The Surviving Hunters - Rise Of The Hunters

Bleeding Still

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Dew's Perspective

I opened my eyes with a gasp, expecting to be on the battlefield. I expected blood mixed with dirt, I expected bodies spread around me with grime-caked weapons. I expected my entire body to ache with unbearable pain. I expected blood soaking my clothes, doctors taking patients to the hospital. I expected urgency and death in the air.

Fortunately for me, my expectations had been a little bit off.

Warm rays of sunshine poured in through the window, lighting my room in an amber haze. I was laying uncomfortably on stiff wooden planks and a hard mattress that felt very much like the wooden planks. A warm blanket surrounded me and wrapped me like a cocoon. I tried to sit up, but a sharp, searing pain started in my hip.

What the hell?

My eyes widened as I slowly moved my hand down to my hip and slowly pulled back the warm blankets. I froze.

There was a half-healed wound covered in red, wet bandages. I slowly peeled it back to see a big hole in my hip on my pale cold skin. It was an arrow-wound, burned deep within me that could only come from the Delphiniums...

It all came to me in a flash of blood and regret.

Running out on the war field, seeing the Hunters become the hunted.

This isn't right! This isn't how it was supposed to be... this wasn't what they taught me about the other side... They said we were fighting monsters... but we are the monsters.

My eyes widen as I try to keep fear and rage from taking over me again. I feel the pain that the Hunters feel. The loss of blood, too. The Hunters, now the ones being hunted. I couldn't just stand there!

A boy, about my age, runs past me. He's wounded -- I can see blood pouring down his arm -- and extremely scared. He falls to the ground, moaning in pain. I raise my spear, prepared to kill him, but something stops me... He looks so scared, so hurt... So vulnerable...

The Delphinium leader, Mara, raises her bow with her bowstring drawn, and an arrow aimed at his heart... She somehow seems even angrier than usual, her features contorted in an expression of pure rage and bloodlust...

I am out of my mind. I really must be, but still... I run towards that kid to protect him. I start to pick him up in my arms, trying to get him away from here, away from Mara...

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! YOU DID NOT COME HERE TO PROTECT HUNTERS!" She screeches in disgust.

She lets go of the arrow. It swoops towards me.

Then, I remember the pain. Intense, all-consuming pain. I let out a strange howling noise and drop to the ground, still holding the boy. But I can't fight the pain. My vision goes black.

I must've been taken to a hospital after that. I felt my hands shaking in terror. Shaking in the fear and uncertainty that suddenly consumed me. I suddenly felt extremely dizzy. My world tipped and I felt like throwing up.

Why did I do that?! Stupid me. I felt like crap, weak, and even pitiful.

I grabbed a pillow from my bed, not caring that I was ripping and bunching up the cheap paper-thin material with my violent, emotional grasp. I lay my head on it and let my tears slowly dissolve into the fabric. I grabbed a fistful of the sheets and slowly sat up, doing my best to bring my knees to my chest.

Everything is all wrong.

My miserable, yet tolerable life.

It's all gone. Disappeared from just this ONE stupid, stupid mistake! They won't treat me like they did back then again. They won't. I'll be treated worse than a Cyborg! It took me so long for me to gain their trust enough to go out to fight... And now it's all gone. All gone. It vanished with one arrow. Like it never even happened.

I felt myself choking as my guilt and pain seemed to consume me, dragging me down, down, down, into depths of pure despair. Why the hell did I do that? Stupid...

And that boy, is he even alive?

Why, why, why did I help him?

Do I consider myself a Delphinium now?

Would she be proud?

I shook my head of those thoughts and concentrated on not hyperventilating with anxiety. I needed to think of something else.

I immediately remembered the spear I took. The big, blue, amazing spear! That spear had kept me alive for so long. Oh gods! What if I lost it?! I frantically looked around. I looked to my sides and saw it right beside the bed, safely tucked in. Thank goodness!

I looked around the dark room. There were two more beds in which lay sleeping, teenagers. Maybe a bit younger. In one bed was a girl who looked about my age. Her soft, light brown hair framed her face. Her eyes were closed, and her chest slowly rose and fell painfully. Her breathing seemed weak, and horrendous coughing accompanied each breath. Her gentle, rosy features were calm, but there was something strangely sad about it, as if she was mourning worlds past in her deep sleep. The elegant pale green dress she wore was one of an aristocrat, but it was ripped and burnt and in a horrible state.

In the bed next to her was the boy, I realized with a start, that I tried to save. His messy, blond hair was stuck with dirt, and his pale skin looked even paler under the dim light. His tall frame was curled up under the bed, and he was clutching something tightly in his hand. He was unconscious, but he looked uninjured, all except for a really deep, half-healed cut on his forehead and a bandage wrapped around his shoulder down to his elbow.

I felt something strange tickle at my neck. I reached back to feel my shoulder-length dark hair... And all I felt was air. Most of my hair was chopped off messily, as if by a blade.

My hair was cut.

Wait, so it wasn't just one arrow? Gods, you've gotta be kidding me!

I suddenly felt tears painfully prick at my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away. I swallowed the lump in my throat that was choking me, bringing tears to my eyes. My hands balled into fists and I glared at my feet under the blankets. I refused to cry. I don't cry. I'm not supposed to and so I don't.

Footsteps came through the hall. I jumped, out of habit. My arm moved towards my spear, cautiousness filling my brain. I gritted my teeth and looked towards the door, as it opened.

A tall, African-American woman with straightened black hair and elegant cheekbones walked in. She had red high-heels and was walking in a very prominent manner. Her posture clearly said: Look at me, everybody! I'm in charge! Her long white coat that covered a sky blue shirt underneath said the words in big bold black letters with a little pink heart next to it: Dr. Samantha. Great! My doctor.

She was closely followed by a young-looking boy, around my age, with a stained medic uniform, a black shirt visible because he was missing the top button. He had jet-black gelled hair, reaching almost to his shoulders and really, really pale skin (almost sickly pale) which made his pitch-black eyes pop.

"Look! Our patient is awake! Quickly, attend to her!" The doctor said excitedly, addressing her assistant.

He quickly walked over to me, with a nervous look in his eyes. He wiped his hands on his grimy uniform, giving me a slightly nervous smile. His name tag read: David.

"Heya, how do you feel?" 

Chapter 2, The Meaning of Meetings will be released this Thursday!

We will go on a regular schedule of new chapters every Thursday!