Apollo & Luna

The Hunt

As soon as he stepped inside, Yann heard a rustling sound followed by coughing in the kitchen, and he immediately ran there. He didn’t know how he knew, but he could feel that there was something terribly wrong upon seeing the old lady.

“What’s wrong?” he asked Alicia’s mother who was trembling by the kitchen sink, her eyes wide, and her nose flaring as if she labored in her breathing.

“What’s wrong?” he asked again as he came to her side and helped her towards a chair.

Yann’s gaze fell on her hand and his eyes widened upon seeing blood there.

“You’re sick,” he said. “Let’s get you to the hospital,” he continued as he stood up and tried to carry her but she pushed him away.

“No, no, don’t mind me,” she said as she held onto his shoulder.

Yann thought she didn’t want to go because of money. “It’s okay, I will take care of you,” he told her, but she still shook her head.

“Don’t mind me,” she said as she shuddered. “He’s coming,” she whispered and Yann was confused.

“Who’s coming?” he asked, trying to make sense of her words. “You want me to call Alicia?”

“No! Not Alicia!” she cried as she continued to tremble.

“The hunter. The man who wants to take my child. He’s coming. I can feel him,” she answered.

Just when she thought that things would be different this time, the familiar dread came again, and her instinct knew that the horror of the past wasn’t over.

“Please,” she cried as she held onto Yann tightly. “My daughter saved your life. Please save her too. Take her away from here,” she continued as she coughed more blood.

“I’ll take you two away from here,” Yann vowed.

He had thought about it too. Alicia and his mother had become parts of his life now, and he had planned on taking the two of them with him when things were safer.

“But for now we have to get you to the hospital.”

“No, you don’t have much time,” she insisted. “Go find Alicia and take her away before he comes. Take her away before he comes…”

Yann was mystified. Who was coming?

===

Alicia’s heart was still beating fast. She had been busy with her usual chores when Yann suddenly sat next to her and she couldn’t focus on her work at all. For the week that the man had been staying with them and sleeping next to her, she had become more aware of the dangerous attraction she had noticed that first night when she nursed the stranger.

Still, she had a barrier firmly erected between them. She did not talk with the man unless it was necessary nor did she try to be friendly with him. Alicia didn’t want to get used to having him around since she knew a day would come when Yann would leave. When he’s back to his real world, she knew that she and his mother would be forgotten, and so she reckoned, it would be better not to start ties that she knew would be inevitable and painful to severe.

She had been caught off guard though. She never thought Yann could connect to her thoughts out of the blue nor did she think that she herself could read the man’s feelings without warning. The flash of memory of herself naked, lying beneath Yann made her blush from the tips of her hair to her toes.

She had seen so many thoughts and memories regarding lust and s*x from different people which made her not so innocent anymore, despite not having experienced a real physical connection with anyone. Knowing that someone was thinking about her in that aspect made her confused and conscious however. She was still thinking about this when she felt something behind her and she turned around, startled.

A huge man with golden locks, and ice blue eyes, stood a few feet away from her wearing some type of an armor made of pure silver with intricate design. The long cape he wore on his back was the color of blood and Alicia was reminded of that one bloody night a long time ago, and she felt fear choking her again.

“We meet again child,” the man said as he raised his sword and Alicia wasn’t able to do anything but scream.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH”

====

Yann was still trying to figure out how to calm the lady down when they heard Alicia’s terrified scream.

“He’s here!” her mother cried as she pushed him away and ran towards the door.

The young businessman followed suit, and stopped on his tracks upon seeing the huge stranger standing near Alicia who was bathed in blood. His eyes widened, noting something off with the huge man’s clothes. He didn’t look like someone from this time nor of this world.

“Alice!” her mother cried as she ran towards her daughter, but the armored man caught her easily by the hair.

“You’ve sent me to a merry chase for almost two decades woman,” he said as he lifted her, making her cry in pain.

“Alicia run! Run!” she screamed but her daughter stood rooted on the ground.

A few steps away from Alicia was Bobo’s lifeless body. The man had struck her pet with the sword the moment she turned around, and she wasn’t able to do anything. She was scared. She was trembling.

“Alicia, run!” her mother screamed.

“Mom!” Alicia cried as she willed her frozen body to move but she couldn’t.

The instant she saw the man, she had been reduced back to the shaking little girl in her nightmares. She was so terrified that it was a feat to even remain conscious where she stood.

“Mom! Leave her alone! Leave my mother alone!”