Prologue: Birth of the Night Hunter
All was silent in the house of Vayne. A girl lay silently in her bed, tossing and turning, but she couldn't sleep. She was too busy thinking about the day, her friends, the teachers, the bullies. She sniffled quietly as her eyes prickled, and tears threatened to spill over her cheeks. She could still hear their teasing ringing in her head; she could still see them when she closed her eyes.
'Shauna looked up from her locker as she heard footsteps approaching, echoing around the corridor before fading away. Her three worst favourite people approached; Jannet, Jarcy, and Jayla. Shauna shut her locker with a slam. "What do you want?" she spat, putting as much venom into her voice as possible. "Shauna, Shauna, why the bad attitude? We're friends, right?" mocked Jannet, draping an arm around Shauna's neck. "I am not your friend!" shouted Shauna defiantly. The three bullies laughed cruelly. "Well Shauna, if you aren't our friend..." started Jarcy, "Then I guess you're our enemy..." whispered Jayla. Suddenly, she felt Jannet's arm tighten around her, and she was thrown to the floor. She looked up fearfully as the bullies closed in. They beat her mercilessly, kicking as soon as they found an opening. Hardly anyone wandered down the halls, and those who did hurried along, ignoring the violent scene. After what seemed like ages, the blows stopped, and Shauna heard footsteps quickly fading away. She heard footsteps approaching again and curled up, fearing another beating. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was Mr Brian's concerned face, looking down at her...'
She was snapped back to reality by a noise, barely audible over the sound of her breathing. She lay there for a while, until she began to think she had just imagined it. Then she heard it again, louder this time. She sat up in bed, eyes adjusting to the darkness, and listened for the sound. There was nothing for a moment except for the sound of her frightened breathing, occasionally disturbed by a noise from outside. A minute passed, but it felt more like five. Then she heard it; a soft noise sounding from her parents bedroom. A gargled scream. Shauna got up and raced to the bedroom, dodging obstacles as she stumbled through the dark. Once or twice she tripped, but that didn't stop her. Her only thought was to get to her parents, to make sure they were okay. She reached the bedroom, and hesitantly, pushed open the door, and saw... her parents, lying in bed. She sighed in relief, and almost turned to go, but something caught her eye. Something dark, on the covers, where their chests were. Shauna crept into the room, her bare feet making not a sound on the floorboards. She stopped by her father, squinting through the dark at the sheets, and let out a stifled scream. There were red stains on the sheets. Bloodstains. She shook her father trying to wake him, but he wouldn't stir. Neither would her mother. Her eyes prickled, and silent tears slid down her cheeks. She turned to run, to hide, and as she did, she saw a boy about her age, crouched on the windowsill, a bloodstained knife in his hand. Their eyes locked for a split second, and then he was gone.
Shauna was running, running, away from the house and after the boy, as fast as her tired legs would go. In her arms she carried her father's large wooden crossbow, which he used for hunting bears during the hunting season. There were few people up at that time, and those who were lurked in the shadows, just out of her field of vision. They reached out to her with long, pale arms, clutching at her clothes and her hair, but she ignored them. There were no sounds except the sound of her bare feet slapping against the cobblestones, and the pounding rain. As she ran, tears rolled down her cheeks, mingling with the raindrops and splashing onto the pavement. By now she was tired, so tired, but the thought of rest never entered her head. Her only thought was to run, to catch the boy, who was running steadily ahead, although starting to slow down now. Gradually, she started to catch up, but just as she was about to catch him, he dashed into a dark alley. They ran through the alley, tripping and stumbling over rubbish and forgotten toys. They ran, one chasing the other, but neither ever stopped or slowed now. Finally, they reached a dead end, where the walls rose tall and menacing around them. Shauna pointed her crossbow at the boy, making sure she was well back so he did not make a lunge for it. His eyes, occasionally flickering to the walls, were fixed on the crossbow. "Why did you do it?" Shauna asked in a quiet, grieving voice. Her hands started to shake uncontrollably with her sadness and the weight of the crossbow. They stood silently, the girl waiting for an answer, the boy saying nothing. "WHY?! TELL ME! WHY THE HELL DID YOU KILL THEM?!" she screamed desperately, staring wildly through her wet hair. Still the boy remained silent, standing as still as a statue, his eyes fixed on the crossbow. "Why won't you tell me?" she sobbed, the crossbow clattering to the cobbles as she sank to her knees. "Why won't you tell me?" she whispered, staring at the ground, the rain pelting the pavement around her as she cried silently. Eventually, she looked up, and was not surprised to see the boy was gone. Shaking a little, she got to her feet, the sounds around her meaningless. She did not feel the rain turn to sleet, and she did not feel the broken glass cutting into her feet as she staggered towards the way out, the crossbow in her arms. Shauna found her way to the exit and stood there in the rain, silently contemplating her loss. She remained there for what seemed like hours, the freezing sleet pounding the cobbles. The shadowy figures stared, and somebody came over and asked her if she was alright, but she couldn't hear or see anything. Eventually, Shauna Vayne closed her eyes, and the Night Hunter opened them.
On a distant rooftop, a boy, hands slick with blood, was watching, as the girl's life fell apart, and he felt not a flicker of remorse.
A/N: This is the prologue of what i want to be a long fanfic, but, knowing my lazy self, i will probably turn it into a heap of trash. Let me know what you think and what you want to happen and i'll try to incorporate it into the story sooner or later.
Thanks guys!