PUBG Origins

Survival

Silver moonlight snakes glide around my ankles, their hissing filling the sharp cold air. The black marble floor rises around the edges creating walls that leave me at the bottom of a pit. They rise further and further until a circle of the sky is all to be seen of above. I feel no emotion, no life or heartbeat. My vision turns blood red, everything is red. I hold my hands in front of my face and see them not for the redness that saturates my vision. A knock at a door, a woman's scream.

85 other people still remain the digital watch like gadget at my wrist shows me. I sit with a boulder to my back and foliage all around in an effort to conceal my presence. My breath mists in front of me as it hits the cold night air. I pull my weapon up and focus my vision through the holographic sights and run the small red circle along the plane wreckage that lies broken and still burning at the bottom of the hill. At the cockpit a green rectangular parachute is draped giving me clue as to another possible enemy nearby. I sigh, close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose as I recollect the events of the day.

Following my encounter at the observatory, id collected a backpack, some gloves and more ammo for the P92 pistol. Heading north I soon encountered 2 abandoned houses sitting besides each other situated over looking a large field covered in straw with hay bails scattered here and there. To my luck the severely deteriorated structures were unoccupied leaving me free to loot its contents. I swept through the rooms systematically, obtaining very little but a few energy drinks, a couple of smoke grenades and a holographic sight which I'd stashed into my backpack. In the second building, with just a few rooms left to search I stumble across a rifle in a storage cupboard like space. A mini 14, accompanied with 80 rounds of 5.56mm ammo. I waste no time in loading the magazine and attaching the holographic sight to its upper rail. Firmly slotting in the magazine I cock the weapon and move out.

Using the hay bails as cover I move low but fast up and over the fields. My eyes scan all around me for anyone who might use the hills or tree lines in the distance as cover to pick me off should they have a sniper rifle or other medium to long range weapon. For the last 20 feet or so I straight bolt for the road and on the other side 2 further houses which, although slightly bigger, were close on identical to the ones I'd come from. My back thuds to a broken wall that outlines the buildings and now crouched I peer around at my surroundings. Just when I think it could possibly be too quiet I hear the thud of booted steps within the dwelling.
"I know you're out there!" Comes a yell from a nearby window- a female voice. "Show yourself!" She follows up. My brow furrows with concentration, the likely situation is that she knows roughly of my position and should I try and hold my ground in a firefight, I would likely lose. The high ground is held by my foe who also claims more cover. I look outward at a steep incline behind the structures and to the tree line that follows. If only I can get up there I will obtain higher ground, cover and a little obscurity from the shadows and long grass, but most importantly I'd have an overview of her position.

I take 3 deep breaths, focus on the route I've planned and procrastinate no longer. I tear myself from my cover besides the wall and scurry up the hill. Seconds later the ear splitting sound of automatic gunfire erupts from a second floor window firing at my direction. Dirt launches up around me as lead scatter along my path and around my feet. Adrenaline courses through my veins and in a flash I have reached the tree line. Wood splinters from the tree that I twist around to keep between me and my attacker. That was too close for comfort and now my lungs heave from my exertions. She has a automatic weapon that I gauge to be an SMG and the distinctive sound and fire rate tells me it's likely an Uzi which luckily for me are known to be bad for recoil and inaccuracy especially at a distance any further than close quarters.
I dart from tree to tree in an effort to gain some distance. Only every now and then a single shot is fired in my direction. She is smart, conserving ammo whilst trying to land a hit that will immediately give her the edge, but also controlling the fire rate in order to improve accuracy and recoil. However I have a Mini 14 rifle, with its semi-auto characteristic, it boasts a decent accuracy that is at least better than the weapon my opponent wields. Leaning just as much as I dare around a tree I aim quickly and fire at the window that I know she was shooting from. Sparks fly and dust flicks from around the opening, and I spot a shadow dart away moving back deeper inside the structure. I have her spooked and in a panic she has decided on a retreat into the perceived safety of her building, which is fine as it alleviates some pressure for me. I move position whilst my assailant will be unable to see. Confident that I hold the upper hand I find a spot in the shade and go prone with my sights firmly set around her location.

For what feels like an eternity I lay on the ground not moving and focussing on what I can sense. She scuttles about inside back and forth, up and down the stairs, even sometimes briefly appearing in windows. I restrain from firing as I want to preserve my shots and wait for a clear line of sight. A few more minutes pass by and the my surroundings go quiet apart from the chitter of birds in the trees.

Glass shatters and shards fall to the floor followed moments later by the girl clambering out of the window and leaping to the ground. It's a strange move to make and I wonder ... Why is she doing this!? What is her motive!? I get up to my knees and track her with my sights as she sprints, weapon in hand, around the rear of the houses. Her hair, tied in a pony tails flicks out behind as she propels her slender body forwards at impressive speed. I follow, keeping low and my sights up, I squeeze the trigger and fire at a controlled steady rate but the bullets ricochet off the walls and sink into the dirt around her feet. It must be the last bullet in the magazine that I fire and I feel my aim is perfect but it grazes her knee and with a yelp she tumbles to the floor.

"Shit" I spit lifting the rifle up vertically with one hand whilst I grab a preloaded magazine from my belt and swap out the empty for the loaded in my weapon. Quickly I lift the sights back up to her last known position but I see no one. Blood trails from the spot and goes out of sight behind the wall that acts as a perimeter around the settlement. "Aaaah!" A brave cry as she appears from over the wall firing an automatic spat of bullets in my direction. Instinctively i drop to the floor as flat as I can and put my hands over my head closing my eyes. The sound of bullets hitting dirt and slicing through the air inches from my head fills my ears. However it is isn't long until SMG mag runs dry and the bombardment stops. I lift myself to my feet scanning the ridge of the wall to just see her silhouette disappear around the corner and out of sight. I move quicker now stepping sideways but retaining my higher ground as an advantage. As the view around the corner opens up I see a buggy, it's engine spluttering to life and it's exhaust now causing a roar that reverberates off the hillside. I drop down flat again and with my elbows to the earth, in order to steady my weapon, I line up. Thud thud, the weapon ricochets slightly and thumps lightly back into my shoulder. A hit to her back followed shortly by a tap to the head. With the driver motionless and slumped over the steering wheel the vehicle coasts across the road and down into a ditch coming to a jarring halt as the front end digs in. The engine murmurs still and through the holographic I see the spray of blood on the roll cage.
Finally i let out my breath after realising I'd been holding it for too long. I had won the fight but now I needed to move and quickly, gunfire and engines would surely attract attention. I leap to my feet and spin around determined to head further north. Ideally I would have liked to have searched my kill for further supplies and weapons but the commotion would not have allowed me the time. Into the shade and protection of the woods I disappear and gain distance.

Now here I sit, the burning plane wreck down the hill below me and cover for the most part all around. The dark veil of night will offer further protection in a sense. I think back to the girl I had killed. A soul just trying to survive like me, could she have been a daughter, a sister ... a mother? I shake my head and sigh, batting away the thoughts i tell myself "I can not think like this, it will drive me crazy and risks hesitation in the fights to come". Following the tussle with her I'd trekked through woods, crossed a torrent of a river after deeming the bridge too risky and then hiked up a steep hillside where I discovered the plane wreckage and my shelter. Needless to say I'd chosen to stay primarily due to exhaustion both physically and mentally.

I cross my arms and hunker down in an attempt to gains some warmth and comfort. I believe I'm in relative safety and to preserve my energy and keep my mind sharp I will need to sleep, if only for a few hours.
There will surely be hunters out tonight but I am determined not to be prey. I will survive.