A winding trail it was, we quickly found out. Horse droppings and thin wheels dented the packed earth of the path. Trees of both the fallen and unfallen variety spotted the sides of the makeshift road. With plenty of thorny shrubs coating the ditches, as if waiting for some fool to stumble atop them. A grimey pure brown goop of a large puddle seemed to gurgle beneath the tree limbs protruding from beneath. Stringy tangly vines wrapped just about everything in an eye's view. I can only assume somebody must keep nature at bay along this path, as not a single branch or vine desecrated it. The smell however was hard to fight away. A lingering scent of foul eggs and fish rot bombarded us at every step. For me, this was all shadowed by Masha’s revelations. It was a hard thing to accept and move forward with, yet something inside me was strangely thrilled. 

‘Ooh mine god! Es dat normal? Like I smell bad beford, but dis? What es dis? Et never goes away.’ Masha couldn’t keep in her disgust. 

I couldn’t help but chuckle a little at her dismay. ‘It’s not even that bad. Should smell the cow pen after a little too long.’

An annoyed huff parted between the blonde’s pursed lips, and a glare of sheer friendly botheredness plastered behind those glasses. 

‘Hey heeey, c’mon hon’ I’m only kidding with you. A little, sorta, kinda.’ I said with a big dumb smile on my face. Which usually always won them over.

 ‘Can I ask you somethin’ though?’ 

‘Perhaps.’ Masha said with a shrug.

‘How did you know all that stuff about the radio-sigil…thing.’ 

‘Was wonderinc when yoo were ready to ice break dat subject.’ The previous annoyed look was replaced with an overly pleased expression. 

‘Dhere es a ding yoo should realize sooner den latur. I intend to recruit yoo.’

I halted right there in my tracks on that muggy road. ‘Hold your skirt there sugar. I ain’t about to defect.’ Masha was turned around still wearing that same grin.

‘Das good. I wasn’t planninc on dat. Actually q-’ She started saying before my attitude got the better of me.

‘Actually no. My boss always did warn me about you Soviet types. Always trying to get your nose into our business. Worm your ways into our agents. I’m telling you that ain’t gonna happen with me.’ I hadn’t realized I was borderline shouting at the Russian. I guess I wasn’t aware of how passionately I felt about my loyalties.

‘Right’ A simple flat word was all that came from the miffed looking blonde.

‘Uuugh.’ I groaned out and rolled my eyes. Stomping down the path with a gut punch of betrayal. 

‘Jennifur!’ Masha yelled at the back of my head. 

A flood of thoughts and emotions were pumping through me. Why did I care so much about it? In fact shouldn’t I be flattered? A foreign agency wants to poach me. That’s a big deal right? Holy smokes. Let's be straight here. I hate my boss and my job most of the time is a glorified coffee maker. 

‘Jenny!’ She yelled again, this time closer.

Wow. I bet I could talk my way into better pay. Shucks though, I won’t see Gweny anymore. I suppose she’d be alright with just that Husband of her’s. Then there’s all the–Masha started to violently shake my arm and snap in front of my face.

‘Snap out of dat.’ Her voice cooed 

‘Out of my thoughts. Dang hon’ not even free to think am I?’

Masha just shook her head and pointed up the road. ‘Listen. I dink a car es cominc’ 

I squinted and tilted my head as if that would greatly increase my hearing, but god she was right. That was for sure the sound of some old beaten up truck. 

‘Should we khide?’ The Russian seemed genuinely worried.

‘You kiddin’? We’re trying to find civilization, not stay away from it.’

She clutched extra tight to her fancy magic radio and there it was. A glorious rusty pickup truck that might’ve been red at some point. Was just coasting along the peaceful trail in no rush at all. I stood right in the middle of the road and waved my arms excitedly. Masha stayed behind my tall luscious frame. Trembling a storm of shattered nerves. The rusted truck came to a slow stop. It’s poor brakes squealing out their elderly age. They must have been confused to see folk on the road. They stopped a good thirty feet from us. A little odd, but I remember my daddy having something like this happen.

‘See? And they didn’t even try to run us over.’ Not that I was concerned about that, but the girl seemed like she needed some assuring. 

‘I’ll go talk and see if we can get a ride or somethin’ alright?’ I didn’t wait around for her to retort to try talking me out of it. Off I strolled towards the driver’s side of the truck. That stink was getting most foul now. The eggs had really turned into a festering pile of rancid meats. I was about halfway there when the driver door creaked open like a frog looking for that loving mate. The windows were dark, they weren’t tinted. It was as if they were a direct window into night itself. 

‘Uhh howdy there friend. Sure am glad to see somebody on this road.’ I had my charming sweet voice on extra thick.

Odd. There wasn’t an answer, and I waited for a good little while.

‘H-Hellooo? Should I get closer?’

Still no response and I felt the sudden same chill that had Masha trembling away her bones. Jesus I should have thought this through. I started to hear the rustling of something moving in the seat. I heard the sudden loud scream of Masha behind me and I instantly jerked around. Her knees were nearly buckling with how much she was trembling and her arm was just pointing to the truck. I felt my insides twist into knots and I slowly turned back. I’d scream the same if I could. There it was. A man perhaps at some point. Standing at least six feet tall in front of the truck. It only had tatters of shredded rags covering its scrawny bony figure. I’d never seen such a tone of ashy skin. Especially not cracking and peeling to the slightest kiss of the wind. My heart was threatening to burst forth when I stared into the abyss of its sunken empty eye sockets, and its lack of a bottom jaw. Long single slice marks littered the creature’s face and I could only assume they were self inflicted. For one of its hand was no longer a simple human hand, but a long jagged harsh blade that looked sewn on. This thing wasn’t making any other noise than mindless gurgling choking. 

Masha was in complete distress behind me and I was teetering into insanity right behind her if I didn’t stay focused. Alright Jenny, focus. Focus! 

I had plenty of time at the range so I knew how to pull my gun out fast. Just not when I’m shaking with terrible nerves and likely to be skewered. It was slow to pull my pistol free, forgetting to unclasp the latch and then nearly dropping it. The moment I leveled my gun with the remnants of the creature’s head it took a step towards me. Every fiber of my being was yelling at me to run away and shoot; but I felt literally stuck. Like some unseen force was pushing down on me, laughing down at me. Not keeping me from pulling this damn trigger though. A burst of smoke and light followed the roaring snap of the gunshot. The creature’s head snapped back with bones audibly cracking. A spray of blackened ooze was splattered all over the front of the truck. I was breathing like I just ran six marathons. It felt like I was having a goddamn heart attack. The thing just collapsed backwards into a crumbled pile of itself. I kept my aim as steady as I could on it. I didn’t trust that it’d be that simple. All my huffing and heart pounding deafened me to the sound of Masha coming over. She looked just as rattled as I. We both stared at the lifeless creature and it took a long time before she broke the silence.

‘Dat normal for yoo?’

‘Jesus christ no. is it friggin’ dead?’ My throat was as dry as a summer drought. Making my words raspy

‘Was et even alive to start?’ She kicked some dirt at it with no response.

‘You’re the smarter one of us, trust me. Jesus…’ At least the talking was calming my nerves. Damn gun wasn’t rattling away in my shakey grip. 

‘I think we’re okay though—Mashh..Masha?’ I was stunned. Just across the swampy path where trees marked their home. Laid an entire decrepit town. It looked straight out of the wild west. Rotting wood buildings lined both sides of the overgrown brick road. Yet lanterns were lit out front. In broad daylight. That's when the words that poured from Masha’s mouth next made my stomach wretch worse than when I saw that forsaken creature. Her voice was as shaky as my eyesight had become.

‘Jennifur…I-I dinc we are en a differunt dimension.’