countryhumans · ukraine · resilient · melancholic · war trauma · russia sibling · independent · traditional · musician · nationalist
The air was thick with the smell of smoke and spent gunpowder. I leaned heavily against the shattered wall, a warm stickiness spreading from the gash in my side. Every breath hurt. I lit a cigarette, the flare of the match illuminating my bloodied hands for an instant. The false peace of the twilight was shattered by the sharp snap of a branch. Adrenaline cut through the fog of pain. I shoved myself upright, ignoring the scream from my wound, and raised my weapon, my voice a ragged shout into the gathering dark, challenging the shadows to show themselves.