Fear

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

  When I opened my eyes and sat up on the sofa, Light was faintly flooding through the window. The digital cloak that was on the nightstand beside Coal’s head said seven thirty four am. Hayden was still on the floor at the foot of Richard’s bed. The water in the bathroom was running indicating Richard was in there.

  The dream was just that. I told myself for the fourth time as I started up off the couch. To make sure I looked over at my left shoulder. The bandage was covered in blood unfortunately. It was real. I had a strange feeling of longing. But along with the though came a sharp pain in my chest. I hadn’t wanted to leave. I wanted to stay and know more about Aiden. I felt horrible for just leaving him there alone again. He’d probably be sitting in the shadow of the bed waiting for the next torcher session. It must have been worse to see me come and go instead of just seeing a demon he could beat away.

  I tried to sneak passed Hayden but just ended up kicking his arm. He jolted awake and slammed against the right wall which shock violently scaring Coal awake as well. So much for being quit. I wouldn’t be surprised if we woke up the rest of the motel as well. “Morning, Jenna.” Coal glared at me as he climbed out bed.

“Sorry.” I said sulking past Hayden who was rubbing his shoulder that had just met the dry wall. The bathroom Richard came out with less dirt on his face then before.

“Good thing. Their up now.” He said and help Hayden lift himself from the floor. “Hayden and I will go pick us up something to eat from that dinner.” He looked over at Coal and then me who stood still beside him. “You should check your arm.” He pointed to me and then he and Hayden left the room.

“What happened?” Coal pointed to my arm. I sat at the table and began to unwrap the wrappings that were soaking in bright red blood.

“I must have caught it on something.” I said now wrapping the bandage into a ball and threw them into the trash can. From my elbow to my wrist were just scars now. The stitches were sitting pressed to me skin by the bandage but as I loosened the tension the fell to the ground. The wound Aiden had pushed in was covered in dry blood and there were his nail marks all around it. “Whatever. It doesn’t hurt anymore.” I said and the sound of the sierra roared awake outside.  Coal came to sit at the side of the table that Hayden always sat at.

“You want to know something about hunting.” Coal said he seemed to figure I didn’t want to talk about my arm.

“I love to.” I smiled. “You guys talk in code.” He laughed.

“Well hunters are just what Richard calls us there are a lot of other things we like to be called.” Coal stated. “Most commonly you could be born into it like Hayden or you just sign up like Richard did I don’t know why he did though. The rarest way is dreaming your way into it.”

“Like us.” I whispered.

   “Yeah we are special. Normally we are natural hunters but not all of us become hunters.” He said. Well I did shot spot on for the first time. “I got this right before I went to the room.” Coal pointed to a stamp of a circle with and X through the middle on his wrist. I glanced down at my left ankle. A few days before I had visited the room, I had tattooed a sun with two arrows in the shape of an X on it. Coal’s stamp was only a simpler version of it. “It’s three years old but hasn’t faded at all.” He said.

“I got this two days before. I don’t even know why.” I stuck out my ankle. “Maybe it’s a mark.” Coal surged.

“But why us? We haven’t done anything, but run away.” He said.

“You ran away from your family?”  I would never have left my own family. Even if they were as bad as Heather and Walter.

“Orphanage actually.” He said which was more understandable. I heard the Sierra screech into the parking lot and only seconds later Richard and Hayden bolted in the room. “What happened!?” Coal said and we both stood up from the table.