam was also "surprised".

"Alan, you look even better when you smile! Hey, when we come back from the army, how many people will rush to marry you! I will save this photo for you to introduce your girlfriend."

Alan glanced at the black and white photo, then snatched it without warning, and tore it open.

"What are you doing! Alan! What are you tearing up for!"

"Hey! Give it back to me! Alan!"

"you give me!"

Alan gave half a photo to the furious child next to him. "Your, keep it well. I will properly use this half to find a wife myself."

"..." Petty! Sam pouted.

But who knew that Alan, as a rare sharpshooter and excellent soldier, would soon have a higher military rank than him.Even transferred to become his captain.

He often reprimanded Sam who made mistakes with his face. He got up and ran away because he didn’t go to bed at the prescribed time. He punished his physical fitness if he missed a job in military education class. He was also the first one to be named and scolded in shooting training...

Sam sometimes really wants to suffocate him with a pillow while the guy is sleeping.It's a pity that due to the pressure of height and physical fitness, once I miss...in short, I didn't dare to try.

"Did you offend the captain?" A team member who didn't know the inside story asked him.

"No." Sam shook his head.

"No?" The teammates looked astonished.

"I don't know." The uninformed party replied.

But they never left the photo that was torn in half.

Until the last mission was received.