CrossBreeds

Chapter 24

2015-05-20T20:19:00.004-07:00

Lying on my back, I opened my eyes, staring at the dull and dark ceiling, silently watching as the morning sun’s rays streamed through the room’s small window, creeping its way up the far wall.

A week. Seven days. Seven days since my grandfather died and the fire that consumed my home. Seven days since I've been here. What am I doing?

I asked myself as I listlessly began to climb out of bed.

Grabbing a few things and some clothes from my suitcase on the floor, I quietly stepped out of the bedroom making a beeline for the front door. Walking out into the crisp morning air of the woods, I took in a deep breath and let my thoughts wonder to more flippant things, like breakfast. I was halfway to the falls when a loud thwack, followed by a deep moan, stopped me in my tracks. Turning towards the direction of the sounds, I peered through the trees to a small clearing and the sight of both boys, bare-chested, in nothing but their jeans, trying to beat the crap out of each other.

Calling out to them to stop seemed like a losing battle, they were too engrossed in tearing each other apart, to hear me. More reacting than thinking, I dropped everything and pushing through the forest vegetation, ran to the boys, jumping between them both the instant I saw a gap. I felt Lucas’ sweaty chest flush against my back as I stretched out my arms and laid both my palms on Daniel’s, forcing some more space between them. Involuntarily my eyes slowly made their way up Daniel’s toned abs and lightly tanned chest to his face. Looking up at him his eyes held annoyance as he glared down at my hands before looking back up at me.

Quickly pulling my hands back from him I asked, “What the hell? You two trying to kill each other?”

I felt more than heard Lucas’ chuckle, a reminder that I still had my back against his chest. Stepping away from him, I tried not to look too obvious as I took him in, light blue jeans sat low on his waist allowing a peek of his black boxers and a set of finely chiseled abs.

“We were just sparring, letting off some steam, keeping fresh. You know..” Lucas answered wearing an impish grin that said I’d just been caught checking him out.

Dropping my head to hide the blush I could feel creeping up my neck, “Oh..” I brilliantly replied, as the obvious thought failed to cross my mind.

“So what is this like a boys club or can anyone just join in?” I asked them both not waiting for an answer as I gathered my scattered clothes up from the ground and placed them by the nearest tree.

“Seriously?” “You’re not serious..” Both Lucas and Daniel simultaneously responded in surprise.

“Well yeah, why not right? You are the one who said I needed to learn how to defend myself and what not..” I threw at Daniel.

“What I said was that you have a gun and needed to learn how to use it.” Daniel corrected.

“Potato..Tomato… Either way I still wanna play fight.” I said giving them both an eyebrow wiggle.

Laughingly shaking his head Lucas turned to me “Ok, well we can show some basic defensive moves and go from there.”

Daniel walked right in front of me at that moment, between me and Lucas, “This isn't a game, were not play fighting. This is how we stay sharp, we go at each other, no holding back. So don’t think that this is going to be a game.” Daniel stated before walking away.

“Well that went from fun to the worlds gonna end pretty fucking fast.” Lucas said as he walked over to stand next to me. “Oh Dani, always the life of the party.” Lucas threw at Daniel with a wink as he turned to glare at him.

“Ok so let’s get started then shall we.” Lucas said placing his hand on the middle of my back guiding me to where Daniel now stood.

Letting him lead me to the middle of the clearing I stood there facing them both.

“Ok, so lesson number one…running away is always your first option." Lucas began looking me in the eye with a seriousness I wasn't expecting from him. "It doesn't make you a coward or any less brave, it makes you smart enough to understand that this shit is life and death. Now if theirs no choice and you have to fight, try not to get hit.”

“Running is good. Don’t get hit. Got it.” I replied. Daniel scoffed.

I met his hard gaze with my own, “Let’s go Dani,” I told him, watching as his expression changed to one of humor and arrogance. “You to Lucas, two on one. Show me how the big boys play.”

“Uhh…” Lucas replied to my taunt, glancing between me and Daniel.

With a look on his face that said the mouse was about to trap the mouse, I kept my eyes on Daniel as he stalked forward. Stepping back I matched his pace, and then the games began.

Chapter 23

2013-09-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

“So what kind of bullets do you use?” I asked Daniel, my hands sore and tired by the time the sun started to die down.

“What?” Daniel replied, barely listening to me as he took apart and cleaned his gun.

“You said the bullets I used for practice, aren’t the ones you use to hunt. So what kind of bullets do you use?” I asked again.

Barely lifting his head Daniel said, “Oh... silver bullets engraved with hex symbols.”

“Seriously? That’s it?” I asked a little disappointed.

Looking up, Daniel snickered at my reaction, “Yes that’s it. What’d you think the bullets would have been forged in a volcano and bathed in the blood of a virgin?” He responded, an annoying smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“No.………Maybe. Something a little along those lines.” I conceded

With a soft chuckle, Daniel got up and gathered his things, “You’d be surprised how the simplest of things can be used as a weapon.” He added.

Tucking my revolver in the small of my back I followed Daniel as we walked over to the cottage. Walking inside I found Lucas diligently making a plateful of sandwiches on a small round table near the couch. Smiling at the sight I walked over and took a seat on the couch next to him, as Daniel sat on the floor next to the empty fireplace.

“How’s your hand?” Lucas asked, as he passed the plateful of sandwiches to Daniel for him to take one.

“Oh..” I responded, looking down at my hand as I clenched and unclenched a small fist, “it’s fine.”

“Yea.. your joints wouldn’t be so stiff if someone had given you a few minutes break here and there.” Lucas said, giving Daniel a hard stare.

“It’s fine.” I said, reaching for a sandwich.

“Yea, she’s fine. I think October is a lot tougher than we think.” Daniel said, giving me a curious look.

Not really sure what to make of that I continued to eat my sandwich, and den two more, before retiring for the night.

Chapter 22

2012-12-18T11:08:00.002-08:00

“Ok, fine. Maybe it wouldn’t kill me to learn how to use a gun, but does it have to be him? Why can’t you teach me, I mean he’s such an ass.” I said to Lucas, as I stood from my seat on the forest floor.

With a small laugh Lucas replied, “Believe it or not but Daniel is a better shot than I am.”

Picking up the clean pan off the grass, we both walked back around, to the front of the cabin.

“You ready?” at the question, Lucas and I both turned around in the direction of the voice, and saw Daniel, leaning on one of the hundreds of trees that surrounded the cabin.

“Ready for what?” I asked Daniel, as I tried to contain the annoyance in me, he seemed to invoke whenever he opened his mouth.

“For your first lesson.” Daniel casually answered, lifting his hand and showing me my grandfather’s gun.

Looking over at Lucas, the amused expression on his face quickly died as he caught the glare I threw at him. Using my gun Daniel pointed to a tree more than a couple feet away, with a bull’s-eye carved about 5 feet up, into the thick dark bark.

“It’s ok. Lucas said he’d teach me.” I said with a feigned confidence.

“I said, what now?” Lucas asked in surprise.

“Lucas has other obligations that need his attention.” Daniel said to me, his gaze locking onto Lucas’ “I said I’d teach you, let’s go.”

Shifting between them both, I watched as they traded intense glances until finally Lucas walked off into the cabin, without a word.

“What the hell just happened?” I asked, confused about his sudden behavior.

“Nothing.” Daniel replied before walking over to me.

Holding out my gramps- my gun in front of me, I took the revolver from him and watched from my peripheral vision as Daniel walked around to stand at my back.

“Do you know how to clean a revolver? How to take the safety off and put in the bullets?” Daniel asked, as he reached for my arm from behind.

Pulling away from his touch I answered, “Yeah, gramps showed me a few times, not really rocket science.”

“Good, then we don’t need to start from scratch.” He added, before grabbing my arm once more.

Lifting my right arm up from behind me, Daniel held it out towards the tree’s carved target. Leaning in close I felt his left hand lightly rest on my waist, “Don’t be so stiff, relax.” Daniel softly whispered in my ear.

Taking a deep breath I let my body soften and adjusted my hold on the gun’s hilt.

“Now widen your stance, take aim and be prepared to feel some recoil.” Daniel added, before leaning away from my shooting arm.

Focusing on the middle of the target, I held firm and pulled the trigger. The loud crack as the bullet fired, along with the slight recoil made me step back into Daniel.

“Not bad for a first try.” Daniel said as his arm wrapped around my waist, keeping me balanced.

Looking over at the trees target, I saw that not only did I miss the center of the target but the entire target itself and hit the tree a few inches to the right.

“My god I suck.” I laughingly said, as I turned to Daniel and saw he had the same amused smile on his face.

Looking up at him and those beautiful dimples, his arms still wrapped around me from behind and his face so close to mine, I was thankful for the sound of someone clearing their throat.

My head snapped across to the right to Lucas, as he turned away from me and Daniel towards the missed target. Stepping out of Daniel’s arms and putting some space between us I said “I think you were right.”

“As I usually am about most things,” Lucas smugly replied over his shoulder, “but to what in particular, would you be referring to?”

“About me learning to shoot, if you hadn’t persuaded me to, we would have never known how truly bad I am at it.” I laughingly said to him.

“Ahhh yes, well your welcome then.” Lucas said with a small smile, facing me.

“Ok, breaks over. Gear up for round 2. Don’t stop after you fire the first shot this time, keep going till there’s no more rounds.” Daniel sternly said, as he took a step back from me.

Chapter 21

2012-11-01T10:31:00.005-07:00

Looking up at me, Lucas stopped whistling long enough to flash me a mischievous smile as he asked, “Lover’s quarrel?”

Shooting Lucas a questioning look, as I took a seat on the grassy bank, “I’m guessing that murderous glint in your eyes has something to do with Daniel.” Lucas explained.

Snorting at his words, “He TOLD me that I have to learn how to use a gun. He didn’t suggest that I learn or even ask me, he told me. Who the hell does he think he is, telling me what to do?” I heatedly rambled out.

“Well… he has a point.” Lucas said looking down at the now clean pan in his hand.

“Point? What point? I can handle myself without a gun. ” I defensively retorted.

“October you were there, you saw what went down with the cop. Those things are fast, a few feet closer when it lunged at us, and we could have all been killed.” He reasoned, resting the rinsed pan beside him.

“I have my daggers, I know how to use them. I don’t-” I started to argue.

“Look I get it, you don’t like guns. But a gun puts a safe distance between you and a demon, enough to level the playing the field and quickly take them out.” He simply stated.

“Why are you so adverse to guns anyway? What’d you do, shoot and kill a cute bunny or something?” Lucas playfully added.

At his words, I felt all the blood in my face pool under the skin at my cheeks. Dropping my head I let my hair fall around me, hiding the embarrassed flush that began to blotch my face. A flash of white, from the corner of my eye as I took a quick peek through my curtain of hair, was enough to tell me that Lucas noticed my unguarded reaction.

“What?” Lucas asked with a smirk, “What’d you do?”

Biting down on my bottom lip, I closed my eyes tight. “I don’t like guns because I accidentally shot gramps once.” I said in one quick breath.

I heard Lucas’ sharp intake of breath before he erupted in a fit of laughter. “Wow. Of all. The things. I would have. Never guessed.” He sputtered out between breaths.

Looking up at him I angrily said, “Don’t laugh! I shot him in the foot, it was a serious injury!”

My words only seemed to add more humor to the situation as his hysterics increased, leaving me to patiently wait as he calmed down.

“I’m sorry, but that was just too damn funny.” Lucas said without apology.

“For you maybe, but I was traumatized. Whenever I think about firing a gun I think about shooting some innocent person.” I confessed.

Wiping the tears of amusement from his eyes, Lucas got up and walked over to me. “Shit happens, don’t be so sensitive.”

“I’m a girl, I’m hardwired to be sensitive.” I replied.

“There’s no place for it in this kind of life. You’re a hunter now, it only gets harder form here on out.” Lucas said as he crouched down next to me, holding my gaze he continued in a much more serious tone. “You’re going to see and hear things that would make most people cringe, and be put into situations where your forced to do things that you never even knew you were capable of. But you swallow the bile an do it anyway, because your only one who can, because if you don’t no one else will, and that’s when innocent people die.”

Dropping his gaze, I turned and looked out at the river’s glittering waters. “I still don’t wanna learn how to use a gun.” I said with a heavy sigh.

“Yeh, but you should anyway.” Lucas retorted.

Chapter 20

2012-10-06T13:22:00.002-07:00

“I’m sorry-” Lucas began apologizing

“For what?” I asked confused.

“Daniel told me what you said last night and he was right. I should have just kept my mouth shut, instead of bombarding you with information like I did.” He guiltily said, turning away and breaking eye contact.

“I’m the one who asked you all those questions Lucas. I just wasn’t prepared for the answers.” I admitted. “Where’s Daniel?” I asked him, steering the conversation in a different direction. “He wasn’t here when I woke up either.”

Looking up from his half eaten plate of food to me, he answered “Oh, he took the jeep into town.”

“For what?” I nosily asked, pushing my plate and the few remaining pieces of bacon to Lucas, having had my full.

“Not really sure, just said he was going into town a couple hours ago. He should be back soon.” He coolly replied, before finishing off what was left on his plate and mine.

Sighing in frustration at not being given a straight answer, again, I started back flipping through Daniel’s book, reading through some of the hand written notes that littered the pages. While some of them were only a few words, clarifying the meaning of phrases or unfamiliar words, others spanned from the top of the page straight to the bottom, filling up the margins, arguing with characters and their actions. The comments were smart and witty, full of humor and amazing insight, that had me smiling as I read. I was just about to enter another scene, when I felt the book being lifted off my lap and torn from my hands.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Daniel said, his voice a harsh scrape. As I looked up at Daniel’s face, I saw his hardened jaw and flinty eyes, and knew that I’d somehow crossed a line.

“I’m sorry, I just found it on the sofa.” I apologized.

The edge in his eyes slightly softened at my apology and I turned to look at Lucas, who wasn’t sitting on the floor across from me anymore.

“Where’d Lucas go?” I asked out loud.

“He went out back, to clean up the stuff he used to cook.” Daniel answered.

How long was I reading that book?

I thought, looking across to the now fading fire. Waking past Daniel, I headed outside to find Lucas and see if he needed any help with the cleanup.

“Hey.” Daniel said to me, as he reached out and grabbed my wrist, stopping me before reaching the door. Lifting my fist, he opened it and placed a small box in my palm.

Furrowing my brows in confusion I looked down at the box in my hand before looking back up at Daniel.

“I tell you I don’t like guns and you give me a box of bullets?” I said, handing the box of bullets back to him.

Refusing to take them back, “Their standard bullets, not like the ones we use for hunting. You can use them to practice with.” He replied in a serious and unwavering tone.

“I told you, I’m not good with guns.” I rebutted, matching his tone.

“Tough Luck. You have a gun, you’re gonna learn how to use it. Whether you like them or not is irrelevant.” Daniel told me, as if it was his decision and I had no choice in the matter.

My eyes narrowed to slits at his tone, as I threw the small box of bullets at him before walking out the front door. Walking barefoot on the lush green ground, the blades of grass gently stroking the pads of my feet, I followed the soft sound of a whistled song to find Lucas, crouched down near the edge of the shallow river a couple feet downstream.

“Hey.” I said catching his attention as I made my way to him.

Chapter 19

2012-09-27T13:16:00.001-07:00

The smell that filled the air when I opened the cottage door and walked in, made my stomach ache and my mouth water. Hurrying over to the bedroom, I threw my things on the unmade bed before walking over to Lucas, as he knelt in front of the growing flames that now danced within the chipped and faded stone hearth. Curling up on the sofa and tucking my feet under me, I reached for Daniel’s pillow, still lying on the end of the sofa where I left it earlier. Pulling it into my lap, I heard a soft thud as something hit the floor. Looking down to the bottom of the couch I bent over and picked up a weathered paperback book from the ground.

The sound of bacon sizzling had me looking back over to Lucas. Sitting with his back to me I watched as he held out a cast iron skillet, which looked as old and worn as this house, and held it high over the fire’s flames.

“What are you doing?” I asked, curiously watching Lucas, as he poked the frying bacon strips with a plastic fork.

“I don’t know about you, but I like my bacon crispy.” He threw over his shoulder, along with a sly little smile before turning back to his skillet.

Looking back down to the small battered novel in my hands, I turned it over. I was barely able to make out the words, Hamlet, written in bold font on the scratched and tattered cover. Flipping through the stained and creased pages, I stopped several times to look at the small, scribbled notes that filled the margins in almost every other page.

“Hey, is this yours?” I inquired, looking up to see him pull a large brown bag out from the right side corner, beside the fireplace.

“Is what mine?” he answered with a question. His eyes never leaving his task, as he dug through the bag.

“This….” I said, waving the book back and forth in the air, trying to get his attention.

Finally looking up to see what I was talking about, “Oh! That’s Dani’s. His m-” he started to say before stopping himself.

“His what?” I eagerly asked, silently begging him to continue so I could find out more about Daniel.

“So how do you like your eggs?” he asked, avoiding my question. “Scrambled or-”

Tuning Lucas out as he continued talking, I thought about the last time I saw my gramps. How I watched him make eggs that morning for breakfast and how we talked about my trip. Thinking back, it felt like a lifetime ago.

“I’m good. No eggs for me.” I told Lucas with a tight smile.

“Well the bacons done, so have at it!” he said to me as he took the strips out from the hot pan, and laid them on the paper plate he pulled out from the magic brown bag.

Still clutching the book in my hand, I hunkered down next to Lucas on the floor and took a bite from the still blistering hot slice of bacon. Unconsciously closing my eyes, a soft little moan escaped my lips when the hot meat touched my tongue.

“You…ah… you got a little bit of drool right there.” Lucas said, startling me out of my bacon trance.

Reaching up I wiped the side of my mouth with the back of hand, glaring at Lucas when his amused smile morphed into a deep husky laugh.

“Don’t you have eggs to make.” I snapped. Still glowering at him as he turned and cracked a few eggs, into the same mug Daniel had offered me soup in last night. Using a plastic fork, he whisked to eggs into a frenzy before throwing them into the heated skillet.

Throwing the cooked eggs into another paper plate, he rested the scorching hot pan on the other side of the stone hearth. Settling to face me, the plates of food between us, Lucas dug into his eggs and I nibbled on my bacon as we both ate in silence. I’d just polished off my 6^th strip, and was staring at Daniel’s book in my lap but not really seeing it, when Lucas’ raspy voice cut into my thoughts, shattering the unintentional silence.

“So how’re you doing? You know, with…..everything?” Lucas asked.

Looking up from my lap to Lucas, I saw the concern and wariness that flickered across his grey eyes as he patiently waited for me reply.

Holding his gaze I took a breath, “I’m…..dealing.” I softly murmured.

Chapter 18

2012-09-17T12:49:00.001-07:00

I woke up to a cool softness against my cheek and the crisp, clean smell of soap tickling my nose. Barely cracking my eyes open, I stretched and preened like a cat as I reveled in being woken up by the morning sunlight, streaking through the window’s dusty glass, lighting up the room, instead of the horrid nightmares that had begun to plague my dreams. Sitting up on the couch, I rubbed my eyes, clearing away the layers of sleepiness, my hand brushing back against the pillow I’d been laying on, Daniel’s pillow.

Looking around the seemingly empty room, from the lifeless stone fireplace, blackened with sot and ash to the closed front door, the still silence within the cottage felt deafening. Getting up I walked over to the bedroom, calling out for both boys as I peeked into the room and found it empty. With no answer in response, it wasn’t a stretch to assume that I was alone.

Where are the boys? I mean they wouldn’t just pack up and leave, right? They probably needed to head into town or something, maybe they went for food.

I thought, rationalizing my new found solitude. Entering the bedroom, I knelt on the ground beside my bags, unzipping and rummaging through my luggage, I found my small bag of toiletries and some clothes to change into as I slipped on my shoes, intending on heading to the waterfall. I was about to grab a towel from the armoire when the small pile of dirty clothes on the floor, sitting behind the bedroom door caught my attention.

Unable to just ignore it and leave the heap of clothes, I’ve used and discarded over the last few days, I threw my things on the bed and picking up the few pieces of clothing, walked out and around the cottage to the shallow river behind it. Toeing my shoes back off, I stepped ankle deep into the cool, clear water. Dipping each piece of clothing in the clean water and soaking it, I scrubbed each against the larger rocks along the river’s bank. Wringing out as much water as possible and spreading out each item of clothing on the grass for the sun to dry them.

A few minutes later as I sat spreading out the last hand washed piece of clothing along the grass, a whisper of sound reached my ears before a familiar voice spoke.

“You know, we usually just carry all our dirty clothes to the Laundromat in town. But hey, if you wanna kick it ole school, don’t let me stop you.” Lucas teased.

Turning to look up at him from my seat on the grassy bank, a towel around the crew neck of his loose fitting white t-shirt, “Huh….. I did not think of that.” I said.

Chuckling as he walked over, Lucas closed the small distance between us, taking a seat on the grass beside me and rolling up the bottom of his blue-black jeans, sank his toes into the sparkling waters of the stream, right next to mine. Raising an arm, the muscles in his back and shoulder involuntarily flexing under his shirt, Lucas ran a large hand through the damp tuft of his long, wavy hair.

“Got a little restless, huh?” Lucas asked, a twinkle of amusement touching his deep grey eyes.

“I woke up and you were both gone, so I figured I’d do something to, you know, past the time until you guys came back.” I replied.

“So sure we were gonna come back?” he asked, a hint of curiosity in his words.

“Daniel said he would help me. He may act like a jerk, but he doesn’t seem like the kind to make empty promises.” I honestly answered.

Lucas’ lips slightly curved upward as he said, “He’s not. Hey, you had breakfast yet?”

“There’s nothing to eat in there.” I said tipping my head toward to the cottage behind us.

“Do you have tunnel vision or did you not see the bag of groceries near the front door.” Lucas said as he stood, extending his hand to help me up.

Accepting the help and placing my hand in his, I smiled up at him as he gently pulled me to my feet, “Thanks. And if this is you offering to make me breakfast, I say hell yeah.” I said, pushing my feet back into my shoes.

“Cool” Lucas replied, flashing me a lusty smile.

Rolling my eyes, I turned and headed back to the cottage. Walking through the front door and into the bedroom, I grabbed my stuff from earlier and walked back out.

“I’ll be back in a few.” I shouted over my shoulder to Lucas, passing him as I ran back out the cottage, heading to the falls.

Feeling clean and a little more like me in a pair of faded straight jeans and a dark brown tank top. I lazily followed the river along the fringe of the forest, making my way back to Lucas, and hopefully food, as I walked past the dark green canopy of the trees as they let stray beams of sunlight filter through to the thick, rich green of the forest floor.

Chapter 17

2012-09-10T20:42:00.002-07:00

I could feel the smoke invading my lungs with each strangled breath, burning its way up my nose and down my throat. Stinging my eyes and blurring my vision as the unbearable heat of the mounting fire surround me.

My face snapped up from the pillow, where it was buried, as I woke with a jolt. Turning over unto my back in the dark room, the lit candles already burnt out, a sound full of exhaustion and frustration escaped my lips. It felt like the allotted time for my eyes to be closed before the nightmares began was becoming shorter and shorter. Slowly rolling off the bed, tired and unable to sleep I began pacing the floor of the small room. Seemingly unable to stop myself, I eased the door open, cringing at every squeak and creak it made, I tiptoed over to the couch.

Standing in the soft glow of the fire that filled the small room, I looked across at both boys as they lay fast asleep. Daniel’s towering frame barely fit on the sofa as he lay on his back, his arms folded over his chest and his feet dangling off the end as Lucas rested comfortably in a dark sleeping bag, situated right in front the fireplace. Daniel was as still and soundless as a statue as he lay on the couch, if it wasn’t for the steady rise and fall of his dingy t-shirt covered chest, I would have thought him dead. In total contrast, Lucas had kicked off the top of his sleeping bag as he lay on his naked stomach, his arms tucked beneath his pillow. Snoring softly through barely parted lips, his tussled black hair covering his eyes as the flickering light of the dying fire, danced across the rich, olive toned skin of his back.

Leaning over the back of the sofa I lightly nudged Daniel’s shoulder and softly called his name as I tried to wake him from sleep. A couple seconds later, Daniel’s head tilted toward me as his eyelids slowly fluttered open and eyes the darkest shade of bitter chocolate met mine.

“Oh God.” he said with annoyance, looking up at me before closing back his eyes.

“Well good morning to you to sunshine.” I said dryly.

“What time is it?” He mumbled.

“I don’t know? Early.” I guessed.

Resting my chin in my hand, I balanced my elbow on the back of the couch and watched as Daniel ignored my vague answer and stuck his hand under the pillow his head rested on and pulled out his phone. Quickly glancing at the lit screen, “Its 2am. Leave me alone.” He grumbled before turning away from me and settling back into his sleep.

Looking over to Lucas and seeing him still sleeping, I crept over to the other side of the couch in front of Daniel, crouching down and leaning close.

“Daniel!” I impatiently whispered through clenched teeth.

“What!” he answered, matching my tone as he fully turned to face me.

“Did you mean it?” I said with a solemn tone.

“Mean what?” he asked with heavy eyelids.

“What you said earlier, about you helping me. Did you mean it or is it just a way for you to get what you want?” I clarified.

“And what is it that I want?” Daniel asked with a cocked brow, my question seemingly holding his attention.

“Answers.” I responded.

A lazy smile touched his lips as he sleepily drawled, “Yeah, I meant what I said. I’ll help you.”

“Daniel?” I said.

“Mmm….” He wearily sounded in answer.

“Please, don’t ask me anymore questions.” he didn’t respond but his face was blanketed by questioning and concern.

“I’m just not ready to talk about the fire or gramps or any of it right now, especially after finding out so much so fast-”

“I told Lucas to keep his mouth shut.” Daniel interrupted, glancing over at Lucas’ slumbering body.

“Just, stop pushing. Okay?” I finished.

“Okay.” He answered nodding in agreement, “Like I said its past 2, you planning on going back to bed anytime soon, so that I can.”

I looked back at the dark and empty room I just came from and answered, “I think I’ll just stay out here for a while, if it’s okay?”

“Yeah, sure.” he said before slinging his arm over his eyes and drifting off.

Walking over to the small pile of twigs and broken branches at the side of the fireplace and tossing a few into the red and orange fire, I watched as it slowly devoured the firewood and fed its flame. Quietly stepping over Lucas I settled in beside Daniel, sitting on the floor the sofa at my back, I pulled my knees to my chest. The deep breathing of both boys quickly lulling my eyes closed as I fell asleep to the pops of the crackling fire.

Chapter 16

2012-09-03T13:32:00.001-07:00

My Dearest October,

If you’re reading this, then to our both misfortune, I’m no longer with you. The items you’ll find along with this note are yours to keep. The gun is a family heirloom, handed down from one generation to the next. I know you’ve never really fancied them, no lack of trying on my part, but I hope you’ll keep it safe and with you all the same. The daggers are a gift, I had them specially made for you after your first lesson. Even at thirteen you could throw and wield a blade far better than most. You were a natural.

Tobi, there are parts of my life that you don’t know about, things that you may not understand and I hope you never will. My untimely passing may create ripples and I pray they never reach you. But there’s no way for me to know whether they will or won’t. Your uncle Jon and I have kept in touch over the years and if you need anything, find him. He’ll take care of you like you were his own. Be careful and stay safe, don’t forget the things I’ve taught you.

Your Gramps.

Marcus Latro.

I must have read through the letter almost twenty times already. If the hand writing wasn’t enough to convince me this was from gramps, then the length and vagueness would have. I was still staring at the faded words when Daniel offered me a small mug of heated up, can soup.

Guess that’s what he was stirring in the pot over the fire.

I thought, barely looking up at him before declining with a dismissive nod.

When did gramps even write this letter? Why did he write it? Why Uncle Jon?

“October? You doing alright?” Lucas asked in a soft voice, cutting into my thoughts.

Turning away from the paper and my wandering thoughts, I glanced up at Lucas as he sat next to me on the battered brown sofa, his eyes shining with concern. A tight smile stretched across my face as I gave him a small nod before looking away from him, my gaze shifting to Daniel as he sat with his back to us, on the bare wood floor in front of the fireplace.

“I think I’m gonna go to bed.” I said to no one in particular as I stood up and walked over to the bedroom.

Walking into the faintly lit room, I stepped over my bags, still sprawled on the ground from when I tripped over them, shutting the door behind me. Walking over to the lit candles that sat on the curtain less window sill, I held up the note I still held in my hands. Reading through it once more I held it out over the flame and watched as the fire spread, turning my gramps words to nothing. Sitting on the bed, the worn and old mattress creaked under my weight as I began pulling off my shoes. A light knock on the bedroom door interrupted my nomadic thoughts. Shifting my attention, I quickly tore off both shoes before shuffling over to the door and slowly creaking it open.

“Hey.” I said to Daniel, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice.

“Hey.” He repeated as he just stood there leaning in the doorway.

“Where’s Lucas?” I curiously asked, looking past him and seeing nothing but an empty room and hearing nothing but the occasional crackle of the dying fire.

“Oh, he went to get some more wood for the fire.” He replied, “uh….. you left these on the couch.” He said as he held out the same black velvet bag and its contents.

“Thank you.” I said as I took the bag from him, peering inside to see both the gun and my pair of daggers sitting at the bottom.

“And…” Daniel blurted out, stopping me from closing the door. “I just wanted to say thanks, you know, for letting us read the letter too.” He added, his eyes looking everywhere else but mine.

The corners of mouth tilting up at his unease “No problem. Goodnight” I said as I began to close the door once more.

Resting his hand face down on the door, Daniel held it open as he continued to speak, his dark eyes meeting mine “If you want to go to your uncle’s that’s fine. Luc and I, we’ll take you.”

“Thanks Daniel, but I haven’t seen my uncle Jon in years. I have no idea where he is.” I said to him on a defeated sigh.

“Then we’ll help you find him. If Marcus wants you to find your uncle then, we’ll help.” He said with conviction.

“Thank you.” I said to him with a genuine smile as he lifted his hand off the door and walked backed to the sofa.

Closing the door I treaded back to the bed, falling face down on the soft and threadbare pillow and tried to fall asleep.

Chapter 15

2012-08-27T14:42:00.001-07:00

Tugging the bag open, Lucas reached in and pulled out two swaddled pieces of black velvet, the same as the bag. Handing over the bulkier wad to Daniel they both paused before opening it to look at me. Nodding at them both in a gesture to continue, I watched as they both gingerly unwrapped the folded black cloth in their hands. Revealing his first, Daniel held out a handgun with elaborately engraved metalwork and an ivory handle.

“It’s a .38 caliber revolver.” Daniel said, wrapping his hand around the grip as he opened the cylinder and inspected the empty bullet chamber.

“It’s old.” Daniel said, scrutinizing the gun as he turned it from side to side in his hand. “ And heavy, Silver?” he asked Lucas with a raised brow.

“Could be.” Lucas answered, undraping the inky fabric he held out, unveiling a pair of identical double edged, short blade daggers, about 8 inches in length. Almost matching the revolver, they both shared the same ivory white handle and the same intricate carvings on the dagger’s vane as the gun.

“Definitely, silver.” Lucas declared as he weighed a dagger in his palm. Gripping the hilt he slashed the air in front of him, frowning as he said “The grips too small and the blades to thin. No way was this Marcus’.”

“Do you mind?” I asked, gazing down in awe at the beautiful weapons Lucas held. Wearing an amused expression, he rested the hilt of both daggers in each of my palms.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a blade in my hand.

I thought, feeling my lips twitch as I looked at the knives. Lucas was right, the blade was light and the handle almost too small to grip but as I fisted the hilt, it felt perfect in my hands. Twirling the length of the short blade between my fingers I gently threw it in the air by the blade, catching it back by its white hilt as it fell.

“Whoa.” I heard Lucas softly exclaim.

“Well I guess those are yours.” Daniel said, clearly not as impressed as Lucas was.

“No, I’ve never seen these before. They’re not mine.” I told them. When gramps first had me train with knives all those years ago they were plain, standard daggers used for practice, nothing as beautiful or finely crafted as the ones that now sat comfortably in my hands.

“Obviously they were meant for you.” Lucas said in a soft murmur, holding the revolver by the barrel and offering me the handle.

Holding both hands up I took a step back from him, “I’ve never really been comfortable with guns.” I said cringing as he brought it closer.

“This is Marcus’ gun. Now it’s yours.” Daniel stated with absolute conviction.

“How do you it was his?” I asked him, stressing the past tense even as it caused an ache in my chest.

Closing the distance Daniel came to stand beside me, so close I felt a lot shorter than my 5’6 as he towered over me. Leaning into my shoulder with his, Daniel bent his knees as he brought the gun to eye level and showed me the back of the handle. There were more than a dozen initials carved into the white ivory, one after the other in a row going down. Looking through the carved signets, the last two initials gripped all my attention. M.L. I figured stood for Marcus Latro my grandfather, followed by another pair of etched letters, S.L. Sarah Latro, my mother.

To stunned to respond to Daniel’s find I grabbed the gun from his hands, running the pad of my thumb across the letters as I stared at them and thought.

Holy Crap. My mom was a hunter.

“Uh……October?” I vaguely heard Lucas call my name through my haze of confusion and about hundred other potent emotions.

“Yeah” I answered without looking up from the gun.

“You might want to see this…..”

“What!?” I snapped.

Glancing up at Lucas with an impatient stare, I watched as he held up a small note between two fingers. Flipping the crumpled paper over to its other side. I felt my entire body go still as I read my name, scrawled across the note in faded black.

Chapter 14

2012-08-20T17:39:00.002-07:00

Ignoring his playful tone, I continued with my question “Before the policeman, you know…-”

“Sprang towards your throat like a predator about to kill its prey?” Lucas added, finishing my sentence.

“Yeah. Before that.” I said, tilting my head in his direction “Did you know what he was? That he was a demon? Did you and Daniel know?” I rambled out, waiting for his answer.

“No.” he answered dismissively, as if already bored with the topic of conversation.

“No?” I repeated, staring over at him. “No, you didn’t know? Or No, you’re not answering?” I asked a little confused.

“No. Neither I, nor Dani knew the cop was a demon.” He answered, clarifying my confusion about one question as it raised several more.

“But you said you were hunters? Shouldn’t you both have known?”

“We are. Well I am.” He hedged “Just like Marcus, I was born and breed into the hunting world. But like you, Dani was sort of dropped into it.”

Turning away from Lucas as the cabin came into view I tried to make sense of what it is he was telling me.

“But you are a demon hunter?” I asked him.

“Yep.” He answered.

“So how didn’t you know he was a demon?” I asked, slowing my gait.

“Because, I’m a trained hunter not a bloodborn. I can track and kill them but, distinguishing a demon from a human is almost impossible for us.” He explained.

“And Daniel? If he’s not a hunter then how’d he get involved in all of this?” I asked Lucas, tugging at the dark sleeve of his sweater he had pushed up to his elbows, stopping him before we reached the cottage.

Looking down at me, I saw the uncertainty flickering in his storm cloud eyes. His expression seemed almost torn as he reached up and rubbed the scruff on his jaw, as if contemplating how to answer before his gaze skated away from mine.

“You knew.” He said, deflecting from the original question as he turned and continued walking towards the cottage, along the edge of the dark spread of trees.

“Huh?” I intelligently responded, losing train of the conversation.

“At the house, you knew the officer was a demon.” he stated matter of factly, glancing back over his shoulder at me and raising a brow as I lazily trailed him.

“Wait, Lucas I don’t understand! How did I know?” I asked, wondering if Lucas heard the plea in my voice.

“It’s a bloodborn trait, being able to separate a demon from the glamour they use to blend into the human world. Marcus could do it. He was the strongest bloodborn hunter the association had seen in almost 100 years, I think. Most bloodborns before him could only get a sense or a feeling when around demons but Marcus, he could actually see them.” Lucas replied as we walked between shadows.

“And now so can I.” I softly murmured under my breath.

There were so many questions on the tip of my tongue as Lucas parted the curtain of vines that draped across the cottage. Opening the door I walked in with blinders on heading straight for the bedroom, barely acknowledging Daniel as he crouched in front of the fireplace, stirring a small pot over the open flame. Almost falling over my luggage bags as I rushed through the bedroom door I righted myself before slamming it shut, dropping everything and bracing both palms face down on the door.

You were my everything, my father, my friend and protector and I didn’t even know you.

I sadly thought, looking down at the black velvet bag as it hung from my tiny wrist, swaying back and forth in the flicker of the candle light as it dimly lit the room. Resting my forehead on the cool wood, I took a deep breath, blinking back would be tears as I shook off the hovering cloud of emotion. Silently cracking the door and peeping through the slit, I watched as Lucas’ profile lazily treaded to the couch, slouching down and spreading out as he sat, making himself comfortable. Looking across to Daniel, still hunkered down, his back now to the fireplace as he faced Lucas, speaking to him in hushed whispers.

Widening the door open, both their faces snapped up in my direction. Walking to stand next to Lucas on the couch, I threw the velvet bag in his lap as Daniel stood.

“Open it.” I said without prelude. My eyes shifting between them both as I watched them give each other another one of those looks that felt like words being said.

“You sure about this?” Daniel asked, his voice soft and gentle.

“Just open it.” I said with an exasperated breath.

Chapter 13

2012-08-13T17:41:00.004-07:00

“The fuck Lucas! You scared the crap out of me!” I yelled as I turned to see him settling himself on one of the rocks ringing the pool.

“Have you forgotten what happened the last time you snuck up on me? Or does your face need a reminder!” I said through clenched teeth, sinking myself shoulder deep into the dark water.

“Sorry…. I just wanted to-”

“What Lucas? You just wanted to what? To find another way to invade my privacy? Or maybe you just-”

“I just wanted to apologize!” he shouted over me, cutting me off. “Look, I’m really sorry about what I did. It was stupid. But I honestly was just trying to do something nice for you, I didn’t think it through and I’m sorry.”

Taking a deep breath he hesitantly continued “I just don’t want you to be scared of me.” He added in a solemn tone.

“Why would you think I’d be scared of you?” I asked, feigning confusion. Knowing exactly what he was talking about.

“Most girls wouldn’t have gone toe to toe with me the way you did back there, after what happened in your house earlier. They’d probably leave running and screaming.” Lucas said, referring to him and the officer and everything else that followed afterwards.

Since getting in the jeep, I’ve tried to put the entire scene out of my head. Lucas slaughtering the offi-, I mean demon? like he was a just some rabid animal that needed to be put down. Lucas wasn’t wrong, in a way he did scare me, his strength and the brutality in which he went after the demon was more than intimidating. But a little voice in the back of head, probably my gramps’, kept whispering that I could trust them both.

I mean, I’ve been alone in the middle of the forest with both boys for almost two days now. If Daniel or Lucas wanted to hurt me they probably would have already, right?

I thought, dipping myself even lower into the water, hiding from the cool breeze that began to make me shiver.

“Lucas, he- that thing it attacked us. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t done what you did. You were just protecting us.” I said to him with sincerity and gratitude.

“Daniel said you were different from most girls.” He said to me, his mouth curving into another one of his panty dropping smiles.

“Lucas, couldn’t this conversation have waited till we were all back at the cabin?” I asked him, trying my hardest to stop my teeth from chattering.

“I figured this way you’d have no choice but to accept my apology.” He answered, his smile turning into a wide toothed grin as he lifted his left hand, holding out a soft yellow towel.

“If looks could kill.” He said with a short laugh.

“You’d probably be dead already.” I retorted, forcing myself to pull my eyes away from him before I was even more tempted to slap that grin off his face.

Sweeping my gaze across the river, my eyes landed on the spot where I glimpsed the unusual dark shadow. Now shaded by soft moonlight, the trees casting eerie shadows as their branches shifted in the wind. Flicking my gaze back to Lucas, I watched suspiciously as he folded the towel and neatly laid it on the boulder, next to my shoes and my drawstring bag

“Thank you. So very much.” I said dryly.

“You’re welcome!” he replied purposely ignoring my snide remark.

Jumping off the rocks he walked a small distance from the pool, close enough that I could still see him as he stood there with his back to me. More than ready to get out of the water, my fingertips all turned to prunes, I dashed out the pool quickly grabbing the towel and drying off, never taking my eyes off Lucas’ back.

“You don’t have to wait for me!” I shouted in his direction as I began wringing out my braid.

“Not a problem!” He replied barely tilting his head in my direction.

Finished dressing I shoved my toes into my shoes as I slung my used and damp towel over my shoulder and pushed my hand through the drawstring of the black velvet bag, I still hadn't opened. Grabbing Daniel's used clothes I walked past Lucas following the river downstream back to the cabin as he kept pace beside me, scanning the trees as we passed by.

Looking over to the other side of the river, back at the shades in the trees I couldn’t help thinking about it. The dark shadow and how-

“Looking for something?” Lucas asked, his warm breath close to my ear startling me out of my thoughts.

“What! No!” I blurted out, taking a step back from the delicious heat of him.

Turning forward, I continued walking, feeling Lucas watching me. Refusing to meet his stare I wrapped my arms around myself to deter the nip in the air. It doesn’t snow or have four seasons in Troian but as the October month began the days grew shorter as the nights grew colder.

“Can I ask you a question?” I hesitantly asked between the choruses of chirping crickets, my eyes staring straight ahead.

“You just did.” Lucas teasingly answered as the sound of the crashing falls faded away into the distance.

Chapter 12

2012-08-06T20:53:00.001-07:00

The gentle tumble of the waterfall behind us, along with the night forest’s sounds, helped to fend off unnatural silence as an awkward hush fell between the three of us.

“Hey, what’s that?” I asked Lucas, breaking the quiet. Tilting my chin at the dark bundle tucked under his arm, unable to see it properly as the sun vanished.

“Oh!” he answered, almost as if forgetting he even had it before gently throwing it at me. Involuntarily catching it in reflex, my gaze never wavering from his, I saw Lucas’ brows shoot into his hairline in surprise.

“What is it?” Daniel asked curiously, peering down at the wad in my hands. Looking at them both in turn, touching the soft fabric that felt all too familiar to not know what it was.

“It’s my batman t-shirt” I announced, more than a little confused. A wave a comfort washed over me as I felt the rip at the bottom of one short black sleeve, and a finger sized hole at the neck that told how old and worn it was and without a doubt, that it was mine. It took a minute or two for the surge of nostalgia to pass, by then the in-credulousness of what Lucas did, finally began to sink in.

“You went through my bag?” I said tight lipped, watching as his face fell.

“No!.....well…….well yeah. I just thought that, since you were out here at the falls that maybe you’d like to change into your own clothes.” He rambled out in his defense. “I was just trying to do something nice for you.” Lucas added apologetically.

“And that makes it okay!” I snapped. Jumping off the rock and rushing to Lucas, ignoring the way he towered over me. “You dug through my stuff!” I said furiously, jabbing a finger in chest.

“I’m sorry. I-” he began, only to be cut of by Daniel.

“Alright, Alright!” Daniel laughingly said, stepping between Lucas and me and putting space between us. “October, why don’t you go ahead and wash up first, Lucas and I will just go back to the cabin, before he digs himself into a deeper hole than he already has.” He delegated, his lips still holding unto a small smile.

Folding my arms and starring at Lucas through narrowed slits, I sharply warned them both, not to touch my stuff, as Daniel dragged Lucas back in the direction of the cabin. Turning away as they both disappeared into the thicket of trees, I stared down at my batman shirt, unwrapping the bunched up cloth.

“You went through my underwear!!” I screamed at the empty spot between the trees where both boys vanished into, before looking back down at the matching baby blue bra and panties, sitting next to a pair of yellow shorts that were all swathed together in my shirt. Throwing the clothes next to the velvet drawstring bag and my shoes, I tore off Daniels clothes, still seething as I crawled up unto the huge rock and dove into the temperate water to cool off.

Swimming against the water flow to the pools floor, coming up for air beneath the waterfall and drifting languidly as my toes scraped the pebbles below the water, the falling cascade showering down on me. The sound of tussling bushes caught my attention, shifting my eyes away from the sky and the distant crescent moon above, barely lighting the night as the stars twinkled in one by one. It could have easily been the wind or any number of nocturnal animals rousing from sleep, but gramps always said that it never hurt to walk the line between cautious and paranoid.

The sharp, shocking sound of twigs snapping had my head whirling toward the sound, my eyes gliding over the other side of the river, where the trees were denser and the shadows darker. Scanning the darkened woods, a flicker of movement in my peripheral vision had me staring at a black shadow that stood out against the gloom of the trees. I kept staring at it, my eyes finding it hard to leave until a few seconds later I lost sight of it as the blackness slowly slipped back into the shade.

It must have just been the silhouette of an animal or something, I mean what else could it be Right? I'm probably just still a little shaken up from earlier, that's all. Yeah, that's it.

I tried to convince myself. I was still turned to the other side of the falls, staring at the trees where the silhouette receded, when I heard the thump of boots on rock behind me on the bank, and my name being called in a hushed whisper.

Chapter 11

2012-07-30T09:12:00.001-07:00

“You alright?” Daniel asked. His eyes revealing nothing as he studied my face, waiting for an answer.

“Yeah, I’m…..I’m fine” I said with heavy breaths, my hair spilling down around me as I sat up to avoid his gaze. “I must have just dozed off. It’s not a big deal.” I added dismissively.

“You sure?” he asked once again, situating himself to sit bare inches away, beside me on the sarsen.

Nodding a yes without looking at him, I scooted back, pulling my feet out of the pool’s cool water.

“You open it yet?” he asked with impatient curiosity as his eyes shifted from the bag next to me and back to my face.

“No, not yet” I said in irritation “But I will when I’m ready.”

Huffing out an exasperated breath, he leaned back on his elbows to reach back for something. Sitting back up, he held out a sandwich, haphazardly wrapped in a white paper napkin.

“Lucas made sandwiches. Here…” he said shoving the sandwich in my hand “You should eat something.”

Looking down at the sandwich in reverence, not knowing how hungry I really was until I held it in my hand. I said a quick thanks before turning all my attention back to my sandwich. They say when you’re hungry, everything tastes good and this was no exception. As I chewed my first bite of the turkey and cheese on plain white bread, I swore I could hear a choir of angels, singing halleluiahs in the background. Completely forgetting Daniel as he sat next to me, I practically inhaled the rest of the sandwich.

“Do you chew at all or is it just preference to swallow it whole like a snake.” He sneered in a teasing tone.

Turning to him and screwing my face up at his words, my mouth still full of food I was taken by surprise at his unguarded response as he looked down at me. Throwing is head back and laughing in a low and husky timbre, Daniel gave me my first glimpse of his dimples as they sank into his cheek.

“You should see your face right now.” He chuckled, flashing me a perfect toothed smile before shaking his head and staring at the falls in front of us.

Finishing off the rest of the sandwich and dusting off my hands on my shirt, I turned to Daniel. Looking at him as he sat there, haloed by the sunset coloured sky, the ghost of his dimpled smile, still lingering on his handsomely boyish face. I couldn’t help but think how beautiful he looked.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” he remarked, his question breaking through my thoughts as if he could read them.

“What?” I asked perplexed, shifting my eyes from his face and shaking off my current train of thought.

“Sunsets.” He said, looking up at the multicoloured streaked sky, as if it should have been obvious. “There amazing. The world’s natural marker, of what has been and what is to come. Not just the end of one thing but the beginning of another.”

Silent as his poetic words took root, I joined him in watching as the day turn to night.

“We should probably head back, Lucas must be wondering where we ran off too and left him.” I said to Daniel, breaking the silence. Pulling my hair back into a loose braid and tying it at the end.

“Lucas is probably more worried about what we’re doing alone together, than us leaving him behind.” He said with a chuckle so contagious, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Still, we should go.” I replied, neither one of us making a move to leave.

Carried by the night’s warm breeze, the sound of steady footsteps interrupted our conversation. Looking over my shoulder, in the direction the sound was coming from, I watched as a small shadowed frame came into view. Turning my back to the falls and facing Lucas, I watched him as he languidly walked over to me and Daniel.

“Hey.” Lucas said to us both in greeting, barely glancing at Daniel before focusing on me. “You guys have been gone long, thought you were eaten by a bear or something.” He said with a smile, looking up at me as he braced his palms on my boulder, trapping my legs between them.

“There aren’t any bears in Marshall Woods. Foxes, Yes. Bunnies, deer and the occasional wolf, but.. no bears.” I corrected him.

“Good to know, Octopedia.” Lucas teased.

Clearing his throat in clear annoyance at Lucas’ and I verbal exchange, we both looked over at Daniel as he jumped off the rock to the ground and stood next to Lucas.

Chapter 10

2012-07-18T19:54:00.001-07:00

“So? What’s in the bag?” Lucas asked me a while later, the strain between the boys fizzling out as we began heading back down the dirt road into Marshall Woods.

“Umm….. I don’t know?” I answered his question. My eyes flicking between Daniel and Lucas, waiting to see if I needed to be a deterrent to violence if they decided to snap at each other again.

“Well, you could try looking in the bag” Daniel snarkily suggested.

Glowering at the back of his head, I reluctantly conceded to myself that he was right, if I wanted to know what was in the bag I was going to have to open it. Forgetting where I left it in the jeep when I made my speedy exit to empty my stomach, I began looking around for the bag. With no luck, I started checking under the seats.

“Are you serious? You lost it?” Daniel sneered in disgusted disbelief as he shifted in his seat.

Looking up from the floor at Daniel with narrowed eyes I clipped out “I. didn’t. Lose it.”

“You make us drive all the way to your house for a stupid bag and then you lose it?” Daniel continued to chastise.

“Ease up Dani, I highly doubt she lost it.” Lucas piped in defensively.

Tuning them both out as my hands continued to feel around the jeep’s dirty floor. I finally felt the soft velvet of the bag brush against my fingertips. Pulling the bag out from under Daniel’s seat I leaned over the middle between them.

“Well look at that.” I sing-songed, dangling the black bag in front of him from the back. “I didn’t lose it, it just fell under the seat. Jackass” I added, righting myself in my seat.

Openly snickering, Lucas parked the jeep in the same small clearing as before. Emptying out the jeep, I held unto the bag with a vice grip and stood back as both Daniel and Lucas retrieved my luggage and theirs from the jeeps tray. Setting the bags aside I helped them to throw back the branches on the jeep, making it a little less noticeable in the middle of the woods.

Hooking the bag’s drawstring around my wrist, I grabbed the handles of my luggage bags with each hand and tried to wheel them back to the cottage on the uneven forest floor. I must have taken ten frustrating steps before I felt my luggage bags being pulled out of my grasp. Spinning round I watched as Daniel and Lucas each hoisted a luggage bag over their shoulder and strode forward without a backward glance at me.

“Thank You!” I loudly said to no one in particular as both of them sauntered off into the shadowed trees.

Stepping back, I decided to head off on my own instead of following them back to the cottage. Turning in the opposite direction, I followed the faint and hypnotic rhythm of cascading water as I made my way to the waterfall.

Walking over to the bank, I climbed onto one of the larger boulders on the edge of the waterfalls natural pool. Pulling off my shoes and the bag from around my wrist I sat them both down next to me as I dipped my feet into the cool, crystalline water. Staring at my square cut, black polished toe nails beneath the water, I tried to think about how the polish was beginning to chip or how if you listen closely, you can hear the small forest animals scurrying around. Anything to stop myself from thinking about the fire again or my grandfather or how more and more, I was starting to feel like my life was a hidden lie.

The owner of this house died in the fire. He didn’t have any relatives or known family.

My thoughts flickered back to what happened only a few hours ago, the officer’s words lingering in my head.

No relatives or family? I was gramps family. Everyone knew I was his granddaughter. He came to every PTA meeting to meet my teachers. When we first moved to the neighborhood, gramps made it his mission to say hi to everyone on our street and invite them over for a house warming barbeque.

I frustratingly thought. Just when I thought I had at least one answer, five more questions pop up demanding to be resolved.

Shaking out the thoughts that had involuntarily began to form, I reached back and pulled my hair loose from its tie. Letting it fall to the middle of my back, I slipped my wrist into the hair tie so I wouldn’t lose it. I should have cut it before I went on my trip, it would have been a lot more manageable but gramps use to always say that I reminded him of mom with it was like this.

Smiling at the thought, I ran my fingers through the it's length before laying back on the sun warmed rock. Closing my eyes I let the natural heat seep through my shirt to my skin. It wasn’t long before I felt the soothing warmth growing against my back, the temperature quickly rising, forcing beads of sweat to form on every inch of my skin. I tried to get up but I couldn’t. I faintly heard my named being called in the background but all efforts to respond failed until I felt steady hands grip my shoulders and shake me. My eyes snapped open and almost immediately I felt the molten heat dissipate back to normal.

Shielding my eyes from the descending sun I looked up at Daniel slouching over me, his brows pulling together in worry.

Chapter 9

2012-07-09T18:40:00.001-07:00

Walking out of the house back to the jeep, getting in the back, it all felt like I was on auto pilot. I couldn’t begin to understand what just happened because there was no way to rationalize it. What Lucas did to the officer? The grotesque way the officers face distorted in the sunlight? I wish I could say I was seeing things but I kept drifting back to the conclusion that maybe the boys were right. The hunters, the demons and that all of it was real.

Which means what I saw in the fire, the thing with the purple eyes, it was all real and I watched as it stood over my grandfather and killed him. Quickly slapping a hand over my mouth to stifle the bile I felt rising at the back of my throat.

“Stop the car! I think I’m gonna be sick.” I shouted over the boys’ conversation.

Hurriedly pulling the car off the highway, they both opened their doors and flew out of the jeep. Climbing out the back as fast as I could, I ran to the nearest bush as soon as my feet hit the ground. Leaning over I emptied what little I had in my stomach, dry heaving when there was nothing left to spew.

Stepping back I dropped to my knees as I tried to even my breathing, the newly shed tears running down my face beginning to wane. Staring at the ground beneath me I leaned back onto my heels, collecting myself. I saw his shadow pass over me before I felt a hand tentatively touch my shoulder and hand me a bottle of water.

Taking the bottle and throwing a quick thanks over my shoulder at Daniel, to my surprise, I cracked the seal. Rinsing my mouth out, I drank as much as I could before throwing the rest on my face. Using the bottom of my t shirt, I dried my face as I stood and turned around to walk back to the jeep. Looking at the now empty space, where before, the jeep was hastily parked on the side of the Troian main highway, I looked back to where Daniel stood.

“Umm….?” I said in question as I splintered my confusion between the empty space and back at him.

“Lucas needed to go into the city, sort out a few things and pick up some stuff. Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon. Hopefully with food.” He casually answered as if it were no big deal that we were now stranded on the side of the road.

“He could have waited, I mean-” I began in between the sounds of the cars passing by.

“I told him to go on ahead without us.” He said looking down at me as he shaded his eyes from the glare of the setting sun.

“Oh..” I muttered in confusion.

“Traffic’s light, he won’t take long. Besides I figured we could use this time alone to have a little chat.” He said with a stern expression.

Looking at him as he stood there in the fading sunlight, he looked almost harmless in his dark jeans and plain white t, his hair taking on a darker tone than I remembered the night we met.

“What do you want from me Daniel?” I asked, exasperated with him for cornering me like this and making me feel like this was somehow, all my fault.

“The truth.” He demanded in a toneless voice.

“About what? I have no idea what the hell is going on. I have NO answers!”

“You think I wanted any of this? To miss my trip? To go back to my house and not only see all my memories being burnt to nothing but to witness my gramps being murdered” I said to him, my voice sounding raw and gravelly to my own ears.

“Murdered? October what happened? What did you see in the house?” he asked sympathetically.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what I saw.” I answered softly.

“October-” Daniel started to speak before I cut him off.

“NO! I’m done talking!” I yelled at him.

Settling his hands on his hips and sighing in response, he narrowed his eyes at me in look that said that this conversation was far from over as silence fell between us. We quietly waited for almost an hour, both sitting on the warm pavement until Lucas finally came to pick us up like kids after school. The silence between Daniel and I followed us into the jeep but it wasn’t long till Lucas put an end to it.

“Hey October, I have a surprise for you.” He said without looking back at me.

Not sure what to say, I waited for him to continue.

“Look in the back.” He said to me, a smile in his voice.

Unbuckling my seatbelt, I turned where I sat to look behind my seat and into the small tray at the back of the jeep. Crowding the back were two identical medium sized, royal blue wheeled suitcases, with black zippers and a huge, coloured in hand drawn white star on the front of each. The same white stars I half-hazardly drew when I was younger and decided that if gramps was going to make us move so much, then I’d mark my bags so that they’d never get stolen or accidentally lost.

“Oh my God! How’d you!- When did you!-” I was at a total loss for words as I turned back around in my seat.

“I asked a couple of friends to pull a few strings. No worries” he answered with forced nonchalance as he shrugged in the driver’s seat.

“I could kiss you right now! Thank You!” I said to the back of Lucas’s head, a ridiculous grin spreading across my face.

“Oh.. I’d gladly pull over for that.” Lucas said, the jeep beginning to slow as he prepared to pull over.

Grabbing the steering wheel in a white knuckled grip, I watched from the backseat as Daniel leveled Lucas with a glare and told him to keep driving. A thick cloud of tension began to fill the jeep as Daniel finally released his hold from the wheel. Letting out a deep chuckle, Lucas held onto Daniel’s gaze for a few more seconds before shaking out his hair and returning his eyes to the road.

Chapter 8

2012-07-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

Glancing up at Lucas as he inched his way closer, him and Daniel both leaning in, attempting to sneak a look at what was inside the safe. I looked back down at the fairly sized, black velvet draw string bag as it sat there, holding whatever it was gramps left to me for safe keeping. Grabbing the bag out from its home and clutching it to my chest like a life line, I stood with an amused smile as I saw the mirrored looks of confusion on both boys’ faces.

“We can go now.” I said to them both, still holding onto my smile and the bag as I walked past Daniel and Lucas, to lead the way back through the house.

“Wait, that’s it?” I heard Lucas ask behind me as I kept walking.

Within moments of stepping out into the hallway, my senses were bombarded by the heavy scent of rotten eggs and decay. Mixing with the lingering smell of ash and cinder in the air, I raised a hand to cover my mouth and nose at the unbearable odor, so strong I felt I could almost taste it on my tongue. Walking as the boys came to join me, we were almost through the hallway before I felt the horrible stench clouding around me.

“And what may I ask, are you kids doing here?” said a voice from behind us “Besides trespassing on private property.”

Stopping in our tracks we turned towards the voice and were greeted by the stern face of a patrolling officer, standing in the shade less than a foot away. He was tall and in full uniform from the hat that covered his crew cut, to the aviator sunglasses that covered his eyes. He was decent looking, with a sharp angled nose and wide set jaw, he would have even been hot if the lower buttons on his shirt weren’t being pulled taunt by his developing potbelly.

Lowering my hand from my face, I plastered on a warm smile before answering his question.

“Well officer, it’s hardly trespassing if it’s my house now isn’t it?” I said to him in a sugary tone as I felt both boys subtly position themselves on either side of me.

“Your house?” he asked, the corners of his mouth turning up “and what did you say your name was again Ms. ?”

“October. My granddad owns this house.” The words flew out my mouth before I felt Daniel’s hand on my waist squeezing in protest, not to answer.

“Well I’m sorry Ms. but the owner of this house died in the fire. He didn’t have any relatives or known family.” He replied with amusement “either way, you and your friends shouldn’t be here. Come on I’ll walk you out.” He said as he stepped out of the shadow and into the light, towards us.

“It’s ok Sir, we can find our own way out.” I heard Lucas say to the officer.

I felt him grip my upper arm and pull, trying to lead me away from the officer so we could leave but I couldn’t. For the second time, standing in my house I saw something that shocked me frozen.

As the officer stepped out of the shadows and into the evening light, I watched as it streamed across the right side of his face, altering him completely. Where the parts of him I could still see in the shadows were the same as when I first saw the officer, the parts of him that were in the light were beyond human. Where he had pale brown skin and perfect white teeth sandwiched between an average looking mouth on the left of his face, the light exposed his skin as a dark shade of reddish brown, covering his right. No lips, just two rows of sharp jagged teeth, tinted yellow.

“You alright Ms. ?” I heard the officer ask me, his eyebrow furrowing in unease as my eyes stayed fixated on his face.

Reaching his hand forward to pull down his shades, I stared as horror dawned over me black and violent, the same as his eyes. Taking an involuntary step back, I stumbled into the boys right beside me.

“October? What’s wrong?” Lucas whispered to me in question.

“His face. His Eyes.” Was all I could manage to say.

He must have heard me, the officer, because within second the blackness that encompassed his iris and the white in his eyes shifted from concern to realization to fierce resolve.

“You can see me!” he roared as he crouched down on all fours and lunged towards to me like a panther.

It all happened at once as Lucas, whose hand still gripped my arm, wretched me back tossing me to Daniel. Reaching behind him, Lucas pulled out a hand gun and fired two quick shots at the officer hitting him right between the eyes.

Slumping to the floor, the officer laid face down in a life less heap at Lucas’ feet. Never taking his eyes off the body, Lucas returned his gun to the small of his back as he turned to where he threw his duffel to the ground. Opening it he drew out a machete, long and thin, he tightly gripped the handle of the curved blade as he walked over to the body.

Pulling me back into him, Daniel snaked an arm around my shoulders as the other tried to cover my eyes from the gruesome scene about to unfold.

“Don’t look.” Daniel said to me as he struggled to turn me away.

Ripping his hand off my eyes, I pushed away from him in time to see Lucas bring the whistling vane down in one swift move, severing the head. Wiping the black blood off the machete on the officer’s clothes, Lucas dropped it back in his duffel as he pulled out lighter fluid and matches. Dousing the surely dead body in it, he stepped back and struck a match.

I felt like I was watching something burn in fast forward. Seconds was all it took for the body to start to melt, even less for it to disintegrate until the fire burnt out, leaving nothing behind but scorch marks on the already singed floor.

Chapter 7

2012-06-12T12:57:00.001-07:00

Without saying a word, Lucas put the car in gear and cautiously drove around the trees heading in what I hoped, was the direction of the highway. Looking out through the plastic windows at the back of the jeep, my thoughts wandered as I watched the trees pass by.

I had spent an entire night with both these boys, and was still no closer to finding out who they were or any closer to understanding their involvement with me or my gramps.

My thoughts flicked back to earlier and the conversation I overheard. Trying to put the puzzle together with so many pieces missing was difficult, but not impossible. From what I’d gathered, my gramps asked Daniel out here to Troian with the sole purpose of following me, to keep me safe.

But why? Gramps thought me how to protect and defend myself. What was he involved in that was so dangerous that he felt merited a bodyguard? And what did Daniel mean when he said I didn’t exist, that I was a secret?

I asked myself question after question, wrapped up in my own thoughts I almost missed Lucas’ question.

“Excuse me?” I asked him, coming back to the present.

With a quick glance in my direction before looking back to the dirt trail, we’d now began to follow he said “I asked, why your house? What is it that you have to do?”

“Gramps gave me specific instructions, things he made me promise to do in case of his………passing.” I answered looking up and meeting Daniel’s intent gaze in the rearview mirror.

“Things like what?” Daniel asked.

Holding his hard gaze, I recalled aloud the things gramps had me memorize since I was old enough to understand what he was asking of me.

“He said, when he was…gone, he was gone. Not to come back for him, I mean……..his body.” I whispered as I took in a staggered breath, “And to-” I began again but was abruptly cut off.

“It’s okay, October.” Lucas said glaring daggers at Daniel as he took his eyes off the road “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”

Taking a shaky breath I looked straight ahead and watched as the Troian main highway came into view as Lucas took us into the midday traffic heading south. I was about to tell Lucas, to take the next turn off that led to the outskirts of the city, when Daniel stole the words from me.

“Take the next right and just follow the road from there.” Daniel said to him.

Before I had time to be startled by the fact that Daniel, who was basically a stranger, was giving directions to my house, I remembered that he was the one who pulled me out of the fire and who had been apparently following me for the last couple of days.

Of course he knew where I lived.

I thought. Not saying a word as he continued to give Lucas directions, we turned into my street.

“Pull over here.” Daniel instructed Lucas as we broke the corner into Rosen Street.

“Why are we stopping here? My house is at the bottom of the street.” I said to them both, leaning forward between the front seats as they began unbuckling their seatbelts.

“Just being cautious” Lucas answered, opening his door and stepping out, allowing me to do the same.

“Cautious? About what?” I asked as I stood beside him, watching as Daniel handed him the duffel he fished out the back.

“Let’s just get this over with.” I heard Daniel growl as he shouldered his way past us to cross the street, not waiting for Lucas or me to follow.

“What the hell is his problem?” I asked in frustration looking over at Daniel, watching as his long legs made short work of the distance to my house.

Heaving a heavy sigh, “He has…….issues.” Lucas answered, throwing his duffel over his shoulder again as we walked down towards my house or what was left of it.

Standing there, staring at the decrepit and burnt structure, now cornered off by yellow caution tape, it was hard to believe this was the same place I called home. That I’d laughed and lived for so many years under the now non-existent roof as the entire second story was gone, leaving behind only a few blackened remnants.

Clenching my hand in a tight fist, my short nails digging into my palm as a mental reminder to keep it together, I ducked under the police tape, crossing the small lawn to the huge opening on the left side of the house. I barely noticed the boys as they followed me in, stepping over pieces of my home as we entered. Pieces that were either burnt beyond recognition from the fire or dripping and water logged from the firefighters efforts.

Looking around from corner to corner in a feeble attempt to get some kind of bearings, I began walking down what used to be a narrow hallway where off white walls once stood. Carefully making my way through fallen and seared fragments of my home, I slowly found my way to my grandfather’s study.

As twilight approached, its faint sunlight spilled in from every direction, illuminating the room as it lay in ruins. Where my gramp's wide old, oak desk once stood, ash and debris now took its place in the middle of the floor surrounded by the charred walls of books he cherished so much.

When I was younger and couldn’t sleep or when the nightmares would keep me awake at night, gramps would let me choose a book from his array of classics. Reading to me until I fell asleep with thoughts of great white whales and princesses no bigger than my thumb.

Stifling the memory for now, I walked over to the remains of the desk as both boys ambled into the room behind me. Kneeling, I began digging through the rubble with my bare hands, pushing away as much as I could. Hands black and covered with sot, I brushed back the fallen strands of my hair from my forehead, finally reaching the wooden floor boards that covered the entire floor of the study.

Unable to get a proper grip on any of the floorboards to pry them free, or even get them to budge, I scanned the pile around me looking for something to use. Without a word Daniel dropped to his knees beside me, brushing me aside he took out a small pocket knife and began working on the boards. Digging the tip of his knife between the boards and jimmying until they finally came loose.

Gazing down at the small door of the black safe hidden beneath the floor of my grandfather’s study, just as unscathed as it was 12 years ago, when my gramps first showed it to me. Laying my hand on the cool metal, I sighed in relief. Knowing that the safe was practically indestructible didn’t seem real until I saw it for myself.

“Tobi, if anything should happen to me, anything at all, you make sure, no matter what, that you find your way back here. That you keep what you find in there safe and with you at all times!” my grandfather said to me as he showed me his safe beneath the floor of his study for the first time, only a few days before my 7^th birthday.

I was young but mature enough to understand the seriousness of his tone as he spoke, that I shouldn’t ask questions but instead listen.

“Now, you remember the code I told you?” he asked, his voice gentling.

Nodding a yes, I continued to answer “It’s my birthday.”

“And when’s your birthday?” he asked, that same softness in his voice as he let go of my hand and turned, stooping down in front of me so we were eye level.

“October 1^st1993.” We both said in unison. A broad smile stretched across my gramps face, the kind that touched his eyes and made them crinkle at the corners. Touching his face, I smiled back at him happy that I’d made him proud.

Smiling to myself as the memory played in my head, I looked down at the small keypad. Entering the seven digit code, I wrapped my hand around the short shiny handle and turned. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I heard the click of the safe door opening.

Chapter 6

2012-05-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

Turning to page five, I felt my breath catch as I looked down at a picture of my grandfather. The headline above his picture reading;

ARMY VETERAN DIES IN HOUSE FIRE.

“It says the fire was caused by a gas leak.” I read aloud. Dropping the open papers in my lap, I closed my eyes. Images of the creature I saw, his purple eyes flashed behind my eyelids.

But it wasn't real………….it was just all in my head. Gramps wasn’t killed by some crazy ass nightmare come to life, it was an accident.

Looking down at the papers again, I re-read the article. After my third time I looked up at Lucas, his eyes searching my face, for what I’m not sure.

“Are you alright?” Lucas asked with genuine concern.

I didn’t know how to answer that question, couldn’t even understand it.

Was I alright?

I thought. No. I wasn’t even close to knowing what alright was. I knew my grandfather was dead, even before reading the newspaper. As much as I tried to deny it, I knew. I felt it, felt it like he was being ripped away from me. Whether those feelings were real or not, he was still dead. My grandfather was all I had and now, I have no one.

My grandfather used to talk to me about this day, if something were to happen to him, he wanted me to be prepared. So we’d talk about it, about what I’d do and in all those conversations I would sit and nod politely because they were just that, conversations, about something that wouldn’t happen now or anytime soon.

Sitting there on the bed, I fought with all my will, to bottle up all the emotions stirring inside me. I could feel Lucas’ eyes still on me as I looked away.

“No, I’m not.” I answered “I’m sorry, I have to go.”

Throwing the papers on his lap I left him there, still sitting on the bed. Glad I was too tired and wary to take off my shoes before passing out on the bed last night, I ran from the small bedroom into the main area of the cottage heading for the door, my hand was on the doorknob in seconds, turning it open. As fast as I opened the door it slammed back shut, gripping both hands on the knob, turning and pulling, I looked up and saw the reason why it wouldn’t open.

A strong male hand lay flat on the door a little above my head, pushing it closed. Glancing over my shoulder, Daniel stood there at my back, glowering down at me.

“I have to go, move!” I screamed, still trying to pull the door open.

I heard Lucas’ heavy footsteps as he came into the room. “October, you can’t leave.” He calmly said.

“Yes I can! Now let me go!” I screamed at both of them. “What was I even thinking, coming here?” I said aloud.

Releasing my hand from the door and turning to face them both I said “I really appreciate you both letting me stay the night and pulling me out the fire and everything, but there are things I need to do. I have to go!”

I watched them give each other another one of those looks, like they were having a conversation without words. Closing the distance between us, Lucas came to stand by me and Daniel. Looking down at me, his clear grey eyes holding nothing back as his next words surprised me.

“If you have to go, you have to go. We’re not gonna stop you.” He said.

“Thank you,” I said to them both as I turned back to open the door.

“But were going with you.” I heard Daniel say to my back.

“What? No, you don’t have to-” I began to protest, only to be cut off by, Lucas.

“We’re not gonna let you go, alone. You might need help.” He said.

Not having the energy to fight them on their decision to accompany me, I sighed in defeat “Fine.”

Walking outside in the mid-morning sun, in my borrowed baggy t-shirt and boxers from last night, I headed over to the small stream behind the cottage, trying to stretch out the ache from sleeping on an unfamiliar bed. Roughly tying my bed hair in a ponytail, I washed my face and rinsed my mouth, waiting for the boys as they took their sweet time in the cottage before meeting me outside.

Walking back to the front of the cottage, Daniel and Lucas walked over to me both carrying duffel bags slung over their shoulders, containing who knows what.

“What’s with the big ass bags?” I asked, eyeing them both suspiciously.

“Just stuff, we might need.” Daniel vaguely answered.

Shifting my gaze to Lucas for an answer, proved to be pointless as he just flashed me a sly little smile and sent a wink my way.

“Well if you want to drag those heavy bags through the forest, that’s your business.” I threw over my shoulder at them as I started walking.

“Who said we were walking?” I heard Lucas shout at me.

Turning back to Lucas, still wearing that sly little smile, he pointed his thumb towards the forest trees in a gesture to follow him. I watched as he sprinted off into the tree line, a couple feet north-east from where we were at the cottage. Looking back at Daniel, he calmly made his way in the same direction. Following them both a few lazy paces behind, I gazed up at the thick canopy of trees above, watched as the morning birds fluttered from tree to tree as they sung and felt the beauty of their song as I closed my eyes for a second to listen.

My peaceful moment lasted only a couple more seconds, before being broken by a sound that one wouldn’t often hear, in the middle of the forest. My eyes briskly opened at the sound and I scanned the area nearby for the boys. Neither was to be seen or heard, running in the direction of the noise, I halted to a stop a few feet later, as I took in its source.

Another roar of the engine, confirmed that I wasn’t hearing or seeing things. Daniel walked out from behind the car or jeep as it seemed to be half hidden beneath fallen branches. As Daniel began to pull them off the jeep and throw them aside, I made out Lucas’ profile as he sat in the driver’s seat through the windscreen.

Walking closer to the jeep, I could see that it was one of those 50’s style military jeeps. The kind that was made to drive through heavy terrain, in basic black it looked old and dated but I had to admit it looked pretty cool. Smiling to myself as I walked over to the passenger side, I began helping Daniel take off the few remaining branches on the hood and dusting off the leaves.

“You like?” Lucas asked as he stuck his head out the driver’s window and looked at me over the top of the jeep.

“Yeah ok, your jeeps pretty cool.” I admitted to him.

With a shy little smile, he ducked back into the driver’s seat. Daniel came over to the passenger side door next to me, after throwing off the last branch. Leaning forward, he reached past me to grab hold of the handle and opened the door for me.

Guess chivalry isn’t dead.

I thought, climbing past the front seats to the sit in the one seat that constituted the backseat. The roof wasn’t really a roof, it was made of this dark canvas like material and the windows at the back of the small jeep were made of clear plastic, like the top you’d see in most convertibles.

Once Daniel was all buckled up in the front seat, Lucas turned to me in his, “So…….. where to?” He asked.

Sighing I answered “To my house.”

Chapter 5

2012-04-08T15:31:00.002-07:00

“So the lady that gave him the sword and helped him, was she really the witch from the mountain?” I asked Lucas after he finished his story.

“Yep.” Lucas answered.

“What happened to the boy?”

“Well he found the demons, but after they saw that he could kill them, they fled.” He answered.

“To stop the demons for good and prevent them from attacking other villages, he hunted them down one by one and killed as many as he could. He asked the strongest and bravest of men whom he'd come across during his journey, to join him. He trained them to hunt and kill demons and that's how Hunters came to be.”
“That was a pretty cool story and all, but what does it have to do with my gramps?” I asked him, referring to my original question.

“The young boy in the story, the one blessed by the witch with her magic and was brave enough to stand up against the demons and lead his people to do the same. His name, was Avan Latro.”

“Latro?” I said, my brows furrowing in confusion “Wait. I don't understand.”

“Avan Latro, the first hunter, was your ancestor. Just like Avan, and your grandfather, you're a Blood-born Hunter.” Lucas added cutting me off.

“You had me for about 5 seconds, then you lost me again.” I told him.

“We call the descendants of the Latro bloodline, Blood-born Hunters. It's only through death that Blood-borns truly come into their power.” Lucas tried to explain.

“What do you mean, through death?” I asked, squeaking out the last word.

I'm usually not such a coward but this entire situation was scaring the crap out of me. First, the pain that made me collapsed at the airport, and then watching as my house went up in flames, seeing that thing standing in my living room as it burned and now these guys bring me here in the middle of the forest and start telling me all this stuff about my gramps and hunters.

If I wasn't so shell shocked from information overload, I'd probably be running and screaming at the top of my lungs, bawling like a two year old.

As if he could sense my panic bubbling to the surface, Daniel walked through the front door. “That's enough, Luc.” Daniel roughly said to Lucas, cutting him off from any further discussion as he stood in front of the open door, looking directly at me.

Giving me an exasperated look, Lucas stood as he left me on the couch and walked over to Daniel. Handing over the firewood to Lucas, Daniel said to me over his shoulder “You can sleep in the bedroom.” as he pointed to the door to the right. “Luc and I'll sleep out here.”

I almost sighed in relief at the notion of being left alone with my thoughts, to just take in everything. Lazily getting off the couch, I followed Daniel as he walked through the bedroom door and into the darkness on the other side. The dim light of fire that spilled in through the bedroom door from the small living area, was barely enough to make out the small room.

Pulling out a lighter from his back pocket, I watched as Daniel walked into the darkness of the room and began lighting candles. The soft candlelight lit up the room, finally allowing me to see its contents. I was thankful for the sight of a bed as it sat in the right corner, under a small window and an armoire in the other.

Walking over to the armoire as he finished lighting the candles around the room. “There are sheets and stuff in here.” He said to me, tapping his knuckles on the old wooden door of the armoire as dark and faded as the cottage walls.

“Thanks.” I said to him as he turned and walked out closing the door behind him, leaving me alone.

I sighed in relief at the silence of being alone, allowing myself to wrap my head around the events of the night gone.

God is any of this even real? What if this is all just some wildly vivid dream? I'm probably asleep on the plane right now, hours away from my European Tour Adventure.

I thought as I walked to the small window, looking out at the dawn sky. Taking a deep breath I laid down on the single bed, my damp hair falling across the limp pillow. My thoughts on constant loop as my heavy eyelids closed without protest.

It felt like my eyes were closed for only a second before I saw his purple eyes through the thick smoke, his face distorted by the flames, lips curled in a feral smile that sent ripples of fear through me, straight to the bone. As he made his way to me the fire parted, dancing out of his way. I tried to run, to get away but my feet couldn't move, stuck the ground. As he came to stand in front of me, shadows covering the top half of his face leaving me only the sight of his smug grin, his hands wrapped around my neck and began to squeeze.

I woke with a choked scream stuck in my throat as I bolted upright in bed. Blinking back the tears of fear, forged from a nightmare that felt all too real, I wiped the sleep out of my eyes and cleared my vision. Looking around at the same faded walls, the same old room as the day before, the reality of my situation sunk back in.

Guess it was all real.

I depressingly thought as I stiffly got out of bed. Walking to the bedroom door I stopped at the sound of muffled voices on the other side. Leaning forward I pressed my ear close and tried to listen.

“This is insane Dani, she's Marcus’ granddaughter and you've been watching her for almost a week, per Marcus’ request. Why are you so suspicious of her?" Lucas asked.

“I don't trust her, because before a week ago…….. no one even knew Marcus had a granddaughter. She didn't exist!” Daniel answered.

“Which is why we both agree that, that little bit of information is gonna stay between us. Marcus, kept her a secret for a reason, and until we figure out why, she stays with us.” “Marcus, trusted you with this secret…….. with her. It's why he asked you to shadow her for those couple of days and keep her safe before she left for her trip. We can't abandon her, she needs us.” Lucas said to him.

“You only want her to stay because you think you have a chance.” I heard Daniel say to Lucas with a laugh.

“Please, like your any different. I saw the way you looked at us, when you caught us together at the waterfall.” Lucas replied.

“Whatever. You should go check on her, see if she's awake.” Daniel told him.

I felt more than heard, as he got up and walked over to my door. My ass was barely touching the mattress before I heard a light knock. Quickly sitting up on the bed, I heard the door creak and saw a pair of clear grey eyes and a head of dark hair peeking through. Seeing that I was awake, I watched as Lucas closed the door behind him and walked over to me.

Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, I noticed he had a newspaper in his hand.

“What's that?” I asked him, tipping my chin in the direction of his right hand. Looking down at the newspaper, he looked back at me with hesitation in his eyes.

“What's wrong?” I asked him, drawing a blanket of calmness over me, just as my grandfather taught me. “It's all over your face, just tell me.”

Sighing in resignation, he handed me today's paper. “Page five.” He instructed.

The Legend Of The Hunters

2012-03-05T04:21:00.002-08:00

Hundreds of years ago, tales were told of the woman that lived at the top of the highest mountain. Many said that she was an ugly beast that fled to the mountains to live in obscurity. Others say that she was a widow, who after her love died, left with her broken heart to the top of the mountain to die, but the most told tale of the woman who lived on the mountain, was that she was a witch. Strong and powerful, she was said to possess magic that could bring armies to their knees, while some whispered she had the sight to see the days to come.

Day became night as an eclipse turned the world dark, engulfing villages and its people in darkness. When the lights on the world were turned back on, villages that were once home to farms and families had been turned to rubble and ash, as horrible and inhumane creatures appeared from the darkness leaving carnage in their wake, only to vanish before dawn touched the sky. Night after night, the massacres continued, as the creatures from the darkness destroyed village after village. Torturing, raping, killing, leaving nothing but the dead bodies of their toys behind.

Avan, was barely fifteen when they came to his village in the dead of night. He and his family were asleep in their beds when their home was set on fire, with all of them still inside. When morning came, Avan, was the only survivor of the bloodbath that fell over his village. He walked the dirt roads where he once played as a child with his friends, now littered with dead bodies and broken pieces of people he once knew. All his loved ones, everyone who he'd ever cared about were now dead, as the monsters of the night took them from him.

As he fell to his knees in tears of loss, surrounded by the death and destruction left, the hooded figure of a woman came walking out of the ruins towards him. He had lived in his village all his life and never had he seen the face of the young woman, as she revealed herself. Hair as black as night, that glimmered from purple to blue when touched by the sun, like the wings of a raven, skin pale and flawless and eyes of an impossible green that reminded him of the leaves in the spring.

“Were you sent from heaven to save me from this, angel?” he asked the beautiful stranger as she came to stand in front of him.

“No boy, I'm no angel. But I have the power to help you defeat the monsters that did this to you and your people.” She said to him in a soft voice that held an undertone of pure steel and determination.

“If you have the power to stop them, then why didn't you?” Avan, asked with anger.

“By the laws that bind my power, I cannot intervene. This is not my fight, but it is yours. Ask for my help and I will show you how to stop them, kill them and send these demons back to the pits of hell from which they came.”

“Demons.” He said the word, finally able to put a name to the savage beasts, that ravaged his village like hungry animals.

“But you need to be sure that this is what you want, for once this path is chosen there is no going back.” She told him, a fierce warning in her words.

“I will do whatever it takes to rid the land of these demons. To spare at least one person my sorrow.” He said to her, strong resolve in his voice.

Kneeling beside, Avan, she reached under her cloak and pulled out a sword. Broad and the length of his arm, it was solid steel with symbols, that spoke of ancient language, craved deep into the metal from hilt to tip.

“What is it?” he asked as she held it out towards him.

“The weapon that can kill them, but they are strong and many.”

Leaning forward she closed the distance between them and kissed him. As her lips touched his he felt a sudden jolt race through his entire body.

“I don't understand” he said as she broke the kiss, the remnants of it still lingering through him.

“The essence, the magic that flows through my veins, now flows through yours. It will help protect you and give you the strength you need for the battle you will soon face.” “But with magic, everything comes at a price, for every blessing there is a curse.” Looking at him, he saw regret flash across her face as she said, “I am sorry that such a heavy burden is placed upon shoulders so young, but it must be done."

“I accept my fate and the path that I have chosen, witch.” Avan, said to her, as he realized the truth of the woman before him. That the beautiful stranger was the witch that lived in the mountains.

With a small smile, she confirmed his contentions. “Follow the trail of blood and destruction they leave behind, it will lead you to them. Be careful, do not let fear stop you from doing what must be done.”

As she handed him the sword she bid him farewell. “Go, Avan, warrior born from my blood. Hunt the evil lurking in the darkness.”

Chapter 4

2012-02-26T14:35:00.001-08:00

“Lucas!” Daniel said through clenched teeth as he glared back at him.

“She deserves answers Dani, and if you're not gonna give them to her, then I will!” Lucas said to Daniel in a raised voice.

“We don't know her, Lucas! She might be Marcus' granddaughter, but I have no idea what the hell happened in that house-” Daniel began to argue.

“Marcus saved your life Dani!” Lucas shouted. “And if he really is dead, then the least you could do for him is answer her questions.”

“So that's it? That's how you know my gramps?” I asked Daniel.

Turning from Lucas he stood to face me, though clenched teeth he answered. “Marcus didn't just save my life, he helped me find out about who I am. Let's go, we can finish this conversation at the cottage.”

Turning and heading out of the tree line, I followed Daniel as he began to walk downstream, back in the direction we first came. Walking a couple paces behind I could see Lucas from my peripheral vision as he kept stride beside me.

“Thank you.” I told him “For trying to get him to talk to me.”

Giving me a small smile, that I'm sure made many a girl's heart flutter, “No worries. But seeing as I just got into it with my best friend in a vain attempt to try and help you……….I think it's only fair that one good deed deserves another.” He replied in a conceited tone that immediately made me stop walking.

Stopping a few paces ahead of me, he turned to give me another one of his weak kneed smiles. Glaring at him I asked “And what, would this good deed in return be?”

Closing the distance between us with two steps, Lucas looked down into my eyes as he answered, “Oh I don't know, guess we'll find out together.” Stepping aside he waited for me to continue walking, taking his place next to me.

Figuring there were better ways to kill the 20 minute walk back to the cottage than dead silence, I looked over at Lucas. “Go ahead, just ask me.” He said without even sparing me a glance.

“How come you don't have a problem answering my questions?”

“Unlike stone wall over there” he said to me gesturing in Daniel's direction as he walked in front of us. “I don't really see any harm in telling you what you want to know.” He answered.

“Thank you. You said you two were hunters? What does that mean?” I asked, hoping to get some actual answers.

“Well, hunters fight the bad stuff. We hunt and kill the things that go bump in the night.” He answered in a tone that told me it was no lie.

“The things that go bump in the night?” I asked, blinking back the vision of the creature I glimpsed through the incineration of my house. “What kind of things?”

“Demons” he answered with no amusement.

“Demons? Like the bible, straight from hell, kind of demons?”

“Pretty much.”

Stopping in my tracks I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself as my breathing began to speed up. Taking deep breaths I tried to stop myself from having a panic attack. When I was younger I would get them, when I was too excited or scared, my chest would start to burn like it was on fire, breathing would become harder and everything would just go black. It was always okay though, because my gramps would always be there when I woke up, reassuring me that everything was fine and that I wasn't dying or anything.

“Hey. You alright?” I heard Lucas ask.

“Yeah. I'm fine, Just give me a second to process all of this.” I answered as I finally began to get my breathing under control.

“Well, were here.” Lucas said tilting his chin towards the old cottage.

“So this is your home? Where the two of you live?”

“Actually, this is your gramps place. Dani came down to Troian because of Marcus, so he let him stay here for a while.”

“And none of that seemed questionable to you?” I asked a little confused.

“Hey, when the legend that is, Marcus Latro, asks you to do something, you do it. No questions asked.” He defended.

“Why would my gramps ask you guys to stay here?” I asked Lucas as we followed Daniel inside “And what do you mean legend?”

Walking through the cottage door, I stepped into a fairly sized room. The wall directly facing the door was the only source of light, as the moonlight peeked through the window's dusty pane. To my left was a small stone fireplace, tucked neatly into the corner at the back of the room, with an old ratty brown couch sitting in front of it, facing the open fire. On the right, in the middle of the wall was a closed door that I assumed would lead to a bedroom, or maybe it was wishful thinking.

Not knowing exactly what to do now, I stood aside as Lucas entered behind me. “You should go sit by the fire, warm yourself up a bit.” Lucas said, nudging me with his shoulder in the direction of the fire.

Hesitantly I crossed the room and sat in the middle of the couch, bracing my elbows on my knees. I just sat there, looking at the embers stir as the fire's flames danced with lethargic grace. I was so enthralled by the fire, that I barely noticed Lucas sitting next to me until he grabbed my hand. Jerking back in surprise, I turned to him.

“Sorry. Dani went to get some more wood for the fire, he wanted me to check and see if any of your burns were serious.” Lucas said as he reached for my hand again.

“I'm fine. My skin feels a bit raw, but the waterfall's cool water helped a lot. It feels better now, thanks.”

“Are you sure? cause Dani said you were in that house a while before he found you and pulled you out. ” He said as he gave me a once over, probably looking for burns.

Not wanting to have to talk about the fire and what I saw, I leaned back on the couch “Lucas, what did you mean when you said my gramps was a legend?”

Chapter 3

2012-01-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

Wiping the tear stains from my face, I dunked my head beneath the falls cool water. Opening my eyes underwater I could barely see anything, feel nothing but the water as it seeped into my skin. Feeling my lungs begin to protest I lifted my head out of the water. As I passed my hand across my face to clear my vision, I caught a glimpse of something from the corner of my eye. Seconds later I felt a warm hand touch my shoulder, again. There was no hesitation, as all the sparring sessions and self - defense training my grandfather taught me sprang to the surface. Instincts took over as I turned to face the owner of the hand, thrusting the heel of my palm upward into his nose.

"What.The.Fuck!!" he yelled out as he leaned forward covering his nose. "Are you crazy? You could have broken my nose!" he screamed at me as I stepped back a couple of paces.

"Your nose is fine and it serves you right for sneaking up on people." I said without the least bit of sympathy for him.

“Hey I wasn't sneaking! I was just taking a dip, if anything I was here first!” he started to argue. It was dark, if it wasn't for his deep raspy voice I would have thought I was talking to a 10 year old. I couldn't help it, a small laugh escaped me as I asked “Seriously?” Finally the moonlight peeped out behind cloud cover, to help give me a look at him. He was chest deep in the water, letting go of his nose I could see his eyes as he looked at me, clear and grey. His hair, sodden with water appeared ink black as it brushed his thickly stubbled chin.

Remembering, that even though the night was dark and we were both hidden by the depth of the water, I was still naked. I Crossed my arms over my chest beneath the water, I started making my way to the boulder where I stashed my clothes when I heard my name.

“October!” both me and the dark haired guy turned toward the banks as the torchlight shone down on me. “October, what the hell? You've been gone almost an hour, and I heard a scream”

Raising my hand to shield my eyes from the light, I finally saw that it was Daniel. “Sorry,” I told him in a small voice. “I didn't mean to take so long.”

“Scream? I don't scream. Girls scream. I was just……caught off guard.” The dark haired boy said to, Daniel, as he wadded out into the light. A knowing pause filled the silence as Daniel and the dark haired boy looked at each other. “Lucas? Of course.” Daniel said with a sigh as his eyes shifted from my face back to Lucas'.

“I should have guessed this one huh? Lucas Knight can smell a pretty girl from a mile away.” He threw at Lucas with a grin stretching across his face. Rising out of the water and making his way towards, Daniel on the banks. I got a full view of Lucas' broad back, as he leaned down to pick up a back pack he must have hidden somewhere along the banks. When Lucas finally reached him, they did that clasp hands, half hug thing that guys do.

“Hey Dani, it's been a while.” I could hear Lucas say to Daniel as they parted.

“Yeah, it has. Thought you were going to be gone a couple more weeks though?” Daniel asked him.

“I was, but things kinda wrapped up early. So you know that crazy chick back there?” Lucas asked Daniel.

Having had enough of watching a rekindling bromance, I interrupted their conversation. Clearing my throat loud enough to catch both boys attention, I just looked at them as they stared blankly back. Apparently living with my gramps all my life, hadn't prepared me for how dense boys could be. Securing my crossed arms under my arm pits under the dark water I told them to turn around so I could get my clothes.

“Oh, crap. Sorry” Daniel said to me as he grabbed Lucas' arm and led him a little way from the falls. The light of the flashlight helped me keep an eye on them as I made my way to the boulder where I left my clothes. Having nothing to dry myself, I shouted in the boy's direction “Did either of you bring a towel?” as I knelt down, to gather my clothes with my wet hands.

I felt something soft hit my head a couple seconds later, looking behind me where it landed on the ground I picked up the large white towel. Throwing a thank you in the boy's direction, I could barely make out there shadowed figures as I heard their low chuckling. Using the towel to dry myself, I threw on Daniel's two sizes to big, black t shirt and pair of plaid boxers, which felt a little too tight. I gathered my old clothes and balled them up as I slipped my feet into my shoes and made my way towards Daniel and Lucas.

“So that's her? The granddaughter? What's she doing here?” I overheard a full dressed Lucas ask Daniel as I approached them from behind. “I don't know what happened man. Marcus, he- ” Daniel began to reply before I cut him off.

“I think it's time you started talking.” I said to theirs backs, waiting for them to turn around. They both just stood there for a while, frozen, before turning to face me. When they did, they both had weird looks on their faces. “How long have you been standing there?” Daniel asked a look of uncertainty in his eyes. “Long enough.” I answered.

“We didn't hear you walk up.” Lucas added as he and Daniel, both sneaked a glanced at each other.

“Who are you two? What happened back at my house? How do you even know my gramps?” I demanded, feeling my patience for answers wearing thin.

“Let's go back to the cottage and we'll-” Daniel started.

“No! The only reason I'm still here, is because you promised me answers. Tell me what I want to know or I'm gone” I said to Daniel.

“Gone?” Daniel asked as he walked towards me. “And where will you go?” he asked. “Back to the pile of ash, that used to be your home? Or back to your dead grandfather, who was the only living relative you had?” he answered his own question as he stood face to face with me.

He's right. There's nothing to go back to.

I thought. Looking straight into his eyes so dark they almost seemed black. I felt my nails dig into my palm as I clenched my fists, trying to keep hold of my emotions. Just like gramps taught me. Face impassive, I heard no emotion in my voice as I looked Daniel straight in the eye

“Thank you, for all your help.” I said to him as I turned to walk away.

“We're hunters.” Stopping mid step, I turned back. Looking at Lucas unable to hide my confusion, I asked "Hunters? What does that mean?”

Chapter 2

2012-01-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

I ran. What else could I do? I had no idea who this kid was running next to me and frankly after what I just saw, I didn't care much, but those thoughts and feelings lasted two more seconds before I heard my gramps voice whispering in my head.

Don't be stupid Tobi. You don't trust strangers.

Don't forget the things I taught you!!

With that I ran into the boy next to me, and putting all my weight behind it shoved him off the pavement and into the street, despite the fact that he probably just saved my life. I heard the cars honking, heard him yell something in my direction but I couldn't look back, I just dove past the bushes on the other side of the pavement and ran into the night forest of Marshall Woods.

When I was younger, gramps would carry me walking through these woods for hours. He'd teach me how to get lost and find my way back, how to cover my tracks and make it look like I was never there, before tonight I always thought it was just his weird way of playing hide and seek. That was before tonight. It took me less than 5 minutes to get lost in the dark and find a good hiding place in the trees, by then I could hear the heavy thumps of feet running in my direction.

Peeking below from the high branch I lay stretched out on, I could see that it was the boy who pulled me out my house. He ran past the tree I hid in a couple times before I heard his noisy footsteps moving farther and farther away from my tree, with that I slowly and as soundlessly as possible dismounted from the large tree. As soon as my feet hit the leaf covered grass my knees gave in and I fell face first into the ground like a sack of flour.

The adrenaline was wearing off and my body was starting to feel the backlash.

Looking up from my position on the ground I tried to lay still and listen, the sound of me falling shouldn't have been loud enough to make him backtrack and return my way, but gramps always taught me not to take chances. After a couple minutes of nothing but crickets chirping and frogs croaking, I decided it was safe enough to make a run for it.

If I can just get to the highway, from there I can take a taxi to the inner city of Troian and find somewhere safe to stay while I try to figure this all out.

I thought. Picking myself off the ground took a lot more effort than I thought it would, making my swift get away not so swift, but the forest was silent. No footsteps. Taking that as a sign that luck was on my side, I fast walked through the woods the way I came. Hiding from the moonlight beneath the thick shadows of the forest trees, I was almost halfway to the highway when I stopped to catch my breath. I could almost hear the cars driving by. Sighing with relief I took a look backwards, nothing, gearing myself to walk the rest of the distance I turned forward ready to make my way, only to come face to face with him.

The boy, he stood right in front of me, staring down at me with worry and a little irritation in his eyes. It took me less than a second for my brain to get over the shock of his silent approach, by that time my fist had already connected with his jaw. It wasn't much of a hit with what little strength I had left, but he was caught off guard so I used my advantage. Pushing past him I ran in the direction of the street. I made three strides before he grabbed my shirt from behind pulling me backwards to the ground. I hit the ground so hard I could feel all the air rush out of my lungs.

“Oh crap, I'm so sorr-” was all he got out before I started clawing at his neck with my hands, trying to get a grip. Fighting my hands away and restraining them to my sides took little effort on his part, when he saw my legs start to kick up he pinned them down with his body.

“October, stop!!” he screamed in my face.

“Let me go!!” I screamed back in his. I was breathing so hard I could feel the lack of oxygen getting to my brain.

“October, my name is Daniel. I know your grandfather, he sent me to get you.”

“My gramps is dead!!” I heard my voice crack as I said the words.

“Look, I know everything is pretty messed up right now, but we need to get you someplace safe.”

“Get off of me!!” I yelled at him. Feeling dizzy and finding it harder and harder to breathe.

He looked down at me concern in his eyes. “Hey, I'm really sorry but we need to go. Now.” He said, as he started pushing himself upright, pulling me along with him.

“No!” I yelled at him as I stood upright and took off again into the trees. This time I made four strides before he caught up with me. Grabbing me from behind he wrapped his arms around me like manacles, pulling me against his chest, pinning my hands to my sides.

“Look , I've had just about enough of you. Your grandfather asked me to look after you. I gave him my word that I'd protect you and keep you safe.” Daniel said into my ear.

“Let me go!!.” I screamed with heavy breaths willing myself not to faint.

“Fine…..” he said with an exasperated sigh as he loosed his arms and let me go.

“I get it I'm a stranger. I'm no one and you have no right to trust me” He said looking at me straight in the eyes “but your grandfather asked me to keep you safe.”

“How do you know him?” I asked, finally getting a good look at him in the moonlight as he stepped out of the shadows. He had short blonde cropped hair, so light it was almost white in the moonlight. Eyes so intensely dark and piercing, they looked like they could see straight through you to the very core. His baby face made it hard to believe that he was even strong enough to take me down the way he did. He was tall, but not at all lanky the way he filled out his dingy jeans and faded t-shirt.

Seconds ticked by with no reply, looking around trying to figure out how long it would take me to lose him. I was about to take off again when he turned around and started walking in the opposite direction of the highway, deeper into the night forest. Glancing back to see that I wasn't following him he strode back to where I was standing.

“We need to get to the safe house before dawn.” He said to me as he waited for me to walk with him.

“You didn't answer my question.” I said following him “You said you know- knew my grandfather. How?”

Daniel, barely swung his head around to answer my question, as he continued leading the way. “When we get to the safe house we'll talk. Right now we need to just get there in one piece.” He answered.

Saying nothing, I followed, Daniel, quietly listening to the sounds of the night's creatures. After almost an hour of walking we finally reached what I assumed was our safe house. The little wooden cottage sat right beneath a giant oak tree, so tall that it towered over everything next to it. Lush green vines carpeted the roof, spilling down over to the cottage walls.

“More delicate than safe looking this house of yours” I threw at Daniel as I walked over to the cottage. “What are these symbols carved into the door?” I asked turning to look at him. “What do they mean?” glancing back, to where my fingers touched the intricate lines and curves.

“They're hex symbols of protection.” He said looking at me questionably.

“Let's go inside, you look about ready to collapse and we should make sure you didn't get any serious burns” following his line of vision I looked down to see that most of my clothes were either singed or burned from running through the fire.

“Maybe I should take a shower first, wash off all this smoke and ash” I said to him.

“Yeah, sure. There's a stream running behind the house, and a waterfall a couple feet upstream. You could wash up there. I'll take you” Daniel, said already making his way around the house.

“Wait. You don't have a shower here?” I asked pointing at the cottage.

“Well…no. sorry.” He said sounding not at all apologetic.

“But I can take you to the falls and you can borrow some clothes. Be right back” He said as he strode inside the cottage.

Not wanting to just stand there, I decided to walk to the back of the house. There I found a quiet little stream, dark water flowing calmly by.

Looking up at, Daniel, as he made his way towards me I said "Thank You." Looking him in the eye, and truly meaning the words, as he offered me a wadded up bundle of clothes in his outstretched hand.

“No problem.” He softly said, looking down as I took the clothes from him “Come on.”

“You don't have to walk me there, you know.” I said to him as he started walking. “You said all you have to do is follow the stream and you'll find it.”

“Yeah, but I don't think I should be leaving you alone-” interrupting him I said “Alone, is something I could use right now. Please”

The please probably did him in.

“Yeah, sure. But I'll be nearby in case anything should happen. You just scream or something. Kay?” Daniel, said with a seriousness to his tone. I just nodded a yes as he handed me his flashlight and headed upstream along the bank.

It didn't take long for me to find the waterfall, even at night it was hard to miss the water as it fell from a small cliff, into a shallow pool before streaming out. Turning the flashlight off I Dropped it and the bundle of clothes on a boulder at the bed of the stream, as I peeled off my clothes and shoes. It was a strain to take them off, my worn and tarnished clothes, but it only made my sigh that much sweeter as my feet touched the cool water.

Pulling the tie from my hair I shook it out before wading neck deep into the water. Dipping my head back, I let the water soak through my hair. With my head tilted back I opened my eyes and looked up and saw the most beautiful sight. The full moon hung high beyond the forest trees, against the dark sky littered with stars. The moonlight gleaming off the light mist as the falling waters hit the rocks below.

For a moment, as I stood there looking at the night's natural beauty, I almost forgot the events that happened only hours ago that brought me to this place. That I just lost everything. That was when I felt the tears trickle down my cheek. Finally giving in now that I was alone, I covered my face with my hands and cried, sobbing so hard I felt I could barely breathe.

Chapter 1

2012-01-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

“Hey sleepy get up, we should get an early start. Never know what traffic is going to be like” I heard my gramps shout through my door.

“I swear that is never going to stop being freaky!” I shouted from my bed.

For some weird reason gramps always knows stuff like that about me like if I'm awake or close by or if I'm in a mood. I call it our freaky bond and chalk it up to him raising me on his own, it’s hard to not have a bond like that when all my life he's been both my parents and more. My mom was seventeen when she got pregnant with me. Gramps, said that her body couldn't handle the strain and she died during child birth and my dad….. well according to gramps he was an ass that ran in the opposite direction when he found out mom was pregnant. I never really felt too bad about not knowing him after that.

“You do know that its 8 right? My flight isn't till 10 P.M.!” I screamed through my door as I hid my head beneath my pillows.

“Traffic is unpredictable. Now get up and get ready”

“Fine, but there better be food”

I got up and went across the hall to the bathroom to do all the girly things I needed to do. I took a good hard look at myself in the mirror. I was pretty, but in an average way. Dusky brown skin, long dark loosely curled hair all over the place, sleepy hazel eyes that told of my East Indian roots and a pair of cute lips with the hint of a smile. Standing there, staring at my reflection I thought.

Happy 19^th birthday girly, in a few hours you'll be on a flight to Europe.

After finishing my morning routine I headed downstairs following the smell of coffee.“You know, if you had told me you were making omelets, I would have come down sooner.” I said to gramps as I sat at the counter with an empty plate waiting.

Gramps makes the best omelets.

He just smiled that little sad smile at me again. At first I thought it was because I was leaving for another continent for a few months, but for weeks he's been like this. Even before he gave me the plane ticket as a graduation gift, he's been all depressed like someone he knew just died. Whenever I'd try to bring it up or ask him about what's going on, he'd just shut down and immediately change the topic of conversation.

“Hey you know I could postpone this trip, I mean I'd much rather spend my limited freedom before higher education with you.” I told him.

“No, Toby. This is my gift to you. Go! Be young and stupid, far enough away from me that I'm not tempted to lock you in your room till your thirty.” he replied with a genuine smile that touched his eyes.

“Gramps, I highly doubt my university experience, will be any different with or without the cultural experience of the Asian Pacific.” I quickly retorted.

He just sighed and went back to making his eggs.

At 9 pm with the car packed with all the things gramps thought I might need, which ended up being half the things in my room, we jumped into his old white Honda and set out for the Troian airport. With a half hour till my flight boarded, gramps helped me unload my stuff and walked with me into the terminal.

My grandpa is one of those old fashioned men that think that a real man doesn't cry. For an old guy in his early 60's gramps was huge. His arms and chest were big by any means, and at about 6"4 in height, he was pretty intimidating. So when he hugged me so tight, that I was starting to have trouble breathing and had to push him off, I was stunned silent to see him with unshed tears in his eyes. When he saw me looking at him, he pulled me into another bear hug and kissed my head.

“I'm going to miss you more than you'll know, Toby.” he whispered in my hair.

“Gramps, you make it sound like were never going to see each other again, it's just for a couple of months…. I know your life is going to be boring without me but it'll be fine.” I shakily said into his chest. With a deep breath, I took in the smell of his shirt, inhaling that tobacco scent that was so intrinsically gramps, for the last time in months to come. Blinking back the tears welling up in my eyes, I pulled out his hold and gave him my 100 kilowatt smile.

“I thought you said you said you stopped smoking those horrible cigars?” I asked him wiping away the tear that spilled over. Wincing he answered “Sorry….but my only granddaughter is leaving me and going off to a foreign country. Let's just let it go this time.” with a laugh in his voice. “Have fun. Be careful and watch out for those European boys, make sure they keep their hands to themselves.” Gramps pointedly warned smoothing his hand in my hair.

“I'll be fine. Bye gramps, I love you.”

“I love you too.” With goodbyes said and done I jogged off to my gate.

Looking back over my shoulder to where I was just standing I saw that gramps was already gone.

About an hour later still standing in line waiting to be boarded, thanks to a flight delay, an eerie feeling fell over me sending ripples of shivers through my body. Shaking it off, I took a small step forward as the line slowly moved, when another shiver comes over me causing my hands to tremble.

It's just nerves. This is the first time I'm going to be away from home for so long, away from gramps. It'll pass.

I thought to myself, as I stuffed my hands into the pockets of the oversized wool hoodie I wore over my dark jeans and t-shirt. After a minute or so of steady trembling I started to feel them getting stronger and more painful, like the muscles in my hand were burning. Every move of my fingers felt like they were being held over an open flame.

Screaming with the sudden force of pain to my ribs, I fell to my knees gripping my chest. Trying to catch my breath as the pain continuously beat at my chest, threaten to rip me open from the inside out. I opened my eyes, looking up at the dozens of faces peering down at me with worry and curiosity. Pushing myself off the floor and trying to stand, I took off running or as close to running as I could get. Still holding unto the pain in my chest, as it started to slowly fade I headed out the terminals glass doors and started running down the streets heading down an all too familiar route.

After a couple miles of nonstop running, grateful I wore my comfortable converse shoes and that I ran a few miles every other morning. I finally reached my street and stopped, staring up in shock as the house in front of me is engulfed in fire. My house, realization snapping me out of my trance, I quickly looked to the open garage door to see that his car is parked there. “Gramps! Grandpa!!” I screamed out as loud as I could, waiting for a reply, a noise, anything. Nothing. Taking my cell phone out of my back pocket I called 911. I couldn't take the chance of waiting for the fire trucks to come, what if he's still in there? Taking a deep breath and stifling the fear that knotted my insides, I ran through the already open door into my house screaming his name.

The ceiling was entirely engulfed in flames as I ran inside, my eyes watered from the heat building up in the air, making it a fight just to breathe. Racing through the house, glancing in and out of rooms calling for gramps, I almost cried in relief when I reached the entrance of our living room and found him lying there in the middle of the floor.

I almost ran to him, until I saw the man standing over his body. The man's back was facing me as he knelt down beside my gramps, so I couldn't see his face, but I could see his hands as they lifted over gramps chest and they were covered in something dark and wet, looking back down at my gramps on the floor I finally saw that he was covered in the same thing. Blood. The realization of what the dark liquid was, was such an unnerving shock, that when the man brought his hand down on my gramps chest with such force, my scream stuck in my throat as I felt the entire house rattle.

That was when the man kneeling at my grandfather's body head turned and looked straight at me. His eyes were an impossible purple, even through the licks of fire there was no way to mistake the colour. Though it was his eyes that kept my gaze as he rose to face me, it was his face that had me frozen in the room's doorway. As the shadows around him began receding I could see that his face wasn't that of a man's or even close to human.

At the moment the man took his first step toward me, I felt a brutal tug at my shoulders pulling me backwards and away from the purple eyed man and towards the front door.Strong male hands gripped mine as it kept pulling me away from my house, down my street and unto the side walk of the highway, running.