Battleground Lovers

The Note

     "Bailey!"

I hear the frantic knocks on my door, and I know right off the bat that it's my mom. My curtains are open showing a bright and sunny day, and as I see it that means only one thing. She showed up at my house and my mom wants me to shoo her off again. Great. Mia is the last thing I want to deal with today.

"I'm coming! I'm coming." I walk over and open my door before it gets knocked off its hinges.

My poor mom, Mrs. Nightston, is standing in the hall bouncing up and down with what can only be seen as joy. She's holding a note in her delicate looking hands, and she's gripping it so hard I'm worried that the paper might fuse with her skin. It wouldn't be the first time, my mom has a tendency of using magic when she's excited, but the magic isn't always good.

"It's a note for you!" She shoves it at me with excitement. "I read the whole thing looking for curses, don't worry."

"Looking for curses" is my mom's way of saying that she snooped.

I take the note from her and read it.

Dear Bailey Nightstone

I hope that this little note reaches you, oh, and hello Mrs. Nightstone!

I don't have anytime to explain, but I've been watching you. I know that you're different and have the power. We NEED you to meet us at the Sacred Forest and sun down, as it is nearing your 18th year of birth and it is time for you to claim your birthright at a Nightstone.

Sincerely, the Hunters

"I'm not going."

My mom reels back in shock, causing her black bun to become slightly more messy than normal.

"Not going? Bailey dear, you have to! You are the first Nightstone in centuries to inherit the gift! Don't you finally want to be able to use it?" She asks.

"What's so important about this 'gift' anyway?" I roll my eyes. "And 'my birthright'? What's that? Some rusty sword? The oldest version ong the Magic Mirror?"

She doesn't answer. I walk over and flop down face first on my bed.

"You shouldn't disobey the Hunters."

"Mom, in all seriousness, I don't want to be a hunter. I know not everyone gets the opportunity because they send the invitations to only people with the gift, but to take that oath and run away with them? I'll pass. They don't even hunt anymore."

Mrs. Nightstone sits on the edge of my bed and puts her hand on my back. This is the biggest decision of my life and I'm throwing it away. Am I stupid? Probably. But being a hunter means protecting this town from all the monsters, and I'm just not fit to be doing that kind of work.

I guess I have until sun down to figure this all out.