my fatigues might be too black. I always preferred a charcoal gray at night as black is sometimes bright and easy to see in the light. The brightness seems to linger forever. Pass on , I think putting all of my focus into not moving. I only exhale in short breaths not wanting any steam to escape. It’s not cold enough for that but old habits die hard.
The light fades, passing off to the other side. I raise my head catching sight of the light transiting to the right. I part the grass ahead and maneuver ahead. I keep a look out for any freshly turned earth or mounds of dirt. I wouldn’t think they would have mined the outside. They would have had to raid an armory for that and their weapons don’t indicate they had but one can never be too careful. Especially when it comes to explosives and the possibility of having one’s limbs being separated from the rest of the body. The light stops and swings back, this time focusing further in the trees. I freeze as it crosses above me, once more pressing down into the ground. This cat and mouse game continues for a period of time until I find myself next to the fence.
Several shrieks pierce the night. Some close and others answer from far away. I don’t know if it’s me they’re howling about or if it’s just my anxiety of being out in the night with them. Either way, I’m ready to be on the other side of the fence. The grass truly is greener on the other side. The light pans out to the left focusing on the tree line. I take out the can of chemical spray and spray upward close to a fence post. Spray is a misnomer as it actually comes out in a stream. Reaching a height tall enough to sidle through, I start across the chain links; they separate immediately. The spotlight begins in my direction again and I bury myself in the grass that abuts the fence. Once it passes, I quietly push the “door” through the fence inwards lifting it slightly to minimize any noise. The light comes back and stops on the trees to my immediate rear. I crouch through and close the “door.”
I’m hoping they haven’t spotted a trail I left but I don’t dare move to see what they are focusing on. I hear voices drift down from the tower twenty yards ahead of me. It’s too faint to hear any definitive words. I ready myself for any alarm. If it comes down to it, I’ll do what I can and slip back through the fence and lose myself in the woods. The game will be over though as they’ll know we’re here. Plan B will then be in effect. Plan B is anyone’s guess at this point.
The voices stop and the light moves on. I relax a touch and sigh. I put the fence back as close to natural as I can and wrap small pieces of wire to the corner ends. This will enable me to undo them quickly while hopefully preserving the naturalness of the fence. Now the tricky part; skating by the tower without being seen or heard. The grass fields around are illuminated in green but I know that it is dark outside of my NVG’s. There’s a small copse of trees between the gym and the tennis courts sitting close to the fence. That’s my next stop.
Slowly move and pause, move and pause. I angle away from the tower towards the relative safety of the trees. It’s not that the trees provide great cover as they are spread out a bit but I hate open areas. At least I can get behind a tree if needed. Out in the open, there’s nowhere to go if they decide to check on the interior for any reason. Slowly, the trees get closer, or, should I say I get closer to them. It’s not as if they are walking towards me. That would be nice however but then I would hope they were friendly. The last thing I need now is a group of walking trees that are hostile.
After what seems like hours, I reach the first of the trees and sit on my heels behind a towering fir, putting it between me and the roving
The light fades, passing off to the other side. I raise my head catching sight of the light transiting to the right. I part the grass ahead and maneuver ahead. I keep a look out for any freshly turned earth or mounds of dirt. I wouldn’t think they would have mined the outside. They would have had to raid an armory for that and their weapons don’t indicate they had but one can never be too careful. Especially when it comes to explosives and the possibility of having one’s limbs being separated from the rest of the body. The light stops and swings back, this time focusing further in the trees. I freeze as it crosses above me, once more pressing down into the ground. This cat and mouse game continues for a period of time until I find myself next to the fence.
Several shrieks pierce the night. Some close and others answer from far away. I don’t know if it’s me they’re howling about or if it’s just my anxiety of being out in the night with them. Either way, I’m ready to be on the other side of the fence. The grass truly is greener on the other side. The light pans out to the left focusing on the tree line. I take out the can of chemical spray and spray upward close to a fence post. Spray is a misnomer as it actually comes out in a stream. Reaching a height tall enough to sidle through, I start across the chain links; they separate immediately. The spotlight begins in my direction again and I bury myself in the grass that abuts the fence. Once it passes, I quietly push the “door” through the fence inwards lifting it slightly to minimize any noise. The light comes back and stops on the trees to my immediate rear. I crouch through and close the “door.”
I’m hoping they haven’t spotted a trail I left but I don’t dare move to see what they are focusing on. I hear voices drift down from the tower twenty yards ahead of me. It’s too faint to hear any definitive words. I ready myself for any alarm. If it comes down to it, I’ll do what I can and slip back through the fence and lose myself in the woods. The game will be over though as they’ll know we’re here. Plan B will then be in effect. Plan B is anyone’s guess at this point.
The voices stop and the light moves on. I relax a touch and sigh. I put the fence back as close to natural as I can and wrap small pieces of wire to the corner ends. This will enable me to undo them quickly while hopefully preserving the naturalness of the fence. Now the tricky part; skating by the tower without being seen or heard. The grass fields around are illuminated in green but I know that it is dark outside of my NVG’s. There’s a small copse of trees between the gym and the tennis courts sitting close to the fence. That’s my next stop.
Slowly move and pause, move and pause. I angle away from the tower towards the relative safety of the trees. It’s not that the trees provide great cover as they are spread out a bit but I hate open areas. At least I can get behind a tree if needed. Out in the open, there’s nowhere to go if they decide to check on the interior for any reason. Slowly, the trees get closer, or, should I say I get closer to them. It’s not as if they are walking towards me. That would be nice however but then I would hope they were friendly. The last thing I need now is a group of walking trees that are hostile.
After what seems like hours, I reach the first of the trees and sit on my heels behind a towering fir, putting it between me and the roving
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