The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

They had spent two days walking from the ruin city all of which had been spent in silence, as they approached the village both of them noticed that this village had no walls, how had this village survived so long, when they grew nearer they were greeted by a tall man and his guards they were welcomed with open arms

“hi and welcome to Baren” the man said “you can stay as long as you like, we have had a place for you to stay prepared” the man added holding out his hand

“we only need a couple of days” Charlie said ignoring his hand

“thank you, I am Jack and that is Charlie” Jack said shaking the man’s hand

“we know who you are, I am Clayton mayor of this village” Clayton said leading them to an empty house

“thank you” Jack said and shook Claytons hand again, Charlie had just walked past him and into the house, Jack was angry with Charlie after everything they had just been offered, she had been incredibly rude, he was going to stay something but when he got inside the house, he found that she was already asleep.

It was just after dawn when Charlie woke up, she noticed that Jack was still asleep, she thought that he looked so peaceful and did not want to disturb him, she got up and got dressed leaving the house so that Jack could get some proper rest, Charlie started to wander around the village and noticed that everyone here seemed so happy, not one of them had fear in their eyes they just happily went about their business as if the vampires did not even exist, it had been far too many years since she had seen people this happy, Charlie noticed a young man walking towards her

“I am Alex, Clayton sent me to invite you for dinner and to give you a tour of our village” Alex said

“we will attend dinner and to be shown around would be great, if you don’tmind I have a few questions for you” Charlie said

“of course,” Alex said “what would you like to know?” he asked as they began to walk around the village

“why do you have no walls?” Charlie asked

“our guards are the best trained and they fear us” Alex replied

“impossible, they fear nothing” Charlie said

“we have not had a vampire attack in over one hundred years so, they must fear our guard’ Alex replied

“who trained them?” Charlie asked

“the way that they fight is passed down through the generations of a family, some say that a hunter trained them” Alex said

“again, that is impossible” Charlie said

“why?” asked Alex

“hunters have been dead for over four hundred years” Charlie said

“are you not a hunter?” Alex asked

“I am and I am not” Charlie replied and could see the look of confusion spread across his face, Charlie turned to face Alex as they reached the house that they were staying in

“thank you for the walk and for answering my questions, I will get Jack and we will join you for dinner” Charlie said

“you remember the way?” Alex asked

“I do” replied Charlie and walked into the house, where she found Jack sitting on the bed looking very angry with her

“where have you been?” He asked

“out” she replied

“I thought that we would plan our next move” Jack said

“there is no need I know what we are doing” Charlie replied

“do I not have a say?” Jack asked

“no” she replied

“is there any point in me being here” Jack shouted

“do not raise your voice to me, I told you the answer to that question before, you do not control me, we are not a team, you are here to help me that is all” Charlie said

“I thought we were friends” Jack said

“we have been invited for dinner” Charlie said ignoring Jacks last comment, she felt horrible for the way that she was treating Jack yes, she classed him as a friend but she needed to distance herself from him and her feelings, Charlie walked from the house and led them to the house that Alex had shown her earlier, they knocked on the door and were invited in, there were more people than Charlie had expected, she walked in and towards Clayton.

“please, please sit down, this is Charlie and Jack and they are on a journey to rid the world if the night walkers” Clayton said and everyone cheered “Charlie sit between me and Alex, Jack if you would sit there” Clayton said pointing to a seat between two old men, for most of the evening between eating and drinking, everyone was sat there listening to Charlie tell tales of their journey so far, she left some bits out that they did not need to know, when Clayton turned to her

“I have a delicate question for you” Clayton said

“ask and I will answer the best that I can” she replied

“you are a vampire” Clayton said

“sort of” she replied

“do you drink blood as they do?” Clayton asked

“no, I do not” she snapped and got up from the table to go and get another drink, she could not really blame him for asking as they did not understand what she was, no one did, she probably should not have snapped but couldn’t help it, whilst she was standing there Jack came over to her

“you seem to be enjoying yourself” Jack said grumpily

“I am it is nice to relax and not have to look over my shoulder, for once” Charlie replied

“at least one of us is having fun, something is telling me that this is not right and that it is too good to be true” Jack said “relax Jack and enjoy yourself” Charlie said

“you know that Alex is flirting with you” Jack said

“he is not” said Charlie

“if you say so” Jack said and they both went back to their seats, Charlie noticed that Jack was watching Alex and it gave her a plan to show Jack that she did not have any feeling for him, she made sure Jack was watching and lent over and whispered in Alex’s ear “leave just after me and meet me at the house” she said and got up and walked from the table, followed by Alex a few moments later, Charlie and Alex got back to the house, once they were inside Charlie started to kiss him, she knew that Jack would have followed and would not be far behind, the door came flying open and he walked in

“sorry Alex, I will find you later” Charlie said pushing Alex out of the door “have you not heard of knocking” she shouted at Jack

“what are you doing?” Jack asked

“I am enjoying myself and besides it has been a very long time” Charlie replied

“what about us?” asked Jack “there is no us” Charlie replied

“but the bunker” Jack said

“was a mistake” Charlie replied turning around so that Jack could not see her face and see what she was actually feeling

“a mistake” Jack said

“yes, a mistake, a moment of weakness, that should never have happened” Charlie replied

“why? What if I want it to happen? I know that you like me the same way as I like you” Jack said

“I do not feel anything for you, you are here to do a job and that is all” Charlie said

“I will keep trying” Jack shouted

“it ends now” Charlie said

“will you damn well look at me, it does not end know I will keep trying” Jack said “I can’t help the way that I feel for you” he added

“if I say it ends now, then it ends now, you are travelling with me that is all, there is nothing between us and there never will be, either get that message or leave,” she shouted turning to face him and showing Jack what she truly was, she was as Jack’s face turned to true fear and he fled from the hut, she had shown him that she was not what he wanted her to be, Charlie did not know if Jack would return but she had given him the message and that would be the end of it, they had a job to do and that was all.

Jack returned at dawn and all day the two of them sat there in silence, there was nothing left for them to say to each other, just before sunset there was a knock on the door

“what?” Charlie snapped pulling it open

“the mayor has sent me” Alex replied who was shocked at how she had just spoken to him after what had happened last night

“and what does he want?” she snapped

“he has sent me to invite you to dinner, one last time before you leave” Alex said

“we will be there soon” Charlie said and shut the door in Alex’s face “Jack get ready we are going for dinner” she added walking from the door, she didn’t even pick up her bag or her sword, she would not need either, when they reached the house everyone was already seated and they had left two empty chairs, Charlie and Jack took their seats and Clayton stood up

“everyone I would like you to raise your glasses to Charlie, who will be leaving tomorrow to continue her journey” Clayton said raising his own glass

Everybody in the room raise their glass up but Charlie noticed that not one of them was drinking maybe they were waiting for her, she raised her glass and everyone else glared as she took a sip, a moment later she realised why no one was drinking and she fell to her knees

“why?” she asked looking up at Clayton

“why do you think that they do not attack us?” Clayton replied

“because you are in league with them” Charlie replied

“that is correct he asked for you and we will deliver, we will be rewarded very nicely for your capture” Clayton replied

“what was in it?” she asked

“nightshade, he said that it would weaken you” Clayton replied, Charlie wondered how the king knew to use nightshade against her, only a hunter would have known that, maybe Peter had taught them a few tricks

“what have you done?” Jack shouted

“captured a gift for the king” Clayton smiled at him “you are more than welcome to stay here” he added

“stay here, are you mad? What about the rest of the world?” Jack asked

“the rest of the world is not my concern, the people in this village are” Clayton replied

“you son of a bitch” shouted Jack

“get him out of here, get her in chains and keep giving her the nightshade” Clayton shouted and Jack was thrown out of the doors and Charlie taken down to the basement and chained to the wall, Jack had known that something was not right about this village but he would never had guessed that its people would be in league with vampires, he had to find some way to get Charlie out of there, Charlie was given nightshade almost every hour so it was impossible for her to regain her strength let alone escape form the chains, it would soon be over for her, the death she had longed for would soon be granted to her

“it won’t be long now, I am going to fetch him” clayton said

“you know whatever promise he has made you, he will not stick to it, he is a vampire” Charlie said

“he will” said Clayton and walked from the room

Jack spent the next seven days trying to find a way to get her out, every time he went near the house it was always guarded, he needed Alex, maybe he would help, he soon found Alex at the market

“Alex, I need to talk to you” Jack said pushing him into an alleyway so, that they were not seen

“Jack, I cannot help you” Alex replied

“you don’t even know what I am going to ask you” Jack said

“I do, you are going to ask me to help you free her” Alex replied

“yes and no” Jack said

“I cannot help you Jack, they will kill me” Alex said

“you don’t understand what she is do you?” Jack asked

“I know that the king wants her and that is all I need to know” Alex replied

“she is the only one that can save this world” Jack said

“I am sorry Jack but I really don’t care we are safe” Alex replied

“do you not care about anyone else in the world?” Jack asked

“no, I don’t everyone that I love is here” Alex replied

“if you want to be a coward that is fine by me but I will not let her go, she has been through hell and back and is still willing to fight” Jack snapped

“I don’t have the keys” Alex said “Clayton has them” he added

“I don’t need them, all I need to do is to get to her” Jack said “when are the guards not there?” Jack asked

“now, they are eating” Alex replied

“thanks” said Jack almost running but he had to slow himself down, he did not want to arouse suspicion, when he got to the house, he just walked straight in through the front door which wasn’t even locked, he walked down to the cellar and found her chained to the wall

“Charlie are you ok?” Jack asked going over to her

“yes, how did you get in?” she asked

“we don’t have time, drink this and then we can talk” Jack said making her drink from the flask he had brought “nettles, you remembered” Charlie said and feelings them work almost instantly

“of course, how long until you can break them? I don’t know when Clayton will be back” Jack said

“not long” replied Charlie

“I told you that something was not right here” Jack said

“you can’t blame them Jack, not really, the natural instinct of any human is self-preservation and he offered them life., it is no wonder they did what they did” Charlie replied

“all the things that have been done to you and you will still not blame anyone” Jack said

“I have nothing to blame anyone for, if hunters had not left this world then things would be different, I am a hunter and I left the humans to defend themselves, the blame for everything lies with me, I get from them what I deserve” Charlie replied

“it is not your fault” Jack said

“I believe it is, I would like to know how they knew to use nightshade, if I was human that would have killed me, only a hunter would have known what it would do to me” Charlie said

“but they are all dead” Jack said

“I don’t know how many of them were turned, maybe Peter told them” Charlie said

“Peter?” asked Jack

“yes, the one from your village that injured me” Charlie replied

Jack went to talk but Charlie put her hand over his mouth, she could smell something that smelt very familiar to her but she did not know why she did not know what it was and when the last time she smelt it was

“what is it?” Jack asked

“he is coming” Charlie replied

“how do you know that?” Jack asked

“I cannot say for sure that it is him but I believe that he would come himself, for me” Charlie replied

“we should go then before he gets here” Jack said

“we should but give me a second” Charlie said breaking the chains and turning around “my sword Jack, I need it and thank you for bringing it” she added holding out her hand

“we need to go” Jack said putting it in her hand “and I thought you might want it” he added

“give me a second” she said and Jack watched as she pulled the sword across her hand and started writing a message in her own blood

To the beast, the king, the rat or whatever stupid name you wish to give yourself, it seems that you did not give the humans enough information to hold me, do not blame the humans for that, you should blame yourself, by now you should know what I am, if you want revenge for my escape then come and find me or stay in your castle and I will come to you, this will end one way or another

Charlie

“why blood?” Jack asked

“so that he knows my scent and can smell when I come for him” Charlie replied

“won’t he punish them?” Jack asked

“maybe but he will not kill them, for his plan to work he needs them all alive, we must go he is almost upon us” Charlie said and put her sword in its sheath where it should be, she finally felt whole again, they left the village as fast as they could and had just reached the outskirts when they heard the first scream of anger, Charlie smiled to herself he had found out that she had escaped him, Charlie knew that the hunter parties would come for them now