Chapter 2: Meeting The Hunter
Elsie wakes up to a text message from Damien. 'Good morning (:' Elsie smiles then replies to him 'see you soon(:' Elsie then goes and takes a shower and gets dressed. On the way out the door Elsie grabs a bagel then heads out. On the way to school a truck pulls up beside her and it's Damien. "Hey, want a ride?" "Why sure." Elsie says as she hop in and he drives to school. Once they arrive Damien reaches in the back and grabs a bouquet of roses and hands them to her. "Oh, wow. Damien they're gorgeous. Thank you." Elsie says as she hugs him. Damien drives back to Elsie's house so she can out the roses in water. While Elsie is putting the flowers in a case Damien waits for her. "Elsie, I've got a serious question for you." Damien says. "Go ahead, ask me anything." Elsie says. "Do you like me?" he asks. Elsie turns to him. "Well I like you as a friend yes." Elsie says turning red. "I mean more than that." Damien says to her. Elsie sighs. "Well it will eventually come out anyway. Yes Damien, I do like you a lot. I know we just met you yesterday but I still feel like I've liked you for years." Elsie says looking at him a little scared. Damien grabs her hands. "Elsie, I feel the same way." He says smiling, as he hugs her. Elsie and Damien leave to house then head to school.
Once they arrive at school, they both climb out and walk in. Elsie and Damien sit next to each other in class as the teacher starts the lessons. After class is over Damien went to the bathroom and Elsie waited in the hall for him. While Damien is gone Jason approaches Elsie. He puts one hand on the wall behind her head and one hand around her waist and pulled her close to him. Elsie tries to kick him and get away but she can't. Jason kisses her, all the while Elsie is fighting him. Damien walks out and sees Jason and runs over to him and punches him. "Hands off." "Your not her boyfriend." Jason says. "Yeah, I am. She's MY girlfriend so leave her alone." Damien yells in a very protective tone. Elsie falls to the floor and starts to cry. Damien walks over to her and sits by her and hugs her. "What's wrong? Did he hurt you?" "No… I just feel bad. I like you yet I have kissed another guy twice." Elsie says. "Hey, you didn't kiss him, he kissed you. That's not your fault." Damien pulls her close and comforts her. Damien helps her up and takes her to his truck.
Elsie climbs in and Damien stands in the door. "Elsie it's not your fault at all." Damien places his hands on Elsie's legs, looking at her with kind, caring eyes. Elsie grabs his hands "Damien, thank you. I just feel really bad though." Damien grabs her face "Elsie, no matter what Jason does I know how you feel for me, and no matter how you think it makes me feel, I will always feel the way I feel about you." "Thank you Damien, I will always feel the same for you." Elsie says with a smile. Damien pulls her closer to him and leans in and kisses her. Elsie's heart beats so fast she fears it might come out of her chest. Damien wraps his arms around Elsie's waist. "I can see why Jason keeps kissing you, I could kiss you all day." Damien says. "I could kiss you all day too." Elsie says with a smile. Elsie kisses Damien again. Damien pulls her into a hug. Damien looks into Elsie's eyes. "Elsie, do you want to be my girlfriend?" he asks. "I thought I already was." Elsie says with a smile. Damien smiles then kisses her again before walking around and climbing in the truck to drive to Elsie's house.
Once Elsie and Damien get to Elsie's house they both walk in. Elsie's mom wasn't home yet. Elsie and Damien walk into the living room and sit down on the couch and Damien puts his arm around Elsie as she lays on him. Elsie's phone rings and she answers it. "Hello?" "Hey Elsie, it's your mother." Maybelle says. "Oh, hey Mom." Elsie says. " I'm just calling to let you know that I won't be home till late tomorrow, Benjamin has a field trip and I'm going with him." Maybelle explains. "That's ok mom. Uh, can I have Damien over tonight then? I don't really feel safe by myself." Elsie asks while smiling at Damien. "I actually was about to tell you to invite him over because I don't want you alone either." Maybelle says. "Ok thanks Mom, be safe, love you, bye." Elsie says really happily. " bye sweetie, love you too." Maybelle hangs up. Elsie turns to Damien, "Want to stay here tonight? My Mom won't be home tonight and she actually wants you to stay here." Elsie asks him. Elsie runs his hand through Elsie's hair and looks at her. " I'd love to Babe." Damien says with a smile then kisses her. "This way I can kiss you all I want." Damien says. Elsie smiles and hugs him. Elsie grabs her phone and texts her mom. ' BTW Damien asked me out today and I said yes' Maybelle texts back, 'that's awesome sweetie! Congratulations!' Elsie smiles then puts her phone on the couch and hugs Damien then falls asleep with him.
A few hours later Elsie wakes up to scraping in the basement and what sounds like mumbled talking. Elsie wakes Damien up. " Damien! Damien! Wake up, there's something in the basement!." Elsie says. Damien wakes up. "Is your mom home?" he asks. "No, my mom and brother are gone." Elsie says slightly scared. Damihen pulls out his gun and Elsie dials 911 in case they need it. Damien and Elsie walk downstairs quietly, searching around for anything. Damien looks all around, "I don't see anyone down here." Damien says confused. Elsie looks around and all the sudden something grabs her ankle and drags her to the corner of the basement. "Damien help!" she screams before feeling a strong hand grab her throat and raise her up, choking her. The creature puts a hand over her mouth. Damien runs to her but nothing's there. Elsie feels thousands of razor blades slicing her back. Damien fires a shot at the corner and scares the creature and it drops Elsie to the ground and disappears. Damien picks up Elsie and checks her to see if she's ok. "Elsie, are you ok?" he asks. "I-I think so." Elsie says in a shaking voice. Elsie looks behind Damien and see the creature. It was a scaly, bony creature. It wore a black robe that had a hood on it. The beasts horns poked through the hood. It had a tail like a dragon. Damien turned and saw it. "Oh. My. Gosh. Elsie we have to get out of here." Damien says as they started to go. The beast calls to them in a deep demonic voice, "GET. OUT. NOW!!" Damien ran up the stairs carrying Elsie. They locked the basement door then ran outside to the truck and drove away to his house.
Once they got to Damien's house he carried Elsie in and locked the door. "We are safe here, my family are Christian's and I have our pastor do weekly prayers to keep those things out of my house." Damien said. Elsie shakes her while holding her ankle. Damien looked at her ankle and saw it was bruised and bleeding from where the beast grabbed her. Damien cleaned out the wound and wrapped it. Then Damien gave Elsie a shirt and shorts to wear to bed and laid down with Elsie cuddling her and trying to comfort her. Damien started rubbing her back and he could feel all the scratches on her back. He lifted her shirt and saw all the slash marks on her back and they were all welting. "Oh honey, your back." Damien says. "It felt like razors slicing my back." She says shaking. Damien puts her shirt back down and continues cuddling her. "I'm not going to let anything hurt you here." He said. Elsie kisses him then lays her head on his chest. "I know." She says. Damien kisses her forehead then they both fall asleep. The next morning they both wake up earlier than they have to. "Good morning beautiful. Feeling better?" Damien says to Elsie as he kisses her forehead. "Yes, much. I felt much safer having you by my side the whole night." Elsie says smiling. Damien smiles then kisses her. Elsie moves her ankle and winces in pain. Damien sits her down and looks at her ankle cautiously looking at it. "Elsie, I think you need to go to a doctor. This looks infected." Damien says concerned. "O-ok. I guess if you really think so." Elsie says, scared. Damien helps Elsie up and then walks her to the room and helps her get dressed. Elsie stops Damien as he starts to undress her. "Damien I don't think we should be-". Damien cuts her off. "I won't peek, I'm just here to help and make sure you don't get hurt. Damien says in a caring tone. Elsie shakes her head and finishes Getting dressed with Damien's help then Damien carries her to his truck and drives to the hospital.
Once they arrive Damien puts her in a wheelchair. Damien wheels her into the room they were given. Damien lifts her up and lays her on the bed. Elsie looks at Damien and says "Damien. I'm scared." Damien grabs her hand. "Honey, I'll be right here the whole time, no need to be scared." Damien says with a smile. Elsie smiles back him "Thank you." She says. Damien leans over her and kisses her. The doctor walks in and clears his throat. "Ehem. Sorry to interrupt." He says. "Oh, no problem at all." Damien says backing off of Elsie. "So, you have a problem vwith your ankle?" The doctor asks. "Yes I do." Elsie says. The doctor lifts the blanket off her ankle. "Holy crap!" He gasps as he sees the wound. "How exactly did this happen?" The doctor asks. Elsie looks at Damien "I don't think you should know that." Elsie says nervously. The doctor stares at them. "Were you two messing around in secret?" He asks, glaring at the both of them. "What? No! We never- No!" Damien says angry that the doctor even accused them of that. "We are not that type of couple doctor." Elsie says upset. The doctor clears his throat. "Oh sorry about that, most couples are like that." He says jokingly. Elsie and Damien continue to glare at him. "Ok, so if you weren't messing around, then what were you doing?" The doctor asks. "Look, can you fix it or not?" Damien asks. "Well I can, but I need to know what happened so I know what would work best." The doctor says. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Elsie told him. "Try me." The doctor says staring at Elsie. Elsie and Damien exchange looks again before Elsie stares back at he doctor. " I was grabbed and dragged by a demon in my basement. He tried choking me and he cut my back." Elsie says. " Seriously?" The doctor says. Elsie shakes her head and lifts her shirt to show him the marks. "Oh wow. Ok, thank you. I'll go get what you need, you'll be just fine." He says as he walks away. "See? I told you all would be ok." Damien says smiling. Elsie smiles back at him. The doctor comes in and puts medicine on her ankle then puts a cast on it. He also rubs a healing cream on her back to aid in healing. He sends Elsie home with pain meds. "You good to go to school?" Damien asks Elsie on the way out if the hospital. "Yeah, I think so." Elsie says. Damien picks her up out of the wheelchair and places her in the truck then he climbs in and heads to school.
Once they arrive Damien opens Elsie's door to carry her in. Elsie unbuckles herself and turns to him and kisses him. "Thank you babe." She says with a smile. "Your welcome honey." Damien smiles. Damien picks her up and carries her into school then places her in her chair then sits next to her. Jason walks in and sees Elsie's foot in a cast. "Baby! What did you do? Are you ok?!" He asks as he rushes to her. Elsie looks up at him as he grabs her hand and stares into her eyes. Elsie stares at him. "Yes I am. Don't ever call me baby again." Elsie says with a Stern look. "Come on babe, you know I love you more than anything. I just want you back. I'll never be able to love anyone like you." Jason says grabbing her face. Damien stands up and pushes Jason away. "She said to stop. Now stop." Damien says placing his hand on her shoulder. "Back off, I had her first. Besides she'd never go out with a shorty like you, she likes tall men like me." Jason says proudly. " No I don't. I like men a little taller than me. Not Giants." Elsie says then she turns to Damien and pulls him closer to her by his shirt and kisses him passionately. Damien puts his hand on the back if her head and kisses her. Elsie pulls away smiling at Damien. "Like Damien." She says smiling at him. Damien smiles at her "Thanks babe." He says. Jason gets an angry look. "So you'd choose him over me? He doesn't even know what you like." Jason says. "Then I'll tell him what I like. He is perfect for me. I'd never dream of anyone else." Elsie says smiling at him. Jason Huff's and storms away.
After school Damien carries Elsie out to the truck and climbs in. "Where do you want to go?" He asks. "I guess your house, I'd rather not go home right now." She says. "I understand honey, that's fine." Damien says as he drives towards his house. Once they arrive Damien helps Elsie inside. "Oh great, my mom's here." He says pointing to her car. "Mom?" Damien yells as they enter the house. "Damien? Is that you?" His mom asks from the living room. "The one and only" he says as they walk into the living room. "Damien!" She says as she gets up and pulls him into a tight hug. "Hi Mom. How'd you get in?" He asks as he hugs her. "I have a spare!" She says dangling the key. "Great." Damien says sarcastically. "Mom. I have someone I'd like you to meet. This is my gir- I mean my friend that's a girl. Her name is Elsie." He says as he puts his arm around Elsie. Elsie looks at him confused then extends her hand to Mrs Nelson. "Nice to meet you Mrs. Nelson." She says smiling. "Pleasures all mine sweetheart." Mrs. Nelson says shaking Elsie's hand. "So mom. What exactly are you doing in my house?" Damien asks. "Oh, well because I wanted to see you!" she says smiling hugely. "No. It's not, we both know that." Damien says angrily. "Ok. Fine. I just need a little bit of money." She says. "No. Not happening. I'm nit giving you anymore money." Damien says extremely annoyed. "its only 100 dollars." Mrs. Nelson says. "Last time it was 75. The time before was 25. This time it's 100, next time will be 150. I'm done. Not a penny more." Damien says. "But Damien I-" Damien cuts her off. "No. No but. I'm not giving you anymore money to go waste on your dad-gum cigarettes and booze and parties. I'm don't being your money tree!" Damien yells at her. "I swear this is the last time sweetie." She says to him trying to grab his hand. Damien rips his hand away from her. "NO! Get out of my house!" "but-" "Out!" he yells as she hurries out if the door. Damien shuts and locked the door behind her then turns to Elsie who's been watching the whole thing. "I'm sorry you had to see that." He says walking to where Elsie's sitting. "Not a problem." She says to him. " I'm just tired of being my mother's money tree. She always comes to me asking for money and all she ever does is waste it" Damien says. "I completely understand." Elsie says.
Damien picks her up and carries her to the couch. "You like carrying me, don't you?" Elsie says smiling as he carries her. "Yes, yes I do." Damien says as he sits down with Elsie in his lap. "So why didn't you tell your mother about us?" Elsie asks. "Because then she'd try to ruin my relationship and try to get me to break up with you and she'd also never leave you alone and I don't want that for you." Damien says to her. "Probably a good idea not to tell her then." Elsie says to him. "Yep, I thought so." Damien says then he pulls her closer to him and starts kissing her. Elsie pushes Damien down onto the couch and kisses him and cuddling with him. Suddenly her phone starts to ring in her pocket. "Ugh right as I'm comfortable." Elsie sighs as she pulls her phone out if her pocket. She looks at the caller ID and sees it's her mother. "Hey mom" "Hey Elsie, where are you at?" "I'm at Damien's." "Why?" "Because I'm scared to go home right now." "Why? What happened?" "Mom, me and Damien fell asleep on the couch then we woke up to noises in the basement. Damien pulled out his gun and I dialed 911 and we went down there to see what it was." "You went into the basement?!" "We didn't know if someone was breaking in!" "What happened?" "I got attacked by a demonic creature." "I told you never to go down there! Are you ok???" "Yes mom, I'm ok. Thanks to Damien. But for now I'm gonna stay at Damien's for a while." "Fine. Fine. But if you didn't go into the basement at all you wouldn't be hurt or at Damien's." "Mom. You didn't tell me there was a demon in the basement!" "I didn't figure you had to know! I thought you would be a smart child and listen to your mother when she says that it's dangerous!" "You shouldn't he moved to a house with a demon! I want Benjamin out of there!" "Benjamin isn't going to get hurt, because unlike you he listens to me. I bet you only faked it so you could live with Damien." "What?! Oh my gosh. I can't believe you'd say that! I seriously am hurt, I went to the hospital because the wound was so bad. I have a freaking cast! I'm staying here for sure now. And nothing you say is gonna change that." "Elsie Renee Smithe! Don't you dare talk to me that way!" "Excuse me? You obviously don't care about how you treat me! So why should I care about how I talk to you? I don't have to deal with this. I'm 17 I could practically move out. Goodbye." "Elsie don't you hang up this ph-" Elsie hangs up the phone.
"Ugh. I hate her!" Elsie says very upset. Damien puts his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry babe. I wish I could help." Damien says trying to comfort her. "You already help me plenty baby." Elsie says as she cuddles with him again. Damien smiles as he kisses her forehead. Elsie's phone rings again and it's from an unknown number. "Hello?" "Hello Elsie. Where'd you go? Your little friend got in the way of our game. Next time it won't happen though, why not come back and play? I'll be waiting for you Elsie." A demonic voice says then the phone hangs up. Elsie drops her phone, terrified. "I-it was him. He called me. He's after me Damien!" Elsie says hugging Damien tightly, shaking from fear. Damien wraps his arms around her holding her close. " I'm her, I won't let him touch you." He says. "At least, I'll try." He says to himself.