To find what I am looking for, I must go deeper into the forests, maybe out of "the safe zone" where I live now. Even though it's early morning, I feel like I don't have enough time. Walking through the woods, I try to focus as much as I can on my surroundings, because this time I'm not hunting for bodies, I'm hunting for silhouettes. I'll need to use all my knowledge and skills of 17 years to do this. I step carefully on the ground, trying to be silent while walking, so I can hear every single sound around me. Last time I saw them, they were spying on me, watching my every step. This time I want to be the one spying on them. I make it look casual, like I'm not looking for them, like I'm out to hunt for food. Looking careless about what I do, I'm all ears. I bend down and pick up several herbs and put them in the leather bag I made myself with rabbit skin. Still no sign of them. Well, they're gonna come out sometime. One little mistake, just one sound and they won't have time to think about escaping. I'll drive my spear right into their flesh, if I'll have to. But my spear isn't my only weapon. I also took a pocket knife I made by sharping a Calmian horn. Thank god I ran into one last week. I'm actually pretty proud of myself for what I've done these two weeks. My mother always told me I suck at chores and girl stuff, but look at me now mom, I've made a bag, built a camp-house, fed myself, killed monsters and made a knife out of their horn. If she knew what I used to do in the forests back when I was in Leiden, she'd kill me then go insane. She knew I was not the typical girl who does her nails and eats organic food to have a slim body and giggled all the time. I was the complete opposite of that. I dressed like a dude, ate like a lion and didn't give a shit about getting fat. I hardly ever smiled around my parents. Who giggles all the time anyway? My mother has always wanted me to be like her friend's daughter, Amelia, the perfect miss America, pageant queen. She is like a ray of sunshine, my mother said. To me, she was blinding. You couldn't look at her without sunglasses, for real. Always wearing shiny sparkly dresses, platinum blond hair, white flawless skin, everything my mom was in her youth. She loves the way Amelia sits down so gracefully, while I slouch on the couch. Amelia eats with a fork and a knife, both made of silver, while I use my bare hands. Amelia wears high heels, while I never take off my dirty Converse. Of course that's why my mother decided that for my engagement I would dress and behave like a lady. Like Amelia. I'd punch the shit out of Amelia. One time my mom dragged me into one of these "social gatherings" or whatever she and her girl friends used to do and we had to sit in round tables sipping tea and making pointless conversations for 6 endless hours. My bad luck is that my mom decided for us to sit next to Catherin and her lovely daughter Amelia, so maybe "I could profit something from her". 6 useless hours spent sitting in a chair with the person you hate next to you. I got bored and thought to at least give her a chance, that behind all the shiny clothes and stupid behaviour, there'd be a real human with interests in other things besides stupid gatherings. So I tried to talk to her.
- Nice weather today, huh?
- Yeah, it's lovely.
- So, I'm not the type of participant in these kinds of social gatherings, as you may know but, maybe you can help me understand what is going on? I mean, we've been sitting here for hours now, is this all we're going to do the whole day?
She stared at me like I had horns in my head and alligator skin.
- It's called a tea party. And yes, we stay here all day. And I had already figured it out you don't come here often, - she looks up and down my body with a disgusted face,- since the moment you walked through the door.
It took three seconds. Three seconds for her white dress to get all bloody from her nose blowing up.
- LUNA!!! - my mother screamed. Then the room turned into total chaos, with middle aged women screaming and shouting like someone was murdered, while I laughed my ass off at her stupid face. I broke her nose in one punch.Amelia shrieked and Catherin almost had a heart attack. Later that day, I got grounded and got a restriction order that said that I had to stay 50 meters away from Amelia and her family for the rest of my life. That was the day I saw Alexander for the first time in my life. He was a simple soldier back then who came into my house to deliver a message for General Moretti, my dad, exactly at the wrong time. He was yelling at me for my unladylike behavior and I was yelling back at him. He interrupted us by knocking on the door and handing my dad the message, which apparently was so important that he had to go make a call upstairs before answering. Alexander stood at the doorstep while I cursed inside.
- Are you okay? - he suddenly asked. I turned to look at him.
- Yeah, I'm fine.
- The General was mad at you.
- He was.
- Why?
- Because I... It's none of your business!
- It is.
- Really? How so?
- If the General is mad then he'll delay the answer to my message.
He was right. Curse him!
- So what did you do?
- I ... I punched a girl and broke her nose! That's it! - I said angrily and folded my arms in front of me, while the young soldier burst out laughing.
- You did what?!
- Stop laughing you jerk!
- Okay, you're right, I'm sorry, I'll stop, - he could barely breathe, - And why did you punch her? Of course if I may ask, because that's none of my business.
- It's not!
- So you gonna tell me? - he smiled warmly. After a long pause, I spoke.
- She looked down at me like I was a disgusting leech not appropriate for her high standards. She said I looked horrible and that I didn't belong there. She had realised that the moment I stepped into the room.
- She said that?
- She meant it.
His smile faded.
- Well, she was stupid for saying so. Especially to you.
- Stupid?
- Yeah, well, I guess she didn't see it coming.
- See what?
- Your punch.
He laughed again. I smiled on the inside.
- Aha, she didn't, but even if she had, she wouldn't have the chance to do much about it.
- Yeah, I've heard so much about your flaming personality, - he laughs again.
- Watch your words, Mr. Rivera, if you don't want your nose to bleed afterwards, like Miss Amelia's. Muhammad Ali over here is still mad - my father said coming down the stairs. Alexander froze for a moment but then he started laughing even harder while I stood there tapping one foot on the floor. My dad high-fived Alexander. Ugh, boys will be boys no matter how old they are. Then he handed over the new message and in a blink of an eye Alexander left. After that, my dad turned to me and said:
- He's such a nice boy.
- He's annoying.
- You're grounded, why are you still here? Go to your room. And I don't want to hear stories like this anymore, understood?
- I won't promise you.
One little crack woke me up from the flashback. My head turned to its source, but I saw nothing. They're here.
YOU ARE READING
When the night falls
Adventure"Like a shiver down your spine, Like a whisper in your mind. Bells are ringing far ahead Strange figure on your bed. Watch out: you mustn't see Or they will come for you and me... " Luna is a 17 year old girl with exceptional hunting skil...
