Chapter 26

During the first night back home, I never felt so lonely in my life. And that's counting all those nights driving down the road to my next hunt. I was so used to having Gadreel sleeping not too far from me. Now, he was somewhere in Heaven and I was in my room, alone. I tried everything to fall asleep, like listening to my iPod, take some sleeping pills, even read a book.

Nothing worked. I missed him already.

My mother would check up on me, as if she couldn't sleep either. Eventually, we both said "fuck it" and stayed up, watching movies. I did manage to fall asleep and I think my mother did too, but when I woke up, I still missed Gadreel. It was great to be back with my mother, but I had been through so much with him and now he was gone. I knew I'd see him again, but when was the question.

My mother knew I was missing him and tried everything to make me smile and laugh. When she wasn't doing that, she was washing my clothes as well as those that belonged to Gadreel. Doing her motherly duties even if I said it wasn't necessary.

However, days turned into weeks and Gadreel never came back. At that point, I knew she would try to comfort me. When my mother made me a cup of coffee and sat down beside me as I watched television, I envisioned her telling me to not give up hope.

"Maybe you should try to keep busy." She said and when I looked at her, she smiled softly. "Why not go back hunting?" she asked me and I arched my eyebrows.

"You'd let me go hunt after being gone for couple a years?" I asked her. "What if I don't come back?" I added and she let out a small laugh.

"I can't expect you to stop hunting and I know you'll come back." She replied and stroked my head. "You saved people and I'm so proud of you." She added and I felt my eyes start to tear up. "I'll just pray that you're safe. Or I'll cast one of your spells." She said and I let out a small laugh myself.

"You're a Wiccan now?" I asked her and she pulled me into a hug.

"Why not." She said and turned the channel onto the news. She then encouraged me to go search for a hunt or contact my acquaintances. Honestly, I wasn't sure I wanted to go on a hunt, but there was nothing else I could do. My mother was right: I had to find something to keep myself occupied or I'd go crazy just thinking about Gadreel.

So I contacted some of my contacts and one passed on a hunt to me, since they're hands were pretty full and I was closer to it. Never really could relate to having a full plate, but I took it and began researching. There were three missing teenage girls in Madrid, Nebraska, and no one had any idea what happened to them. Their parents, highly religious, said they were good girls and had no enemies. However, their classmates at school said they were losers, so I knew the parents were wrong there.

Shortly after the girls went missing, some of the kids at the high school went missing. Only, their bodies were recovered from the river running behind the town with their eyes, ears, noses, tongues and hands missing.

The town was in a panic and something wasn't right. It all began with the three girls gone missing. Then more, but clearly murdered. Why didn't the girls turn up dead? This case was highly mysterious and it grabbed my attention. I had to solve it and end it.

I grabbed my bags and my car keys and found a cooler of food and an envelope of money, about one thousand dollars, near the door. I glanced up and saw my mother standing in the kitchen entrance with a smile on her pretty face.

"Call when you get there." She said and walked up to me, giving me a hug goodbye. I didn't want to leave, but I had to.

I left the house and got into my car. This was familiar and when I glanced at the passenger seat, the loneliness returned. That too was familiar. I looked at the living room window and saw my mother waving.

I started the engine and drove off.

"Hi ho, hi ho; another hunt to go." I sang softly, almost sad, and turned up the volume of my radio. I couldn't stop thinking about Gadreel and how he was doing. My mother said she would pray for my safety and I thought that maybe I could do the same for him.

"Hecate, please keep him safe and help him to find the items of Metatron's spell so he can return sooner." I said and remained silent after that. What was I supposed to do; talk to myself? Yeah, like that's not crazy. So, I just drove, ate and slept, all done in complete and agonizing silence. If it wasn't for my radio, I would have picked up a hitchhiker just to have someone to talk to.

Not a bad idea, actually. Who would try to kill the girl with a shit load of weapons in her trunk?

I snapped myself out of it, trying to focus on the hunt. When I finally arrived in Madrid, Nebraska, without a hitchhiker, I got a motel room and quickly got onto the hunt. Of course, I called my mother first to let her know that I had arrived safely.

Then, I tried to decide on a plan of action for my hunt. I didn't really know what I was going to do, but I settled for being vigilant and to think fast. I walked around and found there was something at the church for the missing and murdered.

Bingo.

Oh, a little insensitive…

I walked in and stood by the door where some people just turned and gave me sad smiles. The church was full of people and after a few minutes of listening, learnt that I had walked in towards the end of the sermon. Then it was over and people began to talk. That's pretty much all I cared about.

Oh, insensitive again…

Oh, fuck it. A hunter can't always be sensitive. Find a monster, track it, and kill it. End of story. Sucks for those that are already dead, but I can't grieve for them; I don't have much time left to save potential victims. This is my job.

I began walking around and heard little bits of information that could be useful. The parents of the victims had told the officers on the case everything they had seen. Then, that information was leaked into the public somehow. People started comparing things and found that all the dead teenagers had strange things found in their room.

"It was a little cloth filled with strange things and bundled up, hidden in their rooms." Someone had said. I continued walking and heard slightly more details about these little cloth pouches.

"I found bones in those things." Another had said.

"I tell you; it's Devil Worship." Some old crone had said and I held back a laugh. I knew it was more like Witchcraft than Devil Worship. It pissed me off when people said that. People feared what they didn't understand and, rather than educate themselves, they remain ignorant and judgmental.

Assholes.

I had to research about these little bags and find out what they were.

"There was also sulfur." Someone had said and shortly after that, I froze when someone cleared their throat. When I looked in the direction of that sound, I found a guy about my age, good looking, staring at me with this grin. My heart began racing because I began fearing that I'd be in the spotlight and then unable to continue hunting.

"I've never seen you before." He said as he approached me and I managed an awkward smile. Not perfect, but it'll do.

"I'm not from here." I said and he nodded, like he had already guessed that. "I had a family member go missing and what happened in your town made me sort of relive it." I added and he nodded again, but looked sympathetic.

"I'm Patrick." He said and extended his hand. I took it and his hand was surprisingly soft.

"I'm Anne." I replied. I had actually thought of going with another name, but something told me there was nothing to worry about.

"Neil was my brother." He said and when I didn't seem to acknowledge that bit of information, he sort of let out a small laugh and smiled. "One of the victims." He added and then I reacted.

"I'm sorry." I replied and he brushed it off like I had commented on how awesome his hair looked. I knew I had nothing to worry about. Patrick wasn't a threat, but a potential ally. "I'd like to help, if I could." I said and he nodded as he looked up at me.

"Thanks, but I don't know how you could." He replied and then glanced over his shoulder at a small ground of others about his age or younger. They seemed somewhat sad. When he looked back at me, he seemed sad too. "We just don't know what to do." he added and my heart sort of sank.

However, it was time to do my job.