Here it is! The first Chapter of Huntng the hunted's sequel: Haunting the hunted!
I hope you guys will enjoy this as much as you enjoyed Hunting the Hunted, or even more.
Please let me know what you think about it!
I don't know where I'm going Within temptation – Empty eyes
In search for answers
I don't know who I'm fighting
I stand with empty eyes
I was running around my apartment I search for my shoes. The black fabric that stopped just above my knees was rubbing against my legs as I ran from room to room, while the black lace that covered the whole dress and formed the long sleeves was itching just slightly. If I don't find those damn shoes fast, I'm going to be late and I'm going to miss my target.
Suddenly, I came to a standstill and closed my eyes which were covered in a very black shade of eye shadow. I blinked a couple of times and turned to my left. Ah ha! There under my bed lay the pair of red heels I was looking for. I ran to my bed and fell down on my knees on the light black floor. Throwing the red sheets on the bed, I reached under it and pulled the heels from under it. they were a simple pair of heels, but perfect for tonight. Once I had put them on, I straightened my dress and grabbed my still empty red clutch. Quickly, I filled it up with my keys, my phone and my gun.
Did I have everything? Nope!
I walked over to my dresser with the small jewelry box on. My fingers glided over flowers carved into the cold metal before I tiled the top off and reached for my locket. As I touched it, I remembered the first time I touched it, I always did.
I blinked a couple of times before I could get my eyes to function properly. Rubbing my eyes, I slowly sat up from the bed I was laying on. Looking around to room, I had no idea where I was, or who I was. Well, I knew that my name was rose and that I was 21, but that's it really. My eyes scanned to room I was currently in. It wasn't very big, and had only the bed where I was on and a small table with one single chair. On said table, was a piece of paper with writing on it and a necklace.
Slowly, I got up from the bed and stumbled over to it. when I reached out to it, I saw my arm. What I saw on it made me look at my other arm and to the rest of my body. My eyes widened, I was covered in scars and wounds and bruises. The scars where obviously made with a knife, seeing as it where words instead of just simple lines. 'bitch, whore, leader' and so on. It made me wonder what had happened to me, but when I tried to think back, I came up with nothing, only a big blurry mess in my mind. If that even made sense.
I looked back at the paper on the table, grabbed it and started reading it. When I was finished, I read it again and again and again. All it said, was that my name was rose and that I had been tortured by strigoi, that they forced me to become their leader or that they would kill everybody I ever knew. Nothing more, nothing less and no names. I frowned after I had crumbled the paper and threw it across the room. My eyes had landed again on the necklace. It was a golden locket with a black rose on it. I turned it around in my hands, but there were no initials or anything that could help me. Yet, even though I had no idea about what had happened in me or from who the letter was, I felt connected to the locket.
Right then and there I made a decision. I would hunt these strigoi down and get my answers. I put the locked around my neck and headed out of the room to wherever life would lead me next.
I didn't necessarily like the memory, simply because I reminded me I had come not one step closer to my goal to get answers. Yes, I had figured out who the strigoi where, but that's it really. None of them had the information that I needed. And boy was it pissing me off.
I placed the locked around my neck and closed the box again. Now I had everything. With my clutch, I walked out of my apartment, locked the door and stopped a taxi to take me to my destination. A club down town, they wrong part of down town. The part where strigoi made their appearance and not just any strigoi, no. The big bosses came there and they would give me my answers.
After a short 15 minute drive, I paid the driver and got out of the taxi. Not a second after I had slammed the door shut, the taxi sped off. Apparently, he wasn't such a fan of the neighborhood. As I scanned over the street, I heard people talking outside of the club. As I walked past them, their eyes widened as they took me in.
Did they know me or something?
I didn't give them much attention and walked into the club. People where dancing, drinking and talking and the smell of alcohol almost numbed my nose. My eyes darted around the club as I made my way over to the bar and asked for a martini. I didn't look up to the bartender, instead, I looked at my target for the night. I quickly found him and was about to walk up to him, when a hand grabbed my wrist. My head shot up to the person who was holding me. I had no idea who he hell he was, but by the way he was looking at me, he should've known me from the past or something. The man in front of me had short blond hair, but it was too dark to see his eye color.
"Rose? what are you doing here? Hell, how are you even alive?" the man said, when I didn't answer and just stared at him, he hesitantly let go of me. I frowned as I tried to remember who he was, or where I had seen him, but I came up blank. This wasn't the first time I couldn't remember, but every time it happened, it almost brought me to tears. And it made me angry as hell. I narrowed my eyes at the person in front of me and looked behind me real quick. Damn it! my target had left while this man had talked to me. I turned back to him and glared.
"I was going to get some answers tonight, that's what I was doing here. And as for your second question," I shrugged and drowned my martini in two big gulps before grabbing my clutch.
"You tell me." With that I walked out of the club –angry and pissed off, might I add- and started walking to a more normal part of town, where I could get a taxi or something.
The cold wind made me feel like it was cutting through my flesh, so I wrapped my arms around myself and continued walking. I had been doing just that for the past hour, and I was still in the middle of nowhere. If I remembered correctly, I should've been home by now. I sighed as I realized I was lost, and this wasn't the best part of town to be lost.
Suddenly, I heard ruffling sounds behind me. I turned around, but saw nothing. I shrugged it off as a squirrel or some other animal and just kept walking. Then, I realized I had a phone with me. mentally smacking my forehead, I opened my clutch and searched around in it until my fingers found it. I took it out and dialed an oh so familiar number, all while I never stopped moving.
"Hello?" A groggy Viktoria answered after 5 rings.
"Hey Vika, sorry to bother you, but can you pick me up? I'm kinda lost down town." I heard her sigh and the sound of walking.
"Where down town exactly?" I looked around and saw a bus stop.
"Uh, by bus stop 42. How soon can you be here, I'm freezing." I heard the door open and close again and the sound of keys.
"42 huh? 16 minutes give or take." I sighed relieved and sat down on the bench at the bus stop.
"Ok, thanks. Oh, and turn the heat on already." Viktoria chuckled and we said out goodbye's.
True to her word, Vika was there in 16 minutes and the car was nice and warm.
"Thanks again." She brushed it off and started driving me back to my apartment. We didn't really talk during the ride home, so I just looked out of the window. I was really glad I had Viktoria.
We had met by coincidence really. I was walking down the street when she bumped into me, causing her to spill her coffee all over me. She kept apologizing over and over and I made a deal with her. If she'd buy me a coffee as well, we'd be ok. She did and we started talking and we became friends. She was also the only alive person who I had told about how I woke up and had no memories whatsoever.
"Hey, when's your family coming to town?" she had mentioned it before that her family was coming to visit her soon, and I was curious to meet them. Vika shrugged and sighed.
"They said they'd be here in 3 days, but my brother is being difficult. I mean, I can't blame him. He just lost the, and I quote, 'love of his life'. But then again, that was months ago. Still, he's depressed and refuses to really leave the house, except for running. But that's it really." I frowned, that's sad really. To lose the love of your life. But Vika' right, if it happened months ago, he should at least come and visit his baby sister.
"Here we are. Are you ok? I really want to go back to my warm comfy bed." I laughed and nodded.
"Goodnight, Vika."
"Goodnight, Roza." I froze at that name. Something sounded familiar about it. But I can't put my finger on it.
"Rose, get out. I mean it, it's not funny. I want to go back to bed." I nodded and got out of the car. I sighed and shrugged the feeling off. Entering the building, I was greeted by a little note on the elevator that it was broken. I turned to the stairs, the big creepy stairs. I groaned and started on the journey to my apartment on the 5th floor.
I rubbed my eyes as I got out from under my red bed sheets. My feet touched the cold black floor and goosebumps formed all over my body. Quickly getting out of bed, I grabbed my oversized hoodie and walked into the kitchen. I took a piece of leftover pizza out of the fridge and put it in my mouth while I took a glass and started filling it with water. Just as I finished my pizza slice and wanted to drink my water, there was knocking on my door. I sighed annoyed, but opened it anyway. To my surprise, it was Vika.
"Good morning Rose, I have some amazing news and a huge favor to ask." She ducked under my arm, successfully letting herself in. I rolled my eyes, she had been around me way too much. Closing the door again, I turned to Vika, who was by now looking through my fridge. She definitely has been around me too much. My eyes widened as I ran over and slammed it shut.
"I really like you Viktoria, you're like a sister to me. And you can do everything in here, but don't touch my fridge without permission. Okay?" Rolling her eyes, she stood back up, jumped up and sat on the kitchen counter.
"Okay. So, Mama called this morning, and said they'll be arriving tomorrow. But, there's a small problem." Something in her voice told me I'd be the one to deal with that 'small' problem. I ushered her to go on.
"Mama, Babushka, My sisters, Paul and Zoya are staying with me. Leaving my brother and his friend Ivan with no place to stay. So, could they stay with you?" I was about to give her a dozen reasons on why they couldn't stay, but she cut me off.
"Please please please! I'll make it up to you with a dozen donuts every morning while they'll be here."
"A dozen? How long will they be here?" She suppressed a smile as she jumped off of the counter and hugged the life out of me.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! They'll only be here for a month, at least" I pulled back from her
"A month? At least? Oh you better bring me 15 donuts every morning." She squealed and nodded enthusiastically. I laughed and shook my head. Viktoria often reminded me of 2 people, but I had no idea who or better yet, why. When she pulled back, she said she had to go home and prepare everything, and that I had to as well. After all, I'd be living with 2 strangers for the next month, at least. And they're guys none the less.
Oh joy!
Let me know what you think with a review!
Till next chapter!