I grunted, hauling myself to my feet. Pain emanated from a large burn in my chest. I looked around to realize that I was now in a very dark swamp. Oh, screw me, I thought spitefully. I held in a shout of pain, a burning sensation spreading through my chest for a moment.
"I didn't I sign up for this." I grumbled, dusting myself off. After getting adjusted to my surroundings, I stretched and picked up my rifle from the ground. My GL was still strapped to my back, but my helmet was nowhere to be found. There was no use in just standing around, so I wandered the forest a bit, holding my carbine by its carrying handle. Removing my gas mask, I smelled the fresh air. It smelled just about as good as you'd expect a bog to smell. Like Pollution.
One thing was confusing, however; I couldn't hear any animals. Not even a breeze. Well, this certainly puts a guy off. My eyes carefully wandered my whereabouts. The swamp had a very thick canopy, letting only some daylight through. I slipped a flashlight out of one of my vest pockets and clicked it on, illuminating the dark jungle a bit. Removing my pistol from its holster, I held it in the air, not yet willing to let my guard down. This swamp didn't exactly scream safe.
I splashed through a puddle, careful to limit my movements and not be too loud. A cool breeze flowed through the trees, driving me to move forward faster. If there was a breeze, there was an exit!
The trees had grown sparser, further signifying an end to the dark swamp. Inhaling deeply, I sighed with relief when a gust of cool air hit me like a train. That swamp was more humid than I thought. Scanning the horizon, I found I was now in what looked like a calm, grassy field. It was a stark contrast to the miniature hell I was just in. I continued to walk in the same direction, seeing as I had no better options.
The air smelled fresh, and was definitely preferred over the grueling stench that dominated the bog. I stopped for a moment to rest, sitting on the ground. The sun was up in the air, the birds were singing, and a different forest in the distance was very inviting. But I still didn't know where I was.
With nothing better to do, I checked my ammo, cleaned my rifle's barrel, and thought about the eerie scenario. I was in the middle of nowhere, I was alone, and the area had no signal of a human population. Creepy, I thought.
A wave of paranoia washed over me; I felt I was being watched. Standing up, I held my rifle in my arms, scanning for a possible stalker. After a few minutes, I concluded that if I was being watched, I wasn't going to find anybody in the middle of a field. Fear driving me forward, I turned to the moderately inviting looking forest in the distance, my legs carrying me quickly but surely.
"Shit! One of you guys!" I shouted, stomping on the disgusting creature. Green blood seeped out from under my boot. I lifted my boot up, inspecting the mashed-in headcrab. This was one shitty scenario. I spat on the corpse with disgust, before continuing forward on my trek. I had become more wary upon discovering the alien presence here.
At least I'm not alone, I thought. This was just getting better and better. Maybe this was their home world? I thought it unlikely, but there was always a chance.
The sun had begun to dip below the thin canopy, signifying the approach of nighttime. I should find somewhere to sleep, I thought. That wasn't going to be any walk in the park. Groaning, my tired eyes began to search around for a cave or abandoned house or something. I stopped upon the discovery of a path that was going through the trees. Yes please!
Eagerly, I quickly walked to the path, before looking both ways. Nothing. Sighing, I picked a random direction and began to walk, following the dirt road to god knows where. The sound of crickets chirping gave me comfort.
