The Hunt

Chapter 5

Vivenne exited the West medical centre as quickly as she could and started down the ancient staircases with her hand resting on the varnished oak banisters. It had been her fault that Jake had been bitten. It was her fault for the barriers not working. She should have checked them and then maybe all these attacks wouldn’t be happening.

“Hey, Vi, wait up”. She turned around to see a younger student, in the junior part of the school obviously, hurry towards her. “I heard another one got through the barriers today. Did you get him? What did he want? How did he get past the defences?”

  Vivenne growled mentally. The little boy was really annoying her now. He had asked her these questions every time the rumour of a man spread. It was like he was firing a machine gun loaded with words. She felt her anger rising and about to snap but bit her lip and sprinted as fast as she could down several flights of stairs and down into the basement of the school.

  The basement was exactly a basement. It was a serious training area with serious equipment and only people who had permission from a teacher could use.

  Vi looked around and saw what she wanted. She ran towards it, pointed her leg and finished the flying kick with a dodge as the punch bag came back towards her. Vivenne looked around for the rack of boxing gloves and was considering if she could be bothered to put them.

  Then the anger washed over her again and she gave the punch bag a hard side kick.

“Someone’s in a bad mood”

  Vi turned to see Ireth standing a few meters away. If it had been anyone else, Vi would have taken her anger out on them but Ireth had a way with calming her anger but just being there.

  Vivenne turned away.

“Oh for goodness sake. What’s wrong with you?”

  Vi turned to face Ireth again. “Oh I don’t know. Maybe the fact that it was my fault that Jacob was hurt and we still can’t catch of the trespassers.

  Ireth’s elfish features turned sympathetic. “It wasn’t your fault Vi. Even though you feel it was. We’ll catch one soon and when you do, you can kick him as much as you want. Come on. Take a break. If you go to your room and you rest for a bit, I’ll tell you about Lynsey’s day”.

This caught her interest.

“What about Lynsey?”

Ireth smirked.

*****

  Vivenne’s head started to clear of the sick feeling, anger, guilt and annoyance eighteen minutes later.

  She had changed out of her now destroyed sports uniform and changed into the most rebellious outfit she could find. Those happened to be black ripped shorts studded with silver, lace-up black lace stockings, black combat boots, a red vest top and a sleeveless leather jacket which she kept open. She was a contrast of angry red, fighting black and beautiful silver. To add to the effect, was a thick leather bracelet. Oh, and not to mention the fishnet wrist warmers.

  Ireth was not impressed. “Can’t you just let go of your anger for once?”

Vivenne pretended to be insulted. “And you expect me to? Really, I’ve lost my anger for now. I’m just in a stormy mood”

“I can see that” replied Ireth checking her up and down again.

“Hey! So…about Lynsey?”

“Oh yeah. You’ll find this hilarious”

  Sobs were welling out of Lynsey like a flurry of bubbles rising to the surface of water. She had started to fall apart since Henry and Sarah had left her.

  What was she doing here? She didn’t like it here She didn’t fit in here.

  She missed her room with all the comforts of home. She missed her extensive wardrobe and Sunday outings with Henry. But what she missed most, she realised, was Sarah and Henry.

  She missed their comforts, their kindness and helpfulness. But of course, they had sent her here. They didn’t want her.

  She was still collapsed against the student bathroom floor. Her cries were ragged and her breath was haggard. After a few more minutes, she had cried herself out and was too tired to sob anymore, she looked up at the clock. No! That was impossible! It was 9:03. Three minutes past the first curfew.

  At the Hunter’s School there were three curfews. The first was to signal that you had to be in your bedroom by 9:00, and then the second signal was for lights out at 9:30. The next bell was quietened and for the higher part of the school as they could stay up until 10:30.

  Lynsey was so tired when she reached her room and almost collapsed on the bed without changing into her pyjamas or getting washed. Almost.

  Just before she fell onto her bed, she looked out of her bedroom window. There was a moon. It was a  the last quarter moon of the month, which was bright and almost like the sun in the black night. Its pale and glowing surface with a true beauty to it shone over the dark forest which stretched for miles all around the school like a perimeter.

  Like a prison in the middle of nowhere.

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Dedicated to @Marifer773 who has the best profile picture and a great sense of humor!