The Hunted: Book One In The Hunted Trilogy

Betrayed

Yes sir," Sally walked up to Professor Sampson, "I was told you wanted me."

      "Just stand," Professor Sampson put sally next to his podium. Silence filled the room as faces turned to face the front of the hall, "Now as you all know three weeks ago the village was destroyed by a massive attack," raising his voice over the sudden chatter of students, Sampson continued, "and this was from a disobedience of our most important law. And only two people have ever broke that law, which law is it?"

      "Never," the students, and Sally, recited, "in any way shape or form, betray the people or place you protect."

      "Correct," Professor Sampson paced the high tables length, "and what is the punishment for braking this law?"

      "Imprisonment," the student where loud in replying.

      "And what if a hunter is hurt during that hunters betrayal?" Sampson asked.

      "Death!" again the students shouted but Sally only whispered it. Her whisper was so low only another werewolf would have heard.

      "Yes," Professor Sampson continued to pace up and down, up and down the long table, "I know you all are wondering where Henry, Anna, and Johnny are, am I right?"

      "Yes sir."

      "Well, you see, Henry is the reason we where attacked."

   A loud uproar of anger shot threw the group of students.

      "But," Professor Sampson yelled over the angry crowd, "not only did Henry betray us to what we hunt, he caused one of our number to change."

   With this, cries of bitter hate and pure anger puked out of each students mouth. Backing away Sally shook like a leaf as she saw a werewolf hunter twitch toward his gun. Only at the professors beckon did Sally move beside him.

      "As a result," Professor Sampson continued rapping an arm around Sally's shoulder, "Sally was bitten, by a werewolf, which means," his voice rose again over the cries of disgust from Sally's peers, "which means, Henry will be executed."

   Silence filled the room as the heavy comment sunk in. A few vampire hunters sat stunned, unmoving.

      "When?" A second grade boy asked, Sally recognized him to be Henrys baby brother and felt even more distaste toward Henry.

      "We are going to the court yard," Professor Sampson pulled out his pocket watch, "right now, so follow your head teacher and go sit down on the benches."

   The sound of hundreds of chairs scraping the stone floor was defining in the silent crowd. Many students gave looks of sorrow to Sally as they passed, but many others gave looks of discussed and warning glances twitching toward their pistols. One by one the hall emptied and Sally turned toward Menark, fear and grief in her once happy eyes.

      "My whole life," Sally let her head fall, "is going to change isn't it, not just me?"

      "Yeah," Menark picked up Sally's chin, "lets just hope you live to have a life."

      "As I told Eric.....sir," Sally walked down the steps, with the help of Menark and Lamace again, toward the courtyard, "whatever happens, whether they kill me or not, it should be for the best of the village and its people."

      "I know," Menark and Sally exited the main door into the courtyard, "but lets hope it means I don't have to kill you, or watch you be killed!"

   The two entered the courtyard and went to sit down where the teachers sat at a hunters game. Instead of the usual fake trees and bushes, as well as the large groups of dummies used to practice stealth, a wall had been resurrected in the middle of the courtyard. On the wall sat a pair of chains dangling down, waiting for their next victim. Lamace went to sit with Henrys family because he was head of the vampire hunters. Once everyone sat down, and the chatter subsided, trumpets sounded.

   Professor Richard walked out, followed by two guards who were followed by a cart with which Henry stood, chains connecting his arms with the wooden carts floor. He still wore the clothes Sally had made him for their two year dating anniversary. This made Sally almost reduce to tears. Henry was jerked ruffly off the cart and chained to the brick wall, arms high above his head. Henry's mother was now balling into Lamaces shirt, seeing her son was actually about to be killed.

   Sally looked down, for she was about to cry, then she saw her bandaged leg and the anger at Henry for not caring about anyone but himself overwhelmed her. "Henry Marcus Treator," a man stood beside Henry reading a large document out loud, "you have been accused of the following: giving all of our most kept secrets to the beasts we kill, causing a fellow hunter harm, and betraying your home, how do you plea?"

      "Guilty!" Henry whispered barely audible to all but sally. His head hung low, facing the gravel, to scared to face his class mates and family as his death approached.

      "Your sentence," the man continued, "is to be shot by the means of killing a vampire tell you are dead. May God have mercy on your soul!"

   Johnny and Anna walked in slowly, each wearing black clothes and holding four wooden stakes. Johnny's face showed fear where Sally expected sorrow, as Henry and Johnny had been close. Anna's face was full of sadness and fear as she walked up in front of Henry with Johnny. Lamace had to lead Mrs. Treator out for her cries had grown to great. This mad Henry look up, the fear and sadness in his eyes should he was truly sorry but knew this was his consequence.

   Johnny and Anna looked at each other, their pained expressions making this ten times harder for Sally, whose anger had grown to a boiling point by now. The two raised their weapons, the first hit Henry in his stomach, the second, his leg, the third hit the right side of his chest, and his last breath came and went as Anna's stake pierce Henry's heart. Gasps covered the crowed, screams from the first graders mad all the older hunters turn, shooting pain threw Sally's side and leg as she did this, who turned back around when they saw who it was.

      "Alright," Sampson stepped in front of Henry's body, "lets get to class, looks like we need a review of the rules to this trade!"

   Moans erupted from the large congregation of students as they filed out of the courtyard. It seemed the students had already forgotten about Henry, whose body was being taken down to be buried in the prison yard were they buried werewolves who died under capture.