The Hunter

The Hunter - Chapter Seven

Chapter Six

I was awake before the alarm went off. I lay there watching as the minutes ticked away. The screeching of the alarm clock echoed through the quiet house. I rolled out of bed and trudged to the bathroom. It was the first day of another day of school on our continuous hunt. I was going to apply and enroll at the only promising place in the town. Later I'd have to check out the two cemeteries. I had to be the only teenager whose parents made her go to creepy cemeteries at night, alone.

"Are you ready?" Mother asked as I descended the stairs.

"I suppose."

"Do you have everything?" Father asked.

"Backpack, notebooks, pencils, and my jacket," I replied.

"I'm not talking about those, Alyssa."

"Yes, I have that," I mumbled.

I opened my coveted black case one last time before we left to make sure all my tools were inside and ready for use. They were.

When we reached the school it wasn't that big but it was creepy, dark, and a bit ominous. I got chills and mouth went dry; the same thing happened when I met Adallan for the first time. A good sign, depending who you asked.

"Are you alright?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, just got the chills."

"Good," Dad said.

"Yeah, good sign. Maybe this wretched mission will finally be over."

Dad held the heavy front door open for mom and I. We were the only people in the hallway. It was eerily quiet.

"I don't like this," I whispered.

"Maybe they're conjuring spells or in the dungeon," Mom whispered back.

The inside of the building wasn't what I expected. Large windows opened out to the forest beyond the border of the school. Towering oaks and pines brought in a wonderful scent of freshness. Sunlight streamed in showing off the wood detailing of the floors, banisters, and walls. It was an old, beautiful building.

We found the headmistresses office on the second floor. The oak door was adorned with a simple gold plaque that read "Mrs. Amelia Heart".

"What a name." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Be nice, Alyssa."

"Sure thing, Mom."

Dad knocked and there was a shuffling from inside. The door knob turned slowly and the old hinges creaked open reluctantly. We were greeted by a tall and statuesque blonde woman. Not what I thought a headmistress in a school for monsters would look like. Of course, I'm not sure what I thought she would look like. Her solemn face softened into a wide smile showing pure white teeth.

"You must be the Johnson's!"

The Johnson's. That's who we are in this town.

"Yes. Miss Heart?" Mom asked, looking at her skeptically.

"Yes. I know. I know I look young. I was a bit of a prodigy when I was in school. I graduated college when I was seventeen and have been teaching ever since. This is actually my first year as headmistress at this particular institution."

"How nice," Mom replied not taking her icy stare off the woman.

Her senses were going crazy. I could see her nostrils flare, her eyes dilated and narrowed. Something was in the school.

"Please come in and sit down. We'll go over Alyssa's application and see what we can do." She wasn't even fazed by the hostility that was oozing from my mother.