Hunt

Chapter 3 - The survivor

This is mostly some background info, but its important to the plot :)

Hope you like it!

***

Autumn's POV:

I've been awake for a few minutes, feeling slightly disoriented and confused about my surroundings and the faint ache in my elbow, just before my memories tardily rush in, memories of that stupid fight in the hallways invade my head, as well-

"Hey- stop messing with your IV!"

I look up from my itchy - now red - arm to find a displeased nurse glaring at me, eyebrows threaded together into a frown, her arms crossed, her dark blond hair and small brown eyes the only contrast against her unadorned white robes, faded cream walls surround us making make the hospital room seem bigger than it actually is, a faint stench of bleach that for some reason still burns, wafts from somewhere outside of the depressing room. The only hint of color in the room besides the small vase of roses are flimsy Robin's blue curtains that fail to contain the sun as it streams into the room.

"but it itches!" I complain as the urge to pick on it arouses once more, I try to ignore it as the nurse's glare intensifies like she can read my thoughts, being murdered by a nurse unfortunately doesn't seem to be on my schedule for today.

"you're going to make the itching worse this way, Autumn." She asserts, walking over to me with a thermometer in hand, she stops to check my temperature, her fingers cool and quick, she slips the thermometer into her pocket after giving it a second's attention, she briefly checks the IV making sure it's working properly after all the tugging.

"What day is it?" My curiosity moves my lips for me, they shape 4 words that ever so slightly echo into the silence, awaiting an answer.

"It's Friday, about 8 in the morning," She responds, looking up at me, "The doctor decided to put some heavy sedatives, you've been asleep since yesterday afternoon, after you were brought in" 

"Oh"

The lonely door suddenly clicks opens revealing a lady that looks to be in her mid-fifties, subtle grey streaks spread out into her black bun, face lined with the hard lines of age, she strides towards me with a bright smile on her face, I watch her, unsettled.

"I see that you're finally awake, Autumn! I'm your doctor, you can just call me Emma as I'm not big on formalities." she says, "I've been told that you broke your elbow by-" she glances down onto a stack of papers that are clutched into her hands, then looks up at me once more,"-getting into a fight...", her pitiful look quickly transforms into a disapproving one, she sighs and reaches to my arm, she presses my elbow in a bunch of places and asks me how they feel, they obviously hurt.

She takes a small step back.

"You're parents will come by and pick you up in an hour, so-" The rest blurred into the background as my face flushed in shame, I haven't thought about my parents since I woke up this morning.

They're probably worried sick about me while I lay here doing nothing, they were kind enough to adopt me when I was 5 years old and take care of me, and they are my last thought in a situation like this.

I was told that all my biological family died in a car crash and I was the only survivor, but some heavy research proved that wrong, turns out they died on a mission, I obviously survived though.

I was left with a family friend while everyone else prepared for a mission to attack another vampire base, but they walked right into a trap and were mercilessly slaughtered, its was a literal blood bath, I don't really remember anyone from my family so I guess that's why I don't feel anything towards them, but it would have been nice to have someone to help me with being a hunter instead of someone else to hide from, I am still very grateful for my adoptive parents though, they helped me through so much, I don't really call them my adoptive parents though, just parents, Mom and Dad, I view them as such too, they have done so much for me and they treat me like I'm their own child, and they don't treat me any differently, even from their own son.

Cain, that's his name. He's older than me by 2 years making him 19 years old, we used to hangout together a lot when we were younger, but we grew apart, we are still very close and rarely argue, but I guess we both met new friends and stopped hanging out much.

Speaking of friends, I was supposed to meet my friend Janet after school yesterday, she's probably wondering why I didn't show up. I groan out loud-

"Uh, is everything alright Autumn?" I freeze, "Were you even listening to me?"

"Oh yeah, of course."

"Alright," she says, shooting me a doubtful look,"I'll leave you to it then."

She nods in my direction as she turns and heads out the door, gently closing it behind her. I don't see the other nurse so I guess she must have left while I was zoned out, I don't know what I'm supposed to do, but what I do know is the my parents are coming to pick me up in an hour, so I just need to sit and wait.

***

I've been laying in darkness for who knows how long, my injured elbow carefully rests on a soft pillow beside me, I've been going over the fight through the window of my memories, something just seems really weird to me about it, like how Alessandro was strong enough to almost shatter my fist, no human should be able to do that with one grip, or how he was so offended when I pushed him, I admit, it was stupid of me to do that, but I wasn't thinking clearly.

Stop making excuses, you know it was solely your fault, you always seem to mess everything up.

I groan and shift to my side, one thought was stuck in my head all day though, and only now do I dare to whisper it to the nothingness surrounding me.

Alessandro must be a vampire.

Once the words leave my lips, the realization really hits me as if I've only just heard it, but he can't be, some dense part of my brain nudges me, your senses didn't go haywire like they usually do when you're around vampires.

But maybe I was too distracted to consider it.

That's it, I decide, next week on Monday, I'm going to find out if he's a vampire or not.

***

Words:1102

Date: 12/26/2020