Between Disreality - Snippet #05

Sweat trickled down the Shaulker’s brow, his finger trembling on the sniper trigger. His breath came in ragged gasps as he stared down the scope, each heartbeat amplifying his doubt. Dovne had one shot to complete this mission, but could he do it? Watching the bubbly Lumarian woman washing dishes by her kitchen window, utterly unaware of the danger she was in, made him hesitate. Marri’s laughter still echoed in his mind — that moment when she nearly fell off the Giant Wheel seat in excitement, clutching his arm with sparkling eyes.

She wasn’t just a target — she was his friend.

Dovne was an agent for the Solid Shadows, a secret Shaulker intelligence program that worked as part of the Bright Shadow Faction. For the past few months, he had worked closely with Marri, the young Lumarian lady, who was under surveillance order for possible signs of chaos and insanity.

At first, he had dragged himself to Brightly Accounting every day, eyes glazed over as he sat through mundane tasks, barely acknowledging Marri’s friendly greetings. But he became intrigued as he learned more about Marri, her simple upbringing and her relatively dull past. Despite her normalcy, she maintained a kind and optimistic personality that he had never seen in anyone before.

The carnival trip was just a few days ago before he had received the execution order for Marri. They had walked around the brightly lit faire together, munching on lightly peppered popped corn while taking in the sights. A game with flashing lights caught the Shaulker’s attention, so he walked up to see the gun stand, where the goal was to shoot as many plastic Drecaal figurines as possible. When Dovne picked up the rifle, ready to use it without a second thought, it was Marri who put a hand on his shoulder.

“Isn’t that a little…I don’t know, violent?” Marri had asked, her big golden eyes wide with genuine concern, contrasting sharply against the backdrop of flashing carnival lights.

He remembers his confusion then; it was just a game.

“Drecaals are naturally violent and dangerous…so, why not make putting them down a little fun?” he challenged.

Marri laughed, but it was tinged with sadness. “Maybe so, but I prefer to think that even the most dangerous creatures can be redeemed. Besides, there are better ways to have fun than pretending to take a life.”

In the end, he put the rifle down, and they played ball toss instead.

Now, here he was, standing in the shadows outside her home, a sniper rifle in his trembling hands.

Hidden in the shrubbery's shadows, Dovne’s grip tightened around the rifle as he watched Marri. Her soft humming seemed to close the distance between them, making him acutely aware of every uncomfortable rock pressing into his knees. He couldn’t help but notice how her long brunette hair swayed gently with every move she made, each strand catching the soft glow of the sunset as it reflected off her window. Mesmerized by her gentle motions as she scrubbed away at the dishes, he could almost hear the soft tone she hummed from where he sat in the shrubbery.

Then, she walked out of his line of sight, away from the window, and a wave of relief washed over him, loosening muscles he hadn’t realized were clenched. He exhaled slowly as if releasing all doubts with that single breath.

Letting out a long sigh, he threw the rifle away. He couldn’t do this. Marri was innocent; even if she was unhinged with disreality, she deserved to live. Standing up from his hiding spot, he glanced around, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He wasn’t the only one watching Marri, an icy dread crept up his spine as movements rustled nearby bushes.

If he didn’t hurry, it wouldn’t matter who pulled the trigger — either way, Marri would be dead. And he couldn’t allow that to happen.