I woke up to a splitting headache and a screaming body. Bandages were wrapped everywhere on my body. I looked around to what seemed to be a makeshift bed inside a kind of a large military grade shelter tent. I got up to extreme pains on my chest that I found to be also wrapped up in bandaging. I looked around to figure out what had happened. As I looked around in confusion, I heard noises approaching the tent and two people stepped in.
“Good, you’re finally awake.”
The man who walked in was a well-built African American man. Medium height and seemed to be in his mid-thirties. He looked at me in a strange way. Like he was relieved and cautious at the same time. The other was a Caucasian woman with brown hair in her early thirties. Both introduced themselves as Beth and Dave. They claimed to be hunters like me, that hunted the skin walkers. They came here because there was a report of a large nest of unusual skin walkers and had come to investigate. They found my trail of dead skin walkers in the forest and had arrived at the police station only to find it on fire. That’s when Dave found me and brought me here.
“So, what happened at the station? Was the pile of dead skin walkers your work?”
“Yes”
“Are you with others?”
“No, I work alone.”
They looked at each other in surprise. As Dave explained that judging by the number of dead skin walkers they were sure that I was with others. They persistently asked me about the incident that went on at the police station. But I wasn’t ready to trust them just yet. As I seemingly kept my talking to a minimum, Dave became frustrated.
“Look man, you know by the way we talk and act that we ain’t no skin walker. And we know you’re not one and if what you say is true, it’s best you come with us.”
“I work alone.”
I was stern. Besides, I was kind of pissed they saved me from my well-deserved rest. But Dave and Beth were persistent. When Dave failed to convince me, Beth stepped in. She took a step towards me while waving Dave to take one back and ease off.
“Look… uhmm… what’s your name?”
“Jack.”
“Look Jack, we’re are part of a bigger organization that keeps check of these creatures, including skin walkers.”
I looked Beth in the eye as I got up. I Walked up to her and put my face real close to hers. I saw Dave trying to step in from the corner of my eye, but Beth held her hand to stop him. I looked into her eyes. Wasn’t a doppelganger I think... to be honest I didn’t know if the evolved doppelganger had the same traits as a normal skin walker or alpha. But my target zero alpha seemed to have all the traits even after his transition. As I looked into Beth’s eyes I asked her with a firm demanding voice.
“What do you mean ‘including’?”
“It means that there are other monsters besides skin walkers.”
Beth answered without pulling away or evading my gaze. She was confident and mentally strong. I continued to gaze into Beth’s eyes. Green. Clean and pure. I took a few steps back and looked at Beth and then at Dave.
“Alright. I’ll tag along. But first we take care of things here and then we go.”
“We can do that.”
Beth agreed and Dave also nodded in approval. He walked over and extended his hand towards me, and we shook hands. Firm strong grip. Show of dominance and superiority while offering a hint of acceptance. Classic.
“Welcome to the team. For now.”
Dave said with a glare as he stared down mine as he slowly turned around to walk away. I think he doesn’t trust me. The feeling is mutual. I don’t trust them. I just wanted to get information and look into this organization they were so proudly talking about.
I called after Dave just before he walked out of the tent. As he stopped to look back I struggled with words as I muttered with lack of confidence.
“What happened to the …. umm … Skin walkers at the station?”
Still can’t get use to that term. Somehow it makes all this sound stupid and fake. A bad joke even. Dave casually turned around to leave the tent but before he did, he turned his head towards me.
“The building was already on fire and completely burnt down. Something about the internal sprinklers not working. As for the bodies… our team took care of them.”
“What exactly did your… Team… do?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
With that he left. Shortly after, we packed up and evacuated the premises entirely. Everything was fast and efficient. They were systematic and professional in going about everything. Almost made me feel like I was back in army boot camp. But at the same time it was some how, all amusing to my eyes. It looked more like a boyscouts camping exercise than a military operation. I shook my head with a smirk and went about preparing for my next move. First thing I took time to return to my cabin. Looking around, it brought back so many memories.
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The old rocking chair I bought just because I wanted to act like a decent father and read books to my daughter by the fireplace. But, in reality I mostly dozed off in it only to wake up to a warm blanket place over me by my daughter. I loved it. I loved the feeling of that blanket over me. The care and love it conveyed from my daughter. I felt alive and loved. Now just idly sitting there next to a cold fireplace that warmed us up after getting drenched in rain one summer night. Everything that use to remind me everyday of my daughter and the special bond I got to have with her. The feeling of being a father, the realization of being a person who is wanted and loved. All gone… Everything, like the fireplace, was cold and dead. I packed up a few things and then headed for the door. And with one last look I opened the door as it creaked and left. Probably going to be a long time until I see that place again.
Everything was set and I was now ready to move on to my next location. Wherever that will be. So far Beth and Dave have been quiet. They told me about returning to their HQ soon and I could tag along. We’ll see how that goes.
Anyway, I’m at a small café on our mid-way out of this state. Nothing to lose and now nothing to gain either. But I can carry on killing those creatures… make sure that they don’t figure out their secret lineage. And if I find another doppelganger. I’ll make sure it breathes its last breath and make it wish it had never found out about its damned heritage.
The travel back to their base camp was a long one and Beth insisted that I would fit right at home. I didn’t reply. I had no intentions to stay with their organization for long. I just need to know what I was dealing with and what kind of supplies they had. When we did get to their camp I met with the woman in charge of operations. A surprisingly muscular woman in her late 30s with short blonde hair and pale white skin. Her aviator sunglasses covered facial scars that seemingly slashed across her left eye. Unconsciously I swept my fingers down my scar running down my right eye. She grinned.
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“Well, you must be Jack … do you have a last name?”
“Just Jack for now.”
I answered with a low stern voice. I wasn’t about to give any information about me on our first date. Especially if it was a false one. Turner looked at me for a second without a word then proceeded to grin again and nod slightly.
“Welcome to Sector 21. I am Samantha Turner, I am in charge of operations in this sector.”
I looked at her then proceeded to slowly look around. Nothing much to see. A few complexes that are reminiscent of army barracks and a few others that held key operational features of a functional camp. Anyone can see that this was no HQ of an organization that ran operations across the nation as they claimed. Either they were lying to me or this was just a stopover.
“So, when do we arrive at HQ?”
I said while looking around. They looked at each other for a split moment and Turner turned towards me.
“In due time. But first, get yourselves settled in and rest up while you can. Beth, why don’t you show Jack here a place to stay. Sanders, why don’t you debrief me on your findings.”
Turner looked towards Dave as they both disappeared towards a grey office complex near to what seemed to be barracks. As they walked off, Beth showed me to a place to stay. Small, confined room with a bed and a desk. At least it had a window. The door wasn’t locked or anything but there was security near the entrance, and I had to hand over my weapons for safety reasons. Great….
Beth insisted that it was for my protection, and I wasn’t held prisoner or anything. But the message was clear. I wasn’t allowed to leave this place on my own accord. Not that it would stop me. I just complied to wait and see of I could get a clearer picture of this organization they say they’re a part of.
That night, I slept with relative comfort and ease. I also knew that I was under constant surveillance. But, that made me feel more comfortable. I was used to being watched. The sense of insecurity and caution made me feel right at home. But that night was the start of a nightmare that consumed and haunted my dreams for many years onwards.
I woke up to sounds of gunfire and sirens that followed suit. Screams and shouting came through over the window of the small room I was in. Loud noises that clearer came from some kind of an explosion rang through the night air as a gust of air was forcibly pushed through the window with dust and rubble, shattering it entirely with parts of the wall..
By this time, I was completely up and already leaning against the wall next to the window, just as it was blasted out by the nearby explosion. I peered out the hole that was made on the wall of my room. The world portrayed outside was a warzone. Men and women scampered across exploding fields with weapons as they continuously fired towards the adjacent tree lines. Fire roared fiercely as they licked across buildings and people, incinerating them upon touch. I expected something huge when I came here but this was nothing close to what I had imagined. I had to find out what on earth was happening here.
I looked back at the door that led out into a hallway. It too was blasted open, and the door was now barely hanging on by a hinge. I quickly proceeded to make my way out of the room to see the man that stood guard at the hall entrance was now cut in half. His entrails leaking onto the floor as a pool of blood still gushed out. I ran across the hall and to the security room that they locked my weapons in. It was locked.
“For my protection my ass.”
I muttered. I kicked the door open and went in. There were various locked cases presumably with weapons and one of them had mine inside. I looked for the key to no avail. So I found a paper weight on the desk and masked the locks open. First two cases had guns and military grade combat knives. The third box I smashed open had my belongings and a rifle. I picked up my axe and knife then held up the assault rifle. M16A1. An earlier model maybe from the 60s. But, I was surprise to find it in pristine condition. It was old but an efficient weapon. I found two full magazines enough to get myself out of here. Fully loaded I headed outside with caution. Destruction and mayhem summarized the warzone that I had walked out to. The battle was still very much heated. I looked around while taking cover behind some building rubble nearby to figure out what they were fighting against. Fire that blazed across the camp lit up the area like daytime and I could see countless figures running towards the nearby forest.
I looked towards the forest and could see that and intense gun battle was taking place. I pepper potted towards the battle, all the while making sure I was fully covered. As I neared the heated battle zone I finally saw the attackers. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. When Beth and Dave talked about other creatures, I smirked. Deep down I was sure that nothing was more disturbing than a red eye or an alpha skin walker. That the ascended doppelganger would shock them all. I was certain that I had saw and experienced the worst of them. But right before my eyes I saw something much more horrid. Disturbing…
They were tall, towering around 3 meters in height with long skinny arms that had five long stick like fingers with claw like nails. But the most disturbing feature was that they looked like old women. Crackling and screeching high pitched screams that sounded like sinister laughter.
“Heeeee heeeee heeeee heeee heeee…. “
The screeching laughter shot shivers down my spine. The men and women that were hunkering behind a destroyed building wall were shooting at two of them. Hail of bullets tore through skin as blood gushed from them. But the creatures kept on walking towards them. All the while screeching that same sinister laughter.
“Heeeee heeeee heeeee heeee heeee…. “
As one approached near suddenly flames burst in its hand. I watched as it threw the fire towards the building rubble that the men and women were taking cover behind. There was a loud explosion as the flames impacted the wall and bodies flew across the air. Some men caught on fire as they ran screaming. But soon they were incinerated and turned to ash. I froze. Bullets did nothing to bring them down. They didn’t care about the wounds as they just kept moving forward as blood flowed down their wrinkly bodies creating a blood red apron. Their yellowish tinted eyes glared around as one caught sight of me. Its eyes locked with mine as it screeched the terrifying sound of laughter as it approached me.
“Eeeee heeeee heeeee heeeee heeee heeee!“
That moment, my finger squeezed the trigger of the rifle I was holding as the muzzle blazed and bullets pierced through the wrinkly pale skin of the laughing creature. I pinpointed a single target on the creature with intent to tear a hole through. The rapid impact of rifle fire did just that, as blood seemed to gargle out of the wound. But that did not stop nor slow the creature down. Kept on coming towards me as it waved its massive hand to swing at me. Throwing the rifle on the ground I pulled out my axe and got ready to counter the swing.
The creature’s huge hand landed with a loud crash as it raised dust and gushes of wind as it slammed on to the ground. I jumped out of the way and positioned myself right next to the hand. The skin walkers were much faster than this and I wasn’t about to get squashed by an old hag looking creature.
As soon as I positioned myself, I took no time to swing my axe as its blade sliced through the back of the creature’s hand. Blood gushed out but the creature seemed unaffected by it as it didn’t even flinch. Does it even feel pain? I jump stepped backwards to evade the other hand that swung right by and landed on the ground. The creature was now on all fours. Why isn’t it using its fire attack? What ever the reason, lucky for me it hasn’t tried. I didn’t hesitate to pull out my knife as I stabbed deep into the back of the other hand that landed on the ground. I didn’t know if the silver alpha blade would have any affect on this creature but it was worth a shot.
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!”
To my surprise the creature pulled back and let out a demonic high pitched shriek as it showed clear signs of pain. I couldn’t help but grin. I could feel my lips being pulled above my teeth by the raising of my cheeks.
“Gotcha….”
For the first time there was no bleeding from the wounds I had made on the creature’s hand. It stumbled back clenching its hand in pain. Screeching and wailing as the hand bled green. I had no reason to hesitate now. I ran towards the wailing 3 meter creature and with my knife tore through one of its heels that made the creature tumble forward. As it did so its face crashed into the ground. Now the fighters that were hiding behind the rubble had come out from hiding and were shooting everything they had on the downed creature. But the triumphant feeling was short lived and crushed instantly as a large blanket of fire swallowed them whole. The other creature had come over and had hurled its inferno towards the group. I was lucky to be distant enough to evade the gruesome death.
I continued to run up to the fallen hag like creature and again cut through its face with my silver knife. By lucky strike, my knife’s blade landed on the eye and had cut across it, slicing it like butter. It bled greenish blood from its eyes, just like the hand, and I realized that the red blood it spilled wasn’t its blood. That the hail of bullets had in fact, been doing no damage at all. As the creature rolled on the ground cradling its lost eye, kicking up a storm of dust and rubble, the other creature had now turned its full attention towards me.
Its yellow eyes focused onto me, the creature approached with surprising speed. It screamed as it hurled its elongated arms through the air. Screaming and screeching.
I braced myself to prevent staggering as I got ready to side jump out of its way and try to get into a flanking position. But before I could move something zoomed across the air and plunged into the temple of the creature. Piercing through it like a ripe watermelon. It was a long silver rod of some kind. It looked like a harpoon. But as soon as it pierced the head of the creature it exploded. Green blood rained across the field as the now headless creature fell on to the ground. But, as soon as it hit the ground it burned up and become a pile of ash.
As I looked at the pile of ash, another silver harpoon landed on to the other creature that was still rolling on the ground in pain. It too turned to ash as soon as the harpoon pierced it. My bewildered face turned to a familiar voice from behind.
“Moonlight endowed silver.”
I turned to face Samantha Turner, who had a two way radio clutched in one hand and a silver sword in the other. I turned to look at the piles of ashes again.
“They were Class-2 demonic entities we call ‘witches’. They can somehow create fire that can incinerate even metal in seconds. We call it ‘hell flame’. We don’t know where they come from and hunting them was a waste of time. The only thing that can kill them is moonlight endowed silver. It turns any demonic entity to ash.”
“Are you sure you want to tell me your secrets?”
I smirked, remembering that they locked me up like a prisoner. I had a bad bitter taste at the back of my throat, and I didn’t like this situation one bit. I saw Turner eyeing my Alpha Blade in curiosity.
“The way you handled that creature, I’d say you’ve earned my trust and support to become a member. Is that blade silver?”
“Yes…. Kind of.”
I trailed off. I wasn’t ready to give up my secret. Also, I had no intentions of joining this merry band of monster hunters. The way they fought today most would just slow me down. Turner must have read my mind, because she insisted that they had more to offer.
“This here is just an outpost. Most that we encounter would go down with normal bullets. Like the skin walkers you fought. The real hunters can handle themselves well alone. I see you have a potential to be a hunter. That blade was a result of your keen instinct and research. It doesn’t look like moonlight endowed silver but it looks as effective.”
“Thanks….”
I slowly started to walk on by Turner as she turned around to follow me. I didn’t look back but I was sure she was staring after me as I walked off towards the building that I was confined in previously. There was a huge hole on the wall and parts of the building had turned to rubble, but the room that I was in was still standing and it had a perfectly preserved bed.
“Where are you going Jack?”
“To bed…”
I could use a good night’s sleep. To prepare for the foreseeable exhausting future to come. I kept on going straight to the room I was in and right on to the bed as I tucked my knife away and axe under my pillow.