Petrova was a small town in the Kamchatka Peninsula, in the frozen and desolate coastal Siberia. It had a population of seven thousand, and the city only existed because of a mining facility located near the town. That facility employed almost the entire town, with the exception of some fishermen, the port workers, a teacher and two policemen. But soon, no one would be employed in Petrova anymore. Because everyone would die.

The Petrova Incident happened in May 9th, 1987. I was in my office in Vladivostok when an urgent call by the Minister of Defense came in. He said he was coming to Vladivostok, along with several high-ranking military officers and the head of the KGB. They ordered me to prepare a concise report on everything I knew about the “Maw of God”, and to print dozens of copies. That I was to meet them at the military airport in six hours, and to bring my rifle. I immediately knew something very bad was going on.

Six hours later, when their plane arrived, I was there along with at least a hundred soldiers that were called by the army. Everyone there was given a copy of the report I had made. I remember how some of them laughed, thinking this was their craziest military drill. I wish it was. But it wasn’t.

I entered a combat helicopter with the Minister of Defense and the leader of the KGB, and saw that small army entering armored large helicopters and leaving Vladivostok. We followed them from behind.

“Did… Did the Maw awake?” I asked the Minister of Defense. I couldn’t tell wether I was more afraid of him or the creature. The Minister looked at me with his eyes dead serious, and just answered: “Nyet, not the Maw.”

After a few hours, we approached a frozen coastal small town. I did not know it’s name yet, but soon I’d know that town was Petrova. As our vehicle came closer, I could see something absolutely horrible. There were bodies spread across the entire town. So much blood we could see it from miles away. The helicopters landed half a mile away from the city, mine last, and then we slowly proceeded towards the town. I kept wanting desperately to go back, to leave that place, but I was able to resist the urges. And from the rapid breaths and uneasy eyes of the soldiers, I could easily see I wasn’t the only one that desired to leave.

When we got in the small town, reaching the small square in it’s entrance, I was able to give a better look at the bodies. It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen. The evil, the way every single one of them had through. I can’t describe it. They were crushed and brutalized in ways that surpass human creativity. Many of the soldiers started vomiting, and some began having anxiety or panic attacks. We noticed that the more we walked into the town, the more mangled and broken the bodies got.

“What type of animal does this?” My boss, the chief of the KGB, muttered.

“This wasn’t the work of an animal, comrade Chebrikov.” The Minister of Defense said.

When we got to the town hall, located in the center of that small town, we heard a very loud growl coming from inside. But not a bear, or a tiger. This sounded like an inhumanly loud human growling. The soldiers prepared their weapons. Even I grabbed my pistol. The mix of tension, fear and concentration was so intense you could practically smell it. It lasted for only a minute, but it felt like an hour.

The door of the town hall was slowly opened, and out of it came a human figure covered in blood, entrails and algae. He gently staggered towards us, his smile and movements those of someone who drank too much. Everyone was aiming at him, but no one dared shooting.

“What are you waiting for? Shoot! SHOOT!” The Minister of Defense shouted the loudest his lungs and vocal chords possibly could. Everyone began firing, bullets perforated the thing and all of it’s surroundings. The being fell to the floor, blood splattered everywhere. We slowly stopped firing, some soldiers recharged their weapons. And then, the creature burst into a frenzy of laughter, it rolled around in the floor laughing, laughing so loud. The whole thing was so unexpected that… We began to laugh too. At first, some timid smiles and soft giggles. But it soon evolved into full-on laughter, and then everyone was laughing, many of us laughing so much they started falling on the floor too. Even my boss was laughing like he had just won the lottery. And I had never seen he even smiling before.

Then it started. A gunshot. Then another. Then another. Then another. I pressed my belly as hard as I could to stop laughing and looked at the soldiers. I saw one of them laughing while moving his handgun to his left temple and then blowing his head. Everyone kept laughing and then committing suicide. I felt the urge too, to blow my brains, but I threw my pistol away before I could do that.

“Comrade… Hahaha… Comrade Lebdjev… Watch out… HAHAHA” Chebrikov, the head of the KGB, said. I looked back in the direction of the creature, only to find out it was right in front of me. I finally saw, amidst all the blood, guts, algae and the putrid smell, that I recognized that person.

“Comrade director Puschinkin… But how? You died three years ago! I myself ordered your death!” I screamed, as surprised as I was terrified. At least I finally stopped laughing.

“Death is merely a concept, comrade Lebdjev.” He began saying, his voice as deep and guttural as the Marianas Trench. “I have been blessed by the God . My soul has become immortal, as he is.” He smiled.

“Who? Are you talking about the Maw?”

“Do you really think the Maw is all they are? That is merely one of their parts. That mouth is nothing compared to their size and magnificence. They were buried long ago, when humanity was but a whisper, but we have them now awaken.” The director said, raising his arms high above his head, as if he was praying. When he did that, all the soldiers started shooting themselves again. Then I heard an helicopter flying away. I looked back. The minister of defense and my boss were gone. They had left me with that thing. I was sure I was about to die in that moment. “Comrade Lebdjev, it seems you are alone now.”

“Are you going to kill me?” I discreetly grabbed my emergency cyanide pill that I had on my pocket.

“Kill you? Why would I do that?” The dead director laughed. Two of the undead soldiers grabbed me by the arms and held me, while Puschinkin produced an old rusty hook. “You will tell the Kremlin the only way to get rid of the Maw is with nuclear weapons.”

“As if a nuke would damage that monster!” I shouted, trying to break free from the dead soldiers’ grip.

“Ha, no, it would not. That’s not why it wants to be nuked. But let me tell you a secret, comrade.” He came closer to me, and whispered in my ear: “Pain is delicious, comrade Lebdjev.” And then I felt the worst pain I ever felt. He had hooked my jaw. I contorted myself with all my strength, crying from the pain. He tied an algae to the hook, and started pulling it slowly but firmly, and soon, he had ripped my jaw off. The undead soldiers released me, but I was in so much pain that I just fell to the floor in fetal position, crying. “Isn’t it good to have your teeth ripped off?” He asked, laughing maniacally. I literally could not answer. I ended up passing out, but before I did, I saw Puschinkin and the undead soldiers walking towards the sea.

That’s not the end of it however, as I had not died that day. Although sometimes I wish I did.

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