It Travels with Them

Chapter One - Ooh Great, Backstory

A new day, a new town. Me, Michael and Tyler just love traveling... we also love sarcasm.

Yo what's up? I'm Alex. I'm seventeen, graduated from high school, and single. Yeah, I know, I'm a catch. Graduating from high school early is great and all but sometimes I just wish I had a normal life.

Me and the boys are hunters, but not normal ones. We hunt the supernatural; ghosts, demons, the tooth fairy. Just joking about that last one.

The three of us were born into the job... mostly.

Michael and Tyler Foret are the sons of a very accomplished hunter, their mother. She was infamous. Mostly specializing in creatures, she was the definition of an independent badass woman. Their father was also a hunter and after their mother died he took up her mantle and trained the boys.

I am the child of a normal man and an Air Force pilot. Well, actually and Ex Air Force pilot. Something happened to my mom, we were told that she died in the line of duty but my father believed otherwise. He literally went crazy looking for something or hunting something. He never told me what he was looking for but he always dragged me along.

That's how I met the Forets'. My father tried to play hero and kill a Wendigo. Henry Foret, Mike And Ty's dad, saved me but he couldn't save my father.

I was thirteen.

[*flash back*]

"Dad, please, stop this madness!!"I yell and try to pull him away from the car. 

He growls in response and shoves me into the back. I tug on the door but he's locked it. I pound on the window and catch the attention of a kid on the street. He looks at me in alarm at runs towards another kid and a man about my father's age. The man looks towards me and tries to approach the car but my dad drives off.

I continue to tug on the door but after a while I give up and slump against the back of the seat. We drive for about an hour; then my dad turns the car into a dirt road bordered by trees. We continue down the road for about thirty more minutes, then my dad stops the car. He grabs his shotgun and loads it. At this point all of his slugs are filled with rock salt. Slowly but surely he's been losing his mind, first it was small things but now he thinks all supernatural creatures are demons and the only thing that has kept him alive is me. 

He tried to exorcise a vampire. I had to kill it before it killed him and he still thought it was him that sent the damn thing to Hell.

Whatever.

I follow him, a hand on my mom's old G3 and after a moment of thought I run back to the car and grab the other shotgun. I load the gun and shove extra ammunition into my pockets.

My dad didn't tell me what he's after so I want to be prepared.

I quickly catch up to him looking around nervously. After some walking we stop and I see him lift his shotgun, aiming at something. Not too far in the distance I see a strange looking cave. I feel the blood drain from my face, I know exactly what he's hunting. I tug on his sleeve trying to get him to move, to run, to do anything except this.

Then, he shoots.

I bolt for cover and pivot behind a tree, resting my shotgun on a low limb. What I see makes me hesitate. It's a Wendigo, but not a normal one, this one's huge. I aim at its head as my father stumbles backwards. Pulling the trigger I feel the recoil and the beast staggers back a little. Then it's bloody head whips towards me and it charges. I quickly shoot again making it falter and run. I can hear it's thundering, uneven footsteps behind me. I glance back and fail to see a tree root sticking up out of the ground. My foot catches and I fall. My face hits the ground and I taste blood. I see the thing charging towards me and I fumble for the fallen shotgun. 

Suddenly, my father slams into the Wendigo from the side screaming, "GO BACK TO HELL YOU SONOFABITCH!" 

It spins easily and rakes its claws into my father's chest. Picking him up it starts to carry him back to its cave. I jump up and, weaponless, run after the beast. I snatch a large stick off the ground and hit the Wendigo in the side so hard the branch shatters. 

It turns, slowly, deliberately and stares down at me. I stare back into its beady, yellow eyes paralyzed with fear. As if in slow motion it raises its clawed hand to cleave me in half. 

"I'm going to die," I thought. 

Then something slams into me from the side, knocking me off me feet and out of the way of the Wendigo. I look up and see the man from that town and behind him the boy I had been able to flag down. The man points a flamethrower at the Wendigo and lets loose. It didn't seem to hurt it but it scared it back to its cave. Then, turning to me, the man held out a hand, "Hey there, I'm Henry," he says.

I stare at him apprehensively, then accept his helping hand. He pulls me to a standing position and asks me if I'm hurt. I check myself and conclude that I'm not seriously hurt. Henry turns to the boy behind him, "Mike go grab the first aid and wake up your brother." The boy, Mike, nods and hurries back to their car. Henry turns back to me, "I'm sorry, never did ask your name."

I glance back towards the Wendigo's cave then say, "I-I'm... Alex. I'm Alex." 

Alex was the name I gave myself because I hate my given name, Alice. Not that it's a bad name it just doesn't fit me. He nods, "Nice to meet you Alex... Was that your dad?"

I look down at my feet, "Yeah," I mutter. Henry squats down to get on my level, "He's in that cave and I'm not sure if--" I cut him off, "He's dead. I saw it myself, just torch the cave already and kill the fucker."

Surprised by my language and vehemence he stands.

"Are you sure? I mean, he could still be alive in there."

Suddenly angry I take a step back and shout, "My father is dead damnit!"

I'm glaring at the man who just saved my life when his son Mike comes back with his brother and the kit. I hurry away from the trio, hot tears starting to run down my face. I slip behind a rock outcrop and slap myself, "Stop crying idiot," I mutter and sit down, tucking my legs up close to my chest and resting my chin on my knees. I close my eyes for a moment, starting to relax.

"Weeee're coming fffffor you." I jump, standing quickly. My head whipped right and left, up and down trying to find the source of the voice. I rub my arms as chills run up and down my body even though it's warm out. A shadow covers the sun and I look up. There's a single cloud in the sky blotting out the sun. As I look up I don't notice a shadow lurking under the trees to my left. It charges and seeing the movement from the corner of my eye I pull out my knife and whirl to face my attacker. It's a woman with blonde hair. Her face would be pretty, except for a feral snarl etched onto her face and the pure black orbs of her eyes.

A demon.