Hunters

#2 Meeting the roomate

"River." I hear through the speakers of my helmet. "Ya?"I respond. "You know how the holidays are coming up soon right?" He says nervously. What is he planning."Uhh ya?"I say becoming more confused. "Well um, I was thinking, and I'm going to leave to the UK for the holidays."he blurts out.
"Oh." I say. "Just oh?You aren't going to yell at me?"he says worried. "No. Im not going to yell. You are old enough to make your own decisions."I respond. He revs his bike trying to catch up with me as I swerve between cars.
"Are you sure?I mean it's only been three years since the accident. Are you sure you can be alone?"he says as his bike finally catches up to me."I will be fine it's been years. I can handle it." I say as I rev my engine.
He doesn't say anything else until we make it to his house. Taking my helmet off I lock it onto the bike and put my keys in my pocket. I pull my black beanie back onto my head.
We walk up to his door and as he unlocks it a giant mass of fur and drool leaps at me."Nooooooo"I groan out as I am covered in very slobbery kisses by Andy's dog Oakland.
As Andy pulls Oak off of me I lay on the ground."Your dog has killed me. Avenge me brother."I joke as I get up wiping the slobber and dirt off of me. "Ha ha. Best joke ever."he remarked. Then Oak see's something and runs into the house.
I laugh as he is dragged into the house by his giant beast. Oakland wasn't even really a normal dog. He is a Crocotta. Which is basically a magical version of a wolf-dog hybrid with the markings and mane of a hyena. He's only a few months so he isn't very big yet. Only the size of a St.Bernard. They can grow up to the size of a horse.
Walking into the house after them I close the door and take my shoes off.I walk into the kitchen to see Andy in the fridge and oak sitting on the floor next to his huge bowls. For a puppy he sure does need a lot of food. Half a bag of dog food each meal with five cans of soft food.
I grab his bowls and the 30 pound bag of dog food and pour half of it in his bowl then go into the pantry and grab five cans of wet food. Mixing the meal for Oak I set it down as he waits patiently. As soon as I'm done filling his water bowl and set it down he races to his bowls.

He is well trained. But I only think he is trained so good because Andy can communicate with any creature. "Hey River do you want to have dinner here,I'm making some chicken and asparagus with potatoes."Andy asks as he puts an an apron and starts cooking the asparagus. I'm already drooling as I say yes. I'm always to tired to cook so all I ever eat is some sort of delivery food or instant ramen.
"Awesome, can you cut the potatoes?"he says as he continues to cook. "Ya sure."I grab a knife and cutting board and set them on the counter. I tie an apron around my waist. I grab some potatoes and wash them off. After cutting the potatoes into squares I set them onto a frying pan that Andy had waiting. I set the cutting board and the knife I was using into the sink,and wipe the counter clean. I wash my hand then grab a spatula and start to fry the potatoes. Andy starts to hum a song and I join in. We finish humming our little duet as Andy finishes up the chicken.
"That was moms favorite song."I say somberly. He nods with a soft smile as he hands me my plate. We both walk to the living-room and turn on the TV. I sit on the couch and finish my meal while watching TV.
I look at my phone to see that it is 8:30.I sigh stretching as I stand up. "I'm going to head home. Need help with the dishes? "I ask Andy. He stands and walks into the kitchen. "No I'm good thanks for staying." He says to me.
"Thanks for making me dinner. Love you Andy I'll see you tomorrow." I say to him as I put my shoes on." I love you too sis. Get home safe." He says walking over to me giving me a quick hug.
He stands outside with me and watches me start my bike and drive out of his drive way. As I race down the stress I stop at the gas station to get some gas and a drink. Stepping inside of the store the girl behind the counter shouts my name "River!"
I turn around just in time to see her run around the counter and jump onto me. "Ok, ok. Hello to you to Claudia." I laugh. "Hi." She says releasing me from her bear hug. "How have you been kid?" I ask her. "I am not a kid I'm 17 almost a legal adult."she pouts. "Mhm, and what is that in vampire years?"I ask her smirking as she deflates a little bit. "That technically makes you a kid to then."she huffs crossing her arms. "But I'm not a vampire so it doesn't count for me." I smile as she glares at me and mumbles something under her breath walking behind the counter again.
I chuckle silently to myself as I go to the coolers in the back getting a drink. I met Claudia when she was just turned. I was on call to kill the vamp that attacked her. I found her in one of the rooms while looking for the other vamp.
She was only a baby vamp though so she was too weak and didn't need to drink blood right away. I convinced her to come with me to Kjekk. She now gets a regular supply of donated blood so she doesn't have to go around and kill people.
I don't have to kill someone unless they harm or kill a regular human. I grab a drink and go to the couner to pay. Claudia still looks all pouty. "Aww come on you know I was messing around. You are almost 18 technically an adult."I smile at her.
She grins widely at me as she scans my drink. "Oh ya can I get 20 on 2"I remember I was here to get gas. "Sure that will be $23.19" I hand her 30 " Keep the change, and call me sometimes we need to catch up."I say reaching over the counter to hug her. She just smiles and nods. Grabbing my drink I get to my bike and start to put some gas in it.
Opening my drink I take a sip as I fuel my bike. I look around the dark gas station. My eyes lingering on the woods.
Hearing the click of the gas machine I take the nozzle out of the gas tank and hang it back up.Throwing the drink away I slide my head back into my helmet and wrap my leather clad hands around the handles.
Speeding out of the gas station I make it home before 10.I park my bike and bring my bag and helmet upstairs to my apartment. As I'm walking in the door to my apartment I hear a beep come from my pager. I groan pulling it out of the pocket of my black skinny jeans. Basilisk. 60 feet. Central Etta. Fuck. I kick my shoes off next to the door and walk into my room. I throw my school bag onto my Grey and red comforter.
Grabbing a plain black long sleeved shirt and a pair of black leather pants I change quickly.
Looking through the multiple bags full of weapons I pick one with a basilisk patch in it. I put the patch on my neck and feel a cool sensation spreading up my neck and into my eyes. I blink causing the sensation to stop.
Zipping the bag back up I grab my leather jacket and slide it onto my shoulders. It's not the best at keeping me warm but it's sturdy and used to belong to mom.
Slinging the duffel bag onto my shoulder, I grab my helmet and leave the apartment. Making to the Etta zone I park my bike in a dark spot next to a bush so no one would see it. Locking my helmet onto the bike,I start toward the center of the zone.
~
Making my way into the huge cave entrance where the basilisk was last seen, I can already almost smell the poison from the basilisk. I follow the trail of blood into the cave going deeper and deeper.
Making my way into a large water filled area inside of the cave. Checking the water I step into it, the water reaches up to my knees. Putting on my night vision goggles I see a huge empty basilisk skin.
The smell of the basilisk's poison is growing stronger the closer I get to the other side of the cave.I climb on top of a rock protruding out of the water to get a better view of the cave.I hear a ripple in the water.
I spin around to where I heard the noise.I can't see anything in the water with my night vision. Maybe I am just hearing things. I turn back around to look over the rest of the cave,but as I turn back around I hear movement in the water again. I swirl back around again.
As I turn around I see a long body coming out of the water.I follow the body up to see the head of this monster almost 15 feet above me.
"fuck"
I say as the huge snake like creature hisses at me. I lung into the water to get away from the monster. A huge wave launches me forward as the basilisk lunges itself into the water after me. I scramble through the water toward the entrance of the cave trying to get into the open.
I make it out of the water but before I can start running,basilisk whips its tail at my feet catching one of them and it throws me against the opposite wall of the cave.
As my head hits the wall of the cave I feel my head crack .I land in the water as my vision starts to fade a little.I sit up and feel the back of my head pulling my hand away to see a little blood. I wobble a little as I stand and start to climb up the cave wall.
I make it halfway up the wall when I find a ledge big enough to stand on.Pulling myself up over the ledge I turn just in time to see that I am at the head level of the basilisk. It's eyes staring straight into mine.
The monster looks a little confused as to why i'm not dead yet. (Thanks to the basilisk patch I put on earlier I can look at the basilisk and not die) Taking the slight hesitation of the basilisk I launch myself off of the cave wall and onto it's face.
As i land on the face of the snake like creature it reels back and opens its huge mouth showing its huge 2 feet long fangs dripping with poison.I grab a hold of some of the spines that are on the basilisk's head as it starts to try and shake me off.
I pull my axe out of its sheath with one hand still clinging on to the basilisk.The basilisk starts to shake its huge head and snaps its jaws trying to loosen my grip on it's head.
I swing my axe at the basilisk's eye.I hear a gross squishing sound before the monster lets out at ear splitting screech.
The beast throws its head back and I get thrown off of it and into the water. Landing in a heap in the water I groan as I stand up.'I think I broke a rib or two' I think as I stand. I look around to try and find my axe while the basilisk is still screeching and squirming around.
Looking back at the basilisk I can see something protruding out of its eye.Wait, is that my fucking axe.Dammit. Wobbling over to the entrance where I left my duffel bag,I pull out a small crossbow.
I load my crossbow and aim at the creatures head.I pull the trigger but before my arrow can hit the basilisk it swings its head away.
Loading another arrow into the crossbow I aim at the creatures head again.Just as I am about to pull the trigger the basilisk stops squirming and looks straight at me.
I lower my crossbow and slowly back away from the beast.While I am backing up I trip over a rock in the water.
The basilisk chooses the exact moment I fall to lunge at me.Rolling to the side the basilisk lands head first in the shallow water where I just was.
While the basilisk is dazed a little I run over to it and pull my axe out of its eye socket.When I pull out my axe the monster's eye comes with it.Pulling the eye off I stumble backwards as the snake like creature opens its huge jaws and snaps at me a few times while blood squirts out of it's now empty eye socket.
I jump onto the back of the basilisk before it can bite me.Swinging my axe towards the middle of the basilisk's head I hear a satisfying crunch.
The monster lets out one last screech before it goes still.Bending over, I try to catch my breath.
After catching my breath a little bit I pull out my phone. It's already 1:30 as I type in Michael's number."Hello?" he says out of the phone." River Mariani. Basilisk.60 ft.Creature dead,ready for clean up." I say in a monotone voice."Excellent,you are good to go for tonight."he says before he hangs up. Taking a tracker out of my jacket,I stick it into the basilisk's head.Putting my axe in its sheath I pick up my crossbow and put it in my bag and leave the cave.
~

Making it home before 2 I park my bike and make my way up to my apartment.Pulling my keys out of my pocket I stick them into my lock and unlock my door.
I walk into my apartment and turn around to lock the door,but as I turn back around into my apartment I see a object swinging towards my head.
To tired to really dodge it I just stumble backwards into the door.Looking up I see a familiar red head looking back down at me with an expression of shock on her face.
"River?!"she says surprised that it is me."Eli?" I respond.
She throws her weapon of choice,which happens to be a frying pan,to the side as she rushes to help me up."I am so sorry I didn't know it was you.Are you ok? Did I hurt you? Why are you bleeding? Do you need to go to the hospital? Oh man i'm sorry."She rushes out, dazing me a little bit.
I accept her hand to help me up and dust my pants off as I stand."Hey calm down i'm fine.We don't need to go to the hospital.You didn't hurt me." I say to try and calm her down.She calms down a little bit but then looks at me super confused."Why are you here?"She says.I laugh a little at that."Apparently I am your roommate." I say a little awkwardly.
She smiles then launches herself at me for a hug.I stiffen as her arms wrap around my waist." This is so exciting.Wow,who would have thought you would have been my roommate."She exclaims,letting go of me.Shit my ribs.
I wince a little and that catches her attention."Oh my god you are bleeding!"She yells grabbing my jacket trying to take it off of me."Take off your shirt."She says still trying to get my jacket off of me.I squirm away from her trying to keep my clothing on."Ya no,i'm fine just a scratch ill be fine in the morning."I say pulling my jacket out of her grip and pulling it tightly against myself."I'm going to go to bed and you should too we have school in the morning and I do not want to be late for class tomorrow." I say taking my boots off and placing them next to the door."Oh ya,school.Well,goodnight then River ill see you in the morning."Eli responds looking a little sad.Dammit."Ya I can give you a ride if you want,but I have a motorcycle if that's ok with you?"I say taking off my jacket and roll the sleeves of my shirt up.
She perks up a little as I say motorcycle."Ya that's ok with me,definitely." she says nodding."Great i'm going to go to bed then goodnight."I say opening the door to my room.She just smiles in response.
Groaning as I close my door,I lean against it and sigh.
Going into my dresser I pull out a change of under wear and a large t-shirt and plaid pj pants.
I open my door and see that Eli went back into her room and is probably asleep.I go into the bathroom and lock the door once I am inside.I take off my shirt too look over the damage.
I have cuts all over my back and arms from being thrown around by the basilisk,there is dried blood gluing my hair to my head,and I have a huge nasty bruise on my right side where I broke some ribs.
Sighing I strip down to nothing and turn on the shower,stepping in right away.Once I finish cleaning all my wounds and getting the dirt and blood off of my body,I step out of the shower and grab the first aid kit that is under the sink.
Pulling out some wrap bandages and peroxide I start to clean and dress my wounds.Finishing up I put on my clothes and make my way into my bedroom.
Taking my bag off of my bed,where I threw it earlier,I set it next to my desk.
I crawl under my covers and try to get to sleep before class tomorrow.'I feel like its going to be a long day' Is the last thing I think as I drift off to sleep.