Be You- Short Stories

Alice and Hunter-Man-Ch 2

Alice got home from school. She immediately went upstairs and worked on homework. She cried a lot, too. It was hard to think about homework when she had all these thoughts running through her mind. Recently, she'd been through a very rough break up with her boyfriend, Elliott. They'd gone a good 6 years, but their love had finally come to an end. At least, it was supposed to, but it was still too hard for the both of them. They couldn't talk anymore without crying.

Her bedtime came quicker than she'd expected. She put away her books and went in her bathroom to take a shower. When she finished, and came out of that steam filled room, it was about eleven o'clock. She wasn't tired yet, so she got in her pajamas, turned out the lights, opened her blinds and opened up the glass doors that led to her balcony. She leaned on the wooden rail. Her long, cape-like sweater blew in the quiet breeze. It chilled the night just enough for the temperature to send a chill down her spine. She spoke to herself quietly, just as a shooting star flew across the night sky- illuminating it for just a split second.

" I wish I could die." Alice chuckled at her timing. But thought to herself, These don't work..

The next day was the same as before. By the time she got to lunch, her friend Malorie (Mal) Drant, was already talking her ear off.

"So," Alice said after a moment of silence. "Wanna hear something funny that happened to me last night?"

"Sure!" Mal replied with optimism.

"I was depressed so I said 'I wish I could die' and a shooting star flew across the sky at the same time."

"I thought you didn't believe in the magic of a shooting star?"

"I don't."

"Oh! That reminds me! I hear that there is a legend for unbelievers. It's kind of a curse."

"On shooting stars?"

"Yep! It was like, 'For any unbeliever in the magic of the falling star, they will  be relieved of their duties by a Hunter of the night.' Apparently, when they kill, they leave you at your doorstep with your arms crossed, and with the blood from your stab wound, they write 'UNBELIEVER' on the wall or door near your body. "

"I call your bluff."

"No! It's true!  So you better start believing in this, or a Hunter-Man will get you."

"Yeah," Alice agreed sarcastically. "'He's gonna make me pay.' Look. I have to go. I'll talk to later." That's when Alice go up and left, heading to her next class. Malorie was afraid of her friend's unbelief. She could only pray the Hunter-Man didn't get her.

Later that evening was oddly quiet for Alice's walk home. None of her neighbors revealed their friendly (and some, not-so-friendly) faces. This made Alice feel uncomfortable. She shook off the feeling, and just kept walking.

The next week and a half was like this. She felt as if someone was following her. She had no idea what to do. The ninth day this happened, she decided to start jogging. She heard heavy and quick footsteps form behind her. Someone was following her. She looked back. There was a man in a wide cowboy hat, with brown cowboy boots, and tattered clothes. He had many layers, so she couldn't see any skin. He wore gloves as well, and his hat blocked his face from her view. She turned and ran harder, now sprinting. After a few minutes, fear building in her, she cried:

"What do you want with me?!"

The man didn't respond quickly, but when he did, his voice was raspy, as if he hadn't had water in years.

"Death," he called back, more calm than she.

Alice began growing weak. It was hard for her to breathe. Her knees felt as if they were going to give out. She turned a corner to try and shake him, but he just grew an inch closer. The path she chose was a dead end, it had a fence that led into a wood. They both jumped over the fence and headed in an area where people couldn't hear her screams if he caught her. This made her even more terrified. It had hundreds of trees, so they swerved to avoid having to stop for a moment.

She had no idea how, but he grew closer. Then she remembered what Mal had said.

This must be a hunter. She thought to herself.

"Please?! I can't die!" she cried to the thing behind her. "Is there something I can do to get you to give me a second chance?!"

"DEATH!" he cried, louder this time.

Alice got an idea.

I can run to Mal's house. She can help me!

She made a very wide turn in the woods, and changed her course. She grew weaker, but knew that protection was just a few blocks away, and this kept her going. With this new inspiration, she ran a little ahead, getting further away from the Hunter-Man by just a few yards.

Mal's house grew close, and once Alice go to the door, she bursted through it, quickly locking it behind her. Mal was home alone because her parents were on a business trip for their company, so the sound of her door scared her.

"Mal!" Alice screamed, straining her voice. "Mal!"

"Alice?" Mal asked, coming around the corner of the top of the stairs with a gun tightly gripped in her hands. "What is it? You're as white as a ghost."

"Hun-Hun-," Mal tried to saying, grabbing all the breath she could. Mal finished for her.

"Hunter-Man." She looked above Alice in thought as she spoke. "Quick, upstairs!"

They ran and practically tripped into Mal's room. Mal pulled out her computer, typing across the keypad as quickly as she could.

"Come on. Come on! Don't have slow WiFi now!" she complained, hitting her laptop and throwing it across the room.

"What do we do now?" Alice asked.

Mal turned to respond, but her face turned as pale as her white walls and her eyes grew wide. Alice knew what this meant. She turned slowly, hoping that her thought was wrong. As soon as she turned around, a blade slid into her stomach. Alice gasped for air, trying to live, but her life slowly faded away. Mal screamed.

Alice fell to the floor as her soul left her body. The Hunter-Man stayed in the room. He brought his face up, revealing a face that was peeling away from the bone. Mal threw up at the sight and passed out. She had literally stared right into the face of death. In the surety that there was no one to share the story, he stabbed Mal's limp body as well.

That night, he'd left the bodies, of the two girls, on their doorsteps, just as in the legend. This was a sad day for the two families. But the tale still stayed a legend. The girls died, keeping this deplorable secret.

Written by me