Mated to the Hunter

LAURA

I watch as the rain hits the glass, making the tip-tapping sound along with thunder strikes. My little brother holds me subconsciously. I jerk his hands off me, and he looks at me full of rage.

I, on the other hand, being irritated, turn away from him.

We've been traveling for about six hours, and now I'm beginning to feel suffocated. I wouldn't mind being alone for a whole day, but being with my family in a cramped space is nothing I'm happy about.

Dad got a promotion at work and decided to apply for a transfer. He says he's bored of staying in our hometown and wants to move away to try greener pastures.

My mum and brother threw a hell of a fit, not wanting to relocate, but for me, I was full of happiness to the brim.

I'm a hunter, or so I was told. It all began when I was 16. Back then, I went hiking with my family, and somehow I got lost in the woods. I wandered around aimlessly until I met an injured lady. She had been impaled with a wood and was hurting a lot. She pleaded with me to help her pull it out. I was scared, worried, but most of all, I wanted to help her out. I took hold of the edge and drove the stick in her. I killed her.

I waited for an emotion. I wanted to be scared, to run, to call for help, to cry, but nothing. All I felt was content. I moved away from her body, wandering further until I was found.

The next day, we all went home from the hiking grounds. I got home thinking of what I did. After all, I killed someone, and I didn't feel remorse, fear, or guilt.

Little did I know what I had gotten into until I turned on the shower, facing the mirror to see a tattoo on my arm, like a star, so little but noticeable. I hurried out of the bathroom, not knowing how and why I had a tattoo.

A year passed by, and I turned 17, and then 18, and now I'd turn 19. By then, I had killed a lot, discovered a lot, but I knew nothing of my origin. The tattoo of a little star had been transformed into a dragon and a Slayer. The tattoo had crawled from my shoulder to my hand. No one could see it, only I could, or so I thought, until I met a stranger a week ago. I was shopping at the mall for new things to bring along. She stopped beside me and said,

"You've got a pretty dragon tattoo, dear." I looked at her, unsure of how she saw it. She kept a funny smile around the corner of her mouth.

"Can you see this?" I asked, full of surprise.

"Yes, my little hunter, I can. Come with me." I doubted in my mind immediately, contemplating on either to go with her or just ignore.

Eventually, I gave in and followed her and stopped at the corner of a street, causing me to wonder if she's some sort of crazy lady or can actually see the tattoo.

"Stop looking at me like I'm crazy. I'm perfectly fine," I flinched back. Can she read minds? I asked myself.

"I can't read minds, darling. I'm not a vampire."

"If you can't read minds, then tell me how did you know what I was thinking about?" She giggled slightly, enjoying my innocence.

"That's always what comes to your mind as new hunters," she explained. However, the more she speaks, the more she confuses me.

"What do you mean by hunter?" I asked her.

"You are one crafty child, aren't you? I mean the same thing it generally means. Hunters kill preys, predators, anything they just hunt, just like you do. You kill."

Hearing her speak and talk about my killing instinctively made me aim for her throat, but with the speed of lightning, she avoided it by twisting my arm and throwing me down.

"Calm down, I'm not your enemy. If anything, I'm your family. We share the same bloodline and the same enemy. I can see you don't know much of your origin. Take a look."

She removes the sweater, and I see she also has the tattoo, just bigger, better, and more pretty than mine.

She has the tattoos of three mighty dragons and a Slayer. Her tattoos are all over her arm, her neck, and her back. I am amused.

"Why do you have the same tattoo as I do? And if you are like me, then you also kill people, don't you?"

"Hush, my dear, not people. We kill monsters. I'm not amazed you can't tell the difference. They look exactly like humans, they take up pretend skins, but they're not. They're inner demons, vampires, wolves, and witches.

You must have noticed nothing seems normal about every single one of them you killed. Something must have been off. I need to go real quick, but always know you are a hunter, and the only thing that makes you alive is the drive to kill. Do not deviate from your purpose. The more you kill, the stronger you become."

*****

"LAURA!!! Come on, we are there already." I am brought out of my fancy world when mom calls me.