Destiny Short: Sniping
I climbed the hill, gently knocking dust and pebbles loose from the long forgotten hill. My cloak waved to and fro, tangling itself around my body and legs; a slight annoyance that went largely unnoticed, for my focus was that of the Hunt that was currently in play.
As I ascended the mountain, my entire being became numb. My mind was racing from excitement, my body was quaking in anticipation, and my soul was burning with desire. The only thing that kept me grounded was the weight of my Beloved that was strapped tenderly onto my back, holding itself against me like a lover that a Hunter could only dream of.
A familiar, monotone voice droned in my head, reminding me of my mission, my Target, my Hunt. As the voice, my Ghost, updated me of my Target's whereabouts, I reached the apex of the mountain. I took a deep breath to calm my racing mind, to quieten my singing nerves, to soothe the excitement that welled in my abdomen.
I crouched low against the foreign terrain, tenderly removing my Beloved from its place on my back and into my hands. I ran a hand over its long, smooth barrel, briefly admiring how it gleamed in the dull starlight of the night. My Ghost quickly pulled me back to reality once again, updating me of my Target's position.
Shifting into a sniper's position, I slowly, quietly, raised my Beloved in front of me, bringing the scope to my eye. My Ghost urged me to act quickly, fearing that we may lose the Target; I blocked his rambling from my ears, focusing on the Hunt at hand. My Hunt.
I closed an eye, leaned forwards into the scope, and took in my surroundings. Empty, barren Martian wasteland, save for the makeshift camp at the bottom of the little mountain I was perched atop of. My heartrate began to accelerate, my blood began to scream in my ears, my finger itched in suspense. 'Patience, patience.' I reminded myself.
Another deep breath. I steeled my nerves, calmed my racing heart, cooled my burning blood, eased the tension building in my tendons. I blinked, shifting my sights elsewhere. 'Target, Target… Where could he be..?' There! An anomaly. A flash. Movement. My Target. He stood away from his camp, near a small cluster of long dead trees, peering out onto the dark horizon. He knew. He knew the Hunt was on. The time to act was now, least this Hunt becomes messy.
One more breath. Everything slowed to a crawl. My Target's movements were sluggish, slow. I slowly moved the crosshair of my scope onto my Prey's head. No movement. The perfect shot. Clean. Professional. Beautiful. My surroundings faded from existence; the only things that remained were my Prey, my Beloved, and myself. Nothing else mattered.
Tension mounted in my index finger. In one movement, one simple twitch of my finger, a single involuntary movement, the Hunt would be over. A twinge of sadness panged in my gut. I always despised the ending of a Hunt. The thrill of the Hunt was unlike anything in the entire solar system, in the entire universe, even. It was more addicting than any drug, could bring you higher than any normal person could possibly imagine. To a Hunter, nothing was more exhilarating than a good Hunt.
As my index finger pressed against the trigger, the sadness that mounted in my stomach was replaced with disappointment. This Hunt was far too short. Far too easy. 'A shame it couldn't last longer.' I thought, pulling the trigger of my Beloved tightly. A slight buck. A soft bang! Then the quiet hiss of ether escaping its prison. A distant thud. Then silence.
"A shame this couldn't be more personal." I whispered under my breath, adrenaline and excitement coursing through my body, a strong high that caused my head to feel light and my heart to feel giddy. I removed my finger from my Beloved's trigger, bringing my hand to my Beloved's barrel to caress it once more.
"A shame indeed…"