Hunted

Chapter 1: Target Acquired

I walked quietly through the misty forest, surveying the forest in front of me. I measured my steps carefully, taking the quickest, quietest path I could make. As the breeze began to pick up, my silky black hair, as black as the midnight sky, began to flow in gentle waves around my waist, dancing with the wind as it blew it gently.  I paused to adjust my black leather jacket around my white tank top and stuck a spare arrow in my right boot, thankful my black jeans were thick enough for the chilly night. I grabbed another arrow balancing it on my bowstring, and poised the loaded bow  towards the ground before continuing to walk soundlessly and stealthily. The moonlight gave enough light for a normal hunter to find a target in a normal forest. However, I was graced with exceptional senses, and this was no ordinary forest. 

I walked further along before I stumbled upon a clearing, and narrowed my gray eyes that were as gray as the night's mist that began to envelop around the clearing. I  immediately held back in the comfort of the shadows. I watched as a figure flipped a page in the sketchbook on his lap and began to draw. I retreated more into the shadows and climbed a nearby tree, hoisting myself up onto a lower branch, quietly aiming the arrow at the figure, studying it. It appeared to be a man of some sort, a young man with dark brown hair. He wore a  white button down and a black scarf, with leather gloves that went along with his attire. He hummed ever so softly and gently like a feather to fall upon a pillow. It was quite mesmerizing and  it took me a while to snap out of my trance and tune him out. He smiled a gentle loving smile to a tiny, round black bird that happened to land upon his arm. He held out his palm to it, and as it hopped upon his hand he  petted the bird delicately with one finger whistling  to it before moving his palm to the sky. Thee small bird took off, gliding to the sky with a new tune to whistle that would eventually spread throughout the forest. As the moon went directly overhead, I saw he had porcelain white skin. Occasionally his eyes that were bluer and brighter than an ocean with the sunlight dancing upon it's surface, scanned his surroundings, until it landed directly upon the branch I was perched on.

My breath caught in my throat and I quickly hid around the trunk of the tree, and peeked cautiously at him. He was focused on my tree, tilting his head as if listening intently for any sign that would reveal me. He began to tap his fingers against his book. My eyes widen and my heartbeat raced at a quicker pace, as I noticed his fingers followed the same beat. He smiled, curling his lips back to reveal his perfect white teeth, and four brutally sharp fangs. He began to draw again, but I could sense he was anticipating my next move.

I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips and slowly curved them into a smile. I was never discovered before in a hunt, and this would already seem like an interesting game. I moved back further out on the branch and balanced on the balls of my feet and took my bow, aiming directly at his head. I pulled the string back, but quickly tilted the bow higher before releasing the arrow upon the branch above him, causing a small apple to fall down upon him.

He smiled catching the apple with his free hand without even glancing up, and continued to draw. After a few minutes, he took off his gloves to reveal sharp claws, and he cut into the apple. My eyes widen as I realized I had found a very dangerous predator today, and he had me exactly where he wanted me-- almost. He snapped his fingers and the apple slices appeared  in the palm of my gloves and I stared at them unbelievably. I glanced as him as he waved at me, motioning me to join him. I was now the more vulnerable prey in this situation, and I began to contemplate ways to get out of this alive as I stuffed the apple slices in my pouch as I jumped down from my branch and walked into the small clearing.