Lloyd woke up in the middle of the night with his skin tingling and his mind aching. He pulled his hair while reminiscing.
Fuck, what was that?
He wracked his mind before finally realizing.
That forest!
With a heavy heart, Lloyd got up, knowing what he had to do. Was it a stupid decision? Yes. However, his curiosity was killing him. What if his dream was accurate? He couldn't let a person die because of his disbelief. Plus, maybe he could find a boar to kill as well.
He went to his closet and pulled out a hidden compartment. Inside was a Browning BAR MK 3 DBM semi-automatic rifle. (Authors Note: I never hunted before, but according to google, this rifle is a pretty popular choice. Don't trust me though.) The rifle was heavy and the moonlight reflected off the metal.
His father's rifle; the one he once used for hunting. He generously bestowed it to Lloyd when he turned 16. He loaded it with ease while dreading the fact that he had to use it. Bullets were expensive. Each one was like a small fortune to him. He calmly shoved a knife into his pocket, zipped up his jacket, grabbed an old flashlight, and went out into the night.
…
The forest at night was a world of deceptive shadows and howling wind. Lloyd wasn't accustomed to walking outside after midnight. The breeze was colder compared to the morning causing Lloyd to tremble even more.
It wasn't a long walk to get the forest of despair and doom. The moonlight was barely enough for him to see, however, Lloyd didn't pull out his flashlight just yet. He had no idea how much power it had left and he didn't want to risk it turning off anytime soon. Every shadow looked like a living being, stretched bigger and taller than him.
With his vision reduced, his hearing got stronger. Lloyd listened carefully for any hint of human voice. After a few minutes of silence as he trudge deeper, he became rather paranoid. What if he's just being delusional? What sane individual would listen to a random dream they had?
Lloyd wasn't sane to begin with and his sanity was slowly dropping lower and lower. Then, he heard it. It wasn't human, no. It was an animalistic growl. He turned on his flashlight and shined it straight into a boar's eyes. Oh no.
Luckily, the boar didn't charge at him, but instead, it ran away. Lloyd wasn't going to let such a good catch get away though so he chased after it. The adrenaline ignored the ache and numbness he felt, hell, it made him feel better. Leaves crunched under his shoes, the trees in his vision growing shakier and shakier. Unfortunately, the hog was soon out of sight.
Lloyd sighed a white breath but didn't give up.
…
"HRRR-AAAAKK" A piercing scream cut through the night. It sounded similar to when Lloyd butchered his pigs.
He ran after the sound. Branches clawed at his jacket, leaves struck his flawless face. As he ran, he heard echoes of laughs and malicious, human voices. Lloyd slowed down and crouched behind a bush. His eyes widened at the view in front. The hog he was chasing was bleeding out on the ground. He smelt a heavy scent of gunpowder and smoke and forcefully held back a cough. There was a hole where the boar's eye should've been, presumably from a gunshot. Lloyd spotted sharp, gruesome cuts over it's body,
The next sight was sickening. 3 men surrounding a woman on her knees. The lady's hair clung to her flushed face, her breaths shallow and broken, but her emerald eyes were defiant. Her beautiful face was familiar, too familiar, but he didn't have the time to ponder. Lloyd clenched his rifle so tight that his brittle nail cracked, but he waited, checking out the situation before doing anything rash.
One man gripped her hair, forcing her head back. "What's the matter, sweetheart? Don't pass out yet. We're just getting started."
BANG
Lloyd's carefully positioned finger "slipped" as he shot the guy who was the furthest away from the woman.
Blood sprayed out in an instant. All havoc broke loose,
"WHAT THE HELL?!" One guy spoke while lifting up the body of his dead comrade.
Lloyd felt a strange joy from watching him look left and right like a frightened animal.
BANG
Another dropped dead, bullet straight through his neck. His blood painted the ground, brown with red stain.
One guy reached for a fallen gun. Not on Lloyd's watch.
BANG
A disgustingly strong scent of metal and blood mixed together. Lloyd felt like throwing up from the stench alone. He felt weirdly nothing from just killing 3 people in a row. It felt so…natural to deliver justice.
Lloyd approached the woman, casually stepping over the bodies blocking his path.
"Can you talk?" He asked quickly, his words rushed but carried clear worry.
The woman opened her eyes and slowly raised her head.
"F-Feel hot, help me." The woman's eyes glazed over the blood surrounding her, but didn't question it.
Lloyd crouched down and checked her pulse. It was erratic and fast. Without another word, he slid the rifle onto his back and scooped her into his arms. She weighed almost nothing, her head falling against his chest.
The corpses were left where they fell, the snow beginning to cover them as nature claimed them back. Lloyd didn't look back.
He ran as fast as he could to his home. The trip wasn't long but it felt agonizing to Lloyd. The woman's feverish heat burned against him, her shallow breaths barely brushing his neck. Every so often, she whimpered, clutching weakly at his shirt. The cold snapped at his bones, his legs shaky from the strain, yet he made it back.
Lloyd kicked the door open and went straight to his room. He laid the woman gently on his bed before finally catching his breath.
With his muddled thoughts now clear, he took a close look at the woman. Up close, she was even more striking. Her beauty marred by sweat, tears, and the crimson flush of whatever drug was in her system.
The pieces clicked in his usually empty brain, wasn't she the person haunting his dreams?!
Nevertheless, his thoughts would have to wait because saving her came first.
He wet a towel with cold water and softly wiped her sweaty face. Staring at her closed eyes and even breathing, Lloyd figured she was asleep. He mumbled an apology for touching her before dragging the towel lower.