Null Soul

I can hear the sound of branches snapping; I have to run, but my body refuses to move. It's telling me to stay hidden. The rustling stops periodically, and then,

"Swoosh!" It jumps on top of the pad and claws open a hole inches from my face; I'm forced to yet again gaze into its ghastly eyes.

As it breaks down the pad more in hopes of prying me out, I shuffle out of its reach until I'm out from under it. Using this chance, I make a run for it, but it's on my heels, literally, and in an attempt to grab me, its claws pierce and slash into my back. I take a fall, and it uses the opportunity to kick me into the remains of a campfire.

"Am I going to die?!"

My mind is flooded, but my body…

It doesn't even ache; I was flung a couple yards, and even though I feel the wound in my back, it doesn't hurt.

"Nobody knows what they are for sure,"

"What's for certain is that there are objects that for some reason award you with an 'edge" in your endeavors."

It clicks; even though I refused to believe what he said, there was a part of me that clung to it. Is that why I kept his rings in my pocket after the fight?

Were these really what I owed this feeling to,

It's… that monster is coming; I don't have time to think; I slip on the rings and hope for the best. It swats me back another couple yards, but again, no pain.

I'm quick on my feet and scoping the surroundings for a weapon.

"Anything will do, c'mon!"

"There!"

I spot a hiking stick lying beside a couple of logs and a tarp. I doubt it'd give me a chance to get it, but I felt like I could take a hit or two, and that I did. I'm back on my ass, but it's now within reach.

Just as it pounces again, I fumble the stick up in defense; those campers must have liked the finer things in life because for a weathered stick, it bore right through this thing's chest.

It's screeching, bleeding; I know I hurt it, but it's pushing me along the ground while impaled. I manage to get out from under it, but that swift motion caused me to lose sight of it.

I don't feel fatigued, but my vision is getting blurry, blood loss probably.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!"

I hear the stick fall; it must've managed to pull it out. As soon as I look up, it jumps down and pins me to the ground, its claws on my chest and fangs in my face.

It then hoists me upside down and starts swinging me; I'm about to pass out, and my leg is killing me.

Like a baseball pitcher, it hurls me directly through a couple of trees; the pain from my leg is unbearable; that spinning probably snapped the femur out of the socket, and worst of all, my back is most likely broken.

When I look at my fingers, I see that two of the rings have flown off; that's probably the reason I'm in pain now. Nevertheless, I still feel like I can move, but why… why do I want to move? Why am I fighting so hard? My reason for fighting is gone. Am I fighting because I fear death, or am I fighting because I love life?

I make a pathetic crawl for the stick again in hopes of piercing it somewhere vital; however, as I go in for the stab, the stick shatters.

Was it really an old stick after all, or did this thing get stronger? In a final attempt, I spit my blood in its face.

"Maybe that will work."

I hear water running; maybe there's a small river or something, but to my surprise, it's a grand waterfall, and I'm standing on a cliff directly in front of it. I can't see the bottom; it's all foggy. The drop must be about 50 meters; in my condition, that's certain death.

"Seems I get to choose how I die."

"Getting torn apart by a monster or jumping to my death"

"I always dreamed that one day the girls and I would leave this city, find something better, and they could live proper lives."

"…but their fate was sealed, just as before, from the moment I pushed their parents out that window, again! I am the one responsible!!"

"I can't die, not when nothing has changed!!"

"Come on! Come on!!"

It flies out from the trees and is rushing towards me,

"You ready! We're going for a swim!!"

It leaps and is on top of me yet again; there we lay at the edge of the cliff, and the sunset at our side. But this was no high school romance; I plunge my fist into its chest wound and grab ahold of its jacket with the other.

"Now or never, big boy!!"

We roll off….

"Haven't you slept enough, princess?"

"I fixed you up real good, but that leg… that leg's gonna have to come off."

I jolt awake inside this strange room. It looks like a cave, but it' has modern furniture and stuff; it reminds me of those therapy rooms I saw in magazines.

"Relax, relax; the thing about your leg was a joke."

"It's pretty fucked up, though; I can't wait to see how you walk."

"Who the hell are you?"

"What is this place?"

This guy doesn't look that much older than me, and he doesn't look all that strong either. How did he find me, and what happened to that thing?

"I can see that you're quite confused, kid." "Slow down with the questions too; take it easy. I'll tell you everything."

"the names Maro"

"Maro Merc, and I'm the one who saved you after your little suicide stunt."

"Did you really think that would kill a Kotuus?"