Okay, so I wrote this in two hours of I-Can't-Fall-Asleep Mode, so hopefully, there aren't too many mistakes. Hopefully, the words in my head will quiet, and I can finally sleep...
CH.2
Darkness surrounded me. I knew I was in a dream, because I had a gun in my hand. Sometimes, my dreams gave me weapons, to protect myself, and I didn't own a gun. I wasn't mentally stable enough for the license to be armed. Which brings me back to my dream.
It senses you.
But we sense it too.
Just up to the left. A cliff.
Too bad you're gonna die.
'Ssssh,' I sounded to the voices in my head. 'He's coming. Focus.'
Right.
A claw swiped my right side, but I had already leapt back a second before, and shot a round into the Monster's face. He shook it off as if it were a gnat and circled me.
He never gives you a chance--
Left below!
A sweeping kick flew out of the darkness, and I jumped backwards, evading the leg but slamming my back into the--
Cliff!
He circled you!
Hurry, run to your--
Too late.
With that last voices words, an enormous claw slammed against my chest, grating my back with small abrasions as he slowly pushed me upwards until my feet couldn't touch the ground. I coughed, blood mingled with spit, and attempted to shoot the monster with the gun still in my hand. I pulled the trigger, only to have my only weapon wrenched from my grasp by another humongously clawed paw.
"Now," the voice whispered, causing me to shiver, then convulse when he tightened his paw's claws on my chest. "What pain will you endure today?"
I starred into the yellow slitted eyes that haunted my every sleeping moment, and knew that this was going to be a painful session.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I jerked awake, my hands going to where my heart was—is. I sighed in—
Relief.
Exhaustion.
You won't be able to stand much more of this.
Then you'll probably die.
'Ssssh' I thought. Relief. That was what I was feeling. It was just a dream. One with the monster. And Fourth was probably right. Too much more of my sessions with the Monster and my heart might stop. Or my brain implode
Or you could just stop breathing. We can do that for you.
Or that. I considered the value of that input, but shook my head. No, I was actually doing something now. I was on the track to finding me. Dying would be giving up to soon.
Then don't forget us.
We help.
We give you strength.
Even when your broken and bloody.
These voices had always been there as a whisper, but as the Monster got stronger, so did the voices. They helped me decipher my feelings, gave me advice from four different sides, and, most of all, acted as a sixth sense. It made my reaction times quicker, so I didn't get as injured as much as I did as a child. They gave me...
Hope.
Yes. Hope.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to World's Online, Monster
Would you like to keep the same account?
"Yes," I voiced through the helmet I was wearing. I leaned back in my chair, and pretended that I could see my ceiling of the Milky Way.
Following overriding commands, your name with now be 'Oni'. Your physical image has also been changed to specifications.
"Wha--!" I almost fell backwards out of my chair, before righting myself. "Who authorized this?!"
The overiding commands come from 'Ami'
Message: Don't forget to get me, Onee-san! You promised!
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
I blinked. Only one person called me that, and I did have a promise, but what does that have to do with--
Entering World's Online's Hard Mode. Conquer the Land, Oni.
And then everything faded, only to fill with a radiant light. Squinting, I raised my hand to block the sun and adjust my sight. I looked around, finding other people who were raising their hands in a similar fashion. Hello other players.
Skrubs.
Lol, noobs.
I think some of them look nice.
Nice enough to eat.
'Hush' I thought, absentmindedly. But it was true. Most of these players seemed new to VRs, of course, considering this was the first VRMMORPG, those types would probably be the common denominator. A few, pointed out by Third, did seem to be less confused, so they were probably the hardcore gamers that used pre-VR games to get used to it. It being how fucking realistic everything was. I would think I was dreaming, but there was no Monster, and no one trying to kill me.
Yet.
Then I must get strong. First pointed me toward the map of the town. 'Fluegerveagen'. Well then, is this German, Swedish, or some weird game town that just mixed everything? I looked around at the AI, or NPCs, as most people would call them, to see what they were wearing. Lederhosen, aprons, braids, that funny hat that Robin Hood wore.... What the fuck were they thinking when they made this town? Amusingly enough, Fourth kept pointing out the AI that were also distinctly uncomfortable with their outer-wear. Because, unlike NPCs in other games, each AI had the chance to be just that—Intelligent. That's what made this game so great. The AI were actual people, with actual thoughts and dreams. They also lied and deceived you, but like humans, most were socially correct.
Nice.
No human is Nice, the only pretend.
I ignored Third and Fourths bickering, since First was the one actually helping me. She caught sight of the armorer, and Second got excited. Second likes knives.
I sighed. 'I need money first, Second.' Most people would think I was crazy, thinking to myself, but they really were nothing like me, so I didn't care.
A sound whisked by my ear. "--too many of them, Marge! How do you expect me to gather the crops with all them vermin--"
Quest, Get. I turned quickly and followed the voice, and First's directions. Rounding the corner, I saw what looked to be a farmer and his wife, both a little angry and...
Desperate.
Yes. This was definitely a quest. Now I only had to find the right way of doing it... I looked around, hoping to find something... Hmmm, a barrel. Ok, let's get to work.
I hoisted the empty barrel, then proceeded to pass the arguing couple, then started mumbling under my breath, "Always making me do the heavy lifting, even though I'm better at running around catching things than he is. Always a lazy ass. 'Hey! Let's make the quick one do the heavy lifting!' God damn..." I continued to mutter curses as I passed them, then groaned and put the barrel down. "I swear, they give me no pay for the stupidest shit. Why don't they just send me hunting like usual?! I always bring back all the game they want..." I trailed off, then, sighing, I went to pick up the barrel again.
"Wait!" A calloused hand dropped down on my shoulder, and I had to fight the urge to throw him, even thought First had told me the skrub had taken the bait.
I turned around slowly, my eyes in a suspicious tilt. "Yeees?" I dragged it out, and started turning back to my barrel when the farmer stopped me again.
"No, no, wait! You see, I was listening to your complaints, and I thought that I have the perfect job for you!" The farmer smiled at me, sweating a little.
I cocked a suspicious eyebrow at him. "You were listening to me? Why would you do such a rude thing?"
The Farmers face was hit with -surprise-, but he quickly reiterated,"It was only because it seemed like you were having a hard time, and I'm having a hard time, and if we work together, then maybe we all would be happy--"
"You want me to help you?" I cut him off, then scowled at him. "It better not be for free. I already have to lift this barrel because that damn son-of-a-bitch--"
"Yes, yes, money! I'll pay you money if you just catch the vermin on my farm. But only if you bring back the tails to prove it!"
Rid the Farm of Rats
Difficulty G
Kill 50 rats on Bob's farm before his wife leaves him.
Reward
1 copper per rats tail
Increased affinity with the village of Fluegerveagen
I barely looked at the quest that popped up in front of me, but instead looked the Farmer--pphhh, Farmer Bob—Ssssh-- in the eye. These were people too, and they responded to body language. So I looked him straight in the face when I said, "Ok, Bob, you've got a deal."
First Quest—Get!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So this is the first time I've really been able to showcase her voices. The tense wasn't right previously, and I kinda wanted them to be a secret for a little longer. Of course, my pretty MC has bushels of secrets, one of them being her actual name! Look forward to that and more, because this story is haunting me even in my dreams.
Question: Do you mind the interruptions of her voices? It's what happens in her head, and this was the best way i though of bringing them to life. Don't be afraid to comment.
Finally, Thanks for reading!