UMBRA

The Hallow Posse

"Who are you!" I squalled.

"Sooo helplesss. Ssoo innocennt," he talked in his classic cynical style and laughed.

Just as I thought! He is a hunter from the Hallow Posse! My brain began to yammer again. Now all thanks to you, we're both gonna die.

The man stood in front of me, his gnarly fingers wrapping around the trigger. He pulled the trigger, and I heard the bullet crack as it left the barrel. I turned my head to its side, and my eyes flinched in terror. The bullet entered my right temple and pierced into the skull, the pointy bone fragments digging into my soft brain.

A metallic taste filled my mouth as I lay flat on the sun-whitened rocky ground, and my right eye going blind. The picture of the dead woman came in my mind, but I saw myself—I saw myself lying dead with my head blown-to-bits with my hair tangled in its remains. My body felt crushed as every single part of me slowly, painfully went numb.

At least I will be with Mom.

The last thing I remember is my blood spraying all over his green military boots as he hiked up to me and took another shot.

My head was splitting open, and I felt like gagging when I woke up in the hotel room. It was late evening. Aunt Janice sat beside Jace, and I too was in the room. A wet towel was placed on my burning forehead, cooling it down.

"I told you not to go there," said Janice.

"What?" said I, breathing heavily.

"I told you not to go back to the house or anywhere near it."

"I-I don't get it."

I looked at her blankly with no idea of this world.

She looked at me, Kate would have been so disappointed.

Like you know every-damn-thing, Ms. Know-It-All, my injured brain cursed.

"The cops found you at the porch of the house. You had apparently collapsed right there. You have been burning up since. "

"I swear I didn't go back there," said I.

She said bitterly, "I give up."

She raised her hands, showing she surrendered and left the room.

Jace still sat there.

He finally asked, "What happened to you?"

"I think I saw Mom,"

Jace still stared at me, From the dead?

"I know what I saw," said I.

"I didn't say anything," said Jace, confused.

"Get out of here, Jace."

He still looked confused.

"What? Do you want a written letter!" I thundered, clenching my fists. I knew I wasn't my old self anymore.

Dad then burst into the room, "What! What is it! I heard someone screaming," he said, worried.

"Nothing," said Jace.

"Jace, Grandpa, is waiting for you in the cafe," Dad said, "Go on. I'll catch up with you."

Jace left. Dad turned back to me. He closed the door and kept the brown paper bag on the small table. It had a small butterfly print on it, besides which was written Aurora's Menu. A warm scent of vegetables and food puffed out.