A gust of wind blew through Iseri's hair, leaving a strand stuck in her mouth. She opened her eyes to a low-cut field of grass. A shooting target sat at its far end. She stood alongside a row of people with bows, which was when she then realized she had been holding one in her hand.

"Ah, this must be all one big dream! There's no way I'd be...here again," Her enthusiasm died when she noticed she was at an archery range.

Two whistles blared in her ear, causing her to jump and almost drop her bow. Shoot! What is wrong with me? Stuff like that never gets me...

An arrow shot and pierced another target on the field, followed by several others. Taking notice of her late start, she quickly picked up her bow and an arrow from her quiver. As she aimed her bow at the target with the gust in mind, the sounds of arrows landing and bows stretching went silent. She let go of her arrow, letting it cut through the wind, landing in the bullseye. She heard cheering from behind her, but when she looked back, nobody was there. Just more grass. She fired another two perfect arrows, the grin on her face widening with each bullseye she hit.

That's the first end done, but why is it taking so long for me to wake up? Maybe I could take this opportunity to try that lucid dreaming thing, she thought as she squeezed her eyes. After just a moment of concentration, she felt a sharp pain cover her cheek. She winced and held her cheek, dropping her bow.

"Focus, Iseri! For god's sake, why'd I even pay for this if you were just going to doze off?!"

Iseri's heart stopped as soon as she heard her name, "Ma—mama? What're you—"

"Shoot!"

Iseri's legs propped herself up, like they were controlled by a puppeteer. She breathed heavy as she tried to steady her aim. The other archers were already shooting. She hadn't even heard the whistle. She shot her arrow sloppily, letting it get carried by the wind into the ground. Her breath got heavy, anticipating another scolding. Another shock of pain in her calf left her on the low grass. She looked up at the other archers—who no longer had any defining features—in despair. Her mother straightened Iseri's face to meet hers. Another slap to the face. "You don't need a leg to shoot, do you?"

Iseri stammered, shaking her head. Spit flew onto her glasses.

"Then shoot well, you retarded shit." She hissed in her face.

Iseri's heart sunk and throbbed with pain as she gasped billows of air. Other targets already had their second end, and the archers stared at her with their inexpressive faces. She drew her bow shakily, pulled the arrow, and released. The arrow flopped down in front of her.

Dropping the bow, she bent down on her knees, planting her face in the grass, sobbing, heaving cries. She scrunched up helplessly surrounded by heavy gazes.

She looked at her mother from the edge of her eyes. I can't take it anymore. Her breathing became heavy, Why can't I get away from this ugly, old bitch? Iseri thought as her eyes started to give a threatening look. She shakily reached for the arrow she had just shot and clutched it in her hand, nearly snapping it in half. This time, I'll actually do it..!

With a shriek, Iseri shot up and faced her mother. Her face was sagging, devoid of attention, and that was when her face also faded away, like the others.

Thrusting her arrow into her chest, she felt something tug on the arrow. She looked up at the wound, but there was no blood leaking from her bland, white dress. Her body limped over, brushing her gray hair against Iseri's forehead. A hole punched it's way into Iseri's heart. It gaped wider and wider with each breath. Her trembling hand let go of the arrow, allowing her mothers body to fall and phase through her own. She still stared forward with wide, dilated eyes. The black hole inside her slowly eating her up from the inside, painfully.

Unbeknownst to her, a man wearing dirty jeans appeared in front of her.

"Crikey, Sheila..." A grizzly voice towered above Iseri, "Ya just like me, love."

Iseri still laid on her knees with her face down, staring at the man's shoes. The man bent down on one knee in front of her. Her mind drew a blank as her body stilled itself.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Ya looked strong when I first seen you, but you just forgot what it's like ta be weak. Ya tried and failed, then went half kooky at an ankle biter's mental hospital." Hunter stared down at her glasses which were about to fall. With a sigh, he slowly lifted her chin, showing her empty eyes. He gathered his thoughts as he analyzed her face.

"A job's a job." He picked up her glasses and straightened them on her snotty nose. "Ya know, I never liked my mum either. I tried the same thing you did, but I actually pulled the thing off, see?" He scratched his beard as he stared at the now empty field. He coughed, "I had gotten life in prison until..." He paused, "...'til I was bailed outta there. Crikey, I still can't believe it. That was three years ag-"

Hunter looked back down at Iseri, and with barely a moment to react, she whipped her pistol up to his face, pulling the trigger. The bullet managed to graze his sideburns, leaving a trail of blood on the side of his face. Iseri's eyes focused on him now.

This is just my illusion. Nothing else, She thought as she began to stand up, wiping her face with her arm. "The last thing," She pointed the pistol at Hunter again, who is now on the ground,"The very last fucking thing you do...is bring this shit up." Iseri's hand shook around the pistol as her tears boiled in her eyes. "I don't live that life anymore. I don't need to. And you're not gonna make me fucking live it again." Her eyes stared into his soul as she pulled the trigger. Hunter flashed away. Instead of hitting the dirt, the bullet zigzagged through the grass and zoomed behind Iseri. The wind blew through her hair as the bullet lodged itself into Hunter's chest.

She turned her head away from Hunter as his body fell to the ground, his chest spouting with blood.

"Cri...key," Hunter barely whimpered.

I don't even like to cuss.

She pointed her middle finger in the air. The bullet began to spin again in his chest, drilling its way up through his torso, before exploding out of the top of his head, his brain matter spilling. The blood tainted the grass crimson red. As Hunter's life left his eyes, the field was yet again covered with darkness.

———

Machida's head lurched as he got a punch to his gut. Hunter finally slowed down as Machida fell to the ground, "Ya defo would've had an interesting story-" Hunter felt his chest tighten up, the sudden pain bringing him down on one knee.

"Ah fuck me dead," He coughed. Hunter reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a blue inhaler. He took two puffs while Machida struggled to get up. Machida's jacket was deep in the sand beside him. His shoes were lost a few feet away, leaving his feet only a pair of socks to fend against the heat of the sand.

Machida took note of his symptom, Asthma, no wonder he has super speed. Sorry you didn't end up on the track team, but...

Machida restored his arm, leaving himself unarmed.

"You..." he coughed,"...ya buggered, geezer? Couldn't say the same for me self."

Machida was covered with bruises and sand, evidence of a rather one sided battle.

"You've been kicking up a lot of sand..." He pointed his index finger at Hunter and grinned, "Now try dodging this."

His index suddenly turned into a miniature gun, as he pulled the trigger with his middle finger. As expected, Hunter dashed away, sand kicked up to his left.

Left side. 3, 2, he thought as he restored his finger, pretending to look around.

1!

Machida threw his arms up to his left side, metal shining over them.

A large clang echoed through the empty desert—dirt, dust, and wind flew against Machida. His foot nearly slipped at the impact. As the dust cleared, Hunter still towered above him, his palm resting on his dented arms.

Machida felt stuck , Wait, he only used his palm? He had only pushed me? Machida started to become aware of the desert's heat, his forehead sweating profusely.

Hunter's deep breaths started to settle down.

He disappeared again.

The sand erupted to the left again, and without a thought, Machida repeated his last action.

His eyes spinned, he saw blue, then yellow, blue, yellow. His feet were in the air. As he traveled back down into the sand bed, Hunter was already resting.

God damn, He thought as he got up, looking down at the imprint of his body in the sand, If that was concrete, I would've been dead. That was stupid of me.

Hunter laughed in between his coughs, his inhaler in his hand, " Next time, don't block high mate. Sweeped ya off ya feet clean."

He shook his arms before dashing off again. .

He's fooling with me. But he's gonna regret doing that. Machida thought as his arms were covered in metal. He'll think I'm going for another block, but then...

The sand erupted behind him.

You fell for it.

Another clang echoed through the desert, Machida felt his back crack from Hunter's fist. Clench your teeth, Mach!

Hunter looked down at his fist, waiting for the smoke to clear. "Strange choice, mate. Ya can't do this forever."

"I won't be!"

"Huh?"

A tiny red dot blinked on Machida's back. A cloud of red surged from Machida's back.

"Christ-"

Machida's metallic skin burned, his muscles ached from weakness, he felt all of his body struggle to keep itself standing. Then silence returned. His ears rang, his back felt fleshy. Hunter's body thudded on the ground. He shook his head at the thought of looking at it. He shakily straightened his back, standing back up fully.

"It looks like turning the top layer of my skin into a bomb worked. The damage-" Machida felt a sudden wave of weakness overflow his body.

None of this is real...so it doesn't matter how much it hurts. It doesn't...

Machida thudded to the ground behind Hunter, passing out as the world faded to black again.