Oryonhunter - This is Me
This is my entry to the Dragons Lair This is Me-Challenge
All of the situations below are based on my real life. The only one I embellished was the surrounding story.
THIS IS ME
You're going to recognize the first part of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyJwbwWg8uc
But not many know that this is actually 30 minutes long...
With as much as I have seen and done, a poetic symphony just seemed...appropriate.
This is me...
The familiar hissing whiz of a round traveling close by had the big hybrid throwing himself to the ground.
"CONTACT! Unknown direction!"
Oryon's breath came in spurts as adrenaline flooded his system and set tired, overworked muscles thrumming in anticipation of yet more action. The sector was spotted with snipers. The jackals would lie in wait for the American teams to walk their patrols, and then engage in heavily populated areas. Soldiers, civilians...everyone was a target for their deadly fire, even sprawled out, uncovered Sergeants...
"Shit!"
Oryon scrambled to his hooves and dashed for a burnt out car hulk less than six feet away. His diving slump into the side of the gutted auto ended with him curled in behind the engine block, trying to make his massive frame as small as possible. Two thick fingers jammed into the Otto tactical headset throat mic strapped to his neck.
"Report! Anyone get a bead on where that round came from?"
Instantly, eight other well-trained colleagues responded in order. Their voices ringing in Oryon's skull mic bone conduction earphone unit.
"Negative on the sniper. Status: Green"
"Negative sniper. Status: Green"
The reports came in rapidly as Oryon counted off in his head. When he had two left to report, the next came in differently.
"Sniper spotted! 150 mikes...2 o'clock in the old bell tower. Status: Green!"
The big hybrid was already yanking the cover from the mirror on his stock, using it to look over the hood of the derelict car, when his last report came in. With all of his squad accounted, he was able to focus on finding the shooter. The gritted reflection revealed a shadowy alcove a few feet from the top of the tower, the perfect spot for a sniper. He jabbed his throat mic again.
"Alpha team suppress, sporadic rounds only...we're gonna need tha ammo. Bravo ta flank...go South and call it when yer ready ta go in..."
A chorus of acknowledgements followed his words as good, trained men began to do what they were here to do. They began to hunt a killer. Oryon popped over the car's hood just long enough to send a round towards the tower, and then dropped back behind cover. His eyes jerked left and right, assessing his men's positions for vulnerability. Like always, the squad had all found good cover. They were well trained, well disciplined, and well on their way to finishing this mission.
Command had sent in two companies to help quell the vicious killings of unarmed civilians that had been happening for the last few months. Reports had been coming in of individuals barricading themselves in high covered positions and targeting both military and civilians alike. It was another act of domestic terrorism designed to protest the occupation. Oryon and seven other squads had been sweeping across the red zone, mopping up the snipers one by one. This latest one was a bit of a surprise. No reports of activity had come from this sector, until the squad had entered the square and barely dodged the first round. Now Oryon pressed against the charred auto, a cancerous patch of rust only inches from his eyes. He waited patiently for the flank team to get into position as his support element traded shots with the sniper. He twisted around to look the other way as he activated his throat mic again.
"Alpha! Anyone see tha sniper yet?"
The voice buzzed in his head.
"Affirmative, Sergeant. Caught a glimpse of a silhouette on the last shot..."
"Can ya tell iffin he's alone?"
"Negative. Spotted one body, but can't see well enough to tell if there's any more."
"Noted. Thanks fer tha update...Alpha! Drop ta one fer one until Bravo is in position. Don't waste tha ammo!"
A chorus of confirmations sounded in Oryon's ear as he glanced down the row of homes lining the edge of the square. Even as shots continued to ring out, the hybrid noticed movement in the opening of one of the civilian doorways. A tiny figure toddled awkwardly out into the bright sun. The big hybrid goggled in surprise at the sight. An entire country of jackals, trying to kill each other, and someone lets their baby walk into a firefight! The little one was dressed in traditional female's garb, puttering along unsteadily down the row of house fronts. Oryon's breath caught in his throat. The steady rate of fire from the tower paused, and in the his mind's eye, he could see the sniper glance in surprise at this new target, could hear the scrape as the weapon moved, could see the jackal sighting down the scope at the tiny figure...
"Fuck!"
Oryon's fingers found his throat again.
"Fire! Fire! Cover me while I move!!"
Superbly trained, Alpha squad instantly opened up on the tower, sending rounds into the opening. The big hybrid leapt to his feet and panted for the little girl. Time seemed to slow. As he ran, Oryon felt an itch in his neck. He could almost feel the round slicing through the air, traveling to take his life. He bent over, still running, and scooped the little figure into his off arm. She yipped at the sudden grab, and squealed in fear as he pounded across the open space. The open doorway hovered in front of him, beckoning him on. His hoof planted, he turned the corner, and something slammed into his back with the force of an oncoming truck.
Pain blossomed between his shoulder blades as he hurtled into the room behind the door. Oryon twisted desperately, trying to put his bulk between the little girl and the oncoming table in the center of the room. His flying form impacted, sending pieces of table flying in all directions. The pain in his back had already knocked his breath away, so all he felt was the shaft of wood stab deep into the back of his thigh. Darkness closed in around his vision. The little girl stirred in his arms and Oryon slumped in relief. As his sight faded, a kaleidoscopic array of scenes from his life flitted across his mind...
**********
Today was the day. Mom had called from the hospital to tell him she was on her way, his new baby brother safely in tow. At five whole years of age, Oryon was giddy with excitement. He was going to be a big brother!! Half of an agonizing hour later, he heard the car pull into the driveway of the little trailer he shared with his parents. Overcome with excitement, he rushed out the door and ran to the car. Mom was still pulling a seat out of the car, and when she saw him, she turned with a smile to show him the contents. A tiny form, eyes closed in a scrunched-up face, lay wrapped in blankets and festooned in a soft knit cap. Oryon slid to a halt, staring in awe into the car seat. He was so small! Was he ever that small? With wondrous eyes, the hybrid looked up at his draft horse Mom.
"He's small..."
Oryon's mom chuckled and rubbed his head.
"He is small, honey. He's going to need your help till he gets bigger. Think you can do that?"
The little hybrid swelled with importance.
"Course momma...I'm a big boy! I can do it!"
The smiling mare scooped her son up in one arm and carried him with the car seat into the trailer. The entire way, Oryon's eyes never once strayed from his new baby brother...
**********
Oryon stood in the living room, eyes welling with tears. His Mom sat on the overstuffed chair in the living room, all three of her children around her. At thirteen years of age, the hybrid still wasn't ready to process the devastating news.
"But Mom, how? We just saw him yesterday!"
The person in question was his grandfather, gruff and loving as he was old. This was a horse who would rub his stiff whiskers on your belly, causing endless giggles. Not twenty minutes ago, Oryon's mother had sadly informed the blossoming adolescent that his grandfather had passed away from a heart attack. As she touched his shoulder, the mare's own eyes leaked down her cheeks.
"It was his time, honey. God called him home..."
The young hybrid grimaced in pain, a pain he couldn't rub away.
"Why Mom? Why did it have to be Pappy?!"
The emotional youth turned and fled the room, salty droplets falling to the carpet. He ran up the steps and threw himself unto the bed. He concluded that life was definitely not fair. If God could take away anyone at any time, how will he ever know who was next? In a small corner of his broken heart, Oryon resolved to keep everyone close. If someone was taken from him, he would be there to at least say goodbye...
**********
The Prom was a huge success. Oryon had danced the night away, moving from friend to friend even as his date kept a watchful eye. All of the femmes he liked had spent at least a song in his embrace. At the after party, he only had eyes for his girlfriend, a slim vixen with womanly hips and chest. The two whirled and laughed as the couples began to peel away silently and head to their own personal adventures. Eventually, the big hybrid, just starting to come into his size, had given the vixen a knowing smile, and the two had left the party arm in arm.
Much later, in the wee hours of the morning, the nervous pair fumbled with their clothing on the soft throw that covered her bed. Deep, long kisses and half-nervous touches across bare fur were their foreplay. A sensuous touch, a hastily applied condom, and together the two celebrated the loss of their virginity in a muffled gasp and tangle of arms and legs. Afterwards, Oryon had nearly panicked at the sight of blood, and quickly began to assess the damage. The deflowered vixen pulled him into her embrace and assured him that she was just fine. Relieved, the couple traded more intimate kisses before the vixen looked him in the eyes...
"Would you mind doing it again?"
**********
The growing hybrid stared, back ramrod straight, at the ceiling of the barracks. It was the first night since he had trucked in for basic training. His drill instructors had spent the morning screaming and yelling at recruits, making them stand, or sit, or any one of a number of different meaningless commands. The first recruit to disobey had been swarmed with round brown hats, hurling creative and glaring insults into the recruit's face at point blank range. Oryon sat stoically through the torment, obeying each screamed command flawlessly. Then it was up to the barracks for bunk assignment, and a whole new slew of rules and regulations delivered concealed inside a litany of curses and on-the-spot punishments. Finally, at the end of an exhausting day, the new recruits were all directed to go to their bunks and assume the position of attention...horizontally. As the hybrid lay there, he wondered to himself for the thousandth time that day...What have I got myself into?
**********
Oryon slammed the older wolf against the mantel, completely lifting him off the ground. The hybrid had returned just six short months ago from basic and Advanced Infantry training. Ever since his return, he and his stepfather had not seen eye to eye, much less anything else. The family had moved to a small farming community, far from the urban life desired by a young man seeking friends. To top it off, the wolf had insisted Oryon help transform the property by trudging through hours of menial tasks on top of his full time job. One time, he had forgotten to take out the trash and had come home to find it scattered in his room and across his bed. The big hybrid quietly cleaned up the mess and resolved to try harder. A month later, he was running later for work, another double-shift since help was scarce. He told his mother to let her new husband know he would get the trash when he got home, since he didn't have time at that moment.
Oryon had come home wearily from his double and collapsed on to his bed. Something wet squelched against his face. Leaping from the mattress, the flicked light had revealed the garbage strewn around his room and on his bed yet again. In a fit of anger, the big hybrid, now some 40lbs larger thanks to the military, had scrambled upstairs to convey his displeasure. What followed was an epic battle, massive hybrid versus stocky wolf. The whole scene had come to a head with the wolf pinned to the wall above the fireplace by an enraged crossbreed, muscles creaking from the strain. Through the fog of anger, Oryon heard the screams of his draft horse mother.
"Oryon! DON'T!"
He blinked the red haze from his eyes and watched as the wolf scrabbled at his grip, fighting for air. With a disgusted snarl, he dropped his stepfather and turned away. His mother followed alongside, pleading for him to calm down. Without a word, he went to his garbage spattered room and threw some clothes and essentials into a bag. As he started down the long driveway, he remarked over his shoulder to his mom, who stood crying.
"I'll never live here again...I swear."
The last she saw of him for a long time was his silhouette, walking briskly away in the distance...
**********
Oryon was packing, his tiny apartment no longer suitable for his latest venture in life. Just the day prior, he had exchanged his vows with a red-haired panda. The plump femme was nearly five months pregnant with his son and he swore to her she would not have a baby out of wedlock. They had traveled south to a Justice of the Peace and got married just the day before. The whole thing was a huge adventure in the making and the big hybrid was giddy with excitement. He was whistling and working on yet another box when the call came in. He plucked the receiver from its cradle and tucked it under one cheek while he worked.
"Hello?"
The frantic voice on the other end chilled his blood in his veins...
"Oryon! Come right now! She's losing the baby!!"
The big hybrid didn't even ask who or what. He knew the voice on the phone belonged to his new sister-in-law and there was only one pregnant woman in the house. The phone had barely struck the floor before he was out the door of his apartment. With a curse, his eyes turned towards his new home, some seventeen blocks away. His last car was gone, the engine had died, and he was walking everywhere that was important. Without pause, he took off, legs and arms pumping hard. Ten minutes later, he turned a corner in time to see the ambulance leaving for the hospital. Exhausted, a neighbor gave him a ride. When he entered the room in the Emergency ward, the look on her face told him everything.
Four hours of tears, curses, and heartache later, the crossbreed sat in a little room, holding his departed son. The little figure was wrapped in a blanket, and even had on a knit cap. Oryon stared in abject sorrow. The little form kept blurring out of focus as tears filled his eyes and fell steadily on to the blanket. The same mantra continued through his mind...over and over.
"I'm so sorry..."
**********
It's been a little over a year since the loss of Christopher. Oryon was working nights at a print shop, trying to make ends meet. His plump wife was swelled with his second baby. As he watched the paper fly by in the press, a sharp tap on his shoulder snapped his head around. His supervisor, a young female Labrador, was holding the receiver of a cordless phone. He took the proffered phone and held it to his ear.
"Hello?"
The voice of his mother-in-law came from the tiny speaker.
"Congratulations, Dad, you have a son...
A few hours later, he looked down into the little crib and met his baby for the first time. From that moment on, things were very different.
"I will be there for you..."
**********
The divorce was messy. For years the couple had been fighting day and night. Oryon may have been confident and prepared to handle anything in battle, but the war on his home front had taken a turn for the worst. He felt that no matter how much he capitulated, his wife wasn't happy. As he packed his bags and walked out the door, his eyes fell on a small form, staring at him from the crib.
"I'm sorry buddy..."
The pain in his heart told him that it no longer was in his chest, but in a crib, somewhere behind him...
**********
His second marriage was seemingly doing fine. The svelte bear had three children of her own, and Oryon was all too happy to raise them the best way he could. After several months, he finally got custody of his son, and he thought his happiness was complete. Somewhere along the line, the presence of his boy had an adverse effect on his new family. Negativity and resentment became the new normal, and the big hybrid struggled daily to get back to good. Unable to reconcile his son's odd behavior with his new wife, he made a decision and checked the boy in for counseling. It worked for a while. Everything seemed to go back to normal. Only one problem, the big crossbreed's mind was no longer on his new family but a young boy...far from his home...
**********
The barrel of the rifle looked enormous from the business end. Teeth grinding together and eyes streaming, Oryon sat in a small wooden building halfway around the world from home. Earlier that day, in yet another attempt to repair his crumbling marriage, the hybrid had called home to talk to his wife. Fifteen minutes into the call, her words shoved a dagger through his chest.
"Look, I wasn't going to tell you this, but I have to anyway. Don't bother coming home, I've met someone else."
"What?"
"You heard me."
Oryon's hand started to shake, tapping the phone against his ear uncontrollably.
"Honey don't do this. Not while I'm five thousand miles away. Please at least wait till I get home and we can talk face to face?"
"It's too late for that. We moved, Oryon. I have a new house and a new life. Don't even bother..."
Some hours later, staring down the bore of a loaded rifle, her words rang through his head over and over again. One squeeze. One squeeze would end the pain, end the misery. His fingers felt like lead. The rifle suddenly tripled in weight. With a sob, he tilted it away and laid it on his rack, paws automatically ejecting magazine and round to clear it. That very next morning, he spoke to the Chaplain, head hanging dejectedly.
**********
It had been a long, long time, these last few months. Cleared from duty for a while, the big hybrid took the opportunity to find a new home and vehicle. He had six months before he returned to work, and then no more deployments for at least a year. Sitting at home alone, Oryon signed up for a computer class online. He figured his retirement was right around the corner, just a few years away. The computer course required him to drive to a classroom two nights a week and the skills he learned would help him to find a job in the civilian world after his time in service.
Lately, Oryon was very unhappy with his life. The breakup had left him bitter and angry, a state of mind that followed him wherever he chose to go. Just the other day, the big hybrid had entered a convenience store and became aware of the other patrons scrambling to make their purchases and exit as swiftly as possible. Startled at the sudden evacuation, Oryon caught his reflection in the one-way mirror behind the clerk counter. Hollow, haunted eyes rested above five days growth of whiskers. His brow creased in a permanent scowl. That reflection hounded his thoughts for the next few days. Hopefully, the classes could mean a new start to his life. He pressed the Enter button on his computer with a flourish, sending the application on its way. He then sat back thoughtfully as a tiny light began to blossom in the fathomless darkness of his heart.
**********
Oryon couldn't believe his luck. Just a week ago, he sat through his first class as he and fellow students introduced themselves to each other. One of the students, a curvy, busty wolfess, caught his eye. He found himself glancing at her over and over. Once, her eyes locked on to his and she raised her eyebrows knowingly. He found himself grinning, caught in the act but not really caring. Her sly smile and twinkling eyes told him that the attention was appreciated. Now, a week later, the beautiful she-wolf sat next to him as the instructor began his lessons. Halfway through the class, Oryon sat looking puzzled at his keyboard. Without thinking, he leaned over toward her and spoke quietly.
"Hey...I ferget. Where's tha Ampersand at again?"
Without missing a beat, the lovely wolf pointed at his keyboard.
"It's right above the seven key."
"Thank ya..."
He was halfway through the sentence when it dawned on him how easily she had answered his question. He turned to her with wide eyes.
"Waitaminnit...how'd ya know what an Ampersand is? Ya were pretty quick ta answer..."
The pretty wolf grinned up at him.
"I'm pretty good with keyboards."
As she turned back to her own computer, Oryon felt his heart lurch in a way he didn't think possible again. Right then and there, he decided to talk to her after class.
**********
The big hybrid stood excitedly at the altar, awaiting his bride. Four years of memories cascaded through his mind. He and Rosie had hit it off immediately during the class. A few weeks later, the two of them went with friends and kids to an amusement park in New Jersey. They spent the day together and ended up finishing each other's sentences before they left the park. On the long ride home, the couple shared their first kiss in a rest stop restaurant alongside the highway. Oryon's apartment was out of the way, so she invited him to stay the night. It wasn't much longer till they moved in together. Four years of ups and downs, her kids, his kid, and the military later, the big hybrid waited anxiously to seal the deal.
He shuffled his feet nervously and then the music started. His eyes locked on to the door at the other end of the church. When the wolfess stepped through the door, Oryon's breath vanished. She was absolutely beautiful. The dress hugged her curves, her hair was adorned with flowers, and her twinkling eyes sought his as she slowly came down the aisle. Oryon's soon-to-be stepson handed her off, the preacher spoke, and his eyes never left hers. Somewhere in there, he said "I do" and then there was music and dancing. Somewhere in the night, after everything died down, Oryon held his new wife in his arms and whispered.
"I'll never let you go..."
**********
The sharp spear of pain from his thigh brought the big hybrid out of his daze. He sucked in a breath through his teeth as the haunting visions of his life bled away to nothing. He opened his eyes to the roof of a loosely constructed desert home. Another tug, accompanied by pain, had him snap up to look at his leg. His medic, CPL Fanelli, was in the process of tying off the wound in his thigh.
"Hey Sergeant! Welcome back to the land of the conscious!"
Oryon's eyes automatically scanned his surroundings. Both teams were in the room. Alpha was surrounding the door, watching for anyone to come in. Bravo was scattered through the rest of the home, posting on each window and auxiliary doorway. The occupants of the home stood huddled in a group a few meters away, mother and father holding the little girl in their arms. The older female whispered in her child's ear, eyes straying back and forth from Oryon to the girl. The big hybrid took a long glance at the family and then addressed Bravo team lead.
"Status on tha sniper?"
"Neutralized, Sergeant Hunter, we broke in on his nest right after he fired on you and the little girl."
Oryon lifted an arm above his head and touched the top of the plate in his back armor. The shot had hurt like hell, but apparently didn't penetrate. He grinned back up at the buck sergeant.
"Good job, Sergeant."
Alpha team lead Sergeant Nedimeyer shook his head as he knelt down next to Oryon.
"What were you thinking? We never break cover in a firefight!"
The big hybrid turned his head towards the family and spoke in his broken Arabic.
<The little one is ok?>
Then, to the surprise of everyone in the room, the little girl, no more than four or five years old, began to squirm. When her mother put her on the floor, she ran across the room and threw her little arms around Oryon's neck, burying her face in his shoulder. Startled, the hybrid returned her hug gently, rubbing her back with the paw not supporting his weight. He closed his eyes for a moment as all of the memories of his past flitted briefly across the field of his vision one more time. Gain and loss, love and anger, no matter the situation, one thing held true every time. He opened his eyes slowly and then looked into the bear's surprised face.
"This is what I wuz thinkin right here."
He gave a little nod at the jackal girl still clinging to him tightly.
"We are supposed ta protect civilians, Dave. When we put this uniform on, it's our job. And not just tha ones back home. I became a soldier ta stop others from hurting tha innocent. I came ta protect those that are not able ta protect themselves. This little girl is tha reason we do it. If not fer her and others like her, why bother? It's what I do...it's what I am...because after all...this is me."