The Hunted: Book One In The Hunted Trilogy

Friends

"Hey sweety," Suzan, Sallys mom, smiled and hugged her daughter, "You've grown so much sence we last talked!"

"Your moms a WITCH!!" Mandy growled.

"No!" Suzan laughed before Sally could reply, "I'm not a witch! what gave you that idea?"

"Your clothes," Mandy snarrled.

"Oh heavens no," Suzan laughed, "I borowed this dress from the cottage I've been living in thies last tweenty years. A witch did live there once though."

"Why didnt you come back?" Sally asked, ignoring her friends fears, "especaily when you found out the truth?!"

"Same reason you cant with out trouble," Suzan replied, "Sampson(this earned a growle from the girls) would have me killed. the whole village knew my face, my voice."

"Why didnt you write to dad?"

"What would i say?"

"Let him know you where alive! we thought you were dead!"

"I know."

"I missed you so much mom!" Sally hugged her mother once more.

"As did I!"

"Sally," Mandy said, making Sally and suzan jump as they had forgotten the other girls, "what if shes a spie for Sampson!"

"Shes not!" Sally barked.

"I say we don't take chances!" Mandy growled. Right before Mandy could pounce Sally was on her. The two rolled in the dirt as Sally tryed to get Mandy to understand that Suzan was a good guy. Suzan, and Nichole managed to pull the girls appart, Sharren was still in shoke that Sally even pounced!

"Calm down," Nichole barked, "Both of you!"

"I'll prove im not a spie once we get back to my house," Suzan put Sally, now calm, next to Nichole and Mandy across the way, "watch them Nichole!"

"Can we light a fire first," Sally asked, rubbing her shivering arms, "I get its only around three o'clock but this fall air is chilling me to the bone!"

"Sure," Suzan laughed, "go hunt down enough wood to get the fire going, I have a couple pieces of coal that we can use to start it."

The girls got up and went in diffrent directions to gather wood. The forest that sarounded Sally spread in bright colors of reds and golds. A crisp cool breez broke the warmth of Sallys shual as she reached to pick up more twigs and branches to add onto her already full arms. She was heading back to camp when a gun shot boomed, bouncing off every tree in the forest. Sally amediatly dropped all her wood and began to run toward the sound.

"Sally!" Suzans frantic voice called, "Sharren, Mandy! Come quick!"

Why didnt she call for.... Sallys thoughts froze, NO, no it cant be!

Sally ran even faster threw the forest toward the sound of her mothers voice. Once in the clearing Sallys fears were confirmed. Nichole lay on the forest floor, red blood pooled around her body and her eyes stared unfocused into the stars. Two more people lay there. One lay dead in the leaves, his face so familiar to Sally she wanted to cry. The boys name was Jack, he had been four-teen. And against a tree, uncounsius, lay Ace.

"I know you didnt want Ace killed, "Suzans voice rose above Sallys haze. Anger quickly took place of the shock and Sally began shaking uncontrolobly. Sally saw that Mandy and Sharren had arrived next to her and were shaking with equal vigor. All three covered the forest floor with green guck and where soon replaced by wolves.

"That happens when we get upset," Suzan explained, "Thats why i pulled you and Sally apart. Its also why we are labled 'uncontrolables' to the world."

"Oh, no!" Sally barked.

"Even though i cant understand you," Suzan said, hearing the pain in Sallys howle, "I know somthings wrong, what is it?"

To answer Sally picked a pice of her birthday gown up with her nose."

"Its alright," Suzan said, "I'll fix it."