Other Fan Fiction / Horror Fan Fiction ❯ Hunted ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Dim rays of sunlight were cast onto my bed as I slowly drifted into consciousness from my slumber. Groggily, I reached out from the huge quilt encasing me and fumbled around on the nightstand before I found what I was looking for: my cell phone.

 

I flipped the cover up, slamming my eyes shut as the phone suddenly lit up. Slowly adjusting to the light, I opened my eyes and looked at the time.

 

5:31.

 

You've got to be kidding me. A groan resounded from my throat as I looked at the window, cursing the sun for waking me up. I set the phone back onto the nightstand before turning on my side away from the window and tried to drift back into sleep.

 

It wasn't working. After what I thought was at least thirty minutes, I rolled back over and looked at the phone one more time.

 

5:35.

 

It's only been five minutes?! Well, technically only four, but I was not in the mood to acknowledge that. This isn't happening. How did I manage to wake up at 5:30 in the freaking morning on a Saturday?! I tossed the phone back onto the nightstand, leaving it to continue charging, angry that I had woken up so early.

 

I slowly sat up, throwing the quilt off of me and placed my feet onto the wood flooring, only to instantly retract them into the warmness of my bed. The floor was cold! I looked around for my slippers and found them…on the other side of the room. Great.

 

I grabbed the quilt and threw it over the floor, keeping my feet safe from the freezing flooring. I hurried over and hastily pulled on my black, furry slippers. They were heaven to my cold feet. Much better.

 

Slowly, I stumbled my way into the kitchen. I grabbed a package of strawberry pop tarts from the open box sitting on the counter, ripped them from the package, and hastily shoved them into the toaster, before flicking the toaster on.

 

Opening the fridge, I bent to grab the half-gallon carton of orange juice sitting on the shelf secured to the fridge door. While shaking the carton, I opened the cabinet next to the refrigerator and took down a plastic cup. Never did like the glass cups. I always managed to drop them and have the glass shatter into a million pieces. And no matter how good of a job I did cleaning them up, I would always end up with at least one piece of glass stuck in my foot later that day. Seriously. You should see the scars adorning my heels.

 

Well, I poured myself a glass of OJ, placed the half-empty carton back into the fridge, and grabbed a plate from the cabinet next to the one holding the glasses just as the toaster stopped, springing the pop tarts up.

 

I sat down at the breakfast bar dividing the kitchen from the dining room I never ate in and started on my breakfast, which ended quickly. I laid the dishes into the empty sink as I walked down the hall and into the bathroom, grabbing a dark red towel in the closet.

 

The shower I took was hot and refreshing, heaven on my tired body. After what seemed like five minutes of just standing under the hot cascading water, I shut the shower off, wrapped myself in the towel, and walked out to the living room.

 

I grabbed the remote lying on the couch and flicked the television on to the Weather Channel, looking at today's forecast.

 

The map was white. Snow. Lots of it. Temperature below zero.

 

Ugh. The television shut off as I turned and walked to my room.

 

After quickly picking out warm clothes for today, I went into the bathroom to brush my hair. It looked horrible in the mirror. I guess I didn't have such a great night sleeping as I thought I did…

 

For some odd reason, though, the tangles in my hair come out rather easily, which still surprised me. After easily brushing my medium length, curly brown hair (and applying the appropriate treatment to keep it from frizzing), I put on my jewelry, then applied some make up to my eyes.

 

I walked back into my room and looked at my phone.

 

7:03.

 

Hmm. I guess I took longer in the shower than I thought I did. Oh well. Long showers are usually the cure for everything.

 

Now that I was actually awake, I wanted to do something. What, I had no idea, but something. I had until six o'clock tonight to do whatever I want. Well, actually five. I have to be at work at six. Okay, that gives me…ten hours. Nine and a half to be safe. Now, to figure out what I was going to do in those some odd hours…

 

Finally, I just decided walk down the busy streets of the downtown city. That always proved to be interesting.

 

I grabbed my purse and keys while walking out the door of my apartment, only stopping to lock it. I walked down the hall and quickly caught an elevator that just opened on my floor.

 

It was empty.

 

Shrugging my shoulders, I walked in, pressed the “one” button, and waited as the doors closed and the elevator made its descent.

 

The atmosphere in the elevator seemed different…too different. I couldn't place my finger on it, but there was just something entirely wrong.

 

Before I had time to pinpoint the difference, the elevator stopped at the first level and the doors open. Shoving the strangeness into the back of my mind, I walked out of the elevator and exited the building.

 

There was no one about. The streets were empty and the shops had only started to open, waiting for the city to awaken. This was definitely my time of the day.

 

I quickly closed my black coat, sealing off the cold, winter wind, and started down the streets.

There weren't many shops open as of right now, but that didn't bother me. I was basically just window-shopping.

 

After a while, I came across the Barnes and Noble at the corner of the street. I had never been able to keep myself from walking into the bookstore, and this morning was no exception! I walked through the second pair of double doors and deeply inhaled the coffee aroma coming from the cafe.

 

Even though I didn't get my coffee here, I still loved walking through the store, just to smell the coffee. I loved this store…even if it was for the atmosphere alone. It was just so relaxing and personal.

 

I slowly traveled up and down the aisles of bookshelves covered in books, keeping an eye out for any interesting titles I happened to come across. So far, it was only the normal ones I had seen, many of which I had either already read, or flipped through and found it wasn't to my taste.

 

Finding books is rather hard for me. I adore happy endings, but I despise lovey-dovey romance novels. I enjoy realistic tales, but I hate the drama tied in with most of them. I love fantasy, but I abhor the cliché, light-hearted nonsense. What can I say, I'm a confusing, complicated person and I like it that way. I mean, why would I want to be easy to figure out? Where's the fun in that?

 

I was walking along when I found myself in the “New Age” section. I skimmed over the numerous titles on the shelves as something on the bottom caught my eye. It was a black book with silver, Old English lettering: The History. The history of what, I wasn't sure, so I decided to look through it.

 

I carefully pulled the book off the shelf and gently leafed through the old, yet sturdy pages. The book surprised me. Nothing was typed. Every page was filled with the neatest, most beautifully scripted calligraphy I had ever seen, written in clear, black ink.

 

After a few moments of reading, I found that it was about the history of werewolves. Werewolves…definitely not something you find everyday. Most of these books tend to center around vampires or witches, not werewolves. Flipping through the pages, I saw that the book described anything and everything. It had a description of the different wolf families, the difference between a mad wolf and a sane one, the connection between werewolves and the other supernatural races, and, more importantly, the complete history of the fabled race.

 

I was in heaven. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've looked for a book on werewolves that was actually decent. I mean, most of the times it was these pathetic books that only showed pictures of the ugly wolf-man that got on my nerves. What's so wrong with a normal wolf? Leafing through this book, I think I found my match. There was no way I would be walking out of this store without this book in my possession. I checked the back cover for the price to see if I had enough cash on hand or if I would have to use a card, but there was nothing on it.

 

Confused, I walked up to one of the many registers in the front and placed the book onto the counter. “I'd like to buy this, but I'm not sure how much it costs,” I said politely to the rather elderly woman running the cashier.

 

She smiled, somehow managing not to crack her heavily applied make up. “It's okay, dear, I'm sure you just couldn't find the code,” she replied in a rather superior tone.

 

I couldn't help the eyebrow that rose in response. I tried, I really did, but my face showed my feelings. Biting my tongue, I tried to remain polite. “No, ma'am, I checked, I couldn't find the price.” It took all of my self-control not to snap at her. One of these days, I don't think I'll be able to take crap like that from anyone, no matter how much older than me they are.

 

The woman pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, as if to reprimand me. She just let out an aggravated sigh before flipping open the book's back cover and running it under the scanner.

 

Nothing happened. She looked down to find that there was nothing to scan. Quickly, she opened the front cover; still no code.

 

“Did you take it off?” she demanded rather rudely, accusing me of her problem.

 

“Why would I do that?” I retorted, with a hint of an attitude. Point for me for just retaining other comments.

 

She let out a grunt of disbelief. She picked up the phone and paged for what I guess was the manager while mumbling under her breath. “Stupid teenagers.”

 

“I'm not a teenager, thank you very much,” I snapped. “Although I wish I was seeing that I'll be you in another forty years.”

 

Okay, take back the point. If you're going to insult them, at least make sure it's a decent insult. But, she didn't like what I said, so it had the impact I wanted it to. She tossed the book back at me, glaring. “I'll let the manager deal with you,” she huffed as the manager walked up to the counter.

 

I think I have teeth marks imbedded on my tongue for keeping back a retort from that one. Instead, I shoved my hands in my coat pockets, pivoted away from her, and looked for the manager. He was the last person I expected to see…literally.

 

His dark hair was now spiked in every direction possible, leaving his sharp, green eyes perfectly visible. Hello, my name is Nikolas said his nametag with the word “Manager” underneath his name. This was the man at the coffee shop last night!

 

He approached the front counter, flashing his eyes over at me before turning to the old hag. “What is it, Rita?” Nikolas asked, his voice just as deep and beautiful as the previous night.

 

Beautiful? Where the hell did that come from? No, no, no, Danni, that's not cool.

 

“This…child-”

 

“I shall see to it,” he interrupted, immediately seeing my glare at the woman. Point for him. “Why don't you take a break? Find a book and don't worry about a thing.”

 

Rita pursed her lips at him, but did as he said, since he was her boss.

 

Nikolas turned to me, shaking his head and smiling. “I apologize. She's having a rather difficult time respecting our customers.”

 

“Obviously,” I replied, swallowing my anger.

 

“What seems to be the problem?” he asked politely, his eyes never leaving mine.

 

“Well, I would like to buy this,” I laid the book back onto the counter, “but I don't know how much it costs.”

 

His eyebrows furrowed in curiosity as he looked down at the book lying on the counter. His eyes momentarily widened in surprise before quickly resuming their indifferent look. He turned to the computer and hit a few keys before turning back to me.

 

“For some reason, this book isn't in our records. I honestly don't know why it was on the shelf,” he said, still keeping the polite attitude.

 

I could feel my face fall in disappointment. No way. That's the perfect way to ruin my day. “Oh.” I quickly curved my lips into a smile, making sure to keep my composure. “I'll just look for another book.” No matter how hard I tried to hide it, I couldn't keep the disappointment out of my voice. I didn't want to look for another book, but what can you do?

 

Gathering what was left of my hope, I turned from the desk and walked to the fiction section, looking for a John Grisham novel I haven't read yet. I read him when I was in a bad mood or something. Actually, I read his works no matter what mood I'm in. He's just that talented.

 

Glancing over the many titles written by the literary genius, I just couldn't decide on one. The Innocent Man looks amazing, and I can't get over the fact that he wrote a piece of non-fiction, but it just didn't strike me as what I wanted to read. I didn't necessarily want to read another law book, which really only left The Painted House, Skipping Christmas, and Bleachers. I'd already read Bleachers, but I didn't own it, and I could do with reading it again. I pulled it off the shelf and leafed through it, reading little excerpts here and there. Slowly, I put it back on the shelf. I was just not in the mood for realistic fiction.

 

“Ma'am?” a very recognizable voice came from my left. I turned to see the manager leaning against the bookshelf, watching me. He had the book I wanted in his hands. “Even though this book isn't in the system and we shouldn't even have it, I'll make a deal with you. I'll give you this book for free as long as you sign up for a Barnes and Noble card.”

 

I wanted to kiss him. I almost jumped up and squealed. However, I managed to retain my dignity by allowing my entire face light up and my mouth just burst into a smile. “Sure!” I immediately agreed. I couldn't believe my luck!

 

We walked back up to the counter. He placed the book in a bag and set it to the side as he handed me the paperwork for the card. I quickly filled out the form asking for the typical personal information, then handed him the money paying for the card.

 

Smiling, he typed the information into the computer before handing me my card and the book.

“Have a good day,” he stated, smiling politely at me.

 

“You too,” I replied happily. I took the bag then walked out of the store and headed back to my apartment. I couldn't wait to start reading my new book!

 

What I didn't notice, however, was Nikolas slipping my information into his pocket, smiling.

 

***

 

I swung open the apartment door and quickly walked inside, kicking it shut with my foot. I took off my rather large coat and tossed it onto the chair while I plopped down onto the sofa across the room. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was only nine. Good, I had eight hours.

 

Immediately, I started reading the book.

 

I was amazed. It was filled with so many things I had never even thought about, and not only about werewolves! There was a section about a few vampires: Damian, Jordan, Adrian, and Nathan. Interesting, huh?

 

Four hours passed by quickly. I am the type of person who doesn't easily put down a book. I sat there on that couch thoroughly enjoying the novel in my hands until my stomach decided to issue a rather loud noise. I glanced at the clock in annoyance and saw that is was twelve thirty. Well, I guess it would be a good time to find something to eat.

 

Reluctantly, I put my phone into the book to not lose my place and walked into the kitchen. After briefly looking in the cabinets and refrigerator, I grabbed a Nachos and Cheese Lunchable and poured myself a glass of sweet tea. I can never get enough of those.

 

My eyes were starting to twinge a little from reading for the last some odd hours, so I grabbed the remote, pressed the small, red, circular button at the top, and the picture appeared on the TV.

 

I groaned. It was the news. Just as I went to change the channel, the anchor caught my attention with what she had just said.

 

“Last night, a body was found behind the local Italian restaurant, Bavaro's. The victim has not been identified as of now, but researchers have already started with the identification process. It appears that the victim had been attacked, but no evidence has been found to identify what they had been attacked by. Police are extensively searching the area right now,” the beautiful brunette reported, her bright blue eyes looking directly out of the television picture.

 

Moments later, a photograph of the murder site popped onto the screen. My eyes slammed shut, the gore already disgusting me. I think I might have let out a slight scream, too, but I wasn't going to admit to that.

 

The area was covered in blood, parts where the bodily fluid was still wet. The body lay on the ground in an angle that must have broken the victim's spine, while what was left of the head lay on the victim's chest. Skin was hanging in sheets on the walls; none left on the body. Are they allowed to show a graphic scene like that on public TV and without a warning?

 

After a few moments, I barely opened my eyes, stealing a glance at the screen. The brunette was back on the screen, explaining that the area had been closed off, but the restaurant owner had decided to continue to keep the restaurant open.

 

WHAT?! No way. There's no way. I'm scheduled to work tonight! I turned the TV off and grabbed my phone, so quickly that it almost fell off the table. I think I dialed the number and had the phone to my ear before I even started thinking of the actual numbers to press. My brain can be a little slow sometimes.

 

One ring…

 

Another ring…

 

A third ring…

 

“Bavaro's Italiano Ristorante. How may I help you this evening?” came a light female voice heavily tinted with an Italian accent.

 

“Hey Nikki, it's Danni,” I responded to my boss's wife.

 

“Ciao, Danni!” she replied. “Anything wrong?”

 

Has she not seen the news? “Uh, actually, yes…” I stated. “Do you know why exactly Tony is keeping the restaurant open?”

 

“No, I don't. I've been trying to tell him to close, but he just doesn't want to,” she replied.

 

My heart fell. “Is there anything that will change his mind?” Hope was just flowing through the phone.

 

“Realmente, si.” (Actually, yes.)

 

I could tell she was frustrated now. Nikki has great English. Only when she is frustrated or angry does the Italian kick in.

 

“What is it?” I asked eagerly.

 

“You're the only waitress that hasn't called in sick or something, yet…which is why you called, si?”

 

She knew me too well.

 

I smiled. “Yeah, that's why,” I replied sheepishly.

 

Her laughter rang loudly through the phone. So loud, I had to pull the phone away a few inches.

 

“Don't come in tonight. You have the night off,” she said. “I'll go order Tony to close it down… I could use the night to myself.”

 

I laughed at her now. How much do I love this Italian couple… “Thank you so much, Nikki.”

 

“It's nothing,” she replied eagerly. “I'll see you next week!”

 

“Bye, Nikki.”

 

“Arrivederci. Abbia una notte piacevole!” (Good bye. Have a nice night!)

 

I flipped the phone shut, setting it onto the table next to the couch I was lounging on.

 

I sighed. I had the night to myself, not that that is necessarily a good thing looking at what happened to that person - New subject, Danni. You can't go creeping yourself out. Taking a large swig of the sweet tea and opening the lunchable, I sat back down on the couch and grabbed the book, continuing on where I left off.