Nocturne ➸ Ben Parish

03

I DIDN'T SLEEP FOR the rest of the night after my nightmare. When I got up, a young boy was standing in the doorway.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Reznik dropped him off." Dumbo told me.
"What's his name?" I asked again.
"Nugget." the boy responded this time.
I nodded. We sure as hell didn't need another kid that couldn't shoot. We already had a whole squad full of them.
     Training didn't go as easily today. We had to do hand to hand combat. I was paired up with Zombie, who surprisingly put up a good fight.
     "How about this." he stood in front of me, "If I take you down, you teach us how to shoot."
     "And if you don't?" I raised an eyebrow.
     "I'll stop asking." he smirked.
     I joined him, standing with my knees bent and arms shielding my face. He tried to copy my stance and failed.
     I took a few steps closer, "Who's necklace is that?"
     "My sister's." he looked down at it for a second too long.
     I took the chance and brought him down, "Nice try."
     He locked his foot behind my knee, dragging me down with him. I hit my palms against the mat.
"Don't let your guard down." he smirked.
Zombie gathered the group and led us to the shooting range. As they prepared, I watched, noticing all of their flaws were similar.
"Don't think." I told them, "The gun's not shooting, you are."
They progressively got better until most of them were hitting bullseyes.
     Eventually we had to return to our bunks for lights out. I sat down on my bed, watching as Zombie told Nugget some sort of bedtime story.
"Nocturne!" Reznik stood with her hands on her hips.
     I shot up, hitting my head against a wooden beam holding the bunk bed above me.
     I rubbed my forehead, "I need to speak to you." she tapped her foot against the floor.
     I followed her out into the hallway, "What do you want."
     "You never told us about a sister." she smirked.
     I froze. Marika. They have Marika. "Your point is?"
     "I just thought its funny how-" she began.
     I couldn't help but scoff as I cut her off, "Funny? Because it's so funny how Vosch killed my parents, kidnapped me, and now managed to get my sister."
     "Ringer will be here soon enough." she told me before leaving.
Ringer. I sighed. They called my older sister Ringer. What a stupid name. I stopped myself. Well, I'm Nocturne. It can't get much worse than that.
"You'll regret it!" I called after her, "One day you'll regret everything you've ever done!"
Everyone in the squad watched as I stepped back into the bunks. Apparently the walls weren't as sound-proof as I thought they were.
"What're you looking at." I raised an eyebrow at all of them.
Only Zombie kept his eyes on me as I moved to my bed. I could feel them burning through me.
I sighed, carving an 'N' for Nocturne into my gun. I didn't think it'd have a purpose, but I had nothing better to do and if someone took it, I'd want them to know who they'd be facing.
Someone cleared their throat near the doorway. I looked up to see a tall girl with dark, stringy hair staring at me.
"Hello Nocturne." she used my camp name, taking attention to everyone else in the room.
"Ringer." my eyes scanned her.
She's so skinny. I thought. What happened to you Marika?

EDITED

Pretty lit.

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