Hellfire
2038
They'd been out in the woods for weeks. Nox was tired of sleeping on the ground. Their mother and father were busy fucking every night in the Jeep and Nox was pretty sure Uncle Jake was peeping on the show when he thought no one was looking. Nox rolled over in his sleeping bag and growled to himself, if he tried doing that -- not with his mom, or even any fucking hunter they'd chew his ass out. Even though his father would drag him out to find a girl every other week when it got too much sausage in the camp. Look at one guy for more than a second and it's right back to fucking square one.
Even with the shitty sleep in the cool weather he was still the first one up. Water was on and ready for coffee the moment he heard anyone stirring. Coffee was the life blood of a hunter. Never could have enough and if you didn't drink it black you were a pansy and every hunter this side of the Appalachians would fucking know it. His mother said he was too young for coffee, that it's stunt his growth. It hadn't, she'd lied cause he'd been drink it since he was 10. Had to have a cup to stay on top of everything least his father rip him a new one.
Mornings consisted of forms then followed by cross bow practice and whatever weapon his father thought he needed more practice with.
As per the usual when Uncle Jake stayed in their camp, he was up second. Strolling his old bones over to where Nox practiced with the cross bow holding a cup of coffee. He watched Nox process a few bolts while leaning against the nearest tree.
When the rounds were spent Nox went to fetch the strays and push the target back deeper into the woods to master more distance and strength and speed and whatever the fuck his father thought he needed.
Uncle Jake chuckled as he watched me walk back disgruntled. "Your dad teach you how to fire a gun yet? You or that sweet sister of yours."
Nox looked at the older man with a deadly glare on his face. Uncle Jake laughed and put his hands up in the air in surrender. "They said you were fierce when it came to your sister. She's family. That ain't ever gonna happen, and if any of these blokes get near, you shank 'em."
Nox gave him a half smile and turned back to the target and aimed, loosed the next bolt and waited for it to hit the dead center of his target. If only he could fucking do that when his dad was around.
"Nice shot kid. So about the gun?"
"Guns are for the seasoned hunters. Kill with the slow ass weapons first and then maybe I'll let you fire a pistol. But you ain't ever fucking with a shot gun, blow your own damned foot off." Nox turned to look at Uncle Jake, "And I'm pretty sure he muttered you fairy under his breath."
Uncle Jake laughed. "Sounds about right. He's too hard you kids."
"No just me." Nox said and fired two more bolts in rapid succession. Probably not fast enough for his father, but they at least hit the fucking target. His dad miss 20% of the time, his eyes getting bad, and the beer goggles didn't help. Old age sucks. But Uncle Jake, he knew how to take care of himself.
"Come 'ere." He said and Nox followed orders. He dropped the crossbows aim and held the center. No accidental firing. Nothing was loaded. God forbid he accidentally shoot someone -- never happened but it could.
Uncle Jake lead Nox to his truck and pulled out a trunk of gear. He sorted through each piece and set aside two guns. "These here are good for your smaller hands." He pointed to the larger stocks, "Maybe when you grow into those feet these others will work better. Right gun for the right person. You got that kid? Find what fits."
Nox nodded. Sage wisdom from a hunter came with experience and Uncle Jake was pushing sixty. He was the oldest hunter he knew. And there wasn't a hunter in the whole of America that wouldn't recognize that. Didn't matter if they knew him personally or not. Soon as you see the gray hair you fucking know. Most of us don't reach past our early twenties. This is a dangerous job. Unless of course you hit the ball late, but kids like Nox, they die early. Monsters didn't care how old you were, or how stupid you would be. They didn't give a flying fuck about you, they lived on one thing, and one thing alone -- instinct.
Uncle Jake called out, "Aurora, girl, come here. Let Uncle Jake teach you a thing or two."
A few of the other young male hunters laughed and Nox moved to toss them but Uncle Jake stayed him with the back of his hand. "Got a few things to say, boys?" He asked loudly.
They shook their heads and walked really fast away from the truck. Aurora smirked. "I could have taken care of that myself." She looked at me more than Uncle Jake.
"I didn't do shit. They ain't running away from me at least not without a fist the face first."
"Yours or theirs?" Aurora teased.
"Both probably." Uncle Jake said. "Come, let me teach you how to use these things. You gotta know. Some creep pulls a gun, you gotta know how to take it away and use it if you gotta. Don't matter kids. Don't fucking matter how old you are."
He shook his head and spent the better part of the day teaching them proper care and firing techniques and dispensing his sage wisdom. Some of which was bullshit and Aurora called him on it. She was too smart for her own britches sometimes, and sometimes Uncle Jake hated that. He hated a know it all. But he also hated someone who sucked up non-stop. So Nox did neither. Nox was just himself and that seemed to be good enough. Few times that actually mattered to him.
His parting words as he handed us each a box of ammo for the appropriate weapons of his choice for us. "Your dad is right. Guns are not our weapons. Monsters got claws, they got teeth. They move fast. And you got your job to do and put them down fast. But you gotta do it without putting lives at risk. A gun, they gonna kill fast. But in the wrong hands, they gonna hurt the innocents more. Rely on them, and it'll be your damnation." He held his hands up high in the air, and sounded just like a preacher on his podium "Hell gonna rain down on you and scorch the earth you walk on."
Aurora giggled. "Daddy don't sound like that."
Uncle Jack smirked, "Maybe not to your angel ears sweet heart, but your brother knows what I'm talking about."
2038
They'd been out in the woods for weeks. Nox was tired of sleeping on the ground. Their mother and father were busy fucking every night in the Jeep and Nox was pretty sure Uncle Jake was peeping on the show when he thought no one was looking. Nox rolled over in his sleeping bag and growled to himself, if he tried doing that -- not with his mom, or even any fucking hunter they'd chew his ass out. Even though his father would drag him out to find a girl every other week when it got too much sausage in the camp. Look at one guy for more than a second and it's right back to fucking square one.
Even with the shitty sleep in the cool weather he was still the first one up. Water was on and ready for coffee the moment he heard anyone stirring. Coffee was the life blood of a hunter. Never could have enough and if you didn't drink it black you were a pansy and every hunter this side of the Appalachians would fucking know it. His mother said he was too young for coffee, that it's stunt his growth. It hadn't, she'd lied cause he'd been drink it since he was 10. Had to have a cup to stay on top of everything least his father rip him a new one.
Mornings consisted of forms then followed by cross bow practice and whatever weapon his father thought he needed more practice with.
As per the usual when Uncle Jake stayed in their camp, he was up second. Strolling his old bones over to where Nox practiced with the cross bow holding a cup of coffee. He watched Nox process a few bolts while leaning against the nearest tree.
When the rounds were spent Nox went to fetch the strays and push the target back deeper into the woods to master more distance and strength and speed and whatever the fuck his father thought he needed.
Uncle Jake chuckled as he watched me walk back disgruntled. "Your dad teach you how to fire a gun yet? You or that sweet sister of yours."
Nox looked at the older man with a deadly glare on his face. Uncle Jake laughed and put his hands up in the air in surrender. "They said you were fierce when it came to your sister. She's family. That ain't ever gonna happen, and if any of these blokes get near, you shank 'em."
Nox gave him a half smile and turned back to the target and aimed, loosed the next bolt and waited for it to hit the dead center of his target. If only he could fucking do that when his dad was around.
"Nice shot kid. So about the gun?"
"Guns are for the seasoned hunters. Kill with the slow ass weapons first and then maybe I'll let you fire a pistol. But you ain't ever fucking with a shot gun, blow your own damned foot off." Nox turned to look at Uncle Jake, "And I'm pretty sure he muttered you fairy under his breath."
Uncle Jake laughed. "Sounds about right. He's too hard you kids."
"No just me." Nox said and fired two more bolts in rapid succession. Probably not fast enough for his father, but they at least hit the fucking target. His dad miss 20% of the time, his eyes getting bad, and the beer goggles didn't help. Old age sucks. But Uncle Jake, he knew how to take care of himself.
"Come 'ere." He said and Nox followed orders. He dropped the crossbows aim and held the center. No accidental firing. Nothing was loaded. God forbid he accidentally shoot someone -- never happened but it could.
Uncle Jake lead Nox to his truck and pulled out a trunk of gear. He sorted through each piece and set aside two guns. "These here are good for your smaller hands." He pointed to the larger stocks, "Maybe when you grow into those feet these others will work better. Right gun for the right person. You got that kid? Find what fits."
Nox nodded. Sage wisdom from a hunter came with experience and Uncle Jake was pushing sixty. He was the oldest hunter he knew. And there wasn't a hunter in the whole of America that wouldn't recognize that. Didn't matter if they knew him personally or not. Soon as you see the gray hair you fucking know. Most of us don't reach past our early twenties. This is a dangerous job. Unless of course you hit the ball late, but kids like Nox, they die early. Monsters didn't care how old you were, or how stupid you would be. They didn't give a flying fuck about you, they lived on one thing, and one thing alone -- instinct.
Uncle Jake called out, "Aurora, girl, come here. Let Uncle Jake teach you a thing or two."
A few of the other young male hunters laughed and Nox moved to toss them but Uncle Jake stayed him with the back of his hand. "Got a few things to say, boys?" He asked loudly.
They shook their heads and walked really fast away from the truck. Aurora smirked. "I could have taken care of that myself." She looked at me more than Uncle Jake.
"I didn't do shit. They ain't running away from me at least not without a fist the face first."
"Yours or theirs?" Aurora teased.
"Both probably." Uncle Jake said. "Come, let me teach you how to use these things. You gotta know. Some creep pulls a gun, you gotta know how to take it away and use it if you gotta. Don't matter kids. Don't fucking matter how old you are."
He shook his head and spent the better part of the day teaching them proper care and firing techniques and dispensing his sage wisdom. Some of which was bullshit and Aurora called him on it. She was too smart for her own britches sometimes, and sometimes Uncle Jake hated that. He hated a know it all. But he also hated someone who sucked up non-stop. So Nox did neither. Nox was just himself and that seemed to be good enough. Few times that actually mattered to him.
His parting words as he handed us each a box of ammo for the appropriate weapons of his choice for us. "Your dad is right. Guns are not our weapons. Monsters got claws, they got teeth. They move fast. And you got your job to do and put them down fast. But you gotta do it without putting lives at risk. A gun, they gonna kill fast. But in the wrong hands, they gonna hurt the innocents more. Rely on them, and it'll be your damnation." He held his hands up high in the air, and sounded just like a preacher on his podium "Hell gonna rain down on you and scorch the earth you walk on."
Aurora giggled. "Daddy don't sound like that."
Uncle Jack smirked, "Maybe not to your angel ears sweet heart, but your brother knows what I'm talking about."
![[Image: nox_sig.gif]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/nox_sig.gif)