Into What Is Impossible (Hiatus, Re-write In-progress)

Edited the previous installment a little bit. Nothing major; just shaved a few words to keep the tone consistent.

BTW, for those who care: I tried using the nine-line, but found it too clunky. So consider this as a trigger warning for you.

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In the dark night, crickets chirp, branches sway, and nocturnal birds hoot – making an eerie symphony that is frightening, yet natural and right to the listening ear. For a thousand years this has been the way of the night of this land, yet now it is intruded upon by a low, chopping sound.

The moon overhead is blocked by clouds, but what little light that managed to piece through is enough to illuminate the small form of a little bird agilely turning into a hook as it descends onto a small clearing in the midst of a vast forest of treetops. Five figures jump off the overhanging benches, forming a circle around the helicopter as the it takes off once more – its sound then vanishing into the darkness of the night.

I remain silent as my team and I look into the treeline – our eyes expertly scrutinizing every branch, every shrub, and every contour of the shadows beneath the shade. We aren't expecting contact, but an enemy has the nasty habit of coming as a surprise.

Seconds pass. We hear nothing but the night, and see nothing but empty trees.

"Left, clear." Hobo reports through the radio.

"Right, clear." I follow, "All clear. Team, on me!"

My team and I rise from our kneels and move towards the treeline; our IR lasers looking not unlike alien spears of light as it goes over shrubs, trees, and rocks as we cover all of our angles. Our eyes scrutinizing everything through the green-tinted world of illuminated night.

Perhaps a day ago we wouldn't be so tense and alert – small as the change may be – but one of our teams have now gone missing in this land, so the caution is very much warranted.

I stop and hold up a hand, stopping my team's advance as we scan our surroundings once more.

"Clear." I eventually say, and my team and I go down to our knees before I then key into my comms: "Zeus, this is Bravo one-one; Insertion successful. Awaiting orders. Over." I say with my eyes still scanning my angles.

"Copy that One-one. Wait." A moment of silence, with nothing but the night to fill the gap until Zeus radios in once more: "Drone is out, system's green and... we got it. Alright One-one – we have a locstat on one of Two-one's transponders; Proceed around five hundred meters to your east. Keep an ear out for course corrections and further details. Over."

"One-one copies all. Out." I say and then turn my forearm over to look at my wristwatch's compass. Having oriented myself, I signal my intent to move us eastwards. My team and I silently pick ourselves up and start to move – keeping quiet as much as we can while warily scanning the trees.

Something erupts from the bushes to our left, and the team collectively snap towards it – five IR beams precisely locking onto the form of the offender with a killing intent.

'Meew!'

The offender's hooves sound out as it gallops away from us, with the shrubbery creating just as much noise as the offender rushes through them.

"Goddamit," I hear Jackie spit out, "It's a fucking deer or some shit."

My breathing grows easier as the tension of the sudden encounter wears off. "...Better safe than sorry," I reply before turning my attention back east, "Come one – let's get a move on."