A fortuitous but deadly landscape

As I began running, if you could call it more than a crazed and over glorified waddle, the low buzzing had become a harrowing scream. The small twinkles of lights became kinetic charges of electricity that could be seen midday, skipping through and around glistening metallic objects calling forth a prelude to a calamity. Unlucky for me, I received front row seats to this spectacle and was about to receive my first consolation prize. More than ever have I wanted someone to exchange positions with me.

The escape into the forest was also not fought without a plentiful amount of hazardous conditions. Golden versions of evergreen trees were becoming thicker and more copious, seemingly spawned to block my path. Although pretty, I could see small barbs sitting on the bark in an almost ostentatious and proactive manner ready to stab any who did not get the connotation that to touch it, would be a blunder. Some claw marks of an obscene size presented on one of the larger trees, notifying any would be intruders of the apex's domain.

Silver luminescent grass patches spread throughout the forest blinking in an almost similar didactic rhythm as a heart beat, waiting for any unsuspecting animal to pass under the sharp scythe like stalks; I found out earlier of the vicious nature as I mistakenly walked into a patch with my left boot, and the result was knife scarring through the leather to metal inlaid on the top of the boots. If I had not gotten these steel toe boots, I would have been left with a deep wound.

Shrubs and dark devil thorn bushels seemed to impede my travel. Multi-chromatic ferns had conspicuous glowing spores that flowed with the passing wind. The ground became uneven as craters populated every now and then. Some of the craters had acid pools with skeletal remains. I looked at the flora in horror as most of the plants looked overwhelmingly vibrant trying to hide the skeletal remains under their roots. I had been fast to grab the gas mask from the small backpack of pillaged items, but I am unsure if my carelessness earlier has predetermined my end.

In tandem with the earlier troubles, an eerily green miasma seemed to be approaching me in fascination. Every time I stared back at it, a stronger feeling of how it was somehow sentient and wanted to play with its new found toy brought cold sweats down my back. The ground was ever changing. After a couple minutes it seemingly hesitated before amorphously traveling back to whatever place it came from. The only saving grace was that most of the fauna were currently docile and trying to find safe space for the day.

I could not tell at a glance how old the scratch on the large tree was, however I am worried whether that beast or organism is on the prowl or not. Both situations are not enticing as it could mean that the conditions of the storm were so horrendous that even the beast had to escape or since I am intruding on its home, I could be its next meal.

The noise had gotten so loud, my eardrums would explode soon, but knowing the pressing matters, I journeyed on. However perilous it might be, my freedom is surrounded by tribulations, I must proceed. Fatigue was setting in as my endorphins and endocannabinoid systems were exhausting. My stress hormones secreted by my adrenal glands could not keep up with this escape. I was tiring and knew my glucose levels were insufficient for any farther endeavor.

I was getting more anxious as I calculated from the previous semi circle craters that I had seen, the kinetic energy denoted by 1/2mv^2 had exceeded the energy holding together the metallic particulate as I could sparsely see remnants . As the core mass and density of metallic compounds tends to be high, it lowers the velocity needed to generate a force of such indent. I expected the velocity to be not exceeding the sound barrier of the air medium in this place, however it was not rain that you could simply walk through and end up fine.

Wherever here is, I estimated that I had between 45 secs to 2 minutes before the storm hit the ground. The deviation was large, but I just did not have the time, tools, and methods to ponder about it, heck I did not even know the true velocity of sound of air in this place, hence the variance. I tried to run as far as I could, but my legs cramped and gave out. It had been only 30 secs but one of the most harrowing times in my life, it was. I started crawling, and I could see 15 yards ahead of me, lay a semi-deep ravine with a fallen log going across it. I desperately crawled towards the possible shelter and when I was 3 yards away, the first metal particulate hit 5 yards to my left.

The concussive force was enough to send me flying a couple feet, while the electric shock felt worse than the military cattle prods and tazors they used on me. My ear drums burst and I felt a burning sensation on my side. Tsk..although the pain hurts and my muscles are spasming, this is not my first dance with death. I crawled closer to the cliff and peered into the ravine, hoping to find some form of an alcove or cave. In my crawling around I had been unaware of how close I was to the fallen tree. I accidentally touched the bark with my right arm, a burning and serrated pain could be felt, but I had ignored it.

Pretty soon if I do not find a shelter, I will go into shock and die. I felt more invigorated to search with the ever encroaching vibrations of the metal rain falling. I noticed a small alcove without inhabitants below me. Without hesitation I rolled off the cliff falling some 10 feet, ending up with a few blunt force injuries and a possible concussion from the smooth rock face, before ending up at the mouth of the alcove. With the last bit of energy I rolled into alcove and passed out.

When I came to my senses, I noticed how battered and broken I was: a concussion, a broken femur, 5 broken ribs, a punctured lung, dislocated right shoulder, 7 softball sized bruises , about 30 or so lacerations across both arms, fatigued, 2 burst ear drums, and a electricity burn going from the top of his left shoulder crossing over his chest down to his right hip. As I attempted to sit up, I found out I had a broken tail bone too. I gave out a pained laugh coughing some blood in the process.

I grabbed the shredded backpack with my left hand and tried to open it. The zipper got stuck halfway, but I was still able to grab a premium day ration. Of course as Lady Luck dawns it, I notice a few rations that have been punctured. The one in my hand was not one of them so I put the ration down and grabbed one of the punctured and smushed rations as I knew once exposed to air these rations would rapidly expand and spoil if not contained/consumed within the week. I opened the package with a utility knife and started to pore the contents into my mouth before stimulating the healing processes of my body.