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Damaged Goods Chapter 4: Memories

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  1. Damaged Goods Chapter 4: Memories
  2.  
  3. 8:30 PM - Anon’s house.
  4.  
  5. >Dinner has long gone cold
  6.  
  7. >”Come on, come on…”
  8.  
  9. …
  10.  
  11. *”You have reached the voicemail b-”*
  12.  
  13. >”Damn it, Anon!” Anna screamed, winding up to throw the phone
  14.  
  15. >Restraining herself, the 03-A3 redialed once more
  16.  
  17. >”Would you calm the hell down?” said Michelle, “You’re pacing is driving me nuts.”
  18. >The Mossberg was sprawled out across the couch, her short, sandy blond hair spilling over the cushion as she shot the hair band at the ceiling once more
  19.  
  20. >”I am calm!” Anna growled back. “And what I don’t understand is your apathetic attitude! Aren’t you the least bit concerned for Anon?!”
  21.  
  22. >”If calm was at the bottom of a bottle of vodka, then yeah, I bet you are plenty calm right now.” Shelly replied, gesturing to the nearly empty fifth of Svedka on the coffee table. “Besides, I’m sure the jackass just ran out of gas on the highway… or something.”
  23.  
  24. >”What did you just call him you… you bi-” Anna began struggling for the words, before…
  25.  
  26. >”Stop.” Katya said plainly
  27.  
  28. >The Krinkov has been sitting cross legged on the recliner, oversized hoodie pulled down over her knees
  29. >Busily chewing away at her nails
  30. >The lack of nicotine must be getting to her
  31. >”I’m sure he’s fine.”
  32.  
  33. >”And what makes you so sure?” said Anna, now turning her attention to the feline eared girl.
  34.  
  35. >”The range usually takes three hours, maybe more with five of us to shoot… then they might have gone shopping-”
  36. >”They have been gone for almost nine hours.”
  37. >”and maybe they grabbed something to eat after-”
  38. >”Anon knows I was making dinner.”
  39. >”Anna…”
  40. >”He would have at least called!” Finished Anna, fists clenched, tears beginning to well in the corners of her eyes
  41.  
  42. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  43.  
  44. *vrrrrrt….vrrrrrt….vrrrrt…..vrrrrt*
  45.  
  46. >Katya’s ears perk up at the sound of the phone vibrating in Anna’s fist
  47.  
  48. >”Wonder who that could be.” a cocky Shelly said as she launched her hair tie once more
  49.  
  50. >Not even giving herself time to look at the I.D, Anna scrambles to answer
  51. >”A-Anon! Where-”
  52.  
  53. >An unfamiliar, male voice emanates from the speaker
  54.  
  55. >”Is this Anna?”
  56. >”Err… yes?”
  57. >”My name is Benjamin, I’m with St. Anthony’s Hospital.”
  58.  
  59. >Anna’s face goes pale, expressionless
  60.  
  61. >”You were listed as Anon Kneemose’s ICE contact. There has been an incident, Mr. Kneemose was admitted around 1 PM today.” the man continued. “According to reports, he sustained a gunshot wound resulting in severe blood loss. He is currently stable, but remains in the ICU.”
  62.  
  63. >”…” all words have escaped Anna
  64.  
  65. >Katya sits in silence. With her features, she had no doubt heard the entire conversation thus far
  66.  
  67. >”Whats going on...?” sitting up, Shelly is now looking over to Anna, concern slowly crawling onto her face
  68.  
  69. >”Are you there, Ms… I’m sorry, there was no last name li-”
  70.  
  71. >”Anna… just, Anna is fine… thank you for letting me know. I will be there shortly…” she finished, hanging up abruptly
  72.  
  73. >The 1903 begins marching out of the living room
  74.  
  75. >”Anna, where’s Anon…” Shelly asked once more, worry creeping into her voice
  76.  
  77. >Ignoring the shotgun, Anna goes into the spare room where the girls keep most of their spare clothing
  78.  
  79. >Removing her coat, she begins the tedious process of taking off her usual dress, showing no emotion
  80.  
  81. >”Hey I’m talking to you!” Shelly barked out at Anna
  82.  
  83. >”The hospital.” she replied dryly. “He’s been shot.”
  84.  
  85. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  86.  
  87. >”WHAT?!” Shelly yells, a mix of shock and disbelief in her voice. “How the fuck did that happen?!?”
  88.  
  89. >”Don’t know.” Anna replied, “but he’s in the ICU, so I’m going to go see him.”
  90.  
  91. >”You KNOW they don’t let our kind into hospitals!” Shelly’s frustration becoming more and more apparent
  92.  
  93. >”I’m sure Anon thought of that.” Anna said as she pulled a slightly small t-shirt down over her ample chest
  94.  
  95. >Even though Anon has offered multiple times, Anna has never been one for high fashion, often preferring her standard dress from the Remington factory.
  96. >Though, this hasn’t stopped her from getting any new clothing a size too small. After living with Anon for so long, she has learned what he likes to see, and she wants to look good for him, especially today...
  97.  
  98. >Finally managing to shimmy into a pair of jeans, she slips on a pair of sandals and heads for the door
  99.  
  100. >”I’ll be back later….” Anna said as she fired up that “Uber” app Anon showed her months ago
  101.  
  102. “In case of an emergency.” he told her at the time
  103.  
  104. >Anon always has a plan...
  105.  
  106. >Shelly stares on in silence; Kat casting her gaze towards the floor
  107.  
  108. >”Tell him…” Shelly started. “Tell him I said hi…” she finished awkwardly
  109. >”Same…” Kat said, barely in a whisper
  110.  
  111. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  112.  
  113. >Anna waited on the front porch silently
  114. >Questions racing through her head…
  115.  
  116. >Is Anon going to be okay?
  117. >How did he get shot?
  118. >Where did he get shot?
  119. >Who shot him?
  120. >Was it on purpose?
  121. >What about the other girls, where were they?
  122. >Did they even try to protect him?
  123. >Why didn’t they keep him safe…?
  124.  
  125. >A cool breeze is blowing from the north west
  126.  
  127. >”...”
  128.  
  129. >Another late Summer storm must be on its way…
  130.  
  131. *HOOOONK*
  132.  
  133. >Anna never noticed the Uber driver pull up
  134. >It was all she could do to keep from sprinting to the car
  135.  
  136. >”Where to?” the young man asked as Anna climbed in the back, not bothering with her seat belt
  137. >”St. Anthony’s please…” she replied in a dim tone
  138. >”St. Anthony’s, got it.”
  139. >”Erm...how long will that take?”
  140. >”Well, it’s on the opposite end of town, with Saturday night traffic, it may take as long as 30 minutes.” he replied, punching in the destination to his phone
  141. >”Is there a faster way?” Anna asked abruptly
  142.  
  143. >He thought for a second
  144.  
  145. >”Well, we could always give the freeway a shot, we might be able to shave off 8 minutes… if there are no cops that is.”
  146. >*gasp* “Are we going to get to go fast this time!?” comes an excited voice from the passenger seat
  147. >”Maybe.”
  148.  
  149. >A blond haired girl, peeked around the seat at Anna, her bright blue eyes glowing ever so slightly.
  150. >She looked no older than Ellie did
  151. >A S&W Bodyguard maybe? She definitely has night sights…
  152.  
  153. >A slight frown forms on the pocket pistols face
  154. >”Why do you look so sad?” she asks
  155.  
  156. >”Lizzy! That's rude.” the man retorts
  157. >”Oh… sorry…”
  158.  
  159. >Anna remained silent
  160.  
  161. >”Just play you game like you were, okay?” he said, pointing to her DS
  162. >”M’kay!”
  163. >...Sorry, she can be a little curious sometimes.” he said, ruffling the Bodyguards hair, much to her protest
  164.  
  165. >”It’s fine… can we just get going please?” Anna said, keeping her frustration in check
  166. >”Will do, freeway it is.” he said
  167. >An excited ”WOOOOO!” coming from the passenger seat
  168.  
  169. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  170.  
  171. >The car ride was quiet for the most part, only the sounds of the tires whining on the concrete and the occasional sound from the pocket pistols game breaking the silence
  172. >Highway lights flashing through the window, casting hard shadows in a hypnotic pattern
  173. >Before long, hospital signs began popping up, signaling the end of their trip
  174.  
  175. >As the man promised, Anna arrived at the hospital in just over twenty minutes
  176. >With a quick “thank you”, she ran off for the lobby
  177.  
  178. *NOTICE: NO UNAUTHORIZED GEISTS BEYOND THIS POINT*
  179. >The prominent sign featured the silhouette of a Beretta M9 crossed out
  180.  
  181. >Ignoring it completely, Anna approached the reception counter; “St. Anthony” written across the front of it in big bold letters
  182.  
  183. >The desk nurse was thumbing through some manilla envelopes before taking notice of Anna
  184.  
  185. >”Hello ma’am, how can I help you?” the nurse asked in an almost sickeningly sweet tone
  186. >”I-I’m here to see Mr. Kneemose.” Anna stuttered out. Covert operations were never her specialty
  187. >”Hmm, Kneemose, Kneemose…”
  188. >The nurse began typing and clicking on her computer
  189. >”There he is. Anon Kneemose, correct?”
  190.  
  191. >Anna gave a quick nod
  192.  
  193. >”I see... he is in the ICU. Only immediate family members are allowed into the ICU. What was your name?” the womans tone growing a bit more serious
  194.  
  195. >”Anna, I was actually called by the hospital earlier since I am his ICE contact…” Anna started
  196. >She was losing her train of thought. Immediate family only? How was she going to-
  197.  
  198. >”Ah! Anna! I see you right here.”, the cheeriness returning to the nurse's voice. “Well, since Anon is your fiancé you will have access to the room as well.”
  199.  
  200. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  201.  
  202. >Anna immediately felt her face turn a hot and red
  203. >”F-fiancé, right! C-could you point me in the right direction please?”
  204.  
  205. >The nurse waves over another nurse from a nearby station
  206. >”Brock, could you please show Anna here to room 153 please? ICU.” She said, handing a file to the man
  207. >”Of course, right this way ma’am.”
  208.  
  209. >He always has a plan…
  210.  
  211. >As excited and anxious as she was to see Anon, the walk through the ICU did a good job keeping the mood down
  212. >In some rooms, there was crying
  213. >Others, patients lying alone in the dark; no one there to comfort or visit them
  214. >A doctor runs down the hall being tailed by nurses pulling a “crash cart” as a blue light flashes outside of one of the rooms
  215.  
  216. >After turning one last corner, they finally reach room 153
  217.  
  218. >”Now ma’am, before I take you in there are a few things we should-”
  219. >As if he wasn’t even there, Anna rushes up to the door, twists the handle, and throws it open
  220.  
  221. >”Anon!” called out the 1903
  222. >”...”
  223.  
  224. >”Ma’am…” the male nurse started, trying to sound as gentle as possible
  225.  
  226. >”W...wha….”
  227. >Anna could feel tears starting to roll down her cheeks
  228.  
  229. >What was lying in the bed was indeed Anon, but this was not the meeting she was expecting
  230. >Wires from all directions went under the sheets, up onto his body
  231. >Three separate bags hanging on IV stands, running into both arms
  232. >His right leg elevated and held in place by some crane looking device
  233. >Heavy castings around the thigh
  234. >Tubes running into his mouth, eyes taped shut
  235. >The rhythmic sound of a ventilator pumping and monitors beeping is all that breaks the silence
  236.  
  237. >”He is in a coma, ma’am...”
  238.  
  239. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  240.  
  241. >”C-Coma?” was all Anna could squeeze out, trying to hold back her sobs
  242. >One hand covering her mouth as she cried
  243. >She always hated how she looked when she cried…
  244.  
  245. >”Yes ma’am, it looks the doctor’s believe it's from the extreme blood loss” the nurse started once more, flipping into the files
  246. >”According to this, he sustained a single gunshot wound to the upper thigh, completely severing his femoral artery.” he said. “It looks like an off duty officer was on the scene when it happened and provided first aid… unfortunately, it seems the the officer applied the tourniquet incorrectly, resulting in continued blood loss.”
  247.  
  248. >”B-but you got blood back into him, r-right?” she said, struggling once more. “Why is he not awake?”
  249. >”Yes, but by the time we received him, he had already been resuscitated twice. He was… is suffering from Hypovolemic Shock… essentially, extreme blood loss, ma’am. Quite frankly, the fact he is still with us is nothing short of a miracle… someone upstairs must like him.”
  250.  
  251. >”May I…?” Anna says, gesturing to Anon
  252.  
  253. >The nurse nods
  254.  
  255. >Approaching Anon, Anna places a hand on the side of his face, leaning in
  256. >He’s so cold...
  257. >”Hey there Anon.”, she whispered so sweetly into his ear. “It’s me… I’m here for you, okay? Don’t you leave me yet.”
  258.  
  259. >She wipes away more tears to keep them from landing on Anon, she reaches out and gives his left hand a squeeze
  260.  
  261. >”You…” she pauses for just a moment. “You know I love you… and you, me. We don’t hurt the one’s we love...remember? So you can’t leave… not yet.”
  262.  
  263. >Before pulling away, Anna plants a kiss on his forehead, brushing a strand of her hair away from it
  264.  
  265. >There is a knock on the door
  266.  
  267. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  268.  
  269. >A man with wearing a white coat is standing in the threshold
  270.  
  271. >”Ah, you must be Anna.” the man started. “I’m Benjamin, Anon’s doctor. I believe we spoke over the phone earlier. I apologize for not contacting you sooner… we were quite busy with him when he arrived.”
  272.  
  273. >”Oh, right…” Anna began. “...Do you know how long he will be like...this?”
  274.  
  275. >”Honestly… it’s hard to tell, it varies from person to person. It’s just the bodies way of preventing further damage.”
  276. >”Further damage?” Anna inquired
  277.  
  278. >Benjamin made a face, like he knew he said something he shouldn’t have
  279. >”Erm...yes. You see, there is a possibility of some organ damage with this much blood loss… but rest assured, we are keeping an extremely close eye on him.”
  280.  
  281. >”...” Anna obviously wasn’t convinced
  282.  
  283. >”Uh, Anna. I believe one of the officers who brought Anon in is waiting in the lobby. He wanted to ask you some questions.” the doctor said in a poor attempt to change the subject
  284.  
  285. >”Sure…” Anna said, leaning back down to Anon’s ear. “I’ll be right back… promise.”
  286.  
  287. >Benjamin held out his arm, directing Anna out of the room
  288. >”This is actually good timing, as we need to run a few more tests on-” he began
  289.  
  290. >The heart monitors rhythmic beats began turning sporadic
  291. >Anon’s arms and legs began to twitch
  292.  
  293. >“Oh Goddammit, not again!” Benjamin said. “Brock take Anna back to the lobby, now!”
  294. >The doctor hammered an alarm button on the wall as the twitching grew into a full blown seizure
  295.  
  296. >”Ma’am, you need to come with me.” he said, pulling Anna out by the arm
  297.  
  298. >”What’s happening...what's wrong?!” she yelled
  299.  
  300. >A team of nurses rushed past her into the room, closing the door behind them
  301.  
  302. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  303.  
  304. >”W-what's wrong with Anon??” Anna asked desperately once more as she was being escorted away
  305. >Tears still streaming down her face
  306. >”Complications. We are taking care of it.”
  307.  
  308. >This did little to ease the war rifle
  309. >She has always been there for Anon, the one to protect him, to take take of him when he was lonely... ill...
  310. >But now, in his greatest time of need… she felt powerless
  311. >She WAS powerless…
  312.  
  313. >”...”
  314.  
  315. >No…
  316.  
  317. >Anna wipes the tears away, shaking her arm free of the nurse's clutch
  318. >She knew crying would do nothing to help Anon
  319. >If… no, when Anon pulled through, she still had a job to do, she was his rifle
  320. >His FIRST rifle, his guardian, best friend...
  321. >It is her duty to protect him; look out for his best interests
  322.  
  323. >”Take me to the police officer.” an authoritative aura now emanating from Anna
  324. >”... yes ma’am.”
  325.  
  326. >Whoever did this to him, however it happened... she needed to make sure it would never happen again…
  327.  
  328. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  329.  
  330. >The officer was in the far corner of the lobby, busily typing away on his laptop
  331. >Processing paperwork from the day's events most likely
  332. >After formal introductions, the obviously exhausted officer plops back down in his seat
  333.  
  334. >”Who shot Anon?” Anna asked cutting right to the chase
  335.  
  336. >Officer Kennedy hesitates at first
  337.  
  338. >”Look, Anna, I’m going to need to ask you some questions which may not make much sense at first…” he began, “but please answer them as truthfully as possible.”
  339. >”Shoot.” said Anna
  340.  
  341. >”How familiar are you with Waffegeists?”
  342. >”Quite.”
  343. >”Good, that will save some time here… does you fiancè have any sort of relationship with his Geists?”
  344. >”Yes, they’re a regular part of his life.”
  345. >”Good, good.”
  346.  
  347. >Officer Kennedy shifts in his seat a bit
  348.  
  349. >”Does Mr. Kneemose have any anger issues?” he says nonchalantly
  350. >”H-huh?” the ever focused Anna was caught off guard. “No… I mean, I’ve heard him curse while working on his vehicles before, but nothing beyond that.”
  351. >”Only his vehicles?” he says, raising an eyebrow. “He has never, say, gotten upset with any of his Geists?”
  352. >”Why would that even ma-”
  353. >”Please just answer the question Anna.”
  354. >”...No.”
  355.  
  356. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  357.  
  358. >All Anna wanted was some straight answers, and her patience was beginning to wear thin
  359.  
  360. >”Has he even abused his Geists, sexual or otherwise?”
  361. >”NO.” Anna said, a bit louder than intended.
  362. >”How about Mr. Kneemose, has he ever displayed suicidal beha-”
  363. >“Just what the Hell kind of questions are these??”
  364.  
  365. The tired man takes a deep breathe
  366.  
  367. >”Anna, Mr. Kneemose’s injury was self sustained… he shot himself.”
  368.  
  369. >Anna was taken aback
  370.  
  371. >”Shot himself…?” she started. “That… can’t be right. Anon has been shooting for years, there is no way-”
  372. >Anna froze, recalling the questions from before
  373.  
  374. >”Anna, there is a phenomenon referred to as “Geist Interference”. Many Geists are able to manipulate themselves even in their firearm form, sometimes causing flinching, or even jerking themselves violently in their shooters hands.”
  375.  
  376. >Anna remained silent, piecing it all together
  377.  
  378. >”Sometimes, this “flinching” occurs involuntarily.” he pauses. “Othertimes… it' has been found to have been done on purpose.”
  379.  
  380. >Knowing where he is going with this, Anna speaks up
  381.  
  382. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  383.  
  384. >”Who- ... which gun was it…?” a slight edge in her voice
  385. >”A rather torn up looking Beretta 92fs.” He said. “Poor thing looks like it's gone through Hell and ba-”
  386. >”It was like that when he bought it.” cutting him off
  387. >”Okay, okay, no need to get hostile ma’am. Men just get angry sometimes, we all need an outlet for it.”
  388.  
  389. >Anna was shaking, her fists were balled up so tight she could probably crush metal
  390. >She had reached the end of her rope
  391.  
  392. >”Anon is NOT.AN.ABUSER.” she started, “And he certainly is NOT incompetent enough to allow something as minor as a Geist’s flinch to shoot himself!”
  393.  
  394. >Officer Kennedy let out a long sigh before turning his laptop to face Anna
  395.  
  396. >”We pulled the camera footage from the pistol bay… it’s all right here if you don't believe me.”
  397.  
  398. >Anna gave little hesitation before clicking the play button on the screen, still not believing the officer
  399.  
  400. >”...”
  401.  
  402. >Anon was in the rightmost part of the frame, but it was clear enough to easily tell who it was
  403. >There was Sophie, sitting on the shooting bench before Anon took and loaded her once more
  404. >Shooting… shooting… a slight flinch, nothing he wouldn’t have been able to handle and then…
  405. >Anna had never seen a Geist flinch like that before
  406.  
  407. >At least... not by accident...
  408.  
  409. >”Where are they…?” she solemnly
  410.  
  411. >The wind had been taken out of her sails. There was no doubt what happened to him now… as much as she wanted to believe otherwise...
  412.  
  413. >”In the back of my SUV.” he started “Now, Anna, this experience has been exhausting for all of us, I’m sure. I can give you and Mr. Kneemose’s guns a ride back to your place if you wish, I won’t be able to help with the ride back here though, I’m already going to get an earful from my wife whe-”
  414. >”The ride back won’t be necessary… I’ll make my own way back...”
  415.  
  416. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  417.  
  418. >Officer Kennedy wouldn’t allow the others to turn out of their firearm forms in the car claiming it was “against department policy”
  419. >This resulted in the ride back being dead quiet, Anna keeping her eyes straight ahead, in deep thought
  420. >The officer attempted to turn on the radio once to pierce the silence, but Anna only requested that it remain off
  421.  
  422. >The video played over and over again in her head
  423. >She had never seen any other Geist flinch like that… not even Kat was that bad her first time out with Anon
  424. >Anna knew just how much effort something like that would take...
  425.  
  426. >By the time they arrived at Anon’s it was nearly midnight
  427.  
  428. >”All of the handguns are in Mr. Kneemose’s range bag in back; I didn’t see a case for the AR however.” Officer Kennedy said before letting out a great yawn. “I can help get tho-.”
  429. >Anna didn’t even let him finish before getting out of the car, gather Anon’s bag as well as Julie from the back seat
  430.  
  431. >”Ma’am.” the officer called out from the SUV one last time. “If I were you… I’d keep that Beretta locked up, for Mr. Kneemose’s and your safety alike.”
  432.  
  433. >As the taillights faded away, Anna set Julie down in the lawn and began unpacking the others
  434. >Ellie wasted no time, and was the first to change
  435.  
  436. >Crying incoherently, Ellie immediately jumped at Anna, bawling her eyes out
  437. >Crouching down, Anna pulls her in close; the LCP’s tears soaking into her shirt
  438. >Soon enough, the others change… all but Sophie
  439.  
  440. >”Anna, is Anon…?” Julie begins, choking on her own words, yet holding back any tears
  441.  
  442. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  443.  
  444. >”No, not yet.” she said, making sure to cover Ellie’s ears. “He wasn’t conscious when I saw him.” she added
  445. >The Twins remained silent, holding each other in a poor attempt to hide their own emotions
  446.  
  447. >Julie kept her eyes downturned, occasionally glancing over at the Beretta still lying in the bag
  448.  
  449. >”Anon… he was with Sophie when-”
  450. >”I know what happened.” Anna said cutting her off
  451. >”Anna… I know… we should have been with him.” Julie finished solemnly
  452. >”Just help me get everyone inside, Julie…” She replied, completely ignoring Julie’s apology
  453.  
  454. >Anna passed off the still crying Ellie to The Twins, before picking up Sophie, leaving the bag on the ground
  455. >She immediately started heading for the house, moving with purpose
  456.  
  457. >”A-Anna?” Julie stammered
  458.  
  459. >Anna gave no response as she threw open the front door
  460.  
  461. >”Anon, Anna?!” Katya called out from the living room upon hearing the door
  462.  
  463. >Her only reply was the sound of the workshop door slamming shut, the click of a lock accompanying it...
  464.  
  465. >Anna set Sophie down on the workbench
  466. >The same bench Anon spent so much time slaving over to make her whole again
  467. >Bright jade eyes bore into the Beretta, looking over every inch
  468.  
  469. >"I'm sorry Anon... I need to keep you safe..." Anna thought to herself
  470.  
  471. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  472.  
  473. >”Sophie” Anna whispered, “Sophie, it’s me, Anna… you’re home… you can come out now.”
  474.  
  475. >She could hear the front door close, the other must have finally come in
  476. >There is murmuring just outside in the hall…
  477.  
  478. >Anna walks over to the workshop safe, crouching next to it
  479. >A simple looking brown chest with a single latch lies there
  480.  
  481. >”You’re safe here, I promise…” Anna says once more
  482.  
  483. >The sound of feet landing on the floor lets the 03-A3 know that Sophie has changed back, quietly sobbing
  484. >Sophie’s hair was a mess, her braids have since been pulled back out into a tangled jet black mess
  485. >Her white tank top splashed red with Anon’s blood
  486.  
  487. *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
  488.  
  489. >”Anna, open the door. Now.” Katya calls from the hall
  490.  
  491. >She receives no response
  492.  
  493. >Digging through the chest, Anna retrieves a long, cloth wrapped object, closing the chest once more
  494.  
  495. >”...Anon is hurt Sophie… he might not make it.” Anna says, not a hint of emotion in her voice
  496.  
  497. >Hearing this, Sophia leans over the bench; her sobs turning into loud cries
  498.  
  499. >”ANNA. OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR.” Katya screams, giving the door another pounding
  500.  
  501. >Anna places her hand on Sophie's back, giving her a gentle rub
  502.  
  503. >”Sophie… we need to protect Anon, to always keep him safe… It is our most sacred duty as his weapons.” emotionless again, Anna moves her hand up, gently parting Sophie's hair to one side, revealing her gnarly scar
  504.  
  505. >”You want to protect Anon… right?”
  506. >”R-right.” Sophie barely choked out through the tears
  507.  
  508. >”...”
  509.  
  510. >Using one hand, Anna works her fingers into the cloth, gripping the object inside
  511.  
  512. >”No matter what it takes…?
  513.  
  514. >...letting the cloth drop free of her bayonet
  515.  
  516. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  517.  
  518. >Anna ran her freehand over Sophie’s large scar; the base of the skull will do… just as she was taught in basic...
  519. >”If only whoever did this to you would have finished you off…” Anna thought
  520.  
  521. >Sophie’s crying showed no sign of stopping
  522. >Yet the Beretta still tried to get the words out
  523.  
  524. >”N-no… ma-...ma-” she cried out, unable to finish
  525. >”Sophie…” Anna started. “I need you to say it…”
  526.  
  527. >Quivering, Sophie tried taking a deep breath
  528. >”No matter w-what…”
  529.  
  530. >”Thank you, Sophie.” Anna said to the Beretta sweetly. “You don’t need to worry though, I’ll make everything better, I’ll keep Anon safe...”
  531.  
  532. >”…”
  533.  
  534. >”I’m sorry, Anon…”
  535.  
  536. >Anna couldn’t recall whether she spoke those words aloud as she brought the bayonet down upon the Beretta
  537.  
  538. *WHAM*
  539.  
  540. >But Anna did, indeed know that she spoke these next words
  541.  
  542. >”W-what…?”
  543.  
  544. >The bayonet was dead on target, yet it never hit its mark; being stopped less than an inch away
  545.  
  546. >Sophie was now pinned against the bench by the force Anna was putting into the blade; her right arm stuck between her own chest and the bench, while her left was bent awkwardly behind her head
  547. >A death grip on Anna’s wrist
  548.  
  549. >Sophie’s eyes expressed a mix of shock and horror at the sudden attack
  550. >Her strength and speed were disproportional for her size… especially as a pistol
  551. >”W-why…?!” Sophie gasped out
  552.  
  553. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  554.  
  555. >Why…?
  556. >WHY?
  557.  
  558. >”I’m not going to let you hurt Anon again.”
  559.  
  560. >Anna presses the attack, putting all of her weight onto the pommel, inching the tip closer to the Beretta’s neck
  561.  
  562. >”I don’t care WHAT you’ve been through! The moment you hurt Anon, you lost the right to be his; to even EXIST!” Anna growled, pure hatred spilling forth from her tongue
  563.  
  564. >Even at the awkward angle, Sophie managed to hold off Anna’s attack
  565. >Her eyes once expressing shock, are now filled with anger
  566. >She began struggling to free her right arm
  567.  
  568. >”Why are you even fighting?” the ol’ war horses voice had grown more sinister. “I thought you wanted to protect Anon, didn’t you?”
  569.  
  570. >The blade tip grazes the back of Sophie’s neck
  571.  
  572. >”This is the only way…”
  573.  
  574. >Thoughts of Anon lying unconscious came crawling up in Anna’s head
  575. >The feeling of his cold flesh against her hand
  576. >Needing machines to do his breathing for him
  577. >A lump in her throat growing, boiling, raging into anger
  578. >Anger at Sophie for what she did
  579. >Anger at herself for not being there to protect him...
  580.  
  581. >”Anon deserves so much better, so much love, love only I could provide for him. So why don’t you just FUCKING DI-”
  582.  
  583. *click*
  584.  
  585. >Anna couldn’t help but look down to the source of the noise
  586. >The distinctive noise of a thumb safety clicking off
  587.  
  588. >The muzzle of a 92fs poking out from beneath Sophie’s chest
  589.  
  590. >”...cute, but without Anon you can’t-”
  591.  
  592. *BANG*
  593.  
  594. >Anna stumbled back several feet, clutching her abdomen where the bullet had connected
  595. >Not wasting the opportunity, Sophie drove her left foot into Anna, flooring the 1903 before putting herself in low and ready, defensive posture
  596.  
  597. >”Heh… hehaha..” Anna cackled. “I think you might have actually dented in my reciever…”
  598.  
  599. >Anna re-steadied herself, brushing back a strand of hair, raising the bayonet
  600.  
  601. >”But you’re going to have to try a lot harder if you want to kill me…”
  602.  
  603. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  604.  
  605. *WHAM*
  606. >Someone began kicking at the door… must have been Shelly judging by the force
  607.  
  608. >Sophie stared down Anna, her stance shifted with her right foot forward, arms slightly raised
  609.  
  610. >Those eyes… Those are eyes Anna knows
  611. >Eyes Anna see through everyday
  612.  
  613. >”How many is it, Sophie?” Anna started. “How many have you killed?
  614. >Without waiting for a response, Anna lunged at Sophie, who easily dipped away from the blade
  615. >Just testing the waters…
  616.  
  617. >Sophie looked surprised, not at the attack, but the question
  618. >”...you know?” Sophie finally replied, her voice almost a whisper
  619.  
  620. >”It wasn’t hard to figure ou-”
  621. >Sophie charged Anna before she could finish
  622.  
  623. >Even with the shops small size, Sophie picked up a good amount of speed
  624. >But she was being reckless...leaving herself wide open
  625. >Anna seized the moment, drawing the bayonet down once more
  626.  
  627. >...
  628.  
  629. >Anna had taken the bait
  630.  
  631. >She never made contact, as Sophie was ready with the counter, twisting Anna’s arm over, steeping in between the far taller rifles legs and pushing
  632. >Bringing Anna down to the ground
  633.  
  634. >Sophie was now straddling the 1903, sitting on her abdomen, trying to force her own bayonet into Anna’s throat
  635.  
  636. *WHAM*
  637. >Another blow to the door
  638.  
  639. >”You don’t know a SINGLE THING about me!” Sophie screamed, a wild look in her says
  640. >The Beretta before Anna now is a far cry from the timid girl who she had shared breakfast with just that morning
  641.  
  642. >”The things I have SEEN, things I was forced to DO, the innocents I was tricked into killing!”
  643. >Sophie forced the blade closer and closer; it was all Anna could do to keep it from plunging in
  644.  
  645. >”...even hunting down my own sisters who tried to escape from that forsaken place...”
  646. >She eased up slightly on the blade
  647.  
  648. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  649.  
  650. >”I fought too hard to evade those horrible people… to escape L.A… to escape The Pacific Territories…”
  651. >Sophie paused…
  652.  
  653. >”...and I’m not going to let some spoiled rotten, pampered, imitation housewife take it all away from me!!!”
  654.  
  655. >She forced the bayonet onto Anna; her eyes focused… but empty
  656. >The eyes of a killer
  657. >Anna screaming in pain as the tip dug into the side of her neck
  658.  
  659. *WHAM*
  660.  
  661. >Wooden splinters exploded out from the frame as the door flew open; Shelly stumbling in, freezing in shock as she took in the whole situation
  662.  
  663. >Sophie broke her focus to see who the intruder was… leaving Anna an opening…
  664.  
  665. >In one swift motion, Anna slapped the blade away and delivered a devastating right hook to the Beretta, causing her to dismount
  666. >Scrambling back to her feet, Anna hoisted Sophie up, before forcing her knee into her nose, knocking her back to the floor
  667. >Reaching down to the stunned Beretta, she grips the rear of her neck, forcing Sophie into her handgun form before violently throwing her into the workshop safe
  668. >Smashing the electronic lock with her bare fist
  669.  
  670. >”What the fuck Anna?!” Katya yelled, grabbing her wrist
  671. >”Don't you FUCKING touch me!!” Anna screamed, shaking off her grip, obviously still riled up from the fight
  672.  
  673. >Katya, Shelly, Julie, The Twins, Ellie… all stood on in silence, staring at Anna
  674. >Katya noticed the bayonet lying on the floor
  675.  
  676. >”You… tried to kill her?” Katya said, staring on in disbelief
  677. >”She tried to kill Anon…”Anna said, holding back tears
  678. >”We don’t know tha-” Julie began
  679. >”SHE TRIED!” Anna screamed again. “So I did what I had to do! I alone took action because I KNEW no one else would!”
  680.  
  681. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  682.  
  683. >Reaching for her neck, Anna felt the gouge Sophie had left her; her finish had to have a nasty mark on it now…
  684.  
  685. >”I-it was an accident!” yelled Julie, trying to sound more confident than she was. “Why would she want to kill Anon?!”
  686.  
  687. >Katya marched up to Anna, almost needing to jump as she slapped Anna’s face
  688. >”THAT’S NOT YOUR FUCKING CALL!” yelled the krink, before Anna pushed her away, as if she were no more than a fly
  689.  
  690. >”She attacked me…”
  691.  
  692. >”YOU ATTACKED HER FIRST!!” Kat retorted, her face red with anger
  693.  
  694. >The rest of the girls remained silent…
  695.  
  696. >”Ha...hahaha…. I knew it…” Anna started, her eyes glazed over. “I knew I was the only one who truly cared about him.”
  697.  
  698. >Anna made a beeline for the door, bumping straight through the others
  699.  
  700. >”W-where are you going?” Ellie said through her sobbing
  701.  
  702. >”I’m going back to Anon.” was Anna’s only reply
  703.  
  704. >The sound of the front door slamming behind her
  705. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  706.  
  707. >This feels… strange
  708. >No… maybe strange isn’t the right word
  709. >Everything is dark, you can’t even see your hands in front of your own face
  710. >Do you even have a body…?
  711. >Have you ever had one…? Maybe…
  712.  
  713. >Sometimes there is sound… even the occasional voice
  714. >Some sound panicked
  715. >Others, serious
  716. >Even someone whispering sweet nothings
  717. >You liked that one the best…
  718. >But there is something else, something even more familiar
  719.  
  720. >A scent… it’s… floral?
  721. >It’s definitely flowers… but you can’t put your finger quite on which one
  722.  
  723. >It’s driving you crazy, you’ve smelled it countless times… woken up to it… fallen asleep to it...
  724. >It makes you happy… even in the darkness…
  725.  
  726. …
  727.  
  728. >Roses!!
  729. >It’s roses…
  730.  
  731. …
  732.  
  733. >Roses…
  734.  
  735. -~-~-~-~-~-(5 years prior to the events of Damaged Goods)-~-~-~-~-~-
  736.  
  737. “Uhh, roses?”
  738. >”Yeah bro, women love roses.”
  739. “... but it's gun…”
  740. >”It looks like a woman though right?” Jay says, taking another swig of beer
  741. “Just because she-... IT looks like a woman doesn't mean it likes the same things...”
  742.  
  743. >Jay was one of your few friends in college. He could be a bit of your typical “college bro”, but greek life will do that to a person
  744. >You wouldn’t know it by looking at him (or listening), but he is actually a pretty cool guy, easy to talk to, although he always seems to do most of the talking
  745. >Having an “in” on frat parties is nice too...
  746.  
  747. >”Nah-nah-nah, dude, hear me out.” he says, setting his beer down. “My dad has this old Winchester named Susan, right?”
  748. “Wait, he named it?”
  749. >”Hahaha, dude… you don’t know what the Hell you’re doing, do ya?”
  750.  
  751. >Obviously…
  752.  
  753. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  754.  
  755. >”Anyway, he took Susan out to hunt, and he’s halfway up the treestand when he sees this fucking monster buck, like, 50 yards away.”
  756. >He takes another swig of beer
  757. >”So he sneaks his ass up to the top before taking aim at the thing, but the idiot forgot to rack the lever.” Jay said, making a lever cocking motion with his hand
  758. >”He starts racking Susan, only for the buck to hear it and run off!”
  759. “...what does this have to do with my situation?”
  760. >”All in time bro. So, my dad and Susan start getting into a huge argument about the deer; at some point my dad told her.” lowering his tone. “Yeah, well maybe if you weren’t such a loud mouthed BITCH it wouldn’t have ran off!”
  761.  
  762. >He lets out a chuckle before finishing his beer
  763.  
  764. >”She slapped him so fucking hard, the mark on his face lasted for a whole week! She wouldn’t talk to him, shoot for him, nothing for the rest of the season.”
  765. “There you go with that “she” stuff again…”
  766. >”ANYWAY, one day my dad comes home from work with this bouquet of roses, and my mom gets pissed immediately thinking he did something wrong; well he marches his sorry ass down to the closet where Susan stays, right? He give her this big speech about how he shouldn’t have called her names and it was his fault yada yada yada…”
  767.  
  768. >He can tell you’re starting to lose interest in the story
  769.  
  770. >”Point is, Susan loved it man… she was all sweet on him and shit… I even caught him watching a football game with her in his lap once... lets just say she wasn’t in her gun form. He even gave me $100 not to tell mom.”
  771.  
  772. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  773.  
  774. >You learned more in those couple minutes about Geists than you have the past four days…
  775. >Hell, you didn’t even know they had feelings until now… making what you said all the worse...
  776.  
  777. “So, they actually like stuff like that… you’re not just fucking with me right?”
  778. >”Just tryin’ to help you out.” Jay says, slapping your back. “You’ve had a rough week bro… I wouldn’t be fucking with you… not now at least”
  779. “…roses, huh?” you say with some hesitation
  780. >”Bro… roses.”
  781.  
  782. >It's been three days since you bought your first rifle from that estate auction...
  783. >Two days since Rachel left you, for spending what little money you have on “stupid shit”...
  784. >And one day since learning you can’t even shoot said rifle
  785.  
  786. >You should have known something was wrong when no one else bid on that 1903A3
  787. >$200 may not seem like much to most people, but it took you the entire semester, and then some to save it
  788. >Being college broke sucks...but fuck you Rachel, it’s MY MONEY, I can do what I want with it…
  789.  
  790. >You’ve were never all that interested in guns until the auction, those weren’t even what you were there for… but you just couldn't resist how gorgeous it looked
  791. >The deep walnut stock, flawless finish, plus that sniper used one in Saving Private Ryan, so fucking cool...
  792. >How were you supposed to know that a “National Ordinance” stamped receiver was a fancy way of saying, “1903 parts kit”
  793.  
  794. “…”
  795. “Fucking finally…”
  796.  
  797. >The bus rumbled up to a stop. You normally don’t mind the wait, but this winter has been particularly harsh
  798.  
  799. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  800.  
  801. >Getting off a few stops early, you make your way into the mostly deserted outdoor mall, trying to remember where the florist is
  802. >You never really bought any flowers for Rachel after all… maybe the gun wasn’t the only reason she left...
  803.  
  804. “FIVE DOLLARS FOR ONE ROSE?!” you say, startling the florist
  805. >”S-sir, it’s dead of winter… they’re out of season.”
  806.  
  807. >You have all of $20 dollars to your name after that auction, you can’t waste money on shit like this...
  808.  
  809. “…”
  810.  
  811. >”What good is a gun to me that I can’t even shoot?!?” you said, so bitter and angry
  812.  
  813. >The look on her... IT’s face crawls back into memory… absolutely crushed… defeated…
  814.  
  815. >Fuck me
  816.  
  817. “...I’ll take one…”
  818.  
  819. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  820.  
  821. >You had decided to walk back to the apartment from the florist; the bus wasn’t worth the wait for a 20 minute walk, even in these temperatures
  822.  
  823. >The apartment building was, well… not very nice
  824. >The building itself was built just prior to WWI, and hadn’t seen any renovations (outside of what was legally required) since
  825. >The area it was located in also wasn’t the either best, but as long as you weren’t wandering around in the wee hours you were fine
  826. >By far, the worst part was the heating situation… The original radiators were still in use (and probably the original boiler as well), which are normally fine, but living on the top floor meant that the steam had cooled down significantly by the time it reached you, leading to many chilly nights
  827.  
  828. >So why live in this shit hole?
  829. >Well, with rent being less than a quarter of the price as on campus living, you couldn’t afford not to...
  830.  
  831. >Ascending the creaky stairs to the fifth and final floor, you make your way down to the door marked 519, dark green paint flaking off which each use
  832.  
  833. ”Rach-” you begin, forgetting that the apartment is no longer occupied by two
  834. >That's going to take getting used to…
  835.  
  836. >The apartment wasn’t small by any means, but it wasn’t exactly what you would call large either, so yelling was hardly necessary to get someone's attention
  837. >The entrance fed into the living room, which had a small kitchen area branch off of it, as well as a short hall leading to a bathroom and your modest bedroom
  838. >A small, single pane window in the living room was your only source of natural light
  839.  
  840. >Burying your emotions, you head for your bedroom closet where you have stored the 1903, trying to imagine what you are possibly going to say to… it
  841.  
  842. >You don’t even make it three steps in before you realize the rifle won’t be found in the closet
  843.  
  844. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  845.  
  846. >A mass of blankets was huddled against the living room radiator near the window; long strands of reddish chestnut hair creeping out the top of the pile
  847. >Quivering ever so slightly
  848.  
  849. “Uhh… hello?” you ask, approaching it, hiding the rose behind your back
  850.  
  851. >Slender, pale fingers slide up from the inside of the pile, pulling the blankets down just over the bridge of the geist's nose
  852. >Jade eyes peering out at you
  853.  
  854. “Oh… are you cold...?” you said, only realizing how painfully obvious that observation was after it left your mouth
  855.  
  856. >The geist’s eyes narrow, giving you an expression of, “are you serious?”
  857.  
  858. “Right, that was stupid... Look, about what I said yesterd-”
  859.  
  860. >”It’s true, every word of it.” the geist started. “A rifle that can’t be used really is good for nothing.” it’s voice barely more than a whisper
  861.  
  862. “Well-”
  863.  
  864. >”You don’t have to sugar coat it, it is what it is.” it finished very matter-of-factly
  865.  
  866. “Err…”
  867.  
  868. >You were already having a tough time coming up with a proper apology, but now you had nothing at all
  869.  
  870. “...”
  871.  
  872. >The geist’s gaze remained on you a while longer, before slowly returning to the floor, a hint of defeat lingering on its face
  873.  
  874. >Squatting down to eye level with the geist, you bring the rose out from behind, giving it a quick twirl
  875. >It’s not all that impressive; the bulb is rather small, and barely in bloom
  876. >It hardly had any fragrance
  877.  
  878. >But you can’t deny that color...
  879.  
  880. “Still though…” you say, extending the rose out
  881.  
  882. “I’m, uhh... sorry, for what I said before...”
  883.  
  884. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  885.  
  886. >The spirit’s eyes shot up, locking onto the deep red bulb
  887.  
  888. >”A…. rose?” confusion in its voice
  889.  
  890. >It doesn’t reach out for the offering or anything; only staring at it
  891.  
  892. “Yeah, you know to show that I… I… uh.” you mutter, fully aware of how ridiculous this must look
  893.  
  894. >You are giving a rose to a virtual stranger, what is essentially your gun, as an apology
  895. >Aren’t roses only supposed to be a symbol of love or something…?
  896.  
  897. “I…” you start once more, still fighting to find the right words
  898.  
  899. “...”
  900.  
  901. “have no idea what I’m doing…”
  902.  
  903. >”H-huh?”
  904.  
  905. >You give no response
  906. >Letting out a long sigh, you stand back up, placing the rose on top of the luke warm radiator
  907.  
  908. “I’m hungry, tired, and need to shower…” you say to no one in particular
  909.  
  910. >”O-okay then…”
  911.  
  912. >Doing an about face, you march off to the bathroom; a sense of defeat hanging over you
  913.  
  914. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  915.  
  916. “What are you doing, man…” you murmur to yourself. “What the fuck are you doing…”
  917. >The warm water streaming down your face does little to soothe your mind
  918.  
  919. >Finals are drawing closer, you’re newly single, and now flat out broke with nothing to show for it but a mysteriously broken rifle
  920. >And to top it all off, you know all you have waiting for you in the kitchen is some generic boxed macaroni
  921. >Maybe you will find some butter for it if you are lucky
  922. >Gotta love the taste of poverty
  923.  
  924. “...”
  925.  
  926. >You had no business spending that money on a gun and you know it, even if it did work
  927. >You’re shitty bookstore job didn’t get you the hours to keep up with more besides food and rent either
  928.  
  929. >Not that you had the time to take more anyway
  930. >And now that Rachel is gone, things are going to be even tighter
  931.  
  932. >The water pressure dips in and out as the shower head sputters
  933.  
  934. “...”
  935.  
  936. >You could sell it, maybe even turn a profit if you find someone just as ignorant as you were
  937. >Non-shit food for a month sounds good right now
  938. >A little whiskey wouldn’t hurt either...
  939.  
  940. >Letting out another sigh, you crank off the shower, the warmth quickly escaping
  941.  
  942. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  943.  
  944. >Wrapping yourself in a towel, you make a bee-line for your room
  945. >Your room was hardly large enough for for the queen sized bed and a dresser, but you didn’t really mind
  946. >Less space for the radiator in there to have to heat after all
  947. >Grabbing a pair of sweats and your hoodie off the radiator (mmm, toasty…) you decide it is time to go and make “dinner”
  948.  
  949. >Heading to the kitchen, floor boards creaking all the way, you spot your 1903 still huddled by the radiator, blanket now pulled up over its’ head
  950. >But something else catches your eye...
  951.  
  952. >A red rose sitting in a filled drinking glass, perched on the window sill
  953.  
  954. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  955.  
  956. -~-~-~-~-~-(The next day)-~-~-~-~-~-
  957.  
  958. **FS: National Ordinance 1903A3**
  959.  
  960. >You had finally decided to take a break from studying to type out the Armslist ad
  961.  
  962. **Flawless finish, crisp trigger, immaculate stock. $400 OBO.**
  963.  
  964. >Short, sweet and to the point
  965. >You hover the cursor over the “submit” button
  966. >It’s not lying if you simply leave out information...right?
  967.  
  968. *CRASH*
  969.  
  970. >The sound of something shattering in the kitchen causes you to nearly drop your laptop
  971.  
  972. >Looking over to the source of the noise, you see the geist of your 1903 frozen in place; shattered ceramic and spilled coffee covering the hardwood floor
  973. >An open hand trembling
  974.  
  975. “Uhh… what the Hell was that?” you say in an overtly annoyed tone
  976.  
  977. >”I-I don’t know…” it said, staring at its open palm
  978.  
  979. >You were so drawn into your studies that you hadn’t even noticed it going into the kitchen
  980. >This is really the first good look you have gotten at the geist; having spent most of its short stay in your apartment either in the closet, or huddled up by the radiator
  981.  
  982. >It seems to be about the same height as you… standing about 6 feet tall, wearing a rather old looking white dress, an old brown knit quilt adorning its’ shoulders
  983. >Yellowed from age and fraying slightly on the edges, the skirt stopped just below her knees
  984. >Scuffed leather knee-high boots, cracking from age running up her legs
  985.  
  986. >Its’ skin was quite pale as well, but in a sickly looking way; bags and slight dark spots under its eyes expressing fatigue
  987.  
  988. >”I just… it… m-my hand…” its’ frustration becoming obvious
  989.  
  990. >Hopping out of your seat, you jog to the kitchen to grab some towels
  991.  
  992. >”I can get it mys-”
  993.  
  994. “I already got it.” you say, shortly
  995.  
  996. >“You looked like you were working hard, I thought you could use a dri-”
  997.  
  998. “I don’t drink coffee.”
  999.  
  1000. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1001.  
  1002. >”...why would have coffee if you don’t-”
  1003.  
  1004. “It wasn’t mine, got it?”
  1005.  
  1006. >It was an honest question, but not one that you felt like answering
  1007. >Rachel was the coffee drinker… dark roast, no cream and just a single teaspoon of sugar
  1008. >She even used an old french press she got from the thrift store, a true hipster if you ever knew one
  1009. “...”
  1010.  
  1011. >You knew you were being a dick, but with all of the other shit going on in your life you hardly cared if a gun didn’t like you
  1012. >With any luck you won’t have to deal with this headache too much longer, even if you get lowballed, you still might make some extra ca-
  1013.  
  1014. >”I wasn’t always so worthless you know.” the geist cut you off, trembling hand now clenched into a fist
  1015. >”I was strong, I had purpose… I had a duty to carry out and I carried it out well!”
  1016.  
  1017. >What you thought were going to be tears from the geist turned into anger, frustration
  1018.  
  1019. >”And after all of that they had the nerve to toss me into this sorry excuse for a receiver?!” it said, run its’ hands up and down its’ shapely figure
  1020.  
  1021. >Not expecting this outburst, you fumble for your next words
  1022.  
  1023. “Wha-”
  1024.  
  1025. >”And I know, I KNOW I should have said I didn’t work before you bought me, but…”
  1026.  
  1027. >It took a moment to collect itself; anger washing off its face, being replaced by sadness
  1028.  
  1029. >”I couldn’t bare the thought of being locked up in some safe again for decades at a time... I know I was being selfish, but being confined like that for so long is close to torture for us...”
  1030.  
  1031. >Taking one deep breath, it finished with
  1032.  
  1033. >”I’m sorry.”
  1034.  
  1035. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1036.  
  1037. >Jay told you that geists have feelings, but you never expected them to be so human
  1038. >Its expressions, body language, mannerisms and raw emotion all pointed to being human
  1039. >Hell, the only way you would know it’s a geist is because you’ve seen it shift forms
  1040.  
  1041. “It’s...”
  1042.  
  1043. >And now you’re painfully aware of how much of a dick you’ve really been to it
  1044.  
  1045. “I don’t think I could really blame you.” you say, a bit sheepishly. “Being locked up in a safe like that doesn’t sound very pleasant.”
  1046. >”Y-yeah…”
  1047.  
  1048. >You gather up the remaining bits of the shattered mug and discard them, trying to buy some time to think of what to say next
  1049.  
  1050. “So, uhh, how long did your last owner shoot you too much, and that's why you don’t work?”
  1051. >Smooth…
  1052.  
  1053. >”Oh, um, not exactly… he only took me out once after he bought me, but the ammo he used was too much for my current receiver.”
  1054. “Current receiver? “ you start, a bit confused, “You mean that's not your first?”
  1055. >”It’s... complicated, but no, I was first made on a Springfield receiver, ma- err...” it suddenly started tripping over its own words
  1056. “What?”
  1057. >”I’m not sure how you want me to refer to you... is sir or master oka-”
  1058. “God no,” you say cutting it off, “that’s not necessary; just call me Anon.”
  1059. >”Anon…” it repeated back to itself
  1060.  
  1061. >You swear you saw a tiny grin for only a moment
  1062.  
  1063. “Speaking of which, what should I call you?”
  1064. >”Well, that’s up to you ma- Anon.”
  1065. “You’ve never had a name…?”
  1066. >”I’ve had a couple; it’s considered disrespectful to our previous and current owners to ask to go by an old name.”
  1067.  
  1068. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1069.  
  1070. >Dull jade eyes give you a once over
  1071.  
  1072. >”Anon?
  1073. “Yes?”
  1074. >”I mean no disrespect,” the 1903 shuffles in place nervously, “but I’m your first gun, aren’t I?”
  1075.  
  1076. “Is it that obvious?”
  1077.  
  1078. >The geist lets out a playful laugh; suddenly clutching its lower left abdomen, wincing
  1079. In discomfort
  1080.  
  1081. “Is there I can get you or…?”
  1082. >”No, I’ll be fine it’s just my receiver…”
  1083.  
  1084. >The geist starts heading to the couch, gingerly taking a seat
  1085. >Walking even a short distance seems to take quite a bit of effort for it
  1086.  
  1087. “You never really told me why it is you can’t shoot you know.”
  1088.  
  1089. >”My chamber”
  1090. Waving its free hand, the spirit beckons you over to the the couch to sit next to it
  1091.  
  1092. “Err, okay.”
  1093.  
  1094. >Taking a seat, you get a slight whiff of the 1903
  1095. >The unforgettable smell of old mil-surp fills your nostrils; it’s not bad, but surely not pleasant
  1096.  
  1097. >Brushing its long hair away from the back of its’ neck: cold, clammy fingers taking your hand
  1098.  
  1099. >”Like this.” it says in a gentle tone, placing your hand on the back of it’s neck
  1100.  
  1101. >In a flash, you are suddenly grasping the handguard of your 1903A3
  1102.  
  1103. “Your chamber, huh?”
  1104.  
  1105. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1106.  
  1107. >Pulling back the bolt you start inspecting the innards of the rifle, using your phone light to get a better look
  1108.  
  1109. “I have no idea what I’m supposed to be lo-... oh.”
  1110.  
  1111. >The source of the geists discomfort was now very apparent
  1112. >Towards the front of the receiver, you could see stretching, deep grooves forming in the steel, as if it were being pulled apart
  1113.  
  1114. “I see.”
  1115.  
  1116. >Gently, you close the action and place the rifle back on the cushion, allowing the geist to change back
  1117.  
  1118. >“The people who made my current receiver used inferior steel; every shot my last owner put through me was incredibly painful… I was lucky he stopped when he did.”
  1119.  
  1120. >You both sat in silence for a moment, not quite sure where to go from there
  1121.  
  1122. ...
  1123.  
  1124. >”Although,” finally breaking the silence, “having my receiver fail may have been preferable to being forgotten about in the back of that safe…”
  1125. “How long were you in there, before the auction?” you asked, unsure if that was a rude question
  1126.  
  1127. >The geist pondered for a moment
  1128.  
  1129. >”He only ever took me out once the first year he bought me, so 40, 50 years maybe…”
  1130. “W-what?”
  1131.  
  1132. >50 years
  1133. >50 fucking years in a dark steel box; you can’t comprehend the absolute Hell that would entail...
  1134. >The mental torture alone... you’re surprised the spirit hadn’t been driven to insanity
  1135.  
  1136. >And now here it sits in your cold, dingy apartment, hunched over in pain, lacking all purpose or meaning
  1137.  
  1138. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1139.  
  1140. “I’m… I’m really sorry.”
  1141. >Placing a hand on its shoulder, you give it a reassuring squeeze
  1142.  
  1143. >”It’s not your fault; these burdens are my own to bare. I should be the one apologizing for dragging you into my problems.”
  1144. “It’s… just money.” you say, obviously forced
  1145.  
  1146. >The spirit's eyes narrow at you, obviously picking up on your lie
  1147. >”I’ve seen the inside of your pantry, it's not “just money”.”
  1148.  
  1149. >Leaning back into the couch, the geist closes its eyes, still clenching its’ side
  1150.  
  1151. “So your receiver,” you began, “that's the source of all these issues?”
  1152.  
  1153. >The spirit nodded, eyes remaining closed
  1154.  
  1155. >”The pain comes in waves, I’ll be okay soon enough.”
  1156.  
  1157. “...can I fix it?”
  1158.  
  1159. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1160.  
  1161. -~-~-~-~-~-(Six Days Later)-~-~-~-~-~-
  1162.  
  1163. >Another gust of wind bites at your exposed face; a nice chunk of snow dropping off a branch right onto your neck as the storm rages
  1164. >You try to quicken your pace, but the dark, snow and ice only allow you to move so fast
  1165.  
  1166. >Pulling out your phone, you check the time
  1167. >3:12 AM
  1168. >First class of the day begins in five hours
  1169.  
  1170. “Fuck me…”
  1171.  
  1172. >You had no idea what you were getting yourself into when you told the geist residing in your apartment that you would get their receiver replaced
  1173. >At first it didn’t seem that bad, having quickly located a replacement Remington made receiver online for $150
  1174. >But you knew you would have to cram a second job into your already busy schedule to make that happen, and third shift was the only time you could make work
  1175.  
  1176. >Being a stock boy for the local dollar store wasn't too bad, but working 11:00 PM to 3:00 AM won't be easy
  1177. >At least it's only every other night, giving you some opportunity to sleep…
  1178. >Plus you get to take home any damaged food items
  1179.  
  1180. >Mmmm, dented dollar store condensed soup
  1181.  
  1182. >The weekly paychecks would be nice as well, even if it was only at minimum wage
  1183.  
  1184. >Wind blasts loose snow into your face once more
  1185. “...”
  1186.  
  1187. >Never having a gun before, you had to worry about finding a gunsmith to do the work as well
  1188. >And worse, no idea how much it would cost
  1189.  
  1190. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1191.  
  1192. >After what felt like an eternity, you eventually make it back to the apartment; using your remaining energy to drag yourself up the slick flight of stairs
  1193. >Slipping into the apartment, you slide off your boots at the door, hoping to sneak to your bedroom without waking the geist sound asleep on the couch
  1194. *squeeeeeeek*
  1195.  
  1196. *squeeeeeeek*
  1197.  
  1198. *squeeeeeeek*
  1199.  
  1200. >These fucking floors...
  1201.  
  1202. >”[Unintelligible murmuring]”
  1203.  
  1204. “Wha…?”
  1205.  
  1206. >The 1903 was indeed, asleep on the couch, but it appeared to be...dreaming?
  1207. >If it was dreaming, it must not have been a very pleasant one; twitching and tossing about ever so slightly
  1208.  
  1209. “Hey…” you say, giving its’ leg a gentle shake, hoping to stir it from its’ nightmare
  1210.  
  1211. >”Oh, hey…” it said, rubbing the sleep from it’s eyes, “...what time is it?”
  1212. “Almost 3:30” you say, letting out a deep yawn. “You know, I haven’t really seen you in your rifle form much since getting you.”
  1213. >”Sorry, spending 50 years locked up in that form takes a toll.” it says in a not too keen mood
  1214. “Ah, right. Were you dreaming?”
  1215.  
  1216. >”Yes…”
  1217. “Really? I didn’t know geists had dreams, or that you had to sleep really.”
  1218. >”We don’t really need to sleep, but it helps pass the time when we are alone, or when there is nothing better to do. Our dreaming isn’t the same as your kind of dreaming either”
  1219. “Oh, How so?”
  1220.  
  1221. >Taking a seat next to the geist, your interest in learning more seems to bring a more pleasant mood to it
  1222.  
  1223. >”When you dream, what do you dream about?”
  1224. “I don’t know. I dream about a lot of things, being able to fly, living in fantasy worlds… but it’s random usually. Why?”
  1225. >”Well, when we sleep, we don’t really interact with our dreams like you would. It's more like…”
  1226.  
  1227. >It pauses for a moment, looking for the words
  1228.  
  1229. >”More like watching a film. We relive moments from our past as if they were actually happening again.”
  1230.  
  1231. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1232. “Huh…”
  1233.  
  1234. >Thinking back to its’ murmuring, you feel compelled to ask…
  1235.  
  1236. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what were you just dreaming about?”
  1237. >”Oh, well…” it begins, the pleasant smile now gone, “...could we talk about that another time, Anon…? If that's okay.”
  1238.  
  1239. >Shit, you knew that was stupid to ask
  1240. “You’re fine, I… uh, should probably get to bed anyway.”
  1241.  
  1242. >Giving you a slight nod, the geist gives a quick shiver before wrapping itself in blankets
  1243.  
  1244. “Actually, I’ll be right back.”
  1245.  
  1246. >Jogging off to your bedroom, you retrieve the heated blanket draped over your bed before returning to the couch
  1247.  
  1248. “This should help with the cold a bit.”
  1249.  
  1250. >Tossing the blanket over the geist, you run the cord to the nearest outlet, making sure the blanket is still set to high
  1251.  
  1252. >”You don’t have t-”
  1253. “It’s fine, you need it mo-”
  1254. >”But won’t you ge-”
  1255. “It’s warm enough in my bedroom as is…”
  1256.  
  1257. ...
  1258.  
  1259. >”Thank you…” it says bashfully, wrapping itself up in the new warmth
  1260. >A long sigh of relief following
  1261.  
  1262. “...of course.”
  1263.  
  1264. >Slowly, the 03-A3 lays back down, wincing
  1265.  
  1266. “Your side bothering you again?” you asked, as if you didn’t already know
  1267. >”Yeah... “ it said, attempting to mask its’ obvious discomfort
  1268. “Is there anything I can do to help with the pain, at least temporarily? I know you need a ned receiver, bu-”
  1269. >”No, it’s fine, Anon… you’re doing too much already.”
  1270. “It’s not a big deal...” you begin. “but if you need anything, I’ll be right down the hall.”
  1271.  
  1272. >”Actually...” it said, just as you began walking away. “Anon?”
  1273. “Hmm?”
  1274. >”Tell me about your first night at the store...”
  1275.  
  1276. >Its’ eyes seemed distant, almost as if they were looking on at something sad
  1277.  
  1278. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1279.  
  1280. “The store?” you step back over to the couch, sitting on the corner of a cushion not taken up by the geist
  1281. >”Do you like it?”
  1282. “It’s not the worst job I’ve had… there’s no dress code, which is nice.”
  1283. >”Is the work hard?” it said, readjusting itself on the couch
  1284. “Not really… they don’t sell too many heavy things there, so stocking is easy enough.”
  1285. >”Mmm… what about your co-workers; are they nice?”
  1286. “I’m actually by myself most of my shift… the owner leaves at 1:00 AM, s-”
  1287. >”Is he nice...?” cutting you off
  1288. “...I suppose. He keeps to himself mostly.”
  1289.  
  1290. …
  1291.  
  1292. >”Sorry… I’d just rather think about anything other than the pain right now…”
  1293.  
  1294. >You remember times when Rachel was so sick she couldn’t sleep
  1295. >Staying up all night watching movies was usually the perfect medicine; although you knew movies would do little here
  1296.  
  1297. “It’s fine.” You say, putting on a smile for the geist “You’ve told me plenty about geists tonight, now it’s your turn. Come on, hit me with another one.”
  1298. >”Heh…” it giggled, sounding relieved
  1299. >”Tell me about your family; what are they like?”
  1300.  
  1301. >Of course…
  1302.  
  1303. “Ha, well-”
  1304. >”Any brothers? Sisters maybe?”
  1305. “Actually, I don’t really... know my parents. I was surrendered to the state when I was born.”
  1306.  
  1307. >”...”
  1308.  
  1309. >You can already tell what it’s thinking
  1310.  
  1311. “You didn’t know, don’t feel bad.” you say, giving its’ ankle a reassuring squeeze. “It’s kind of hard to get worked up over people you never really knew anyway.”
  1312. >”...”
  1313. >Still no reply
  1314.  
  1315. >Letting yourself sink back into the cushions, you let out another long yawn
  1316. >Maybe you’ll just sleep here tonight… the thought of moving at this point seemed impossible
  1317. >Before nodding off, a quiet voice from the other end of the couch breaks the silence
  1318.  
  1319. >”No one should have to be alone…”
  1320.  
  1321. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1322.  
  1323. -~-~-~-~-~-(Two Weeks Later)-~-~-~-~-~-
  1324.  
  1325. 3:54 AM
  1326.  
  1327. *spitting* “Uh...ughhhh…”
  1328.  
  1329. >Try and try, but you can’t rid your mouth of the taste of bile
  1330. >You don’t know why you’re even bothering; all you are doing is wasting what little fluid is left in your system
  1331.  
  1332. “Shit…” you mutter, attempting to keep quiet
  1333.  
  1334. >You knew something felt wrong even last night… tossing and turning, unable to get barely more than an hour of rest
  1335. >Then came the runs… the nausea, it was all you could do to make it through your last final of the semester
  1336. >And even then, you still had to work your shift at the dollar store
  1337.  
  1338. “…”
  1339.  
  1340. >You knew you had been pushing yourself, averaging only a few hours or so of sleep every night
  1341. >But hey, you’re young, you could handle it… right?
  1342. >Wrong
  1343.  
  1344.  
  1345. “...fuck me.”
  1346. >Unable to hold back anymore, you make another offering to the porcelain gods
  1347. “Ugh…”
  1348.  
  1349. >Still, between the last of your finals and work, you managed to drag yourself to the gun store to pick up the replacement Remington receiver
  1350. >”Her” new receiver
  1351.  
  1352. >As the days have gone on, it has become much harder to see the geist as an “it”
  1353. >It started off with small things; coming home to your bed being made, kitchen being cleaned up, and the apartment being straightened up in general
  1354. >She even made sure that rose you gave her had fresh water, though it had long since began to wilt and die
  1355.  
  1356. >As you started to bring home canned goods unfit for sale (scratches, dents and dings), that’s when the real surprises began
  1357. >Before now, you never knew that canned black beans, diced tomatoes, and bacon bits could become a gourmet dish
  1358. >To call her cooking anything less than “miraculous” would be an injustice
  1359.  
  1360. *spits*
  1361.  
  1362. >Not that food was what you wanted to think about at the moment
  1363.  
  1364. >Thank God you don’t have to work for the next couple of days…
  1365.  
  1366. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1367.  
  1368. >Still, as much as the hours sucked, the dollar store did give you plenty of time to think of a name for your 03-A3, dozens of which you had juggled around in your head before settling on one
  1369. >There was no special meaning behind the name… which did cause you to feel a little bad, as she seems to consider names to be a big deal to her kind
  1370. >To be perfectly honest, you just like the way the chosen name sounds
  1371.  
  1372. “Ugh…”
  1373.  
  1374. >Hopefully she likes it too...
  1375.  
  1376. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1377.  
  1378. >There is a light knocking on the door
  1379.  
  1380. *tap tap tap*
  1381. >”Anon, are you okay...?” comes a gentle whisper from outside
  1382.  
  1383. “Yeah... great.” you say, attempting to put on your best facade of health. “I just need a minute.”
  1384. >”Just… let me know if you need anything.”
  1385.  
  1386. >There is no way she believed that
  1387.  
  1388. “Sure…”
  1389.  
  1390. -(One Hour Later)-
  1391.  
  1392. >You don’t know when, but at some point you managed to fall asleep on the bathroom floor; the old tile making for a poor mattress
  1393. >Head pounding, mouth dried out... tongue like sandpaper…
  1394. >Water. You need water. Now.
  1395.  
  1396. >Grasping the edge of the sink, you managed to hoist yourself up
  1397. >Your arms and legs trembling as they struggle to support you
  1398. >Now if you could only get low enough to use the faucet…
  1399. >Cranking it on, you try to maneuver yourself closer to the running water
  1400.  
  1401. “...FUCK.”
  1402.  
  1403. >You were barely able to squat down a few inches before your legs gave out
  1404. >Reaching for anything to break your fall, you only managed to bring the shower curtain and rod down with you, landing hard
  1405. >Your head catching the edge of the old fashioned tub
  1406.  
  1407. >Laying flat out in the still damp tub, the bathroom feels like it's spinning, a slight ringing in your ears
  1408. >Everything seems… fuzzy, your eyes struggling to focus
  1409.  
  1410. >”Anon?” comes a worried voice from outside
  1411.  
  1412. >At least you can still hear
  1413. >...has she been right outside the bathroom this entire time?
  1414.  
  1415. “...”
  1416.  
  1417. >”Anon, I'm coming in…”
  1418.  
  1419. >Door creaking open, you hear the geist slowly creep in
  1420.  
  1421. >”Are you decent...?” some hesitation in her voice
  1422. “Uuuuugh…”
  1423.  
  1424. >”Anon!”
  1425. >A blurred silhouette of the geist appears over the tub, lowering down closer to your face
  1426. >That familiar scent of old milsurp filling your nostrils once more
  1427.  
  1428. >”Are you hurt?!”
  1429.  
  1430. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1431.  
  1432. “I...nah, I’m….I’m great…” you force out through the fog
  1433.  
  1434. >Your vision starts to come back into focus; a pair of dull jade eyes mere inches from your face
  1435.  
  1436. >”Let me just-” the geist places a hand on your forehand, before running it behind your neck
  1437. >”Oh my… you’re burning up,” she says, running the icy cold hand down your back. “Come on Anon, we need to get you out of here.”
  1438.  
  1439. >Before you could offer any protest, she already has you hoisted up and out of the tub
  1440.  
  1441. “Whoa, hey n-now…” you stammer, feeling light headed from the unexpected change in position
  1442.  
  1443. >Her strength was impressive… far greater than you had guessed, carrying the majority of your weight on her shoulders as your feet barely need do any of the work
  1444. >But her strength obviously comes at a cost in her current state, wincing with every other step
  1445.  
  1446. >”H-heh… almost... there…” her breathing becoming labored
  1447.  
  1448. >Before you know it, you’re changing positions once more; slowly being lowered onto the couch
  1449. >A pillow placed gingerly under your head before she goes back to the bathroom
  1450.  
  1451. >”Anon, do you have any medicines or anything…?” her voice growing more anxious
  1452. “I don’t thi-*cough*” you try to raise your voice, but straining your throat when it’s so dry only causes you to cough and gag, nearly vomiting once again
  1453. >”Don’t strain, don’t strain…” she repeats, shuffling to the kitchen with haste
  1454.  
  1455. >You can see her gripping her side out of the corner of your eye as she goes by
  1456. >Damn it…
  1457.  
  1458. >The sound of the sink running sounds like sweet, sweet music
  1459. >Water… thank God...
  1460.  
  1461. >”Here, Anon.” comes a gentle whisper as an icy-cold hand lifts your head to the glass
  1462.  
  1463. >Not wanting to look completely helpless, you prop yourself up as best as you can
  1464.  
  1465. >”Slowly… don’t make yourself sick.”
  1466.  
  1467. >Pacing yourself, you down half the glass before she pulls it away, setting it on the coffee table
  1468. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1469.  
  1470. “T-thanks.” you say, catching your breath.
  1471.  
  1472. >She simply smiles as she returns to the kitchen, turning on the sink once more before return to your side with a damp rag
  1473.  
  1474. “Heh… isn’t it me who is supposed to be taking care of you?
  1475.  
  1476. >Her gentle smile slowly turns to concern
  1477.  
  1478. >”I’m sorry, Anon…”
  1479. “Sorry…?” you say, groggily. “For what?”
  1480. >”You know what.” she said solemnly, laying the cool rag across your forehead
  1481. “N-not really…” you say, your head buzzing from the touch of the rag
  1482.  
  1483. >The geist sits down in front of the couch slowly, her back facing your chest
  1484. >The activity had obviously aggravated her side
  1485.  
  1486. >”If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be in such poor condition…”
  1487. “Hey now… don’t start with tha-”
  1488. >”It’s true, is it not?” she started. “If it wasn’t for me, you would have never had to pick up a second job, or gotten sick, or let your grades slide, and....”
  1489. >She pauses for a moment, using the edge of her hand to wipe away a couple of tears
  1490. >”And maybe… if it wasn’t for me, that girl wouldn’t have left you…”
  1491.  
  1492. >She wasn’t necessarily wrong… If you wouldn’t have brought her home, Rachel would have never gotten mad, and you wouldn’t be lying flat out, trying to keep a glass of water down…
  1493. >Not to mention you would be $200 richer
  1494. >Still… none of that was her fault
  1495.  
  1496. “None of that is on you… it’s not like you forced me to buy you.”
  1497.  
  1498. >Your words appear to have done nothing to comfort her as she silently wipes away more tears in an attempt to hide her emotions
  1499.  
  1500. >Damn it… today was supposed to be a good day
  1501.  
  1502. “...”
  1503.  
  1504. >Maybe it still can be...
  1505.  
  1506. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1507.  
  1508. “Hey… could you grab my backpack for me?”
  1509. >”H-huh?”
  1510. “My backpack… it's just in my room.”
  1511. >”Studying should be the last thing you are thinking of, Anon…” she says through a few sniffles
  1512. “N-no, no. It’s not for that.”
  1513.  
  1514. >With some effort, she is back on her feet, walking off to retrieve the pack
  1515.  
  1516. >”Here.” she says, offering you the bag, eyes puffy and red
  1517. “Open it up… there should be a package in there.”
  1518.  
  1519. >Sifting through the folders and notebooks, she pulls out a small brown box
  1520. >Text written in your handwriting across the top of it
  1521. >She mouths the words silently, before saying it aloud
  1522.  
  1523. >”To… Annabelle?” she says, genuine confusion in her voice. “Who’s Annabelle?”
  1524.  
  1525. >You remain silent, trying to suppress the smirk growing on your lips
  1526.  
  1527. >”I don’t know what you think is so… funny…” her sentence trailing off
  1528.  
  1529. >She looks at you wide eyed before pointing a single finger at herself
  1530. >You can’t hold back your smile any longer, nodding in agreement
  1531.  
  1532. “I hope it’s okay, if you don’t like it I could alwa-”
  1533. >”No, I-” she pauses, her face turning slightly red. “I love it… truly.”
  1534. “I’m glad…” you say, pointing a shaky finger to the package. “Go on, open it.”
  1535.  
  1536. >”R-right!”
  1537.  
  1538. >Like a kid on Christmas morning, she scrambled to open the box as quickly as possible, unraveling the steel object from the bubble wrap
  1539.  
  1540. >*gasp* “Ah! You bought me a Remington??” she exclaimed, shakily holding the flawless receiver
  1541. >Even though she looked mature, she was acting every bit of a giddy school girl right now
  1542. >If only for a moment, it was like she had forgotten about her pain all together
  1543.  
  1544. “Ha…” you chuckle lightly. “Yep… it’s all yours, but it may be a bit longer before I can get you to a smith, the guy I found is a bit pri-”
  1545.  
  1546. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1547.  
  1548. >Before you could finish, Anna had bent over the couch, placing an icy hand on your cheek, dull jade eyes locked on your own, receiver clutched to her chest
  1549. >Face still red from blushing
  1550.  
  1551. >”I don’t mind the wait.” she said in a sultry, smooth tone
  1552. >Leaning in, she plants a soft kiss onto your cheek
  1553. >”You’re a very sweet man, Anon… thank you.”
  1554. “N-no problem.” you stutter out
  1555.  
  1556. >You can feel your own face grow even hotter as blood rushes to your cheeks
  1557.  
  1558. >Again, she sinks back down to the floor, leaning up against the couch
  1559.  
  1560. >”Just let me know if you need anything at all, okay?” she says, letting her head rest back, long strands of beautiful chestnut hair spilling over your arm
  1561.  
  1562. >”I’ll be right here…”
  1563.  
  1564. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1565.  
  1566. -~-~-~-~-~-(The next day)-~-~-~-~-~-
  1567.  
  1568. 11:37 PM
  1569.  
  1570. >”Pleeeeease?”
  1571. “I don’t know, Anna…”
  1572. >”Just a little bit.”
  1573. “I’d rather not risk it...”
  1574.  
  1575. >Anna pulls the spoon of steaming chicken soup back, pouting
  1576.  
  1577. >”Anon, you need to eat something, or you’ll never get better.” she said, sounding every bit like a nagging mother
  1578.  
  1579. “I don’t know, maybe I’ll give it a shot tomorrow?”
  1580.  
  1581. >Her angry frown only lasts so long before turning back to her signature smile
  1582.  
  1583. >”I’m starting to think you’re just enjoying being waited on, Anon.” she said sarcastically as she marched off to the kitchen, soup in hand
  1584. “Heh…”
  1585.  
  1586. >Not being used to having someone wait on you hand and foot, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t enjoying all of the attention at least a little bit
  1587. >Rachel had helped you out when you were sick once, but it was nothing like this, and she was obviously only doing it out of guilt
  1588. >Anna seemed to take true joy in it, barely letting you lift a finger
  1589.  
  1590. >”If you aren’t going to eat, then at least try to get some sleep, Anon.” she said, approaching the couch, sure to return to her spot in front of the couch
  1591. >Goosebumps so pronounced on her skin that you could see them several feet away
  1592.  
  1593. “...”
  1594.  
  1595. >Having been under a heat blanket the past couple days, you sometimes forgot about how miserably cold it was in the apartment...
  1596.  
  1597. “You know, I’m not going to wither away if you are out of arm's reach.” you say with a chuckle. “You can post up against the radiator if you would like. I know how cold-”
  1598. >”Wha? Oh, its just- I... “ she said, struggling to form a coherent sentence
  1599. >Face turning red
  1600. “You just… what?”
  1601. >”Nothing… goodnight, Anon.”
  1602. “Okay.... Well, goodnight, Anna.”
  1603.  
  1604. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1605.  
  1606. >Your eyes snap open, revealing nothing but the dimly lit ceiling
  1607.  
  1608. “...”
  1609.  
  1610. >You weren’t one to wake up in the middle of the night for no reason, even when you are sick...
  1611. >Then why are yo-
  1612.  
  1613. *WHAM*
  1614.  
  1615. >You’ve never sat up so quickly in your life, the heat blanket dropping to the floor as you flailed
  1616.  
  1617. “What the fu-”
  1618.  
  1619. *WHAM* *CRASH*
  1620.  
  1621. >The door to the apartment nearly came off its hinges as the door flies open; light from the hall now flooding through the frame
  1622. >The silhouette of a large man stumbling through the threshold, head bobbing around, looking every which way
  1623.  
  1624. “W-what the hell man?!”
  1625.  
  1626. >His head suddenly snaps to you, quickly stumbling his way over to the couch
  1627.  
  1628. >”WUH ZHE FUCK ARR YEH DOIN’ IN MAH CRIB BOY?” the stranger screamed, his speech severely impaired
  1629. >Before you knew it he was on you, wildly flailing, rough leathery hands grasping for your throat as his dirty beard rubs into your face
  1630. >The force of the man crashing down on you snapping the legs on the old couch
  1631.  
  1632. >You managed to grab his wrists, but you were no match for your strung out attacker; whatever he was pumped up on combined with your weakened state made for a very one sided struggle
  1633. >It was all you could do to relieve the pressure of his hands on your throat, every breath a small, but short lived victory, before…
  1634.  
  1635. >”DON’T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HIM!” Anna roared
  1636.  
  1637. >Out of the corner of your eye you see a dim blue flash in Anna’s hands and she ran towards you, a long object appearing in her grasp
  1638. >Screaming, she drove the object into the man's chest, picking him clean off you
  1639. >You’ll never forget the oddly specific sound that came next…
  1640. >Imagine the sound of an entire roll of bubblewrap being twisted, popped all at once, along with ice cubes being crushed. Now imagine this sound, but muffled, as if it were underwater
  1641. >This is the sound of a man’s ribs breaking
  1642.  
  1643. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1644.  
  1645. >The man tumbled to the floor, howling in pain as he kicked and scrambled for the door
  1646. >Whatever he was hopped up on, Anna seemed to have brought him back to Earth
  1647.  
  1648. >”GET OUT GET THE FUCK OUT!” she screamed, pressing the attack, but the man needed little motivation to scramble out the door
  1649. >Anna forcing the damaged door shut
  1650.  
  1651. >You laid in the wreckage of the couch, still trying to process what the hell had just occurred in the apartment as you ran your hands over your throat
  1652. >The sound of Anna’s breathing growing louder and louder by the doorway
  1653.  
  1654. >Struggling to your feet, you flip on the lights to survey the damage
  1655.  
  1656. “H-hey… Anna, you oka-” you pause, trying to figure out what you are seeing
  1657.  
  1658. >Anna is standing at the entrance of the apartment, one hand clutching her side, the other holding a...1903?
  1659. >Ignoring the fact that she was holding what you could only assume to be herself... something was off...
  1660. >As she gripped her side harder, she began to tremble; the 1903 in her free hand seeming to phase in and out of reality, being there one moment, twitching about, changing in color scale the next
  1661. >Small black particles, almost ash like evaporating off the rifle
  1662.  
  1663. “A-Anna...?”
  1664.  
  1665. >She tilts her head towards you, giving you the slightest smile before crying out
  1666.  
  1667. >The rifle in her hand suddenly vaporizing into a black cloud as she dropped to her knees
  1668. “Anna!”
  1669.  
  1670. >You run over to the geist as quickly as your feet will carry you
  1671.  
  1672. “Anna, hey, talk to me, what going on?” yo say, trrying to remain calm
  1673. >She hardly acknowledges you, only making more pained groans
  1674. “Come one Anna, talk to me.” you say squatting, placing a hand on her back
  1675. >She’s burning up
  1676. >Badly
  1677.  
  1678. “Shit…” you mutter. “C-come on, we gotta get you off this floor.”
  1679.  
  1680. >Taking her arm over your shoulders, you take a few deep breaths, praying that you will have the strength to help her up
  1681.  
  1682. “Okay, here we go… 1… 2… 3!”
  1683.  
  1684. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1685.  
  1686. >Lifting with everything you have, you manage to get both of you upright; Anna howling in pain
  1687. >Luckily she isn’t as heavy as one would expect; she wasn’t exactly human afterall
  1688.  
  1689.  
  1690.  
  1691. “We need to get you… shit.” you start. “Couch is toasted.”
  1692.  
  1693. >That leaves your bed as the only option
  1694.  
  1695. “Think you can make it down the hall?”
  1696. >Anna only grimaced, putting more of her weight on you; hot skin pressing against your cheek
  1697. “We’ve got this.” you say encouragingly, for her sake as well as your own. “Step by step.”
  1698.  
  1699. >Each step closer to your bedroom brings another whimper from the 1903
  1700.  
  1701. >”S-sorry.” she whispers, over and over again
  1702. “Nothing to be sorry for; come on, almost there…”
  1703.  
  1704. >Your legs feel as if they’re about to give out as you cross the threshold in your room
  1705.  
  1706. “Easy, easy there girl.” you say, gently sitting her down on the edge of the mattress.
  1707. >Her skin growing ever hotter
  1708. “Tell me what you need me to?” catching your breathe
  1709. >”T-too hot…” she says panting; her flush skin a stark contrast against her tattered dress. “Anon, look away… please.”
  1710.  
  1711. >Not sure what to expect, all you can do is nod and turn
  1712. >The sound of fabric rustling about and springs in the mattes creaking only confuse you more
  1713.  
  1714. >”O-okay...” she says, letting out a sigh of relief
  1715.  
  1716. >Turning to her, you are taken aback. Annabelle, who was now lying on her side, had removed the top of her dress, using the bunched up cloth to cover her now bare chest
  1717. >Chestnut hair flowing over the comforter as jade eyes stared away in shame, refusing to make contact with your own
  1718.  
  1719. >”I just t-too hot.” she says, still obviously in a great amount of discomfort. “I just… think over did it.”
  1720. >One hand still clasping her side
  1721.  
  1722. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1723.  
  1724. >Even with what appeared to be a gorgeous, half naked woman laid out across your bed, your eyes only drifted to the source of her discomfort
  1725. >A set of large red, what could only be described as stretch marks ran down her otherwise flawless, porcelain skin
  1726.  
  1727. >Dark splotches of black and blue bordering the marks
  1728.  
  1729.  
  1730. >Wordlessly, you walk over to the 1903, lifting her hand away from the deformity to get a better look
  1731. >You don’t even have to make direct contact to feel the heat emanating from the wound
  1732.  
  1733. >”Heh… it wasn’t nearly so hard last time I had to do that.” she says, in what seemed like an attempt at levity
  1734. “A-are you going to be alright? Would it be less painful if you were in rifle for-”
  1735. >”It’s going to hurt no matter what.”
  1736.  
  1737. >Sitting silently for a moment, you try to recollect everything that had transpired
  1738. >No more than five… maybe ten minutes ago, you were asleep on the couch
  1739. >Now you're sitting on the edge of your bed with a half naked geist sprawled out across it
  1740.  
  1741. “...”
  1742.  
  1743. “I’m going to call the gunsmith tomorrow.”
  1744. >”We both know you can’t affor-”
  1745. “I owe you that much; at least after what you did for me tonight.”
  1746. >”It’s my duty to protect your life; something as small as this won’t get in the wa- AGH!” She cried out after only gesturing to her injury
  1747. “... I’ll figure it out.”
  1748.  
  1749. >Anna offered no more protest
  1750.  
  1751. >”...”
  1752. “Is there anything I can do to ease the pain, even just temporarily?”
  1753. >”Geists aren’t like people, Anon.” she says shaking her head
  1754.  
  1755. >You slide your hand over to hers, gently wrapping your fingers around it
  1756. “Well, I’ll be right here if you need me.”
  1757. >”Heh… aren’t I the one who should be taking care of you?”
  1758.  
  1759. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1760.  
  1761. -~-~-~-~-~-(One week later)-~-~-~-~-~-
  1762.  
  1763. >$65 dollars per fucking hour…
  1764. >This guy surely wasn’t cheap, but he was the only game in town; he even supposedly specialized in mil-surp rifles, claiming a receiver swap word only take a few hours for him… “No big deal bud.”
  1765. >You could swing about $200… you’d have to
  1766. >All that mattered was that today was the day you were finally going to take Anna in
  1767.  
  1768. >Tossing on whatever had been lying on the floor at the time, you make your way down the hall to wake the slumbering geist
  1769. >Hell, you wouldn’t be surprised if she was already awake. As much as she tried to hide it, you could see her excitement grow each day
  1770. >But entering the living room only proved your suspicions to be false
  1771.  
  1772. >Anna was still asleep up against the radiator, twitching about as her recurring nightmare held her in its’ grasp
  1773.  
  1774. “Anna… Annnnnnaaaaaa” you say, gently shaking her shoulder
  1775.  
  1776. >Anna jumps, obviously startled
  1777. >This has been a bit of a regular morning occurrence with the nightmares
  1778. >But the tears… those are new...
  1779.  
  1780. “Anna...?”
  1781. >”A-Anon… I don't think you should waste the money on fixing me…” she stuttered out, tears rolling down her cheeks
  1782. “What are you talking about? A waste?”
  1783. >”I-it’s just… I…”
  1784. “Does it have to do with the nightmares?”
  1785.  
  1786. >”Anon… do you know much about the second World War... the Pacific theater... Saipan?”
  1787.  
  1788. “You were at the Battle of Saipan?”
  1789.  
  1790. >Anna nodded silently
  1791.  
  1792. >”My first owner was a Marine in the V Amphibious Corp…”
  1793. “I didn’t know still fielded you guys after… er” you hesitate, beginning to realize how offense you may be sounding
  1794. >”Not many people do… they still issued us to those Marines though, much to the protest of many…” jealously sparking in her voice. “Everyone wanted those damn Garands...”
  1795.  
  1796. >She stopped for a moment, trying to clear any trace of spite
  1797.  
  1798. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1799.  
  1800. >”But I still carried out my duty… not once did I jam or seize, even after being dropped while storming that beach. My aim was always true, nerves calm and collected; my determination to protect my shooter and country never wavered.” pride swelling in her voice
  1801. >”We were even at the frontlines when that banzai charge happened… thousands… there were thousands of them, it was the first time during the war that I felt truly inadequate; my shooter fumbling to work my bolt, load the clips.”
  1802.  
  1803. >”Even after their shooters were cut down, some of those Jap rifles continued their charge, bayonets drawn.”
  1804.  
  1805. “Er… I thought Geists weren’t able to attack humans if their shooters life was not in danger; and if their shooters were already dead...” you said, breaking Anna’s flow
  1806. >”We aren’t… They were targeting us.” she said, pointing up at herself. “Anything to help fight for their country. If it was dire enough, I would have been expected to do the same.”
  1807. “Oh…”
  1808.  
  1809. >”It was a slaughter…” she began, her eyes staring off into a distant memory.
  1810. >”Two of them managed to make it to our foxhole, tearing me out of my shooters hands.” a pained expression forming on her face
  1811. >”I… did what I had to do.” she said, gripping the butter knife in a more aggressive stance
  1812. >”One swift stab to the throat… just like we were taught in boot…”
  1813.  
  1814. >You knew you could never ask, but a small part of you was still curious as to how she was able to take on two full caliber rifles herself at once
  1815.  
  1816. >”I know it may seem silly to humans… but destroying our own kind, even if we are enemies at war, is still difficult…” her voice trailing off, going silent
  1817.  
  1818. “…”
  1819.  
  1820. >”Everytime we kill our own… it’s like losing a small piece of yourself…”
  1821.  
  1822. “Anna…”
  1823.  
  1824. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1825.  
  1826. >”It wasn’t until after the charge that I noticed my shooter was injured.” she began again, cutting you off, obviously not wanting to dwell on it
  1827. >”All I could do was apply pressure and… scream, cry for help until a medic dropped in. I even helped carry him to the beach head. He was heading home… WE, were heading home…”
  1828.  
  1829. “They let you come back to the states with him, even with a war going on?”
  1830.  
  1831. >”A special bond forms between a shooter and their rifle, especially in war… they knew I wouldn’t be as useful in the hands of another. Besides, one bolt gun wasn’t going to turn the tides of war…” she said gloomily
  1832.  
  1833. “Oh…” was all you managed to say
  1834.  
  1835. >”He didn’t want to talk much during the boat ride home… I just figured he had a lot on his mind, but I never left his side… not once.”
  1836.  
  1837. >You realized that there was no longer a need to reply; she probably wouldn’t hear you anyway… she was lost, swimming in her own memories
  1838.  
  1839. >”When we reached port, it was like a small victory celebration. All of the injured G.I.’s returning from the war had family waiting for them, wives...children… all of them, including my shooter.”
  1840. >Anna began to tense up
  1841. >”He never mentioned a family once… never even wore a ring.”
  1842. >”He dropped everything he was carrying, including me, and went running. I was in such shock that I change to this form without even thinking… His wife, she was beautiful… fair skin, golden strands of hair flowing from her head, big blue eyes… She was holding a newborn; couldn’t have been more than a week or two old.”
  1843. >”But I was happy for him, I had never seen him like that, so full of joy; like Saipan never even happened. It felt like an eternity, but when he came back to pick up his things...”
  1844.  
  1845. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1846.  
  1847. >She stopped, her fists clenching tighter
  1848.  
  1849. >”He reached out... I thought it was for me, so I reached out too… he…”
  1850. >Tears started welling in her eyes once more
  1851. >”He flinched, like he was suddenly r-revolted by me… disgusted at the thought that he would even want me...” her emotional defenses were dropping. “I could see it in his eyes… he didn’t even have to say it”
  1852.  
  1853. >”He didn’t need me anymore…”
  1854.  
  1855. >She began choking on her tears
  1856.  
  1857. >”H-he just left me there… carrying off his ruck to be with his wife… they were just gone… leaving me on the dock alone. I didn’t know what to do, I had no shooter, no orders, no direction; I just sat there on the docks until it was dark...”
  1858.  
  1859. >As the tears flowed, she began turning to rage
  1860.  
  1861. >”After everything we had been through, that bastard just left me there!” her fists slamming into the wall
  1862. >”I defended his life, comforted him when he would wake up screaming in the dark, and when things were calm and quiet at night, I even…” she trailed off, struggling with the words. “I even… “entertained” him whenever he asked…”
  1863.  
  1864. >She clenched her teeth, obviously trying to restrain herself
  1865.  
  1866. >”Shame on him! He was married! I would have never willingly-”
  1867. “You didn’t kno-”
  1868. >”I should have!” she exclaimed, fury hanging on each and every word. “I should have…”
  1869.  
  1870. >You sank down on the floor next to her, trying to think of what to say next, but nothing came to mind
  1871. >What really could you say to make this all better?
  1872.  
  1873. >”I sat there in the dark, almost the whole night, until the trucks came. They picked up everything the G.I.’s left behind, including myself… I put up no fight, asked no questions, I had no reason to, nothing left to fight for.”
  1874.  
  1875. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1876.  
  1877. >”I was thrown into a crate with my own sisters; it felt like years before I was finally taken out and stripped for parts… I’m guessing that's when my bolt went off to National Ordinance…”
  1878. “Just your bolt…?”
  1879. >”At the very least… that's where everything is for us.” She said, tapping the side of her head. “It’s who we are; our memories, personality, everything is in there.”
  1880.  
  1881. “...”
  1882.  
  1883. >”T-thank you, Anon…”
  1884. “For what?”
  1885.  
  1886. >”…after that day, I never thought I was going to be truly wanted again. I know the sacrifices you have made for me, so… thank you… thank you for proving me wrong, for dashing my fears away… for making me feel needed… wanted… loved... I know we don’t have much here, but I swear, Anon, that I’ll never let you down... as long as I am yours, I will never let you down.”
  1887.  
  1888. >She pauses momentarily, eyes turning downward
  1889.  
  1890. >”Still, you need to know... fixing me physically won’t make me perfect… my whole past has been nothing but war and isolation... these memories, these “dreams” still haunt me, but I promise I won’t let tha-”
  1891.  
  1892. “Well you know what, Anna?” you say, getting back up to your feet. “I may not be able to change the past, or take back these horrible memories, but…”
  1893.  
  1894. >Extending your hand, you can’t help the smile forming on your face
  1895.  
  1896. “Well, I guess we will just have to go and make some new memories…”
  1897.  
  1898. >She slowly reached out, taking your hand into her own
  1899.  
  1900. “Together.”
  1901.  
  1902. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1903.  
  1904. -~-~-~-~-~-(Three fucking weeks later)-~-~-~-~-~-
  1905.  
  1906. >”Look, we can talk cash when you get here, Anon. Just try and get here as soon as possible, it’s closing time.”
  1907.  
  1908. *CLICK*
  1909.  
  1910. “Bullshit” you muttered, sliding the old flip phone back into your pocket. “Fucking. Bullshit.”
  1911.  
  1912. >What was only supposed to be“an afternoon or two” has turned into a nearly month, each hour, each day pulling more money from you
  1913. >Money which has become all the more precious since losing your 3rd shift position at the dollar store
  1914. >It wasn’t for doing a poor job; the whole dollar store had been closed down
  1915. >Guess these things tend to happen when you’ve been dodging taxes… stupid old man…
  1916.  
  1917. >With the book store being closed until the start of the new semester, you had no immediate means of income
  1918. >Hell, you’ve only managed to keep yourself fed by buying groceries with your “Emergencies Only” credit card
  1919. >You never realized quite how awful your own cooking was before Anna arrived; everything you had been making tasted bland and boring in comparison
  1920. >In fact, everything about the cold, dingy apartment suddenly felt worse off without her there
  1921. >Almost as if everything had lost its’ color, it’s life
  1922. >It event felt a little colder
  1923.  
  1924. >Tossing on your coat, you rush out the apartment, struggling to lock the tired looking door behind you
  1925. >The new lock the landlord put on after the break-in was somehow worse than the old one…
  1926. >After a bit of persuasion, the lock finally turns over
  1927.  
  1928. *CLUNK*
  1929.  
  1930. “Fuck sakes.” you curse, patients having long been lost
  1931. >Hoping to catch the next bus, you practically run down the stairwell, every step flexing, creaking beneath you
  1932.  
  1933. >Skipping the last few steps, you dash out the building's foyer and into the street
  1934. >To your relief, you could see the bus rumbling up the road
  1935.  
  1936. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1937.  
  1938. >Leaving Anna with the smith was harder than you thought it was going to be; having spent the majority of her time in your apartment in Geist form, she was starting to feel more like a real roommate than simply a spirit of some rifle
  1939. >Which made handing her over to a complete stranger feel so… wrong
  1940. >The only reassuring thing you were told was that, since she was going to be stripped down to the very last piece, she wouldn’t remember much of anything
  1941. >”These past few week will have felt like nothing more than a dream” he had said so whimsically
  1942.  
  1943. >The real bad news started once he had opened the box containing Anna’s new receiver
  1944. >You didn’t realize it, but the new receiver was bare steel, the old finish having been stripped away during its rework process
  1945. >He offered to only have the receiver finished at a reduced cost, but warned that her skin tone may look splotchy, or uneven if it didn’t match the old finish exactly
  1946. >She was going to need to be completely refinished if I wanted her looking right; a process which was not going to be cheap...
  1947. >And he needed the money up front to refinish her, wiping out what little you had saved
  1948.  
  1949. >To make it worse, the gunsmith had been giving you the run around the entire time; this so-called “Mauser Expert” seemed to be everything but
  1950. >Hell, half the time you were the one finding answers to questions he should have already known
  1951. >Late nights spent in front of your laptop, researching thread sizes, front sight hood removal, even how to strip her bolt out of the receiver…
  1952. >All because this guy was “a bit rusty on the topic”
  1953.  
  1954. >Rusty my ass; he has no idea what he is doing with a 1903
  1955. >You should have picked Anna up from the smith right then and there...
  1956.  
  1957. *HISSSSSSSS*
  1958.  
  1959. >The airbrakes of the bus snap you back to reality
  1960.  
  1961. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1962.  
  1963. >Stepping on board, you swipe your pass and take a seat
  1964. >An elderly woman wearing a purple, ankle length downy coat being the only other occupant of the bus
  1965. >A knitted cap holding in silver streaks of thin hair
  1966.  
  1967. >Taking a moment to finally collect yourself a bit, you let out a long winded sigh, leaning your head back, closing your eyes
  1968. >It was only around 7:00 PM, but you felt as it was closer to midnight, stress having worn you down physically as well as mentally
  1969.  
  1970. >Cracking open an eye, you can’t help but notice how horrible you look in the reflection on the window
  1971. >Bags under your eyes, unruly hair sticking every which way, a faint frown lingering on your face; you look like Hell...
  1972. >Using the dim reflection, you do your best to make yourself look presentable; wetting your fingers to flatten the “bed head” you had neglected
  1973.  
  1974. >”Heheheh…” came a faint giggle opposite of you
  1975. >It was the elderly woman
  1976.  
  1977. >”It’s a girl, isn’t it?” came the fragile sounding voice
  1978. “I, err… sorry, what?” you replied, unsure of what she was getting at
  1979. >”Oh, there’s no need to be coy, dear.” she said, yellowed teeth showing through her slight smile. “Afterall, men only fuss over their looks when a girl is involved.”
  1980. “It’s… not like that.” was all you managed to stammer out
  1981.  
  1982. >This only raised further laughter from the woman
  1983.  
  1984. >”I hope you are more honest with her than you are with me!” she chuckled
  1985.  
  1986. >This lady must be lonely or something…
  1987.  
  1988. “...”
  1989. >”I didn’t mean anything by it, dear. You just had me reminiscing about my own youth.”
  1990. “It’s fine.”
  1991.  
  1992. >Definitely lonely
  1993.  
  1994. ...
  1995.  
  1996. >”Could you answer something for me?”
  1997. “Sure…”
  1998. >Turning her body towards you, she leans in, speaking in a hushed tone
  1999. >”Is she beautiful?”
  2000. “Well, uhh… I mean…” you stuttered, struggled for the words
  2001.  
  2002. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2003.  
  2004. >Why is this so difficult? Just need to answer the question
  2005. >Of course Annabelle is beautiful, her long chestnut hair, honest, dull jade eyes, the gentle curves of her form; you would be lying if you said no
  2006. >But in the end, she is a Geist… making this entire conversation nothing but absurd
  2007.  
  2008. >”Hehehe, that is all the answer I needed!” she cackled, point at your face
  2009. >At first you had no idea what she one on about, until you realized just how warm your face felt
  2010. >Your cheeks must have been as red as cherries…
  2011.  
  2012. >This ride can’t end soon enough
  2013.  
  2014.  
  2015.  
  2016. >The bus arrived at your stop a short time later; the elderly woman giving you a cheery “good luck!” as you hopped off
  2017.  
  2018. “Thank God…” you mutter, beginning the short walk down the poorly lit street to the windowless, cinder block constructed building
  2019.  
  2020. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2021.  
  2022. >A weathered, black tin sign reading “GARY’S GUN AND GEIST REPAIR” in white lettering adorning the side of the structure
  2023. >A smaller sign by the door read. “All Geists MUST be in gun form prior to entering!”
  2024. >Gary had mentioned how some Geists can be quite emotional when going to the gunsmith, especially if they aren’t terribly keen on what was about to happen to them, so keeping them in their gun form made handling all the easier...
  2025.  
  2026. >Well, here goes nothing
  2027.  
  2028. >Approaching the door, you hold the buzzer down
  2029.  
  2030. >”This is Gary.” crackled over the speaker
  2031. “It’s me Anon, Gary.”
  2032. >”Ah, Anon! Glad you could make it. I’ll buzz you right in.”
  2033.  
  2034. >The door jostles as the magnetic lock disengages with a clanking sound
  2035.  
  2036. >The shop itself was rather straightforward
  2037. >There was no greeting area, the moment you step through the front door, you are in the shop
  2038. >The building wasn't enormous, but Gary had made good use of the room he had; lathes, presses, numerous benches, and about half a dozen safes were scattered all throughout the shop
  2039. >Half built rifles hanging on racks on the far left wall, none of which seemed to be of any Mauser pattern
  2040.  
  2041. >But what would catch anyone's attention upon entering would be the woman sitting on a stool merely feet from the door, thumbing through magazines
  2042. >She was pushing 7 feet tall, easy; fair skin, thighs like tree trunks, arms fit to crush an oil drum, wearing an OD green tank top with multicam pants cinched around her waist with a webbing belt, black leather combat boots laced around her feet
  2043. >Her bright green eyes, long blonde hair kept up in a simple bun, and fair facial features did little to take the edge off of how intimidating she was
  2044.  
  2045. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2046.  
  2047. >This was Gary’s own shop built M2 Browning, or as he would call her, Jane, the workshops “security system”
  2048. >...and she was reading a gardening magazine...
  2049.  
  2050. >”Hello, Anon!” she said in a friendly tone, waving
  2051. >You couldn’t help but flinch a little at her gesture… you had no idea Geists could get so big
  2052. “H-hey.” you said, trying to speed walk past Jane
  2053.  
  2054. >Still, it was no small effort to build such a machine gun, which made Gary’s trouble with figuring out a Mauser pattern rifle all the stranger; maybe he was desperate for the cash
  2055. >Aren’t we all…?
  2056.  
  2057. >”Anon! Welcome-welcome-welcome. I bet you're eager to pick up your 1903-A3… Annabelle was it?” Gary said in greeting, seeming all too happy
  2058. “Gary.” was the only greeting you returned
  2059.  
  2060. >Gary was a man in his early fifties, black and gray peppered hair, a goatee, and a large bald spot on the top of his head which you only ever saw when he removed his ball cap
  2061. >Large wire framed glasses magnifying her eyes to seem far larger than they actually were
  2062. >There was just something about him you never quite trusted, even before he started giving you the runaround
  2063. >He seemed to give off the aura of a used car salesman
  2064.  
  2065. >”Ah, I see you are eager indeed. Well then, let's not make you wait any longer.” he said, shuffling off around to one of the safes
  2066.  
  2067. >Only the sound of Jane humming and flipping through pages broke the silence
  2068.  
  2069. >”Here we go!” he said, returning with a long object wrapped in a gun sock
  2070.  
  2071. >Stripping off the sock, he revealed your 1903A3… she was unrecognizable, looking almost brand new
  2072. >The steel had been refinished to look much darker than before, but the tone went well with the stock
  2073. >Taking Anna into your hands, you cycle her a few times… smooth as silk
  2074. >Everything felt tight and well put together; the “Remington” mark on the receiver helped to draw the whole package together
  2075. >You couldn’t help but let out an audible “Whoa…”
  2076.  
  2077. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2078.  
  2079. >”I’ll take that as a compliment!” Gary exclaimed
  2080. “Yeah… this is great, Gary.” you admitted
  2081. >”It wasn’t easy, but in the end I think it turned out rather well.”
  2082.  
  2083. >Anna is going to be ecstatic...
  2084.  
  2085. >”Now, Anon,” Gary began, removing Anna from your grasp in one swift motion, returning her to the safe. ”I hate to break up this happy reunion, but we need to talk about payment.”
  2086.  
  2087. “Oh, uh, course.” you said, trying to ignore the knot forming in your stomach
  2088. >”As you know, there were a few… bumps, along the way, she ended up eating a lot more of my time and resources than I had planned.” he said, retrieving a manilla folder from one of the bench drawers
  2089.  
  2090. >The knot in your stomach tightened as he started fingering through the pages
  2091.  
  2092. >”Among the larger costs, there was the refinishing job which you already paid for. The action thread conversion, which broke not one, but two rather expensive taps… I don’t know what they made that receiver out of, but you won’t have to worry about it blowin’ up, hehe.” he chuckled
  2093. >”Then there was a few smaller things, never hardware and such for her, but where you’re going to see the majority of the cost is in the labor.”
  2094.  
  2095. >Here we go…
  2096.  
  2097. >”Now, Anon, I’m not a cruel man, I’m well aware that it would be preposterous to charge someone for the full 107 hours I put into-”
  2098. “107 hours?!” you blurt out
  2099.  
  2100. >You knew it was bad, but 107 hours? That's well over $6500 in labor alone
  2101. >This better be one Hell of a discount
  2102.  
  2103. >”Yes, as I was saying, I don’t expect anyone to pay the full price, as it was… a learning experience for us all.”
  2104. >Jane chuckled at the comment, causing Gary to grimace
  2105. >”Anyway… to cover the bare necessities…” He said, passing you the final sheet from the folder
  2106.  
  2107. >With a shaky hand, reach reach out and take it
  2108.  
  2109. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2110.  
  2111. “...”
  2112.  
  2113. >Looking at the number at the bottom of the sheet, you didn’t know whether you should laugh, cry, or vomit…
  2114. >Or more precisely, which one to do first
  2115.  
  2116. “$2100…” you mouthed silently.
  2117. >”Now I know it was probably more than what you were expecting, but I need to be able to eat and keep the lights on, Anon.”
  2118. “$2100.” you said aloud this time, in disbelief
  2119.  
  2120. >”Yes’sir. I take cash, credit, or certified check.” he said nonchalantly
  2121.  
  2122. >Staring at the paper, you didn’t just see a high number
  2123. >No more groceries, no rent money, no books for the next semester, financial ruin…
  2124. >And worse… no Annabelle…
  2125. >That wasn’t an option...
  2126.  
  2127. “And if I can’t pay?”
  2128.  
  2129. >At that, you heard a magazine crinkle; you had obviously caught Jane’s attention
  2130.  
  2131. >Gary let out a deep sigh
  2132. >”If you can’t pay within four weeks, then I will take legal possession of the rifle per the documents you signed when dropping her off, at which point I will be free to do with her as I please, including selling her to the highest bidder to recoup some costs.”
  2133.  
  2134. >There was no other choice, you knew what needed to be done...
  2135.  
  2136. “...you said you take credit?”
  2137.  
  2138. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2139.  
  2140. >”...Hey! You getting on or what, man?” the bus driver barked, finally catching your attention
  2141. “Uh, yeah. Sorry…” you said, maneuvering the cheap plastic case containing the newly refurbished Anna through the narrow entrance
  2142. >You figured it would be best to follow Gary’s parting advice
  2143. >”You might want to keep her in the case until you get home, they can get a little excited after getting fixed.”
  2144. >This was perfectly okay with you… even though they weren’t people, the buses still charge for anything taking up an extra seat
  2145. >It’s not like you would be even be able to afford a second seat now anyway...
  2146.  
  2147. >Plopping down on the nearest seat of the empty bus, you try to collect yourself
  2148. >The knots in your stomach and nausea have subsided, turning to pure anxiety
  2149. >Heart racing, mind clouded and cluttered, desperately searching for a solution to the financial pitfall you have found yourself in, that YOU put yourself in
  2150.  
  2151. “...”
  2152.  
  2153. >In your mind, you didn’t have a choice, you couldn’t let Anna waste away in a safe for any longer
  2154. >Though, you’d be lying to if you said that was the only reason; the thought of giving her up… you feel strange admitting it to yourself, but she was your companion, a friend
  2155. >Maybe even your best friend at this point…as sad as that would sound to some
  2156.  
  2157. >Reaching into your coat pocket, you pull out the receipt
  2158. >$2163
  2159. >The bastard even had the audacity to charge a credit card fee...
  2160. >Your skin goes cold just by looking at the paper statement
  2161.  
  2162. “...”
  2163.  
  2164. >Anna can never know how much you spent on her…
  2165. >Knowing her, she will only blame herself
  2166.  
  2167. >The sudden deceleration of the bus can only mean one thing, this is your stop
  2168. >Hastily stuffing the receipt back into your coat, you leave the bus, hard case in hand, and step out into the cold
  2169.  
  2170. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2171.  
  2172. >Completing your ascent to the top floor, you fumble for your keys, the stubborn lock seeming like such a small issue now
  2173. >Shuffling into the living room, tossing your coat across the couch. laying the hard case on the ground
  2174. >Okay Anon… Time to put on a happy face…
  2175.  
  2176. >Popping the latches, your begin to lift the lid
  2177. “Anna, we’re ho-”
  2178.  
  2179. >The cheap case practically explodes open, sending you to the floor
  2180. >With a lively blue flash, Anna is standing before you, though she was too preoccupied to take notice
  2181. >For a moment, her feet are frozen in place, slowly running her hands up and down the length of her body, inspecting the new fabric
  2182. >Apparently she liked what she felt, letting out a short, quiet giggle as she extended her arms out for further inspection
  2183.  
  2184. >The greatest visual change was to her outfit
  2185. >Her old cracked leather boots replaced with rich, brown, freshly oiled leather knee highs; the yellowing white dress now as white as unsoiled snow
  2186. >A form fitting navy blue pea-coat with golden buttons and snaps complimenting her figure
  2187. >She had an entirely different aura about herself; the once sickly looking woman was now full of warmth and life
  2188. >The whole apartment seemed to glow along with her
  2189.  
  2190. >Annabelle took one step, then another; left foot then right, before giving her dress a small twirl, giggling once again
  2191. >She was the very image of elegance and beauty, this spirit of your 1903, yet, right now, she seemed entirely human
  2192.  
  2193. >You have seen her in points of great sadness, passion, fury, and now, happiness
  2194. >The latter being your favorite, by far
  2195. >Still, the crushing financial burden still lingered in the back of your mind
  2196.  
  2197. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2198.  
  2199. >The sound of you getting back to your feet must have caught Anna’s attention
  2200. >Before you know it, she has her arms wrapped around your torso, drawing you into her embrace
  2201. >The smell of old milsurp no longer clinging to her body, and has been replaced with...
  2202. >...Roses?
  2203.  
  2204. >”...”
  2205.  
  2206. >No words were needed to express her emotions, you both just stood there for who knows how long, before you finally broke the silence
  2207.  
  2208. “Hey…” you whispered
  2209. >”Hey…”
  2210.  
  2211. …
  2212.  
  2213. “Any more pain?”
  2214. >Anna only shook her head “no”, nuzzling your neck
  2215. >”Thank you, Anon.” she whispered, “Thank you…”
  2216. >No other words were needed
  2217.  
  2218. >Finally releasing you, she steps back, quickly wiping the moisture from her cheeks
  2219. >”Sorry, it’s all just… it’s a lot to take in”
  2220. “No, I get it, I’m sure you-”
  2221. >”It didn’t cost too much, did it?” she says, cutting you off
  2222.  
  2223. >Your heart skipped a beat
  2224. “No… not at all.” you force out. “It was about what I expected.”
  2225. >”Good.” she said, giving you a bright, warm smile
  2226.  
  2227. >As happy as that smile made you, it did little to comfort you
  2228. >Your financial situation remained the same, with no way to pay for the repairs, let alone your next grocery trip
  2229. >Anna was going to find out at some point...
  2230.  
  2231. >”Hey, how about I make you something to eat? I’m sure you-”
  2232. “I’m actually pretty tired, Anna… I think I’m going to go lay down for a bit”
  2233. >”O-oh… well, okay.” she said a bit puzzled. “I’ll just straighten up the place a bit then.”
  2234.  
  2235. >Her confusion was obvious, and well founded
  2236. >What was supposed to be a happy and joyous reunion was being cut short because you were “tired”, it was hardly even 9:00 PM
  2237.  
  2238. “Thank you, Anna.” you said before shuffling off to your room
  2239. >Closing the door behind you
  2240.  
  2241. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2242.  
  2243. >You fall back onto your mattress, staring up into the darkness
  2244. “What are you going to do, Anon… what are you going to do?” you mumbled
  2245. >You could try throwing your resume at every fast food joint in town and just hope they’ll work around your upcoming semester
  2246. >Not that that was likely…
  2247. >Maybe you could get a couple hundred bucks from selling the laptop… though, that would make school all the harder…
  2248.  
  2249. >You let out a drawn out sigh
  2250.  
  2251. “...”
  2252.  
  2253. >In the silence, you can hear Anna’s footsteps around the apartment, presumably straightening up the mess that has accumulated since she has been gone
  2254.  
  2255. >”*GASP*!”
  2256.  
  2257. >...what?
  2258. >You knew that the place got a bit messy without her around, but it wasn’t-
  2259.  
  2260. >”ANON!!!” came a shrill scream from the living room, followed by stomps coming down the hallway
  2261.  
  2262. >Wait…
  2263. >Your coat
  2264. >The receipt
  2265.  
  2266. “Fuck…”
  2267.  
  2268. >Your bedroom door flew open, the silhouette of Annabelle standing in the doorway holding a small bit of paper
  2269.  
  2270. *Click*
  2271.  
  2272. >Anna flicked on the lights, her jade eyes wide with...surprise?
  2273. >Fury?
  2274.  
  2275. “Anna…” you say, sitting up on the edge of the bed
  2276. >”WHAT. IS. THIS?!?” she yells, shoving the receipt in your face
  2277.  
  2278. “I-I… uhh… I... “ you desperately searched for words. “...didn’t know you had a real concept of money…?”
  2279. >”Of course I do!” she practically screams at you. “You CANNOT afford this!!”
  2280.  
  2281. >All you can do is shrug your shoulders
  2282. “I don’t know what you want me to say…”
  2283.  
  2284. >Anna crumpled the receipt, allowing it to drop to the floor
  2285. >Her clenched fists quivering in anger
  2286. >Tears forming in her eyes
  2287.  
  2288. >She approaches you, holding your cheeks in her hands, making sure you are looking her in the eye
  2289. >You manage to avert your gaze
  2290. >”Why?” she chokes out. “Why are you doing this? This could RUIN you… WILL ruin you!”
  2291. “...”
  2292. >”Answer me!”
  2293.  
  2294. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2295.  
  2296. “You’re all I have…”
  2297. >The thought had been dwelling in your head for weeks, but saying it out loud felt strange
  2298. “I have no family to speak of, no one to be there for me… I guess I could just relate to you, I don't know…”
  2299. >You reach up, taking her hands into your own
  2300. “I know what it's like to have no one care. I just didn’t want you to feel how I have felt… how BOTH of us have felt ever again…”
  2301. >”...”
  2302. “I just wanted to take care of you…”
  2303.  
  2304. >She only stood there in stunned silence
  2305.  
  2306. “I’ll figure something out, okay?”
  2307. >”...”
  2308.  
  2309. >Free her hands from your own, Anna hiked up her skirt slightly, straddling you, wrapping her slender arms around the back of your neck
  2310. >Her face merely an inch away from you
  2311.  
  2312. “Ann-?”
  2313. >You were cut off by tender lips pressing against your own
  2314. >Your mind was buzzing. Is this wrong? Do Geists feel love on a romantic level?
  2315. >At this point, you don’t think it matters
  2316.  
  2317. >Reaching beneath her thighs, you pull her in more closely, allowing your hands to explore a bit further; drawing a sharp gasp from Anna
  2318. >Her tongue now dancing across your own
  2319. >Breaking the kiss, she reaches up, letting her light chestnut hair down
  2320.  
  2321. >Everything was happening so quickly, her hands tugging at your jeans, fingers making quick work of the button and zipper
  2322. >”Let me take care of you…” she whispered into your ear, planting kisses up and down your neck. “I’ll take care of you…”
  2323.  
  2324. >Something felt… wrong, though. And it had nothing to do with the Geist undressing you
  2325. >A ringing sound was growing louder in your ears…
  2326. >Your hands going numb, followed by your legs, torso...
  2327. >What…?
  2328.  
  2329. >Your vision grows darker, Annabelle fading from your view
  2330. >You're in a sea of darkness, void of all sound or sensation
  2331. >Drowning… why can’t you breath??
  2332. >Panic is setting it
  2333.  
  2334. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2335.  
  2336. -~-~-~-~-~-(Now)-~-~-~-~-~-
  2337.  
  2338. >Sensation returning… cold… it's fucking cold…
  2339. >Why does everything hurt…?
  2340.  
  2341. >Something has a grip on your throat
  2342. >Choking, what are you choking on???
  2343. >Why can’t you see? Try and try, but your eyes won’t open
  2344.  
  2345. >Reaching for your mouth, you grab the obstruction and pull
  2346. >Retching violently, you cough and gag as the you draw the object from your throat, gasping for breath
  2347.  
  2348. >An alarm starts screeching in the strange room as you paw your face seeking what is obstructing your eyes; it's sticky…
  2349. >Tape…?
  2350. >You strip it away, the bright lights in the room flooding in, yet all is blurry
  2351. >Rubbing your eyes, the view clears up a bit, but not by much
  2352.  
  2353. >Hospital…?
  2354.  
  2355. >It all comes back to you; the range trip, the ND, Sophie…
  2356.  
  2357. >A team of women in medical scrubs come rushing into the room pushing a cart
  2358. >”Oh my god, he’s awake??” cries one of them in disbelief
  2359. >”M-Mr. Kneemose?”
  2360.  
  2361. >You just stared at them
  2362.  
  2363. >”Ma’am, you can’t... MA’AM!” shouted a male voice from outside the door
  2364.  
  2365. >A tall figure forces its way past the nurses, freezing before you
  2366. >Though your vision is blurry, you can still make out colors
  2367. >Light chestnut hair
  2368. >Jade green eyes
  2369. >You can’t help but smile
  2370.  
  2371. >And only one person on Earth can bring that smile to your face
  2372.  
  2373. >”H-hey…”
  2374. “Hey…”
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