Burning Flesh

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

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

I slowly woke up in a warm bed, a rather slender arm lying on me. It took me a moment to realize this wasn't a dream, would've been the only good one I had for as long as I can remember. Not fully awake I stared at the ceiling for some time, my thoughts so far away I didn't have any.

Still lying down, I looked around a bit. I was in some house. There was a table with two chairs, a bow and some arrows near a door, another door, a fireplace, still some faint glowing embers in it. On the floor where some clothes, they seemed familiar.

Then this thought slowly came up from somewhere. This arm on my chest, this wasn't mine. Mine was touching some soft skin. I looked to the other side of me and fell out of the bed in fright, landing on the hard, wooden floor. Ouch.

From the jerk Ingrid woke up too, sitting up and grasping the blanket to cover herself.

“I did this for you!” She roared immediately

“Thanks... I guess”

“I heard some loud sound outside last night, turned out it was you. Fell asleep beside my door and fell over. You were ice cold. Pale skin, blue lips & all.”

“Ok... but wouldn't just lighting a fire... been enough?”

“I didn't want it to be my fault you froze to death, so I wanted to make sure. But don't you tell anyone about this! This was a one time occasion! Understood?”

“Sure, stays between me and you.”

“And... I am sorry for yesterday, shouldn't have shouted at you because of this old bastard. I'll let you stay, as long as you're a help on the hunt. Else I'll kick you out. Got it!?”

“No worries, forgiven, understood & accepted. But one question-”

“Your clothes? They're by the fireplace”

I looked down at myself and reddend again.

“...n... no... but thanks...”

I paused shortly, trying to get somehow comfortable with the situation of being around her naked, again.

“How... how did you get me in here?”

She laughed “Easy, I'm a hunter, I'm used to carrying full grown deer to this place. I admit you are a bit heavier, but I didn't need to carry you very far.”

© 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

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

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

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 :)

Just a short notice, got no Internet (router is toast) so I won't be able to upload new episodes till that is fixed. Great week to y'all

Blood

Calm Panic

Blood. I had blood on my hands. BLOOD. Why do I have blood on my hands? Whose is it?

I went back to the pond to wash it off, but it wasn't there. I remember wich way I had to go and I was sure I went in the right direction but the pond was gone.

I followed my own footsteps back to the tree to double check. As I came to it I noticed that there were bloodstains all the way up to the branch I was on. And this wasn't at all the tree I climbed up last night. How did I get here?

Picture Blood on Cloak by mohzart [EDITED]

Music Calm Panic from P.T.

Note from the Author

Hope you do like the story so far. And that my writing is not too horrifying :D But anyway, I'm always happy about some feedback so just send it my way ;)

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Ssø bë ît

Fallen City

Covered in a layer of mud I continued to wander through the forest. Does this damn forest never end?

Î wøñdërr whö zät bløôd bèlóñgëd tø ha ha ha ha haaa

There was that voice again. What does it want from me and where does it come from? Can other people hear it too? 'WHOEVER OR WHATEVER YOU ARE, DONT TALK TO ME ANYMORE! LEAVE. ME. BE!'

--- at least until I can find out who or what you are

Ssø bë ît

Picture Disturbed by Dunjochka

Music Fallen City by G Empire Music

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016