Jump In The Fire

Chapter 7

The next day in the morning, I had to work early. I walk into the bar and see a familiar face. 'Hey Dean,' I say and I walk to him. He looks up, a smile crawls over his face. 'Hey Katelyn,' he says back. I walk behind the bar and do my thing. We chat for a while. Some way, we end up by family. 

'What do you think about family?' I ask. Dean frowns a little. 'I think. I think family is the most important thing there is. Something you should always hold on to.' I nod slightly. 'But what if your family, isn't really your family?' Dean frowns. 'What do you mean?' 

'A while ago, I discovered that my grandma and brother weren't my real family. A friend of my father came to visit me cause my real father couldn't. But that means that, my grandma and brother, they aren't family anymore.'  

'A wise man once told me: "Family don't end in blood" but it doesn't start there either. Family cares about you. Not what you can do for them. Family is there, for the good, bad, all of it. They got your back. Even when it hurts. That's family. So if that are the words to describe your grandma and brother, I don't know what else you should call them.' 

'But, what about my real father? Should I seek him or stay here... I don't know what to do. One part of me doesn't want to leave my grandma and brother, but the other part tells me to go.' 

'I can't tell you what and what not to do or feel. But I can tell you that about something like this, you should choose with your heart.'

o0O0o

When I came home tonight, Grandma was waiting at me with the same question, but this time I knew what I wanted to say. 

I nod slightly. Dean's words fly through my mind. 'I've thought about it and I have to find him,' I whisper. 'I know you have, let me show you something that will help you on your way,' grandma says. 'Wait, you're not going to stop me?' I ask surprised. 'Why would I? You would go anyway so the least I can do is help you finding the right direction,' Adele says. A smile crawls over my face and I run after Adele.

Grandma opens a chest she has never opened before. And I can see why. 'Two guns, one machete, rock salt, holy water and some other stuff that might come in handy. Grandma grabs a book out the chest and blows the dust of it. 'This is a journal of a hunter I used to know,' Adele says. I look up. 'You knew hunters?' Adele nods. 'I gathered some stuff during my younger days when I learned what was hiding in the night. I trust one it that you'll use them well.' I nod like a madman. 'I will grandma, I will.' 

~~~~~Jumping through time...~~~~ WOOOOEEEE ~~~~ 

I drive my car over the highway to Florence. Grandma said that there was the best way to start the journey.  I have a bag, filled with weapons and handy stuff, a suitcase with clothes and my own car. Grandma said I have to drive to this town with a big wood next to it. She said that there were people who could help me find my way. Grandma said that if I really want to do this, I'll have to learn how to fight first. 

After ten hours driving (but I stopped on the way by a motel to sleep), I book a room at a motel and dump my stuff in it. It's not big, but it will do. I look outside, it's nearly dark so I decide to put on my pajamas and lay down in bed. And that's what I do. I quickly fall into a dreamless sleep.

I woke up early and took a long shower, later I have time to sleep in. I have to find that man that can help me first. I walk to a bar nearby and look around in it. I have no idea how to encounter someone who might be a hunter. Cause what if he's not? I walk outside again and sigh. This is not really helpful. And I don't know my father's name. Only that he has a friend named Tom and that he knew my dad. No back name, no phone number, nothing. I stretch my arms and yawn. That could take hours.  

I walk a little around the town, it's not big like the motel room.

Adele told me about the big forest, I look to my left, seeing the trees and the bushes standing there like a brick wall. I shrug my shoulders and walk closer to it. 

'I wouldn't go there if I were you,' someone suddenly says. I turn around and look at an old man sitting on a bench before the bar. 'Wouldn't go where?' I ask. 'Going into the woods,' the man says stretching his arm to point at the trees. 'How did you know I wanted to go there?' I ask curious. 'Cause everyone does. Those trees, I don't know what it is but you just want to go there and walk around a bit. Some people give in and some of that people has never been seen again,' the old man says. I look at the forest again and walk to it. 'Teenagers,' the old man says. I don't listen and walk to the woods. 

~~~~~Jumping through time... again...~~~~ WOOOOEEEE ~~~~

I walk through the big, abandoned wood. There are so many trees that it's nearly impossible to see through. The bushes rustle slightly in the wind, making me uncomfortable. My flashlight shines from the left to the right. It's the only night in this God forsaken place. The wind howls through the trees and blows the leafs on the ground into the air. Branches crack under my feet and pebbles roll away by every step I take. 

I swear against myself for not going back sooner and because I should have listened to the old man. I went into the woods, it was beautiful when the sun went under. The leafs were a gorgeous green, and the flowers were amazing. I just didn't want to leave. Until the darkness fell and this forest suddenly turned creepy. 

The moon raises already and it's dangerous to be in the woods alone at night. The path is small and the branches of the trees pull at my clothes. Leafs stroke along my bare legs and goosebumps appear on my skin. Having a coat wasn't such a bad idea either. Suddenly, I hear something. I stop walking and listen closely. There is it again. Very soft footsteps and someone breathing. 

'Hello?' I ask. 'Is someone there?' A guy walks out the bushes. 'Oh, a human being! Thank God!' he says. I look at the man. He wears a new pair of jeans, not cheap sport shoes and a vest. 'I got a little lost in this woods when I went hiking, do you know what the fastest way to the city is?' he asks. 'Yes, I want to go back to. It's a little scary here at night isn't it?' I ask careful. 

'Yes indeed. Oh, I need to introduce myself, hay! I'm Finn Ringlet and I live in the town nearby. I understand if you want to keep some distance cause I would be scared as shit too when I would bump into some stranger in the woods at night. But don't worry, in the town I'm known as a nice guy. Let's walk further quickly cause I don't like it here.' I smile a little. That dude's OK. He seems like a nice guy. The bushes rustle again by the wind. Finn jumps up. 'What was that?' he asks. I chuckle. 'Relax, it was just the wind,' I say. We walk through, I lead the way and Finn follows.

After a short time Finn suddenly stops walking and he chuckles. I turn around and stroke a hair out of my face. 'What's wrong?' I ask. 'Nothing,' Finn says, still chuckling. Two pair of arms suddenly grabs me from behind and push me to the ground. I kick around me and manage to hit one of the attackers. I struggle and pull at my arms. I roll over the ground and make all kind of weird moves. The hands let me go and I stand up. With not looking back, I run as fast as I can through the forest.

A sting shoots through my side and my breathing gets more and more irregularly. I'm quite sure I can't keep this speed up for a long time. I hit my hand around a tree to make a sharp turn and run further between the bushes and trees. The resin of the tree sticks to my hand. I quickly look over my shoulder to see if any of those man still follows me. I don't see or hear anything. But it's too dark to see and I make too much noise myself. The stings in my side get worse and I continue a little slower, before I collapse of exhaustion and get found by those creeps anyway.

After a few minutes, I stop running cause I can't anymore. I put my hands on my side to made the stinging go away. My throat hurts from the wheezing and I have to swallow a few times. When I've catched my breath again, I look over my shoulder again. It's quiet, really quiet. To quiet. Before I can run away again, something jumps on me and pushes me against the ground. Leafs fly up and the thing on me growls. 

'Got you!' he says. I kick into the air and try to push him off me. 'Get off me!' I yell. 'Neh, not yet,' the man says. I look at him. He smiles and opens his mouth. Suddenly, some kind of shark teeth appear from his gums and he growls at me. Two other man run out the bushes. 'Diner time,' one of them says and with three man, they pull me with them.