The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

After they had eaten their breakfast, they walked to the clearing in the woods, where the men trained daily, they all prepared to fight

“Dan in the middle we will attack you” Simon said

“no” said Charlie stepping forward “if you want me to see what you can do is it not best to face a vampire” she added

“but you are not” Simon said

“I am but I am one that will not try to kill you” Charlie said

“if that is what you wish” Simon said “attack” he added

“do not hold back you will not hurt me” Charlie said

They all looked at Charlie and nodded, one by one they attacked, they were good but not good enough to face some of the older vampires that still walked the earth, once everyone had taken a turn Charlie spoke “I give it to you that you can all fight but to take on some of the older vampires, you will have to work together, you then stand a chance of beating them, remember they are faster and stronger than you” she said

“will you teach us” Dan asked

“I will try, if I can teach more people to fight them, then I will do what I can” Charlie replied

“you need to fight in groups, three in each group should be good” Charlie said “let’s try” she added

They spent the rest of the sunlight attacking in groups, at times Charlie would stop and rearrange them the more she got to know what skills each one had, just as the sun began to set Simon stepped forward

“that will do for today” he said “the dark is almost upon us and we must retreat into the trees” he added and everyone gathered up their stuff and headed back into the trees, Simon and Charlie walked together

“how long can you stay?” Simon asked

“I can stay a few days, they are not going anywhere” Charlie replied

“it has been a big help training with you” Simon said

“with the right training anyone is able to fight them and as teas will do even better” Charlie said

“I think it helps the men fighting someone like you” Simon said and then realised how that must have sounded “I did not mean that how it sounded” he added

“it is fine, I know what you meant” Charlie replied laughing

When they got back into the tree tops, they all went and ate some food and relaxed for the remainder of the evening until it was time to rest, Charlie had just left and was walking to her hut when Ashir walked past

“he will be here soon” she said and continued to walk so that Charlie could not answer, she thought about what Ashir had said as she walked to her hut, did she mean that the king would be here soon, the next morning when she woke up, she found that the men were already up and training

“I seemed to have over slept” Charlie said walking up to them

“we rise with the sun to make the most of the day” Simon replied

“I apologise for my lateness, I would like to train with weapons today” Charlie said

“hand out the sticks” Simon said

“no, real weapons but I will have one of them” she said taking her sword from her back and putting it in the ground near a tree

“are you sure?” Simon asked

“I am, If I keep that i have a habit of using it and I do not wish to hurt any of you” Charlie replied

“ok” Simon said and threw a stick at Charlie which she caught

“do not hold back because I have this” she said holding the stick up “never forget what I am” she added

“we won’t” said Simon

“do not fear hurting me, you will not, attack with everything you have” Charlie said

The same as the previous day, they attacked her in group that she had placed them in the previous day, the first group came at her really quickly and were actually really good, one of the men even managed to cut her arm

“I am sorry” he said

“there is nothing to be sorry about, it is my own fault I did not expect you to be that good” Charlie said wiping away the blood

The comment that she had made about them being good seemed to spur them on even more, they spent most of the day training, whenever they would stop for a break Charlie would drink nettle tea, they had just taken another break when Charlie showed them her arm

“I told you not to worry” she said, she stopped and started to look around

“what is it?” Simon asked

“someone is coming” she replied still looking around

“can you tell who?” Simon asked

“no, all I can smell is your damn berries” Charlie said

“go up into the trees, we will deal with it” Simon said “it cannot be them, the sun is only just beginning to set” he added

With that Charlie did not hesitate, she did not even use the ladders, just jumped up onto the nearest branch=, while the men all vanished into the under growth, Charlie could not see what was going on but she could hear

“who goes there?” Simon shouted and no answer came “I asked who was there?” Simon said again

“a friend looking for a friend” the reply came, damn thought Charlie it was Jack, what was he doing there, he was meant to be safe with Chloe

“give me that sword” she heard Jack say, damn it, in all the commotion she had forgotten to pick it up “it does not belong to you” he added

“it also does not belong to you” Simon said

“no, it belongs to my friend” Jack said “Charlie” he shouted

“there is no one here by that name” Simon said

“Charlie would not leave that” Jack replied “I know her and that is the most precious thing that she owns” he added

“as I already said there is no one here by that name” Simon said

“I know you are here Charlie” Jack shouted

“it is alright Simon, this is Jack my friend, I will come down” she said into Simons head

“hi Jack, I am Simon” Simon said stepping out of the bushes

“how do you know who I am?” Jack asked

“because she told me” Simon said pointing over Jacks shoulder where Charlie had dropped down

“bloody he” Jack said as he turned around and jumped “I wish you would not do things like that and how did you tell him when you did not speak” Jack said

“there are more ways to communicate than using your voice” Charlie said

“I have been searching for you everywhere” Jack said

“do you want to be alone?” Simon asked Charlie

“please” Charlie replied

Charlie and Jack walked up to the hut that she had been staying in, Jack walked in first followed by Charlie who slammed the door behind her

“what the hell are you doing here?” she shouted

“looking for you” Jack replied

“I left you where you should have been, safe and happy with Chloe” Charlie shouted

“you think that I was happy” Jack said

“Jack, I saw the way that you looked at her and I am not blind” Charlie said

“you are right when you say that you are not human, a human would have known what they were looking at” Jack snapped

“what I saw was you in love” Charlie said

“in love” Jack laughed you have been what you are for far too long and have forgotten what it is like to be human and have feelings, Chloe was like my sister I could never have feelings for someone like that” Jack added

“you forget that I was in your dream Jack and that I saw everything, you have also forgotten yet again that I am not human” Charlie replied

“I know about dream walking Chloe explained, she also told me that she altered the part of the dream that you could see so, that you would see what she wanted” Jack said

“Jack, I don’t care, you could have been happy” Charlie said “and out of my way” she added

“what good is being happy when all the world around you if falling apart, what good is being happy when you are a coward, what good is being happy when the person you are with is not the one that makes you happy, what” Jack said

“I get it” Charlie shouted over him

“you don’t though do you, you think that you have to face him alone, you think that you have to die alone but you don’t, those are those of us who are willing to fight and die with you” Jack said “just because you are what you are you think that you are alone but there are a lot of people who care for you and want to be your friends, there are those of us who believe that you are more human than vampire” Jack said

“shut up Jack” Charlie said “I may have made a mistake in leaving you but I thought it was what was best for you” she added

“it was not your choice” Jack said

“give me my sword, it is time to eat” Charlie said taking her sword and leading Jack to the big hut in the centre, when they got there everyone was looking at the two of them including Ashir

“I told you he would be here soon” Ashir said into Charlie’s head

“I still do not believe” Charlie replied

“can I have a word with Jack” she said out loud

“of course” replied Charlie but in her head she added “do not tell him who I really am, he does not know”“I will only tell him what he needs to know” Ashir replied

“it is fine Jack, go with her” Charlie said to Jack noticing the strange look that he was giving her, Jack got up and followed Ashir out of the hut, they stood outside and looked at the stars

“you do not know the prophecy yet, I will let Charlie tell you that, I will tell you what you need to know before the end” Ashir said

“what do I need to know?” Jack asked

“you need to know that she loves you but will not admit it, she will before the end, it is your love that will save her but you cannot tell her any of this”Ashir replied

“I will not” Jack said

“he will make her drink blood and she will not be the person that you know, the blood will make her the monster that she fears and there will be nothing that she can do about it, only you can bring her back” Ashir said

“Charlie would never drink blood” Jack said “and I would never let her” he added

“you do not understand, Charlie does not have a choice, he will trick her, her defences will be down because you will betray her and once the blood hits her lips she will not ne her anymore only his slave, you must understand that blood is not the same to her as it is to them, the blood will take over her, if she had too much jack she will be lost forever” Ashir said

“I would never betray her” Jack said

“you will Jac, whether you realise it or not, you will” Ashir said

“I will not” Jack shouted

“it matters not it is set in stone and you will betray her” Ashir replied

“I will change that” Jack said

“when I know that you have done that, I will send Simon and his men” Ashirsaid

“I will not betray her” Jack said again

“Jack your anger and your misguided history will make you but you are the only one that can save her” Ashir said

“and how can I save her?” Jack asked

“it is the love you have for her that will save her, if you show her how much you love her, it will bring her back” Jack said

“is that all I am here for, it seems that the mission is already doomed then, as I cannot show love to someone who does not fell” Jack said

“no, it is not all you are here for but you keep her grounded Jack, without you there is no hope of winning, you are our hope” Ashir said “and she feels more than you will ever know, Charlie has been through more in her life time than the entire world has, when you have been through what she had, it can be hard to show how you feel” Ashir added

“I will try” Jack said

“read her sword Jack, it may help you to understand” Ashir said

“her sword” said Jack confused

“yes” Ashir said

Jack waited outside the big hut until Charlie had finished what she was doing, thinking about everything that Ashir had told him, he had to keep such a big secret from her but he had no choice, it was ten minutes before Charlie came out and they walked back to the hut, once they were inside Jack sat down on the bed

“what did Ashir say?” asked Charlie

“something about a prophecy and that I need to stay and fight with you” Jack replied

“is that all” Charlie said “a word of advice Jack do not believe everything that you read and hear” she added

“what is the prophecy?” Jack asked trying to distract her, he wanted to read her sword, Charlie sat down on the bed and put the sword between them, but she got up again and stood staring out of the window

“the prophecy basically said that I will come and help to save all humanity” she replied turning to see Jack had her sword “why do you have that?” she asked

“what the hell” Jack said finding the message

“what?” Charlie asked

“this says Leanna always fighting yours forever c” Jack replied getting angry

“and” she said “you knew the her?” jack asked

“yes, I knew her” Charlie replied

“why do you have her sword?” Jack asked

“it was a gift that I gave her and when she stopped fighting it was returned to me” Charlie replied saying the first thing that had popped into her head

“it is her fault that the world is the way it is” Jack shouted

“you cannot blame all of the problems of the world on one person” Charlie said

“I can and I do, because she left no other hunters were trained and they took over this world, if she was here in front of me, I would stick this sword through her chest, I would say heart, but she does not have one” Jack shouted at Charlie

“she was human, Jack, the past is the past” Charlie said

“that evil bitch left this world in their hands” Jack shouted and threw the sword on the floor

“there is a reason behind everyone’s action’s, maybe what you know about her is not true” Charlie said and picked up her sword

“what I know is that she abandoned us” Jack shouted, he had been travelling with Charlie all this time and she never once told him that she knew Leanna, Jack had nothing more to say just turned over and went to sleep, when Charlie woke up the next morning she just had a feeling that it was time to go, she went to find Simon, with Jack following after her

“we must leave now” Charlie said to Simon

“we will prepare” Simon replied

“no, you will not be coming, I have another job for you and your men to do” Charlie said

“we have trained to help you” Simon said

“you will but first there is something that I must do” Charlie said

“what about him?” Simon asked pointing at Jack

“he will come with me, it seems that even when I do leave him, he finds me again so, I may as well keep him with me” Charlie replied

“what do you want is to do?” Simon asked

“go from village to village and kill them all” Charlie replied

“that we can do” said Simon “good luck” he added

Charlie and Jack went back to the hut to pick up what little belongings they had, as they were about to leave Ashir came to see them

“you both need to remember what I said” Ashir said

“how can we forget” said Jack, that is all he had thought about since she had told him

“I will wish you good luck and remember that love will win out” Ashir said and left them to go, they climbed down the ladders and headed out of the village, love win will out thought Charlie, what a load of rubbish, where was love the night that she had to kill him, love was pain and fear, it was easier if you felt nothing for anyone, then that way you had no fear and would feel no pain.