The Hunt

Chapter 4

"You can't do-" 

"I can do whatever I want." A voice hissed. 

A sharp, angry laugh bellowed out of someone's throat, and I flicked my eyes open. My head felt heavy and tired as I lifted it from the damp ground, small pieces of dirt and sticks plastered on the side of my face. 

"You'll regret it, Archer." The strange voice boomed, the threat followed by the sound of a low growl. 

I wiped the flakes of dirt off of my cheek and sat up slowly, keeping my movements light and silent. I could hear the two voices still arguing, but their words were slurred in my pounding head. I lifted a heavy hand and wiped my eyes, slowly removing the clouds blocking my vision. Before me, Archer stood, his body shining brilliantly under the morning sun. When I took a closer look, I noticed that his face was tight and angry, his hands balled up into tight fists. His sandy hair was messy, the slight curls dancing in different directions. His blue eyes were ablaze, boring into the eyes of another figure. I took a second to study the new silhouette, which was most definitely a man, based on his tall, broad body. He was slightly shorter than Archer, his black hair reaching almost to his shoulders. His chest was puffed up, giving him a menacing appearance before Archer. 

The shouting continued. "You have no business picking up a random girl-"

Archer's growl deepened and he gnashed his teeth, stepping closer to the new man. He towered over the black haired stranger, his eyes thick with determination. 

"You better shut your mouth Ryan, before I-"

"Shut it for me? I'd like to see you try." The stranger, Ryan I presumed, sneered, shoving Archer in the chest and making him stagger back a few feet. 

Slowly, I began to shift from my awkward position to a more comfortable one. Under my weight, a few twigs cracked and I froze, the sound echoing through the forest. Both boys' heads whipped towards me, their eyes boring into me. Each boy's face was stone-cold, only their eyes' revealing their surprise. But Archer recovered quickly and forced a small smile, unclenching his fists and relaxing his shoulders.

"Good morning, Sophia." He cooed, his smile growing as I stood. 

I hugged my chest, unease and anxiety wafting through me. "Hey." My voice sounded coarse and rough as I spoke, and I cleared my throat. 

A thick silence hovered over our heads as everyone remained completely silent. The stranger kept his eyes glued to me indefinitely, seeming to not even blink. I nodded in his direction, unable to formulate my feelings into words. It was clear that I was not welcome in his book. 

Finally, Archer broke the silence. "Sophia, this is my brother, Ryan." He said, his voice like silk through my ears. 

"Your brother?" I echoed accidentally aloud. 

Ryan scoffed, "Yeah, he just said that." 

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he smirked at me, stealing a quick glance away from me to see Archer's expression. It was set cold, annoyance flickering over his face. 

"Don't." Archer threatened Ryan, gritting his teeth tightly. Ryan shrugged, letting his hair bounce off of his shoulders. Finally, he peeled his eyes from me and turned to his brother. 

"Mom's not going to like this." He smiled, his grin far from genuine. "And not to mention Charlotte-" 

Archer cut his brother off, his voice growing louder and angrier by the minute. "Enough!" He yelled, the intensity of his voice making the birds take off from their perches in the trees and into the open sky. I gulped nervously, rubbing the goose bumps that had festered over my arms.