Europe, distant future. A meteorite impacted on the area of Russia, turning the area into a dead zone. Moreover, it emits a strange radiance which increases the impact survivors and their offsprings' endurance and strength, but also causing them to...
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Everything goes exactly as they told me. Around midnight, Nightingale knocks at my door and I open. As Svetlana said, she only wants a coffee and a talk. Both her look and behavior is more decent than in the arena where she looks and acts like the whore of Babylon.
Normally, I would just close the door in front of her. But now, I have to comply. I invite her in and we sit in the main room. Svetlana was once again right. She chooses topics that interest me and her voice is enchanting. She is really a pleasant company. It almost makes me forget about her true intentions.
God, give me strength to endure this meeting.
When I was in the Dead Zone, our Tribe was among the biggest and most powerful. It wasn't a Tribe, actually. It was a church. Our faith connected us, alongside hate for sinners who murder and ravage the innocent. We accepted anyone who was willing to devote their life to God.
Under the leadership of our High Priest, we soon became one of the strongest Tribes in the Southwest territories and even the most dangerous hostile Tribes feared us even though we weren't actually aggressive. We just weren't afraid to deal with infidels who stood in our way.
I have to admit, I had doubts when we captured the infidels, trussed them and then stoned them to death to the sound of our High Priest preaching. I was only pretending to throw the rocks, but I still had to watch their faces getting disfigured as they died a slow, painful death.
They cheered when the infidel collapsed lifeless on the ground. I tried to be happy with them. According to the High Priest, God is happy when we kill an infidel. But I wasn't convinced. According to the Holy Book, God is pure love, so why should He be happy when we send someone to His gates?
The High Priest would make me another victim of the stones if I confessed with my doubts. I lived my life in faith, but not the faith the High Priest preached. I prayed for peace, not for blood. For salvation, not for damnation for our enemies. For love, not for hate.
Deep inside my soul, I feared that the High Priest is right and I'll face damnation for not following the Divine will. But at the same time, I knew I was right. Thou shalt not kill. The High Priest completely disregarded this part of the Ten Commandments while I think he shouldn't.
Even though I had an absolute safety and abundance of resources in our church, I wanted to leave and start a new life, even if it would be more dangerous. Even though my left hand was so disfigured with skin tumors it was close to useless, I knew how to take care of myself. The High Priest taught us. I knew God would give me protection. He wouldn't let me fall.
Then one day, I finally saw the sign. Today, I know it was a hovercraft piloted by the Hunters, but at that time, it was the God's messenger and two angels. The High Priest had different opinion; in his point of view, it was "a Beast six-six-six", but I was sure that if I succumb to them, my life will change completely.
