*Vital Signs*

((This is a work of fiction; any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidential!))

Day 9, entry 1; Private Heppe Klarrann.


Her heart was beating out of her chest as she ran; not caring anything about the flashing lights of gunfire that flew past her body, and the plasma explosives that exploded at her sides as those boot-covered feet pounded against mother Earth's back. She hadn't even realized that her I-pod was on, and her ears were being filled to the brim by music. But honestly, who would notice something as unimportant as that when things were blowing up all around them, and orders were being shouted out by their commanding officer?

~Mr. Crowley,~

The song started; Heppe seemingly blown from her feet on cue by a explosion that was a bit close, and sent her skittering across the ground like a hunk of dirt before rolling herself over, and kicking up dust as she put her feet to work once more.

~what went on in your head?~

She wasn't sure what had gone on in Mr. Crowley's head, but one thing was for sure---thumping pain was shooting through hers. It was as if a little bastard with a Jackhammer was thrashing about in her skull. Seeing a trench the held her comrades, Heppe dived for it; another close explosion tossing her body into the trench in a half roll, and smashing her back against a large stone. Oddly enough, the explosion had been on cue with the next set of words to the song that was being played into her ears.

~(Oh) Mr. Crowley, did you talk to the dead?~

The ringing and echoing of the words could have been the dead, but she was too dazed to know. Luckily enough for her though, Cpt. Morrison had pulled her over to the other end of the trench by her riffle before another sound filled her ears. It was the loud roar of his own plasma riffle, (which he had blindly fired) that sent steaming holes into the flesh of the Null that had been chasing after her; glowing orange blood flying out of their backs as they screamed, and shot their weapons off into the air as their fingers clenched the triggers because of reflex.

"Mouse, toss a gernade out there!" Morrison called out; grabbing a plasma battery from the large duffle bag and loading it into his weapon. She had nearly been blown up twice trying to get it, but she guessed her mission had been completed. Reaching down to her side, Heppe removed a plasma gernade and tossed it over; causing the sky to be lit up with a brilliant blue light as it exploded on impact with the dirt. As it happened, the song continued to play in her ears.

~Your lifestyle to me seemed so tragic, with the thrill of it all! You fooled all those people with magic, (yea) you waited on Satan's call!~

It was time to move again. The gernade had bought them some time, but the Null were still coming. She could hear the humming of tanks in the distance, and the dieing cries of people she once called comrade.

"Fall back to the Evac---GYAAAAAH!"

~Mr. Charming, did you think you were pure?~

The next set of words to her song roared in her ear as Morrison's brains came splattering across her face. His head had been torn asunder by a Null plasma round. Not caring to watch, Mouse got to her feet and leaped from the trench; once again running.

~Mr. Crowley, it's symbolic of course!~

"MOUSE!" One of her comrades called out, "Get your ass back here with the ammo! MOUSE!" She couldn't hear them. She was pushing to the limit. She had blocked out all other sound, accept that of her music.

~Mr. Alarming, in noctournal rapport! Uncovering things that were sacred, you manifest on this earth!~

Another explosion rang out as the words filled her head, but this time she wasn't lucky enough to fully escape. Fire and dirt crashed roughly into her body; knocking her brutally into the remains of a burning transport.

Mouse had faded out seemingly on impact. The last thing she saw was the grotesque form of Null Ubersoldiers who spoke in their own tongue to one another before moving forward.

~End~

(It might be a little sucky, please forgive me. -.-; Typing while VERY sleepy dosen't really help much. >.> Read and review, M'kay? Unless you don't want to know what happens next....^.^))