I Didn't Have Much To Pack. Didn't Come Here With Much Else Than The Clothes I Was Wearing... Who Weren't

Whispers

I never saw that huntsman again. My life continued as it had before. The first few days after the incident in town Ruth & Martin kept a close eye on me. They noticed that they didn't need to expect any danger from me so they left their guard slack again.

But whenever I went to town I could feel the eyes of the people on me. Even after I started to work for the smith. I mostly helped Martin & Ruth but whenever I had time I went to the smith.

At first he only sent me to fill up water buckets, get ore or to stoke the fire. Although he noticed how fascinated I watched him hammer ore into shape, he waited till the end of winter before he began to teach me how.

Picture Time by Rizuuki

Music Whispers by Danlsan

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Brink

The guardsmen both just went away. Still laughing.

The man looked back at me. He was still extremely tense. The people in the croud started mumbling, talking. About me, about the hunter, wether his tale could be believeable. He took the chance and ran. I never saw a man run this fast. While running he shouted something I didn't quite understand. It was something like 'Yer 'ill al' be sorry for not listenin' ter me.'

The crowd was still standing around us. I could feel their gazes on me. Suddenly Ruth, who had been in some stadium of shock-like parlysis, spoke up.

'Do ya believe a lil' wahn loike 'im could do that? Daan't earwig ter this drunkard 'unter. Rather worry abaht findin' a new 'cause 'e won't be comin' back.'

Picture Taboone-Full by mintyfreshmangos

Music Brink by FesliyanStudios

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

At first I didn't hear him at all I was still scared of myself

What am I doing? I do hate this guy for what he did but Just a moment ago this hate consumed me I was only this hate for him no more, no less

I was afraid of it where did this all consuming hate come from and how could it take control over me like that

Many questions, no answers only the idea, the conclusion, that it came from IT somehow through the claw.

But how?

I wanted it gone but I couldn't focus enough not enough to get rid of it again

''Hey! Boy! We're done here! You can go on.''

I looked at him shortly and in him I saw a solution only a temporary solution but better than nothing

''Hit me''

''What?''

''I said Hit me! Like those hundreds of times before''

''But-''

''Just do it for fucks sake''

Note from the Author

Thanks for reading, for following, for liking. It's good to get some feedback, and even better if it's mostly positiv.

Merry Xmas to all of you ^^

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Sunrise

Explore 01

I woke up. It was already morning. I was still on that branch.

It was just a nightmare. I was very relieved. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. But I had something wet on my hands. I opened my eyes again and looked at my hands.

I was so scared I fell of the tree. For a moment there I forgot what I just saw. The pain from falling down did cleanse my thoughts for a second.

Picture Master Study: Forest Sunrise by Illustrum

Music Explore 01 from Fallout 3

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Childhood - Bjorn

Reading the Leaves

My life before I became an orphan was that of a usual kid. I think. I played with the other kids in the village, helped mother in the garden now and then, watched the smith working when I had time. Nothing unusual.

Father was working in the mines. It was seldom that I could help him there. One time he called me and showed me this gemstone he found. He told me that I should show it to mother and ask if she likes it. I did just that. And she did like it.

It's been a very long time since that happened. Many things have changed since then. Many things...

Picture Medieval Village by rissking Music Reading the Leaves by Falling You

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

A Puddle

Kyne's Peace

I wandered through the forest for hours, lost in thought.

Ok, think rationally. Who... No... What did that blood belong to? It can't be mine, I have no wounds anywhere. Maybe a bird carrying a dead mouse just flew over...

A splash ripped me out of my thoughts. I stepped into water. It was just a puddle --- but I was rather covered in mud than blood.

I dug my hands into the puddle and smeared the mud over my arms. Then I smeared some over my face too --- I wanted to make sure that there was no more blood left.

Picture Quick, paint a forest by kynlo

Music Kyne's Peace by Jeremy Soule

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Immediately I felt a stinging pain in my lower arm & dropped the bow. I was unsure what happened, but as I looked at my arm it was red as fire.

“Hit yourself with the string?” she laughed as Ingrid came out of hiding.

“What?”

“You hit yourself with the string, that's why your arm is red, and why the arrow fell short. Put some snow on the arm, it helps”

I did as she said. It really was relieving.

“But else quite a good first try. Anyone showed you how to use a bow before?”

“Not really... No. I just... observed you. Did what you did.”

“Ok then...” She got the bow from where I dropped it “... I'll have to show you.

You know how to hold it, nothing really difficult but it's important. But one thing about holding it you did wrong, any idea what? I can hold it like you just did, maybe you'll see it then”

I looked closely at her holding the bow. There was nothing unusual. Held it like she normally did too.

“...can't really see any difference to usually”

“So that's where the problem lies, you didn't observe closely enough. See, usually I hold the bow like this”

She bent her left arm a little to the side instead of holding it straight

“And basically, that's all there is to not hitting yourself with the string”

“...thats all?” I was baffled, but as I thought about it I understood it

“Yeah, that's all. Now to aiming” She gave me the bow

“Lets see...” She looked around “hmm... try hitting that tree over there”

“Funny, we're surrounded by trees”

She made a ball out of snow and threw it at one of the trees “Know wich one I mean now? Try hitting the snow from that snowball”

I took an arrow out of the quiver, put it on the bow, bent my arm this time, drew and released.

The arrow went past the tree

“Try once more”

“...if you say so”

I shot another arrow at the tree, focusing on the snowball

Past the tree again, but this time on the other side.

“When do you release the arrow?”

“What?”

“I know you've heard me boy, don't play the fool here”

“I... I don't know. When I focused on the spot I wanna hit”

“So you have no idea. Ok. Take another arrow, draw the bow, but this time, hold it”

I did as she said, this would soon get difficult to hold. She approched me.

“Look at me now, no need to focus on where the arrow is going.”

She put her hand on my chest, through the bow, if I would let go now I would definitely hurt her. I would probably even hurt her badly.

“Now, focus on your breathing and your heart. Be sure it all goes nice and slowly”

She put her head on my chest, probably to hear my heart beat. Even more danger if I'd let go now. She might had done that on purpose. To force me to hold out.

“Slower, come on, I know you can” her voice got softer, less tense... more relaxed

I focused on my breathing. Took long, slow breaths in and long slow breaths out. After some breaths there began to form a pause between the in and out breathing. Not long, but for an instant I didn't breath at all.

Simultaneously I also noticed how my heart was beating slower & slower. As if there was a connection between those two.

Ingrid lifted her head from my chest and looked me in the eyes for an instant. She rashly turned away and focused again.

Her voice was tense again, but with a bit of an weird soft undertone “Ok, good. You notice the pause between every breath? That's when you release the arrow.”

She still had her hand on my chest. I must admit, I did forget that I was holding the bow there for a moment with her head on my chest, but now I felt it in my arms again. She looked at me again for a short moment, but this time with an evil grin. As if she found it amusing to see me struggle holding the bow.

She lifted her hand. I began breathing in.

Focused on the snowball.

Released.

Hit!

Note from the Author

That got quite a bit longer than intended, but I hope it makes up for the left out episode.

Thanks for reading & a good weekend to ya all ^_^

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

The Plan

And after that? I could travel

Maybe, just maybe, I can find a way to rid myself of IT Perhaps I'll find out what IT really is, what IT wants from me

And even if I'm destined to live with IT till the very end I'll get to see new places, learn new things Probably help people in need Maybe even hinder something like back then, when my hometown got burned down, to happen again

And so my plan was set Only one question was left Where should I get some clothes from now? I could rob a caravan or the like, naturally without hurting anyone, just taking what I need

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Something ripped me out of my sleep.

As I opened my eyes I saw the ground below me, and it was coming towards me quickly.

After what felt like a moment or two I was wake enough to realize it wasn't the ground coming towards me, but me falling down towards it. Down from my safe branch.

Why had this to happen this night? Is it just a coincidence or is it somehow connected to me thinking about it earlier? And if yes, how could thinking about something affect if it's going to happen? I mean, naturally if you plan on going hunting and shoot a deer, that does affect it very much. If you hadn't had that thought you might have not gone to do that. But something like this, like thinking about that it'd hurt to stumble and fall on your face and it then happening only a while later. That can't be connected, right?

Suddenly I noticed this pain in my arm, and through that also how numb my whole body was. It was transforming, beginning at my elbow and slowly crawling towards my hand. Slowly it moved, I didn't have any control over it, towards the tree, reaching for it.

Then things began to get faster, I was falling faster, my arm was moving faster.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016