The Game

Chapter 2/ The Message

That early afternoon you could finally see what little amount of sun light peered through the clouds and Lance had awakened from what I knew was broken sleep. I had seen him toss and turn in the early morning, groaning and once almost screaming in his own dream world; he had a nightmare too.

With bloodshot, silver eyes he stumbled into the living room, plopping himself right onto the couch lazily. Normally this would be his morning routine, but today was different; I knew he had a bad night as well.

“Sleep well?” I asked him, giving him a chance to confess.

“Actually,” he started his voice groggy with a deeper tone than usual. “I had a hard time sleeping. I kept hearing screams out side.” I quirked a brow and thought for a quick moment.

“I didn’t hear any screams,” I said, still staring at him with a befuddled expression.

He quirked a brow as well and said, “I distinctly remember the shrilling, ear piercing hollers down the street.”

“If it was that loud don’t you think I would hear it?” I asked.

“Yeah, I assumed that’s why you got up so early.”

“No, I had a nightmare,” I explained. “And from the looks of you tossing and turning in bed you did too.”

Lance looked up at the ceiling in deep thought. “Did I?” he said. “Perhaps that’s what kept me awake.” He shrugged off the subject and reached over to the coffee table for the remotcontrol to the television, turning it on. Immediately the Xowi City news came flickering on with a noisy buzz, reviling a thin blond woman who read the days weather.

I don’t know why but Lance never changed the channel, he wasn’t one to be interested in news, but here in this world there was almost always something good to watch happening in the city. He mostly looked to see what band would be playing at the center stage, Korn, Disturbed, Mudvayne, maybe even Linkin Park.

As the woman on the screen dismissed herself another woman came on, this was the interesting news, updates, tragedies, war and all that. I didn’t pay much attention to the talking box in my living room at the moment, I was to distracted by the commotion outside, so much in fact that I stood from my seat and went out to the fire escape. As I peered over the railing people were running down the streets as if there lives depended on it.

“Ash!” Lance called from the inside with urgency. “There are ReKe hunters in the city!” he shouted in a panic. I scrambled to jump back through the window and in to the house.

“What?! How?!” I yelled, confused as to how the evil creatures that haunt the outside forest came into the city.

“They don’t know, but I suggest we get out there as fast as possible,” Lance answered as he stared at the television screen.

“Well what are you waiting for,” I said, Lance staring blankly at me. “Get dressed!”

I jogged in to my bed room, gathering the clothes that littered the dark blue floor and tossing them onto my bed as I stripped my night clothes from my trembling body. I wasn’t scared as my expression may show, I was excited. Not by the amount of corpses that I may find distorted and mangled lining the streets, but by the adrenalin of the chase and of the hunt. It was my werewolf instincts that rushed through my veins in these times of need, of fear and to protect my pack.

Lance came rushing in right behind me, only having to throw on his black and neon green gothic shorts, leaving his upper half bare, his lean muscular chest exposed. I, myself wore a jet black sports bra with a button up black T-shirt with flames running up from the bottom, unbuttoned. My shorts were plane black and my shoes were black converse.

As quickly as I had discovered the danger, Lance and I bolted out the front door, down the flight of stairs and out the other door to the side walk. I looked to the right then to the left, there were no people, just silence.

“Alright Lance, you hit the sky’s, I’ll take the ground,” I said, Lance nodding his head in response. Immediately Lance spread his nine foot red and black wings, jumping into the air, riding the wind high above city. I watched for a moment then remembered what I was doing.

Taking a deep breath I willed my werewolf side to me, beckoning it to take over. I could hear the crunching of my bones as my body changed form, feel the white fur spread across my flesh and my senses grow stronger. Finally I was a near wolf, not werewolf or wolf but a beast some were in between. Without thinking twice I ran, my paws and nails scrapping the brick tiled streets, adrenalin rushing through my entire body.

Some were in the distance I could here the faint cries of people and the low deep growls of the ReKe hunters. I ran faster, I couldn’t wait to fight and as I turned a corner I saw them, giant orange and blue striped creatures twice the size of tigers. There faces were covered by metal plates, blinding there sight but making them even deadlier, heightening there senses so much that it seemed as though they could see. A bright red mane ran along there backs and there tails were as long as there bodies, thick and muscular, whipping back and forth ready to break anything in half.

Lance was already there, fighting along side Drake, my demonic alter ego. Trying to stop my stampeding body I clawed the ground, coming to a halt right in front of one of the rampaging monsters, its huge saber tooth fangs bared. I wasn’t intimidated for long, I took my full werewolf form, towering over the ReKe hunter and swiping it in the face leaving long red gashed in its cheek.

Unfazed, the hunter lunged back at me, but I caught its open jaws, throwing its head to the ground with a ping as its face plate hit the cement. It was a moment or two before the hunter shook off the attack and stood back up on all fours, however, in that small amount of time, I had ripped a street sign from its spot on the corner, leaving a jagged spike on the tip.

Unable to see my knew weapon the ReKe hunter leapt into the air to plummet mindlessly at me. It never stood a chance. In a flash of sparks the pole was deeply embedded in to the hunter’s side, ribs crushed, the only place you could strike a ReKe hunter and kill it. With a blood coated snarl the hunter fell, taking its last breaths as it died.

I took a deep breath, relived as I turned back into a human and noticed the other two hunters had been killed by my friends. “Are you guys alright?” I asked Lance and Drake as I brushed off my exposed stomach and cracked my neck.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Lance said, still breathing heavily.

“Yeah, me too, but how the hell did these hunters get in here anyway?” Drake said as a black line of blood trickled down his cheek.

“I don’t know, but where there are three there’s more,” I said as I scanned the bodies of the ReKe hunters, Lance following my glance over the creatures.

“Hey, that ones wearing a collar,” Lance said, bending down to get a better look. Eye brow quirked in wonder I watched as Lance fumbled and tugged at the brown leather strap until he had pulled it off the hunter. Confused, Lance studied it, noticing the silver tube attached to the collar, immediately finding that the tube was a container that held a small peace of paper.

Lance and I looked at each other, then at Drake, all as confused. “Well, read it,” I said anxiously. Lance unrolled the light brown parchment and read.

“A warning to those who think themselves worthy,” he said, brows frowning in suspicion. “What does that mean?” Lance said, throwing the paper to the ground.

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound good,” I said. “We should hurry and find out where the hunters came from before more get in. Drake, stay here and keep watch for anything weird.” Drake nodded in agreement, sliding his long sword back into its sheath.

Lance and I walked back down the way we had came, both of us still pondering the note.