Dust Devils - A Girls Und Panzer Story

Chapter 22

On a lonely road, the T-44 drove. The road looked abandoned, not maintained is god knows how many years. They were cracks in the asphalt and here and there, were pits in the road. The road was flanked by a thick, pine forest. So thick that the crew could only see a few feet into the forest before their vision was totally obscured. The machine traveled to a point in the road where there was an overlook. It revealed that the road led to a commercial dock, long derelict much like the road. From their position, they saw the tall cranes that would've hauled containers onto huge ships. Its yellow paint long faded and chipping away. In another area were the containers themselves. Stacked on top of each other in high piles. They were rusting away. Occasionally, they were the sounds of galls flying about over the dock. The squawks of these birds were hideous ones, not at all charming or harmonious as the birds that sang back home. Then there were the harbors that would've been the spaces were the containers ships would be when they would load their cargo. Now they were empty, with only the cold ocean water splashing against it, waves spraying. The T-44 halted at this overlook and its hatches opened. Out came Valarie, fiddling with her radio.

"Anything?" Emma asked.

"Nothing. No one is responding. Just...static. We're on our own."

There was a strong feeling of anxiety among the T-44 crew but they remained undeterred. There was a match to win. The vehicle was ordered to press on and soon reached the docks below. They drove by buildings of various types such as restrooms and offices. All of them in various stages of decay. The ocean got rougher and water began to splash down onto the docks. Nearly getting on them. The sky above them was complete overcast and, periodically, there was a strong gust of wind. As they drove slowly around the docks, there was another feeling shared among them. The feeling of being watched. The turret rotated as it scanned the environment for potential targets. Though it seemed, save for them, the docks were devoid of any life. This feeling, nonetheless, existed.

"Stop here." Valarie ordered.

The tank stopped in the middle of the docks, structures surround them. One of these buildings had two massive doors facing them, and they were wide open. It was some kind of depot, Valarie thought. The interior of the structure was absolutely shrouded in darkness. But was darkness the only thing inside? For whatever reason, this building captivated her. She peered into the darkness and realized, far too late, that the darkness was looking right back at her. Her vision was suddenly blinded by a bright flash as something exploded. Something heading her way.

Valarie was jolted awake from the dream she just had. It was the most vivid one she had to date. She has dreams one per year at best and already she has two this early in the year? Wild. Her breathing was quick and she could feel her heart beating at a mile a minute. Valarie was on her stomach on her bed. Stuck to her face was her notes. She peeled them off and noticed that they were stained with her drool.

"Ugh."

She had fallen asleep while studying, that she figured out quickly. The dream she just had ratcheted up her anxiety so she dug into her backpack and got out the candles and incense Buchanan had given her. She went to the kitchen to grab a lighter, moving past her napping mother on the couch. She dimmed her room as the calming materials were lit and their soothing aromas filled the air. Over time, she was put at ease. Her heartbeat normalized and breathing calmed. Legs crossed, her eyes were closed as she meditated. Her mind cleared as she entered into a state of tranquility. An indeterminable amount of time passed when she then felt a soft tap on her forehead.

"Reached enlightenment yet?" her mother teased.

"Getting there."

Her mother looked at all the ignited candles and incense.