Minnow's head pounded with tension as she slowly returned to consciousness. Her mouth was still gagged with duct tape, and the musky-smelling sack remained over her face.Goosebumps burning like coal covered every inch of her shivering body in the cold night air. Two unknown people dragged her down a quiet, isolated trail. Her bare feet slid across what felt like rotting leaves and squelchy mud.Nausea stirred in her gut, and panic rose instinctively in her chest from being unable to vomit with her mouth covered.They stopped, and the forest sounds could be heard through the sack's coarsely woven fabric. A wise owl hooted in the distance, and a fox's agonizing cries echoed amongst the towering tree giants swaying in the breeze.A gust of icy wind travelled up from underneath. Minnow gasped at the paralyzing fear of being hung over a cliff edge.She could feel the coldness of the rock beneath her feet as her toes curled around the edge in one last futile attempt at survival—Minnow's h
The grass was crispy under Aiko's feet, growing freely on the clumpy, mossy mattress floor. A flurry of wind carried a fragrance with it. It was soul-refreshing to smell the mulchy mix of the forest's perfume.Aiko knew the best thing to do when lost in the woods was to try to retrace your steps. It was obviously harder to do when you had been brought to a place blindfolded.So she searched the surrounded area for footsteps. She found large prints near the crater in the ground and glanced in the direction they pointed; she now knew to walk the other way.The hells pit looked like a natural sinkhole with circular earth and stone blended edge. The first blush of light had chased the shadows and banished the gloom, and Aiko could finally see the bottom of the hole.She estimated it was about a 10-meter drop to the smashed cardboard boxes on top of the foam mattresses.The isolated, unpleasant hollow contained nothing but natural debris that had fallen down over time.The ropes twisted fi
The truck ride down the mountain was uneventful. The man who introduced himself as Elias was chatty and vibrant. Aiko wasn't really in the mood to talk but answered Elias's question appeasingly. The rhythmic rocking of the truck made her eyes heavy, and she swung her restless gaze over the stunning nature flowing past the windows. On one side of the road, the knobbly face of the mountain was grizzled and sacristy silent. On the other side, a magnificent panorama view peeked through a harmonic blend of towering emerald pine trees and the ember-red leaves of autumn. "So, are you from the mountain?" She suddenly heard herself ask in a desperate attempt to stay awake."No, I live closer to White Creek. That's where I have my farm." Elias clarified."You are a long way from home," she mumbled and rubbed her narrowing eyes.Sleep seemed hellbent on claiming her right this instant."Yes, but it's worth the trip. I sell most of my produce to The Moonfall town. They are great people," Elias
A steady rhythmical whirring seeped into her ears, and Minnow blinked as her eyes adjusted.An expansive room with a high ceiling and smooth concrete walls stretched out in front of her.She first thought, have I just stepped into a military base? There were desktops alongside the slate grey walls with multiple laptops and computers, the hard-disk access light flickered in the dim glow, and the drives made a high-pitched whining noise as they received continuous data.Above the desks hung large screens displaying what looked like surveillance footage from numerous foreign locations. On the opposite wall were countless glass cabinets with a vast arsenal of weapons.Under a warm light was an old wooden bookshelf adorned with ancient inky treasures lined by size. The wood on the bookshelf looked like it was once a part of a mighty ship that had washed up on a beach one day. But, now finally sat in its forever harbour, in this room. A sturdy steel table stood in the middle, with docume
"We hunt those who hunt us" - The Hunter's Code."As long as there have been werewolves, Hunter has hunted them. These werewolf Hunter families are people who have dedicated their lives to tracking werewolves and other supernatural beings whom they consider a threat to humanity. The Venandi family are part of this elite league and come from a long line of expert Hunters. As a result, they possess extensive knowledge of these creatures and hunt and fight against them successfully. In addition, they have a vast arsenal of weapons and technology purposefully designed to eliminate werewolves. Even though the Venandis are incredibly proud of their Hunting business, they have to keep it a secret. Ordinary citizens must not find out about these creatures prowling in the night to keep the peace and order in their rural community. So, they work regular nine to five jobs during the day, leaving the hunting until after the cover of night.Once a member of a Hunters family turns eighteen, gene
A sharp rustling noise followed by a bright light burning through her closed eyelids woke Minnow from her restless slumber.Soon, the sun's high position on the cloud-free sky flooded the sizable bedroom. After the housemaid, Ariella pulled the thick dark curtains apart in the two large bay windows facing the bed. "Hey, what are you think you are doing" Minnow hissed, annoyed and threw herself around in the elegant four-poster bed and away from the harsh rays.Ariella didn't care; this wasn't the first time someone in the wealthy Venandi family had yelled at her."Your mother wants you downstairs for brunch," Ariella said instead and walked out of the room and closed the door after her.Minnow grunted unhappily. "Why doesn't anyone understand I don't want to see people?" she rolled out of bed and sauntered to her ensuite. She slipped out of her golden silk nightie and looked at her naked body in the floor mirror.Her previously curvy body had become unattractively thin, and her pale
The bright sunlight had faded into a warm afternoon glow basking the bedroom in golden glimmers when they finally woke up from their midday nap.Minnow was lying on her stomach. She stretched and yawned, then turned her face towards Saylor's and met his suspicious glare. She could feel the chilled air trail over her bare skin. Minnow immediately pulled down her jumper to cover her back."Why, do you have a bruise from a boot on your back?" Saylor whispered. His voice was horrified.Minnow buried her face in the pillow to compose herself. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She grumbled from inside the soft, fluffy layers."Um, I am going to worry about it, ok." Saylor's tone was determined, and Minnow knew he wouldn't back down. "I don't want to talk about it." She whispered and finally met his concerned eyes. Minnow sat up on the bed, and her shoulders slumped."I think you will feel better if you do." His eyes were soft but seemed decided on getting her talking. He reached ou
Deceived by sleep, Minnow was back in the forest on that dreadful night.She could hear her laboured breaths as she ran out into the small grass-covered clearing amongst the towering trees.The air was crisp and heavy with damp moss and decomposing leaves. Minnow could see her parent's mansion, situated slightly above the Oakheart town. The light at the main gate shone like a searchlight in the distance.Scattered pearls of the faraway gas giants spilt out over the navy blue sky's backdrop in beautiful patterns above the open area.She smiled at the night's hidden beauty and admired how the moon rays basked the playground's shiny metal equipment in glistening silver.Minnow stumbled as her high heels sunk into the moist earth, and for a split second, she thought about taking them off so she could run faster.But being drunk lulled her into a false sense of security that there was no need since she was nearly home anyway.Suddenly, Minnow's stomach churned, and she felt an unfamiliar