Just A Short Notice, Got No Internet (router Is Toast) So I Won't Be Able To Upload New Episodes Till

...Nightmare?

Underground

After that everything was black. But not the usual black like coal. It was... empty. It had this feel of... nothingness to it. Like there would never come anything afterwards. And there never did.

Suddenly I got the feeling that something was there with me. I saw it in the corner of my eye. But when I tried to look at it, it was gone.

Ssø yöû fînãlly cãmë tø mê

What? 'Who is there?'

Ha Ha Ha Ha Î'm ssûrrë yøu wânnä knøw zät

Suddenly something jumped on my back. I couldn't move so I fell. I had no idea where up and down where but I knew I fell.

Picture source unkown

Music Underground by ◄-NATURE-►

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

At first she used me mostly for carrying her game. I stayed in the back, observing her. And already through that I learned a bit about hunting. But she was always silent. Never said a word. Only gave me hand signals. Pointing to places, sometimes mimicing what she wanted me to do.

After a while tho she had me closer by her. Showing me what different tracks look like, whispering to me what you could tell from them. What kinda animal it was, the animals size, if it was hurt, how fast it was going. And all that from just a series of footprints.

After some time of just showing and describing she began having me look around in the area. Look for tracks, tell her what I'd read from them.

In the beginning I was often horribly wrong. I stopped counting how often she had slapped the back of my head for being wrong. But afterwards she always asked me questions about the tracks. Why I thought it was that animal, why at that pace etc. I got better with time. But I still made mistakes, but then we followed the tracks. I'd always knew there was something wrong when she let me go in front and trace the tracks.

The first time I mixed up deer and boar tracks was also the last time. That time I couldn't fathom how fast Ingrid was up in that tree. But after thinking about it, it definitely is understandable. She was on guard, she knew what tracks I was following and she had keener ears than me. She probably heard them already from far away. I was too focused on not losing the tracks.

Happy I survived that, but I guess I wouldn't if that Sow hadn't been distracted by her piglets.

Note from the Author:Sorry for not posting anything last friday. I wasn't really in shape to focus much on anything other than slow mewsik to be honest. So I had rather a day without a post than a day with a crappy, headache-filled post.

Thanks for reading and hope you leave some feedback.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Panic Music 2

It cut my left arm clean off. I looked at it in panick, blood was rushing out of my shoulder.

Ha ha ha ha gøtchå

I somehow couldn't realise it. My arm was lying there, instead of being attached to me.

Ýøû äréñ't zàt wëâk, åræ yôü?

I managed to calm myself down a bit. The lost arm didn't seem to have any other effect than me not beeing able to use it. I can fight with just one arm, that is no problem

I got up again, standing in a more defensive posture this time. I can do this, I just need to concentrate. Take a deep breath.

It came at me again. This time I managed to dodge and even cut it. I was relieved So I can actually hurt it

Ha ha ha ha Dø yüô rrrëàllý belïævê zåt?

Picture Blood on Cloak 2 by mohzart

Music Panic Music 2 by FesliyanStudios

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

The branch I found to my liking was thick. I could comfortably sit on it.

So now I had to play the waiting game.

Nothing on the first day.

Neither on the second.

I wasn't sitting still up in that tree all the time. I had to move around a bit, but it wasn't that much that I could be scaring off anything with that.

At first I began to doubt my eyes. That I was too far away from the pond to see slight movements. So I changed position. Hid in a large bush near the lake. Focused completely on my hearing instead. Sitting there in silence for a long while. But I heard nothing. Just a slight, consistent rustle of wind through the leaves.

I knew wild animals aren't really the ones to come stomping through here, breaking every branch lying on the ground, walking into every nearby bush and jump into the water. But still, they had to make some sounds, break this silence somehow, add something to it.

But I heard nothing, not a sound.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Raw Rabbit

Distant Horizons

My stomach was rumbling Nothing edible in sight --- at least nothing I know is edible. I hope that I find another town soon. Else I'll starve in this forest.

I noticed that there where many animals around now. Although I only saw that beaver in the days before. Maybe if I somehow manage to catch a rabbit --- no, I wouldn't be able to make a fire here and raw rabbit doesn't sound very good.

Continuing through the forest I thought about what I could find here that was edible.

Picture Deer by IntroducingEmy

Music Distant Horizons by Jeremy Soule

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Suddenly I was in another place. There was tall grass all around me, taller than me. The sky was clear, the sun stood high, and it was awfully warm. Something was calling to me, bidding me to come closer, and without much of a choice, I followed. After a few dozens steps I got out of the grass, and there were large stone steps before me. As I looked up I saw a large temple made of nothing but stone, with plants growing all over it. There were figureheads in some places, some looking human, others more animal-like. I wanted to go on further. Suddenly something heavy was pushing me to the ground, standing on me, clawing into my back. I felt the blood drain from me. I looked behind me, a huge feline was standing over me. More sturdy built than a cat, and with fangs going beyond it's lower jaw. I stared into one big golden eye with a pupil that was so dark and deep, that I couldn't look away. Before I knew what was happening it bit right into my neck. I woke up disoriented. What just happened? Where's that cannibal? I looked down at myself, my hands were covered in a dark, red, sticky fluid. I knew the feel, blood. Then I saw that guy on the ground. I was sitting on him, his throat slit, but he was grinning.

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 waited in the bush

Maybe he didn't notice me but just heard a sound here

He came closer, about a dozen paces in front of me he began growling.

Hê såw yøü hahaha

I know. Shut up. What now? Run or... don't run...? run or not...? run or not...!?

The hound was just a few more steps from me, I had to decide... NOW!

Run!

I swiftly turned around inside that bush and began running as quick as I could

Is it at all worth to try running? Guessing from the guy on the horse this hound is trained for hunting, such a large one probably for deer or stags, I can't outrun him. Gotta outwit the dog somehow.

I ran for my life, not looking back once. I heard the hound still running after me, and I think I heard some hooves a bit further back too. I tried focusing entirely on running, to not stumble over roots or similar, but I felt that I didn't have any chance to outrun him, I really had to outwit him somehow.

Outwit a hound... outwit a hound... come on, I need some good ideas now

I tried looking around while running, but no ideas came up, just trees everywhere, and this quite shallow beck that the hound would just run over like I'd do.

© 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

“I ran into a forest... not far away. It was the only place I could think of.

Then... one morning... I think it was the first, I had... I had... blood. It was everywhere... on my hands... my face... it wasn't mine. And there was that voice... it was... h-h-horrible. So deep... and it was... everywhere.”

I paused for a moment, to relax a bit.

“I... I got it off... somehow. Beyond the forest... I met a guy... Martin. He and his wife, Ruth, they took me in, cared for me... raised me.

And then... years later... one n-n-night... I... I... I...”

The words were stuck in my throat. Why was this so hard? I took a few deep breaths. Ingrid didn't say a word, didn't move, I barely noticed her breathing. This break was longer. We just sat there in silence, for a while.

“That night... I had a dre-dre-dre--

LËÂVÉ HÎM ÂLØNËËË, HÊ Í$$S MÌÎÏNÊÊ!! YØÛ HÈÅRR MÆ FØÔLÍ$HHH GÎRRRRL? ÅLL MÍNÊÊÊ!!!”

I was surrounded by blackness, by this feel of nothing, again.

Why am I here? Why now? WHAT did you do!? And what are you doing right now?!?

Mäkê ss$súrrê yøü rrêmëmbèr bøyyy, Yôü åré mînè, ând mìnë ålønæ!!!

What? I have no time for your nonsense now, let me back again. Don't you dare hurt her.

Øhhh, ýøû'd cärê íf Î hürt hær? Wê cån ärrràngé zât, yöû knøw.

Don't you dare!! You piece of shit!! It's me you want, come here and fight me.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha YØÛ thînk yöú'd sstând å chäncssæ ågàïnsst mê?!? HA HA HA HA

I... I... godammit, FUCK YOU!! What is it you want from me? What do I have to do so you leave her be!?!

Æsy, døn't têll ånyønê åbøût më ânýmørê. Nëxt tïmê zërê wøn't bé å wàrning

Sure, you've got yourself a deal, now let me

“OUT!!”

Whoa, I was back. She was sitting a few steps away from me, looking at me in terror, tears running down her face.

“Whatever happened, I'm sorry. IT--”

Hêy, rrëmêmbèr whåt YØÚ jüsst ågrêêd tø?!

“...I-I-I sometimes have these... no, I can't lie to you. Now I really can't tell you. For your safety. Else you'll get hurt, and I don't want that.”

“But-”

“Please Ingrid, it's no threat, no bluff, it's... a warning.”

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016