Aug. 21, 2787

Entry 1

Kempf, Andrey

Ten days left before school starts, and I'm itching for some action. I've procured up to 60% of the necessary equipment and paraphernalia. But noticed something missing in the list. I surmised it might be food or electronics.

Now here I lie in my bed trying to create contingency plans and cataloging the current events.

In hope, lies defeat.

******

Aug. 26, 2787

Entry 2

Kempf, Andrey

All necessary equipment and items were procured. I am confident up to 100% ready to face whatever threat is present.

I bought this Blackish-grey diary at a thrift store whilst wearing a breather; The friendliest breather I had so far, most of my breathers were death masks. The Store owner offered me a digital chronologer, but I found the Idea redundant and costly. Twenty good-looking diaries are equivalent to only one chronologer and those diaries cost only two credits. A bloody bargain! And so I went low tech, too many drawers in the apartment anyway.

I went home immediately to watch the newest episode of my favorite Television series. But on the way back I can't help but feel an odd presence in an alley. It's the same as the one that woke me early in the morning when I first arrived here. It felt odd though and cringy like it's watching you. Luckily I went home safe, but by the time I looked at the window, I saw something. A bunch of constables was carrying a corpse, not a human.

Its eyes were missing or it didn't have any at all. Its head was of a cow or goat. It had no horns but has teeth that of a Sabercat. A constable opened its mouth to retrieve a weapon it swallowed, it revealed three rows of teeth hidden inside. Its body is similar to that of a cat, for its legs complement it. Its toes are similar to that of a fox's, It's tail of a monkey. But most frightful of all was the claws hidden in the paws of this beast. Looking at it might enforce the concept; Looks are deceiving, for, despite the grey skin, its arsenal is devastating to behold.

*****

I must learn more

I must learn more

I must learn more

I must learn more

****

Aug.28, 2787

Entry 3

Kempf, Andrey

Last night I heard something odd, like a bang on the roof. My apartment was on the top floor of a three-story building. And followed by more, silent disturbances. This is the 20th time I awakened late at night, and so I had the urge to investigate.

A neighbor told me that It's normal, Hunts happen every night. So I asked about the nature of these hunts and found out that It's the constables hunting "Lurkers". After all this time the name of those creatures was just "Lurkers"!!! A very simple name for a creature of complicated nature, I thought. I thanked him for the information given and proceeded to go back and rest.

I woke up thrice that night. I MUST LEARN MORE!

*****

Sept. 1, 2787

Entry 4

Kempf, Andrey

The following days were progressive at best. Since the 29th I had been summoned by the dean and principal to the campus. I expected them to do the usual, rather they didn't and I felt relieved. They did a sort of introduction, mainly to tie a rope, and assigned a sort of mentor to help me with my case.

My mentor was Pyotr, and I encountered problems pronouncing his name. I thought it was Pyoter at first, he corrected me three times. And his mentorship was lacking, as it took him three days to teach me an hour's worth of lecture.

It appeared that my worry came from my lack of weapons for self-defense. And Pyotr placed greater emphasis on their procurement no matter the cost, on the plus side they're cheap anyway.

The entire day was spent with the usual introductions and also of yours truly. I ended up a celebrity and barely knew anyone as a result. Just another hassle should I say.

Pyotr ended his mentorship by the end of the day. Probably because I was acting like a dick every time his "girlfriend" shows up. Or because my cynicism was a bit too much sometimes, not to mention the dark atmosphere I emit whenever someone else arrives.

*****

Anyway, he and Erika (probably girlfriend though he dismisses that idea) had a rather peculiar relationship. I don't know if Erika has been keeping her feelings and urges secret, but the way she approached him today was a bit uncalled for. I saw them a few days ago, but it's the sight you see when friends (or lovers) are together having quality fun. This time it went a bit sexual, and I acted like an ass as I left them to their devices.

I swear to the heavens, I could've laughed hysterically if it weren't for self-control. The thought of a girl domineering a boy was amusing at best for me. She was seducing him, and almost looked as if she was thirsty for a drop of his essence. And boy I saw the ordeal with my own eyes ( And Bobby received his emergency shot. If only the roads leading home were bright someone could've screamed after seeing my crotch.)

Missed my bus and used my bike instead to reach home. I wasn't able to see the entire ordeal, but boy she was getting ready to accept the deal. I hope Pyotr got home in one piece as I did, he's the kind of guy that won't be able to preserve his virginity even if he wanted.

*****

Sept 3, 2787

Entry 5

Kempf, Andrey

Things are developing a bit too fast for my taste. I went to the library to learn more about lurkers, just after the end of today's class. I already processed my subscription last Saturday, and so the thing went smooth or so I thought. I found a history book about Azuna, it was outdated and barely adequate. Not to mention, the writer wrote it in a way like how babushka tried to tell a story about that time she overslept in the barn.

Found a book about Lurkers, unfortunately, only four pages were devoted to the Buggers and the rest was mundane like how to kill, cook or even pet them. Though the latter was impractical as it reversed the roles of owner and pet by stating that; "you have to feed it at least 90 kg of meat or it will hurt you.". Totally fruitless.

*****

Sept. 4, 2787

Entry 6

Kempf, Andrey

Things are getting odd! I found dead lurkers outside my window. They were dispatched by civilians. I saw the firefight unfold as a bunch of passersby joined the fray. It was beautiful. I jacked my schedule and waited for the bus.

I bought a zapper last Tuesday. At the lunch break, I saw the two lovebirds at my table. I asked to join them, they agreed so I then show them my PDW for critiquing.

It appeared that Erika placed a leash on Pyotr's neck, or the other way round. They were inseparable now. And by the look on his face, I'd say he must've lost his virginity that night. That thought aside, they looked so sweet. Every now and then, Erika rests her head on his shoulder as they speak. Luckily for me, envy is a thing of the past.

*****

My latest concern is that of somebody stalking me. Ever since I arrived, I noticed people gazing at me nonstop. I counted at least 50. But one concerned me due to her proximity: Katya Markhova.

Since day one she couldn't stop staring at me. And I found her creepy to say the least. She's attractive, that's for sure. But whenever she sees me, that beauty turns into devious intent. That's what creeps me out...

*****

A distant rumble can be heard in the room. Andrey stopped writing and drew his zapper; it looked like a snub-nosed revolver, it stored the batteries in the ball sockets.

He immediately rushed to the window and looked at the roof, nothing. He looked below and found two. No just one, the other was a girl. She sat on the road petrified.

Knowing his window of opportunity is short, he immediately opened the window.

And without even aiming zapped the Lurker right in the head. The sound of the weapon resembles that of a BB gun as it shoots a blue-colored beam.

He checked his target while viewing from his window. The monster was dead, with no vital signs present. The girl, on the other hand, sat still.

He thought " There might be more!". And without a sound, another clawed at the window barely missing his face. He stepped backward and shot its claw with a stun. The shot went straight from the paw to the heart. It fell 50 feet from the roof.

He slowly moved towards the window with caution. He saw it twitching and the girl on the side aimed her weapon and took a shot. As if by instinct Andrey took the initiative, and got out of the building as fast as he can.

After a minute of running around like a ricocheting bullet, he finally reached the door and without delay opened it.

He closed the door slowly and checked the surroundings before he took a closer look at the girl. She looked familiar. "Katya? What are you doing here?" He said surprised at her presence. "Shushhh!" as a lurker jumped out of nowhere. She placed her finger where her lips should've been if she had no breather.

He drew and pointed his weapon at the descending lurker, and let out a short burst without even looking.

The beam pierced the rib and burned the lurker's Lung. Though in pain it showed no response, only slowly opening its mouth to showcase its razor-sharp teeth. Without a word, Andrey took another shot, this time aiming at its belly. The books he read mentioned its anatomy, and so he aimed at its heart; oddly placed behind the intestines.

The monster fell to the ground dead and quiet. Katya picked up her phone and called someone. He heard her mention their location in a whisper. Andrey trying to satiate his curiosity asked: " Katya, what in the blazes are you doing here?"

And just as he finished the sentence, a lightning bolt struck a tree a few meters past followed by a clap of deafening thunder. No homeless people survive here, in fact, no homeless people lived here. They just won't survive the deceptively dangerous terrain. No wonder why they had the record for the city with zero homelessness.

Rain fell a few seconds later. The rain was odd. For although the raindrops were small enough to be considered rain it felt like hail. Every drop felt like pebbles dropped ten feet above but Andrey is no stranger to pain itself. His concern now lies at Katya's wet clothes, he wore a waterproof coat and so was spared from the raging rain.

He looked up, only to be hit by a big drop. His forehead now has a red circle on it. He lowered his head only to see her soaked with her arms crossed and her hands in her shoulders. Alarmed, he signaled her by tilting his head towards the apartment building to tell her to go with him. She complied and followed him to his apartment. After entering he immediately rushed towards a nearby drawer and took a pair of clothes still wrapped in plastic. And without a word opened another drawer and took out a towel.

He passed it to Katya and said: " Relieve yourself, can't have you die of a cold." And immediately went to his room and closed the door. His reason was to give her privacy in the meantime.

After a few seconds he heard her knock on the door thrice, and so proceeded to fully open the door. Only to be greeted by a teen in her Undies. He felt electricity climb his back and immediately slammed the door. He panted heavily and thought: "Is she crazy, what the heck!".

After a minute or so three more knocks followed. He exhaled and slowly opened the door, opening it slightly only enough to let him see her.

"Andrushka, what do you say? How about a quick treat?" She said seductively.

"Uhuh?" He replied sternly as he looked at her from head to toe. She moved closer and with her athletic bosom and said: "How about it?"

Immediately Andrey replied:

"Katya, that's so unladylike of you." He said interrogatively.

"Okay." She replied as she took a step back with her chin angled slightly upward.

"So how's it gonna be? You gonna go rough or soft on me." She said with a playful tone.

"I'll turn the other cheek and offer coffee and croissants instead, would you agree?" He said softly yet stoically. "Ok then." She replied.

He immediately went to the kitchen and prepared the drink and dessert. While preparing, he felt disgust rushing on his head. He thought: " Are the girls in this country hornier than the boys? Did I die in the ship and went to Rape Heaven!"

She crept to the kitchen and watched him as he was preparing. One can see that her eyes proposed devious intent, though her motives were yet to be known.

After a few minutes of preparations, he finally brought the treat or snack if you may; there is enough croissant for four people. To his dismay, Katya still wore her undies, not the comfy clothes he gave her. He placed the tray on the table and waited for her to take the first sip. Amused at this cordiality she smiled, raised the cup, and took a sip. Only to learn later that the creamer and sugar placed near the cup were for a reason, the coffee was dark and strong. She coughed and saw him sigh and give a slightly annoyed stare.

They were silently eating and sipping for a few minutes until Andrey broke the deadlock by asking: "Katya can I ask you something? What were you doing outside in the first place?"

He waited for an answer, but what he got was different.

Katya stood up and said: "I'd rather not talk about it. But are you sure you don't want to? You know." She said as she walked towards his corner of the table with a hand trailing the sides. After reaching him she placed a hand in her hip. Showing a lean boyish body with a feminine touch, she showcases her hips the most.

He finished his cup and said: " What's going on with you Katya?". She leaned closer and said: " You see there's a certain tradition here concerning girls. It only happens when we found something special." BZZZT!!! He looked down and saw his zipper undone. Immediately he tried to zip it but found himself pushed to a sofa nearby. It was then that he felt her strength.

She went on all fours as she slowly approached him. Like a cat stalking its prey, she pounced and placed her head in his abdomen. She looked at him and noticed the action barely had any effect on him, he looked disinterested in the ordeal.

In reality, he was screaming:

" WHAT THE HELL GIRL! DO YOU WANNA GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK! WHAT DO YOU WANT???"

She let out a satisfied smile and was about to touch his underwear. Then suddenly he pushed him up, grappled her, and with a slick 180 degrees rotation set her on the sofa. Now the roles were changed. "I knew you had it in ya! Now bring it on!" She said with excitement.

What transpired next was something Katya wasn't expecting. He thrust his head near her ear and started to lick and bite softly. He picked her soft spot, the most sensitive part. At first, she protested, but after a few seconds relented. He stopped after a minute and stood up with an amused grin. " Aren't you gonna finish?" She said with tears running down her cheeks. "No Fraulein." He said as he got closer to her. " I won't." He added.

He approached the window and saw a car parked near the building. "Looks like somebody's monitoring our progress." He said in a smooth-talking and mocking tone. She immediately took the clothes and was rushing her pace.

"What's going on? Oooookay." He said as he ran towards his quarters. After five minutes she was done and proceeded to groom her hair. The more she groomed, the more her short curly hair complemented her beautiful face. Those Asian eyes and Caucasian nose were of the right form. And her heart-shaped face was perfect.

"You know, being a gentleman wouldn't earn you a girlfriend here." She said earnestly, her eyes now lost the lust and deviousness once present. Now her eyes are filled with what can be considered as in-between obsession and blind love.

"Who said I'm looking?" He quipped just as she spoke. She opened the door and with a smile jogged the way down. He looked relieved and happy as she left. But after closing the door, he turned around and now his face was a mess! His eyes twitched and his face is that of anger, frustration, and surprise. "YOU BLEEDIN' IDIOT!!! NOW SHE'S HEAD OVER HILLS ON YOU!" He thought as he looked at the window.

He let out a sigh and said: " Just another day in the office. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid again.". And let out a frustrated sigh. "This is not Ventura any longer Andrey. This is not Ventura." He added.

Below the building near the road, Katya ran towards the parked car. The door opened as she got near. She got in and the car moved to its destination. It was a grey-colored limo, with antigrav engines. The inside was a colored maroon and in a corner sat a man in his 40's wearing a silver coat. She sat on the side adjacent to the man.

"It appears to me that you were having some fun, young lady." He said in a deep yet soothing voice. "If you mean a minute with some coffee and croissant, well yes it was fun." She replied. Sensing discouragement on her side he pressed further: " I suppose you didn't have some this evening."

"Yes." She said looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Then can you at least give us what you gathered?" He said inquisitively.

"Alright, Mein Herr. He's a crack shot and can shoot a lurker without even looking at it, He prefers candles as a light source when studying, He has the manners and mindset of a Victorian-era gentleman, has the IQ of a near-genius. Athletic with good looks and pretty much that's all I can muster." She said. " Well, you forgot to mention his taste in clothes." The man said. "And taste in women." A woman said.

"If there's a way to describe it, it would be typical. After seeing me in my undies, his response was quick and direct. Just like every boy in Azuna would." She said. "Anyway, what's with the clothes?" She added.

" Those were from Mayuki's you know." He replied.

"Mayuki's? Then why didn't it have any tags in it? She said with urgency.

" It must be a part of a limited edition batch. Only one in twenty has a tag." The woman said.

" How can you be so sure?" Katya asked.

"Because I bought limited edition Pajama a long way back. It seemed they never changed." She said playfully.

She looked at her loaned clothes, the dark green color with dark grey overlays were used in a boring manner. The coat reminded her of a black and white picture, very boring. But looking at the way it was sewn, it wasn't just a work of art rather a work of heart!

" Honey?" The woman said. "Yes, babe?" Came the reply.

"You ready for some fun?" She replied playfully.

" You're an insatiable woman! You know that. Gone for a month and you can't control yourself for a while longer." He replied with a faint chuckle.

"Oh come on, I miss you." She replied as if begging for some.

"Whoa, whoa hold your horses. Mom, you can't just say things like that near our chauffeur!" Katya said with concern in her voice.

" Oh come on, Renaldo has been married for two years. Of course, he knew this kind of thing. Right, Renaldo?" She said.

"Uhh...huh," he replied. Renaldo kept his eye on the road, but his mind was on another.

His carelessness allowed the words: "If only..." Escaped his mouth.

" What was that?" Said Katya's mom. "Nothing! nothing madam. Just a slip of the tongue madam." He replied and let out a sigh.

Her father looked at the road ahead, before cranking his head to see her reading a pocket notebook. " What's that?" He asked.

" Just something I found that sparked my interest." She quipped. "Mind if I join you?" He said stretching his arm towards her. " I wouldn't dare! It's too grim! Even for your sake." She replied.

" Young lady!" He said with an urgent tone. She relented and gave him the book."It's his! And this is interesting! It covers his entire Junior high years." He said with excitement. " My old friend would love to acquire this." He added.

''No way! I want to keep this." She said protectively. "Don't worry I'll give you a copy. That'll help them mend their relationship, didn't you know that they haven't spoken for ten years. This is golden, nice work Katya." He said with a satisfied tone.

The car sped towards the Markhova mansion.