B-2 17

Hunted

Beth led the girl back to a fire. The two sat in silence for awhile. "My initials are.. A. R. Castle. I-I think. It's in my hat. If this is my hat." She said quickly. Beth shrugged and signed while very slowly mouthing words. "I only named myself Beth because my tag looked like my name." She explained before pointing at the Mariners hat. "Your last name is Castle, I suppose. I'll call you Cas." Beth suggested. "Or Cassie?" Cas added in agreement. Beth did a short shrug. "Call yourself what you want." Cas nodded once. The voice in her head seemed quieter. Maybe she didn't have another voice to listen to. But there was a new person. And another person who was in the same position as herself.

"Why did you attack me?" Cas asked, suddenly aware there wasn't an explanation for that yet. Beth sighed and started to sign again. Slowly. And mouth of course. Because Cas could lip read, but couldn't sign. "There are traps. All over the island. People, or one person sets them up. I don't know why. Not for animals. But for me. And my friend." Beth explained, looking anxiously at the sky. "Have you seen anyone else?" Cas asked, feeling goosebumps. Whether it was from the cold, or the sudden fear of being hunted... You're being hunted by someone and you're more worried about the cold? The voice seemed to scoff. Shut up! I'm not! She argued back. Cas, trying to ignore the annoying voice in her head that for some reason was smarter than herself, decided to ask Beth more questions. "Are there more like us?" She asked. Beth nodded. "That I know of. My friend. You. Me."

Cas has to let that sink in. "Wait, there's a third? Where are they?" Cas looked around as if Beth's friend would emerge suddenly. Quit making this a movie! The voice in her head scolded. Beth whistled you get Cas's attention, then gestured to the hillside. Cas looked toward her gesturing and her heart sank. There was a makeshift cross. With fresh flowers sitting on wet recent soil. "Oh." Cas managed to get out, looking back at Beth. "Died just about a day and a half ago. Impaled. See, the hunter doesn't exactly hunt. They know where we are already. They could be watching us right now. They just let anything else kill us. Ten found a cave. He wanted to check it. Walked in. Tripwire. Stalagmite came down." Beth shivered and Cas adverted her eyes. She didn't want to know more. Not yet anyway.

She looked at Ten's grave again and stared at it, feeling sorrow for the boy she never knew. Then something caught her eye. A cave. And when she looked into it, in that darkness she saw a pair of glowing white eyes and felt like she swallowed a bucket of icy water. She looked at Beth hurriedly and she was grimly staring at them too. "What is that?" Cas asked in a panic. "The hunter. Or one of them." "That's not human!" Cas was panicking now. "I never said they were." Beth reminded. Cas's heart was beating really fast. She looked at the cave again but the hunter was gone. Beth looked back at Cas. "They only wait for us to die. And they watch. I've had many close calls in my own camp. When I'm gone, they set up ways for me to die." Beth let out a sigh. "Beth, exactly how long have you been here?" Cas asked. Beth shook her head. "You lose track of time being here as long as I was. I'd say four months."

Cas chewed on that for a moment. Four months! I could be here forever! Cas thought in a panic. You will if you don't calm down! Chill out! The voice in her head snapped. Why were her thoughts so sassy? "Why haven't you tried to leave? Like... a raft or something? That's how I got here." Cas reminded. Beth sighed again. "That's how I got here too. Unlike you, there was a second person on my raft. She went just by Dee because that was her letter. She died within the first day." Beth gestured behind Cas. Close to the shore, there was another cross. Cas looked at Beth again and she continued. "The next day, another arrived. I never got his name. He died after a couple days. In the woods. Then another arrival. His name was West. Only because that was the side of the island he came from. He lasted a month with me. Finally died when a hunter put a tripwire our lean on shelter. That's when I realized we were their sport. Ten showed up after West. Survived until a couple days ago. Let down his guard because things seemed to be going our way. We thought the hunters had gone because not a single trap in two weeks. Now you. I've tried to leave. Many times. In many ways. Subtle warnings from the hunters. Tell me to stay. And frankly, I don't want to die." Beth smiled sadly.

"Warnings?" Cas clarified. Beth nodded. "Warning. I took a raft and as soon as I took it to water, my campfire doused. Just like that. I've tried swimming. Starts raining in broad daylight. Stuff like that. The only reason I haven't given up is so no one else has to live like this." Beth stared at her for reactions. Cas was mostly feeling hopeless. It seemed there was no way out. How was they sent here? Why was they sent? What were the hunters? Beth's gaze suddenly fixed on something behind Cas. Cas slowly, already knowing what she would see, turned around. There it was. A hunter. The eyes were unblinking toward Beth and Cas. Cas's heart hammered again. She could see the outline of the hunter too. It was human like. But clearly not human. The hunter raised its hand and seemed to wave before turning around and disappearing into darkness.

First A/N. I decided I would write this story because Hat needs hobbies. It's rushed, but I don't think I'm doing too bad. ''Tis the season for spooky.

Anyways, I wanted to get the story started with three chapters just to kind of get into the groove. I'll take suggestions (and constructive criticism) if anyone feels the need to do so.

I might update once a day, or once every other day, or just at my own pace. It depends. Hope anyone who read this far has somewhat enjoyed the story. <3
- Hat