Hunter of the Dark (5 page)

He was free again. The moon shone brightly overhead, no darkness preventing its eerie glow. Clouds swathed hungrily around it like a thick scarf, each reaching for the light that could be found there and hanging on with a sense of heightened gloom. The Canine’s eyesight appreciated this fact. Soon the moon would be completely undercover as the vapour took over and then, there would be his destiny. To feast, to satisfy, to kill. His mind was on one thing, which was to quench his ever-growing hunger once again. He slinked silently into the forest, his pads pounding, unrelenting, on the crumbling dust. Trees reached for him, screaming his name into the wind, calling him to eat from their caverns. He accepted that call, diving into the forest quickly. His keen nose scented the smell of fear and distress. He shook his head and chuckled lightly, his human traits showing through briefly. One of the first rules of survival was
never
let your fear show, for if you did, you would never be seen alive again. It was as simple as that. His lope became a fast gallop and the breeze sent a song of freedom flowing through his ears and veins. His blood pumped with the memory of the precious life force that lay within every animal.

His eyes caught the first sight of the girl, and he knew she could hear him, but couldn’t see him. The moon had disappeared, submitting itself to its fate within the clouds. He trotted after her, footfall for footfall. She turned a few times and each time he slid deep within the shadows. His open maw was curved into an awful smile. He was playing with her, biding his time, letting her fears increase with each gasp, each step she took. Soon. Soon he would satisfy the gnawing hunger that devoured all within.

The girl stumbled and the Canine laughed at her stupidity. He was immediately there, on top of her, as she lay sprawled out on the grass, sobbing her eyes out. He paused at the sound but refused to let it get to him this time. Tilting his head to the side, he surveyed her carefully, digging his claws into the bare skin on her back. Poor pitiful human. Nothing to live for, nothing to die for. He mused about this quietly as the girl turned to view her assailant. Something in that movement caught the Canine and held him as she glanced into his eyes. The dancing fire that was normally captured in the grey quivered, and then died, like a candle finally surrendering to the wind. Something about those eyes…Ancient memories sifted and stirred. Something snapped within and he released his grip.

No!
Something screamed from within.
The time to quench your thirst has come. Take it, for it is an offering to your power, a sacrifice to your name.

Something else was there too; a more humane side and the Canine tilted his head to the other side as he listened.

Here is your friend. Can you harm such a beautiful creature, made in the image of God? For if there was a name for beauty, it is she.

The Canine jumped off her back as Tanitha peered after him, lowered his head to look at her with gleaming green eyes, and then was gone.

Tanitha stood up, trembling. That creature must have been the attacker of the previous victim. But why had he spared her life? Her out of all people. She was confused and it showed clearly. Then, still shaking, she went to seek Christian, suddenly wanting his comfort more than ever. He was her friend. Tanitha had no doubt about it.

But there was something about that dog…Dog? Or wolf?
No,
Tanitha told herself,
there are no wolves in New Zealand.
Tanitha knew that much. A soft rustling alerted her and she spun wildly, facing the bushes surrounding a particularly tall pine tree.

“
Who’s there?!” She screamed hysterically, frightened out of her mind. “Please! Who’s there?!”

She felt strong arms wrap around her and she stiffened, muffling a scream. She then relaxed and turned, sobbing onto Cameron’s broad chest. Cameron smoothed her messed hair, making quiet soothing sounds. The place where the dog’s claws had dug into her back throbbed and flamed bright red. Cameron’s torch lit the once night-covered area.

“What happened?” He asked after a while of just standing there comforting her. Tanitha pulled away and scanned him through red-rimmed eyes. His face was bloodied and he housed a black eye but he didn’t seem physically exhausted after the fight.

“
Something…tried to…attack me…”

“
The same ‘something’ that killed that child?”

Tanitha nodded, her head spinning. Cameron kissed her on the cheek then took her hand, leading her back towards the house. Tanitha’s mind flashed back to Christian. Her mouth opened and she pulled away from Cameron, stumbling forward as she found her own feet. Cameron caught her on the wrist and spun her around, his face clouding unattractively again. One thing she noticed with Christian was that even when he was angry, he still managed to stay cute, unlike Cameron.

“What the hell are you at?!”

“
Chris…he’s out there! With that…thing…”

Cameron’s face softened as worry flickered over her features like the last lightning worrying a storm.

“You really care about him, don’t you?”

Tanitha nodded, the only thing she could do as she realised she did care about him. And why shouldn’t she? He was her friend, maybe her only friend. She had reason to keep an eye out for his well being.

Cameron sighed.

“
Okay, let’s go look for him then.” He said, resigning to his fate. Tanitha padded slowly into the forest. Her eyes were wary and watchful. She could hear Cameron’s footsteps not far off behind her. She breathed in the fresh smell on pine, but something marred the sweet scent. Something with an irony tang to it. Tanitha’s stomach lurched as she recognised the smell. It took all she could to fight back the bitter repulsive bile that threatened to surface. But she carried on, her confidence resurfacing at the brush of Cameron’s arm. The torchlight flickered ahead of her and all Tanitha noticed was red. Red layered with a darker crimson in the rounded lit area. Not a touch of green, a hint of auburn. Just a deathly, blood-sickening red. The torch traveled along the pathway that had been created by someone…something…dragging its victim along. A hand peeked into the light, covered with the glisten of crimson. Cameron paused, glancing at Tanitha, unsure whether to carry on. Tanitha nodded her head stiffly and Cameron’s torch slowly traveled up the torn body, past the disheveled hair and rested on the face. Tanitha screamed and Cameron dropped the torch to slap his hands over her face. But the image was deeply imprinted into her mind. As fresh as if she was still staring the figure right now.

The face had been torn and disfigured, but unmistakable. And indescribable.

She knew this person.

It was Seleena.

With the press of Cameron’s muscle-laced body hard against her, Tanitha felt the sobs racking her body. She may not have liked Seleena much but she was Cameron’s best friend. She could feel Cameron’s pain edging in on her guilt.

She was dead and Cameron was here, seeing her violated carcass.

She was dead because the animal that had attacked Tanitha decided to attack Seleena instead.

She was dead.

Chapter Ten

Tanitha woke up the next morning with her eyes puffy red from sleeplessness. All that night she hadn’t been able to get to sleep, due to Seleena’s carcass imprinting itself in her mind. Each time she’d wake up, gaping and panting as the blood seemed to spill over her eyes and blind all vision. Then she could only focus on the body, in its slashed glory. And Sadie didn’t make matters any easier either, by whimpering under that window all night. Finally, giving up on trying to get back to sleep, she got up and decided to get ready for school. Once ready, with her bag slung over one shoulder carelessly, she entered Dinah’s room. The usual sickly-sweet smell of alcohol greeted her sleep-deprived senses and she sighed at the mess. She shook Dinah slightly. Her dogs stayed in the hallway. It was almost as if the smell bothered them as much as it did Tanitha.

“Wha…oh, hi sweetie. How was the party?”

“
Good.” Tanitha managed to sigh. Dinah’s wandering eyes scanned Tanitha’s pale and worn face. A frown flickered across Dinah’s expression.

“
Honey, are you alright?”

Tanitha nodded, trying to convince herself and her mother. It didn’t seem to be working. Tanitha exhaled the sigh she held in.

“Are you sure? You don’t look all right. Do you have a hangover?”

Tanitha’s eyes widened and she shook her head wildly. How could her own mother think such a thing about her?

“I’m fine really, Dinah. I’m ready to go to school now.”

Dinah’s expression was that of curiosity and concern. Tanitha felt annoyance creeping over her.

“What?!” She breathed heavily. Dinah shook her head sadly.

“
Honey, it’s Saturday.”

Tanitha blinked in surprise, Dinah’s comment biting off her retorting remark. Of course!

“Are you sure you’re alright? You’re usually not that forgetful…”

“
Look, mother, I’ll be fine! Just stop worrying!”

At the mention of the maternal name combined with frustration and anger, Dinah looked crestfallen. Tanitha immediately regretted her harsh words and stepped forward.

“Listen, Dinah, I…”

“
No.” She said, getting out of bed, her eyes flooding with tears. “No. Don’t say a word! I understand. I understand all too well. You think you’re too grown up to have your
mother
fussing over you, don’t you?”

“
No, I didn’t mean it like that…”

But Dinah merely ignored her. She walked briskly to the bathroom and slammed the door. Through the paper-thin walls, Tanitha could hear her mother’s sobbing and she felt racked with guilt. Yet she didn’t go in and comfort her mother, as she once would have done. She sighed and opened the front door. Sorsa licked her hand, but she whipped it away and glared at the dog.

“I’m going out, Dinah.” She yelled out.

Silence greeted her. A cold, foreboding silence. Tanitha slipped quietly out through the front door and into the murky streets. The dogs followed her like shadows, and she didn’t have the heart to take them back inside. A fresh blast of cool air greeted her with an overzealous curiosity. Her heart raged with anger, anger at her mother, anger at the harsh whipping wind and most of all, anger at Christian. She screamed, the wind carrying her tone into distant places, smothering and killing it off, whipping her hair around her round face and taming the frizz into angry curls. Sadie skittered sideways at this unearthly noise, and Sorsa whined with worry, but she ignored the dogs. Even they couldn’t comfort her today. Then she began to run; a steady two-tone beat, faster and faster. Her bare feet slapped the ground furiously. Slap, slap, slap, slap, keeping up a consistent rhythm. She reveled in the freedom that could be found in the storm-like wind.

An hour later, she could still be found sprinting. Sure, now her breath came in ragged gasps but some sort of energy pulsed through her veins. Sweat matted her mane against her forehead and trickled down her neck, leaving rivulets that soon cooled with the chilly atmosphere. By now she had no idea where she was but had the feeling she had just run in a big loop, because the school could be seen blurred hazily on the horizon. The dogs were also following behind her, their tongues lolling, like they thought it was a game.

Suddenly something seemed to tug at her. Her gaze was drawn to a decrepit little house. She slowed down and stopped, looking at the house with curiosity etched into her eyes. Her breathing slowed as she stood there. She retained her position till she was breathing lightly once again. Her hair had tamed itself into a more manageable form and her eyes no longer housed the light of freedom and invulnerability. She stood there, intense gaze taking in the peeling of the paintwork, the crooked wooden steps, and the partially opened door. She walked down the cracked pavement leading to the front door, almost in a trance. She turned back to see the dogs hadn’t moved from the front gate. Sorsa was whining, and Sadie didn’t seem keen to go further. She left them there. She knew they wouldn’t move, and maybe it was better for them.

Her legs involuntarily carried her up the porch steps, avoiding the gaping holes. She opened the door, the touch of rotting wood making her fingers tingle. Tanitha began to feel sorry for the people who lived here; it seemed as bad as her own apartment in the big city.

“
Hello?”

Her voice came out trembling and shaky. She cleared her smarting throat with a couple of dry coughs. She would have given anything for even a drop of water at that moment.

“Hello? Anyone home?”

There was a sound of sobbing. She immediately rushed into the small dingy foyer to sight a familiar figure. He seemed smaller, more vulnerable, and more
alone
somehow. He looked nothing like the Christian she knew from school. She was immediately crouching down beside him, taking him into her arms. She noted with agony the painful bruise spreading over his left cheek. Tanitha stroked his face and Christian merely clung to her, desperate to be close to someone, sobbing.

“
I…I’m sorry.”

“
What for?”

He looked into her eyes, gaze meeting gaze, and Tanitha fell into the deep brilliance and sheer intelligence that was hidden there. Sadness, though, ruled over any other emotion and Tanitha choked back her own sobs.

“For letting you see me like this.” He whispered, his gaze still on her. She was speechless and she merely wrapped him into a tighter hug, too afraid to let go.

“
Who was the fool who did this to you?” Tanitha said, venting her anger into her words.

“
Is my bloody kai ready, woman?” Clifton’s voice rang loud and clear throughout the house. Tanitha looked from the door, back to Christian.

“
You’ve gotta get out of here.” Christian whispered. “If he catches you here…”

His voice trailed off, leaving the phrase hanging in the air. Stubbornness, the same stubbornness Tanitha had been born with, made her push her chin forward determinedly, her eyes flashing coldly.

“I am not leaving you like this, Chris…”

“
Please, I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“
I won’t, Chris. I love you and I’m not letting go.”

Tanitha’s eyes widened. Had she really just said that? She felt horrified and stared at Christian, waiting to see what his response was. But he said nothing, merely looked her over, seeing for the first time a lost, scared little girl who had never been in this position before. He sighed, with a slight smile on his handsome face.

“Come then, but for God’s sake,
be quiet.
”

Tanitha nodded. She followed Christian up some stairs, as badly littered as the front porch.

The room she entered was small, but well kept. She immediately noted that it was nothing like she had expected a guy’s room to be. Everything was so
tidy
and all that adorned the pale pastel blue walls was a poster of the All Blacks, New Zealand’s favourite rugby team, and a photo of…

She couldn’t believe it. It was a photo of
her.