Eclipse of Vengeance

02.Inception

Present Day, November 8th...

Wamego, Kansas

I shot forwards on the grotty mattress, clasping my chest, my fingers running over the pedant my parents had given me for my sixth birthday. I took slow deep breaths fully grasping onto the oval shaped moonstone that rested against my hammering chest. Sweat drenched my body, as I struggled to remain in control of my unsteady breaths.

I pushed myself off of the shabby faded white comforter, snatching the half empty bottle of whiskey from the plastic nightstand to soothe my dry mouth and dramatic body. Obnoxious drunk voices were mixing with the thumping beats of some weird electronic music that were bouncing around the half enclosed concrete corridor outside my door.  My eyes were still adjusting, narrowing in on the flashing red light of the fast food joint next door that was seeping through my curtains bleeding into the snug room.

Taking a glance at the tawdry alarm clock that was nestled on the nightstand up against the peeling yellow wallpaper. 2:17 am the illuminated green numbers read. Might as well get a jump on the day, there is no way I will be able to fall back asleep, especially not today.

I took a long swig on my way to the bathroom, soothing the dryness in my mouth, embracing the slight burn that trickled down my throat. While simultaneously attempting to drown out the haunting emotions circulating throughout my body.

The bottle clinked against the black counter of the sink, which was stained with unidentifiable marks, much like the comforter. I sighed when my tired hazel eyes met themselves in the mirror, the puffy bags that had their home under my eyes from years of inadequate sleep. I ran my hand over my cheek that was still flushed from the nightmare, internally sighing. Everyday I was looking more and more like my mom when she was my age, and I hated it. Hated feeling like I was staring back at a ghost.

I pulled my chestnut brown hair out of its low bun while reaching for the shower handle, twisting it to the hottest setting. My eyes swept over the grungy tub, just thankful it wasn't as horrific as the last motel's tub.

I let my clothes fall to the floor, before grabbing the whiskey bottle. When my eyes met the three prominent scars across my stomach I brought the bottle back to my lips. My vision brushing over the various types of scars that littered my body, biting back the bitterness I felt hovering just below the surface.

A sigh escaped my mouth, stepping under the hot water, welcoming the stinging that pelted down onto my skin, taking another nip from the bottle before placing it on the shower ledge.

**************************************************

"Four hikers ripped to shreds outside the fence of an abandoned shoe factory," I hummed, skimming through the articles Tara had given me when she assigned me this case. Making this thing's tally of deaths, six, with the two utility workers they found a week prior near the same location.

Tara had found me a day after my parents were killed, hiding in woods evading the constant police searches. She is a hunter, she began her career in slaying the supernatural after her husband and two daughters were slaughtered by a supernatural creature that even now she refuses to talk about. The national news stories of my parent's bizarre deaths attracted her to my small hometown in Missouri. She took me in- well more just took me, there's no way to describe her actions as taking me in.

"Scene so gruesome, authorities have declined to comment on the visuals of the deaths," I read allowed, before taking another drink from the bottle.

"Bear attack," I mumbled in a mocking tone, setting the bottle back against the circular wooden table.