Amaury Dreher - Opalescence - The Secret of Pripyat

—So what’s new? he asked in a slightly provocative tone.

—Shut up! I warned Andrei about your schemes. He doesn’t trust you either. We have had enough. I will talk to Amanda about it. In fact, we are considering…

He interrupted me:

—Stop it, you know very well that Amanda is dead.

My breathing accelerated. I knew it, of course, I knew it. But I had a doubt, a terrifying doubt.

—When? When? Who?! I exclaimed.

—A fortnight ago. His body was found in the forest to the north. Someone took care of burying her.

My pulse was pounding.

—Who would want to hurt her? How is that possible?

Oleksandr turned his head, looking confused and sincerely saddened. I called him again:

—Look at me! Look at me! Explain it to me!

—Andrei warned me. He didn’t give me any more details.

—I will find him, yes I will find him! I shouted in a raspy voice.

—I don’t know if you can trust him.

—What do you mean?

—Andrei and Amanda have been lying to you from the beginning. They are not looking for the treasure. Or at least, I think they’ve already found it, as we all have.

—Fuck you! I shouted.

—He is also not from the bourgeoisie of Kiev. His father was a miner, one of those who had been requisitioned to build the underground gallery under the reactor. As for you, you’re not a journalist.

My blood circulation accelerated. He knew. His tranquility contrasted with my state of tension.

—I made a phone call to your supposed editorial office. They’ve never heard of you. You’re not very bright for a forger. Although, you have a great talent for betraying yourself.

—Fuck you, man. Fuck you.

—You’re angry and that’s normal. I would be just as upset if I were you. Do you even remember when we met? The circumstances were banal, but I remember every detail.

—Shut up! Shut up! If you get any closer, I’ll kill you.

He took a step forward. Oleksandr seemed totally indifferent to my warnings.

—Look, I think we need to talk.

—I don’t want to see you anymore,” I replied.

—Yes, of course. Of course, you forgot again.

He put his hands on his face and scratched his beard. He was pretending to have some kind of compassion for me. It was a bluff. I imagined him wielding a gun any minute now.

—Don’t move! Don’t move!

—You know, we have more in common than you suspect. I immediately understood when I met you. I immediately detected in you this weakness that is eating away at you. Everyone has detected it. I guess you’re not fully aware of that. Or at least, you may know about it, but you lose this memory as soon as you have created it. Amnesia consumes you, it deprives you of your own history. These cognitive problems hinder your search for identity. Your spatial and temporal landmarks are fragile, your concentration is precarious, your nights are tumultuous. For more than thirty years, you’ve been going through hell… I’ve tried to look after you, to protect you from the Zone. I couldn’t stop you, I knew you were inevitably attracted to it… Now you’re tormented. All your memories, all your actions form an incoherent mixture, a memory porridge that you are unable to restore. You have lived through every single one of these moments, including a murder.

As he pronounced his words, I perceived his discreet movements in my direction. He seemed to be approaching while trying to hide his intentions.

Suddenly, I warned him.

—Step back! Step back!

—I haven’t made any progress,” he objected.

I drew my weapon.

—I swear I’ll shoot you if you get any closer!

Oleksandr sighed. He had a little smile on his face.

—Oh, yeah? I’m waiting to see.

He took a step forward with an air of challenge. It was too much. Instinctively, I pulled the trigger and closed my eyes. I already visualised Oleksandr collapsing in a pool of blood and resounding agonies. He would be nothing more than a common corpse intended for putrefaction and oblivion. However, nothing happened except a squeaky click, synonymous with failure. Obviously, the gun didn’t work.

—Let me help you with that.

—I don’t need you.

Oleksandr seemed totally indifferent to my reactions. He reached out his hand to me as a sign of appeasement and advanced his face. We were now so close that I could see my own reflection in his pupil. With all my strength, I pushed the pistol’s butt against his head. The shock was memorable. I saw him collapse like a stone, his head bloody and his body disjointed. He wouldn’t move anymore. Oleksandr was destroyed.

I immediately fled, running on the path, smashing the branches that were blocking my way. Despite the feeling of tiredness, I was boiling with anger. A new energy was spreading in my body.

How many times had I experienced this feeling?

I spent my time escaping, surviving, struggling with the elements. Oleksandr was probably decaying in the snow by now. He may have been tough, but the cold would take its toll. His brain would trigger a vasoconstriction that would increase his heart rate to maintain his body temperature, but that would not be enough. It would eventually die out. His death would not hurt much in the end. The rifle butt must have knocked him unconscious. He would lose his life in his unconsciousness and would not even realise the great journey he would make.

I had given him the luckiest end of all. An end that I jealously envied him.

34th days in the Zone.

Oleksandr looked at me with an impenetrable and icy gaze. His grey eyes were inexpressive. Without saying anything, he drew his weapon and fired. I had run away the second I saw him bury his hand in his anorak. I knew he would hunt me down, he would not give up anything, until he annihilated me and my memory into dust.

Our pursuit was unusual, in the sense that it was perfectly silent. No words or threats had been uttered. He didn’t need to express his intention to kill me. I knew from the fraction of a second that our eyes crossed. One of us was going to die. A smell of death was floating in the air.

I didn’t understand what was going on. I didn’t have time for that. I had imagined it destroyed, I thought I was free. He came out of nowhere, like a ghost returning from beyond the grave. I thought I killed him two days ago, I thought I was done. And even now, I had to run away.

My physical condition was much better, but Oleksandr was driven by a kind of evil energy like that which characterises individuals who are not afraid of death. He must have felt invincible. Nothing could stop him, his strength was tenfold.

I was pretending to run blindly, but I had an idea. I knew where to bring him. Oleksandr could not use his gun near the reactor. The noise would be too easily recognisable and surveillance cameras would identify it. Security services would be able to intercept him before he could leave the Zone. So he had to kill me with his hands. Maybe he had a knife? Maybe he wanted to slit my throat?

I was only a few meters ahead, I was in a good range. I had to be quick, my chances of survival were reduced every second. I was running towards the reactor, directing my course, trying to find the right alignment. The night was clear, it would be easy for me to spot what I was looking for. Oleksandr, focused in his determination, would not see it. He was chasing me, probably unaware that I had a plan.

I saw my objective. It was right on my path. When it happened, I jumped discreetly to avoid it. My stride had been light enough to dodge the obstacle without alerting my attacker. I counted endless seconds in my head, considering the worst. I finally heard the thumping sound I was expecting and turned around. Oleksandr remained on the ground, his arms spread out and his leg bloody. The barbed wire had trapped him.