The Hybrid & The Hunter

Chapter 3 - Dismay

Avery stared out the window for as long as she and Daniel were driving. She lost track of time but she could tell that they've been on the road for hours as darkness surrounded them. After Daniel heard the police sirens in the distance, he grabbed Avery's arm and pulled her out the back door of her house. Luckily, he thought ahead and hid his car a few houses away from hers and he discreetly led her to his black Camero. Now, trapped in her own thoughts, the sound of the radio and the powerful engen were overpowered by the anguish she felt. All she thought about were the sight of her parents bodies as they layed lifeless on the floor of their home and the events that could have led to her own death.

My parents are dead. I'm an orphan, she thought. At first, she insisted that Daniel took her to Amanda's house, but he was not having it. Daniel scolded her, telling her it was unfair to put her friend's family in danger. Now she was beginning to feel isolated as she realized that she had no one to turn to. Worst of all, she put her life in the hands of a stranger who expected her to take his word that she could trust him. She thought of how she was carelessly enjoying her life, sunbathing and planning patties just this afternoon and compared it to where she was now ... her life had changed completely within a matter of hours.

"We're going to stop soon but only for a short while." Daniel said, his eyes staying fixed on the road. "We'll grab a small bite then continue driving."

"Okay." she whispered.

Avery was too tired to speak or think and food was the furthest thing on her mind.

She could feel Daniel's gaze on her but he remained silent. They hardly spoke since they left Avery's house. She appreciated the fact that he didnt say much or gave her false hope that everything was going to be okay. She was old enought to understand that weren't true and that things would never be the same again.

They drove an extra mile before stopping at a gas station.

"I'll go in alone." Daniel said as he unbluckled his seatbelt, "we don't want you getting caught on any security footage. It's bad enough that demons are after you and I don't need the cops on our tail either."

Avery stared back at him and nodded.

"Trying to keep a low profile, you know?" he continued.

"I guess." Avery muttered as she turned back towards the window. Daniel was about to speak again but decided to remain silent and left. He went into the convenient store leaving Avery alone for the first time since she left home. The car was silent, and yet her mind was filled with the deafening sound of her own thoughts. She had just lost both of her parents, and the weight of their absence felt unbearable. She was supposed to be strong, to handle everything on her own, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of being lost and alone.

Daniel's words echoed in her head, reminding her that it wasn't safe for her out there on her own and that she needed to trust him. But how could she trust someone she barely knew, someone who hunted demons for a living? It all felt too surreal, too unbelievable.

As she sat there lost in her thoughts, she felt a deep ache in her chest, a longing for the comfort of her parents' embrace. She wanted to scream, to cry out all the pain she was feeling, but at this point, she was too numb to even shed a tear.

After a moment Daniel returned holding a plastic bag in his hands."They only had pies." he said, handing the plastic bag to her.

"What?" she said as she looked at him, confusion evident on her face. Avery didn't notice him walking out the convenient store or getting into the car. She stared at him blankly, confused at his sudden return. This was the first time that she looked at him since they left her house and she was reminded of how handsome he was. She looked into his eyes and noticed the strain in them from lack of sleep and concentration he needed while driving.

"Kid, are you okay? You seem out of it." he said, his eyebrows arching into a hard crease.

"I'll be fine." She whispered turning back to the window.

"Look kid-"

"Avery." she interrupted, closing her eyes in annoyance and Daniel rolled his eyes before continuing.

"Avery... I know that this is a hard pill to swallow and that you've had a rough day but I need you to focus and be aware of your surroundings." he said in a reprimanding tone.

"Why?" She said turning her head to face him, " Will it bring them back? Will my life go back to normal? No ... What good will it do?" Her voice was small as she almost pleaded with him for answers. Daniel looked into her big dark eyes that were beginning to water and he saw the internal battle she was facing. The mental fatigue was evident on her face and he sensed that she was giving up already.

He finally reached up and layed a hand on her shoulder to console her before he responded, his voice sounding serious. "It will keep you alive. When you feel like giving up, think of everyone else in your life, like that friend of yours. There are still people to go home to Ava, keep that in mind."

Avery thought of Amanda, her friends at school - even Matty. Daniel was right, she did have people who cared about her, people who were probably looking for her right about now. She suddenly found her purpose to live again as she didn't want those she cared about to feel the pain and heartbreak she felt after losing her parents and for the first time, she smiled at Daniel. He ran his thumb across her cheek wiping tears away.

"You should eat and get some rest. There's still a lot of road to cover before we stop." Daniel said and without putting up a fight, Avery listened and did as she was told. Before Daniel knew it, she was sound asleep. .

*****

Avery...

"Who's there?" Avery shouted .... She turned around and saw glowing red eyes.

It's time to come home darling...

"Kid, wake up." Daniel said as he shook Avery awake. She looked around at the motel that they were parked outside of.

"Where are we?"

"We're in Page. Small towns are the best spots to lay low. Stay in the car, I'll get us a room".

Avery watched as Daniel walked away and remembered what he had told her 'Be aware of your surroundings'. She then remembered her dream and a cool chill ran through her spine. Her dreams were the same almost everytime, red eyes always looking back at her. Could it have anything to do with the hell hound that attacked her, she wondered.

The motel itself was decent, two floors with twenty rooms and when Daniel got back from reception, he lead her to their room. They had to share a room as a safety precaution. The room was big amd spacious with two double beds and flat screen tv on the dresser. The bathroom was clean and that was just about it. It was Avery's first time spending a night in a motel or sharing a room with a boy and much to her disappointment, there was nothing interesting or fascinating about either one.

"I'll take this bed." Daniel put his bag on bed closest to the door which meant Avery's bed was the one closest to the bathroom.

"Do you think someone will try to break in?"

"No, girls use the bathroom more than guys and I don't want you walking past my bed while I'm sleeping."

Avery almost laughed at his accusation and raised an eyebrow, "Thats not true. Have you ever lived with a girl?"

"Three to be precise." he said then took of his shirt. Avery cheeks grew hot as she took in the sight of his biceps and abs. His tattoo was much bigger, the black ink ran from his arm across his chest. She also noticed the multiple scars and stitches he had on his abdomin and back.

For a moment, Avery forgot everything that was troubling her as she gazed at him in awe. She's never seen a man like him before - so rugged and confident. Her eyes followed the contours of his muscles as he walked towards the bathroom. She could feel her cheeks become flushed and quickly looked away when she realized that he caught her staring.

"I'll be in the shower." he said, winking at her and she turned away blushing harder while he closed the door.

She thought of Matty then and wondered if he would go through such lengths to protect her and keep her safe. She wondered if he cared about her enough to put his life at risk for her and she tried hard to convince herself that he would. After all, she was his ... right?

When Daniel was done, he walked out the bathroom and signaled for Avery to use it. She dug into her bag and pulled out her toiletries and walked towards to bathroom, getting ready to go shower when he stopped her.

"I bought a few boxes of hair dye, a scissors and bleach. You should change your hair style so people don't recognize you"

She was stunned, "Change my hair?"

"Yes, your hair is unusually long." he stated. "If the cops are looking for you, then they would put together a profile of you, specially around your appearance and they'll be searching for anyone who fits that profile. Cut your hair."

She looked at the items he was handing her and said, "No. I'm not cutting my hair."

"You will cut your hair if you want to stay safe. Jesus! Why am I constantly repeating myself" he shouted.

Avery's eyes began to water, "Daniel please I can't. I'd be going against my mother's heritage. " She was pleading with him while tears ran down her cheeks. If there was an inch of compassion in him, he didn't show it. He stood his ground and crossed his arms.

"Ava, that's an order. I won't tell you again." with that he shoved the plastic bag at her then turned to his bag and began unpacking. Slowly Avery turned and walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

She looked through the contents in the plastic bag and found 3 boxes of dye -red, blond and ... pink ...Really?-, a highlight kit and a bottle of bleach to strip her hair. She finally decided to go with red and said a silent prayer that her hair wouldn't turn orange. She threw her head forward and gathered her hair into a ponytail at her forehead then taking a deep breathe, she cut her hair using her chin as a guide. She remembered seeing this on someone's YouTube channel and thought their cut was outstanding. The end result was better than she expected, her hair fell in layers ending slightly below her shoulders. She looked different and edgy to say the least and decided not to colour her hair.

After showering and dressing into a black vest and grey sweatpants, shd walked back into the bedroom. Daniel was sitting on the edge of his bed, drinking a beer as he eyes were focused on the tv. She turned to the screen and gasped as the news anchor read her report.

The couple was found dead in their Arizona home by what appears to be an animal attack.

Sheriff Evans has made a statement that they have contacted animal control however this has no connection to the disappearance of their 17 year old daughter, Avery Phillips. There are a few eyewitnesses that said they saw an unusual car parked across the street from the Phillips residence moments before they heard her cry for help. Evidence from the crime scene suggests that the teen was taken...

"Well would you look at that" Daniel said, eyes still focused on the tv, "you're famous."