Cold-Blooded

The Hunted

Only 30 minutes. That was the amount of time I had. The consequences? Unimaginable. Time to get to work.

It never stayed in one spot for very long. If I didn't act now, I wouldn't get another chance. I knew it, and it knew. I gathered my tools lying on the table by the door, carefully counting each one. I couldn't afford to miss this time. Before I left I pulled out my notebook one last time, running my fingers down the worn spine before flipping it open. I had written down everything in this book. It was a bittersweet moment. Knowing that if things worked out, I wouldn't need it again, I left it on the table as I left the doorway.

I crept along in the shadows, afraid to let my existence be known to any around me. I needed to face this on my own. No one could help me, or stop me. No one had believed me when I told them about the monster. After today, everything would change. Nothing could stay the same when people knew of its presence.

I could still feel the sticky inkness of its fingers lingering in my mind. It needed to end. If I didn't do a single thing with my life, it had to be this. I would die happy knowing I took care of the beast no one could recognize. The beast people refused to see. It was there. It was always there. How could they not see it? No matter. Now was the time. Only 20 minutes now.

I could feel the stench before I could smell it. It seemed to permeate my skin. Filling every pore with the horror I couldn't yet see. It was only a matter of time before it stole away everything. Even the colors seemed to dull around me. I couldn't stand another moment. I paced around the outside of its handmade enclosure, knowing that time was ticking down. There wasn't a minute to lose, and yet all I could do was pace.

What was stopping me? It was almost as if a part of me was fighting what I knew I had to do. It didn't make sense. I could almost feel the despair pulsating buried under my thoughts, inaccessible. A quick glance at the time brought more fears to mind. Only 10 minutes. Time moved much more quickly with my thoughts running through each scenario as rapidly as they had been. It seemed almost impossible to narrow down any sort of action.

The possibility of my death never seemed to far away as I fingered the handles of my tools hanging limply at my side. However for the first time in years, the fear that had always accompanied it had vanished. I felt that with conquering the ultimate fear, there was nothing left to fear. The monster didn't stand a chance.

I entered the room, and the familiar chill settled over my chest, filling my skeleton with the dead weight of uneasy tension. It had sensed my presence. There was no going back now.

No words were spoken, but each side knew how the story would end. We encircled each other in an age old dance. The hunter and the prey together, but this time things were different. The hunted was fighting back. I refused to let another die for this being. The shadows it had used for cover slid back as it showed its true form. The pale figure before me was unrecognizable as human, save for the eyes. Eyes that had once held a pure hopeful soul now lay empty, desolate. All that remained was a bloodlust centuries of bodies had not satisfied.

I stood before it, determined to be the last. Every action I took was quick and precise. movements in the monster slowly stilled as it lay dead at my feet. I had done it. I had conquered the beast that had run rampant through my nightmares. I set the tools down, finally allowing myself to rest. I had made it with two minutes to spare. The sun was just setting, and the last bit of light filtered through what was left of the walls. A glint from a mirror caused me to turn, and the strangeness of sight didn't seem to affect me as it had done before. The life slowly dripped my bones and a lump of fear lodged in my throat as I watched, unable to look away. The one ending I never thought of, the one I didn't think to prepare for. By killing the monster I had feared for so long, I became one myself.

Do you have any unanswered questions? Constructive criticism? Did you enjoy it? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!