[ RF ] [ TT ] [ CW ] Scare me in three paragraphs .

I was still awake, lying in my bunk above Nikita next to twenty other men, like sardines in a can. I always had trouble sleeping on Sundays. Coming back to the garrison after weekend leave my inner clock was off and I would twist and turn, bathing in stripes of warm yellow light leaking in through the shades. Naturally I was the first to rise when the Alarm came. I should have been used to the sound after countless drills but even then a primal fear rose deep inside me, a fear from childhood, from a time before sounds became language. My hands sweated, fumbling with locker keys and belt clasps. The door blew open and the Starshina rushed in wearing only his briefs, barking half received orders at us men, swinging his fists. I saw Nikita's face before the gas masks came on. There was fear in his eyes. Afterwards, only empty disks of darkened glass and latex skin. I always felt alone when I wore that thing. Like the outside world really was n't there. Like no one could see my soul. 
 
 Just as usual, they told us nothing. We sat in in the back of a truck for twenty minutes, every bump in the road throwing us around. A metal skeleton surrounded us with dark grey tarp wrapped around it. Some small amount of light came through the gaps, the beginning of dawn. Then they stopped and we spilled out, jumping down one by one. Some stayed behind prepare the hose, I followed Starshina with three other men, carrying hatchets and flashlights. We came atop a small hill and I saw the plant. Devastation. Dark smoke formed curtains in front of us and the wall of building two had partially collapsed into heaps of rubble, barely visible. Starshina made a sign and we entered the black haze. 
 
 Using a ladder we scaled the half collapsed walls, some medieval siege. On the top was a platform and I stumbled forward along with Nikita. There was a hole at our feet, the roof had given in, and as we looked down a wave of heat washed over me, whole body except for my legs below my knees. They were in the shade. It felt almost comforting but I knew then that something was unspeakably wrong. I tasted copper and iron in my mouth and the backs of my hands and arms went numb. Pricking of tiny needles on my skin. When my eyes were open I saw the strangest blue light in that hole. When I closed them I saw sparks, on the insides of my eyelids. When I looked at Nikita I saw death.
