The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

The pair of them continued on their journey in silence, there was so many things to think about with their upcoming fight, it took them a day to reach the edge of the woods, they had not been attacked once, which meant that he knew that they were coming and he was making sure that he had everyone with him

“where do we find the entrance?” Jack asked

“from the looks of the map, we need to go northeast for about half a mile and then we should be able to find the place that it is hidden” Charlie replied

“let’s go then” said Jack walking off

“Jack, that is south” Charlie laughed

“this way then” said Jack turning the other way

“no, that way is west” she said laughing

“it is not funny” said Jack

“sorry Jack, but it is, have you never been taught stuff like this?” Charlie asked

“how I am supposed to learn, when I had no one to teach me” Jack said

“come here, the sunrises in the east, look at the shadows the trees are making on the floor, we know what time of the day it is therefore we know how far through the sky the sun is so, that way is north” Charlie said showing him

“so, this way then” Jack said looking at Charlie

“that is better” she replied smiling at Jack

They walked into the woods and headed northeast and walked for roughly half a mile, when they reached their destination, they spent what seemed like hours searching the whole area trying to find an entrance

“why do people always have to hide things?” Charlie asked snapping a branch from the nearest tree

“when something is secret, that is normally what happened” Jack replied

“I wish that they wouldn’t it wastes so much time looking for things” Charlie snapped

“but if it wasn’t secret then anyone could have found it” Jack replied

“I suppose but we don’t have time to be hunting around in the bloody woods” she snapped and threw the branch, when it hit the floor it made a loud thud noise, like it had hit metal

“what was that?” Jack asked going over to where the branch had landed and started to move things out of the way and that is when he found a hidden door

“anything?” Charlie asked

“there is a hatch but I cannot open it” Jack replied

“let me try” Charlie said walking over to Jack, she bent down and held the handle, she pulled on the hatch and the whole thing came off including the hinges, as if it was made of glass

“that made me look stupid” Jack said

“you forget yet again Jack, that I am what I am, which makes me stronger than you” Charlie replied

“and that does not make me feel any better” Jack said

“Jack, come on it really does not matter” Charlie said

“but anyone else who sees these things and does not know what you are will believe to me to be a weakling” Jack said

“as long as you know that you are not, it does not matter what anyone else thinks” Charlie said “let’s go” she added and watched as Jack climbed down the ladder and into the whole, Charlie stood and looked around, that is when she realised that she was in the clearing that she had seen in her vision, she would have to tell Jack now who she really was or the vision would come true

“are you coming?” Jack shouted up “yes” she replied and dropped down into the whole

“what next?” Jack asked

“I guess that we follow the tunnel” Charlie replied and Jack started to walk “Jack” she added this was going to be hard

“what?” He asked

“I need to talk to you” Charlie replied

“are we not already talking” Jack said

“do you trust me Jack?” Charlie asked

“yes” Jack replied

“do you think that you could ever forgive someone you hated, if what you thought that you knew about them was wrong?” Charlie asked

“what is that supposed to mean?” Jack asked

“let us say that you had a really close friend that had lied to you about who they were, when you found out that they had lied but you also found out everything you thought you knew about them was rubbish, would you forgive them?” Charlie replied

“I don’t know it depends I suppose” Jack replied

“on what?” asked Charlie but Jack had stopped walking, they had just entered a large open space and in the middle was a large plinth with a tiny vile on top of it

“is that it?” Jack asked

“I guess so” Charlie replied walking up to it, she picked it up and stood there staring, how could this tiny little thing turn her into a human again it seemed impossible but one day she hoped that she would find out

“are we going to him now?” Jack asked

“yes, it is time” Charlie said

“are we just going to storm in?” Jack asked

“I have no idea Jack, we will have to see what the place is like when we get there” Charlie said

Charlie put the vile in a small bag that she wore on a necklace and they left the secret hiding place, Charlie was happy at last knowing that this would soon be over and she could go back to her cabin and hide away from the world again, Jack was just going up the ladder

“Jack, I need to tell you something” Charlie said she had no choice but to tell him

“what?” He asked when he had reached the top

“there is something about me that you need to know” Charlie said but it was too late, they were here and waiting for them, she started to look around and drew her sword

“what?” Jack said

“someone is here” Charlie replied

“where?” asked Jack

“I don’t know” Charlie replied and the two of them stood and waited for whoever it was to show themselves

“Leanna” Came a voice from the woods

“why is he calling Leanna?” Jack asked looking at Charlie, damn she thought it was now to late

“I have no idea” she lied

“Leanna” came the voice again

“why are you calling Leanna?” Jack shouted

“tell him” the voice said

“tell me what?” shouted Jack

“tell him the truth” the voice said “why won’t you come and face us?” Jack shouted

“tell him who you are Leanna” came the voice

“Charlie, please what is he talking about?” Jack asked and the voice in the woods started to laugh

“tell him” the voice laughed

“Charlie” said Jack and watched as Charlie put her sword away

“I am not Charlie, Jack I tried to tell you just now” she said and turned to face him

“what?” he said

“I am so sorry Jack when I first met you, I did not know who you were all I knew was that you were a human” Charlie said

“we have been travelling for months” Jack snapped

“I could not Jack” she replied

“why?” he asked

“because I know how much you hate who I really am” Charlie replied with tears running down her face, she could see Jacks feelings towards her turning to hate

“let me see if I have this right, after how much I have said you are telling me that you are Leanna, which would make sense as to why you have that sword, you have been lying to me this whole time” Jack shouted “that is why you said what you did when I said that I hated you” he added

“Jack, please” Leanna said

“don’t Jack me, you are a lying piece of trash” Jack snapped

“this is what they want Jack, they are trying to turn you against me” Leanna said

“your name is Leanna and not Charlie?” Jack asked

“yes, Jack, my name is Leanna, Jack we are friends” Leanna replied

“friends” laughed Jack “friends do not lie to each other” he added

“Jack, trust me I am still me” Leanna said

“trust you, you must be joking, you are a monster” he shouted at Leanna who had tears running still

“this is what happens when you lie to your friends” the voice said “you end up alone” he added

“how could you Charlie?” Jack asked “I mean Leanna, see I don’t even know who you are” he added

“I am the same person you meet at the cabin the only difference is my name” she replied

“I don’t know that” Jack said

“Jack, please we cannot fight this is what they want” Leanna said grabbing his arm

“Get off me” he shouted pulling his arm away and without even realising what he was doing or Leanna seeing he had pulled his dagger out and he pushed it into Leanna’s side

“well, you said that you would” Leanna said stepping backwards, pulling the dagger out she fell to the floor “I am sorry Jack, I should have told you a long time ago but I did not want to lose the friendship that we had” Leanna added

“we are not friends” Jack shouted, he looked down at the dagger in his hand, had he just put the whole world in even more danger, probably but at that moment he did not care, he was so angry that the woman that he loved had betrayed him and not told him the truth, at that moment in time he did not care about the world, Jack stood there looking down at Leanna, when a large group of vampires appeared, they started to pick Leanna up, put her I hand cuffs and he watched as they poured something into her mouth, he assumed it was nightshade, Jack turned and went to leave but they stopped him

“you will be taken to him” one said to Jack

“why?” Jack asked

“because you are with her,” he replied pointing at Leanna, who was being dragged a long, a large trail of blood where she had been dragged, he had really hurt her

“I will do whatever the king wants and as for her, he can do what he likes with her” Jack replied

“in that you have no choice” the vampire replied

Jack and Leanna were taken to Xanax, all the way there, Jack kept thinking how foolish he had been, all the clues about who she really was had been there, he would do whatever the king wanted now, it was no wonder that she wanted to save the world, for she was the reason it was the way it was, by the time they reached Xanax Jack was so angry, Leanna was dragged away and Jack was taken to the king when they reached Xanax

“I am being told you wish to serve me” the king sadi “I do” replied Jack

“I see that knowing who she really is, has changed how you see the world” the king said “yes, it has” Jack replied

“why?” the king asked “how can I trust someone to save this world, when it is because of them the world is the way it is” Jack replied

“for now, we will leave it at that, you will have to earn my trust” the king said and Jack was taken away and placed in a small cell, it was five days before he was called again

“I have a job for you” the king said

“what?” asked Jack

“you will write a letter to all the humans out there and tell them that it is over, that I have won and that she is dead” the king replied

“is she?” asked Jack

“does it matter?” the king asked

“No” Jack replied

“also I wish you to go and talk to her, I want you to tell her if she stops fighting me she can live in my cells for eternity” the king said

“I have nothing to say to her” Jack said

“you will do as your king commands” Leigh shouted

“yes, my queen” Jack replied and he was taken to the lowest part of the castle, Leanna was being held in the dungeon chained to a wall, she did not even look up when she heard the door open

“I have a message for you” Jack said but she didn’t answer “it is over and he has won, there is no point in fighting anymore” Jack said but she still did not answer “Charlie” he said but nothing “Charlie say something” he pleaded

“my name is Leanna and there is nothing that I can say to you that will make you see that I hid who I was for your own protection Jack, yet again I have lost everything, I have nothing left Jack, you can tell him that I will not stop” Leanna replied looking up at Jack with tears in her eyes the only person that she had been friends with in over 400 years now hated her, she could see by the look in his eyes

“then you will die” Jack said

“maybe, I will but no will care if I do Jack, but at least I die free” Leanna replied “free?” Jack asked

“yes, free not following him” Leanna replied

“it is better to follow him, than someone who never tells you the truth” Jack said “you had better run back to him then and tell him that I will not stop, I am sure that when i die my death will bring you great pleasure” Leanna said

“why would your death bring, me great pleasure?” Jack asked

“I know how much you hate me because you are a stupid human that blames everything on me and will not listen to the truth, when I die the person you blame for everything will be dead” Leanna said and looked back down at the floor

Jack was escorted from the cells and back to the king

“well?” the king asked

“she would rather die than stop” Jack replied

“damn that woman, as stubborn as she ever was, she will die once I have made her suffer, you don’t mind” the king asked

“why would I care?” Jack asked and was escorted back to his cell

Why Jack was in his cell, he could not help but think about Leanna after all in the short time that he had known her, she had done so much good and saved so many lives, people that he cared for, she had saved them but she had only saved them to make up for what she had done to the world in the first place, at least under the king humans would not be lied to and trust the wring people