3 comments/ 8218 views/ 1 favorites A Hunter's World Ch. 01 By: FrumiousBandersnatch "Sure looks like 24 carrot gold" the little fat sweaty man declared, squinting at the long solid chain and the large heavy pendant dangling from it, in his hands. "Of course it is. I told you it was. How much for it?" Alessandra demanded, staring down at the disgusting thief, who called himself a pawn shop owner. "Well, I guess I could give you 150 bucks, but it's not a very popular style, so I'm bein' nice." He said, exposing his stained and rotting teeth in a poor excuse for a smile. Alessandra shook with hatred, for this disgusting little crook, but checked herself. After all, she did need the money, more than the pleasure of killing this man. Forcing a plastic smile on her face, she gently responded. "We both know that it is worth well over that amount. So, how about you give me 400 now, I will be back in 3 weeks to pick it up, I will give you 500 back, and be nice enough to not kill you." The artificial smile remained plastered on her face, while she watched the shop keepers shocked face. He stared at her with wide eyes. Aless could see him debating his options, coming to the conclusion she wasn't fucking with him. "300 and you have yourself a deal." He shot back, also knowing Alessandra needed the money. "375 and you keep your life today." She responded, playing with the knife hidden behind her waist, wishing she could use it. "Deal." He replied, while he restrained a smile, valuing his life that much. Aless walked out of the pawn shop and stood on the side walk, while the shop door slammed shut behind her, followed by a quiet clicking of the lock. She chuckled at the thought of the sickly shop keeper's fear, knowing it was well deserved. She would feel little or no remorse for killing him, really she would be performing the world a service in doing so. She had seen into his soul when she had handed him the necklace and pendant. That mere touch had allowed her to see how darkly stained that dirty little man's soul really was. Looking up and down the sidewalk, Aless watched the parade of people pass by. Each and everyone one of them absorbed in their own personal tortures, seeing so little around them, so ignorant of all the happenings in the world, that she found peace in being lost among them. She stood on the hot pavement sidewalk pulling a pack of smokes from her pocket, without anyone even acknowledging her or paying her notice. She sighed, as she lit the smoke and took a slow drag. Such a bad habit, she knew, but when the people of your family only had a 25 - 30 year life expectancy, you sort of gave up trying to preserve your life in the small ways. 'If I'm going to die, I will die living as I want to.' Ahhhh, the warm fuzzy thought of a Hunter. She chuckled to herself, as she recalled her mother chastising her father for teaching their child such things. She had ripped him a new one for even insinuating their, "child should live life expecting to die young". "That is for you silly Hunter men. We Hunter women are smart, and preserve our lives." Her mother had screamed at her father, that day. However, no Hunter woman had ever been born with the powers. Until her. At puberty she had discover her birthright, in a very memorable way. The summer of Aless's 14th birthday, she had discovered a couple of her many inherited talents: soul searching, and the reading of strong thoughts and emotions. Sometimes, if someone's thoughts or emotions were intense enough, she could clearly see their thoughts play out like a movie in her mind; which was what had happened that hot Sunday in July. She had been at church with her mother, and had worn a light cotton dress, due to the intense heat. They did not have air-conditioning in either their home or car, so Aless had dressed lightly. However, once inside the cool church she realized how under-dressed she was and sat freezing. She sat in the pew shivering, as the air-conditioners blasted cool gusts of air through the church. Her flesh was goose pimpled; her teeth chattered and, her young sensitive nipples hardened making her pert little breasts very visible through the thin cotton dress. As everyone filed out of the church, gathering on the steps to gossip and chat, Father McLellan greeted them and thanked them for attending. Father McLellan was a highly respected and trusted man in their small community. He had been a mentor to most of the children and parents of the town. He also created and ran a program for assisting troubled youth in their community. He helped teens with drug addictions, young single mothers, kids with problems at home, or orphans and helped them rebuild their lives. Many of them decided to leave the little community; or, so she had assumed, because she couldn't recall having seen any of them after they entered his program. That day, as she walked out of church, Father McLellan had held onto her hand, as she went to withdraw it from his own. He had told her he wanted to speak to her for a moment after he had finished greeting everyone, about a trip with the group he was running. He said he was hoping she could help him plan and attend a trip for his group, he had told her he thought she would be a good influence for the other kids. She told her mother , who had told her to come right home after he was done speaking to her. They only lived a few blocks away, and it was a small safe community, so it hadn't been a big deal. Aless had walked into Father McLelland's office and stood before his large desk. He arose and walked around the desk, placing his hands on her shoulders, while explaining what he wanted her to do to help his group. However, through the physical contact he was making, she had been able to see his thoughts, fantasies and emotions as clearly as the world around her. Unfortunately for her, they were not images any child should see in their lifetime. Let's just say, he had noticed how cold she was and had a hard time finishing the sermon while hiding his obvious erection. He had many dirty vile and humiliating plans for her and was more than ready and happy to steal her innocence, as he had from many others. Father McLelland was a very bad man, who had done very bad things. Unable to differentiate between what was real and what was not, Alessandra had fled from his office and out of the church, crying. She did not understand what she had just seen, but knew that it had been too real and too strong to ignore. And so, she had fled home sobbing, to the comfort of her mothers arms. After half an hour of calming the child and soothing away her worries, her mother and father discovered what had happened and discovered the new talents that she possessed. It had taken all her mother's cunning and convincing to stop her father from marching off to the church and strangling good old Father McLelland. Mother had a much better idea, which would ensure the only person who went to prison was the perverted priest. A few days later the police received an anonymous tip that the good father had been abusing some of the children in his program and that he had them in his basement. Low and behold, upon further inspection the police had found three youth, two girls and a boy all under the age of 17, locked away in his dark dirty basement. He had been physically and mentally abusing them for months. Mom had done some investigating. There was a mountain of evidence to ensure the kind father would never see the light of day again; and, knowing the prison rules, she was sure he wouldn't be long in this world. Even thieves and murderers have their morals and codes, none of which allowed for the abuse of children. Any guilty man knows that everyone deserves a chance at innocence. Anyone who dares to steal innocence away from a child has signed their own death warrant. And thus, Aless had discovered that she had inherited the Hunter's skills. She, the first woman in known history, was to carry on the right of the hunt. Her father had been in shocked disbelief, and her mother had been heart broken. Her mother had sobbed for a week straight. Eventually after her father had wrapped his head around the idea that his daughter was the one to inherit the skills of the family, he began her training. "No use in getting yourself killed cause you don't know what you are doing", he had declared. Her father had trained her for the next eight years, teaching her everything he knew. The week before he died, he had stopped during the middle of their combat training and looked her directly, somberly and sadly, in the eyes. "I am so proud of you Aless. I'm sorry that you have to carry this burden, but I trust that you will be the best Hunter we have ever known. When I am gone I need you to take care of your mother for me. No, no honey, don't interrupt. I need to finish. I am old, for a Hunter. I have lived longer than most of the men in my family. I was able to watch you grow, and be part of your life. That is more than any father can ask. I love you both so much. Things are becoming tense, and I will be gone a lot for a while. I need you to keep an eye on your mom and keep training. If anything should happen to me, or your mom," he said with a pained flinch, "find Taggart Reichmann. He is the only man I would ever trust with my family. Now. Back to training.", and with that he had hit her with a quick surprise blow to the ribs. They quickly fell back into the comfortable ease of training; acting like the conversation had never taken place. That was the last time she had had any type of personal conversation with her father. He had left the next day with four other men, to investigate a couple of out of town deaths that looked suspicious. Two weeks after that, she and her mother had received the phone call notifying them of her father's death. Her mother had stood holding the phone so tightly, that her knuckles had turned white; her expression had been blank and lost. She hadn't made a sound, but grasped her right arm and collapsed to the ground. Aless had rushed to her mother's side, just in time to hear her mother choke out "heart, my heart". Aless had grabbed the phone from her mother, hanging up on the poor man calling to relay the horrible news, and dialed 911. Katherine Hunter died in her daughters arms, half an hour before the paramedics arrived. They found Aless rocking her mother's small body back and forth, on the kitchen floor. Aless was rocking back and forth,chocking on dry sobs, unable to produce any emotion. She decided she preferred the dead cold feeling, rather than the pain and sadness she should have been feeling. It had taken three people to pull Katherine Hunter from Aless's arms. A Hunter's World Ch. 02 Her parents had died over two and a half years ago, and had left her a modest amount of money and a safe full of family jewels, heirlooms and weapons. Good old mom and dad. Her father had been assassinated; shot in the back of the head and her mother had dropped dead from a broken heart. Her blood boiled and her rage grew at the thought of some coward shooting her father from behind. Although she would be inclined to, and like to, blame demons for her father's death, it unfortunately had had the stink of humans. Demons were too proud to pull such a dirty trick as shooting a man from behind, especially such a respected man. They were honourable – and the term is used loosely - enough to fight face to face in an even battle. There was no victory in trickery, only dishonor. Not to diminish their hatred for her father and their desire for his death, but they did respect what an excellent warrior and fair opponent he was. Her father had single handedly dispatched over half the rogue demons, who had dared enter into the human realm, for the last 25 years. It was unheard of for a hunter to survive that long, let alone kill as many demons as he had; hence, the respect. Aless, however, received very little respect from the intruding demons. They snickered at her as she approached. A mere female attempting to take down a demon; they thought it comical, until they were lying in a pool of their own blood and guts, breathing their last breath. Aless hated reliving the past, because there wasn't one damn thing she could do to change it. So, like her cigarette butt, she tossed the memories aside, favouring to look ahead as she sought a new path. Hunting demons paid very little, to no, money and the demand just wasn't there these days. Things were quiet, too quiet. She was at a point now where she was hawking her family's valuable heirlooms to afford suitable protection and weaponry. She sighed inwardly as she slowly walked along the sidewalk. She scanned the crowds of people, looking for something out of place. Demons have the ability to take human forms, but they are usually big for a normal human and their eyes are pools of silver. However, she wasn't just looking for demons these days. Humans were now included in the focus of her wrath. She still hadn't discovered who was responsible for her father's death but she would never stop looking, so long as there was a breath left in her body. Finding the humans was like finding a needle in a haystack. They were tricky and backhanded. Demons, on the other hand, were simple. Sometimes she almost felt like she hated humanity more than the demons. These days it was open range to all evil; human and demon alike. So long as their souls were deeply and darkly tainted, she felt no remorse in killing them. She didn't see any irregularities in the crowd, only the typically self absorbed mass of people dancing around each other, doing their best to politely pretend like the other doesn't exist. The dance of life she called it. It wasn't until she rounded a corner that she noticed something that piqued her interest. She felt the faint hum of strong emotion and tried to focus on the source. She narrowed it down to the broad back of a large man who, right as she saw him, rounded a corner. He had been with a cute young woman, who looked to be no more than 22. It could be a demon, lusting after not only the girls sex but her life source, or it could just be two people running off to screw. Either way, the emotions had been so powerfully projected, she had to check. To explain. Demons have a great amount of power. They are very strong, fast and agile, making them dangerous opponents. They can also shift shape or matter (not easily mind you), read and slightly control minds, conjure power – what we usually call magic – and pass through the realms. When a demon is in the human realm, they emit a much higher and more easily detected amount of emotion and power. Not to say humans are not capable of emitting such high levels, but it is just very rare and usually still means bad things are about to happen; except for orgasms. She learned that sexual release creates such a strong emotional and powerful release that it would be like a shock to her mind and read at the levels of a powerful demon. She had learned that the hard way, when she busted in on a few teens taking part in an orgy, expecting to find a large seasoned demon. Boy, was that awkward. For everyone involved. At least they had been enjoying themselves. She knew that because it had felt like a room full of demons dancing a jig in her head, from the power levels it had been emitting. Some one had sure as hell got off, but it hadn't been her. It had never been her. She had never known the intimate touch of another person. It was too difficult to not see their souls as she touched them- most were dirty. She was only able to see into the mind and souls of humans. Demons, she could only sense their souls and detect their emotional and power outlet. Good or bad, weak or powerful. As well, she was able to match them in battle. She did not and could never possess their strength, but she did possess cunning, grace and speed, on her part. She was also blessed with the gift of intuition; knowing when to step, when to dive, when to hit and when to run. This had always been her best defense against all enemies. She was unique, aside from being the only known female hunter, in many ways from all the other hunters. Each family had certain skills that made them unique, but very few possessed multiple skills. Most were unable to harness and control what powers or skills they did have. Aless had another advantage as well - she had been trained by her father. He was the best in their history, and had been the most sought after trainer. But, when he had learned that his own daughter had become a hunter he had focused all his time and energy on her. Aless had been the last descendant for her branch of the Hunter family. Everyone just assumed that the power would end with her father, the last male heir. It had come as a shock to everyone that her father's skills passed on to their female child; and, that she was to become a hunter herself. Many had argued that she would not be capable; or, that her father was insane for putting his daughter's life at risk, and she would surely be incapable of fulfilling the hunter's duties. However, she had trained, fought, survived and proved everyone one of them wrong. She was strong, smart and powerful. She was her father's daughter. Aless rounded the corner, where the couple had gone, and found it led into a dead end alley way. Great. Not good. She couldn't see anyone, so she started walking silently down the alley trying to catch any movement or sound. She found neither, but did notice a heavy steel door slightly ajar. It was the only other possible way out of this alley, other than way she had just come, so she quietly stepped through the doors threshold and followed her prey. She knew that she had chosen correctly, when she began to feel the humming in her mind. Paydirt. She suddenly heard a squeal come from down the hall. She froze listening for anymore noise to indicate where they were. Unexpectedly the squeal was followed by a giggle. Aless frowned. Demons did not often evoke giggles from young women, more like screams of terror and pain. She shook her head, frustrated. Sex. It must have just been two young lovers jacked up on passion; but, that just didn't sit right, it didn't feel right. She was positive this was a demon, but why no death, mayhem and carnage yet? After standing, motionless, listening for an endless amount of time, Aless determined – by the moaning and panting taking place close by – that it was just her being paranoid. She began lightly tip-toeing away from the passionate lovers hiding spot, when she heard a whispering voice. It was barely discernible, but her hearing was highly sensitive. It was a light, melodious and angelic voice, whispering. To her. "Alessandra, come and get me." The voice was taunting her, and it was coming from the direction where the lovers were hidden away. "I will bring you pleasure, you have never known. If, you can find me." "Yeah right. You wish. I will be the one taking pleasure when I find you, in killing you." She retorted, not realizing she had spoken aloud. She immediately covered her mouth with her hand, preventing her from making any more noise. She heard his melodic laughter, at her response. "You are partially correct, my angel. I do wish. And, you will be taking pleasure, but not how you imagined." His voice carried as a whisper to her ears. "I am done with this one now. I have taken what I need. Are you ready to come and find me?" he taunted her again. A growling noise began in her throat, as her anger increased at this demons juvenile teasing. Obviously he had no survival skill or intelligence; or else he wouldn't be taunting her. Aless threw caution to the wind and flew at the door, of the little lovers hideaway. When she crashed through the door, she found the young woman asleep, exhausted but alive, and splayed naked on an old dirty desk. She was breathing, there was no blood and no missing organs. Weird. She had never encountered a Demon who could resist a human's blood, especially when in the throws of passion. And, even more odd, the girl looked happy; not like a girl who had been taken or forced against her will. Could it really have been a Demon, she asked herself. "Yes" the answer whispered gently into her ear, but from who or where she didn't know. "Get the fuck out of my head, asshole" she yelled, knowing full and well that her tormentor would hear her. Loud and clear. She tried reinforcing her mental blocks, but they were as strong as they were going to get; which meant that he was a very powerful Demon. Just great. She needed to get out and away from here, and contemplate what she had just witnessed and learned. With little effort, Aless dressed the unconscious woman, and maneuvered her into a fireman's hold. Straining slightly to carry the extra weight of the woman, Aless tried to decide what to do with her find. Ditch her at a bus stop? No. Put her in a cab and send her off? No. Damn it. She hated the demon even more now, for making her responsible for another humans life. Where would be a safe place to ditch her until she came to? A movie theater! Dark, safe, and open at this hour. Someone would eventually find her if she didn't wake up. She turned right at the end of the alley, heading to the big monstrous theater which was – luckily for her - only a few blocks away. Alessandra left the theater, pleased with her choice, and crossed the street. She began walking aimlessly, again. She had nowhere to go. She could find a hotel, using some of the money from the pawn shop, but she needed that for weapons. To sleep or not to sleep, that was the question. She knew she needed to rest a moment at the very least, so she ducked into a small ambient café that catered to the late night party goers. She managed to find a vacant comfy old wing-back chair nestled in the back corner of the café. Relieved for the moments respite, she sighed as she flopped back in her chair. She sat unmoving, with her eyes closed for a full five minutes before she was interrupted. "Can I get you something ma'am" A nasally voice asked her. She opened her eyes and found a middle aged, rough looking woman hovering over her. "Yes, I will have a large café au lait please." Aless barely got out before the waitress disappeared into the crowd again, lost among the other humans in the café. She resumed her previous position, with her head back and eyes closed. She relaxed like this for another ten minutes before the waitress returned with her order. She sat in silence as she sipped her hot drink. She needed somewhere to go;and, somewhere safe, where she could sleep. Home was no longer an option, since she had had to sell it. It had been hard, but it hadn't hurt as much as she thought it would. It had not been the house that had made it her home, but the people in it. With out them there, it just felt like a big expensive empty house. The money from that had run out quickly. She had had to bribe many people to get information about her father's death, and it still hadn't got her anywhere. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, while she searched for a solution, when the name suddenly came to her. Taggart Reichmann. Who was he and why did her father trust him, and only him. A Hunter's World Ch. 03 Aless sat in the large comfy chair, with her head in her hand, thinking. She rubbed her temples with her thumb and middle finger, in an attempt to relieve some of her building tension. It didn't work. She tried to get some rest, but every time she began to nod off someone would brush past her, immediately jerking her awake. Abandoning her, failed and boycotted, attempts at rest, Aless's thought fell to her father's killer -- whom she needed to find and punish, as soon as possible -- and the concerning lack of activity in the demon community as of late -- short of the one she had encountered earlier that day, which had been the first in 7 weeks. She knew that the demons were out there, but they were lying low, which she considered a bad omen. She knew that they were up to something, but what it was she couldn't figure out. Frustrated by that topic, she turned her mind to the day's earlier events. There was the strange demon that had ravaged the woman, taking a considerable amount of her energy, before leaving her for-- alive. Aless had never encountered anything like this before. The woman hadn't been bruised, beaten or raped. It didn't make sense. And then, there was the voice that had spoken to her today, which kept echoing through her mind, taunting her, daring her to find it. She wished she knew why. She wished for once something could just be simple and easy; but, things had stopped being simple and easy since she was 14. It was only upon hearing the loud repeated coughing, very close by, that she opened her eyes. She saw the haggard waitress scowling down at her. "Anything else I can get you?" asked the woman. Somehow it sounded more like a subtle 'get the fuck out', rather than an invitation to purchase more product. "No." Aless said getting up out of the chair, stretching to her full height, which was a full five inches taller than the cranky waitress. Aless paused before moving away, asking, "Do you know of any decent, and affordable, places to stay around here?" The waitress stared off aimlessly into space for a moment while she tried very hard to think. And, it was an effort for this one. She was neither the brightest woman, nor the nicest woman; but, she was not an evil person. Her sins only went skin deep. She wasn't evil, just irritating and bitchy. "Sorry ma'am, not many nice places around here. There is a motel down the road a bit, Sunshine Lane Motel. The owners are real nice people, but it is still a rough area. Rooms are pretty cheap though." she responded. She then shrugged her shoulders in dismissal, and returned to her work. Without another glance at Aless the waitress snatched the coffee cup off the table, swiped her towel across its surface, and shot back off into the crowd. Aless sighed as she carefully danced her way through the tight crowd in the small cafe, trying to avoid bumping into or rubbing up against anyone. She hated being touched by strangers; it always caused an unpleasant crawling sensation through her body. Therefore, she just tried her damndest to avoid physical contact. Once she had made her way out, she turned up the street in the direction the waitress had indicated. She habitually scanned the area around her, checking for anything out of the ordinary. Assured that there was nothing wrong, she relaxed slightly and slipped her hands into her jean's pockets. She dropped her head and shoulders against the cold, damp cutting wind.Her heavy worn boots splashed and squished on the wet sidewalk. She couldn't wait to get out of the damp mist that permeated the air, and her bones. Aless trekked down the desolate dark street, in search of the Sunshine Lane Motel. She had decided to splurge for just the one night; since, that was all she could afford to spend, from what she had got for the pendant. She had promised herself one good nights rest before she began searching for the owner of the voice and resumed the search for her father's murderer. She needed time to think, and that meant she needed rest. She was almost at the end of her rope. She was running out of money and places to go. Unlike her father, she didn't work with the other Hunters; or, more accurately they did not accept her in their ranks. That was fine with Aless. She didn't need people trying to tell her what to do, and she sure as hell didn't need to associate with the very men who insulted her, by refusing to acknowledge her as a true Hunter. Her skills proved otherwise; she was a true Hunter, whether they wanted to believe it or not. But, this left her alone, without aid, in a world where she was unappreciated by the demons she was charged with killing, and the very people she protected. They, the walking sheep of society, weren't even aware of her existence or of the threat she protected them from. It was the worst job in the world. No 'Demon Killer of the Month' award for her. She heaved a sigh, frustrated by her lack of allies now that her family was gone. All she really wanted was a hot home cooked meal and a solid night's sleep; and, they didn't even have to be together -- she wasn't greedy after all. Money, it always came down to money; which was her biggest problem. She never had any. She still had a few heirlooms left, but they were the ones she was unwilling to, and never would, part with. The protection pendant had been the last piece that she had been willing to sell - not that she had truly wanted to, but necessity dictated. Her parents had told her to never let the heirlooms out of her possession; but, she had little choice, she had to do what she had to do to survive. She firmly believed her parents would have wanted that more -- her safety and survival. Aless had walked six blocks before she finally saw the big bright flashing sign of the Sunshine Lane Motel; it was still a few blocks up ahead. She picked up her pace, as she passed by alleyways filled with junkies, dealers and prostitutes. Her skin crawled and her senses went into automatic overdrive. She was surrounded by depravity and sin, and it made her feel sick to her stomach. She felt bombarded by their twisted thoughts, emotions and souls. These were the bottom feeders. They fed and lived off the remnants and garbage of a frailly functioning society. It wasn't that she judged them or couldn't understand where some of them were coming from, because she was only a few dollars short of being one of them too; but, she worked her ass off to remain separate from them. They were the invisible individuals. The people that no one wanted to see or hear; or, even know of their existence -- just like her. But, Aless was aware; she felt their presence. She pushed herself faster, trying to put as much distance between she and the bottom feeders as she could; but, in this area, that was almost damn near impossible. She needed to escape, even just for a moment, because what she was receiving from them was almost crippling, and she was too tired to block them out. She just wanted a bed, four walls and a door that locked. That wasn't too much to ask for, was it? The little bell above the door rang as Aless stepped into the small warm office of The Sunshine Lane Motel. She walked up to the small desk and the two people sitting at it, who watched her suspiciously as she approached them. She didn't blame them, since she didn't look any hell these days. Her clothes were dirty and getting a little ratty; and, her jacket was torn from her last encounter with a demon. Her hair looked black and hung limply around her face, from water and grease. She had no make-up and her eyes were darkly smudged from exhaustion. As well, due to the lack off regular food, she was looking pretty gaunt. All in all, she looked like one of those people from the alleys. Thomas and Carol McCloud, the proprietors of the motel, were a sweet middle aged couple. Aless explained that the waitress down the street had told her about the motel. She apologized for coming in so late, and for her appearance. They seemed to slowly warm towards her, as they realized that she was not one of the riff raff off the street. They were happy to have someone looking for a room for the night, rather than just by the hour. They seemed a little hesitant when she told them she was paying with cash, but Aless soothed those concerns by offering them a considerable deposit, for them to hold on to until she checked out the next day. They seemed to relax, realizing that she wasn't out to screw them. Aless smiled warmly at them; they truly were good people, and she was always an accurate judge of character. Aless climbed the stairs, key in hand, to the second level and wearily walked down to room 28. The lock was a little sticky and required some elbow grease; but, at least that meant it wouldn't be easy for anyone to break in. The room was spacious and spotless; and, and had a bathroom and bed. It was everything she could possibly ask for. The décor was frozen in the 70's and she was pretty sure that the furniture had been there since the 1970's; but, since she was no fashion bomb herself, nor was she accustomed to luxury, so she was in no position to critique. Aless locked the padlock and linked the chain, before kicking off her boots and walking into the bathroom. She stripped off her dirty clothes and turned on the shower. Once the steam was billowing out from the stall, she stepped into its hot stream. She relished the tingling and burning sensation that the scalding water caused on her flesh, as it banished the chill from her bones. After she had scrubbed her flesh clean and washed her thick hair, she grabbed her clothes and cleaned them with a bar of soap, under the hot water. Once she and her belongings were clean, she turned the taps off and stepped out of the shower. She tossed her clean clothes over the shower curtain rod and slowly toweled herself dry; which took much longer than usual, because she was so exhausted and sore. Nude, Aless walked into the bedroom. She tore back the sheets and flopped down onto the decently comfortable bed. It was better than the park benches she had been frequenting lately. Pulling the covers up to her chin, Aless curled into the fetal position and immediately fell deeply asleep. Aless knew she was dreaming, when she looked down upon the unfamiliar scene; but, oddly she could not pull herself out of this dream. She was watching a large, broad chested man with shoulder length blond hair, who was kneeling on the ground, crying, beside a fresh pile of earth. He wore elaborate clothing from a different era, which were covered in dirt, just like his hands. He wasn't wearing a jacket and his shirt was plastered to his sweaty body. The man was whispering something in a foreign language, which she couldn't understand. Something seemed familiar about him, but she didn't know why. She had never seen him before; and, she would have remembered a man as strikingly gorgeous as him. He kept whispering in the strange tongue; and, even though she couldn't tell what he was saying, she could feel his sadness and despair. She felt like an intruding voyeur. Aless tried to take control of the dream; or at the very least escape it, but she couldn't. Normally she would be able to shed it; but, it was as though there was something trapping her in it. So, she had no choice other than to watch this man's mournful torture. He moved so quickly that she barely had time to register what he was doing, but in the blink of an eye he was holding a long dangerously sharp looking knife in his hand. The knife was a bright, almost white, silver with jewels and wood embossing decorating the handle. It glinted and glimmered in the moonlight, and caused Aless to gasp in apprehension. As though he heard her, the beautiful stranger turned, looking directly at her. Though she knew it was impossible, since she wasn't really there, it felt like he was staring directly into her eyes and looking deep into her soul. The stranger spoke, this time, in English. "You." The word echoed through her dream. The man turned back to the pile of dirt, held out his arm and slowly drew the knife's blade across the tanned golden flesh of his forearm. Blood poured from his wound onto the fresh earth. He let out a guttural roar, as tears continued to streak down his face. His pain was overwhelming. Suddenly, Aless sat up in bed screaming, with tears pouring down her cheeks. She wildly looked around, disoriented, in wide eyed shock. Finally, focusing on the digital clock, she centered herself. 1:30am She had only slept for an hour. "Awesome." she sarcastically bit out. She sat up in bed rubbing her hand over her face. What the hell was that? She had never experienced anything like it before. She could recall every aspect of the dream, including the strong emotions in it; which included passion, sadness, love, despair, guilt and hatred. It had been one roller coaster of a dream. The question was, what had forced her into and kept her trapped in that dream, and why? She had never before had anything intrude on her mind like that, other than the voice; but, what bothered her most about the dream was the bright, white, silver glimmer, of the man's eyes -- correction, the demon's eyes. She pulled her hand through her hair as she considered the possibilities. They must be connected; the voice and the dream. They had to be connected. She blew out a heavy breath, of frustration. She felt completely defenseless. She didn't know how to beat this adversary, because she couldn't fight this as a physical battle. She had never been taught how to use her mental skills to attack, only defend; and, even her defenses were useless against this opponent, obviously. This demon was really starting to piss her off. She needed to get close to him, so she could use the skills she did possess. "That's it asshole! I'm going to (fucking)[find you and] kill you!" she declared angrily and loudly, hoping it heard her. She knew it worked, when she felt an intense tingling sensation through out her body, and heard faint laughter. "Did you enjoy the show, Alessandra?" the voice queried, still sounding amused. "If you know what is good for you, you will stay the fuck out of my head. Even better idea, why don't you just come here and face me." she spat out vehemently. "Are you that excited to get your hands on me?" his voice teased, "I know I can't wait to touch you, feel you under me." Aless roared in anger, throwing a pillow violently across the room. It flew across the wide space and hit the opposite wall, exploding into a cloud of feathers. "I will tear you to pieces, if you try to lay a finger on me." She declared, seething. His roaring laughter echoed in the room. "Oh, my dear sweet angel. I don't think our first meeting will go quite as you plan. But, I am eager to watch you try. I do so love seeing you work." "Come here then, and I will show you how good at I am at my job." She invited with, acid like, mock sweetness. "Patience, Alessandra. You have to find me first; then, we can play." "Oh, don't worry I will. And, I will make you pay for fucking with (me)[my sleep]." She assured him, barely containing her rage; no longer caring that she might be overheard. He had messed with her sleep, her self-promised night of rest. Anyone who fucked with her sleep, or what little of it she got, deserved to die. "You are quite the grump in the morning." the voice said with mock offense. "Fuck you. Morning would indicate a full night's rest, which I didn't get. Can't you go torture some other soul for a few hours?" she demanded, pulling the other pillow over her head in an attempt to block out his voice. "Now, that is very selfish of you. Aren't you supposed to be protecting humanity from our kind?" He whispered next to her ear. Aless threw her remaining pillow to the other side of the room. This one fortunately survived the attack. "Do you derive some form of pleasure from my torture?" she growled. "Oh, my Alessandra... I hope for you to endure a different sort of torture, by my hands; and, I will definitely be receiving pleasure from it, as will you." He whispered sensually against her ear. "This little visit, I just find amusing. You are cute when you are angry." he murmured, chuckling darkly. "Yeah right, a regular old teddy bear. Why don't you come here and I'll show you just how cute and cuddly I can really be." she threatened. "I look forward to it my angel. But, I'm afraid you will have to come find me first. I don't want to make it too easy for you; and, it builds the anticipation, don't you think?" he coolly responded. "Well, let me sleep then, so I have the energy to find you. You'll have an unfair advantage in the fight, if you don't let me get a good night's sleep; and, where's the pride and honour in that?" she tried to reason and negotiate. "My stubborn angel. There won't be any fighting. I don't think you have been listening." He stated sternly, "Besides, I am enjoying your company immensely." he added, sounding amused. "Aaaaauuugggghhhh!" Aless roared flopping back on the bed, in frustration. What did she have to do to get rid of this jerk? She decided silence would be her best defense. She hoped her non-responsiveness would bore him to the point where he would leave; letting her get some valuable sleep. She wouldn't satisfy him, by responding to his taunts. "You can try but I have a feeling you won't last long, especially since you are going to hear about my plans for our first meeting." his voice huskily informed her. She forgot to account for the fact that he could hear her thoughts, if he wanted to, without her having to speak them out loud. Aless pressed her lips tightly together and tried to clear her mind, refusing to play his game. "When you find me, which I hope you do, I am going to teach you what pleasure is. You will submit to me, and I will have you begging, for more, on your hands and knees, under me." His words caressed her flesh like a lovers touch. Aless shuddered in response, from both disgust and her body's instinctive natural desire. Still, she remained silent and unresponsive. "You will learn to love, and come to crave, the pleasure I give you. You will burn for my touch and beg for my caresses." His husky voice confidently informed her. "You will hunger for my touch, here..." she felt a feathery warmth touch her neck, like fingers stroking her flesh, then a light damp heat, like a soft lingering kiss on her throat. Aless took in a ragged breath, trying to control her furry, and passion. "and here..." he whispered, as she felt the touch and warmth on the top of her breast. "and here...", again she felt him, this time at her navel. Aless knew where this was going. Finally, she broke as she felt the warmth of his touch again, on her inner thigh. "Don't touch me," she viciously yelled into the darkness, "you fucking bastard. I will kill you when I finally get my hands on you." The voice boomed in laughter, forcing Aless to cover her ears. "My dear sweet innocent Alessandra, how do you intend to kill me, when you can't even keep me out of your head?" he asked, as though speaking to a child. "Well, you'll just have to wait to find out won't you?" she sneered, "Because, when I get my hands on you, you'll realize who you are dealing with, and what I am capable of." She stated menacingly. He chuckled and said, sounding amused, "I know exactly who you are, Alessandra Hunter. You didn't think I grace just anyone with my presence, did you?" "Grace me?" she sputtered, outraged. "I don't fucking think so. Try stalking." She spat furiously. "You cut me, with your harsh words. A man can only take so much. I believe I'm going to go sulk now, and lick my wounds." he declared with mock outrage and offence. "But, don't think I'll forget about you, my fiery little one. I will be back." he declared, right before Aless felt a sense of withdrawal; as though, something from inside herself and the air around her had been removed. A Hunter's World Ch. 03 He was gone. She released a ragged breath, unsure whether she should feel elation -- from his departure -- or dread -- about his promised return. Aless carelessly fixed and arranged the mangled sheets; so, they just barely managed to cover her chilled body. It wasn't great, but it would do. Either way, it didn't matter, because she was so absolutely exhausted, that she was asleep four seconds before her head hit the pillow-less mattress. True to his word, the voice woke her up and taunted her every hour. He would rouse her from her dreamless sleep, and keep her awake while he described all the depraved lustful acts he had planned for their first meeting. This was truly a slow form of torture. Torture through sleep deprivation and irritation. Great. Aless just wanted to scream and cry, from frustration and exhaustion, but she would never let him have the satisfaction of seeing her weakness. In total, Aless got three and a half hours sleep that night. She was still, if not more, exhausted and no better off for having spent the money on a room for the night. Life just kept them coming. Sometimes she wished she could just 'retire' and file herself away with all the other mindless and oblivious souls of 'normal' society. Aless, resigning herself to wakefulness, roused for the day. She huffed out a defeated breath, as she shambled into the bathroom to collect her clothes. Today was going to be a long day. She had just finished putting on her damp pants and was pulling her shirt on over her head , when she felt the familiar rushing and tingling sensation over her flesh. He was back, again. "You look tired my little one." the voice mused, sounding pleased. "No shit Sherlock! I wonder why?!" she responded bitterly. "Now, now. It's not my fault you're a restless sleeper." he taunted. Aless grimaced but didn't bother responding. She had learned that there was very little, to nothing, she could say or do to get him to go away; and, giving in to his taunting just goaded him on. She was too tired to utter any actual or real threats, so she didn't try. Instead, she sat on the edge of bed attempting -- since her fingers were no longer working in conjunction with her brain - to lace her boots. "Well," he dramatically huffed, "if you are not going to talk to me I guess I'll leave. I really do need some well deserved rest, anyways. You've tired me out. But, don't worry Alessandra, I'll be back later. I won't forget about you." Lucky me, she thought sardonically. She listened to his amused chuckles fade as she felt his withdrawal, again. Aless sat on the bed resting her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She slumped in defeat and misery. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to ask for help but she knew, in her present state, that she couldn't do this alone. Even though she hated to admit it, she knew she needed help; because, if he kept this up, soon she wouldn't even be a threat to a kitten let alone a powerful demon -- not that she went around threatening kittens. Aless, drawing on her final reserves of energy, stood up and grabbed her jacket off the chair before walking out of the room. She slowly lumbered down the stairs and made her way to the motel's office, where she returned the keys and collected her deposit, minus the cost of the pillow. Leaving the small office, Aless wandered away from the motel, in the opposite direction of the bottom feeder filled alleys. Her stomach rumbled and cramped; which, was her body's way of reminding her that it needed food at least every so often. Aless groaned in pain. She needed grease and caffeine, in no particular order, soon. She walked a few more blocks, before she found a small diner. She began salivating, at just the thought of having food in her belly. Aless slid into the booth and rested her head back on the soft cushioning. She felt weak, which made her irrationally angry. She was a Hunter. A Hunter was never weak, and never let themselves become vulnerable. Within a couple minutes, after having sat down, Aless' waiter -- Andrew -- arrived, giving her a menu, a cup of coffee and a run down on the day's specials. He took off to another table, but not before promising to return in a couple minutes. By the time he made it back, she had decided what she wanted to order and had become even more ravenous. Aless ordered two eggs, two sausages and toast, with her coffee. Five dollars was her max, since she had had to pay for the damn pillow. Damn budget. When Andrew left, Aless resumed her earlier trains of thought. She needed help and she knew it. But, who to turn to? She couldn't ask the Hunters; because, well, they were just a bunch of assholes and she didn't trust them. So, all she had left was a name; and, she didn't even know if the infamous Mr. Reichmann could help her but she had no other choice, and nothing left to lose. When the waiter brought her food, Aless asked if they had a phone book and payphones. He nodded and pointed her towards the back exit sign. She quickly scarfed down her meal, and chugged her cup of coffee. It hit her stomach like a load of bricks. She groaned as her stomach spasmed and complained in response to the heavy food. She fished her cash out of her pocket and placed it on the table. It wasn't much of a tip, but since she had no money left to give, he would have to be satisfied. Aless slid out of the booth and walked toward the payphones. She didn't know if this guy -- Taggart Reichmann - would even be in the damn phone book, but she had very few options at this point. She couldn't ask her father, because he was dead. She couldn't ask her mother, because she was dead. So, phone book it was. Fortunately, he was easy to find in the old tattered phone book. He was the only Reichmann there, and his first name, Taggart, was there too. Since the name Taggart was not a common first name here, let alone Reichmann, as a last, Aless felt pretty confident that this was her man. She dropped in her last quarter and dialed the number from the book. It rang twice before someone answered. "Hello?" a curt male voice answered. "Hi. Uh, is Taggart there?" Aless asked hesitantly. "Mr. Reichmann," the voice corrected, "is on a call, if you wouldn't mind holding a moment. May I ask who is speaking?" he politely demanded an answer. "Alessandra Hunter" she replied, sheltering her mouth and mouth piece as she said it, afraid it would somehow summon her tormentor. "Just a moment," came his tart reply, before placing her on hold. She waited no more than a minute before she heard a clicking noise, and a new voice came on the line. "Alessandra, I have been expecting you." A smooth male voice stated. Aless felt a tingle of awareness and apprehension run up and down her spine, at the sound of his voice. "Mr. Reichmann, I -- "Call me Taggart, please." "Okay. Taggart." she corrected awkwardly, "I... my... that is, my father told me to contact you, if I was ever in trouble or needed help. I hope you don't mind." She hurriedly explained, "but, I just need somewhere to sleep for a few hours, and was wondering if you-" He interrupted her, "Of course, you don't even need to ask. I am not too far, about ten blocks away on Durand. House number 114. There is a gate, but they will be expecting you." he informed her. As Aless was expressing her thanks and saying goodbye, Taggart suddenly, again, interjected. "Wait, Alessandra?" he asked into the phone. "Yes?" She responded hesitantly. "Do you have a car? How are you getting here?" "No, no car. I prefer walking. It keeps me in shape; and, it's better for the environment." she explained, trying to sound as convincing as possible. Of course she wanted a car. Her feet, legs and back ached from the constant walking; but, if she had any money she would be using it to find her fathers killer, and maybe spend a little on a nice hotel room with a big soft luxurious bed. Revenge, safety, privacy and comfort, those were what she wanted most. Instead, she was going to be walking, in her exhausted state, for another ten blocks through the cold damp mist. But, it was worth it, if this man could help her. What she would find once she arrived was a mystery to her, but so long as there was a bed she didn't give a damn. She had been awake for thirty hours, not counting the disjointed three and a half hours she had barely managed to get last night. It was not the longest she had ever gone without sleep, however it was the longest she had ever been awake without the assistance of adrenaline. She hadn't had an adrenaline fuel since the last time she had killed a demon, which was eight weeks ago; so, she was dead on her feet. Hearing her name, she shook her head and focused on the present. "Pardon me?" she sputtered, embarrassed for having let her mind wander off in mid conversation. "A car. I am sending a car for you. Just wait where you are. My chauffeur will come get you. I look forward to your arrival, and I'll see you soon Alessandra." He said into her ear, right before disconnecting the call. She hadn't had time to decline the offer for a ride, nor had she really wanted to. She walked back to her empty booth, and sat down in the seat; and, rested her elbows on the table top, dropping her head into her hands. She hated waiting. So, she stared blankly down at the table's scuffed scarlet surface, and lost herself in thought. Who was this Taggart, why was he the only man her father trusted with his family, and how did he known where she was? She sighed contemplating some of the possibilities. If he was a friend of her father's, he would have to be older, maybe military or police. He couldn't be a hunter, because not many hunters made it to old age. He could have been an old contact within the police; which, would mean he either had call display or some kind of locating device on his phone, which would explain how he had known her location. She continued on that thought pattern, trying to decide what he would look like. Aless giggled at a few of the possible images she had concocted in her mind; but, quickly reprimanded herself for acting like a silly child. It must have been the lack of sleep. She sat, waiting, fighting the waves of fatigue. Suddenly, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Shocked and angered by the unwanted physical contact, she quickly spun grabbing the hand firmly, and twisting it harshly. The tall man, whose hand she was contorting, wore a shocked and horrified expression. He did not look or feel, evil or malicious. "What do you want?" she firmly asked the man, as she lessened the twist of his wrist, relieving his pain fractionally. "I'm, I'm...your ride. Mr. Reichmann sent me." He managed to sputter out. Horrified, Aless dropped his hand. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? I hope I didn't hurt you. I'm so sorry." She buried her face in her hands, hiding the moisture collecting in her eyes. She never cried. Ever. But, her shame and embarrassment over her careless and cruel actions pushed her to the verge of tears. It was the tiredness. She needed sleep, badly. The chauffeur massaged his wrist and eyed her wearily. Aless composed herself slightly, and removed her hands from her face, still avoiding his gaze. "I'm very sorry. Please forgive me. I'm not myself right now. I think I should just go. Sorry for wasting your time!" she shamefully said; and, with that last apology she quickly fled the diner. She had made it no more than two blocks, when a large black Audi pulled up in front of her, cutting her off from crossing the street. It rolled down the window, and she immediately recognized the driver. Damn, damn, damn. Couldn't people just let her be? Everyone would be better off, and safer, if they did. "I'm sorry miss if you thought I was mad at you. I understand that I should not have touched you without your permission." The driver explained. "Mr. Reichmann would be upset with me if he knew I let you walk in the rain. Please get in. All is forgiven." With that he gave her a smile and got out of the car. He opened the rear door for her and indicated for her to get in. Looking up at the sky, looking at the dark thick clouds building, Aless decided getting in the car was her only option, unless she wanted to get stuck in the monstrous downpour that would be arriving at any moment. She slipped into the back seat and immediately noticed and appreciated the warmth emitting from the plush leather seats. Heated seats, nice. So, Reichmann was well off too. She cuddled up in the warm soft seats, appreciating the privacy glass between she and the driver. Aless quietly sat watching the rain drops streak across the window, as they drove to Mr. Reichmann's home. Aless fell asleep, leaning against the window, two minutes into the ride. She was so deeply and fastly asleep that she did not even wake up for the man handling, as she was picked up and carried, from the car into a bed. Not good. Had she been in the wrong hands, she would have been dead. Fortunately for her, she was now under the protection of Taggart Reichmann. He grimaced as he looked down at the crumpled, exhausted and gaunt girl. She had dark black smudges under eyes, her hair was unkempt, and her jeans and T-shirt were thread bare with wear. He noticed the knife tucked at her waist, and removed it, placing it in his pocket. He sighed inwardly. How long had he been waiting for her to come find him? It had been years, decades, and centuries, ever since he had heard the foretelling of her birth. He pulled her in close to his warmth and possessively carried her through the house, up the stairs into the large master bedroom. He placed her on one side of his monstrous bed and pulled the sheets back on the other side, before peeling the clothes off her body and rolling her to the other side of the bed. He gently covered her naked sleeping form, grimacing. The temptation had been strong. All he wanted to do was burrow his face in her neck, and caress her delicate form. He imagined sucking her taught nipple into his mouth, before slipping his finger down into her warmth. Taggart sucked in a strangled breath and pushed himself away from the bed. What this girl needed right now was rest, food and a shower; all of which he would make sure she received. With one last look of longing back at the beautiful and tragic woman in his bed, Taggart left the room closing the door behind him.