Before I begin the tale, I believe it important that you know about me. I am a flesh-and-blood vampire. Somewhere along the line, my blood became tainted. I occasionally switch between the apathetic and uncaring side that most of you will meet; and a dark, sadistic, bloodthirsty side that usually comes out when on the hunt. I have absolutely no aversion to death and I don't hesitate when forced to kill. I'm not the most fit person, but I'm not overweight. I have tons of stamina and am fairly nimble and very quick.
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It was not long after my 13th birthday that it all began. For several nights I had lain in bed for hours, afraid to sleep. I heard outside my window a noise. Something I had never heard before, yet something that I just knew I should fear. It was a primal, guttering sound; one that I didn't know what to do about. When I spoke to people at school who lived nearby, but nobody seemed to have heard it. It would not stop and finally got to the point where I just couldn't take it any more. I had tried everything. Sleeping pills, ear plugs, everything; yet nothing worked. I decided that I would find it and MAKE it stop. My grades had started slipping because of my lack of sleep, so I really had no other choice. That Friday, I clothed myself in the darkest outfit I had, grabbed my knife, and quietly sneaked out of the house. I left that night with bloodshed intended into the radiant glow of the moonlight. When I look back on it, my actions were illogical, but lack of sleep will do that to a person.
The sound was worse outside, it seemed to come from every direction. I decided that it was best to keep my knife in my hand, seeing as how my neighborhood is known to have mountain lions and coyotes. I wandered around for several uneventful hours, losing my bearings three times in the process, before I found myself in the lightly wooded area approximately two miles from my house and the sound started to get louder. The closer I got to the source of the sound, the more...off...the air felt. It felt as though there was an electrical charge in the air, like it feels before a storm. My whole body began to feel heavier, but walking seemed to become less difficult at the same time. It grew to the point that I felt so heavy that I unwillingly collapsed into the brush and had to drag myself to the row of trees not ten feet in front of me. I grabbed on to the nearest tree and pulled myself into a standing position, then continuing to stagger towards the sound. At the time, I'd had no idea how far I was from my house; but the evil side of me demanded that I not turn back without this thing's head. My bloodlust was much stronger than I'd ever felt before, so much so that that it seemed that I was running on pure instinct over wanting to get some sleep.
After another ten minutes of aimlessly stumbling around the woods, the trees began to thin out. I wouldn't call it a clearing, but there was a lot more room for whatever it was that I saw standing there; though I really shouldn't say I saw it. The thing's bark-like noises were so loud at this point that my head hurt to the point where my vision was splitting. I fumbled around with my knife for a second, trying to get a good enough grip so that I could use it properly, and staggered forward. As if it knew that I was there, the creature's cries ceased and it turned to face me. It looked like it was a human, only what seemed to be its skin was more of a fettered green and its eyes were solid black. I could not tell exactly what color the thing's hair was, but I could tell that it was a light color. Blonde, maybe, or white. With a gentle sweep of its hand, I felt as though I had become tangled in vines and was dragged closer to the thing. The hand with the knife was held out to the side and I was unable to move it.
Are you lost, little boy?
At first, I was unsure of whether or not I had imagined the voice. It was a low tenor with a slight touch of what is called a "death growl," but the thing had not moved its mouth. The voice sounded like someone had whispered into my ear.
I see you carry a weapon. Perhaps you came here because of me?
I tried hard to answer, but nothing would work. It took all of my effort just to keep myself breathing, let alone to reply. I felt my hand forced open and the knife fell to the ground. Both of my hands were then hoisted over my head and I was lifted up into the air. It was hard to tell if the thing was walking towards me or if it was gliding, all I knew was that it drew closer. I kicked out at it, but my feet passed right through its body. Imagine my surprise.
Oh! You look so defeated, and yet you still have the energy to strike out at me? You are indeed an interesting child. If I let you go, would you return home? You are not the one I seek this night.
My sleep-deprivation boosted temper flared at this moment and I unconsciously spat at it, which continued to pass through it and land on the ground. I was convinced then that this was some stupid dream.
I guess that means 'no,' then? A shame. The fact that you can see me means you have great potential. I hate seeing it go to such waste. Too bad. I felt that vine-like feeling around my neck this time, and it began constricting. I'd thought that'd I'd be waking up right about then, but I didn't. In fact, things were growing darker. It really wasn't a dream, I realized. I was going to die there, helpless, grasping at air. With my last bit of breath, I managed to ask it one question: "What are you?"
Does it really matter? You'll be dead in another minute.
It was at that time that we both heard a snapping sound to the southeast. I was unable to turn to see who it was, but the thing in front of me leaned slightly and looked off somewhere behind me. The voice of a young woman met my ears, but it didn't look as though It had seen who had spoken. "Really? Picking on children, now, Cresil?" Its eyes widened slightly before it dropped me. I rolled onto my hands and knees, breathing deeply. The color hadn't begun to bleed back into my vision, so I only heard what had happened after that.
Oh? And just who are you, girl, that you know my name? She laughed mockingly.
"Does it really matter? You'll be dead in another minute." I heard rapid footsteps, as though she were running; I heard it laugh, and then scream. After that, there was nothing for a second before she spoke again. "Really? I'd expected more. Well, he is the representative of laziness." I heard the crunching of foliage draw near me before being poked with a stick. "Hey, you okay? Kid?" I nodded, still breathing hard and unable to muster up the strength to talk. Luckily, my vision had nearly returned to normal. I lifted my head up and was knocked breathless again. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Her flowing white hair (yes, white. Whether that's her natural hair color or not I don't know; but it was, and still is, absolutely beautiful) was pulled straight back into a ponytail that was currently draped over her shoulder, her face was smooth and well-shaped. She was about my height and had a fair figure and was well-endowed for her age, which I assumed to be within 2 years of my own judging from her overall behavior. She wore a loose-fitting white T-shirt under a tight, black leather jacket and black leather pants. I found myself hypnotized by her...for about three seconds until she kicked me hard, knocking me onto my back and stomping down hard with her stiletto boots. I couldn't help but notice the military-grade combat knife tucked into it.
"Just what the Hell is wrong with you, kid? What on earth possessed to to wander out this far and attack something you know nothing about? Maybe I should have just let you die." She pulled her foot off of me and extended a hand to help me up. I took it gratefully, and she returned my knife to me. "You might as well be carrying a butter knife, kid. Do you even know what that was?" I blushed a bit in embarrassment and shook my head. "That was a demon. I'll grant you that it wasn't one of the stronger ones, but your knife still wouldn't even tough it. Y'know why? Because they aren't physical beings. There's only one kind of material out there that cut affect them because it resonates in sync with the energy that makes up their bodies. Because it does that, it's capable of disrupting the bonds and forcibly dispersing the energy." I stood there with a dumbfounded look on my face. With I understand the principle of it now, I was only in seventh grade at the time. She extended her hand to me, offering a handshake. "My name's Shera. It's nice to meet you." I took her hand.
"I'm Will." To be honest, I thought she was nuts at the time. After all, who in their right mind believes that demons are real, right? I couldn't understand why I couldn't hit the thing, but there had to be a logical reason. Maybe I had just missed? "Wow, kid. You've got a good grip, there...Hey, Will; you can let go, now....Hey!" I vaguely heard her voice over my train of thought, which was brought to a crashing halt when her fist made contact with my nose. "I said let go!" I hit the ground hard and hastily picked myself up. "What did you to to that thing?" She crouched down and pulled the knife from her boot. The blade was a lot darker than the standard stainless-steel blade of a knife. With a quick flip, she snatched it out of the air in a backhand manner. "I killed it. That's what I did."
"Teach me." At first, I didn't say it loud enough for her to hear. She just stared up into the cloudless sky. "Teach me how to do that, Shera." As she lowered her gaze to me, what little compassion there had been when she picked me from the ground was gone. "No. It's not happening." I demanded that she tell me why. "Because you will die. From what I've seen tonight, you won't last one night on the Hunt."
"I'm not leaving here without you agreeing to teach me how to kill these things." She turned around and started to leave. "Later, Will. Maybe I'll be seein' ya around." I opened my knife and held it by the blade. I cocked my arm back and whipped my knife forward. It sunk fairly deep into the tree right next to Shera's head. Back then, I could thrown my knife fairly well. Nowadays, I'd probably kill somebody if I tried what I did then. She turned around and a shadow seemed to fall across her face. "So you want to challenge me?" She pulled my knife from the tree and casually flipped it in the air repeatedly, catching it by the blade each time. "Alright then, kid. I'll accept your challenge. First person to receive an injury loses. Let's keep this non-lethal, shall we? Unless you wanna make it to the death?" She tossed my knife even higher into the air, letting it stick in the ground at my feet. She pulled her knife again in her backhand fashion. The look in her eyes was that of a killer.
I plucked my knife from the ground and held the blade towards her. "I'll try not to kill you, Shera." She moved first. She sung her knife low, trying to slice my ankle. I sidestepped and swung my knife downward, just barely missing her shoulder as she rolled to the side. Her next swing was to my chest. I brought my knife upwards and deflected her swing, but she thrust her open palm out and knocked me off-balance. She reversed the angled motion of her arm and barely cut my shirt, but missing the skin. Her swings became much more fervent and harder to dodge. "What's the matter, kid? Can't keep up with me?" Her stance kept her body low as she swung, so I took a gamble on one move. The next time she swung, I proceeded to dodge to the side and followed up by bringing my knee swiftly into her chin ans she passed me. She staggered sideways and collapsed, rolling back up to her feet.
"Not bad, kid. You keep a level head when fighting." She ran at me again, swung, and missed again. I tried to bring my knee up again, but she fell on to her side and kicked her leg out, sweeping mine out from under me. I hit the ground hard and just managed to knock her hand to the side before she pinned my shoulder to the ground. I swung upwards and punched her hard, then scrambled to get my knife. Of course, I felt terrible about having to hit a girl; but I really had no choice.
"I see you know how to fight on par with a human, I'll give you that. But..." As she ran at me again, she seemed to get even faster. I thrust my knife outwards, trying to graze her shoulder first; but she seemed to skirt around it, and next thing I knew: she was on my left side, swinging her knife towards my arm again. Without thinking, I wheeled around to my right and stuck my knife deep into the left shoulder. As my knife sank in, I felt a searing pain unlike any I've ever felt in my arm. I remember thinking So this is what it feels like to be stabbed...Interesting... She pulled her knife from my shoulder and I pulled mine from hers.
"You ruined my lucky jacket, kid." She huffed. "Fine. You managed to cut me. I guess I'll take you on as my apprentice." She tossed her knife over her shoulder for me to catch. "Take it. If you want to be a demon hunter like me, then you're going to need it." I called out to her, but she only waved over her should. "Be seein' ya around, kid." She vanished off into the woods, leaving me completely unaware of my location and taking another hour to find my way home. I finally fell asleep at 5:30AM. It was the best day's sleep I'd gotten in about a week.
