Reliving the Nightmare
By Kuro Kin'youbi

Chapter 3


"You just HAD to laugh, didn't you?"

Torn watched Nor, who was sitting on the chair, preparing to have his tattoo done. Nor nodded, and grinned.

"I had to laugh, Torn. You should've seen the look on your face."

Torn watched Nor get strapped to the seat. A feeling of fear washed over him, for no apparent reason, as he remembered getting strappped to the seat.

"Hey, listen." Torn said "Nor, I have to go. I've got a shift on in 30 minutes."

"Really?" Nor said "I don't know when my shifts start, but good luck man."


Torn discovered he was rather uncomfortable in his uniform. Sure, it had been fit to his size, but he felt strange. He had always hated the Krimzon Guards, after what they had done to his family, and now here he was, probably doing to innocent citizens what he had suffered.

"I didn't believe what had happened." Torn said, looking at me. "My family were killed, because of the KG... and then, they put me in the job... thank Mar my parents weren't alive to see me there."

"You know it wasn't your fault..." I assured him, "They took you. Remember you were alone?"

Torn glared at me, so I felt it just right to glare back at him. He snarled and finally nodded.

"You're right... I was alone. Now I ... should continue the story."

"I hate this sodding uniform." Torn said to himself "I'm just fooling myself. How could I avenge them... when all the KG do, is kill others!"

"OK, KRIMZON GUARDS?" Praixs yelled, slamming his fists on the door "OUT HERE FOR DUTIES! Bwahahaha."

With difficulty, Torn put the helmet on his head and walked out of his dorm, the one he shared with Nor. (Cookies to anyone who can guess why Torn put the helmet on with difficulty) Praxis growled and indicated towards the door to the field, where new Krimzon Guards began their training.

"Out there, newbie." He laughed.

Torn shrugged and headed towards the door. Praxis walked to the door after him and, after walking out, slammed it shut. About a dozen KG were scattered about the field, talking among themselves. Standing on a raised platform was none other than the beautiful Ashelin. Torn walked over in her general direction.

"Ashelin." He said.

She turned around, and looked down at him.

"It's me, Torn." He said when he saw the look on her face.

Immediately her exprression changed. She jumped off the platform and stood by him.

"It's good to see you again! ... In uniform this time." She added.

He grinned. She frowned a moment and then asked "Did you get sunburn on your ears?"

"What?" Torn asked "Sunburn? No, I got my tattoo done this morning, about an hour ago."

Ashelin was silent for a moment. Finally she said,

"Take off your helmet for a minute."

Torn shrugged, and took it off. Ashelin gasped.

"Oh, my god!" She said"What happened to your face?"

"What's wrong with my face?" He asked.

"Well..." Ashelin said "Did Marvin give you any tattoo cream when you got it this morning?"

Torn shook his head, and Ashelin sighed.

"Come with me." She said, grabbing his arm.

Torn followed her - not because of choice, but because Ashelin had a firm grip on his arm, and she was already leading him... towards the palace.

"The Palace"? Torn croaked. "Not there."

"Why not?" She asked.

"Pra... Baron Praxis swore to kill anyone who was there without his permission." Torn pointed out.

"Yeah..." Ashelin said "But, you are one of my KG squad members, and you have my permission to be there."

Torn nodded, and let himself be dragged the rest of the way to the Palace in silence. They made it all the way to the living quarters without being caught by anyone, then Ashelin stopped.

"What is it?" Torn asked.

She shook her head, and walked over to a door. Torn watched her enter a code in the security box there, and the door slid open.

"Come in." Ashelin said.

Torn followed her in, and looked around the room they were in. It was a room for a girl like Ashelin.

"Your room?" He asked.

She nodded, and sat on the bed. He watched her for a minute, she got up off her bed, walked over to the window and opened it, and locked her door.

"Is... something wrong?" He asked her.

She nodded, then disappeared into a side door and camer back out with a tub of cream. She pointed to the door.

"En suite?"

She nodded. "This is the cream for tattooes. I have heaps of it for things like this. My father is always assigning me new KG, after all my good ones die or disappear."

Torn shuddered. He didn't like the sound of death or disappearance in battle.

"But... to use it... you need to have your face washed with..." She indicated to another bottle. "This special face wash. Seems you are my closest friend, you can use it. Normal KG don't get this treatment."

Torn took the two things cautiously.

"Your... closest friend..." He repeated. "Wow... thanks."

She grinned and pushed him in the direction of the door.

"Have a shower. Take your time." Ashelin said.

She wandered over to the bed and lay down on it. "No need to rush things."

Torn closed the door to the En Suite, but forgot to lock it. Ashelin got a magazine out of her drawer and set to read it. She heard the water running, so she put the magazine away and went over to the window. She could see the whole city from her room... maybe that was why her father gave her this room... was that before his period of madness, which continued even today, or while he was so obsessed with world domination?

"Ashelin!"

Praxis was at her bedroom door, slamming his fists on it.

"Let me in!"

Ashelin gasped.

"Coming!"

She ran over to the bathroom door and knocked on it.


Well? Please let me know what you think? Oh, and does anyone know who Torn talks to yet? I will reveal all at the end, I swear, because it is part of the story ender.