Mermaids and Vampires

61: Hunters

~~~DYLAN~~~

"Thank you." I speak between heavy breaths. We're still running.

"Don't mention it." Ella responds. "I figured something was wrong when you went missing from the hospital. Sorry it took us this long to find you." 

"Us?" I ask, hoping for clarification.

Her pace slows as we come upon a small group of people.

"Daddy!" She flings herself on a tough looking man and gives him a loving hug. "Look who I found in the woods. This is who I was telling you about."  She explians.

The man grunts.

"Hi." I murmur.

"Ella, I can't bring you on hunts if you keep wandering off like this." He scorns.

Suddenly a scuffle erupts nearby. Two hunters emerg from the bushes, dragging Lauren by the arms.

"Found another one poking around." One of them speaks, his voice laced with disgust.

"Off with her head!" A man from the group roars.

They simultaneously raise their weapons.

"Whoa whoa whao! That's my sister!" I grab Lauren and she wraps her arms around me.

"That's a vampire. Scum of the Earth!" One of them protests.

"I don't care what she is. She's my little sister. Nobody touches her." I boom.

I put a hand on her head and mess up her soft hair. "It's okay Lauren, I won't let them hurt you." I whisper. Her big brown eyes stare up at me in fear.

The men look around at each other, confused and annoyed.

"That thing is a danger to humanity." Ella's father speaks, stepping towards us menacingly.

Lauren's grip around my waist tightens.

"If you were to stand in our way, we'd have to get rid of you too."

"Daddy, please. He's on our side." Ella wimpers.

"That's enough out of you." He snaps. "Give us the girl or we'll make you wish you had." He says to me. His followers are looming behind with weapons eager to strike.

Thunder crashes overhead and in an instant the skies open up. Rain pours down over the tree leaves, extinguishing the hunter's flaming torches.

I shift Lauren so she's behind me and step forward towards the onslaught of men.

"You're not killing my sister." I state fearlessly.

The leader - Ella's dad - raises a gun to my chest. He clicks off the safety when suddenly a rush of water sweeps across the land and knocks his feet out from beneath him, as well as topling the other men. I scramble away from the mess, watching fleetingly out of the corner of my eye as the massive swell retreats toward the ocean, bringing the band of hunters with it in it's undertow.

We run in the opposite direction, dodging through the thick woods.  I know there's no chance they'll catch up with us. We're safe now. And the rain begins to lighten.

What a freak bout of weather.

I start to suspect it wasn't an accident at all..