chapter 1

“I just don't see why you feel the need to be all over protective all the time” Bethany yelled with frustration, “I’m old enough to go hunting now, I’ve had years of practise.”

“Practise is different to the real thing” her mother reminded her “there are things out there-dangerous and evil things, that would rip you to pieces without even thinking. having practiced with a dummy isn't going to help you when you have a blemmyes trying to eat you!”

“First of all” Bethany said, putting up one finger, “how am i ever going to face a real supernatural creature if most of the time you make me stay in the house, and only ever let me leave to go buy food when you have gone hunting for weeks on end. secondly-” she put up another finger “there are no blemmyes in England, I'm asking to be able to hunt over here, not in Africa!”

“Why do you even want to start hunting now?” her father asking, trying to keep calm but some of his anger seeped through his voice, making it seem more snappy than he probably wanted to sound “you’re only sixteen-you should be doing what most teenagers do at that age:watching pointless tv shows; planning for the future and maybe even making some friends-not trying to hunt down monsters!”

“This is how its always been” she shouted “I'm not like most people my age-they grew up wanting be be famous; rich and successful, while I dreamed of killing monsters and protecting people from bad things.”

It infuriated her that her parents wanted her to be like any normal girl her age, she wasn't normal-she knew things about the world that they thought were just in horror shows. plus, if her parents wanted her to have such a normal life, they shouldn't have bought her up telling her about the supernatural-let alone telling her how to kill them!

“It’s not as if I am asking you to let me go alone” she told them “I just want to go with you, I'm old enough to make my own decisions!”

“Not about this you're not” her mother said “your father didn't go hunting until he was told he was good enough to, and I certainly didn't, and as your mother and trainer, I am telling you that you are not ready!”

“You may as well just accept that we aren't going to let you go hunting” her father said, looking as if he was sick of arguing-which was probably true because they’d had the same argument every time her parents had started to prepare to leave to go hunting for the last three years.

“why should I accept it?” Bethany asked, “I know that I'm ready to go hunting, and having me around would increase your chance of saving innocent lives, I could help you kill monsters!”

“Enough is enough” her father suddenly snapped “I have had enough with you arguing with you, we are your parents and what we say goes! we’re protecting you from getting hurt, you may not see that not, but you will when your older.”

After staring at her parents for a few moments, Bethany let out a sigh of defeat, knowing that they were not going to change their minds.

“Have you ever just thought that maybe I don't need you to protect me anymore?” she said quietly, before turning around and quickly walking away before they could answer.

She hated that they treated her like some poor, innocent child that needed to be protected from the world.

She had spent all her life in the hunters sanctuary, a large house where the hunters went if they had nowhere else to go; needed a safe place to train or just a place to go when they wanted to socialize with or hunters, and after spending most of her time talking to hunters about their experiences and training with them, she thought that her parents would trust her enough to be able to keep herself safe for at least one hunting trip-a trial run so to speak.

Not wanting to be around anyone at that time in case she ended up biting someones head of, speaking in a figure of speech, of course, she ended up heading towards the small pond at the back of her house that no one ever visited except for her because they were always too busy.

It was a peaceful place to be, with all of the hecticness going inside the house, it was an escape for her, a place to go when she wanted to clear her head.

Looking down into the water, she tried to look at her sad looking reflection, and concentrated on the fish that swam beneath it.

Bethany had always been short for her age, which always confused her because both her parents were moderately tall people. just like her parents though, she had icey blue eyes that helped her when she wanted to give someone a cold, dead stare. Her fair complexion showed just how much she had spent inside and out of the sun, mostly because she was alway busy training indoors. While her long, flowing hair was nearly as white as paper, making her look like an ice princess.

After only a few minutes, the silence stopped helping her calm down, and instead aided her anger. She knew that she couldn't take it anymore, she had tolerated her parents over protective ways for far too long. She knew she could hunt, she had trained for far too long to be told she couldn't, and she deserved to be able to have a try at protecting people. She wouldn't stand around and let her parents tell her what to do any longer, she wanted-needed to be able to do this, hunting was all that she ever wanted to do in her life, the one thing that she woke up for in the morning, and she would do it, if her parents allowed her to or not...

chapter 2

It had been years since Bethany had been away from the sanctuary, so as she packed her bag, she was unsure on how much she needed to bring with her.

She had never been one of those people who felt the need to have hundreds of pairs of shoes, or the same T-shirt in every single colour available, she would have coped fine with just enough to get her by, so she decided her main priority was making sure that she had enough weapons-which would be a hard thing to do been as there were many monsters out there, each with their own weakness, so there were many weapons she needed, but been as she needed to make a quick, inauspicious  get away she could only bring a bag with the basics on a silver knife; a wooden stake; holy water and salt.

Being in a short supply would make it difficult for her to be able to hunt different types of monsters, and added to the chance of her getting hurt, but she was sure there were hunters out there who would be willing to help her out with her supply problems-after all, they were all hunting for the sake of keeping people safe.

On the plus side of only having a short supply, she was able to narrow down what her first ever hunt would be down to monsters like werewolves; vampires; ghouls and maybe even a demon.

The excitement she felt at the possibility of being able to make her first hunt was unbearable, she felt like a little child on the night before christmas, desperate to unwrap her presents. She had never felt this strongly about anything in her life, she was born to hunt, it was apart of who she was, and her parents couldn't change that.

Just as she finished packing she sensed that something wasn't quite right, but she wasn't sure what it was.

Humming like she always did when she was trying to figure something out, she realised that the sound of her humming was the only thing she could hear, apart from that it was just complete and utter silence.

Leaving her bag on the bed incase she ran into one of the people in the sanctuary and they demanded an explanation to why she was carrying a backpack around her home for, she headed downstairs because that was where most people spent their time-most people usually went upstairs when they were going to sleep or wanted to shower.

It wasn't long until she heard noise again, but it was only a faint whisper.

Following the sound of voices she was led to a pair of double door-the doors to the meeting room where hunters discussed a case that they were going to have problems with.

Bethany was confused to why she hadn't been invited, her parents always refused to allow her to go on a hunt, but they always allowed her to help make their plan of action.

Stepping closer to the door, she placed the side of her head to it in hope of being able to hear what was being said better.

“This is going to be near enough impossible to do without being caught out by whatever is taking these teenagers” she heard a voice say with a small sigh “how are any of us supposed to be able to go into a secondary school and be thought of as a teenager-we are all too old! the closest we are going to get to be expected in a school is as a teacher, and even then we won't be able to get the information we need.”

“It’s not like we could act as a teacher and get close to the students enough for them to befriend us and tell us everything they know” a second voice said, this time a female voice.

“We could always get younger hunters to come here and help us” the first voice suggested.

“That would take too long” the third voice said, that Bethany recognised as Billy, a man that used to go hunting when he was younger but now is just in charge of the sanctuary and takes charge of whatever hunting goes on in the area and who actually does the hunting, “there are already around thirty teenagers that have gone missing in this area in the last month alone, if we are going to deal with this, it needs to be now, and it needs to be done fast, before anyone else gets hurt or maybe even worse...”

“There is a hunter not far away from here that is young enough to pull it off” she heard her mother say “but she charges for her service.”

“Shes just another fraud” the first voice said “no real hunter would ever charge, they know the dangers out there, they wouldn't risk their lives just for money!”

“Well we need to find someone!” her mother said “its not like we can just do nothing!”

A small thrill bubbled in Bethanys stomach as she realized this could be her one and only chance to be able to go hunting with her parents permission.

Being only sixteen she would be the right age for the job, and with no one else around to do it, its not like they could turn her down, or just before she is about to do it, get someone else to go for her. this would also be her chance to see what it is really like for a person her age, and as much as she believed she lived a better life than them because from what she figured out they only worried about petty, small things, and lived life doing the same thing over and over again, she would be able to experience it for herself.

Without even hesitating, Bethany swung the doors open with a big grin on her face and announced “I’ll do it-I’ll act as a secondary school student.”

chapter 3

When she told them she would do the case, she expected for them to have a huge, negative reaction of some sort, before realising that she was perfect for it. what she didn't expect was that she would actually be met with silence and everyone in the room would just stare at her, gobsmacked, as if she had grown an extra nose or something.

“absolutely not” her mother said, breaking the silence “we have discussed this before, you are not going hunting, especially not on a case where you would have to work on your own.”

“I’d be perfect for the case though” Bethany defended “you have all admitted that you need someone younger to go work the case, and I’m ready for this mum.”

“we don't care whether or not we need someone younger” he father interrupted “no means no”

bethany couldn't believe what she was hearing, there was no reason at all that she shouldn't do the case, they basically needed her, and yet her parents were still refusing to allow her, their whole idea was preposterous and she was confused in why they were unable to see it.

“why are you so ignorant to the fact that i can look after myself” she hissed “i could be a good hunter if it wasn't for you both acting as if i am a child that needs protecting!”

“thats enough” her mother growled “now stop making a fool of yourself!”

“its you who is making a fool of me by smothering me!” she argued “you talk about how you want what's best for me and yet you stop me from defending humanity, stop me from reaching my full potential as a hunter! maybe, just maybe, being a hunter is what's best for me, you've lived a good life as one, so there isn't any reason that i can not do exactly the same thing is there?”

“will all three of you stop arguing already” Billy said, his voice loud but calm “we have more important matters to face” turning to Bethany he asked “why should we allow you to take charge of this? i know you learnt a lot these past years, but what makes you think you are ready to go out hunting with the more experienced of us?”

“its not about our past experience” she said through her teeth, trying to not lose her temper, after all she had spent many years training with these people so she was up to their level, so she should be able to handle what they would “its about who is able to save these innocent lives the most effectively, and at this moment, thats me. I’ll be able to go into the school and figure out what's going on, help stop more people from going missing, and track down whatever had taken them.”

“my exact point” her mother said to Billy “we don't know what took them yet, so how do we know it is safe for her, shes only a child!”

“if i remember correctly” Billy said raising a white eyebrow “i allowed you to first go hunting when you were thirteen years of age, so i'm sure age doesn't play a part in your daughters capability to do a case.”

“but we discussed this a long time ago,” Bethany’s father argued “when my wife was pregnant if i remember, and we to the conclusion that it would be best for us as her parents to decide when she starts hunting, are you really going to go back on your word Billy?”

“desperate times call for desperate measures” Billy told him “i don't like this any more than you do, but if she is the only person available than she will have to do.”

“I’m more than capable of doing this” Bethany sighed with frustration, hating the fact that they were talking about her as if she wasn't there, and that they were only going to let her go been as they didn't have anyone else to go making her a second choice.

“its not about your capability” her mother told you “this is about keeping you safe, sending you of on a case where we don't even know what creatures are involved is like sending you out to be murdered, and i am not taking that chance!”

“but its not up to you anymore” Bethany reminded, with a happy realisation “its up to Billy if i go or not.”

her mother kept her mouth firmly closed, but her fiery eyes showed how unhappy she was about the decision.

knowing Bethany was true, everyone turned to Billy for the finally say.

after a few seconds he let out a sigh and said “I’m sorry about this, but I’m going to have to send her out on the case, we have no one else to go, and its like we have said many times before, the innocent people are our priority-we risk our lives everyday hunting, and this is no different.” looking at Bethany with his large grey eyes, he said “I’m going to give you to the end of the week end to get ready, and you’ll start the case on monday, but just remember, one wrong move and you're gone, we’ll either be planning for some else to take over, or planning your funeral.”

“you won't regret this” Bethany said with a wide grin on her face, running of to go train for what might be the last time before her first hunt.

chapter 4

The thought of going to school was thrilling but also nerve-wracking for Bethany, with the life she lived, she never had the opportunity to go to a public school, instead she had been home taught the basics she needed to know by passing hunters, then learnt anything extra from the books she read. the only thing she really knew about secondary school, and well, any school in the matter, was from the tv shows she loved to watch in her free time, and being stuck in a house with no one her age, or no friends, watching tv was the only thing that kept her from going insane all them times she had to spent on her own in the large home, when everyone else had gone hunting and left her to fend for herself.

“try not to get into trouble with the school while you are here” Bethany’s mother told her as she pulled up outside the school gates “as much as i would like you to socialize, I'd rather not be pulled out of a case just to sit in the headteachers office while he tells us the importance of following the school rules.”

“I’m not going to cause a riot” Bethany reassured her “and anyhow, I’m not here to make friends, i'm here to find out what's been taking these people, and get rid of it for good.”

“no one said you can't make any friends while you’re here though” her mother told her, looking annoyed for her daughters lack of interest of making any communication with the people she was going to meet than necessary “you must be sick of only being able to socialize with us old folk, its not like we have the same interests or mindset as you.”

Bethany looked up at her mother with a frown and said “thats not true, we have the same interests, we all love hunting. plus, its pointless making friends, as soon as i finish the case, its not like i'm ever going to see them again.”

after a couple minutes of silence, her mother blurted “you don't have to do this if you don't want to, it's not too late to change your mind.”

“i do want to do this though” Bethany insisted “this is all i have every wanted to do, and i'm glad that i'm finally able to do it, and maybe just a little annoyed that its taken you this long to agree to me being able to.”

taking a deep breath, her mother said “well just remember that I’m always here for you if you need me.”

“i know mum” Bethany said, giving her a hug before stepping out of the car.

watching as her mother drive of, Bethany took a deep breath, trying to contain her excitement, and headed towards the school.

she wasn't sure where she was supposed to go first, but she decided the reception was the best place to go, been as it was the easiest place to locate with a big, neon red sign above it saying ‘school reception’ that allowed it to be easy for near enough anyone to find.

“excuse me” Bethany said to the receptionist, a bored looking woman with short brown hair and fake tanned skin “I’m Bethany Cooper, i'm new here, and I’m a bit lost-will you tell me where to go please?”

after a few minutes of chewing her gum, and reading her magazine, the woman looked up and said “name?”

“Bethany Cooper” Bethany repeated, ignoring the temptation to as the woman if she was stupid or just plain ignorant.

After five minutes of looking through a small folder, she handed a two sheets of A4 paper to Bethany and told her “this is your timetable, and a map of the school, if you have any trouble finding your way just ask another student and they will probably show you the way.”

Bethany gave her a “thanks” laced in sarcasm, then went off to find her way to her first period.

according to her timetable, her first lesson was maths, and after spending so much time learning about maps by the hunters, it didn't take her long to find her where to go on such a simple looking one.

walking into the classroom, she saw some of the students heads go up to stare at her like she was some new species of human, ignoring them, she walked up to the teacher and said “excuse me, but my timetable says I’m supposed to be in here.”

the woman looked up to her from where she sat, her wrinkled face looking warm and welcoming with a bright smile “you must be Bethany” she said in a raspy voice “you can sit in the empty spot on the table at the back right.”

“thanks” Bethany said, returning her a big smile, before heading towards her assigned seat next to a girl with light brown eyes that were magnified by her glasses, and her brown hair tied back in a tight bun.

“hello” the girl said to her, extending her hand to Bethany “I’m Ally”

“Bethany” she said, giving her hand a small shake, before sitting down.

looking around she saw, to her satisfaction, that the people who had been staring at her had lost interest. the last thing she needed while on an case was to draw unneeded attention to herself.

“I’m always here for you if you need a friend,” the girl said “i know its hard to move to a new school, but I’m sure we could hang around together if you wanted to go to an after school activity, there are so many of them that I am positive that you will like at least one of them, i mean there’s: chess, swimming, maths, french, spanish, ballet...”

letting out a sigh of boredom, and trying to look at least half interested in what the girl was saying, Bethany thought to herself, this is going to be an exceedingly long day.

chapter 5

By lunchtime, Bethany had already discovered who was who in the stereotypical group category people were associated with, or at least which clique they would be on if it was a tv show. it didn't really bother Bethany about what these people looked like, or what their likes or dislikes were, she wasn't planning on being friends with them anyway, and even if she did, she had been up in a way that meant it didn't matter who the people were that you were friends with, as long as they were trustworthy was the only thing that really mattered.

the only time she was planning on “befriending” anyone from around her was when she figured out which were most likely to know something that she didn't know, only then would she talk to them, because apart from that, she had not much need for them, for as many of the people have told her before, she could be very “anti social”  when she wanted to be.

not wanting to sit with people in a over crowded lunchroom, Bethany sneaked up to the second floor where she had seen an abandoned classroom that wasn't in use until one of the windows were fixed, so she had somewhere to to call her parents without having to worry that someone was listening in to her conversation.

after looking to make sure she hadn't been followed, and no one could be hiding somewhere, she dialed her fathers number into her phone and waited for her to answer.

“i have yet to figure anything out” she said as soon as he answered, not bothering to check to make sure it was him that answered, knowing full well he always had his phone with him “all i know is that the receptionist is a bad word beginning with B, and that this school has way too many pointless after school clubs available.”

“i've been trying to help you out a bit” her father told you “i've looked online and through newspaper but none of them tell us who exactly went missing, just which school it was from.”

“well thats a start” bethany said with a sigh “i'm sure someone in this school must know who hasn't shown up to school recently.”

“remember to be unsuspicious” he told her “we don't want to alert whatever is out there that we know of its existence, making it one step ahead of us.”

“i know dad” she said “anyway, i better go, my next lesson starts, well, now i think.”

“try not to get into trouble” he said to her before hanging up.

making sure no one saw her go out the abandoned classroom, Bethany rushed off to find her next lesson.

when she found her science class, she quickly entered hoping she wasn't too late, and was greeted with the angry glare from the teacher.

“out”! he yelled, giving her no other detail to what he meant.

“what?” Bethany said, confused, unsure how to react.

“in this classroom we knock before entering if late” he told her “now get out my classroom and try again!”

still a bit confused of why she needed to, she left the classroom, knocked the door with a bit more strength than needed, and after three large thuds echoing through the wood, she heard the teacher shout “come in.”

“now that is dealt with” he said “what can i do for you”

“i'm your new student” she told him, annoyed that because of the show, people had gained interest in her again, even more people this time.

“take a seat” he told her, not bothering to tell her where.

turning to the rest of the classroom she realised why, about half the seats were empty.

realising that most of the students missing were probably the ones that had gone missing weeks ago without a trace, she decided to sit with Ally, the girl from her first lesson, knowing full well that miss chatterbox would probably answer any questions she asked.

“where is everyone?” Bethany whispered to her, as she took a seat next to her, knowing that the teacher looked like the kind of person to punish someone for talking in his class.

“gone” Ally said without even looking up from her textbook “there were a few parties not long ago, and since then people have been going missing.”

“party?” Bethany repeated, making a mental note of it.

“yeah, the first one at least five went missing that night” she told her “then on the second there was about two from what i could tell.”

“did you go?” Bethany asked her, wanting more insight on the party.

“no way” Ally snorted “only the ‘popular’ people went, and anyhow i was too busy anyway to waste my time getting drunk.”

Bethany highly doubted it, but kept her mouth shut about it, instead said “well, do you know who went missing? i'm sure i read a newspaper article about people going missing from here, but it didn't say who.”

after listening all the people, Ally frowned and said “why do you want to know anyway?”

“just curiosity” Bethany said with a tight smile.

“well i would be careful if i were you” Ally told her “they have no evidence at the moment, so everyone is a suspect.”

“I’ll remember that” Bethany said, before starting her work halfway through the lessons.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 10.08.2013

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