HUNT, OR BE HUNTED

CHAPTER 6: THE MAN AT THE DOOR

I watched as Kora toed open the door. A strong musty smell seeped up my nostrils. "Where are we?" I squinted into the darkness. I could make out the figures of a table and a sofa. Something scampered across the wooden floorboards.

"I live here," she said as the lights came on. "Sorry, it's a bit of a mess."

"I can see that," I scanned the place that looked as if it had been abandoned for ages. The wallpapers were coming off the walls, the floorboards were rotting, and the plaster ceiling seemed as if it would cave in any moment.

"Help me out here," Kora was shifting the table aside. "Jared?"

I didn't answer her. I stood there, frozen. I was staring at the painting hanging on the wall. It was a black panther with gleaming yellow eyes and open jaws-representing the carving I had seen on the killer's spear.

"What is it?"

"This painting..."

"It was a birthday present," she said quickly. She was hiding something, I knew it for sure. "What's with it?"

"It matches the carving on the spear," I said. "The carving you can't see when I can."

"Weird," she shrugged, and then bent down to try and shift the table. "It's nothing, Jared. And get over here. I need some help." It was as if it didn't even matter to her.

"You haven't told me everything yet," I lifted the table easily with one hand. "This is as light as a feather," I mocked her.

"The panther, it's a symbol," she said slowly. "A symbol for strength, stealth, purity."

"Why a panther?"

She shrugged. "Symbolizes me, in a way."

"I don't see how-

A loud bang on the door interrupted me. "I know you're in there. Get out of there before I break down the door." Whoever he was, he didn't sound as if he came in for a cup of coffee.

"Hide," Kora's eyes were wide. "Hurry up!"

I didn't hesitate. I dashed into the nearest closet, cramming my broad self into the tiny space. Kora opened the door an inch, and a hand shot out, wrapping her in a chokehold. Before I could even react, Kora had disappeared.

"Kora!" I stumbled out of the closet, ran for the door. I looked to the left, then the right. The alley was deserted. How could they have vanished within seconds? It just wasn't possible. "Kora!"

I knew the moment I stepped out of the door that nothing else mattered other than knowing that she was safe. I just had to find her.

###

"Let go of me!" Kora yelled, trying to pry his fingers from her arm.

"Are you stupid?"

"Let go, Jacque," Kora managed to pull free of his grasp.

"You're going to get yourself killed, you know that?" Jacque glared at her. "We are supposed to kill him, or he will kill us instead."

"He won't," Kora averted his gaze.

"Do you have feelings for this guy? He will kill you," Jacque hissed. "It's what he has to do. It's in his blood."

"You don't know that," Kora fired back. "You don't know him."

"Don't you understand?" Jacque took her by the shoulders, looked into her eyes. "Why else did I pull you out here? Huh? I'm saving your life!"

"I don't need you to save me," Kora sneered. "I don't need your help."

"Don't be stupid, Kora," Jacque took a step towards her. "I care for your safety. Please. Just listen to me."

"And why should I trust you? After what you did to me?" Kora burst out in a rage. "You lied to me, Jacque. And now you expect me to believe that you actually care for me?"

"No, I-

"Don't bother explaining it to me," Kora raised a hand. "I don't want to hear it."

"Why are you being like this?"

"I trusted you, Jacque."

"Kora-it's not what you think," Jacque tried to explain. "I had no choice."

"You just had to abandon me. You just had to leave me to die."

"I was going to come back for you, Kora."

"But you didn't. You didn't care if I was dead or alive. So leave me alone, Jacque," Kora began to turn away from him.

"Kora, please," he grabbed her arm. "I care for you. I really do."

"No," she shook her head.

"I can't let you go, Kora. Not this time." Kora gasped as she felt something sharp jab into her skin. "I'm sorry," was the last thing she heard before the darkness consumed her.

###

"Kora, where are you?" I dashed down the alley, looking in all directions. Where could she have gone? Had she been kidnapped?

"Hey, watch it!" an old lady I bumped into shook a fist at me. I muttered a quick apology.

It was already getting dark. I glanced up at the clouds that began to crowd together. Where was Kora? What if something terrible had happened to her?

I slowed to a jog, and stood there as the rain began to pour. I was drenched within minutes.. My head was beginning to spin. No, I couldn’t pass out now. Not when Kora needed me most.

I could feel a fiery heat inside me. I began to break out in a tremor. No. Please, not now. Please… I closed my eyes, trying to keep it all inside me. And all of a sudden it just happened. Everything began to intensify.

The drops of rain that pattered down on me was like thousands of drums beating at the same time. The water flowing steadily down the gutter was like a crashing waterfall. The thunder sounded like an earthquake. What was happening?

I pressed both hands over my ears, my eyes shut tight. There was some sort of a fire burning inside me, although I was shivering from the cold. And then I heard it. “Jared…” It was like a whisper. But it was unmistakably her. “Jared…” There it was again.

I took in a deep breath, cooling down my insides. I was sure some organs had been damaged from all that heat flaring within me. Slowly, I opened my eyes, turned to look at my reflection in the shop window, and let out a loud gasp.

My eyes were glowing a bright yellow.