The Shadow Hunter - chpt. 1
Prologue
It is a grey morning. The sun hasn't risen from the depths yet and it's cold as any other winter. Piles of snow lay scattered here and there, sparkling weakly in the dim street lights. A man and his woman hurries past buildings, trees and bushes. Finally they arrive to their destination; the hospital.
The young woman gives a sigh of relief. She has been pregnant for nine months and shall soon give birth. The man wraps his arm around her and together they enter the tall, white building of the hospital.
It is their first child. The birth went fine, and the new mother now lay with her newborn daughter on her belly. It's a beautiful little girl with brownish blonde hair. Her tiny nails are soft and short, her skin pale and smooth.
The new parents doesn't have much of a family to come visit them at the hospital but an uncle eventually comes to see his little new niece. He suggests a few names for her, as he holds her, but only one name really catches the parents full attention; Jessique, and that's what they would call her from that day.
Chapter 1
I stand just outside the door, looking down at my feet. The crisp snow underneath me sparkles like diamonds and I sit down to have a closer look. Picking up a handful of snow and slowly letting it slip through my hands, watching it fall yet again. I sigh. I always loved winter seasons, not only because of my birthday and all the events it brings along but also because of the weather. The beauty of untouched snow, covering houses and trees... Of course I like playing in the snow, but there's nothing as the silence of the naked forests. Nothing as watching everything up close as I walk through the white landscapes. I prefer silence over noise.
Today it's my 15th birthday. My uncle would come over to visit me. He always shows up on my special day, even if nobody else does. It was him who named me and him who takes care of me whenever I can't stay at home. My brother and sister will go to some of their friends, but I have none of those. I do well at school though, and my uncle would describe me as "a loving sister" or "a kind young lady". I wonder how others sees me. I do love my siblings more than anything, and I'm sure they feel the same. We stick together, even in hardest of times.
I sit in the kitchen, sipping tea when I hear the knock on the door. I hurry out to open and there he is. My uncle, smiling like he usually does on my birthday. I reach up to hug him tightly and he picks me up in a loving embrace. He smells like coffee and cigarettes.
"Here you go, sweetpeas." my uncle says, pulling a little gift out from behind his back. He places it in my palm with a bright smile on his face. I blush slightly as I undo the bonds, opening it. "A pocket knife?" I ask, almost whispering. "Yes, your very first weapon. Do hide it from your father though, he wants one of those too." my uncle replies, winking at me. I giggle and nod, "aye sir."
We don't do much, except I go for a walk with my uncle in the woods and we have some cake. Otherwise, we just relax. But I won't complain; I'd rather do not so much than too much. I'm easily stressed.
But when I go to bed in the evening I'm tired as if I had been running around all day. I fall asleep faster than I have in a long time. My dreams are the same as usual though. There's a tall woman standing in the shadows of a tree. She is surrounded by darkness, and her eyes are dead and blazing. I walk around, but everywhere else there's darkness and she's always standing there, under that tree. She chuckles sometimes as if to remind me that she's still there.
It's not a scary dream, but I don't feel rested when I wake up either. I stretch out and yawn, looking around my room for a while. My pocket knife is safely hidden under my pillow, but I stuff it in my pocket. I might have a good use of it today. I go to the kitchen, finding my family already gathered around the table. There's a tension in the air, so I assume something must have happened recently. But I don't question it, just sit down and grab a cheesebun for my breakfast. "Do you ever eat anything else, Jessique?" my sister asks gently but my mother sends her a cold sight. My sister huffs and takes her words back. I start eating my bun, eagerly nomming every bit of it. When I'm done I take my plate to the countertop. I hear them whisper behind me when I leave the table, and I decide to just head back to my room.
But as I reach the door, I hear the sound of a plate shattering on the floor. I slowly turn my head to look back, and see my father standing with his fist raised over my sisters head. I just catch a sight of him slapping her furiously, throwing her off the chair. I let out a little gasp, but remain still. My brother has a terrified look on his eyes, just as myself. My hazel eyes flickers, and I hurry back to my room.
It isn't the first time our parents has acted violently towards us. I remember a time where they had to take me to the hospital with a broken jaw. They told them I fell on my bike and hit a rock. I don't even have a bike. I still remember the irony tast of warm blood pounding into my mouth, down my system. I hate it.
Months pass by quickly, and I learn to use my pocket knife very well. My uncle even came by to teach me how to carve wood.
My parents weren't married, only engaged until now. They had been engaged for years now, and finally they got married. Now, as I leave the church after the wedding ceremony I wonder if I'll ever get married. You don't need to love each other to death it seems; my own parents are living proofs on that. But no boy has ever laid eyes on me. I'm the teacher's sweetheart, the freak in class. Anyway, I'm sure my future is bright no matter what.
We leave the church behind to head home. Our family is small enough to celebrate my mother and father's wedding at home from now. My pocket knife is pressed against my skin under my dress. I have barely left it since I got it, and my uncle only approves to it. You can never be too careful.
My uncle escorts me to the table. He sits besides me, my sister on the other side. I swallow awkwardly as I grab the folded piece of paper where I'd written down my little speach. Of course my parents forced my siblings and I to have a speach together. I had the last part. My brother starts out, him being the youngest of us. He gently knocks on the glass with his knife and stands up. He does his part well, though I can see a few drops of sweat on his forehead as he sits back down. The little gathering claps and nods in approvement at him and his effort. Next is my sister. She clears her throat and looks out over the guests, swallowling. She then starts, her fine voice clinging in my ears as I feel my own palms get sweaty. She finishes off and nods towards me. I stand up as straight as I can, but I feel my legs shiver uncontrollably beneath me. I suddenly find it hard to breathe, and it takes a little before I finally clear my throat, trying to mimic my sister a bit. I hold up my notes and starts.
"Dear mother and father... I know that raising three children must be hard sometimes. I also know that Anthony, Erica and I may n-not always be the ... Easiest children to look after. But... B-but.."
I have to gasp for air, and I feel everyone staring at me. I shut my eyes briefly, then glance down at my uncle. He has a terrified look on his face and I feel how my shivering gets worse. I have to sit down. I have to have something to drink. I grab my glass of water and lift it to my lips. But then something strange happens. I can't put the glass further into my mouth. There's something blocking it. With a shaking hand, I take to my teeth. I flicker and gasp as I feel them. These are not teeth...
They're fangs.
I feel dizzy, and I hear how everybody starts to panic. I don't catch much else of what's going on, but suddenly I wake up. My eyes spring wide open and I stand up. I look down at my hands and scream when I see them. They're not their usual pale color, but a bright lavender! I have a raging pain in my left eye, but it stops when I close it. I look at my hands again, noticing my nails. No, they're not nails anymore; those long, razor sharp claws on my fingers are at least four inches long. I shake my head. This isn't happening! What's going on!? I yell to myself.
Suddenly I feel a bottle hit my back with such force I'm thrown forwards. I groan as I push into the table. The noise in here is deafening now. "Uncle!?" I yell. He screams back my name and I feel his hand grabbing mine tightly. "Jessique! What is this?" He shouts. I shake my head hopelessly and then I feel him pull me through the crowd. He kicks the door open, and we both spring out. We run as fast as we can, away from the madness in my house. I know exactly where he's taking me. He's taking me home to himself. But my feet can't lift me anymore, and I have to break away from him. "I can't... My feet..!" He nods and stops, catching his breath. I lean against a tree, sliding down to the ground, sitting with my legs pulled tightly against my stomach.
Eventually, everything darkens and I'm forced into a sleeping state. Everything is dark.
The only thing I see now is the tall lady standing under her tree, smiling maliciously at me. She gives a dark chuckle, then she fades away.
And everything turns black...