Hunter

Chapter 30

**         We had gone back to the living room once Agate had stopped crying. on the couch Sophie sat next to me with one leg on the piece of furniture so she could face me. She was cleaning the wounds on my face while, in a corner of the room, Agate played with Ul.
There was something soothing in this happy scene after that pure moment of terror. Agate was giggling like the kid she was as Ul, butt in the air and wagging tail, eventually jumped on her. Despite his big size making him look ungainly, he remained delicate and avoided my little sister's legs with agility. He was happy too. I could see it and feel it. Some kind of relief emanated from him.
         Sophie followed my eyes and for a second, turned to see what was happening in her back. Touched, her smile became a reflection of mine. Nonetheless, the calm dominating the room was still agitated with a certain worry, some fear regarding a possible return of my attacker. The rifle laid on the floor, only inches away from Sophie's right foot. She would glance at it from time to time, as if to be sure it had not disappeared.

"Merci." I said to Sophie.

No other word came to mind. There was nothing else to say anyway. She looked at me in the eye for half a second and smiled before going back to cleaning my injured face.

"I thought you were coming back at noon."

This time she did not stop to look at me.

"Your father probably told you I have a sort of... capacity."

I slightly nodded.

"You're a psychic."

"Indeed. Some time after I arrived at work, I... saw things."

This time she stopped to look at me in the eyes, as if she wanted to add something silently.

"I came home as fast as I coud." She finally said.

I smiled.

"Merci" I said again.

Silence fell back. Then, suddenly, three eager knocks came from the frontdoor which opened right after. We jumped and Sophie dived to her rifle she hurried to arm. A man came hurtling in the room. As soon as he entered Sophie's shooting range, she pulled the trigger. The man shouted and crouched his hands on the head, the rifle went off and the bullet hit the wall.

"Are you crazy? You almost killed me!"

"Gustave?!"

"Dad!!"

My father stood back up, his face and hair were covered with what seemed to be dirt.                    He was back.                                                                                                                                                                    Agate and I had both rose and rushed to him while Sophie put her rifle down for good. He held us so tight he was crushing our ribs. When he finally let go, he looked at Sophie who was told "Merci" for the third time. Next to her, Ulysses waited obediently, whining. Dad lowered his eyes towards him.

"Well, come! What are you waiting for?"

Ul hopped on his legs and passed between me and Agate to jump onto our father who had to take two steps back.

"Oh, là! Easy!"

We all laughed cheerfully.

**