The Hunt

1. The Day That Changed Everything

"Look." Maxine Bermuda could hear her sisters voice from down the hall. "I'm not saying that Bigfoot is real, I'm just noting that there is some irrefutable evidence out there that something like him exists."

"Something like him, so that could be a bear, or panther, or even a wolf! Why does there have to be a whole other undiscovered species to explain what could just be a trick of the eye?" Their father questioned with a chuckle. As Maxine walked towards the living room/ kitchen, she could hear her sister give out a sigh of frustration.

"Because! Well - "

"Because all those myth tracking blogs you follow are beginning to get to you." Said their mother.

Max rounded into the room and hung onto the side of the wall, finding Moxie sitting cross legged on the couch with their father next to her, his feet up on the coffee table and a newspaper in front of his face.

"Oh, I don't know." Max chimed in. "She could be right, maybe people aren't seeing Bigfoot. Maybe they're seeing aliens in disguise. It makes sense, you know." Their mother laughed from the kitchen, and Moxie fixed her older sister with a glare. She leaned over and ripped the newspaper out of her fathers hand and threw it with all her strength towards Max, but it slowed as soon as it was thrown and landed just a few inches away from the couch.

"Shut up." She muttered, though not with as much anger as she could. While their father made no other reaction than to take off his reading glasses and watch T.V, their mother stepped in.

"Okay, that's enough. No more Bigfoot talk today, okay? Especially not while me and your father are out all day, I'd hate for the both of you to kill each other when we're not here to watch."

Moxie grunted and turned back around to watch TV. Max stepped forwards and leaned on the fridge.

"Alright, no problem. I have to work on my college applications today anyway."

"Really? You decided to stop after only two gap years? I'm surprised, you're almost of drinking age, why don't you wait until you hit that marker?" Scoffed her father.

Max grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. "Shut it, you know I've been taking online courses." She took a bite of the apple and then pointed it towards the couch. "And I don't care what you say, they do count."

"Are you kidding me? I'm only just starting high school this fall and even I know that online college doesn't do shit for your application." Said Moxie in her usual know-it-all voice. Max waved her arms frantically at her sister and turned to her mother.

"Why is she even up?! The demon always sleeps until at least noon, why has she awoken from her slumber to torture me?!"

"She woke up for bacon." Their mother answered as she walked from the kitchen into the living room. Before Max could even ask whether there was some left for her, Moxie said, "Technically, I woke up for your share and my share of bacon."

"Dad!" Max shrieked, trying to get even a little justice for her sisters crimes.

"Relax." He answered. "The early bird gets the worm, and besides, you have an apple. That's healthier."

With neither of their parents watching Moxie turned around and stuck her tongue out at Max, who then threw up her hands and walked back into her room. Just an hour later there was a knock at her closed door. Max, so concentrated on what she was writing, did not even look up.

"Max! We're leaving now, you have enough air in there?"

"Mhm.' Max muttered, just loud enough so that her mother could hear.