Memories of You

Chapter 1

Your destiny was already planned for you before you were born.

Your parents were shocked when it was discovered they were expecting. Kids were never discussed between Paul and Leila Kolson, as Paul was a veteran hunter and, well, kids weren't exactly the kind of thing you had when you hunted supernatural monsters for a living. Once you were born, Leila told her husband that this child would know nothing about the hunting world and if he were to be a part of the child's life, he was to give it up for good.

Which was exactly what he planned to do. Until Leila ended up being possessed by a demon intent on killing the newborn, a tiny baby girl.

Despite the pain and tragedy that would befell his life, Paul did what he did best. He killed the demon possessing his wife, taking the mother of his daughter along with it. Burning Leila's corpse was one of the worst memories Paul Kolson would ever have, watching as her body went up in flames as he bottle-fed his newborn daughter.

He didn't have a choice but to continue the life in which he was raised in. And he knew he was going to be passing down the Kolson family traditions onto you, just as his father and grandfather did to him.

Life on the road was tough in your early years. During a calendar school year, you went through no short of a dozen schools. But you managed to keep your grades up enough to score a full ride to Berkeley, giving you a chance to do anything you wanted in life.

Your father encouraged it, begged even. He wanted you to have something he never got. A chance to be 'normal.'

"Dad, this is normal. What we do, the infamous Kolson Family secret, hunting is my life. It always will be. I only kept up with school because when we weren't out training, that was my job. But now. Now I can continue the tradition."

"I don't want you to, sweetheart," Paul pleaded with you. "Please try to understand it from my point of view. There's only one way you leave this life, my dear. You either die from a hunt, or you live long enough to want to die. There are no other ways to get out. But this," he held up the packet that contained your invitation to Berkeley. "This is what I really want for you. And I know your mother would've wanted it too."

Now he had you. It was never his intention, but every time he brought up your mom, usually it left you feeling guilty. Your mother died from the supernatural when you were a newborn. Without pictures, you wouldn't even know what she looked like. But you weren't a naïve kid anymore. It wasn't going to work.

"Maybe," you started, "but if Mom really was the awesome woman you always claimed her to be, I know she'd want me to do whatever I wanted. And I want to hunt. I'm a 4th generation Kolson Hunter. And I'm good at it. Especially with my gift. I can't imagine doing anything else."

It looked like you had your dad at that. Paul knew his wife better than anyone else. And you were right. Leila would've wanted you to pursuit what would make you the happiest. And if that was hunting, he had no leg to stand on in his argument.

But it still made him uneasy when you mentioned your gift.

He remembered when you first discovered your ability. You had the power to erase a person's memory. And it could be tailored, altering memories to fit a person's lifestyle. Very unique for such a young girl. It wasn't anything too drastic, and it didn't make you anymore of a witch than the ones they hunted, but it still put the rest of the hunting community on edge. He would hear the names some would whisper behind your back as you walked by. "Freak." "Unnatural." "Witch in training" He always made sure to keep his anger in check because he knew it was something you were proud of. It made you who you were. It made you special.

And that gift of yours proved to be useful when it came to hunting. Some of the people the two of you rescued didn't want to remember the horrors that they faced every single day. So, you would put them at ease. You'd erased the memories of what they saw so they could go on living normal lives. Just a rested tap on the forehead with your index and middle fingers squeezed tightly together and the victims would go into a peaceful sleep. By the time they woke up, you and Paul would be long gone, and the only memories of their encounters with the monster of the week would be that the loved ones they'd lost died a long time ago. They could go on in their own innocence, like it never even happened.

Sometimes Paul wished you weren't his daughter. That you were someone else who could've used your gift on him after Leila's death. But he knew that wasn't realistic. He was stronger than that.

"I don't like it," Paul breathed, bringing him back to the present. "But you're right. Your mother would want you to be happy. If you want to continue the Kolson Family tradition, I won't stop you. But, do me a favor first? Talk to your Uncle Bobby in Sioux Falls before you take on a case yourself. He may be able to give you some tips."

"Why can't you do it?" you asked as you continued field stripping your firearms.

"Y/N, I've taught you all I know. Sometimes other hunters can give you better insight. There's no such thing as too much knowledge in this business. More knowledge equals less chance of dying on a hunt."

So that night you packed up your stuff and prepared to make the drive from the small hideaway house in the middle of the Montana woods to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to visit one Bobby Singer, who had become like an uncle to you over the years.

Paul's first encounter with Bobby started through a mutual friend, but their lasting friendship continued through the shared experience of killing their wives possessed by demons. Bobby understood what Paul went through and looked at you like the daughter he was sure Karen would've wanted.

Your father told you he'd be going on a hunt through Black Water Ridge in Colorado wilderness and he wouldn't be back for a few weeks. You took it in stride as you did with any solo hunt he went on, said your goodbyes and the two of you split ways.

It would be the last time you'd ever see your father alive.