Donut quickly retreated back, that was hella surprising, looking at his body. Looks like, he finally realized what's happening.

He returned just in time. The first hyenas – how ugly they were – already gathered in one spot.

– Only shoot if you're sure to hit the target – if there are more, we won't have enough ammo. And you – he turned to Donut, – watch our back and let us know if someone entered the circle. And welcome them with something heavy.

For the first time I saw the real fear in cheetah's eyes.

Ten minutes have passed. Mutants' pride was getting bigger. And then they all launched forward – as if they were obeying some silent order.

– Oh wow, – Bogo mumbled, rising the pistols, – soon they will fight as real army.

The stream of brown bodies divided into numerous parts, covering out hideout. The point of such maneuver was clear as day. They tried to enter all the exits at once. The first shot was deafening, and the second one – silent as sound of opening the champagne bottle. Two beasts were dead. I turned around and shot another sneaky one, who tried to approach from the back. The poison made its job perfectly. The buffalo was shooting almost non-stop. Donut was sitting in the center, fearfully looking from side to side. The whole circle was painted in blood, every entrance had the dead mutant, but they were quickly dragged back to free the space.

It couldn't last forever. I've run out of darts. I was in hurry to load the new ones, but my shaking hands were making it hard, and when I finally finished, two hyenas were already inside.

The first mutant was dead quick enough, but another one was already airborne and I couldn't keep up. But suddenly, the big boulder hit its face and the beast flew away on a nice distance. Only after some time I saw the Donut, who was sitting here with a smile and when he saw my glance, he nodded and got up with said boulder. He looked like he was spoofed. No sign of fear on his face. His eyes were burning with passion. He looked like he was about to go into the swarm himself and dance with them. I really wanted to look on that dance with the Zone itself.

Bogo finally said something.

– We won't last long with this tactic. Only shoot those who made it inside, – another stone flew past him, killing another hyena. It looked like some mystery force was pushing them to their death. The captain was trying to reload.

– The last one, – he smiled, catching my glance.

Someone touched my shoulder. I turned around and saw Donut with complicated face expression.

– Do you have another knife, Hopps?

I didn't know what was that expression but I game him my bone knife. For the first time in my stalker life, I was without my both knives. Looks like the cheetah was surprised, when he saw the bone instead of the metal.

– Zone doesn't like metal, – I explained to him, – this knife cuts no worse than metal one, just hit stronger.

He stepped back and then I saw something that covered my back with cold sweat. Damn trees – one of the hyenas was climbing up on it and three others were waiting for their turn.

– Over there! – I shouted, when the first one jumped down.

I only raised my pneumatic pistol, when Bogo shot him mid-air. I fed another one with poison and it dropped down with horrifying sound, knocking down ones who tried to climb as well. Donut just finished off the big mutant and threw the corpse away. The new stalker was born before my eyes. Not to mention he saved my ass a couple of times.

And we finally won this battle. The pride realized that it could be Pyrrhic victory if they will continue going any further, and retreated back. But my experience told me that they will try to call for help and come back, so there was no time to waste. Bogo was bitten in right arm, my hips were bitten as well and Donut only received a couple of bruises.

As we were hurrying to the perimeter, I couldn't believe that I will count these two completely different mammals as my friends. That's how I felt at least. The sun was shining. The day finally came into the Zone.


We finally said our goodbyes behind the perimeter. No more adventures on our way back. We were lucky to see the destroyed area with scorched earth – looks like someone got caught here.

As his own goodbye, Bogo gifted me one of his ceramic guns. We shook hands and Benjamin Clawhauser – I cannot not to respect him after what he did to us – said that we will meet again.

– Well, I think, that it won't be hard to find someone like you, – said the buffalo. He finally smiled, sincerely

They went out and soon disappeared from my sight, and I stayed still for a while and went to the forest, where I came in Zone from. I could finally see the real sunshine. But suddenly I felt a slight movement in my backpack. I carefully opened it and found the blue-clouded spiral that I totally forgot about. I was enjoying the sight of this beautiful thing, when a little mount in the grass caught my eye.

It was an old obelisk, from the first years of Zone. They were used a lot back then, grey granite plates with names and photos

My eyes have almost slipped through the lines «..died during the rescue operation..». I noticed the familiar name and photo on it and froze from the shock.

Bogo was looking at me from the obelisk. I found the Donut's face 2 lines further, in his iniform. Bogo Hornsworth and Benjamin Clawhauser. Mammals that I've just departed with, mammals that I was defending from the mad pride with, judging from the text, died 7 years ago. My thoughts ended before they stated to appear. I felt emptiness and cold. The Zone stroke back.

I never told anyone about what happened to me. Nobody cared anyway. I got a lot of money for that spiral. I've spent the part of it to buy the info about these two guys from the Center. No doubts: Donut and Bogo died 7 years ago. One died because of his stupidity and second – while trying to save the first one. And a couple of other mammals too. I tried to find any info about the weapon, that I received, but to no avail.

Now I'm looking at the rain that was watering the earth near my house and was thinking about all the possibilities. Maybe they weren't dead and it was just a mistake, maybe they were actually dead, maybe it was just someone's sick joke, maybe it's just me going crazy.

Or maybe that was the Zone trying to tell me something. I wish I could understand a word from that message.


Well, that was it! It's really the end.

I can tell the confusion in your minds, questions, like "What the hell man? Didn't you have a better final to come up with? And where's Nick? You promised us!". If you REALLY want to know the answers - tell me. These are all the things i want to know from you.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story. Any flaws pointings and feedback are appreciated!