Beguiling: A Frozen Heart

Do you care for who he is?

"I do, I'm sorry. We're running out of meat."

"Why can't we just move?" The little girl, Ray, asked kicking her feet along the bedframe. She hated days like this. The rain pattered against the window, and the sound of it clashing against the ground was deafening. It always rained, she knew that, but it wasn't this kind of rain. This rain was black and impossible to see through. It was the signal of the hunt.

The hunt was a lucid time. It happened, maybe, four times a year. It's when the animals would come out. The tides were high, and the caves were unsealed. You probably weren't even safe in your own home. The Kingdom locked its gates and forbade entry from anyone. Cities far and wide hired mercenaries and soldiers for protection, even after blocking the doors or moving to the cellars. It wasn't enough, it wasn't safe, yet. You didn't know when the hunt would start. The sky rained black and the ground shook, but no one could see the monsters, yet.

But they knew, no matter how much they hid or how much they fought back, as soon as one monster swooped down then it was the start of everything. Yet, why was the man so eager to leave?

"Because we won't be accepted anywhere else Ray, I'll be back. I promise," The man said, pressing a kiss against the girl's forehead before throwing his bag over his back. It had everything he needed. A two-liter jug of water, dried fruits and nuts, a change of thick clothing, a flint, dried salted meat for emergencies, and a few extra knives. Of course, a first aid kit with the basics. 

He had everything necessary. A black tunic and a thin black coat. A pair of thicker black linen pants and a pair of brown boots. A worker's belt that had his signature knife, a few vials of poison, and a pair of gloves. He also had a dark brown headwrap. It would hide his face but let him see what he needed, as he wasn't the only one to leave his home during the Hunt.

"Hmm. I guess, Be safe, Jamiya!"

"Ray, I said let's go!" A woman yelled, her hands itching to slam the hatch door closed. Why couldn't he get eaten already?

Ray jumped up, hugging Jamiya before running to her mother in the bunker. Hopefully, this hunt wouldn't be as long.

"Let's hope you don't make it back."

"Love you too." 'Jamiya' said, hearing the door to the bunker slamming shut. That familiar locking. One notch, two notches, three notches. It was safe now. He walked to the front door, his steps echoing in the quiet house. All they had was a rubbish brown couch, a long dining table, and a short coffee table. It was best to put their valuables away, you never know what could happen.

He opened the door; the rain was harsh against the ground then he stepped out locking the door behind himself. He hated being wet.

"Mommy!"

But he hated monsters even more. 

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

"Mommy!" A childlike scream echoed through the abandoned village, the people were hiding inside their homes. Praying to whatever God would answer their calls.

'Jamiya' or Jeremiah, if you asked him, walked through the village with head held high. The rain was harsh against his skin. It borderline burned but if he didn't focus on it, if he chose to ignore it, then it would go away.

"MOMMY!" The voice shrilled once again, its once replication of a child's voice changed into the scream of a banshee. It vibrated in his ears and made him lengthen his stride. He wasn't walking away from the beast; he was walking towards it. The squelch of the mud beneath his feet and the pattering of the rain was tedious. Why wouldn't the beast run toward him? Why was it so-