The Nameless Survivor (Valkyrie) Read Online Free PDF Page A

moment.”
                  As my body began to relax, my mind began to wonder, and that dark cramped space seeded memories from a long forgotten past. My grandfather died when I was just a boy, maybe seven or eight years of age. But I do remember, unlike my father, his son; that he was a bitter and hateful man. Unhappy with both his life and even more disappointed in his family. As his grandson and a goofy kid, I tried on many occasions to make him smile, but failed with every attempt.
                  Being in his presence was intimidating, one felt both fear and respect for him. Respect for his unwavering fortitude, but fear for his unpredictable temper. Visiting was like marching through a mine-field in some war-torn country. One never knew which step may set off an explosion of rage and hatred.
                  He lived in a large and old farm-house, a building littered with storage and crawl-spaces hidden behind removable panels in the walls. Those dark, cramped and musty passages were my own personal getaway, a place to seek refuge until the storms had subsided. In those storage spaces I read by flashlight. All kinds of books, classic tales long ago packed away and forgotten. This stone crevice reminded me of those days, but I no longer had Jules Verne to keep me company, only Raggedy Anne.
                  Just a sliver of gray light broke through my shaded eyes before I came to my senses and forced them back open. It was time to go. Carefully I crawled up and out of the crevice, making a quick scan of the area. Nothing but a trail of footprints, the snow stained with the black infectious goo that seeps from their putrid flesh.
                  The path led off towards the north into more treacherous landscape, and hopefully into their own demise. Thankfully it would at least take them far past my cabin which sits just a bit further down the face of my mountain.
                  With what little energy I could muster, I pulled the lifeless girl out of the crevice and threw her back over my shoulders. The rest of the hike, although slow, was smooth and without incident. I smiled in relief as a distinct cloud of smoke became visible through the myriad of trees. Gracefully it rose up through the falling snow like a ghostly-beacon of safety. At last, a sight most welcome in the gray before the dark.
                  The snowfall had become even heavier and the wind continued with its unwavering onslaught as I stumbled through the yard and into the warm and inviting cabin. Gently I laid the girl down onto my bed and turned to shut the door, but stopped abruptly when something small had caught my eye. It was what I had been searching for all along, a needle in this icy hay-stack.
                  Perched on a pile of fire wood was a lone and hungry gray squirrel. He too had ventured from the warmth of his den in hopes to find food, a foolish soul just like myself. Yet, he sat unsuspectingly, cleaning his paws as snow pelted his furry little head. For a miniscule second I considered letting him live, but that moment quickly passed.
                  Foolish indeed, without much thought, my hand sprung up with pistol drawn and the trigger snapped back. The echo that reverberated throughout the woods was of little concern now, the disoriented Slugs would not be able to navigate this storm, nor could they pinpoint our location from the succession of echoes that followed. The bang hadn't even bothered the girl, not even the slightest stir from the bed.
                  Proudly I made my way across the yard, ignoring the ache in my bones while thinking only of my stomach, and snatched up the unlucky rodent. Blood trickled onto the snow from its severed neck, like droplets of oil, as black as plagued-blood in fading light. In triumph, I carried my bounty back towards the cabin.
                  “Finally!” I