A fiery explosion rips through the building, engulfing it in flame. The shockwave tears into me, chased by a hot metallic shard. A sharp ringing fills my head, and I feel the all-too-familiar sensation of being tossed around. When I open my eyes, everything is a blur. Slowly coming to my senses, the swirling subsides. I put my hand where I suspect the concussion to be and begin to scan my surroundings, checking for any loss of vision. I look upward toward the sky which is obscured by a tree that towers over me. "Don't think I've ever seen trees like these before." Hearing what sound like birds in the distance with different but somewhat familiar calls, I take in the lush, expansive forest I find myself injured in. Rolling my head back and forth I think to myself, "Fuck. That must have been a big bomb if it threw me out of the building." Seeing as there are no spots in my vision, I scan more vigilantly. " Where am I?".
After a moment's pause I think, "I can figure that out later. Let's hope I still have all of my appendages." Even though I know it is only dumb luck, I still ask myself how I am still alive. I start by trying to move each one of my toes individually; then my feet, my boots hit each other with a dull thud. I move up from there, trying to move my right leg. I wince. A hot pain spikes my right side. The pain lets me know I'm not paralyzed but something definitely needed to be fixed. I look down to see that the source is just above my hip. A piece of shrapnel pokes out of a tear in my shirt, and the broken flesh underneath is slowly weeping blood. I groan. "Might as well get comfortable." Slowly using my elbows and hands to prop myself up, the bark making itself known between my shoulder blades, I huff myself up and sit against the tree. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to collect myself.
Reaching behind me and pulling out my first aid kit, I open it up to check the contents, making sure nothing is missing or blast didn't mess this up thankfully. Pulling my right hand away from the kit and moving it over to the wound on my right side, I push two fingers into it, swirling and prodding around for the piece of shrapnel. My fingers slip against the fat and blood, making it difficult to get a good purchase on the slick sides of the metal. After a clenched moment between my teeth, I find an edge where I can get a good grip on the little devil.
I slightly withdraw my fingers from the wound, and with my left hand, I grab a pair of medical pliers. I spread the wound open a little with the middle, index, and thumb of my bloody right hand. I insert the cold metal pliers in. Reaching in, and digging around for the shard, letting the growing pain guide me, I tap and scrape against the shard until I find the shrapnel edge. I take a sharp breath through the nose, and grit my teeth. An intense feeling of pain arcs across my lower torso, and with a wet pop, the object is freed.
I scream.
Placing the forceps in the grass next to me, my left hand goes to grab a suture kit and some disinfectant. Opening the bottle, I liberally apply it to the wound and quickly begin stitching myself up. Going back to the wound on my side, it is still weeping a little, so I put a bandage on it. I've kept myself from bleeding out for now, but I won't last more than a few days with this wound, assuming it won't get infected.
Leaning back on the tree I gather my thoughts "Gotta find help, or I won't make it very far."
I reach into my pack, grab my canteen to clean the blood off of my right hand, and then take a greedy pull from it before placing it back into my pack. Reaching for my FN Hi-Power drawing it from its holster, I press check it. Pulling back the slide and exposing the chamber, I see that it's loaded. I drop the mag and rack the slide, letting the ejected cartridge land in my lap. I rack the slide a few more times and nothing feels out of place. Taking aim at the closest tree in front of me, I squeeze gently on the trigger until it breaks with a loud click. Grinning to myself I place it in my lap, grabbing the loose cartridge with my right and the mag with my left hand and topping it off. I grab my Hi-Power in my left hand and using my right-hand seat the magazine and charge the pistol in one fluid movement then replace it back in its holster and run a hand over my plate carrier feeling all of the loaded mags on the vest.
I glance around where I was discarded. "Where is my damn rifle?" I ask out loud to myself before spotting my MK18 a short distance away from where I landed I guess. Picking myself up from the tree I've been leaning on groaning and feeling the dull ache of my wound I walk slowly over to my rifle. I kneel down next to it picking it up, checking the rifle to see that it's loaded, flipping the selector switch to safe, and looking it over seeing only scuff marks on the finish. "I'm glad you made it out safe." I say to my trusty rifle. Checking over the flip up iron sights then shouldering the rifle and taking aim at the closest tree, I smile confirming that the Comp M2 red dot sight is functioning as it should. I reach forward on the hand guard turning the D-Bal on and off. "Good to go." I pull the sling over my left shoulder and bringing it under my right armpit holding my rifle at a low ready, let go of the forend of my rifle and reach in a pouch on my battle belt pulling out a compass and checking for North.
"Well, lets go north then." I take a few steps forward glancing over my shoulder and make sure I didn't forget anything then reach up and check my helmet feeling everything is where it should be, along with my GPNVG-18. I go back to my pack grab my canteen take another slug of water and return it back making my way forward to what seems to be a clearing in the forest with a large hill in the center. I enter the clearing looking across the horizon for potential threats. I slowly move into the clearing and walk up the hill scanning my surroundings not knowing where I am currently. Cresting the hill after a short walk having a 360-degree view of my surroundings I spot what looks to be a sizable city in the distance along with what appears to be a clearing in the forest which is probably a road. I grab my compass to get my bearings and return it, then grab my binoculars for a closer look. Taking a peek I notice the bizarre architecture of the city trying to make out what I can with the limited magnification of my binoculars.I have no idea where I am. Placing the binoculars back in my pack, I look up at the sun estimating that it's 3 PM and adjust my watch accordingly. I then begin the hike to the potential road through the forest.
Nearing the edge of the clearing I hear a low growl in the distance and turn to face where the sound came from spotting a black humanoid figure slowly stalking closer on all fours. I flick the selector switch from safe to fire on my rifle and dash to a tree taking a cover behind it. I quickly glance over my shoulder and check my flanks seeing nothing else around before I lean out taking aim at the dark humanoid.
I bear down on the creature as it moves in closer, taking aim at its center mass I see glowing red eyes which match the red dot trained on its chest and several white spines protruding out of its back along with white bony patches covering its torso.
The creature rears its head, roars loudly, and charges, closing the space between us rapidly. Keeping calm I make a slight adjustment to my aim and center the dot on its head and upper torso before letting free a controlled pair. My rifle barks angrily at the creature staggering it with a roar of pain and frustration and wounding it, but it still keeps coming. I put another two rounds into it and it flops down to the ground lifeless.
Exhaling I reach with my right hand, pull a magazine from my plate carrier, quickly tactically reload my rifle, and return the slightly spent magazine to my plate carrier keeping my rifle trained on the downed creature. Breaking cover I slowly approach the creature. Getting within two yards of it and dropping my rifle to let my sling hold it close to my chest I draw my pistol quickly putting two rounds into its head just to be sure. "You scared the shit out of me." I say, talking more to myself than the dead creature.
Taking a closer look at the creature I feel a primal urge to move away from it crawl down my spine. Taking a measure of it having a humanoid shape I think back it the last shitty vampire and werewolf movie I saw. "Well I guess you are a werewolf then, I need to get to that city ASAP." I step away from the werewolf keeping my eyes trained on it. "Wait, what?" I mumble.
Looking over to the werewolf I see it begin to break down in a thick black mist. I turn from it and make good time through the forest to the dirt road. Checking my bearings I make my way to the city. "I've gotta move and make it to the city, I don't want to be alone in the forest with those things." I think to myself. Wincing and feeling the wound begin to ache from the exertion I touch the bandages to see that it hasn't opened up. "Time to start walking." Reaching into my pack I pull out a music player, plug it into my headset, and begin the walk to the city.