' 'tis 'im! Guards! Guards! Capture Dis Monster!' All People Stopped Up Immediately, And All Gazed Upon

The crowd was still standing around. Unsure if they should believe the drunken huntsman or not.

Ruth grabbed my hand firmly and went through the masses of people. A few dozen paces later she stopped, turned around and crouched down in front of me.

'Don't listen to that drunkard, he always tells stuff like that.' She calmly said to me.But in her eyes I saw that she didn't completely believe those words herself.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

How could I've been so dumb not getting that. That also explains why there are nearly now plants in or directly by the pond.

That means the source of whatever danger, is directly inside the pond, or a bit further up the stream. I saw the fox drinking from the stream, and I drank the water myself even further up, it must be safe there.

I decided to go further up the stream again, hide and wait there. There weren't going to be any animals near here anytime soon, that I was sure of.

I'm unsure if you can hear this, and if you might still be ignoring it but... Thank you, probably saved my arse there

Î dïd zæt før mýssëlf, rrêtård

I didn't expect any other answer from IT so I didn't bother saying anything else.

After a while of walking upstream I found myself a new branch to sit on. The sun was already near the horizon and it began getting darker. I climbed the tree cautiously and sat myself on the branch. As usual it wasn't comfortable, but it was safe

...unless I'd fall down in my sleep.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I followed the trail of blood coming from this half of him. Although the blood had already dried, the scent of it still occupied the air. This heavy, sweet and metallic scent... it made me sick. The still air and the burning sun didn't help it.

As I found his other half I nearly threw up.

It was exactly like one would imagine. He was lying in a dried pool of his own blood, the scent was so thick you could taste it. His entrails were nearly filling up the hole where his other half should be lying.

I've gutted a quite a few animals with Ingrid, but this was nowhere close to it. The blood didn't smell the same. The entrails were nothing like those of an animal. Even the dead stare was horrifyingly different.

I turned around to get a bit away from him, but there was already the next dead guy in my view. That must be the other guy I saw in my memories. He's got a horse... or he had... so it's probably the same guy.

I went closer to inspect him.

Completely contradicting the feeling I had just now, I suddenly got hungry. As if a hole just opened where once my stomach was.

“Seriously? Now!? I'm surrounded by all this death and you think I should eat something now?!?!” Right, I did talk to myself. Loud. Why should I have cared, I was probably the only one around right now.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I pondered over what he said for quite a while I'd be not the only one that dies... What does he mean with that? Is he saying that he'd die too...? Or someone else? But why would someone else die because of my death? And how would he know that? No... that doesn't make sense, he must be talking about himself. But... why?

Night was falling over the forest. The fire had extinguished some time ago, not leaving a single ember. Which meant two things, I was beginning to get used to the cooler air, and I didn't have to worry any more about extinguishing the fire myself.

I found a suitable branch for sleeping on quickly. I guess my latest experience has loosened my demands to such branches a bit, but it did seem stable and fairly comfortable. And the climb up to it didn't seem like much of a hassle either.

As I had reached my chosen sleeping place I sat there just watching the moon for a while. How it curiously looked as if it had a face and was watching me... or rather all of the forest... or even more.

© 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

Anger

Tsar Bomba

I went through everything once more in my mind. I was forced to go through it all over agin. The smell of smoke and burning flesh. The screams of anguish. The guy who kicked in our front door. The voice and the laugther of the madman who set mother ablaze...

Every. Single. Detail.

Picture Anger by BluDrgn426

Music Tsar Bomba by Avatar

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Don't Look Back

Great, now I even have to wash these Anyway, him fainting makes the whole thing easier, at least partially... He won't complain, but I'll have to take off his clothes myself

It was no easy feat to undress the man with these claws and transforming back would've taken too long and been too risky But I managed to get his shirt and pants, without hurting him although the clothes did look a bit butchered Holes and cuts in a few places, all made by me

I went back into the forest, to my cave

Now I do have some clothes, probably won't fit too well but far better than running around naked

Now all I had to do were some preperations I hunted myself a deer first, skinned it, cut part of it in pieces then got myself some wood, piled that up at the cave entrance now all that was left was turning back and washing those clothes

but first I went to the pond another time to get, for now, a last look at this wretched creature I was to burn it into my memories, to be motivated by it

I'll get rid of this cursed thing inside of me someday I'll be cured of this form I'll find a solution to this

Picture Forest Pond by Ruth-Tay

Music Don't Look Back by CMA

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Note from the Author

Sorry to say this but atm I've got some privat stuff going on so I probably won't be able to post anything for a week or two... maybe three, will see how everything works out.

Thanks for reading

Nice week to all of ya :)

I was unsure at first. Feared meeting an unfortunate end in that forest, but without risk; no reward.

So I went further and further into the forest. Always as low as possible, constantly switching focus between eyes and ears. Between seeing and hearing.

It was quite a bit harder to find any tracks on the overgrown forest ground than in fresh fallen snow. I had to look more closely if I ever wanted to find anything. Not only that, I had to learn about other tracks animals leave behind too; claw marks on trees, ruffled soil, trampled grass...

Lotsa things I had to keep my eyes open for. And it wasn't helping that it got dimmer by the moment.

I could use ITs eyes but the idea itself feels like playing foul. After all it's still kind of... a contest... I guess... between the hunter and the hunted. One flees to save his life, the other attacks to save his own... or that of those he cares for. And then there's me, right now, hunting for my own luxury. For being comfortable. So I can travel a bit in peace, don't have to worry about hunting my own food.

Still, there are things I need. Things I can't make myself, things I can't hunt out here. So I have to get some coin. After all I can't hunt for books with bow and arrow, neither for clothes, or armor.

While these thoughts ran through my mind it had gotten dark around me.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Note from the Author

My hundreth post \(^_^)/ Yeah not quite my hundreth story episode but I'm still very happy I got so far. And again I have to thank a very special woman for that.

Or at least blame her for getting the ball rolling <3

Beat by Memories

Looking at it afterwards I’m unsure what I thought. Although he was just an image from my memories, I did barely know how to fight.

The only experience I had was the training with that one guard. And hitting at a tree stump on my own.

I didn’t even know how to use a sword properly, and I had the brilliant idea to fistfight with this guy.

Oh shit-

He came at me with a right. By acting like I had a shield in my hand, I actually managed to block that.

It was a hard swing, It hurt like hell. But I had a small success there.

I was actually able to block that p –

He hit me under the chin.

I felt how I bit through my tongue, then lifted off the ground. Still pushed by his punch.

I woke up again. Panic-stricken, sitting up instantly

He beat me. Should have expected as much.

Picture DOWN + B by vashperado

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016