the book (hosie)

the hunt

"adding a new character"

kaleb enjoyed returning home to Bloomington, Indiana. He never had many chances to come back, but a few weeks ago, kaleb had been invited to give a commencement speech at Indiana University. He immediately accepted, and decided to bring Gabe along with him...

...as well as Hope and Josie.

kaleb had given his speech and watched the graduates walk across the stage to accept their diplomas. Behind him, Gabe walked up and stood by his side.

"Good to be back?" he asked.

kaleb nodded and said, "I'd like nothing more than to go bar-hopping with everyone else afterward."

Gabe chuckled. "Unfortunately, that will have to wait. Remember, we lost that bet with Josie and Hope. Now, we have our...'punishment'." He pulled out a folded piece of paper and said, "We got a job."

kaleb took the paper and opened it. He read what was on it and folded it before nodding and quietly saying, "We'll wait 'til dark. They won't expect us."

Darkness fell, and kaleb led Gabe along a narrow path through the dark woods. They cautiously observed their surroundings and kept their hands close to the hilts of their daggers.

"The duke says that a witch and her banshee companion have been terrorizing the townspeople. He's paying a hefty sum for their heads," Gabe explained.

kaleb nodded and replied, "And if this tip is good, we'll catch them both unawares."

The two walked further into the woods until they suddenly found themselves in a small clearing. Sitting in the middle of it was a small cabin.

"Here we are," kaleb said. He and Gabe stalked into the clearing, making sure to stay low and out of sight. They made their way to the porch, where Gabe twisted the doorknob.

"Unlocked?" kaleb asked in confusion.

Gabe smirked. "Maybe she isn't as clever as she thinks," he said. He slowly opened the door and they made their way inside.

The two walked through the house, listening for any sounds to find where the witch was. They rounded the corner and stopped when they saw the witch standing with her back to the two hunters.

"Too easy," kaleb whispered. The two hunters withdrew their daggers and slowly approached the witch, who still had her back turned.

Gabe's brow creased when something came to his mind. "Wait a minute, where's the banshee?"

The hunters both stilled as hands grabbed the back of their necks. They both yelled in pain as a piercing shriek rang in their ears, and within moments both of them lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

A throaty chuckle came from the witch as she turned around. She smiled as she saw the two hunters lying on the ground, her banshee companion standing over them.

"Excellent work, my pet," the witch drawled. She turned back around and said, "Tie them up."

"Yes, mistress," the banshee answered.

kaleb's eyes slowly opened. He moved his hand to rub his neck but found he couldn't move it. His eyes opened wide and he jerked all of his limbs, but he found himself bound to a chair.

"What the Hell?!" he hissed as he attempted to get free.

"Hey, stop struggling, I'm right behind you," Gabe said.

kaleb stopped and asked, "What happened?"

"I have no idea," Gabe answered. "I just remember a loud screech and then-"