New Beginnings Volume I - The Hunt

The Change

       I went to bed but I just couldn't fall asleep. I kept thinking about how good I started the day and how awful it turned, and then realized that all this time I've been thinking only of the bad side but never of the good things or all the advantages, just the bad stuff. The though actually made me feel better, all this time I've been trying to be what I am not : ordinary! I had to embrace my true nature and to see the good in it, to be who I really am. And in fact, that exactly what I did. I had a pretty good sleep that night, excepting the fact that Lana got in and out and back in for about three times, but in rest it was good, until a certain point.
I woke up with an agonizing numbness in my right leg. I strectched it and tried to fall back asleep but it wasn't long until it spread and it was now affecting both legs, going up to my arms. It felt like all the muscles in my body were stretched beyond limits like something was trying to break me into pieces. It wasn't really painful but it was a lot of pressure and I was gasping for air on the cold floor.
Lana : "H-Han ?" she said waking up. She then jumped out of her bed and rushed to the place I was standing. "What's wrong? Should I call 911 ?" but I couldn't reply to her, I was barely able to breathe. She then grabbed my hand and closed her eyes, her energy going through my body was soothing. It relaxed me and allowed me to breathe again. I looked at her and saw the sweat on her forehead and the fact that she was breathing heavily.
Hanna : "Thank you. You're all sweaty ... "
Lana : "Look who's talking." I then realized that I was in a worse shape than she was. I took a shower and changed my sheets. "What just happened?" I thought to myself. I was worried that I had a strange disease that might be fatal, I needed to see a doctor first thing in the morning.
"Good night." she said and we got back to sleep. I wanted to ask her about what happened the other day but I was too tired and now it wasn't really the best time.
I waited for the doctor to let me in as Melissa McCal passed by and stopped as she noticed me.
Melissa : "Oh, Hanna ... did something happened ?"
Hanna : "Umm, no. Just some regular checks." I said and tried to smile.
Melissa : "Oh, ok. Good luck then." she said and left.
To my surprise the doctor said everything was fine, I even had my blood tested ... again, and it showed nothing wrong! The doctor said it may be because I did too much physical effort too sudden and that I should exercise more often but not to tire myself too much. And that made no sense. Actually I was even more active lately as I spent the previous month running for my life mostly everyday. I went back to school and made it for the second period. When I walked in I noticed Lana was sitting alone and Faye sat next to Lydia, Jo to Irene. I went to sit next to Lana and they all gave me glares. I looked confused and ignored them as the teacher stepped in the room.
Hanna : "What's going on ?" I whispered to Lana. She just looked at me obviously mad at something and then looked down at her notebook. She bit her lip, still undecided if she wanted to talk or not.
Lana : "I thought they told you by now ." she finally said.
Hanna : "Tell me what ?"
Lana : "About him." I then realized what this was all about.
Hanna : "What the hell were you thinking anyway ?!"
Lana : "Don't you start too ... "
Hanna : "Um yeah, I will. And I'm doing it because I know what he is capable of."
Lana : "He's not like you think he is ... "
Hanna : "He tried to kill me!"
Lana : "You don't know him."
Hanna "Neither do you!"
Teacher : [clearing throat] " I'm sorry, you have anything to say to the class miss ?"
Hanna : "Um no, I'm sorry." she gave us a look and then got back to her lesson. "Do you really like this guy ?" she raised her head and nooded. I sighed. "Just be careful ... " A grin appeared on her face she got back to taking notes. Lana was my best friend and if she though she could trust him I believed her. Love strikes when you least expect so what if he actually was the right guy for her? Of course that didn't mean we would completly trust him or that their relationship would change anything between us, he was still a hunter. The bell sound meant nothing but a big fat fight with the other girls. Not just I sat next to her and actually talked to her but I was also accepting the fact of them seeing each other.
Faye : " Oh, so we should understand now that you're on her side ?"
Hanna : "There are no sides. Look, I know how the situation looks but we need to stay out of it this time. I know he's ... what he is, but if she says she has everything under control I believe her. And shame to you if you don't, because I thought we were supposed to be united and to have faith. Where's that faith ? Hm ?" they just looked at me and then at each other.
Irene : "I agree. I mean ... everyone has the right to be happy, no matter what you are. It's her decision if she wants to date a hunter or a homeless, not ours."
Jo : " Yes, you're right. But just promise you'll keep your eyes wide open and won't tell him anything about us."
Lana : "I promise." she said and they hugged.
Faye : "Ok, ok fine." she said and gave her a light smile.
Irene : "Ok. If we're still on the topic ... Taylor asked me out."
Jo : "What?!"
Faye : " Are you insane!?"
Hanna : "What are you going to wear?" they stared at me. "What? He's evil not blind."
Jo : "This is not funny."
Hanna : "Then why are you smiling ?" she giggled. The rest of the hours passed quickly. It was time to go home already before I realized. It was finally weekend! I love weekends. Weekend, weekend, weekend! It was all I had in mind on my way back home. Lana was meeting ... him, Jo was with her so called boyfriend, Irene left one hour earlier in order to get ready and was probabily with that guy, Taylor, and Faye ... god knows where she was, I haven't seen her from lunch.
I got out of my car and remembered I left my phone inside, so I opened the door and grabbed it. As I turned around I was stunned to see the woman hunter, Sue, standing in front of me. I frowned in disgust. I wasn't actually scared of her, no, she just made me ... sick . It was probabily because of her careless appereance.
Hanna : "Look who decided to visit." I said and closed the door of my car, still keeping eye contact. Sure, I wasn't scared of her but I wasn't stupid. If the bitch would try anything I would need to act fast.
Sue : "Chill out, I'm not here to fight. I actually came to talk to you." I lifted an eyebrow. " I know that we might not be in the best place right now ... "
Hanna : "Best place? Ha! Yeah., try 'I'm struggling not to rip your arm and beat you to death using it' kind of feelings."
Sue : "Ok, I did some stuff ... "
Hanna : "Like marking my friend." I said on a more serious and acusing tone.
Sue : "Right. How is he ? Or should I say, is he anymore ?" she chuckled in satisfaction. And I was so happy I could break it for her.
Hanna : " Risking to lose what he have togheter, I am sorry to announce you he is actually better than ever." I said and grinned. She frowned in confusion. " Did you know that faeries can actually remove hunter marks ? " She was stunned as she heard my words. " Neither did I. "
Sue : "It's impossible ... it's ..." she said and laughed nervously.
Hanna : "Oh, it's real. " I said making a fake sad face. "And he's pretty mad at what you did so if I were you I wouldn't wonder around Beacon Hills carelessly. But hey, it's your choice."
Sue : "You know I can kill you any minute, right ? I know what happened that night, and I know how helpless you are."
Hanna : "Oh, really?" I said ironic.
Sue : "Yes. That's why I'm offering you a deal. If you would come and join us I promise you protection 24/7, and also a home and anything else you need. I know Chris trained you and judging by what you did to Diana and Drake he trained you well, it's an offer you can't refuse."
Hanna : "Try this then : no."
Sue : " I'm telling you you're making a big mistake."
Hanna : "Think again." I said and turned my back. She was really getting on my nerves and I was too enthusiast about the weekend to let her spoil it.
Sue : "Don't you turn your back to me." she said and brutally grabbed my hand and turned me to face her. I pulled out of her grip and I wanted to yell at her but it came out differently, a bit too differently I would say. She watched me amazed and took a step back.
Sue : "Did you just ... hissed?" As I heard her saying the words I realized it was exactly what I did. It was strange as I was thinking more about it, and it was the fact that it didn't sound like me but more ... animalic, wild. She gave me one last look and then left quickly.
I didn't know what to think of what just happened. The situation was more serious than I thought and I needed to find out more about this so I surfed the internet for the next thirty minutes. I found some pretty interesting stuff, but I had no idea how much was true and how much was just fiction. Anyhow, I remembered those words that Collins and also Mrs. Grandwood used - yee naaldlooshii. I searched for it and was amazed by the results. It said exactly what Mrs. Grandwood stated. Navajo witch that can shift, also one of the best healers. There were many shapes that a skin walker ( as they were also called) could take. I looked back to the time I was shown the golden bracelet and it's gems, as half of them were filled with fae power the other ones with all my witch ancestrals' power. But there was one in particular that got my attention : tiger's eye. Since the stones reflected my powers then this one should also have a meaning, and I then realized what was the meaning of it. It all made sense now.
The smell, the jump from Diana's balcony when I landed perfectly, with no scratch, the glowy eyes, the mountain lion from when I was dead, they all represented my nature ... my feline nature. When I died the power sealed was unleashed and so the witch part was set free. The cougar gave me one of it's lives, it brought me back. All these facts actually made me excited. I ran enough from the hunters and it was time I get to use my supernatural abilities. Knowing Irene, Faye, Lana and Jo already managed to master their powers made me nervous for a time, but not anymore. There comes a time when you need to step forward and stop carring about what anyone else thinks. That time came for me, it was my era.

~ I would like to thank you kindly for taking your time to read this story. We reached the ending of the first volume of "New Beginnings" intitulated "The Hunt". But the story will be continued in a new volume with more love, horror and bloody adventures. ♥ ~