Chapter Six:
After we had landed; it took us roughly a half hour to pick up our luggage from the carousel. Then being the oldest (Second to Dawn) Hunter was able to pose as an eighteen year old and was able to get us a rental car; a black SUV. We all then packed our belongings into the trunk and piled in the car. It took us another thirty minutes to get through traffic; Hunter kept to himself and focused his attention on the roads while Kimiko sat up in shotgun next to him with her laptop resting on her lap and headphones planted in both her ears. Jack, Dawn, and I used the commute to get better acquainted with each other as we all sat in the back seat.
About twenty minutes later; the hustle and bustle of city life was a thing of the past and we were suddenly driving through a lush autumn forest rapidly approaching the suburbs. Finally we found a beautiful brick wall with green colored fencing with the words "Peach Creek Acres." written on the entrance gate.
"Here it is guys." Hunter said.
He the slowly pulled out a remote from inside his jacket and flipped a switch; suddenly the main gates slowly began to open and we drove on through. There were dozens and dozens of beautiful houses. Children were eagerly leaping into big piles of leaves; was we drove on we saw a small park within the neighborhood and saw people flying kites, couples taking romantic strolls, and friends playing on the blacktop.
As I watched the neighborhood pass by I thought back to when I was a kid; playing with all of my friends when it got to this time of the year. I remember how we used to jump in massive piles of leaves we gathered and playfully threw the leaves at each other. Then suddenly I saw a girl standing before me as a bright light was shining behind her. I couldn't exactly see who she was from the light, but from just her presence alone I got a warm welcoming feeling from her. She slowly reached out her hand and it looked like she was giving me a smile.
"C'mon Double D." The girl said to me.
I slowly reached my hand out to her's; but as our hands met I kept hearing. "Double D, wake up." Over and over again. Suddenly I found myself in the back of an SUV with my head leaning against a window.
"Double D...Hey Double D wake up man we're here." Jack said as he gently shook the side of my arm.
"Whaa...Oh...Guest I must have dozed off a little." I said to myself as I rubbed my eyes.
"So who's the girl you were dreaming about?" Dawn asked as she and Jack slid out of the left side of the SUV.
"What do you mean?" I asked as I opened my door.
"You were mumbling; Anna, Anna, Anna in your sleep." Kimiko said as she and Hunter got out of the front seats.
"I did?" I said as we all went to the trunk and pulled out our luggage.
"Yeah; so who's this Anna anyways?" Hunter asked.
"Umm...I don't know...I think I got that name off a movie or something." I said as I could feel a light blush coming on my face.
Truth be told I knew who Anna was; she was one of my best friends when I was little. Not only that I...Uh...I had a major crush on her. I then thought back to that mysterious girl in my dream; the more I thought about it the more it came clear that it was Anna who I was dreaming about. It's kinda weird I hadn't thought about her in while; yet there I was dreaming about her.
Hunter was the first to reach the door and once again dug into one of the pockets of his trench coat and grabbed the house key. After he unlocked the door everyone slowly entered the house; but just before went inside. I stopped myself just before I took the first step onto the porch; I turned around and looked up towards the sky. A couple of clouds and some birds flew by overhead; while a gentle breeze made some bright red colored leaves dance in the air.
"I wonder what all of them are doing right now?" I said to myself. "I wonder if any of them even remember me?" I then joined the others and went inside the house.
The inside was amazing, fine leather couches in the living room with a double decker recliner, a massive eighty inch flat screen siting on top of the fire place. A fully stocked stainless steel refrigerator, fine marble stone island counter top. And the rooms were already completed with twin sized beds, small desks with brand new computers already set up, and smaller flat screen television sitting on top of the dressers.
I was lucky; I got a room on the second floor that looked over the forests and straight towards the city. I put my suitcase next to my dresser and plopped down on my bed; I looked over to my alarm clock on top of my nightstand. The time read thirty minutes pass four o'clock; we were ahead of schedule and had a couple of hours before our mission began. I was thinking of taking another nap during this free time of ours when a sudden knock came at my door.
"Come in." I said.
As the door slowly opened; to my surprise it was Dawn behind my door.
"Hey' mind if I come in?" She asked as she patently waited outside my door.
"Sure come on in." I replied as I sat up on my bed.
Dawn slowly closed the door behind her and walked towards my desk and pulled out the rolling chair.
"So what's up?" I asked.
"Well; Jack's in the living room watching TV, Hunter and Kimiko are in the kitchen getting dinner started. And I was kinda lonely and wanted some company." Dawn said as she sat down on the chair.
"Ah." I replied. "I was thinking of taking another nap before the mission began; but I guess I got a lot on my mind."
"I bet; must be a lot for you to take in. Being back in your home town after being away for four years."
"Yeah; alot's changed since I was last here. But in a way it still feels like home ya'know?"
"actually I kinda do." Dawn replied as she looked out the window and towards the city.
"So who is she?"
"Who's who?" I asked trying to act as nonchalant as I could.
"Oh c'mon. : "I must have gotten that name off a movie." Is the oldest excuse in the book. And believe me I know. I was there when the first guy made that excuse when movies started to become thing."
I laughed.
"Alright, alright." I said as I calmed down. "Her name's Anastasia; but I used to call her Anna for short." I said. "She was one of my best friends when I was a kid.
"Aaaaaand?" Dawn asked with up most interest.
"And what?" I asked trying to be mister cool guy.
"There's something else you're not telling me." Dawn said with a grin while she lightly poked my chest.
"Well..." I began to say. "I...Kinda...Sorta...Had...A major crush on her." I said as a blush came over my face.
"Aww." Dawn said she clasped her hands together. "She must've been really special."
"Yeah...She was." I said.
"Hey seeing as we have lots of free time before dinner feel like going for a drive?"
"To where?" I asked with a confused look on my face.
"Your old neighborhood." Dawn replied with a sheepish grin.
"But I don't have a license yet." I said while I awkwardly twiddled my thumbs against each other.
"That's okay" Dawn said as she reached into her jacket's pocket and pulled out a driver's license. "I got mine."
"I...I dunno..." I said with much hesitance.
"It's not like we're goona go up to your old friends houses and say. "Hey this your old friend Eddward; he's a secret agent killing evil werewolves and vampires all over the world." We'll just drive around and check up on them."
There must have been a thousand reasons why this was a bad idea; but the thought of checking up on my old friends was getting more and more tempting as I thought about it.
"Alright...But just to check in on them." I said as I leapt off my bed.
Dawn got the car keys from Hunter and we told them if we weren't back by dinner time we'd pick up something on the way home before the mission started. We then got into the car and slowly pulled out of the driveway and drove down the neighborhood and found ourselves traveling down the main highway that lead back to the city.
Traffic wasn't as bad as it was earlier so we were able to drive through the city in half the time. We took the freeway down five miles and onto an off ramp that lead to another of the city's suburbs; soon enough we were there the old Cul-De-Sac. I mean sure it wasn't as fancy as the neighborhood Aries and the council set us up in but this Cal-De-Sac means a lot more to me than anything else. It was where I made a lot of good friends; and the place I often dream about as well.
"Here we are." Dawn said as she parked the SUV next to an empty spot next to the sidewalk.
I took a deep breath before I reached for the door handle; I then slowly opened the door and took my first step on the pavement. It was weird...I felt so out of place after all those years of traveling around; and yet I never felt more at home than I did at that moment.
"How's it feel?" Dawn asked.
"I won't lie...I fought off witch doctors, killed a dozen werewolves and vampires. And once got to ride on the back of the Loch Ness Monster. But I have never been this nervous or excited before in my life." I said as I lightly held onto my stomach.
"So mind showing the new girl in town around?" Dawn asked as she walked towards me and wrapped her arm around mine.
"Sure thing ma'am." I replied as we both giggled.
We walked down the streets and I showed her where a couple of old buddies of mine lived when we were kids; then I brought her to the old play ground where we swungon the monkey bars and climbed on top the jungle gym. I told her about the old trailer park where these three girls used to harass me and my two best friends lived.
"I wonder if they still live out there?" I asked myself.
Then to end the tour; I brought her my house. From the front window I saw my mom and dad sitting on the couch; it looked like they were watching television probably the evening news. I remembered that Aries told me a couple of times that ever since I left my parents have been looking for me. Even went on a cross country trip hoping they could get a glimpse of their son and ask him to come home.
All I really wanted to do right then and there; was to go inside and give my mom and dad a great big bear hug and tell them that I'm sorry that I left. That I did it to protect them; and to try and make up for lost time. But I knew I couldn't; I knew if I did. Then I would end up risking leaving my scent there . And if the vampires found out who I was and what I was doing here; then I knew the first place they would go looking for me...Is here.
"You okay?" Dawn asked as she gently patted on my back.
"No..." I replied as I struggled to fight back the burning sensation behind my eyes. "I thought...That when I took this assignment I would be strong enough to resist the urge to burst through that door and run straight into my parents arms. It's taking everything I have to not take another step towards that house Dawn."
She quickly wrapped her arms around me and tightly held on to me.
"I'm sorry Eddward." She said. "I thought coming here would help make you feel better. I didn't know it would make things harder on your."
I didn't say anything; I just stood there like a mindless zombie. Thinking back to how life was before that accursed beast took everything away from me. My innocence, my youth, and all of those I cared about.
"I'm going to take it all back!" I said in a low growl as I tightly clenched my fist until my knuckles began to pop.
"Take what back?" Dawn said with a slightly frightened look on her face.
"Everything that monster took from me." I said with a steely look. "One day I'm going to strike him down with all my might and reclaim my humanity."
Dawn's frighten expression suddenly turned into a happy one.
"I know you will Double D: Just like how I know I'll find the same vampire that turned me and avenge my family as well."
Dawn then stepped on the tips of her toes and lightly kissed me on my cheek.
"What was that for?" I asked while a light blush grew on my face.
"For luck." Dawn said with a bright a cheerful smile.
"Hey it's starting to get a little nippy; and I'm getting kinda hungry."
"Okay just remember; I have werewolf's blood and I heard that it's high in cloistral." I said as I pulled down on the collar of my shirt.
She giggled.
"Not that kinda hungry; I mean I want a double bacon cheese burger, with a large side of fries, and a chocolate milkshake." She said while practically drooling.
"Well I know a place that has exactly what you're looking for."
"Great I'm starving." She said as she once again wrapped her arm around mine
"Really I couldn't tell." I say as we both laughed and made our way back to the car.
Unaware to the two young monster hunters; the woman inside the house notice them while they were standing on the curb across the street from her house.
"Dear what's the matter?" Her husband asked as the woman slowly lifted herself from his side.
The woman carefully looked outside the living room window; she paid special attention to the young man in the black jacket and black colored beanie. The woman quickly lept off the couch and ran straight for the door; not even bothering to put on a pair of shoes or her jacket and brave the cold autumn night. Once she was out side; the woman frantically searched outside where she had saw the two teens and everywhere within sight; but they could not be foud.
"Honey!" The woman's husband shouted as he ran right behind her with a light purple jacket. "What are you doing this isn't like you; barging out into the cold without shoes or a jacket." The man said as he wrapped the jacket around his wife.
The woman suddenly burst into tears as she fell into her husband's arms.
"Dear?" The man asked. What's wrong?"
"I thought...I thought..." The woman said as she struggled to form a proper sentence. "I thought...I saw... Eddward."