《The Beasts Under Your Bed》Chapter 10
Advertisement
After a few moments, Kiko stopped using the window to check herself out, and glanced through a nearby window, seeing she was outside a firing range. Kiko had never seen a gun, let alone held one, but it was interesting...So, Kiko opened the door, and then retrieved a pair of earmuffs from a row of them, with a sign above stating that they were necessary for all personnel in the firing range. Probably to prevent ear damage, or something like that.
Putting them on, the world suddenly became strangely dulled. Not muted like she had expected, but the edge was taken off all sound. With sufficient ear protection, she opened the second door that connected the earmuff room to the firing range proper, and was glad for the muffs. The air was filled with loud pops, bangs, and cracks as dozens of SIR agents practiced their marksmanship with a multitude of weaponry. If this was what it was like with ear protection, she wondered how people got on in the field, unless there were some sort of plugs, but then that would mess with communication. Lost in her own little world, she didn’t notice when someone came up and placed a hand on her shoulder. Jumping slightly, she turned to the amused visage of the woman standing next to her. With nothing distinctive, Kiko thought she was just another operative, and so gave her a smile. No risk of weird stuff here.
“Fresh Meat. How lovely” The woman said, flashing some impressive fangs as a glint of light revealed a cadaverous look to her face. It earned her a shriek and a punch in the face, which was apparently not what she was expecting, as the woman went reeling back, and clutched her nose.
“Ow. Dam, you have a hell of a left hook, girl. I was only going to nibble” The girl stated, dropping her hands from her face to show a much friendlier smile.
“We are surrounded by too many guns for you to start that kind of crap” Kiko retorted, electing a rather cute giggle-snort from the woman. Kiko’s hand was throbbing from the punch, apparently having thrown a blow at a brick wall rather than a woman’s face. Did fucking everyone had supernatural durability here, or something?
Advertisement
“Fair point. I’m Bruyn. I run the shooting range. I hope I scared you, I just haven’t smelled you before and so thought I’d come over and say hi” Bruyn explained, and introduced herself. After a few seconds, Kiko was confident that Bruyn was just messing about, and wasn’t actually about to bite, so walked over and took the outstretched hand. The woman’s face had returned to a normal look, so she wasn’t all that scary anymore.
"Bruyn...head of the Rifles" Kiko commented, remembering what she had just been told.
"Yea, best shots in SIR. With a Rifle at your back, you can be assured you've got all the Fire Support you need" Bruyn exclaimed. Queenie was not exaggerating about the fact that she had strict aspirations, it seemed.
“So....Smelled me? What happened to seeing? Are you blind?” Kiko was still a bit nervous, put off by the look the girl had given. She had obviously plastered those emotions on her face, since Bruyn offered some more.
“Na. I’m a Draugr. Hence the rotting face” She said, before noticing Kiko had no idea what a Draugr was. “Think…Awesome...super zombie. Shit happened, I died, and now I am back to help the world fight the Beasts from Beyond. And in return SIR keeps me from rotting and dropping my body parts were I may. Also covers up the stretch. If there is one problem with being a super strong, neigh-invincible zombie, it’s the stench” she quipped, laughing to herself.
Kiko listened, and then cocked her head softly as she said neigh-invincible.
“Invincible being the reason for awesome super-zombie rather than the normal, shuffling, 'hit the head' zombie?” She asked.
“Yea. We Draugr are impervious to weapons, but need to be dismembered and burned to die. As you might think, it’s difficult to dismember a super strong zombie when you can’t use any weapons on her. Clever, huh? Makes me a great asset on the field against the Shriekers and the Succubi. I’m dead, they can’t bugger with anything that makes you humans tick. Plus, I don’t actually rot, I sort of just desiccate. But! You did not come here to talk about me, did you?” She asked, and then continued when Kiko shook her head. “Good. Then let us begin the tour of guns! Have you ever shot a gun before?” She finished.
Advertisement
“W-wait, I just came here to explore. I only joined the other day” Kiko admitted, looking around and feeling a bit self-conscious at all the confident gunslingers around here.
“That’s fine. No problem with never shooting before. It’s what we work for, after all. Now, you’ll wanna start with a small calibre weapon so you can get used to the weight of guns, and the recoil, and then move up. I’ve got an open booth, we can start you off with the thirty two. I'd not trust it if you are hunting big monsters, but it's good for the smaller guys” she then took Kiko to the booth, and there was a spread of pistols in individual slots, with numbers above them. Kiko’s eyes were immediately drawn to a huge thing near the end, with ‘.650’ above it. She moved over to it and stared, with a grin.
“What the hell do you need something this big for?” Kiko would ask incredulously.
"Some monsters need putting down hard. Funny you go for that gun, it's the same make your father used" Bruyn commented, walking over and taking a position behind Kiko.
"....I feel jealous. Everyone here seems to know him so well, and I never got to meet that side of him" Kiko muttered, pulling out the gun and feeling the thing's weight. It was hefty, and she never expected her Dad to be the muscle man to wield something like this.
"It was on purpose. He never wanted you to find out about this part of him. He, and we, never thought he would die like that. It's sent Elis and Lassadora into a major tizzy to know there is something out there we don't know, that can take out men like him" Bruyn's sombre tone echoed her movements, which reached around Kiko and took hold of her hands. "Sorry, to be a buzz kill. Let's have fun. Grasp firmly, spread your legs, and squeeze the trigger when you feel ready"
Kiko, avid for something to focus on that wasn't her dad getting killed by an unknown monster, did just that. It was just a gun, even if it was hellishly heavy. She'd seen the movies, she knew that recoil was hardly a concern when you were fit and healthy like her. So she slowly pulled the trigger, and there was a monumental force suddenly thrown onto her, the gun went up, ripped out of her grasp, and clattered onto the floor, while Kiko herself let out a strangled yelp and lost her balance completely, hitting Bruyn hard, though the Draugr didn't seem to flinch.
Making sure Kiko was fine and then recovering the gun, Bruyn smiled.
"So?" She asked Kiko, who was rubbing her sore hands.
"I reiterate. What the hell needs that kind of a gun?" she grumbled, glaring at it.
"Honestly? Nothing. You can get by with a .357 or a .44 if you need the firepower. This gun was designed for people like me, the super-strong Quasi-Humans who can casually handle something like this" Bruyn stated, aiming at the target and cocking the hammer before firing off a round with one hand. Unlike Kiko’s wild shot which had gouged a small chunk of rock out of the concrete wall at the back, Bruyn’s bullet hit the wooden target and blew apart the head, sending wooden splinters across the firing range. "There is comfort in something being super-dead rather than just dead or nearly dead, after all. Now, to the thirty two"
Bryun's orders were not something Kiko could argue with, and so spent the next half an hour learning basic gunmanship. She was a very strict teacher, but one with a firm grasp on how to teach, so Kiko left to her lecture on Beast Biology feeling like she had really learned something...
Advertisement
- In Serial94 Chapters
This is the Wrong World! (Beta Version)
It's not her fault she was born with a face that screams arrogance and villainy! Maybe, she should have controlled her temper and not called the Goddess a slut. But after being cursed, ten years later, Izo finally defeats the Demon King and is sent home. Except there is one small problem, it's the wrong world!
8 380 - In Serial52 Chapters
The Saga of the Undone One
Among the vast expanse of the realm known as the Outer Fantasy exists a group of sorcerers by the name of Changelings. They steal the memories and the very essence of normal people in order to perform a strange ritual in which they extend their lives by hundreds or even thousands of years and change their bodies to the extreme. In this devilish process most of the people used die. But a few survive. These unlucky men and women are just a hollow shells of their former selves. They are people with shattered minds and stolen memories. The brands of the ones that brought them to this miserable state are engraved in their skin and both their bodies and minds are damaged by the sorcerers. They’re pitied by some, hated by many and ignored by most. And worst of all – they’re doomed to live their remaining years in this crippled state, isolated by the rest of the world and without a way to heal their injuries, both mental and physical. But deep inside of them lies a spark of the power that the mages used to shatter their minds… The name of these miserable beings is the Undone Ones and this is the story of one of them. His name is Ehrir and in the lowest point of his seemingly unending life as an Undone One he finds the power that can change his life for the better… or worse. Release Schedule: Three chapters per week (posted on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 6 and 11 PM EEST). Average chapter length: ~2000 words
8 219 - In Serial8 Chapters
Like Staring at the Sun
The life Mira built for herself was going well until she came face to face with Torrin: the man that killed her brother. Not only does the princess she serves order her to refrain from killing him, but she has also ordered Mira to work with him in order to stop Silas, a Jinura rebel determined to reverse the balance of power in a world that oppressed people like him; people bearing a gift from the gods. Meanwhile, Torrin's life has never been worse. The rebellion he believed in for years proved to be nothing but a different form of the same tyranny and the man he loved like a father nothing but the manipulating tyrant at its head. And now, the girl he once called friend would love nothing more than to kill him while he slept.
8 138 - In Serial6 Chapters
Escape The KNIGHT
We, at the Kindness Institute, desire your participation (willingly or unwillingly) to unlock the cure for all of mankind’s sicknesses. We crave the participation (given or taken) to advance our research. Then came along Naomi as she fell into our laps. What follows is her subjective experience with the Kindness Facility and its staff. Follow along, won’t you? And remember, the biggest joy in this world, is spreading kindness. Even if Begrudgingly. Hey guys, this will be a much shorter story compared to my other work. It will come in only a few chapters. This is a psychological drama with light yuri, focused on the happenings the way Naomi, a test-subject, sees her life. It is about an institute who is trying to rid the world of all diseases using research acquired by any means. Follow me at: Twitter.com/Ozefen0 for more up-to-date news and information!
8 97 - In Serial8 Chapters
Your Guide to Writing a Killer Thriller
Want to write a killer thriller? This guide contains tricks and tips that will navigate you through the various aspects of a thriller novel. Find answers to the questions that have been burning on your mind.
8 78 - In Serial20 Chapters
Down (Sequel to Thug Love)
The Thug Passion Continues
8 215

