September 29, 2011252Please respect copyright.PENANAL8JAR12aXa
@7:29 A.Mcopyright protection248PENANArPmVgIHcfn
I was five. I know it. I was supposed to celebrate my birthday today but I was running. Running through the woods. Though I wasn’t alone. Someone was pulling me to keep running but my little feet couldn’t run any faster. I tripped from a loose vine and landed face first on the dirt. Someone pulled me up.copyright protection248PENANA5W63JvkvjV
“Keep running. We got to keep running.” The urgency in his voice made me look up but I couldn’t see his face. Only a dark shadow.copyright protection248PENANAxhzx6SWelT
He pulled me up again and we continued to run and then out of the silence, we heard an anguish scream.copyright protection248PENANAXyHxR7ttFM
September 29, 2028252Please respect copyright.PENANAUWyviOfNRn
@7:35 A.Mcopyright protection248PENANA4m6CTe80xR
I bolted upright from my bed. Sweating hard as I shook myself away. Another nightmare. Another memory. Another piece of my blurry past.copyright protection248PENANApms2wtQCaI
I stood up, did my hocus pocus routine and went to my kitchen only to be greeted by an empty fridge. I didn’t had time to buy groceries yesterday as Sky and I had trouble getting out catch paid.copyright protection248PENANAKuDkFMgBD7
So, I picked my leather jacket and wore it above a black sleeveless shirt. My jeans were worn out and obviously old. Though, honestly, I don’t care. I wore my boots and took some silvers off my drawer and jogged directly towards the convenience store where I took some ready-to-eat food and paid at the cashier.copyright protection248PENANAeycSSjMvqg
The woman stared at me like I was some beggar asking for money and she ignored my groceries. I looked behind her to see myself in the mirror.copyright protection248PENANAcUW4BEjwPn
My hair was sticking up in all different directions. My black shirt was crumpled. My face was pale though I’m sure some people would still find it attractive. The woman raised her brow at me and this time I stared at her.copyright protection248PENANAPPKKNWNf02
Her blonde hair was tied to a bun. Her lips as red as blood and her cheeks looked like someone had just slapped her. But I guess I was in no position to judge since I didn’t looked good myself. Besides, I got some studying to do.copyright protection248PENANAR1UVqknT8e
So, I cleared my throat, “You planning to swipe that anytime soon?”copyright protection248PENANAstwAd3F3AX
“Can you pay?” She sneered.copyright protection248PENANA03BIGC6m1b
Shocked at her obvious show of disdain for me, I gave her a sweet smile and spoke in a patronizing voice. “Dreary, should you really be asking me that?” And I nonchalantly opened my jacket and showed her the daggers hanging from my belt.copyright protection248PENANAwJjsfKocTl
Her eyes bulged and quickly took my groceries to swipe it. “640 silvers, please.”copyright protection248PENANAtmrUz9zhaj
I not-so-gently put the money on the counter and took my grocery bag with one final glare at the woman, I left the store.copyright protection248PENANAWYhjoMEQ4X
When I got home, I threw the groceries I the fridge and took a sandwich. I went inside my living room and kicked my wooden center table away. I cursed when one of its feet broke.copyright protection248PENANA6XhbuXPUVd
“Great,” I mumbled to myself.copyright protection248PENANAb4abtHLpbo
I then kicked the dirty rug away and revealed a trap door. Biting away the rest of the sandwich, I knelt in front of the entrance to open it. It revealed a wooden stair. The stair creaked at my weight but thankfully it held up. At the bottom, I reached above me and pulled at the string. The light opened up and revealed a small room.copyright protection248PENANAaQtnNNRZcc
Three sides of the room was covered with pictures of monsters that I have hunted and killed. While on the fourth side was a tiled table housing a microscope and other lab tools? Besides it was a fridge filled with blood samples of each and every monsters I have encountered. Most of my bounty money was spent on building this room.copyright protection248PENANAH0bHzND47t
I went to the fridge and took the latest blood I have acquired. I dropped a small portion of it in a slide and returned the rest. I carefully slid it in the microscope to study it. And I felt a pang of disappointment.copyright protection248PENANAMFXKFLZ16b
Not even close!copyright protection248PENANAoVsWePPIZn
I felt anger ranging inside of me. So, I quickly stormed out of the room before I did some serious damage to it. I kicked the door close and rushed out of the house.copyright protection248PENANAD8OwDMQwUl
How many monster have I caught and killed? How many years have I spent hunting? Should I still continue? I’ve asked myself that a million times. But I always ended up with the same answer,copyright protection248PENANAgwNZr5SEqZ
I don’t want to remain a monster forever.252Please respect copyright.PENANAzdZHmUwSBG
copyright protection248PENANAjmEteJWkky
September 29, 2011252Please respect copyright.PENANAfnLSlbW3LJ
@7:45 P.Mcopyright protection248PENANAxfvLpd6QSG
“We got to keep running!” Someone urged me.copyright protection248PENANAl7BxlAWnP8
But my feet were sore and my body was heavy with exhaustion. I was only up and running because someone was pulling me.copyright protection248PENANAWVRgxcGhVx
“Where are we going?” I heard my tiny voice asked.copyright protection248PENANAILO8ELFxra
“Anywhere,” the voice answered breathlessly. “Anywhere far from here.”copyright protection248PENANAFWigbZhQho
I felt a hand seized me from behind and I screamed.copyright protection248PENANAc0oAkrZBh5
September 29, 2028252Please respect copyright.PENANA4WwOKOHO5c
@7:59 P.Mcopyright protection248PENANAFFu4dTASrf
I fell from the tree I was sleeping at and landed face first on the ground. I felt a warm liquid oozing out of my nose.copyright protection248PENANAvXHqdBLSTo
Great. A nose bleed.copyright protection248PENANATrxlLuEGrF
I went to the nearest river and washed my face up. The cold water felt great in my skin. I heard a sigh escaped my lips. Suddenly, I heard something moving behind me and I stopped dead on my tracks to listen.copyright protection248PENANAEgDwpOJuAn
Something was moving towards me and when I was sure it was in a reachable distance, I jumped up and gave a spinning kick. A pair of hands stopped my foot in mid-air as he or she was forced to kneel.copyright protection248PENANA8yeoLGYUmm
“Dammit, Gretel!” I heard Sky said through gritted teeth.copyright protection248PENANAe1Lt7h7Nng
“Sky?” I gasped. “What the hell are you doing here?”copyright protection248PENANAdcvOCQyTPu
“I was hunting. But thanks to your little stunt by the tree it got away.” He deadpanned.copyright protection248PENANA58LbLMQcEX
“Sorry, I fell asleep.” I apologized.copyright protection248PENANAgkIKoNYXtC
“It’s fine,” He said with a smile but suddenly he became serious and walked towards me again. Though, this time, I refused to budge. “But how are you going to pay for the bounty money I just lost?”copyright protection248PENANAwfhF22BWJl
With the river behind me and Sky in front, I didn’t really had any comfortable space but I refused to be swayed. “How much was it?”copyright protection248PENANAsx6avEPhUs
“I’m not interested in your money, Gretel.” He answered. His face lowering until it was in height with mine. Slowly, he inched his face towards mine and my breathing stopped as my heart started to beat erratically.copyright protection248PENANA8YiWV1r6pL
Before his lips could meet mine, I took a step back and I fell straight into the river. Sky was laughing so hard he doubled-over. And I gritted my teeth in frustration and I didn’t made a move from my sitting positon. He stopped laughing when he realized I wasn’t standing up.copyright protection248PENANAshfuy6icL6
“Hey, enjoying the water?” He teased. Then, he noticed my hands holding my left ankle. “Did you hurt yourself?”copyright protection248PENANAWNXlY3BTOq
He took a step towards me and gave me a hand to help me stand. I slowly took it but instead of standing up, I pulled him in the river too.copyright protection248PENANA8wxKC3411a