Hunt the Hunter (Revised Version To Be Uploaded)

Hunt the Hunter

Mystery preview

In my mind, I could see them as clear as day. Her chocolate skin, curly hair and brown eyes. His tanned skin and pale blue eyes. They were smiling. They were reaching out for me and smiling, kindly, warmly, invitingly…

Someone's hand was on my arm, shocking me back into reality. I still needed to take them out.

I hid behind the pillar. They were getting close, and I was running out of time.

***********************************

4th April 3049

I fought the tiring and never ending battle that students anywhere can relate to:

Staying awake during class.

The history lesson was already long, Mr. Smith was already slow, and this time of the year was somehow always the slowest in the school year. My eyelids threatened to plunge me back into the deep, inviting pool of darkness. I was about to give in until

Ding ding ding!

Saved by the Bell.

Mr. Smith finished assigning us our weekend homework, I wasn't paying attention, but I'd make do somehow, I always did.

"Shikarukia, we heading out for karaoke before curfew, you want to come?"

"Nope, I'll be busy with my part-time job. Maybe next time."

I walked out of the room knowing full well that next time would never come, and I was fine by it. I didn't really like hanging around with the other students after school, and they didn't like hanging out with me.
I didn't blame them, if you were smart you'd know better than to become friends with an orphan, especially those from Angel Girls chapel.

Danger seemed to follow us.

I made my way out of the school gates and headed downtown to the dragon-lady.

Think I'm being mean? She gave herself that name and wears it with great pride, and I mean great pride.

The moment I walked into the general store I worked at, I was bombarded with work.

“I want all these records sorted and filed in an hour, then I want you to re-organise isles 5-9 before closing time.” Miss Crank snapped, and partially spat, in my face.

“That barely enough time!” I replied.

“Then make it enough!” she snapped back.

I couldn’t fight, or I would lose my job. Unlucky me, Mother Rachel was friends with Miss Crank. How an angel was friends with someone like her, still has me puzzled to this day.

The papers weighed as much as a small car, I reckoned. The shelves looked like they had been recently messed up just so I could have more work than I could handle. Just what was expected of a slave driver.

I finished at 4.30, five minutes before closing time, barely enough time to avoid being locked in, again, I say that with a great deal of embarrassment. I was soon on my way home.

The orphanage was further in downtown, about two kilometers from the store, but I didn't mind. I liked the walking. There were a lot of patrol cars on the street. A loose gang, maybe? Whatever it was, I needed to hurry back home. The sickly white armoured vehicles and their semi silent engines brought the neighborhood unusual eeriness. I shuddered and picked up my pace.

When I arrived, I was attacked by all the toddlers of the orphanage. Yes, when I say all, I meant all twenty six of them. They giggled like deranged babies as they tackle-hugged me, and knocked me to the ground. I was used to it, but still took me three minutes before I escaped, only to be captured by my friend Kate.

She was slightly taller than me, her green eyes had glints of laughter in them. Her shoulder long red hair covered my face as she hooked my head in her arm.

"How long did you make it before clonking out in history this time?"

I grunted in answer, mostly because her arm was on my mouth and she was rubbing my golden-brown hair while giving me a headlock. I couldn't breathe.

"Kate, don't you think it's a bit too early for that?" Melanie appeared. She was sixteen, almost a year older than me. Her ebony black hair kept obstructing her hazel brown eyes and a pair of hands placed a head band on her head.

With closely cropped hair, the same red colour and slightly darker green eyes, Kate's twin, Katy, arrived.

"Kate, leave her be. Sister Martha is looking for her, you'll make her late." She said to her sister.

Kate let me go, and headed towards the toddlers, yelling over my shoulder that she'd see me later for math homework or something. Melanie and Katy smiled at me before heading off, and I groaned again as I headed inside.
I found Sister Martha as soon as walked in.

"You're responsible for putting the toddlers to bed, but if you're too busy, you can get Gemma to help you. Mother Rachel wants to see you too. Go get changed before you see her."

In all sense, I just wanted to change and sleep, but since Mother Rachel was calling me, I didn't mind. She was the one who found me and took me in eight years ago. I went up to my room on the second floor to change, then proceeded to the third floor of the chapel to mother Rachel's office. I opened the door.

The golden strands of her neck-length hair glowed in the warm light of her desk lamp. She patted the empty space of her big chair as she gave me a warm smile.

"Shikarukia dear," she said,"Come sit."

I proceeded and sat down right where she had directed.

"I know your birthday isn't until a few days, but when I found this, I just had to give it to you as soon as possible."

She opened the third drawer of her desk and pulled out a small, velvety black box, and held it gingerly in her hands before giving it to me.

I didn't need to open it to know what it was. She always talked about one. But that didn't mean I was ready to open it either. After a moment's hesitation, I lifted the lid, only to be met by a thin golden chain, that connected to a golden diamond. A locket. Mother Rachel pulled up my hair and clipped the locket around my neck. My fifteenth birthday wasn't until five days ahead. But as usual, Mother Rachel loved to surprise me.

"I went through a lot to find it, but it was worth it."

I didn't know I was slightly crying until Mother Rachel wiped her thumb in my cheek.

"Happy birthday Shika."

She hugged me tight, like she usually did. But this one was weird, it was unusual. The way she wrapped her motherly arms around me and held me close to her heart struck a cord in me I didn't know I had. And as she hugged me, one persisting thought kept pushing its way forward.

Its like you're saying goodbye.

************************************

A/N: Not the first book I've written, but the first one I've published. I want to keep the updates at two chapters a week if all goes well. It would also help if along the way I receive comments on what you guys think.

Don't be silent, vote, comment, follow. Hope you enjoy!