When you play a game, being shot and dying is common place. In fact, there has been some games where being shot and respawning is part of the strategy! One catch there, is you don't usually see the enemy pointing a gun at you, generally they'll pull the trigger the moment the crosshair is within range of your hitbox.

So, as I stand here with a gun pointed at my head, it straight up awkward. This is a game, I have stats and everything. Even my pain receptors are adjustable. So should I be scared? What will happen if Beatrice decides to kill me right here? Will I respawn?

Perma-death isn't uncommon either in VR MMOs. I just don't play those games, because the idea of putting months of effort into something, only to die isn't my idea of fun.

All this goes through my mind as I stand there wearing the pink pajamas she lent me the day before.

"Where is the charging pad and anti-grav unit? Are you here to steal my things? Pretending to be a visitor only to gain my trust and take my power generators thinking that it's not wrong unless you get caught?"

"What in the world are you talking about?" I hold up my hands, and the pink top lifts up showing my belly button.

"The anti-grav unit is missing, and so is the charging pad."

"The anti-grav unit is in my bag, I brough it in because I figured you'd want to put it away."

"You were going to steal it!"

"Why would I steal your anti-grav unit? I'd need a way to power it as well!"

"Yea, that's why you took the charging pad also! Where is it?"

"I didn't take the charging pad! Check my bag."

"I don't know who you are or why you're taking..."

Something big slams against the door.

"What was that?" whirling around she points the gun away from me, and I dash for my bag pulling out the bow and some arrows.

"I have no idea, but whatever it is probably took your stuff." Popping an arrow into the bow, the power indicator on the cartridge is at one bar. "Did you discharge my arrows?"

"What?"

Another thud, then scratching.

"My arrows are drained, did you sap the energy out of them for something?"

"No. But that bow should be able to shoot normal arrows."

"That's good to know when I don't have any on me."

She scowls and shakes her head as another thumps rattles the door. "Fine. There are some arrows in my bedroom, I'll get them."

"And what? I'll shout profanities at whatever is trying to get in when it breaks through?"

"If you hadn't take my charging pad, I'd have the field up to protect the door!"

"I didn't take it!"

"Whatever, just go in there and grab the arrows. They're in my closet."

Stumbling over myself I head into her room and open the closet. Hangning inside are an arrow sathchel and small pistol shaped weapon. I take both and head back to the living room.

"Does this pistol work?"

"I told you to get the arrows, not go rummaging through my things!"

"Does it work?"

"Yes, but it's energy-based and only has enough charge for 5 rounds right now."

Five of the twelve rectangles on the handle are lit up.

"Hopefully whatever is out there doesn't take more than 5 shots and," I look in the arrow satchel and count the arrows, "10 arrows to kill."

"Don't miss."

I roll my eyes at her response, "What's out there anyways?"

"Sounds like the Dire Wolves you've been hunting decided to come after you."

"That or someone drew them to the cabin after deciding to take your things."

Beatrice looks at me. Her brow furrows for a split second and I see her eyes widen before she draws her into a straight line. This woman is going to kill whatever is outside regardless of who or what they might be.

"I'm going to open the door, be ready to fire."

"You mean, you'll get to hide behind the door, and I sit here as a target and shoot?"

Before I even pull up the gun and take aim, she's already holding the doorknob. "Basically, yes. Ready?"

"I don't really have a choice!" I say diving behind a sofa.

She grins and pulls it open.

A wolf bursts in and I greet it with an arrow that pierces the its left side. It lunges and feel the wind from its massive paw swiping where I was crouching.

Beatrice slams the door shut locking us in with the massive wolf and opens fire. The wolf's snout bursts. I'll leave out the gory bits, but let's just say the wolf can't chew anymore.

Another one of my arrows scrapes the wolf's face. Beatrice shoots again but the wolf dodges and draws back into the corner of the room. It paces back and knocks over a table with one of the oil lanterns.

"We have to get outside before this wolf destroys your cabin!"

Beatrice glares at me.

I manage to hit the wolf in the chest and it draws back to lunge at me, so I run to towards the door. Beatrice pulls it open shielding herself I burst into the night.

The wolf wasn't alone.

Outside the door is another wolf, this one twice the size of the one inside. Pieces of the pink pajamas tear away as I roll to away from its swipe and take off in a dead sprint.

I stop then turn and fire at the wolf outside. The arrow pierces its snout and it yelps scratching at it for a second.

Another arrow lets loose from my bow and hits the new wolf in the side of the jaw. Before it can even turn I fire another 2 arrows aiming for its heart. One connects and the other hits the ground.

The door to the cabin shuts, and I hear two more shots.

In front the wolf is staggering but manages to swing its paw at me. The attack is slow so I spin around fire, this time into the wolf's left eye.

It stops short and falls over.

The pajama shirt rises and falls as I catch my breath.

"Well, that was pretty impressive." A man speaks out from behind me.

Arrow nocked I whirl on the man, and I see a pistol pointed at me. Second time today!

"Think your arrows are faster than my gun?"

I dive to the right and fire my arrow at the man's chest.

A shimmer lights up where the arrow hits him and bounces off. I don't have any shimmer as he fires and the shot catches my shoulder. The impact spins me, and roll on the ground. Another shot kicks up dirt next to me so I extend the roll reaching for the Beatrice Pistol. Hand on the pistol I get to a crouch and fire.

They dodge, but I see another energy bolt fly past me from somewhere near the cabin.

Another person is firing at me. I scramble and dash behind a tree.

Wood chips burst from the tree, so I throw myself to the ground and shoot. The shot hits them square in the chest and I see the shimmer light up all around them.

"Ashes!"

I fire again and this time there is no shimmer. They fall their knees then lay face down.

Over next to the cabin, Beatrice is standing over the other shooter slamming her over and over into them. Either they didn't have a personal forcefield or it couldn't stop a woman's scorn. With Beatrice involved, it's hard to tell.

"Trying to take my stuff! You vent slug, how dare you!"

"Beatrice, get back in the cabin!" I call out as I run towards her.

"What?"

"They never travel in pairs, there is going to be more of them. Get back inside, and we'll hold them off."

"I won't hide from these hairless rats!"

I get to where she's standing over the person and notice there is a bandolier over their shoulders with a cylindrical plate in the middle of their chest. The light has died down, but I'll take a wild guess that it's a shield emitter.

"Lets at least get to cover." I take the pistol and shield emitter. "We need to get whatever we can."

Footsteps on gravel and voices come from behind the cabin.

"Their backup is here."

Beatrice loots the other gunman and we dash to the treeline. Behind us chips burst from nearby trees and energy bolts shoot past us.

"They're shooting at us!" I call out.

"No way, I thought they were sending us hugs and kisses."

"What do you we do?"

"Just follow me."

Beatrice hits a tree with her rifle then grabs me by the shoulder and throws me down.

"What was that?"

"Just shut up for a second." She says in a harsh whisper.

"They're just up ahead." I hear one of the chasers call out.

"We have everything in the cabin already, do we really have to chase them?" Asks another voice.

"They took out Jery and Russe! Besides, the boss said no witnesses."

Scowling I look at Beatrice. She shrugs and holds a finger to her lips.

"Fine, it looks like they went this way."

"Alright, just make sure you..."

A tree starts to fall somewhere near us and I jostle. Beatrice grabs my shoulder and glares at me.

Bones make a horrible sound when they get crushed.

My eyes are locked on Beatrice as we both lay behind a tree in silence. Creaking sounds from above and I venture a look around the tree. A massive log with sharpened branches is swinging with two people attached to it.

"Think that's all of them?" Beatrice asks.

My mouth moves, but I don't make a sound.

"I have some traps hidden around the forest in case predators attack while I'm on my way back to the cabin."

"I see that."

"I guess this lets you off the hook."

"Yea..."

Beatrice walks over to the bodies and loots a pistol from one and a rifle from the other. She also gets a pair of shield emitters and a nice pair of hunting knives.

"Let's hope there are no others."

"Yea, let's hope so." With a shake, I remind myself this is only a game, and I manage to gain my composure. No 'fetal position phase' this time.

We get back to the cabin, and I notice the bodies haven't disappeared. Usually they would have de-spawned by now, but instead, a massive wolf and two dead men litter the front, and another wolf is dead inside the cabin.

The wolf inside is our first priority as we move the bodies away from the entrance.

Beatrice doesn't talk to me throughout the process. Instead, her scowl deepens every time we lock eyes.

After the fourth or fifth time, I finally speak up, "What's up?"

Her eyes drill into me.

"Did I kick your dog?"

"No! But you definitely brought them down on my house!"

"I what?"

"Ever since you appeared this have been going nuts. Starting with Dire Wolves suddenly appearing. Then these idiots try to steal my equipment, and not to mention, the wolf outside is a Female Dire Wolf!"

"Are the females different?"

"Yes! If this female is out here, that means the alpha dog is probably on his way to find her, so this isn't the last of them!"

"How is this all my fault?"

"It didn't start until you came, how can it not be your fault?"

"Ever heard of a thing called coincidence?"

"There is coincidence, then there is Carrots Field!"

The last body thuds on the ground near the tree line when I notice something flashing. I look around and see nothing, but the flashing is coming from somewhere.

"Do you see that?" I ask.

"See what?"

"Something is pulsing with light."

"Where?"

"Here, I could swear its..." I stop when Beatrice yells and points a pistol at me again. "You can't be serious. Twice in one day Butes?"

"What's happening to your arm?"

I look down and see that my fingers are glowing and the tips of them are turning into square pixels and vanishing like mist.

"What is going on?" I say in horror as the digitalization spreads up my arm at an alarming pace.

"What are you!?"

Before I can answer, the world goes dark and I see a message appear in the dark.

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