He's a hunter, I'm a monster

-7-

I stare at the ceiling while lying in bed, I can't sleep and I don't want to either, every second I'm not aware of my surroundings I could die.

'Hey.. are you asleep?'
'No,' I answer.
'Can you go to the attic and lock the door behind you, I am having an unexpected visitor. If they notice you're here things might go wrong.'

Soon the doorbell rings so I get out of bed and catch the keys he threw at me.
As soon as possible I lock myself up in the attic. I hear some yelling but can't find out what is said. It doesn't sound too promising though.

I hear someone walk up the stairs and just a few seconds later someone knocks on the door.
I keep quiet and my body is frozen in place. It isn't Josh, he wouldn't tell me to hide and just knock on my door while his "visitors" are downstairs. So instead of opening the door I waited and hoped the person would leave.

But instead, the door gets kicked in. I'm screwed. However, I don't see anyone, but out of nowhere a hand is pressed on my mouth and an arm makes sure I can't move.

'Not even trying to move?'
I don't answer the mysterious man whose face I haven't seen yet and try to calm myself down.

'Your hunter made a big mistake. He doesn't want to kill you,' he whispers in my ear.

Josh doesn't want to kill me? That sounds like a lie, but why lie about that? Maybe to confuse and distract me?

'The problem is I can't kill you, but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun.'

He laughs and drags me over to the chair I sat on before. He ties my hands behind the chair and all I know is that I'm screwed... I'm so screwed.

Once I see his face I recognise him from the day my dad died.

He puts on gloves and forces my mouth to open. He starts pulling my fangs down causing me a lot of pain before putting a piece of duct tape over my mouth. This man wasn't joking around like Josh was.

'Josh certainly has a nice collection of weapons, it would be a shame if we didn't try them all out. Wouldn't it?'

The man laughs and removes my shirt.
He inspects his canvas before grabbing a handful of weapons Josh had laid out on display.

'Looks like he has already cut you on the good spot, that's a shame I wanted to do that.'

He makes cuts with the knives, every cut being a new one. With the daggers, he decides to make small holes. And all of that leaves me bleeding, bleeding an awful lot. He can't kill me, he just said that right?

'Oops, that one's a bit too deep.'

I hate this man, I don't know him but I hate him. After what feels like hours my saviour finally walks into the room.

'Dad stop, please.
So this man is his dad?

'There are only ten left, you could help me,' the wicked man states.
'You're making him bleed out like this!' 'He's fine! Besides from what I can see you already put a knife to his chest.'
'That happened before I knew mom was alive! Please, I don't want to kill him he did nothing wrong,' Josh starts begging. Why is he doing this for me?
'You're weak Josh, you can't love your victim, still, I knew this would happen someday. His dad left my wife, your own mother, scars so I'm just giving him those.'
'His dad already died for nothing!'

"You can't love your victim" those words keep on spinning in my head. Love.. he loves me? In what way? Friends? Lovers?

'His dad was a killer non the less.'
'Like you aren't.' 'Like you aren't,' his dad repeats, 'I'm trying my best for you to get him off the list. Good luck cleaning those wounds.'

The man laughs before walking away and as soon as he's gone Josh unties me and takes the duct tape off.

'I'm sorry... I'm so sorry.'
I push him away as he tries to touch my chest. 'You will bleed out if you don't let me help you.'

'I'm so sorry I..' 'Stop,' I say. My chest hurts, obviously, it does, but that doesn't mean I'm going to trust him this easily. 'All my knives and daggers are covered in your blood I just..' 'Just clean them.' 'I'm so..' I put my hand on his mouth to make him shut up.

When I pull my hands away again he dares to ask me a new question.

'Did he hurt you anywhere else?'
I nod, having no energy to speak. 'Where?' 'My fangs.' 'Did he pull at them?' I nod again. 'Let me see.'

I open my mouth as he looks carefully at them having one hand holding my chin up. Once he touches one of them my reflex is to close my mouth and I do. I do however open it again when I realised his fingers were pressed between my teeth.

'Sorry.' 'I kind of deserved that,' he wraps some bandages around his fingers, 'anyway it doesn't look like they are loose.' 'Still hurts.' 'I'm not surprised about that, let's go to bed.'

*

Sleeping, well that didn't happen I kept thinking about what happened and what was said. He can't love his victim, love in a friendship way, a family way, or another way? And his dad is actually trying to get me off of the list? But what will happen with Josh after that? Will he get a new victim and move away? Will be in big problem for protecting me? Questions keep popping up, questions I can't answer myself.

'Knock knock.' I turn my head and see Josh standing in the doorway.
'You haven't slept as well.. have you?'
I don't answer him and just look at the ceiling. 'Look I'm sorry, I didn't know he knew you were here.'
'Where is your attitude?' I feel how he's staring at me. 'I'm sor..' 'Sorry yeah I know you've said that.'

'How's your chest? Can I look at it?' I sigh and roll my eyes. 'I guess that's a no..'
'Go ahead, I don't care anymore, kill me while you're at it.'

He walks towards me and sits down beside me.

'You're so thin.' 'Hey! You were going to look at the wounds not comment on my weight.' 'Sor..' I put my hand on his mouth to make him shut up.

He gives up and lays down beside me, staring at the ceiling as well.

'I hate myself for fucking up the relationship we had built, I was too enraged about my mom but never really want to do anything to you I just didn't see the point. So after I got to know my mom is still alive I told my dad I didn't want to kill you and.. well why, something I probably shouldn't have told him. Look, I don't know what's going to happen to you or even to me but can we just throw this black page in the trash?'

He sounds like he means it, but it always could be a trick. I don't care though, for me it feels real.

'I don't know if this is something to easily forget and still... it isn't over yet,' I answer the boy after a while. He's a bit surprised I actually said something since I've been ignoring him. 'I know and it sucks.'

He gets up and walks away but he comes back with a shirt and training pants for me to wear.

'The shirt is probably too big, I don't have anything smaller.'
'Are you implying that I'm tiny?'
'Well if we're going, to be honest..' I throw a pillow at his face. 'You're no fun,' I whine when he catches it.

'See you downstairs for breakfast and yes I have plasma packs.' 'I'm getting "Get in my van I have candy" vibes from you.'
He laughs and rolls his eyes before walking downstairs.

I quickly change clothes and come downstairs as well, I'm hungry.

Originally published on: 31/3/20
Rewritten on: 26/3/22