The Hunter

Chapter 5 - Starry Night

Wow. That's all I can say. Wow. Sometimes, it's nice to forget I'm a super human forced to hunt vampires. Like today, I felt like an average teenage guy. I forgot I was a hunter, who lived a dangerous life, and didn't know when his life would end. Today, I was Martin, a regular, seventeen year old, hanging out with some friends.

New Hope is large, I knew that, but it gets even bigger when you walk everywhere. We went to the community garden, and I learned about a ton of new fruits and vegetables, like corn and mangoes. The girls thought it was funny that I didn't know what they were, but when you don't live a life when you're exposed to these things, you don't know what they are. Georgia thought it was cute, and used it as an opportunity to flirt with me. Picking some fruit, bread and lettuce to an abandoned house near the south edge of New Hope, a.k.a. the local teenage hang out. A bunch of other teenagers were there, all talking and playing games.

When I came in, everyone wanted to talk with me. I guess I have Brandon to thank for that as he talks about me a lot. He gave me a wink from the other side of the room, his way of saying you're welcome. Penny seems like a nice girl, even if her friends are into me. She's soft-spoken and well mannered, and it fits perfectly with Brandon's personality. Penny told me about how she comes from a large family, and met Brandon and school a few months before they started dating. Even though she knows that they aren't supposed to be together, she says that being close to him makes her day. Brandon told me that he would marry her, but that his parents would kill him, so that he's just going to wait until he's eighteen clear to marry her.

Meanwhile, I could not get Georgia to leave me alone. She's a nice girl, with dark skin, and curly black hair. She just seems like the type of girl who didn't want Martin, but Martin's body. She even invited me into one of the bedrooms, with that would only end in one way. After a few hours there, we split our ways, and Brandon and I began to head back home.

"Dude, I think Georgia has a thing for me," I told Brandon.

"Go for it!" He answered, "she's pretty cool."

"I would normally agree with you, except she just isn't my type of girl," I explained.

"I agree," Brandon answered.

If, for some reason, I ever decided to settle down and get married, it would not be with a girl like Georgia. She have to be someone who is independent, and smart. Despite not knowing her for long, I could tell her head was full of air. She also has to see me for me. Sometimes, all people care about is me being a hunter, or a hybrid, and it infuriates me. They think that I'm some god from Greek mythology, someone who's come to save them from all their troubles. But that's crap. I'm no hero, and I don't want to be treated like one. That's why Brandon and I have always been friends; he treats me like a normal human being.

We get home just as everyone is going to sit down to eat.  Dinner is ham and rice, and the smell hits me.  My mouth waters, and I immediately rush to the table.  I sit next to Elissa, and help her get food on her plate. 

"So, Martin, did you have a fun day?" Asked Adam.

"Definitely," I answered as I shoveled food into my face, then remembered my manners, and slowed down.  I'm not used to eating around people, so my table manners are a bit rusty.

"That means we can have even more fun!" Says Eli, "remember last time you said we could go stargazing?"

Remembering, I tell her, "If it's okay with your parents, I don't mind."

As Caleb and Anna both give me the "it's okay" nod, I say, "We can leave after dinner!"

Her smile grows, her brown eyes growing with excitement. We talk a bit about New Hope at the table, talking about how much it's improved since we've been gone. As soon as I finish eating, Eli is ready to go. I tell Adam we're going, and grab a blanket. Grabbing her hand, we walked out the door, and towards the river.

We found a nice spot a little ways away, close to the fields, away from the bright lights of the city. Eli laid out the blanket I brought, which she then proceeded to lay on. I sat on the side opposite to her, crossing my legs. The stars were just beginning to come out, dotting the dark sky. Looking at the stars always seemed to bring me a sense of peace, which is always a nice feeling.

"Elissa," I whispered, looking at her, "Do you know anything about the stars?"

"Nope," she answered, popping the p.

"Well, I'll teach you some things about them," I promised, then laid down with her.

My finger began pointing at different constellations that laid out across the sky, and I began explaining everything I knew about them. Adam made it his priority when I was little to have important constellations impeded into my mind. Over the years, I had pretty much learned all of them, mostly because they were always a common interest. The constellations were made up thousands of years ago. One day, I came across a book that talked about the myths behind the constellations. Eli was amazed by the simple stories, about princess and princes, hunters and monsters, animals and gods. She reminded me of what I was like when I was her age, always amazed by what I now considered common knowledge. Once I was done explaining, we laid back, and just admired them. Our silence, however, was quickly disrupted when I heard a rustling behind us.