Masters of the Arches Ch. 17

He tried to explain as best as he could the cause of the glow.

"A long time ago there must have been a large explosion here and it was so hot that it melted the soil. That is why there is a glass layer a few inches under. Then as time went on, debris from the forest were carried on the glassy ground and gradually it made up the soil over the glass. But things don't grow well in this radioactive ground and this is why there are no trees, only this yellow sick grass can survive here. In another few thousands years trees might grow here again, buy not now, this will happen only when the level of radiation, or if you prefer the poison cause by the explosion decreases."

Neither said a word. The only explanation that they could understand was that the place was haunted and that bad spirits were all around them.

"I think we are safe for another day at least." Went on Vincent. "If there were dangers we would have felt the effect by now. We will remain another day to replenish our supply then we will leave."

None of them slept well that night and the minute that the light of the day was visible they were up. No one was hungry and they immediately went to the river to catch more fish. By noon they had a good supply and after cleaning them, they got busy to smoke them over the wooden rack..

In the middle of the afternoon they stopped fishing since there wouldn't be enough time to smoke their new catch. The were all extremely tired. Nika even mention to Vincent that she couldn't remember ever feeling so bad in her life. They kept the fire going late into the night so as to finish smoking the rest of their catch and when Vincent went to lie on the ground to sleep, he felt as if he was sixty years old.

He must have pass out during the night. He was awaken by an urgent need to empty his bladder and when he tried to get up, he found that he had much difficulties to do so. It took him half a minute just to get on his feet and even then his legs, feet and his whole body was causing him pain. He knew then that it had been a mistake to stay so long in this valley.

He immediately tried to shake each woman out of their sleep, but they were both unconscious and barely breathing.

What was he to do? It was now evident to him that they all should go as far away as possible from this place and fast. It was clear that the radiation was destroying more of their body cells than the Rad Virus was capable of repairing, and soon it would be too late for them.

While he tried to walk he felt dizzy, when he shoved his hair back, a handful of hairs remained in his hand. He had to act fast. To drag both women for miles was out of the question, he knew that he would not be able to even walk that distance by himself. When he looked around in desperation, his eyes came to rest on the slow moving water of the little river.

Yes. The river was their only way out of this place. Its water was cold and the current was slow, but even if it took a couple of hours to take them to the edge of the forest it was better than staying where they were.

When he tried to drag Nika's body toward the edge of the water he discover that his strength was almost completely gone. He couldn't move her. The distance form where she was to the river was a good hundred feet and it might as well have been a hundred miles.

Anger and despair were his reaction when it became clear that it would only be possible to try and save himself. He had to take a decision, either he could drag his body into the river or die there with his two women.