It is almost completely dark out now and soon the corner that I am sitting in becomes a world of shadow. Despite being surrounded by darkness, I have no problem seeing. The inside of the truck stop is as bright as midday and outside the sun might as well still be up.
After several days of having it, I’ve grown rather used to my weird night vision. Even though I say that everything still looks like it is daytime, that is only because I am having difficulty describing what it is like to see as I do; much like trying to explain color to a blind man. Despite being able to see perfectly fine no matter how dark it gets; I can still tell when it is dark. What areas are covered in shadows and just how deep and dark those shadows are.
Even now as I sit there with my feet propped up on the table, my instincts are telling me that with each passing second, I am being submerged deeper into darkness. In a few minutes it will be impossible for anything without ‘normal’ night vision to see me. I’ll just be another shadow sitting in the corner.
Oh, I am such an Edge Lord sometimes. Maybe in the future I should get a career as the shady hooded fellow that sits in the corners of taverns and hands out quests and mysterious advice to teenage adventures.
Giggling to myself, I pull out my book and open it to where I left off. The protagonist and crew are breaking into a castle and searching through some records until the protagonist receives a warning from a talking cat.
For some hours I simply relax in my corner and read while listening to the sounds of the Kobolds in the other room looting. Like me, they won’t be leaving until morning. If night is dangerous for humans to travel, then it is doubly so for the cute little guys.
Occasionally one of them will come down the hall and check on me. Most likely looking to see if I have fallen asleep yet. The first that came to check on me couldn’t see me sitting in the corner. I had to stop myself from giggling as I watched them look around in confusion, trying to find me. It made me feel like a little girl playing hide n’ seek again as I watched the little Kobold searching behind counters and under tables.
The moment when the light from its little torch drew me into view and the Kobold jumped in fright was simply too hilarious for me to hold in and I ended up bursting with laughter. The little guy almost had a heart attack and quickly went scurrying back to his friends. Since then, they have been much more cautious when checking on me and each time they do, I try to give them a little spook. Although at this point, I am starting to think they know that I have no intention of sleeping, so the visits have regretfully become less frequent.
Besides reading and pranking Kobolds, I also spend my night just looking out the window. Occasionally, if I’m lucky, the clouds will part, and I can get a glimpse of the moon or even some stars. At one point I got to watch a monster cross the highway. Despite sitting next to the window, I wasn’t concerned with it spotting me in my corner, so I just sat there and watched it go.
It was a rather intimidating thing, standing at about twice the size of a full-grown man. It walked in the forward leaning gait of a gorilla, using its massive hands as extra support. Carpeting its back were rows on top of rows of spines long enough to be used as swords, and growing from atop its forehead was a pair of massive, curled horns like that of a ram.
As quickly as it came, it soon disappeared into the woods on the other side of the highway. Definitely not something that I would want to run into while exploring the woods. It's hard to believe that the military is constantly having to fight off things like that. I wonder if the soldiers ever have nightmares of the monsters they fight?
I continue staring out the widow, watching the tree line in the distance shift and sway in the wind as I play with a strand of my hair.
Well, at least I can’t have nightmares anymore. I would actually have to be able to sleep in order to do that…
...
“I think… I think I might have PTSD…” I whisper to myself. Laying my head on top of the table I just blankly stare outside, my black hair pooling on the tables surface and running off its edge like liquid shadows.
It is the only explanation I have for how I acted with those dogs earlier. It’s completely normal to be afraid of mutated dogs, they are freaking huge and dangerous and scary, but I was irrationally afraid of them. As I am now, at least with as much as I have figured out about my changes, I am reasonably certain that I could take a dog or two in a fight. That could just be the power going to my head though, which is quite possible…
If not fight them, then at the very least I could sneak away without being seen. But I couldn’t even do that…
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Hells, this isn’t even my first time seeing mutated dogs, and I never had that bad of a response to just seeing one. Getting turned into a shaking mess that trips over something because of a loud noise. I would never have done that even when I was still human. I tell myself as I grip my scarred left arm.
But I guess almost dying will do that to a person…
For some time, I simply remain there, sitting still and watching grey clouds slowly drift by. I don’t even move as I hear the sound of little padded footsteps slowly approaching my table.
A smile grows on my face, and I fight to hold back a giggle as I hear the footsteps slowly and carefully approach me. Ah, they’re learning; this time they didn’t bring a torch.
I wait as it approaches, making myself breathe rhythmically as if I were asleep. Every step the Kobold takes is soft and light against the linoleum flooring, difficult to hear normally, but easy to pick out in the dead silence of the night. I can hear it trying to stifle the sound of its breathing as it draws near, like a child sneaking around their sleeping parents. Its breathing is a bit erratic, probably fearing for its life in the case that I wake up and catch it.
I let it draw closer and closer, my desire to bully the poor thing is simply so strong that I just can’t help myself. Soon enough it arrives behind me, and I can feel that the little munchkin is trying to lift my heavy bag off of the back of my chair where I had left it.
I can’t help but smile to myself, The fish bit onto the hook!
As the Kobold fights to stealthily lift my heavy bag, I count down in my head, my fingers twitching with excitement, and my tail fighting to not dance a happy jig.
1. 2. 3! Today is the day that I get to pet a Kobold!
In an explosion of movement, I turn around and lunge for the adorable little thief with a happy smile on my face.
It’s a blue one!
“I got you little thief! Now accept your punishment!” I call out happily.
The Kobold, absolutely frightened at having been caught in the act, squeaks out in fear. Letting go of my bag and flailing about, it does the only thing it can think of when being attacked.
It stabs me in the face with its spear.
The Kobold freezes and I stop moving. The Kobold is looking especially shocked now. Which isn’t too terribly surprising considering that it just stabbed someone in the face, and that person isn’t looking injured or dead in the slightest. In fact, I’m still smiling.
Even as the Kobold pulls back the spear and proceeds to poke me in the face a couple more times, probably testing if what it’s seeing is real, I just continue to smile at it.
Bring up one finger, I push the tip of the spear away from my face. “Now that’s not very nice. Not only do you go and try to steal my stuff, but then you go and stab me.” My smile widens until my teeth and sharp canines are put on full display. “That’s not very nice at all…”
By now the Kobold is shaking in fear, “I was just going to stop at giving you some pets, but now you have forced my hand.”
The Kobold is slowly trying to step away from me, but I am already out of my chair and looming over it like a goddess of death, a toothy smile splitting my face and a fire lit behind my eyes.
It freezes as it locks eyes with me, and I can feel my excitement growing.
Like a judge declaring a criminal guilty, I announce the little thief come attempted murder’s punishment, “I shall give you belly rubs!” With arms spread wide and my voice filled with finality.
Fur standing on end, the little criminal turns to run with a scared squeak. But it simply isn’t fast enough to escape its cruel fate. In moments I have the fluffy little being on the ground and disarmed, spear clattering to the floor uselessly. It desperately fights to reach for its weapon, but its arms simply aren't long enough.
Pinning its little body beneath me, I sit on its lower half and hold its arms to the ground. It struggles and shakes about, fighting to slip away, but it can’t escape my grip. Soon its big yellow eyes lock with mine, and it stops fighting. It stares at me with its eyes filled with delicious terror.
Ah, why is my heart beating so rapidly? Hhhaaaaaa, this is so much fun!
With heavy breath and my voice laced with excitement, I lean down and whisper into the little criminal's fluffy floppy ear, “Are you ready for your punishment little criminal?”
The Kobold shakes and shivers, the both of us already knowing that its fate was sealed the moment we hit the ground.
Running my fingers down its arms, I crest its shoulders and gently slide them down its body. My fingers gliding through soft and fluffy blue fur, my claws lightly sliding over the little being’s chest and promising blood with just a bit more pressure. My captured prey lays their meekly and shivers, it’s arms laying spreadeagle where I left them and breathing heavily. It does not move, it knows that I could kill it at any moment and that fighting back would be useless, and a small thrill runs through my body like electricity coursing through my spine.
Ah, I am loving this!!!
My hands reach its belly and are almost completely consumed by the fluffiness that covers its delicate little tummy. Again, I whisper to the little Kobold pinned beneath me, “Are ready little prisoner? It's time for you to receive your punishment.”
The only response I get is the feeling of the Kobolds hot breath against my ear as a shiver runs through its body beneath me.
Happiness floods through my entire being like boiling hot water as I sit up and peer down at the Kobold, my heart beating in my chest like a drum, “Then let’s get started!”
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That night I was able to forget all about the dogs and my fears. It very soon become one of my happiest days since the end of the world. I got to loot a shopping mall and got everything I was looking for plus extra. I even got to end my day giving a Kobold belly rubs, pets and skritches, I even got to play with its ears and tail, and those adorable little toe beans too.
Starting a new day, I stretch my arms wide and pop my joints as I welcome a new day with a big smile on my face. On this day was an especially rare occasion where the sky was clear of rain clouds and the sun was shining brightly.
“I can’t wait to tell Anna about this. She’s going to be so jealous, hahaha!” I exclaim happily.
Ah, today is going to be a great day!