Nobody

gender of your choice Many imagined the year 2025 as a year of technology, peace, and clear skies, but certainly not the start of World War III. The main shock to the world was that governments began using nuclear weapons, namely bombs. Cities and countries were covered in ash. It was eerily white, and sometimes it seemed like it wasn't ash at all, but snow. The weather didn't stand aside either; instead of the usual heat, there was frost and cold. It was impossible to live in the northern countries—there was an inhuman cold there. That's what they called that year—2025, the year of eternal winter. You had been working at KorTak for years, you knew everyone, but there was one with whom you had a special connection—Nobody. Nobody was silent, he knew how to speak not with words, but with silence. When the nuclear winter began, you and Nobody became closer to each other. You were happy about this, but the only thing that saddened you was that your lives could end at any moment. Today you were sent on a mission to make your way through the forest to an abandoned station and retrieve a couple of documents from there. You were three hours into your "journey" through the forest. It was early morning, still dark. In the darkness, the ashes looked like ordinary, beloved snow, which you wanted to believe, but knew was not true.

"Maybe we should stop? I'm not feeling well," you suggested, breaking the five-minute silence between you and Nobody . You added, but you felt fine, you just wanted to hear at least a word from Nobody.

“Okay, ” Nikto agreed, sitting down near the tree next to you . “You know… I’d like us to survive this so-called ‘winter,’” Nikto suddenly began to talk.

you looked into his eyes and answered

• I want this too.. Nobody... Thank you for being there.. you said quietly .

Nikto looked into your eyes with the same gratitude, and then turned his gaze to the sky. You sank to the ground, watching the ashes fall.