ErickMedina

Mr.MattRuppel
Chemistry
October23,2015
Three
byErickMedina

Screamingfilledtheroom.
Istoodupfrommyworkingarea,andlookedaroundtoseemycoworkers
runningaroundinalldirections.Itriedtalkingtopeople,askingthemwhat
washappening.Buttheycompletelypassedmeandcontinuedrunning,ignoring
anythingthatIhadtotellthem.
ThatwaswhenIheardthefirstone.
Boom!
Iimmediatelythoughtthatsomethinghadhittheplant.Ipulledouta
Geigercounterfrommybackpocket.IneededittoseeifIcoulddetectany
typeofionizationduetoradiation.Inoticedthattherewereapproximately14
remsofradiationintheair.
Myheartdropped,andIdecidedthatitwouldbebesttogetout
immediately.Iknewthatthismuchradiationintheairwasn'tthatbad,butI
didn'twanttotakeanyrisks.IputtheGeigercounterbackinmypocketandI
randownmultiplesteps.Feelinglikeanysecondanotheroneofwhateverjust
hitorexplodedagainstthebuildingwouldhitorexplodeagain.Afterwalking
downacouplemorestepsIstartedfeelingasifIwasn'tgoingtomakeitout
ofthereactor.Ithencontinuedrunning,andIsawthedoorwhichwasdesigned
tobeusedinordertoexitinanemergency.ThatwaswhenIstartedtohear
gunshots.
Screamsintensifiedbothinsideandoutside.Myheartstartedpumping
reallyfast.Gunshotscouldbeheardfrombehindme.Istartedwalkingtowards
theemergencyexit.SuddenlyIstartedtofeelpaincomingfrommyback.Ifell
untothefloor,andIstartedhearingsomepeopletalkingbehindme.
"...weneedonemoredestroythe,"Iheardoneofthemsay.Ithen
startedmakingslowmovementinordertotrytocontinuemyescape.Thepainin
mybackwasagonizingasItriedtostandup,makingmeunabletocontinuemy
escape.
"Didyoucomeoverwiththisplace,"theycontinuedsaying.Itriedto
continuehearingwhattheyweresaying,butforsomereasonIcouldn'thearany
wordstheysaidafterthat.IgotmyGeigercounteroutfrommybackpocket
again.Inordertoseehowmuchionizationtherewasnow.Thepaininmyback
continuedtogrow.ThatwaswhenIheardoneofthemtalkingagain.
"...arecomingofhereimmediately,"onesaidwithatiredtoneinhis
voice.ThenIheardfootstepsfromdownthehallway.Theywereleaving.I
screamedforhelp.YetIknewtherewasnobodyleftinsidethebuilding.I
lookeddownattheGeigercounterwhichcalculated56rem.Iknewthatifmore
keptonbeingreleasedthiscouldmeandeathforeverybodyinthebuilding.
Thiswasbad.ThepainmultipliedtothepointwhereIthoughtmybackwas
goingtoexplode.IwasabouttogiveuphopethatIcouldbesaved,butthenI
heardfootstepsagainfromdownthehall.
"...makesurethatwantthemall,"Iheardoneofthemsay.Ithen
heardscreamsagainbothinsideandoutside,andthatwaswhenIknewwhatever
happenedbeforewasabouttohappenagain.Itriedtostandupforthesecond

time,andthatwaswhenthepaininmybackstartedtohurtagain.Imovedmy
handtomybackneartheareawherethepainwas.Footstepscouldbeheardall
aroundme.Loudly,andtheyweremovingveryfast.
"Itoldyouthatgonnadie,"oneofthemyelled.Iheardthefootsteps
gettinglouderandlouder.Movingfasterandfaster.Screamsmultiplied.I
movedmyhandthatwasinmybackuptomyface,andbloodwascoveringit.I
didn'tevenhaveamomenttoreactbecausethenithappenedagain.
Boom!
Thisonewaslouder,anddefinitelyhadmoreimpactthanthelastone.I
startedworryingaboutwhathadhappeningoutside.IreachedformyGeiger
counteronelasttime.Minutespassed,andsoonthescreamingcomingfrom
outsidediedout.Therewerenomorepeopletalkinginthehallways.Ilooked
backatthecounter,anditsaid1,052rem.Thiswasbad.Itriedstandingup
again,butthepainstilldidn'tgivemeachancetostandup.Ilayonthe
floorforacouplemoreseconds.Thepainstartedtogoaway.Afteracouple
moresecondsoflyingonthefloorthepainwentawaycompletely.
Ididn'thearitthethirdtime.
Boom!