The Witch Hunter (UNDER EDITING AND REVISION)

Chapter 6

  The sisters were on the road again within the hour. While Max was busying herself with the werewolf, Haley had found another case on her laptop, this time in Wall Lane, Arizona.

  "Why so moody all of the sudden?" Haley asked. Max had been upset since she came out of the woods, and Haley was getting concerned. So, Max proceeded to tell her sister about the two idiots of whom almost let the monster get away.

  "I mean, what kind of hunter just jumps in front of a werewolf and expect that plan to actually work?" Max said. "I mean, this douche almost got himself and his boyfriend killed! And after I saved his life, he was questioning my capability of getting the job done!" She huffed a breath of annoyance out and crossed her arms angrily.

  "Well, let's hope for their sakes we don't bump into them again," Haley smiled. Max looked at her questioningly. "It sounds like if we do, you might just kill them." Max snorted which made Haley giggle at her, as they traveled down the highway.

  Since they left around two in the morning, they arrived in Wall Lane by eight thirty in the morning. They had taken turns driving so they both got some sleep.

  "So, what's the stitch?" Max asked, turning into a gas station parking lot.

  "Seven victims. All male. The reports say that multiple witnesses saw each guy walk towards the old toll bridge sometime in the night, all on different nights. So far, six of the seven bodies have been found."

  "Sounds like something is luring men to their death," Max said. "Any connections between the vics?"

  Haley shook her head. "All different ages. Two teenagers, a guy in his twenties, one in his thirties, two forty year olds and a senior citzen. No familial relations. I mean, the town has a population of less than five hundred people, so it's likely they knew each other, but other than that..."

  "Weird," Max said.

  After getting into town, they checked into a small motel using a credit card Max swiped from the middle aged woman at the diner in Hudsonville. They looked over the missing person reports online and decided Haley would go talk to some of the victims' family members. Max used the laptop and compiled a list of possible creatures.

  After an hour of researching and no word from Haley, Max stepped outside for some fresh air. Walking aimlessly around the motel, one of the cars in the lot caught her eye. A jet black Chevy Impala, Max wasn't sure what year. She let out a whistle of approval before walking back to her room.

  'Cherry Bomb' by The Runaways started playing from her pocket and Max pulled her phone out. Noting the caller I.D. she answered, "Hey sis. Find anything?"

  "Yeah," Haley answered. "I talked to the victims' families, all had the same story. Except the first victim's, Pete Murphey's wife. She said she keeps hearing this shrill, high-pitched screaming every few nights. I checked the dates and they correspond with the disappearances. And guess what?"

  "What?" Max replied.

  "Our first victim lived only a mile or two from the old toll bridge."

  Max raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. Okay," she said while thinking. "I think I might have an idea about what this thing is. Head back here and I'll fill you in."

  "Okay, I'm on my way. See you soon."

  When Haley arrived, Max pulled out an old, heavy book and flipped to the page she was searching for. "Here it is," she said, pointing an article for her sister to see.

  "A Banshee?"

  "A Banshee," Max confirmed. "I got the idea when you said Murphey's wife heard someone screaming. Look, read this."

  "A Banshee, also called Banshi or Benshee, is a female death omen spirit that manifests to herald approaching death with wailing. This spirit is also known as Angel of Death, Lady of Death, Woman of Peace, or White Lady of Sorrow ." Haley read. "Okay. Creepy."

  "Yeah. And there's plenty of legends where a Banshee lures in victims by singing to them. To those she loves her voice sounds like a beautiful, entrancing song. To her enemies, it sounds like high pitched wailing. That's what Mrs. Murphey was hearing."

  "So why is she taking these people?"

  "I think she's lonely," Max explains. "I checked the police reports for the past fifty years for horrible murders to see if I could dig anything up on our Angel of Death -- nothing," she sighed. "But, twenty two years ago, a preacher's daughter by the name of Gabrielle Johansson killed herself on that very bridge. Hung herself from the rafters."

  "That poor girl," Haley said.

  "Maybe not," Max said. "Two days before Gabrielle's suicide, a boy in her  class was murdered. The case was never solved."

  "You think she killed him?"

  "It makes sense. She kills him, feels guilty, kills herself. Karma's a bitch."

  "So her spirit is trapped here amd because she killed this guy she's a Banshee. And now she's just killing random guys?" Haley asked.

  "Maybe one guy wasn't enough for dear miss Johansson."