A Small Measure Of Peace

It had become dark already but I still hadn't decided what to do... or... I had... in a way. But I didn't want to... tell myself... I guess, so I just stayed there, watching the glowing embers, that the fire left behind.

I had eaten both hares some time ago already, but still I was just lying there, watching the embers and... kinda enjoying the... emptiness in my head.

I was woken by a weird sound in the distance. The first thing I noticed was how numb my left arm was... or at first I was worried if I still had it, but I think that would have been painful instead of numb.

I got up and looked around.

Nothing... lucky I guess

Although my arm was still numb I was back in hunting mode.

There... that sound again... but... it's different... and from another direction... or did I just mishear the first time?

I had never heard that sound before, nothing like it either. It was a long, dull sound.

Another...! over there this time... two short ones this time...?

I wasn't sure what to make of those sounds. What animal could make this sound? My imagination ran wild... maybe something human-like, but bigger, fur all over, with the head like a bull? I wouldn't wanna meet that in person

I got scared by this thought, wanted to climb high into a tree, but my arm was still numb. I found a bush instead, hid inside and inspected my arms.

No scars... just like usual... I tried to move my fingers. Didn't work as good as expected. I helped with my other hand, bending each finger by itself, moving the hand around a bit, bending the elbow, moving the whole arm.

The numbness left my arm again.

Suddenly my arm was filled with another weird feeling... like ants were crawling all over it. Out of panic I frantically shaked my arm, I didn't see any ants but it came out of reflex “Get them away, get them away” I thought, tho there was nothing on my arm.

The feeling vanished, my arm was back to normal

I looked at it in wonder... What was that?

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Nightmare

Sam Rosenthal: six: thirteen (stretch mix 1)

It’s so dark already. I’m sure it will be night soon. I should find some tree I can sleep on.

I found a nice tree fast. It was climbable and probably high enough so wolves couldn’t get me. After finding a ‘comfy’ position on a branch I fell asleep fast.

Prepare for the Onslaught

’…Survive’ I yelled. Someone came in the front door. It was a man. He had a wound on his face. His eyes were glowing red. I started crying. 'Leave me be, please. I don’t want to die’ He looked at me and grinned 'Like I give a shit. It’s all on the king’s orders’Hahahahaha

He snapped his fingers and suddenly I was burning. I screamed. Louder and louder. Screaming out of pain & agony.

Picture forest by fdasuarez

Music Sam Rosenthal: six: thirteen (stretch mix 1) & Prepare for the Onslaught by Epic Score

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

One day as we went out hunting, when we already were a bit in the nearby forest, Ingrid gave me her Bow and Arrows.

“Today it's up to you what meat we'll bring back. Use whatever means you want to get your hands on some game, I'll stay in the back.”

“W...What?” I looked at the bow and then at her in disbelief. “What did you say?”

“Don't kid me, I know you've got sharp ears, today you'll be the hunter and I the follower”

“But-”

“No but! You will hunt and we will bring back some game”

“Guess I don't have much of a choice”I looked at the bow. I wasn't the guy who really believed in himself, I was afraid I wouldn't bring back anything. But she said any means necessary, so I could set traps too... maybe even... No. Not while she's around. Not anytime for anything else than an emergency.I looked up at her again and saw that she believed in me. She knew I could do it.So I began looking for tracks, thanks to the newfallen snow it was quite easy.

First I found the tracks of a hare, I was relieved of that. I had caught many of those before. So like always I set up a trap at the tracks. Put some bait there too just to be sure it'd go through the loop too, and not around.

Not far away from the hare tracks I found the tracks of a stag. And this time I was sure. The tracks were pretty deep, must be a big one. Going at a steady pace, and seems to be healthy. We followed, or rather I, couldn't see Ingrid anywhere around but I had a feeling she watched from somewhere.

After some time I found him. I've seen her do this a hundred times, I can do this. She always shoots head or shoulder with such large animals so I'll go for that. But where does she aim on that distance?

I just aimed a bit over it's shoulder, knowing the arrow would curve downwards after some distance. I drew the bow, and released the arrow.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Heartbeat

I stretched down. Slowly. To not startle it.

The tree gave off a creak. Shit, I'm too heavy. I need to get the pace up a bit.

The deer looked around immediately, staying like that for a moment. Turning its ears around. But it relaxed again and continued grazing.

I hung motionless for that time, holding my breath. Even when it had already relaxed again. But I continued, stretched myself further and further. Suddenly, a drop of blood. I saw it right in front of me, falling down, slowly. My heart stopped as I saw it. Oh shit The drop landed on the deers head.

To this day I am unsure how long, or rather short, that moment actually was. In my eyes it looked like it took an eternity. But as I look back on it, the deer wasn't even able to react to the blood of drop before I had sliced it in two. I didn't expect my claws to be that sharp, but it was nearly like I just sliced through nothing. Like I sliced through the air. There was no resistance in the deers body at all. Before I knew it I was down on the ground. Standing in between two halves of a deer. I looked at both of them. Besides of other fluids, blood was flooding out like there was no tomorrow. But the deer, it was still alive. At least the half with a head. It all went so fast, it didn't notice that it died.

I bit off its head, to stop the suffering. Even though I'm a monster, an abomination, I'm a merciful hunter. There's no need for suffering, at least if I'm able to end it.

Picture The human heart by SkarlettFury

Music Heartbeat 60 bpm found on Jeroen Klap's Channel

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Floating

I woke up again.

So, my name… my real name is 片 Kata. It’ll take time to get used to, I think. And IT doesn’t want to tell me its name. Why?

With all these thoughts it took a while till I noticed that it’s dark around me.

Am I blind now? Don’t I have eyes anymore?

Carefully I got up. Something in my view was changing. I could see silhouettes like before, but it wasn’t because something was gleaming. I saw things in the dark.

I found my way out of the cave. It was already morning again. The sun had risen and the birds were chirping in the trees. Suddenly I noticed the difference. I could see everything normally again. My view was clear, normally coloured. No blur, no gleaming things.

I looked down at myself, but I got disappointed. Still this burned flesh, these claws. Without much more hope I went to the pond again.

No ears, no nose, no hair. Razorsharp teeth, but my eyes weren’t black anymore.

So, somehow I did make progress. Only question is; How?

Picture Forest Pond by Ruth-Tay

Music Floating by Andreas B.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Introduction - Bjorn

Path to Darkness

I am a traveler. Some might call me an adventurer but I myself, see me only as traveler. I traveled far and wide, slayed both beast and man... But I'll start with the beginning.

I am... was an orphan. The village got burned down... fucking mercenaries, fucking KING... killed my father, killed my mother. The only thing I have left of them is this necklace. It's itchy but I never take it off.

Martin & Ruth took me in. Thanks to them the rest of my childhood was ...kinda normal. I began learning the smith's trade.

Then... I found... met... someone. No. SomeTHING. IT is what made me start my travels. Through Towns, Cities, Forests. Fighting both beast and man. And learning. I never stopped learning. Man, Beast, Nature. Simply everything that could somehow be related to IT. In the end... No... *grins* I won't spoil the fun.

My name? Bjorn. You might hear more from me in the future

Picture Traveler by iZonbi

Music Path to Darkness by Adrian von Ziegler Bandcamp, Youtube

Note from the Author Thanks for reading. Hope you liked it. If not I hope you leave some critique, but please stay constructive ;) Further a Pleasant day and a good weekend to you

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

For now I focused on turning back my arm instead of overthinking this.

The main problem with my current situation was, turning back that arm costs me lots of strength. This other body has kind of it's own will. It doesn't want to go 'back'. It want's freedom, which is definitely understandable, but I can't give it that. So it was, as always, a fight to turn back the arm.

Fight may be the wrong term, it's not like fighting someone or something. Not like a classic brawl or arm wrestling where it can go back and forth between both sides. It's more like... something I have to beat down, that simply takes the punches without getting hurt much by it. It needs many, hard punches to go down... if that makes any sense.

And that costs me energy, which means I have to eat & drink more afterwards.

The first meal usually is the biggest, then it goes down drastically meal by meal till I'm back to 'normal'.

This time it was just the arm, so a hare or three as first meal would surely be enough, tho I didn't have that much left.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

A Survivor Born?

Panic Man

I woke up in the middle of the forest. What was that dream? It felt so real, like I was standing right there. I could feel the heat. I looked around. Where am I? Why am I sitting on the ground, in the forest? Why is my back so stiff? How long have I already been here?

Ssø mãny küêsstîønss, ssø fêw åñsswêrss ha ha ha ha ha

What? Where did that come from? 'Hello? Is someone there?'

No one. I was all alone. But where did that voice come from then?

Picture Forest by aJVL

Music Panic Man by FesliyanStudios

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

And again I woke up.

''GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!!! There gotta be something I can do about this Bastard.''

Annoyed at my own uselessness I went out of the cave again. I was hungry, but it was the middle of the night. ''Guess I'll have to switch to beast eyes''

I jumped through the trees, I had gotten pretty good control over this body in the past time. Using much of it's potential.

Only got a hare that night.

But on the way back, as I was inspecting my claws, I got a flash of insight.

''Why don't I use my claws? I know how to use them, I just need to bring them forth. I'm far better at using them than fighting with my hands, although I just hunted prey with them so far.''

This idea was groundbreaking to me, I just had to be able to actually turn it into action.

I needed to be able to turn by my own will.

I knew how to turn my eyes, I knew the sensation of it.

This concentration, combined with this stream of... Something.

I had just to repeat this with my arm...

Hopefully.

Picture when rabbit howls by Anklebones

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Thoughts

But what now? I had learned to transform by will, had gained back my human self.

There was something I still had to do but... I was much to scared of that scared of going back to my dreams scared of continuing on that path wherever it leads.

So what else do I have left? Living out here would be an option, no one has come yet to solve this monster problem I guess it's true what they say; Out of sight, out of mind

But then again, it would be quite lonely out here peaceful, at least at peaceful as it can be with IT around but very lonely

And I could walk around without problem I got this transforming thing under control But how to continue out there? I can't stay with Martin & Ruth, I'm unsure how much they did notice, and I don't want them to live in fear

But I should at least them tell what happened or at least bits of it, maybe just that I'm alive They should know at least that

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016