Dusk and Dawn

Chapter 3

What was I to do now that the morning had come? Hunter must be sleeping right now. I stretched and dragged myself out of bed. It was around 9 in the morning and I started my morning routine of going to the bathroom, changing clothes, and having some cereal for breakfast. You can probably guess what I cereal I'm eating. Give up? It was... Count Chocula cereal.

"Aren't you a little too old for that?" My mom asked me. I didn't reply. I just wanted to enjoy my cereal. The chocolate filled my mouth and I was in heaven. If it wasn't chocolate, it was something else sweet that sent me to heaven. My stomach was eating itself, and it was saying 'I'm starving. Feed me.' Demanding.

After I finished I stood in the doorway to the living room. Thinking of what to do I slowly eased toward the front door. Walked out the door I did and outside I looked around. Everything was so bright. I was glad to be in the light somewhere after last night.

The cool autumn air hit my bare arms from my tank shirt I was wearing. I looked around the neighborhood and it was quiet. The wind blew my hair. I then decided to go get a haircut and a new hairstyle, and go get my nails done. They looked so naked and pink.

At the salon, I got my hair cut till it was around my neck and put light red color streaks through my dark hair. Loose and big curls was made at the ends of my hair, curling against my neck. I got my nails painted five colors, one on each finger: red, blue, purple, green, and black. Except for the black nail, I had my different colored nails topped with a line of black, and I had small skulls painted on each one.

"Awesome!" I told the girl at the salon. I looked like a different person. And I loved my nails. Perfect for a date... with Hunter.

**

I waited till sunset to go outside again. I made my way to Hunter's house, hurrying along as fast as I could. Reaching the door I knocked on the old wooden door. I just hoped that I didn't disturb him. For being a vampire wasn't easy, I found out. Hunter told me that you'd never die, you'd have to hide and try to drink blood, and then get rid of evidence. There was still questions I wanted to ask him.

Hunter opened the door, disrupting my train of thought. He was dressed casually. He smiled at me, his vampire teeth showing. "Hi. Are you ready?" he asked as he looked at me up and down.

"Yeah." I replied.

"Where do you want to go?"

I didn't have no idea. I never been in a date before. Not that this was a serious date. It was just a date where friends hang out with each other. I thought and thought where we could go. All I could think if was fast food places.

"How about Burger King, or something like that?"

We then walked into town. It was not so crowded tonight. I wondered why. The town of Everett was boring, sure, but it was strange even so for no one to be around, especially at night. That got me thinking about last night. Chills and shivers ran down my spine, made me shudder. Hunter must've noticed because he adjective me if I was cold. It was October, after all, and I was wearing a short sleeved shirt, with blue jeans and my nice black boots I wear when I go out.

"No, I'm fine." I told him. He stayed quiet whether he believed me or not. The lights from the Burger King flashed through out the darkness. We walked in the door and wanted to order separately. Hunter told me that he'd order something he could "sink his teeth into". For some reason that scared me a bit. But maybe it was because I wasn't used to hanging around a vampire yet.

I ordered a burger with fries and a small soda, and I sat down at a table. Hunter came back with an apple. I looked at him questionably. "That's all you want?"

He explained,"Yes, I've already consumed enough food that I got sick. It's horrible to have everything you eat come back out. So that's why I'm just going to drink fresh apple juice. Do you understand now, Willow?"

"Yeah, sort of. I've never seen or heard of a vampire eating human food."

"Well, I had to act normal as you consider normal, eating food. Maybe I'll just bring my own lunch from now on."

"Good idea."

I smiled as we laughed and talked about random things. I got quiet though as Hunter told me the story of how he was born into his vampire life. His master, the one who turned him and was like a brother to him in a sense, didn't approve of what he wanted to do, which was to get stronger and control his blood lust, and since his master told him that it was dangerous to gain so much power that he'll overthrow him he left and had been on his own since then. I was fascinated. It was awesome hearing a story about a vampire through the mouth of one. This was every vampire lovers dream.

"Wow! Your master sounds like a control freak." I told Hunter. He nodded his head. I changed the subject to try to cheer him up. "Uhm... Do you like school so far?"

"Yes, I find it... interesting..."
His eyes seemed distant, like he was looking at something else. Or he was seeing something else pass over his sight, over his minds eye.

It was my turn to be silent. Hunter asked me,"I noticed that you weren't the same person you usually are. You... didn't talk as much as you usually do, like at school. Is there anything wrong?"

I hoped all this evening that he wouldn't bring that up. Oh, well, so much for that. I might as well tell him. He could be a body guard. I breathed in a breath and said to him,"Last night, when I went out with my friends to go to a movie, on our way home I thought I saw someone watching us. Angel thought I was hallucinating or something but I know what I saw. And I don't know who it was." Hunter looked at me strangely like he knew something and replied to me,"You must've been imagining, Willow."

I wouldn't take this from him. "Hunter! I know I saw him.... IT there! I'm not crazy!"

I sighed deeply and didn't say anymore about it. Instead I enjoyed eating my food in silence. I thought that this date wasn't going to be so awkward. Now I felt a little uncomfortable, being self conscious about the few people that were around us. 'I thought you were my friend,' I said to myself. Either he knew or he read my mind, because Hunter reached his hand to mine and small smiled at me. It was a friendly gesture and it made my heart race.

"Did you read my mind?"

"Yes. You said 'I thought you were my friend.' I am, Willow. I am."

Unbelievable! He did read my mind. For a few seconds I had forgotten that he was a vampire with powers. He calmed me and the atmosphere around me. I felt safer with him already. Hunter made me feel so much better, made me feel so good about myself and my life. Perhaps it was his charismatic charm he possessed. Whatever it was I liked it.

After I finished my meal we walked out way back home into the suburbs. It felt good to have my problems off my chest and off my shoulders. However that didn't last. In the night we walked until I saw that dark figure again, hiding in the shadows from the street lamps light. I clung on tighter to Hunter's arm.

"What is it?"

"There's something there." I pointed to where the figure stood. Hunter looked and then replied,"I don't see anything." I couldn't believe this! "He's right there in front of your eyes!  How can you not see him?" I'll assume this person is a he.

Hunter stayed silent the rest of the night. I didn't know if he was mad at me lying to him or he was actually serious. I couldn't tell. But it just made me more worried that there was someone out there, someone dangerous.

A/N: Hope you're enjoying this so far. We're getting into the good parts of the story but then that means that it'll take a while longer to get these chapters typed, with life being so busy for me. Stayed tuned for more updates!