One of the stories where I first started trying out the present first person style of writing, I like it but I am not too sure about it and I usually have to convert a past tense to the present because my brain is like that...
In the distance, many of the screams and growls mix in with the occasional howl. I walk to one end of the bridge to see if I could traverse it but alas, it is barricaded. Or perhaps I am in luck that the barricade hasn't been broken yet? I turn to walk the other way but I notice a small path hidden behind a statue of a saint, or at least it looked like a saint to me. As I stare down the staircase I think about whether or not to explore that path. I might want to try and fight in an open space such as the bridge since I barely understand how my newly acquired weapon works but as I think I simply make a step. Then another one and before I know it I am walking down the stairs. Curiosity got the better of me once again.
While walking down the stairs I start seeing things sharper and hear more silent noises. Am I adjusting to my… my new body? As I walk I instinctively clutch the cleaver in both of my hands but then I feel a sharp pain in my leg. I see the moon, the stairs, the railing and mix of everything around me. When I stop I feel how bruised I am all over and how my bottom pains me. "Owwww…" I stop and laugh a little at how adorable and feminine my groan of pain sounds. No matter, I cannot let one small fall stop me, there's a great many more awaiting me before I can end this nightmare…
I press on and walk the damp and dark streets of Yharnam. I feel uneasy, not seeing a single enemy so far but also no signs of life around me but then the tension is broken as I see light coming from around the corner. It is three maddened peasants dragging their tools of trade behind them once again as their arms are long and uneven. I panic a little but my heart stays steady as they close on to me, then the first one notices me and runs straight at me. I prepare myself, I wind up for a large attack, holding my cleaver with both hands and as I swing I an feel the saw sinking its teeth into the monsters chest, I quickly bring it back, opening its rib cage and letting it fall onto the ground. Before I can finish it the second one swings at me and try to dodge backwards but stumble and fall onto my knee. I do the only thing that I can think of and raise my saw cleaver, holding it so the wide side acts as a shield for me. I am knocked to my bottom and them even onto my back as the madman has quite incredible strength. As the it throws itself at me I raise one of my legs and kick it in the stomach hard enough to send it stumbling backwards and eventually falling down thanks to its dead comrade. I quickly sit and stand up, I do not know why but the last one looks a bit scared, not attacking immediately and keeping its distance and so I dash forth, picking up a piece of rubble along the way and throwing it at it. I then quickly drive the saw into the mouth of the one on the ground, severing his jaw and head. Before the last one could regain its lost posture I bring my cleaver up and cut it vertically. The prey is eviscerated.
I hold my cleaver high for a moment and only the drops of blood from its edge falling onto my face break my transe. I finally catch myself grimacing and snaring, unlocking my jaw I realize my expression must be what kept the monster aback. As I open my mouth and I start breathing heavily and look around to see the bloodbath I just created.
I resume walking through the street, knocking and calling on any doors or windows with a lit lamp, even though I knew the answer would be the same. They send me away or respond with sounds of despair and crazed laughter but if there is even a small chance I can find someone with their wits still around and willing to help me navigate this maze of a city, I must try. As I walk I notice a dim, purple light at the end of the street and without thinking I rush towards it, hold my hand out and the small lamp starts shining even more brightly. Even the little creatures, what did I call them again? No matter, the little ones, come and hug the lamp. They look like mummified corpses of pale humans but somehow their horrid appearance soothes me.
As I concentrate on the lamp I feel myself falling asleep. I close my eyes for just a second and when I open them I am laying on my back in a garden of sorts. As I sit up I can see that the garden looks more like a graveyard that seems to be inhabited by the small creatures. I think to myself whether it would be possible that they are the ones buried here. I get up and feel dizzy for a moment. When I regain my posture I move on to explore the strange place. What I found was one doll, many tombstones, small fountain filled with those small creatures and the main building that houses books, tools, arms and one old man. His name is Gehrman, the first hunter. I do not understand how he could be the first hunter, wait, I think I used to know...but by this point, I am simply too confused so I take things as they are. He tells me of this place, The Hunter's Dream, and of my duty, to slay the beasts and bring an end to this nightmare. I am dumbstruck, so much information to take in, so many decisions that I need to make and I am still as confused as I was when I woke up, or am I more confused?
"But… but how DO I end the hunt and the nightmare?" I ask in despair.
Gehrman barely lets out a wheeze and then turns into nothing but blue, sparkly dust which then turns into nothingness.
"Oi, oi, oi! Wait, where are you goin'?!" I exclaim as I try to grasp him but alas, he does disappear. I drop to the ground and sit there, looking at where he just was. "This… this is madness! What is even happening?!" As I calm down I look around the room, the little creatures are holding some kind of papyrus in their hands. I get up, walk to them and as I am about to pick it up the roll they open and hold it on display for me. 'To escape this dreadful Hunter's Dream, halt the source of the spreading scourge of beasts, lest the night carry on forever.' I stare at that writing in horror. Do I truly have no other choice but to hunt? But, I don't even know how to fight! I- Wait… I feel as though I do know how to fight, this all feels strangely familiar. I run outside and look around, the realization hits me. There was a feeling in the back of my mind, one that I refused to notice but now I am fully aware of it. I was here before, many times, but somehow, I have forgotten, I cannot remember… anything. I… the feeling of lost memories burdens me and I start to breathe rapidly and raggedly. The creatures surround me with more notes and they all cling to my legs, not in menacing way, nor in any other except for… worry. I calm myself down and smile at the gesture. They seem to relax, or perhaps I am simply imagining things. As they bring me three notes I sit down on the small stone wall in the garden and read them. One introduces me to something they call Trick Weapons and the other to Firearms. "So… the bullets I fire, are imbued with my own blood?" I question this but I can't understand how I know it, it is as if the knowledge flows into me as I pick those bullets up. The same goes for the Hunter Pistol and Hunter Axe, as they are called. The last item they bring me, is a small ball of light. "What… what is that, little ones?" They do not respond but I pick it up nonetheless. It turns into a small sling-bag. I stare inside but only empty darkness is in there yet, the dim purple light appears once again and and the creatures emerge from it. "Whoa… what are you doing in there?" Once again, from beneath them, they bring up a small orb of burning light which turns into a notebook. A notebook! "That's it! That's how I'll make sure to not forget anything again!" I get up with enthusiasm. "You're brilliant! The lot of you!" I stare back into the bag but it is once again filled only with darkness. I try to put the notebook into it but it just falls into the darkness and… it is gone. "Woa…, wait, don't tell me… um…" I look into the bag. "Could you… could you bring it back?" As I finish my sentence they emerge once again with the notebook in hands, giving it to me. "That… that makes as much sense as everything else here… but, it is amazing. Thank you." I see, so this will let me story anything and everything while having easy access to it. Brilliant.
As I explore the gardens further I find more notes, one of them informed me that those creatures are called Messengers and they are helpers to all hunters that enter the Dream but… how many are there? Is it just me? I also find some notes that contain battle advice. 'In battle, you must stay utterly calm. You are a Hunter, you have a hunter's blood and instincts, let them guide your hand. Calm yourself, focus, think of your duty and how you would slay the beast before you and then let your body perform the sacred duty.' I find it confusing but I try to do as it says since that is my only option at the moment. I close my eyes, take deep breaths and focus on how to swing the axe. After a few moments I start seeing projections in my mind, possible moves, angles and I feel as though I know how much force to apply for each of those. I open my eyes and try to follow one of the positions I saw and my body performs the action. "Is this… is this muscle memory? Of course, if the blood really is as mystical and magical as it seems I suppose it might be able to imbue me with muscle memory. After all…" I look at my arm with the Hunter Mark that was previously injured by the scourge beast, once again as I remember the beast I fought it feels as though knowledge flows into me, and I remember how that blood vial fully healed me. "Well, I need answers, many answers and I believe that Yharnam is the best place to begin my search, now that I am more than equipped to deal with the garbage that walks the streets and even a goal. For I… am a Hunter."
František Preissler