Love and Hunt

Chapter Three

I was waiting the city bus with Grace at the bus shelter. I hadn't said anything to her as I knew that the safety of our kind had been priority. I hoped my father wouldn't ask Grace to take me back to the house. I still couldn't escape from the eagerness to live with a man that I loved instead of staying together with the man my father chose as he thought that he would be good husband for me. I knew he had good intention for me and good purpose as he didn't want her daughter lived in trouble after getting married. But I still couldn't feel comfortable if I didn't live with a guy whom I didn't love. When I looked away from the street, I still didn't see the city bus around. The gray clouds stayed still in the sky. And I had seen some people passing me and Grace who were still the ones who were waiting for the city bus. I could sense the intention to talk with Grace, but I was afraid if the talk with expose the existence of our kind that lived among those humans. Our people looked like those humans, but our people were called witches by those humans.

When I looked around, I saw the city bus over there. When I looked at Grace, she had put down her smartphone and waited the city bus to arrive in this bus shelter with me. I kept looking at the city bus as it was my first time to see the city bus instead of looking at that on television. There were other people passing this bus shelter, but one of them didn't join with both of us to wait for the city bus. When the city bus stopped in front of this bus shelter, Grace and I walked toward the door of the bus that had been opened to let both of us to get into the bus. Grace was in front of me. After paying for the fee, I followed her to get the seats. When I had sat on the seat next to Grace, the city bus moved and left the bus shelter. I didn't find someone who had to stand while taking the bus, but I found some empty seats inside this city bus. I kept being silent while waiting for arriving into Grace's premises.

***

The city bus stopped. I followed Grace getting out of the bus. I was walking behind her while I was still wondering about the decision that would be taken by my father when Grace told him that she had found me. I had stood on the street, and the bus left me with Grace. I looked Grace making for the building on this street. I was following her from behind. I kept follwoing her and then had to climb up the stairs to get into the building. When she had opened the door of the building's entrance, I followed her to get into the building. When I had been inside the building, I got my distance closer to her. When I looked the inside of the building, I could assume that this building had to be her premises. I kept being behind her and then climbed up the stair to reach upper level of this building. When I found many doors on this upstairs level, I saw Grace stopped in front of a door over there. When she looked at me, I sped my pace and got inside her premises soon.

When I had entered into her premises, she closed the door of her premises. I could find sofa, television, dining table and chairs, and also the small kitchen with refrigerator. And I also found one door that must be the door of her bedroom. When I looked back at her, I found that she had sat on the sofa over there. I came to the sofa and sat next to her. Then, I heard her smartphone was ringing. Then, she accepted the call from her smartphone.

"Hello, Jacob." Grace said. I thought the call was from my father, but Jacob had called her. "When do you want me to meet you? I will be always available for you."

I kept waiting for what Grace was going to say to Jacob as she was still listening what Jacob said to her through the call. I didn't know what would happen. I expected that I would stay in this city until I could find the right guy that I loved very much.

"What they have done, Jacob?" She said. "You've known about those protests from those people after they have killed the family in their house by breaking down the house and trapped them inside."

I knew about that murdering from the news on the television in my house. From the news, the family was killed by strange incident that was only caused by the witches. From that murder, many people in the city began to hunt the witches in the city. But until I had been in this city, there was no news that told about the arrest of a witch in this city. I was sure Jacob and his witches used the spell that could hide them all from those people in this city. Then, Jacob ended the call. I could see it as Grace didn't say anything afterward and took her smartphone away from her ear. Then, she came to the remote that was on the round small table in front of this sofa. She turned on the television in front of us.

I was shocked when I saw the news about other murder done by witches in this city trough the news on the television. The news anchor told about the chronology about how the family got killed by the witches. She told the viewers that there were two witches that broke the house of the family and trapped the family inside the house. And they got killed by the destroyed house. That was said by the witnesses. And the news anchor told the viewers that the witches were twins according to the witnesses. Then, the destroyed house was replaced by bunch of people who were called themselves as the witch hunters. They also asked the police officers, soldiers even the city government to kill the twin witches.

"We want to live with peace." One of the witch hunters said. "We want to save our lives. We need your help, all of you."

Then, Grace turned off the television. When I looked at her, her face could tell me how frustrated she had been since she saw the witch hunters on the television.

"I have to meet Jacob right away." She said as getting on her feet. Then, she turned on her smartphone. "This has to be done."

I kept watching her waiting to get answer from the call that she made. I was sure that she was calling Jacob. I kept waiting; Grace still kept waiting for Jacob accepting her call.

"Hello, Jacob." Grace said. "You have to stop your witches to kill those people in this city. You have threatened our kind. Stop killing those people."

Then, Grace was listening what Jacob was saying though her smartphone. I didn't know what he said to her, but I had been so curious as the intention to hunt our people had increased after the death of that family killed by the twin witches.

"Tell me right now." Grace said. "Where I can meet you? I need to meet with you right now. We have to talk. It's urgent, Jacob. Don't get away. We'll find you."

Then, I saw Grace took her smartphone away from her ear. She looked at me afterwards. I didn't know why she looked at me like that. But, before she said something to me, her smartphone rang. She looked on the screen of her smartphone and accepted the call from the one whom I didn't know.

"Hello, Mr. Stone." She said, and I knew my father was talking with her through smartphone. "Yes, Anna is with me right now. But have you watched the news about the death of the family killed by the twin witches?"

I began to be worried if my father still wanted me to get back home although Grace had told him about the news.

"No, I can't let her to go back to her house." Grace said. "It's the time, Mr. Stone. It's the time for her to face what she has to face. It's for saving our people from being hunted by those people in this city. Jacob has to be hunted down."

I thought Grace wanted me to stay in here with her. I hoped she could persuade my father to let me stay here. I truly wanted to stay in this city and got the guy that I wanted.

"No, Mr. Stone." She said. "That's not going to work like that. She will learn if she faces Jacob's witches. I guarantee about her life. Trust me. I won't disappoint you. And you know about her spell, do you? I think she can save and take care herself from any trouble and both of us face from being hunted, Mr. Stone."

I was still waiting for the answer. I didn't know if I would stay her or go back to my house in the countryside.

"I get it." Grace said. "You can count on me."

Then, she ended the call with my father and then looked at me.

"Your father let you stay with me in this city, Anna." She said.