The Hunting | Teen Ink

The Hunting

January 9, 2013
By Fruity-Prebles BRONZE, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
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Fruity-Prebles BRONZE, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
1 article 6 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If people tell you something you didnt know about yourself, there either gossiping, or they can see what youre hiding inside"


Author's note: I hope people will veiw the world differently after reading this and it will help them wonder about these same things as well.

It was a cool, breezy night in October; the sky was red in a sailors delight. There was a delicate mist in the air blowing across the corn fields in Kansas. It had felt like I had been running forever, miles away from home. I ran into this field to hide from my Pursuers, haunting me ever since I turned 17. I was dehydrated, and hungry. I pulled off a shuck to a head of corn and kept moving, being sure not to stop for even a second at the fear that they would figure out my placement in the corn. I ate the bits, even though raw corn isn’t satisfying to the stomach, it was still something. My legs ache, I check my watch for the time and it was 11:46 P.M. there was no turning back, by now my house would be swarming with the allies of the enemy. Where was I to go? It was almost an hour past curfew and I couldn’t even see 2 feet in front of my face. I began to panic, though I knew at this time it wouldn’t be the best. I was getting light headed; I smelt an intensifying amount of gas. Then I began smelling smoke. I looked up at the horizon only to realize they had lit the field on fire, and it was being quickly engulfed in flames. It was like they were hunters, me being there Prey. It was getting hot; I felt the salty sweat drip off of my brow. When suddenly I noticed a weak spot in the fire, an area that had not yet been lit. I darted straight toward it; my heart was beating inside my chest knowing I may not make it out alive.

“You can’t run forever” I heard someone scream behind me. ”You’ll never make it out.” As much as that terrified me, in a squeak I chocked back “I want to see you try.” I dashed away, by the time I had stopped for a quick breath I had realized I no longer had a clue where I was.






I had lost all sense of direction. I was confused at what they wanted to do with me anyway. What was there that is so special about me that they wanted. All of a sudden, I heard a crack in the sky and rain started pouring down, I saw an opening in a window at an old barn across the street. I saw my opportunity, and I was going to take it. I used my foot and smashed into the window, crawling in. I would be safe here for the night. I climb the ladder up to the rafters where bales of hay were sitting peacefully. I make a fort, 2 bales high and 6 wide, I un-tied one bale and spread it across the wooden floor boards behind the wall. I crawled into a ball, and slowly drifting off. I had a rough time sleeping, though. Waking up because of constant nightmares of masked murderers, criminals, and terrorists. At one time, I had woken up and felt as if someone was standing over me, sweaty in a murderous pursuit. Just to realize when I opened my eyes that a hole in the barn roof had been leaking. I check my watch, 3:25 a.m. realizing that I should probably get up and start my day, I sat up and crawled back out the window in which I entered last night. I walked out into the Dawn, startled, four men were standing, evenly spaced apart, two of which holding a rope, one with a rock, and one empty handed. The next thing I knew, they were on me. The man with nothing was now holding me. As they wrapped up my arms and legs in the itchy rope. My eyes went dark as the rock was struck against my temple, forcing me to pass out.

I awoke in a grey room, no windows, no air vents, and no door. How I even got in there, I wondered. I got up and looked in the mirror on the left wall; I was dressed in a Dark Grey sweat suit, with a White T-shirt underneath. There was evidence of bleeding on my head, which was cleaned up nicely and wrapped underneath a neat band aid strap. The room was simple, Grey walls, a little gray lawn chair with a white cushion, and a Cot with a Blackish-Grey sheet folded nicely on top. My head was spinning, so cautiously, I stepped over and sat on the bed. A man or at least what I thought was a man, stepped in the room. But where did he come from? There were no doors, no windows. He stood still, examining me. When suddenly he spoke, “Do not be afraid, I am not here to hurt you.” He stepped closer, and by impulse I squeaked, “Don’t come closer, who are you? Where am I?” He assured me that I wasn’t to be scared, so I let him come closer. “I am Kunai; I do not wish to harm you.” He said in a calm voice. He reached out and touched my face, his skin Black as night and scaly, almost reptile like. It burned my skin, and I saw a trickle of blood run down my cheek. I jump back, but he restrains me, my heart was beating fast because I thought this was the moment I was going to die. All of a sudden my cheek felt cold, and it started to burn, almost like ice on skin that had salt on it. He had put his finger (or claw) on it to stop the bleeding. He didn’t mean to hurt me, but my sudden motion must have startled him. I reached up, pulling off his hood. His face was dark and scaly just like his arms, but he was muscular, with long black hair that reached just past his eyes and teeth as white as snow. Gorgeous, in the ugliest of ways. “I was burnt very badly when I passed on actua…”
“Passed on, what do you mean passed on? You’re dead? Am I dead?” I felt rude for interrupting him. But I was scared.
“Not quite, I actually, am trying to help you, you got into a horrible accident, word around here was that you were running from someone through a corn field, and you went into some barn, but when you came out you were ganged up on, that true?”
“Yes, it’s true” I stuttered back.

“Then that’s why you’re here darling, this is the time where you prove to the gods that you are worthy to live in the heavens, if you can’t prove it to them, then I’m here to take you to hell. You see, when I was a mortal, it was a dark age when demons still lived amongst the Earth, when they could murder, and eat humans whenever they desired. They saw potential in me, so they kept me, and raised me as I am now. They turned me into this, this monster.”
“You’re not a monster, Kunai.”
“How can you say that? I’m going to take you to Hell, and am not a monster to you?”
“Because I could see when you walked in that you weren’t intending on hurting me purposely, why is that?” I muttered.

He stared off into the grey wall to the right, almost as if he was watching something within the walls. But there was no movement, no sound. I stood, staring at that very same spot trying to figure it out. When I looked up, I could see an ashy colored liquid dripping off of his cheek bones. Though, it attempt at hiding his grief, at this point I knew how he felt. The pain of over 3 centuries of never finding love, never seeing his parents again, and never getting to grow up like he should. It’s almost as if I was looking inside his heart and seeing all his hopes and dreams. He seemed scared almost to have to put me through the same thing.

Kunai started to talk, “It’s not nice to look into others thoughts, you know?”
“I’m sorry Kunai; I didn’t know I could do that.”
“When you entered this room, you started to possess your afterlife powers, yours are seeing others thoughts and dreams. I chose that for you myself.”

We were sitting alone, in this empty- lifeless room, when I realized something. Why would a demon be so nice to me? His kindness could just be a trick. Then I would be left alone for the rest of eternity. When suddenly, he stood. “Follow me” he whispered and then pushed through the solid grey wall. I though, new the wall was solid. Or at least, I thought so. I put my hand on the wall as if attempting to lean up against it, and fell right through it.
“Don’t worry, not everything is as they appear here” He muttered under his breathe.

He led me into a room; there was a beautifully stained glass window on both sides of the room. And a single metal chair with no cushion, smack dead in the center of the area. I was suddenly thrown forward by a force that was completely unexplainable, because when I turned around Kunai was nowhere to be found. I was forced into the chair and as soon as I reached it, latches, belts and buckles flew across my ankles arms, stomach. Forcing me and holding me tight to the chair. The ceiling opened up, but I didn’t see the average blue skies and fluffy white clouds I had been expecting. The sky was red, not the type of red that’s crimson, but a soft, blurred out kind of red. It was hot, like steamy, and two figures were lowering down into the room, one on each side of me.

One was a dark figure, skinny, and smelled of rotting flesh. The devil, I had proposed. Yet, the other was a fat, bearded man with a golden shiny robe and wooden sandals on. I was going to prove my worthy right now, not later, now.

There was a dreadful cold wind blowing against my cheek, my back trembling and cracking against the chair. This is it, I had thought. I felt a sharp pain stabbing into my neck, and a tug. My skin split and blood was trickling down my sweat suit. I closed my eyes, imagining the pain gone, but when I opened my eyes, there was nothing around me except red walls. My heart felt as if it was beating out of my rib cage. As if it was going to tear right out and run away. I stood, only to realize they had released me from the restrains. My neck felt numb, I could feel the stitches, 8. I felt strong yet, stronger than I had when I was still alive. Was I even dead? Abruptly, I yelled out “Kunai?” He appeared in the center of the Red room.
“Yes my child?” Kunai obstructed back.
“I’m not a child, what happened?” I countered.
“Yes dear, you’re not a child. Your Blood is impure, resulting in you having to spend the rest of your hall-inclusive life with me.”

The thing is, I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of life with him. He was, in fact the only one that cared about me, and being around him made me feel safe again. Even if he was the bad guy, he seemed so good.
“What do you me impure?” I retaliated.
“I embarked on you the minute I saw you, dear.” He replied hesitantly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I was scared, yet I wanted to know the true meaning that he meant.
“When a demon sees a soul he wants to keep, he embarks your soul so you can only be claimed by only him in your afterlife. That’s how demons find there eternal mates”
“So, you’re saying I’m the one that you embarked on, Kunai?” I snorted out of utter surprise.

He was pacing around, almost as if he thought I was upset with him. But I truly wasn’t, I was over joyed. Although I know I would regret this, I walked up and grabbed his hand, his claws piercing my skin. It burned, but yet it was alright. I felt safe around him. It was almost as if I wanted to be stuck with him for the rest of eternity. I rushed back to the mirrored area, running my hand under the icy cold water, watching the sink stain red. His eyes were violet in desire, waiting to tear me to shreds at the potent scent of blood amongst the room. I could smell it, my stomach began churning. I could feel every drop rush to the floor. I stood in a panic, even as I pressurized the cut, it wouldn’t stop bleeding, and the pain wouldn’t succeed. It just kept coming and coming, in a never ending flow.

He snapped his fingers as a flame united at his middle finger. Snatching the towels and garments out of my hands he set them up in flames. Forcefully, grabbing my hand and burning it in the flare. The pain wouldn’t succeed if I was dying, I would eventually feel the pain for the rest of time without end. You never reincarnate in an afterlife in hell, you only restart when you’re given an eternity in heaven.

My eyes grew shut, and I fell back. The massive amounts of blood I had lost had caused me to go into a sleep induced comma. It felt like years were going by, because my whole life has been passing through. I awoke, in a cabin. Unsure where I was, I stood and looked out the window. The world around me was engulfed in massive amounts of blue and red flames. Something caught me out of the corner of my eye. I glanced down at my arm, or, what used to be my arm. It had been replaced with a dark, scaly like thing with claws attached. Was I turning into a demon? I thought to myself. My skin resembles that of Kunai’s. “Not quite, my child” A dark figure in the corner of the room retorted. “I’m sorry, it is quiet rude to listen in on peoples thoughts, I just can’t help but listening to them. Especially with noobs. You see, when you are sent to hell, your flesh burns, bends and twists when you’re going down the dark abyss. You see, I am Denlaph. The devils Right hand man; if you will. I am responsible for the start of your training. Kunai is too new to teach you, he is still going through his basic training.” “So Kunai isn’t a full demon?” I said questioningly. “No my child, neither are you. You still have many features of your human life. So does Kunai. Your reflexes and brain won’t be fully developed yet. You both passed at such a young age.” “How old was Kunai, if I may ask?” “Kunai was 19, I believe, when he committed suicide.” I sat there in wonderment, thinking at how such a beautiful creature could possibly commit suicide. If he was this breath taking in the afterlife, you could only imagine what he would look like beforehand. All I know was, he embarked on me. So I would get to spend the rest of eternity with him. In a never-aging life time. “You’re very lucky, you know. To have him to be the one that embarked on you. You could’ve had worse” Denlaph said, with a somewhat smirk on his long distorted face. “You could have had one of our criminal demons.” I looked at him mesmerized at the fact of what he said. I truly was in hell. Surrounded by all the criminals, murderers and those that had committed suicide. It still didn’t explain why I was here, though. Why were those men after me in the first place? I hadn’t done anything wrong that I had remembered. But, to think of it, I was starting to forget much of my human life. Other than that night, I couldn’t remember anything. “My child, its time you know, you were born with a sacred gem inside of you. It was a diamond with a topaz swirl; your ancestors implanted it 63 generations into the future, which you would be. When you turned 17, your heart turned into the sacred gem, and those men that killed you were after it. They cut open your chest and ripped it to pieces to get it.” It all made sense to me now. It really did. Like why my mother called me gem since I was 14, or why my dad called me his “Prize” before he passed last year. They were trying to warn me of the power I held inside. The power I had to rule, almost. That must have been why those men were chasing me through the field. They wanted the power I held inside. That must be why imp here in hell. I was born impure. Did they think of my heart as an impurity? Though, my heart being made or diamond explains the chest pains I had been having the past 3 months. Every time I breathed my chest felt as if it was being scratched on the inside. So that must be why Kunai chose me, he knew about the power and he wanted it all for himself. “That’s not true, my child.” “STAHP ease dropping in my thoughts!” I hissed at him. Learning and getting used to being a demon isn’t easy, you can’t do anything that you used to do without catching something on fire or cutting it open with your razor sharp talons. Once you step outside into your new found world, it’s exactly how humans imagine it. How I imagined it, I should say. The world seemed so different, but in reality it’s just as Earth was- but better in my eyes. Everyone here looks the same, Black scaly skin, long limber legs, boney arms, enlarged chins, squinted eyes and a snake like tongue with large talons on every fingertip. It’s always the same temperature, because the ground around us is always engulfed in flames. The sky is always a dark crimson red color, with a blackish grey cloud of smoke on the horizon. It’s almost as if everyone here is normal, we all look the same, yet we all have different talents. Not a single one of us has the same talent, making every one of us original and needed for certain tasks that others wouldn’t dare even try to complete. Everyone has stuff they need to do throughout the entire underworld, and if they couldn’t find the master of that task- nothing could be done about it.

“Step into that circle over there” I heard the familiar voice I’ve been longing to hear, it was Kunai’s voice. But where was Kunai? I was looking around and I couldn’t see him. I stepped onto the circle carved into the floor, which was shaped as a pentagram I believe. Suddenly a burst of light shined through my chest, and lit up my eyes.
“Step off of it now” I could see clearly now. He looked human, and he was handsome. Long black hair that covered his eyebrows, bright blue eyes that sparkled in the glare if the flames through the window, he had on no shirt, I wasn’t drawn to his stomach; my eyes were distracted at the sight of two large gashes on each of his wrists.
“Not what you expected the world to look like is it?” He said with a smirk. “Everyone looks normal to us, once our senses fully develop. Humans only see us like that because they haven’t crossed over yet. I guess I should’ve warned you about that.”
He was smiling now, though I’m still not quite sure why but that made me smile as well. I looked in the glass, seeing my reflection for the first time. I looked different, older almost. I had Smokey looking eyes, and bright red lips, with my dark brown hair curled. I was wearing a black dress with tights, with a red belt at my stomach and red heels.
“Why am I so dressed up?” As I turned around I saw that he was also dressed up now. He had on a white shirt, with a black tux and red tie. We matched.
It was perfect. How we looked so great together. Was this how life really was when you no longer existed? Who knows? All I know is I liked that.
“I’m sorry I don’t look the greatest.” He said, almost as if he meant it.
“What do you mean? You look perfect” At that point, I couldn’t believe I had let myself say such a thing. But I meant it. “I have so much that I could say to you, but I’d rather keep it inside.”
“You don’t have to hide anything from me.” He said while gently placing his hand on my cheek.
“I don’t know how I could tell you most of this, but I just feel safe around you Kunai.” I said in a half smirk.
Kunai seemed to have blushed at knowing how I felt, considering he knew I could read every though he had before he had the chance to say it. I could just tell he was smiling.
He then grabbed my hand, in my own amazement, that no longer hurt. Leading me outside into the fiery world. My first day of Training has arrived. I was still very clumsy, and unsure of what I was capable of. Kunai pulled me along as we walked through fields of burnt black grass; it seemed we were walking for miles on end. Suddenly, we appeared at a dark cave, and he led me in. Inside, there was a rink, made of shiny steel, and edged with barb wire. Pulling me into the cage, and closing the door behind both of us, locking it tight like Fort Knox. Then clapping his hands together, we both appeared in sweat suits of red.
“Whatever happens here is not my fault” he said as a force pushed me up to the other side of the cage, slamming me against the wire restrictions.
“What the Hell was that for?” I screamed at him as a burst of blue light shoved out of me but it barely moved him at all, it only blew his hair back revealing his eyes that were glowing crimson.
He smiled at me, revealing razor like teeth. Standing there, growling at me. His muscles protruding out ward. Here came the second blast, He took a deep breath and sent another one toward me. He was testing my skills. Every few seconds he sent more blasts, stronger each time. Dodging every single one. Showing I out witted him.
Just then I closed my eyes, and jumped. I was untouchable when I was on guard. Almost as if my brain knew what was going to happen and worked before I knew what was happening. Like an Instinct. I reached the ground, fists first, and sent the ground flying upward as it broke. I was strong. Stronger than he intended me to be. Amazed, he came toward me, not in a threatening way. When he was here, he kissed me. Not like a first kiss usually was, all awkward and short. No, this was a long, passionately, beautiful kiss. I had passed his test and was ready to meet the council to begin training.
A Bright pink glow lifted me into the air and burst bright light throughout the cave. I was victorious. I was ready.
As we stepped out of the rink, I now saw we weren’t the only ones in this cave. The entire Council was around, watching the match. I secretly had already taken the steps I needed for the rest of my senses to develop. Kunai & I had passed the test together.

I couldn’t help but to feel good about myself, I’ve mastered every fighting skill I’d ever need. Yet, there was always that feeling of lose. Like something was missing. I had begun loosing every human memory that had meant the most to me, at a time. I couldn’t remember anything other than the night I had died; it’s almost as if that night was meant to stalk me for the rest of my life. Kunai had told me earlier today that I’d soon get Vengeance on my soul, whatever that means.
All I Know is that I miss my parents. Though- the only thing I have left of them is a vague memory. To their knowledge, there sweet 17 years old daughter was murdered and they would never see her again. Not knowing that they would in fact see me, when they pass as well. As, me and Kunai will be the ones taking them to their fate. Teaching them the ways of a demon if they pass through into the underworld. They would only know who I am, once there senses developed. I couldn’t help but wondering why we were so disguised as to who we were, it doesn’t matter when someone crosses over. Then we all look the same as we did before, just better. Fancier, in fact, because every day we dress up as if we are high-class citizens in a rich town. Every day I awaken and look in the mirror, same hair, curly and perfect with a braid across the left, exposing my Industrial piercing. A black Dress, with Bright Red heels that could kill if I “accidentally” stepped on someone’s foot out of rage. What a silly thought, but also a genius thing of my own thoughts. It’s funny how one can act so innocent yet, have these twisted and crazy thought run amongst their brain. If I would’ve thought anything like that on Earth, I’d probably be put into a Mental Institution for the Criminally Insane.
My entire life, of what I remembered, was horrible. Bullied and Harassed Daily, My scars flourished now. Then it hit me, the color Of Red. Kunai and I state the color of red. Kunai killed himself, and I tried. Red was a symbol of us, our stories. Is that why Kunai was assigned to me? We had that in common. We were the perfect match in the eyes of the Devil. True Afterlife soul mates. It was all starting to make sense now, like why my scars became more and more unhealed every day. They were reversing my life to make as if they meant us to be together, looking like the perfect pair with matching scars, and coordinating outfits. That was fine, though, I liked being with Kunai. But wait, if Kunai had chosen me as his afterlife mate. Who would get my parents when they pass? They would be separated if they didn’t die together, and worse of all they would Forget everything about their marriage as time went on. I can’t imagine how devastating that would be, loving someone for 34 years and then not remembering who they are- Only remembering how you yourself passed away. That worries me immensely. Though, I didn’t find love until now. When I’m already gone.

Now more than ever, I had been extremely stand-offish around Kunai, I don’t quite understand it. Every time another girl is around him, I burn up and start showing off. I will admit to falling for him significantly fast. Though, he protected me. I had a reason to, right? Since we have become full demons, we have a significantly higher attraction then the others. The kind of attraction that drew in half-demons. Most importantly, now we had power. The power to kill, and to torture in one swift movement. Extremely Strong, bold, and at the top of the food chain. There’s something about me now that makes so much more sense than in my mortal life. It’s like I’m meant to be here. It must have been the jewel, though; they took it from me when I was killed that night. Can you imagine the power I would have if they didn’t? If that jewel was still safe inside my ribcage. I would have had the power to rule the world. Running it how I would want. I would have the power to stop all the conflicts on Earth, and I could take away the law that says the deceased cannot communicate with the living. That would easily be demolished because I would rip the portal right out of the filter, letting demons flood the land as well as the angels in heaven. My mind was rushed with determined thoughts of evil. Thoughts that would just have to wait.

The author's comments:
chapter is not finished- More to come. Story will be re-posted when completely finished.

I had never realized how many deaths happened every day due to suicide. In a matter of months, Kunai & I brought over enough people to fill a major high school. They were dropping like flies. Every case worse than the one before hand. It was a shame what we had to do though, bringing so many of them to Hell. Not even a third of them made it to heaven. Most did it to escape a crime, others because of being bullied. None ever quite made sense to me yet, Kunai somehow always understood. Though, I just sat there and watched as Kunai showed me the ways of the trade. The suicide rates were unbelievable. We were sometimes called on 20 or more cases each day- Just for the United States! That’s unbelievable how many people kill them.



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This book has 1 comment.


on May. 1 2013 at 6:24 pm
BriannaKnowsBest BRONZE, Oregon, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
The night is coming and it whispers softly to me, "Come and Play"

i enjoy your writing, but, i think that you could put a little more detail into this. it has some good potential and i think you could go all the way with this writing, IF, you worked on it and lengthened it a little bit more. not trying to impose but its true.