I was moved a few days later to a normal ward. A week later I was home. During that week I had several visitors mainly Lou and Henry when he was on base. Henry had a great time mocking me. He found it hilarious that I was always in the hospital after nearly every mission, I had a few choice words for him.

Dr Holland and Dr Misra were also regular visitors. Dr Holland was always around running his ever ongoing tests. Always taking samples and recording vitals. He had become damn annoying. The worst was Misra. She was now my assigned phycologist on base. She was constantly probing my thoughts and feelings on as she put it “psychedelic” experience.

Command had been trying to get me to address my “concerning lack of anger management”, with Misra again trying to add more time in her office and later follow-ups. I was trying my damnest to avoid those, but I was trapped for the moment. I had noticed that I was angry more of the time. Triggers varied more now but I have found that just interacting with most is causing me to get nasty. I find that my own company is the best for me. Misra is trying to have me face the source of my anger issues but again I avoid it.

I spent more time with Hawk and the rest of my new team. They were professional and focused on getting the job done, I had come to tolerate them.

I was eventually sent home and got some free time that did not involve healing from major injuries. The withdrawal from what I was exposed to was over and I am feeling good.

The year rolled on as it approached Christmas. My training regimen was changed and things were stepped up. I was pumping heavier weights and pushing longer on the rowing machine. I am no runner but I love the rowing machine.

Things were going well. My mother was not pushing me to leave Zone Command. The media had lost interest in me. The only issue was zone watchers they still popped up from time to time. They kept their distance which was the only way I could tolerate them.

Christmas was soon upon me and passed in a bit of a blur. It was all good and I was feeling good, I had spent most of it alone which was fine with me. Of course, it could not last as the universe does not like me that much. That is why on December the 31st I am sitting in a base camp command tent in the cold.

## ## ## ## ##

I was all dressed and ready to go. Willing no way but I was here. Hawk was getting the briefing ready. They had called me yesterday ruining my plans for the New Year. The tent had several heaters but they were not helping as it was bitterly cold this early in the morning. The sun had not come up yet but soon would. My armour thermal lining was coming in very handy here.

The bustle around the tent was normal. The zone was not a newly formed one situated in a small village in Yorkshire. The village was almost totally consumed by the zone. I could see the map of the zone it was a no-brainer to see the whole community has been evacuated. Only a few buildings were marked as beyond the zone’s perimeter. Due to the isolated nature of this zone, there was no barrier around it just a chain-link fence.

I had been called out with no details. Gregson picked me up late yesterday and we stayed overnight at command. They had told me that I would be informed on-site about the nature of the zone and the mission. Hawk stepped up to the main briefing area.

“Attention everyone. Let us begin.” Hawk started. “This zone has been giving off strange readings for the last few days. It has been decided due to this reason that the zone will be sealed. Operative Harrington is to enter and investigate in advance of a sealing team. This is where he will enter.”

He indicated to a point on the large map behind him.

“The zone is a registered Grave type. The breach is located here next to the local church. In the graveyard here.” He indicated another part of the map. “Once the area has been cleared Operative Harrington will fire a green flare from the breach’s location as standard protocol. If he encounters anything unexpected, he is to withdraw and report. If the situation demands, he will fire a red flare to call in the support team to extract him. The zone was cleared two months ago so Command believes that hostiles will be in the low figures.”

He pauses for a few seconds to allow everyone to understand what was going to happen. Low numbers I will not believe that until the breach is sealed, I don’t let my thoughts show.

“As can be seen from the map the main road will lead to the breach’s location. There are few buildings along the route from the direction Operative Harrington will be entering. Standard clearance protocols will be followed. This will not be a full sweep Operative Harrington will clear the route and call in the sealing team.”

He pauses again for any questions.

“Alright, with no questions mission launch will begin in ten minutes.” Hawk ended the briefing. Pretty much run of the course on the surface. But the strange readings comment had raised my wariness.

Gregson was standing next to the tent exit and we walked the short distance to the edge of the zone where I would enter. The countryside was covered in white as it had been snowing hard for the last two days. The camp has turned the snow into muss where it had not been cleared and there was a lot of mud. I hate snow. I hate ice but I hate snow more. Ironic as I like wintertime otherwise.

The view of the hills around us was a photographer’s dream. The cold crisp air and clear blue skies reflected the sunlight of the snow.

I am breathing the air enjoying the cold in my lungs. Breathing out the steam clouds. It is noticeably different to the air in a zone which I realise always seems wrong.

Gregson has not spoken knowing me well enough that I am getting ready in my head to go in. Hawk arrives a few minutes later.

“All ready?” He asks.

“Is anyone?” I ask back.

“That’s true.” He acknowledged.

“What’s this about strange readings?”

“The local monitoring station has picked up some fluctuating energy readings coming from the zone. The new protocols now in place are that all zones are acting out of “normal” is to be investigated and sealed.”

“I am going in blind then.”

“We do not think so. All indications are that it has not changed from a Grave type.”

I say nothing else. I close my faceplate and turn the zone. The PA system alerts the camp that the mission start time had come.

“Time to go.” I walk forward into the fog.

## ## ## ## ##

The fog consumes me.

I am hit by the zone’s effect in a matter of seconds. The negative feelings settle on my mind. I getting angry that I am here again. The anger sits in my chest helping to offset the depression by keeping me motivated.

I am walking along a road that is covered in snow. The snow is only about an inch deep. I will have to factor this into my approach. Even a shallow amount like this can slow me down and make sneaking around much harder.

The crunch of my footfalls seems louder in the quiet that now surrounds me. I walk slower than normal scanning the area. I can make out the stone walls denoting field boundaries on either side. The map in the command tent was clear following this road and I will reach the cemetery with the breach quickly. This zone is not large it should not take long.

Command believe that threat numbers will be low. I snort openly at that one now. I keep looking around. The road is running into a small depression now as the banks and walls on each side start to rise. I stop here. This was too good an area for an ambush.

I move up to the left-hand side and follow the wall there is enough room to walk. Just. I will need to be careful. The snow is already annoying me and I have not even started the mission.

I continue forward. The still air does not give anything away. The sun is barely getting through as normal.

Looking at the top of my shield that is positioned ready to intercept in front of me I see something that is concerning. The air is as damp as usual and with the zone being much colder the moisture is freezing. Another thing to try to take into account. For the moment the thermal lining and moving the additional weight are keeping me warm.

My faceplate however is starting to frost over. I have to pause and clear it ever so far.

Progress is slow but I make it. The dampness is creating ice on top of the snow I discover as I almost slip down to the road. I catch myself on the wall.

“Bloody Ice!” I exclaim. My anger flaring.

I stop to check around to see if anything heard me. I see nothing beyond my limited range of sight but fog. I have to lift the faceplate as it is covered with frost. The plastic coating is very impressive. The ability to resist the moisture and not fog up with my breath are things I had come to take for granted. I have nothing blocking the cold from getting to my face now.

The area is quiet. No movement. This is good so I continue.

The crunch of my boots in the snow is the only real sound beyond my breathing. Clouds of steam come with a regular schedule. The road comes back up from the depression and I get back onto it. I can make a building to the right ahead of me.

Moving on the moisture on me is freezing making more noise as I move. It is not as bad as to make moving harder just another annoyance to add to this mission.

My head is always in motion as I check the different angles of attack that threaten me. The building becomes clearer as I approach. It is a house, I think. The grey stone of the area dominates the main structure that I can see. The building is facing the road but has a small garden in front with another wall running along the road. I can now see a small open gate.

It does not take long to reach the gate. I can see the front of the house. The building looks abandoned and the front door is open. The windows are dark the garden overgrown.

I will go in to check it. Zone’s this small need all buildings along the route that the sealing team will use need to be checked. I walk up the path to the open door. The inside of the house is covered in the ever-present moisture now during to ice. Everything is rotting and decaying. I put my axe away and drew my gladius.

I go in. My eyes quickly adapt to the darker interior. Little light that is in the zone is being further reduced by the frost covering the windows. The hallway shows signs that the house was abandoned quickly. The debris of the people who once lived here is scattered around.

Clothing is scattered amongst overturned items of small furniture. Larger items remain but several photograph frames lay broken on the floor. I carefully step over them. I walk carefully as ice has formed in the building. The carpeted hallway is ok but other rooms might not be. The house like everything here is quiet. I move deeper into the building checking the ground floor. The building has an extension making it bigger.

Every room is the same. Empty.

It is times like these that I find the hardest in a zone. See what once was and in many ways lost. Sealing the breach will allow the former owners to come back. But to what? They might be able to salvage some things not most.

I listen to the building. Nothing.

If something was here, I would have heard it moving by now. I debate going upstairs. I choose not to. I turn and head back to the main door. The zone effect is weighing heavily on me.

As I move to the door, I pause looking around again at what was lost here. That is when I hear something moving in the snow outside. I duck down. The natural darkness of the hallway hopefully makes it harder to be spotted.

I move a bit further forward to see the wall at the edge of the garden.

It takes a few seconds to fully understand what I am seeing. Then swearing out loud. In my head, I scream

“WHAT THE FUCK!”