A Puddle

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

I could take care of the blood on the bow later. People might notice it, but I am hunting after all. It's easy enough to just tell them it's the blood of some prey or maybe even my own... That sounds like a good idea, make up some story where I hurt myself because I wasn't careful. Some story where I learned something from it. Yeah I think people won't question that much... but I guess they won't question that it's animal blood either.

As long as I don't tell anyone it's the blood of some, probably noble, hunter whose head I cut off...

Wow... how easily I can let that run through my mind... I cut off someones head. I decapitated a human. And still... the thought... awakens no big response in me...

I mean, Yes, he was helping someone that wanted to kill me. I was only defending myself but... I can't help thinking that running away would've been enough... but then again I didn't really have any control over what happened...

I guess in the end... it's not really my fault... right, it's not me who did it.

Årë yøû rællý sâtissfïéd wìth zåt? Säyîng ít wâssn't yöú? Sâyïng ìt's zë fåült øf sômeöne élsè?

Ye... no... but...

Ït's yøµr fâült wæ gøt ïntô zåt sitûätiøn. I jµst dïd whæt häd tô bë dønê tó gèt üs øût öf ît ågæîn.

…

$sø døn't hïdê bæhînd thåt lïæ, yøû'rë nô kïddô ånýmørë.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Note from the Author

Completely forgot to make an episode for last friday, sorry. I’ll make it up with an extra episode this week ^_^

Thanks for Reading, Thanks for Following, and a nice week to all of you :)

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

She stopped in her tracks. Looked at me. Her face filled with disbelief, fear and sadness. She stuttered at first, but after a short while it just came flooding out. How my grasp around her suddenly had gotten tighter by the moment, all the way to removing the feel of security, and replacing it with pain. How she was struggling to free herself from my grip. How it suddenly opened and ended up with her pushing away so forcefully, that she landed several paces away from me. How I then began screaming at her with this... animalistic ferocity. About leaving him alone, that he was all mine. How I then curiously watched her, with these giant black eyes.

“Those eyes...” she said “those eyes... GIGANTIC, and filled with this... this... void, eating away at everything that one once could see in them”

“It's alright” I tried to calm her “see, they are gone now. You won't see them again”

“I won't... but... but... I won't be the last to see them”

“...I do hope you are... Anything else I said, or did, besides that?”

“A moment after you screamed at me... you suddenly grabbed your head. Writhed around. Like... like something inside-”

“No more. And then, I shouted 'out' ? “

“...you did”

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I took and chewed a bit on a piece of the dried meat

Let's see... the hound noticed me... I waited a bit... ran out the back of the bush... …next thing I know I stumble over the root of a tree... and end up over there... where Lord Half&Half and his companion are lying. Hmmmm... Any more...? … …

Oh right, he swung his sword into the tree... about head height-- gulp... I remembered what could have happened if that tree hadn't been there.

But, what could have happened shouldn't hinder me at following back my steps, so I searched for exactly that one tree... in a forest.

Surprisingly it didn't take as long as expected. I found it after trying a few dozen trees.

Ok, I found the tree... let me think... he stood there... I stood there... came like this... uhuh... uhuh... guess I came from there then.

And I followed the way I thought I came from.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

The End of Nothing?

Lucid Dream

The night after I ‘awoke’ in my dreams again.

Blackness all around me, as usual.

But something was off, as if the blackness would end a few paces in front of me.

Has that always been there? Did I just not notice it?

I went closer.

Wondering what and if there was anything beyond that 'end', I carefully stretched out a hand.

My hand was stopped. It was cold and hard. And it had a rough feeling to it. Like stone. Or Bricks.

Does… does this... ‘thing’ end anywhere? But how can an end, end? And how can this nothingness even have an end? Are those the boundaries of my mind, my dreams?

I held one hand on this… whatever it was, this stone thingy. I held one hand on it, and went along, without ever letting go.

After some time, I noticed something glowing.

Light? Here? How can this be?

I went closer. At a faster pace.

The lights were moving, and they twinkled every few seconds.

I began running towards it, since I didn’t seem to get closer.

Suddenly I realized what those lights were, they were eyes. A pair of glowing, twinkling eyes. And they had seen me.

Picture The Black Wall by Eleni Tsami / eilidh

Music Lucid Dream by Neeko Freeman

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Note from the Author

I’m sorry guys (& girls) but I have some private matters to attend to so there probably won’t be any posts this week. I’ll try to make it up for you with some extra posts next week.

Birds... frogs... the stream in the distance... the wind in the trees... Damn it!

I opened my eyes and stood up again.

I looked at the sky, it was the first time I had done that all day. The sun is setting... lets see, two hares... had one in the morning, some berries too... guess I don't have much of a choice... either one risk, or the other... but which is the safer bet?

With every step I took I felt my energy being drained. I had to eat something, now. Even if it wasn't enough. I went back to the beck, took with me some branches on the way to make a fire.

I skinned and gutted the hares. Threw the rests into the forest on the other side of the stream. Something would surely come to eat that, but I wouldn't want that over here.

I fastened the hares to each their stick, and set both by the fire. Washed my hands in the water, drank some, and laid down besides the fire.

What should I do? I can either take the risk of hunting at night, or take the risk of sleeping while hungry and drained of strength. After having some food I should be able to get up on a tree, if I find one, but what if he... IT thinks of any shenanigans in the meantime.

Yøû kñöw Ï cån hær yôú?

… Shut up.

Yòú... Yôü... Yøµ...

I-I-I What?

He snarled at me. Didn't hear much more from him after that.

I laid on my side, watching the hares by the fire, the fire itself, how the flames danced their warm, but destructive dance on the wood...

Sleep... or Hunt?

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Morrowind Soundtrack

First the other hand, then my feet, head after that, then legs & arms and in the end my whole torso

that was the first time I actually looked into the pond again and didn't just drink from it

I had longer hair than ever before was quite a bit taller and naturally I had aged a bit even gotten a few stubbles I had 'gained' a few scars all over my body too

But I didn't stop there, didn't walk back home I had to learn to control this turning to the best I could

Transforming my whole body took a few winters & since I was sure this wouldn't be the last time I had to do it I had to drastically improve that time

It took a bit longer than another two winters nearly reached the third but in the end I was able to turn within a few days and although it took far less energy now I still felt like I could eat an elk afterwards

Picture cave by pilot-whale

Music Morrowind Soundtrack by Jeremy Soule

Note from the Author

I know I'm a lil late but, Happy 2k16 to everybody ^^

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Underground

And suddenly, I was there.

This blackness all around me.

Hey! -- Does it have a name? -- I know you’re there! I need your help!

Sssøö, yôü €åmé aftærr åll. Ýøû wånna knòw whät Ï’m cællêd, æh? Whÿ døn’t yôü leårrn yøurr øwn nåme fïr$sst?

My own name? But I know my name, I’m Bjorn.

Hr Hr Yøü sssêrïøusslý $till bêlïevæ zât? Wëll, sîncæ yôu cån’t wãlk ‘rrøûnd åskin pëøplê ‘bøût it, I’ll tell yøu. Sssincë yøu, 片 Kata, åctûally føûnd më yøursêlf.

Did IT just call me 片 Kata? How can that be my name?

IT sighed Yôü gûýss næverr lêärrn. Yêsss, ýøurr rRRëâl nåmë is 片 Kata!

Ok, Ok, I got it. 片 Kata. So, what do they call you?

Thåt, yøü’ll hâve tø find øût yöûrrsssëlf.

Music Underground by ◄-NATURE-►

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016