The Hunter's Daughter

The First Day

I groaned loudly when my alarm went off with the signature sound of a gameshow buzzer continously being pushed. I sat up quickly and reached for my phone on the bedside table, dismissing the alarm before rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I felt tempted to simply fall back onto the bed and sleep for a few more minutes, but I knew I would never forgive myself if a few minutes turned into a full-blown-sleeping-beauty slumber. I clumsily placed my phone back on the bedside table before throwing the blankets to the side and climbing out of bed. I had left the window open last night to let some fresh air in but now i really regretted it. The icy cold air nipped at my bare feet and anyplace where my skin was exposed which made me grit my teeth before I started chattering. Perhaps deciding to sleep in gym shorts and a t-shirt wasn't such a good idea after all.  I quickly switched on my bedside table lamp so that I wouldn't trip over something as I made my way into the bathroom. The room's cold wooden floors were nothing compared to the freezing tile floors of the bathroom and I hissed quietly before opening the shower and turning on the hot water.
I shut the bathroom door before stripping and quickly hopping into the shower, the spray of hot water immediately making me feel a little better and a lot more awake. I didn't linger in the shower though, I had too much that I wanted to get done before I left for my work interview. I had been looking forward to today for a while now, I felt ready to start anew and I felt slightly excited about starting over in a new town. Out of all the towns I had looked at, the town of Witherfell certainly wasn't the biggest or the most grand. In fact, I had never even heard of the place before I decided that I wanted to move. I had only arrived in town around eight or nine last night and had managed to move all of my belongings from my truck into my new one bedroom apartment. The town had been busy enough, a few stores had been open, a few people had been walking around outside, and I passed one car but other than that I couldn't remember seeing anything that stood out.
I unpacked as much as I could last night before I finally decided that getting some sleep would probably be a wise idea. I had a hard time falling asleep for some reason but I didn't pay too much attention to it.
Once I finished my shower and made my way back into my room I started to look for my big red duffel bag with all my immediately necessary clothes. There were a few boxes standing around the room, some were open and halfway unpacked. I spotted my bag next to the bed, the corner of the blanket I had slept under draped over it. I pulled it out and hastily pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a simple black long sleeved shirt, rummaging deeper in the bag for my socks and some underwear. Once I had everything I quickly got dressed, combed my hair and tied it up into a neat pony tail. I went around the bed to grab my phone, checking the time before I slipped it into my back pocket.
It was exactly five thirty,  which left me with more than enough time to unpack the last few boxes and settle in before my first day in town. The interview only started at eight so I knew that I could have slept in a little more than I had, but to be honest, I never was one for sleeping in. I liked to be busy, to keep moving and get stuff done. It was one of the many traits I had learned from my mother.
"Never put off for tomorrow what can be done today." She always used to say.
I squared my shoulders as I looked around the room, rolled up my sleeves a little and immediately began to finish unpacking the rest of my boxes.

                                                                       ***

I groaned as I shut my front door and my phone fell to the ground. I wasn't in a rush but I was leaving a little later than I had intended to leave. I had convinced myself that I could finish unpacking the last two boxes before I really did have to leave, but I had used twenty minutes instead. Honestly, it had never taken me so long to unpack before but this time I really wanted to settle in. Except for when I lived with my mom I have never found a place where I wanted to settle down, until now. I had a good feeling about Witherfell, the reviews of what the town and it's people were like had piqued my interest and here I was. I picked up my phone before quickly going down the stairs, I didn't pass anyone on my way down and when I finally exited the apartment building I found only one car in the parking lot besides my own truck. I crossed the small parking lot, unlocked and hopped in my truck, tossing my bag, waterbottle, and phone on the passenger seat. Once the truck was started I expertly reversed out of the parking space and onto the driveway that led to the main road. I mentally made a checklist of everything that I had to do today, find a jobs or jobs. I had done some research on what types of jobs I could find in Witherfell, as it turned out the library needed someone who could work the front desk. I wasn't picky about finding a job as long as I could pay for my apartment and food. Living low profile was what I liked.
I looked carefully through my tinted windows at everything I passed, a few houses, another apartment block, a park, then finally I turned a corner and I found myself in what I assumed was the town center. I saw a bakery, then a clothes store, a drug store, but what was strange to me was that I barely saw any people. I passed one or two people, and in front of one store which I assumed was a DVD rental store I had seen someone unlocking but that was basically it. I knew Witherfell was small and I liked it but somehow I couldn't help but feel that it was a bit strange. I drove on for another five minutes before I pulled  up to the curb in front of a big building that had large sign posted out it. I appreciated that they had so clearly marked out the library, I had mever been too good with directions and I was sure I would have wandered around town before actually finding it. I looked around and noticed that the town activity was busier here than a few minutes ago. I felt nervous as I grabbed my stuff from the passenger seat, taking a deep breath with my eyes closed before I opened the car door.
"Ow!" I heard someone yell and I snapped my head in the direction. My eyes widened in horror as I saw a guy standing next to my half opened car door, rubbing his shoulder.
"Dammit!" I hissed at myself before squeezing out of the car and shutting it, standing a few feet away from the guy.
"Look, I'm really sorry, I didn't know you were there and I. .." I stopped talking when he looked at me with an expression mixed between anger and annoyance.
"Do you always hit people with your car door?" He asked.
"No, I, are you alright?" I asked and he just shook his head. A small smile playing on his lips.
"I haven't seen you around before? Are you new in town?" He asked with a bit of an edge and I swallowed a lump in my throat. If he was asking me questions then I clearly didn't hurt him that badly. 
"Sorry about the door, I have to go." With that I quickly locked my truck, turned on my heel and walked away from him. I pushed open the library door without looking back but somehow I could still feel him glaring at the back of my head. The moment the door shut behind me I looked around at all the tables and lounge chairs, surrounded on three side by bookshelves. The place was definitely bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. I looked to the left and saw an area that looked like it could be the front desk and so I made my way there. I couldn't see anyone but there was a small bell on the desk. I pressed it lightly, not knowing what I was really supposed to do or to expect.
The bell made no sound but I heard something beyond the non existent sound in the big room.
"I've told you before! How many more times do I have to tell you! Don't..." I took a step back as a door behind the desk opened and a girl with striking red hair stepped out. The frown she had on her forehead quickly disappeared before she gave me a bright smile and stood in the doorway, staring at me.
"Who are you?" She asked quietly, crossing her arms over her chest lightly before looking me up and down. She glanced at me, a look of confusion on her delicate features. I swallowed my uncertainty at her reaction before tucking my dirty blonde hair behind my ear.
"I, uh, I, my name is Marian Anders. I have an interview this morning for the front desk position." I said, her smile dropped and she frowned. She carefully sat down at the desk, pulling out a laptop from underneath it and quickly typing something.
"You're Marian Anders?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and I nodded. Please, just believe it, I thought to myself, gnawing on my lower lip before she finally put the laptop back and stood up.
"Why Witherfell?" She asked in an accusing tone of voice and I tried hard not to just give up and walk out. I hated when people asked so many questions.
"I have no idea." I answered truthfully.
"You can read? Write?" She asked, tapping a long manicured finger against her forearm as if she was timing my responses.
"Yes, of course." I said, I tried not to sound a little offended but her raised eyebrow told me that I had left some of my annoyance show.
"Do you have family?" She asked and this time it was my turn to frown.
"How is that relevant?" I asked and she shrugged.
"Do you want the job or not?" She asked, and I might have been wrong but her tone seemed a little less biting. She still looked and sounded displeased though.
"I..." I began but I let my thoughts trail off. Make it work.
"No, I don't have any family." I said quietly, trying not to let her show my displeasure at having to answer such absurd questions for a front desk job. My heart started to beat faster but it wasn't because I felt intimidated. I wasn't scared, it was too early for that.
"How long have you been alone then?" She asked and this time I scowled. I looked at her to try and see what she was playing at but I only saw her challenging glare.
I nodded slowly, tucking my bottle under my arm before taking a deep breath. I turned around and slowly started to walk away, I didn't need to answer such stupid questions. This was a job interview, not a survey of my past for crying out loud. Who did she think she is trying to pry stuff out of me like I was some villain with an agenda.
"Wait," I heard her call and I stopped, turning around slowly before taking a step back when I saw how close she was standing to me. How had she even moved that fast? And how had I not heard her?
"Look, I'm sorry I wasted your time." I said, I wasn't even sure why I was the one apologising but I was. As long as she didn't ask me to sprout my family tree.
"No, you didn't. Here," I looked down at her hand, saw a key dangling from it before she shook it closer to me. I reached out carefully and took it, careful not to touch her hand.
"You're not my first choice, obviously but everyone gets a trial week. Tomorrow morning at six I want you here, coffee and tea is in the kitchen behind the door at the front desk. I'll be in at seven." With that she turned around and walked back to the front desk and through the door she had first come out of.
What in the world?
I slowly started walking back towards the entrance door, gripping the key tightly before slipping it into my pocket so that I could push open the heavy wooden door. The cool air was completely different from the warm air inside the library and I found myself standing on the sidewalk like an idiot. I should have felt bad about getting the cold shoulder so early by two people on my first morning in town, but honestly I felt indifferent to it. I wasn't here to make friends so it didn't really matter how anyone treated me. I just wanted to live a normal life. I hopped back in my truck, smiling to myself a little before starting it and pulling away from the curb.
A one week trial, I had no idea what that meant. Would I get paid? Did I get the job or was this just phase two to see if I could do it? Whatever it meant, I only started tomorrow. I drove past a cafe and I couldn't help but glance twice when I saw the guy I had hit with my car door earlier. He was talking to someone,  having a casual conversation and then out of nowhere he suddenly looked up and directly at me. I felt a sudden dread over take me as he focused on me but I stilled my heart when I remembered that he couldn't actually see me, my windows were tinted. He seemed to glare before he looked away and I turned the corner. I felt my heart beating like crazy in my chest and I took a deep breath to try and calm it down, I had no idea why I was acting this way. I slowly drive the last few miles to my apartment block, just taking in how the small town look compared to New York. I had always thought that living in a big city would give me some privacy and allow me to just blend in, but the truth was that it was probably the most dangerous place to be. You never knew who was following you until it was almost too late. I pulled into the same parking lot as from this morning, grabbed my things almost and got out of the truck. My watch read a few minutes past eight, not bad for having thought it would take forever for me to find the place. At least this way I had time to do something else, such as search for more jobs in case i didnt get this front desk job or read while I waited for the hours to pass. I walked into the apartment block and climbed up the stairs again, there was an elevator, but I had never been much of a fan of confined spaces. Probably another reason why New York and many other places hadn't worked out for me, there just wasn't enough space to breath. I reached the top of the stairs and walked down the hall, my door being on the furthest end of the second floor hall. I reached my apartment door, unlocked it and was just about to open it and step in when the apartment door across from mine opened with a creak.
"So, you're the newbie!" I heard a voice exclaim and I jumped. A small laugh echoed through the hall before I turned around and laid eyes on whoever the person was.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I'm William, resident of room 21." I looked at his hand that he held out but quickly looked away, smiling at him strangely. His hand hung in mid air for a few seconds before he dropped it and shut his door with a loud thwack.
"Yeah, this old piece of junk wood never closes properly, so, I apologise in advance for any late night or early morning wake up calls." He said and looked me over once.
I put my hand to the door handle of my apartment, ready to just go inside, but not willing to give him a glimpse of what was inside.
"I think this is the part where you tell me your name." He suggested and I gripped the door handle tightly. He's just trying to be nice, I mentally told myself and let go of my door handle.
"Sorry, my name is Marian." I said.
"Marian? You don't look like a Marian." He said with a small laugh.
"No?" I asked skeptically. "What do I look like then?"
"I have no idea, but I'll know it when I hear it." He said with a smile and I smiled politely in return.
"I have to go." I said, trying to get away. I had never been much of a confrontational person, or sociable a person. I can honestly say that the amount of real friends I have I can count on one hand.
"Sure, hey, if you ever need anything, I'm literally just across the hall. Witherfell is great and all but it's nice to have someone on your side every now and then. Neighbours have to stick together." With that he nodded his head at me, and walked down the hallway towards the stairs.
I didn't bother to watch him walk away, instead I just quickly slipped into my apartment and shut the door before tossing my stuff in the basket next to the door. I glanced around at the apartment and took a deep, calming breath.
Neighbours have to stick together. I thought about what he said, thinking back about my mother. She used to say something very similar. We're partners, and partners stick together. I felt a small constricting pain in my chest. It had been five years now since my mother had died, five years of being alone. Five years of jumping from one town to another, searching for a place that might just resemble home. It was in vain though, nothing would ever compare to what I used to have. I sighed quietly, swallowing the lump in my throat. I had cried about my loss enough when it had happened, it was stupid to still tear up every time I thought about it.
I took my phone back out of the basket and walked over to the couch. I sat down and unlocked my phone to see that I had no texts. Not that I had been expecting any, this phone was strickly for emergencies and it would stay that way. I didn't need distractions anyway, it was best to always stay focused.
I heard the wind rattle the windows and I suddenly remembered that I hadn't locked the door. I quickly jumped up and locked it, tossing the key in the basket. I glanced at the time on the clock I had hung on the wall this morning, it was exactly eight fourty. When I had lived in new york I could go certain places when I was really bored, live a little. Now; however, I felt like I could stay inside all day and never get bored. I had a ton of movies, seasons, a couple of books, I could entertain myself with that. At least until I started working tomorrow, I just have to male sure to look into some other jobs just incase I don't get to keep the library job. I had a suspicious feeling that the girl who had interviewed me didn't really like me.
I hadn't even asked her name, not that it really mattered. I went into my room and grabbed my laptop bag next to the desk. I kind of got lucky with this place already being furnished. It wasn't much, and it wasn't great but it was something at least. A fridge, couch, bed, study desk, and a few other miscellaneous things.
I

pulled out my laptop and went back into the living room. I plopped down on the couch and grabbed the blanket that I had draped over the back of the couch. I tugged it over me, making myself comfortable before pulling my laptop onto my legs and logging in.
I chose a movie,  Happy Death Day, and sat back.
Despite not really being tired, after the movie finished and hour and a half later I felt myself fade slowly and soon I fell asleep.

Okay, so, this is the first chapter. I'm really sorry if it's a little slow, or boring but I'll try and pick it up soon. It's just hard cause I don't actually know how to start a book. Ah, yes, and if anyone is asking, yes, this is my very first book. I was just inspired by some books that I've been reading. I thought might be cool to write my own book for once, since I do love writing.
So, therefore, I am open to criticism but please, be reasonable.
So, let me know what everybody thinks and if anyone has suggestions then I'm glad to hear them. Also, I'm totally up for any ideas concerning book covers.
P.S. I'll try to update atleast once or twice a week. :) ;)