Hunted

Chapter 1.

They forced the gun into the back of my head, telling me to walk forward. A tear caught in my eye, threatening to escape as I stumbled deeper in the desert. Sand grains blew with the wind, stinging my face. I rolled my eyes as two men jerked each arm forcing me to a stop.

They forced me down to my knees and held me so I wouldn't move. I stared at the sand as I reminded myself of the promises I had made in my head.

I promised myself that I would not plead to them or beg for another chance. I would not show any weakness. I promised that I would survive this and make them pay for what they did.

"Now. We will begin," the man said, his voice holding the excitement.

I looked up into his cold, green eyes with pure hatred. I assumed he was the leader of this unfortunate event. With only a look, I knew he loved violence. He loved to hunt his prey before the kill. A crooked smile formed on his face, and I lunged forward to rip it off.

He quickly took a step back with a disgusted look on his face. The two men grabbed me before I could get to him and threw me backward. I fell to the ground, the back of my head hitting the sand hard.

The newly-formed wound stung, and I felt a headache coming. They tightened their grip on me and yanked me back to the spot I was kneeling before.

The man on my left bent down, and whispered in my ear, "Do that again, and I promise I will kill you myself. Disgusting filth."

He spat at me before straightening to his original position. Anger boiled inside of me, and I felt the power inside build up. I could almost grab it.

"Don't you dare!"

I glanced up to see a gun in my face. I lost my concentration and the power that was once there dissipated...

This power, or whatever it was I had inside of me, I didn't know how to access it nor did I know how to use it. All I knew was that something was there, and I wish I knew how to control it. It surfaced whenever I was going through something traumatic or if I was furious. I didn't understand it because it felt different at times. Whatever was inside of me petrified my people. They hated the unknown. I wasn't like them, and I was too different for them. 

In the distance, a woman led eight men outfitted in black gear toward us. They encircled the woman as if they were there to protect her, their weapons ready at hand. As they drew closer, they cleared a path so that I could see her fully.

She was stunningly beautiful and delicate looking, but I could feel the evil energy radiate off her. Her presence made my skin crawl and my alertness heightened. She was draped in a long black dress that was tight around the bodice and flowed down to her bare feet. Her light brown hair curled down her back. She circled around me as if I were her prey, tilting her head as her piercing grey eyes stared at me intently.

She stopped in front of me and stood there calculating her next move, the wind blowing her hair faintly. The smell of rosemary filled my senses. I looked into her eyes, they were so alluring, I couldn't move. I was like a deer in the headlights.

The woman smiled down at me as she gently took my hand in hers. She inspected my hand, and before I could register what was happening, an athame appeared in her other hand. The shock of what I just witnessed was replaced with complete fear. She sliced my palm deeply, and blood poured out. I didn't even flinch. A sense of calmness washed over me. The woman dropped my hand, and I blinked a few times to try to collect my thoughts.

As she moved away, the pain from the cut became more evident. I pressed on it, hoping to stop the bleeding. The calmness that was there was now gone, and horror took its place. What was that? I peered up at the woman with a questioning and alarming look. What is she? The woman looked at the knife and brought it to her lips. She rubbed my blood on her lips and licked the blood off. My face contorted into a look of disdain.