The Hunter In Me

17 - Powder

I jumped to my feet as my gaze darted between the monsters on either side of me.

Coach Rick's smile held a trace of sadness. "So it was you. When I found out there was a new hunter called Bash, I figured there was a good chance you were him, but I hoped I was wrong."

"What?" My heart raced as Charlie leaned on the doorframe, smirking at my confusion. "How did you know it was someone named Bash?"

"Switch now!" Owen yelled, but I was too shocked to listen.

Coach frowned. "You've fallen in with a bad crowd, even worse than that idiot Nolan." He shuffled the papers on his desk and filed them away with a sigh, slamming the drawer shut. "You killed a friend of mine. His brother heard that witch bitch call your name, so I brought you here to figure this thing out."

"Figure it out? Don't you mean kill me?"

"Damn it, Bash. Switch with me!" Urgency filled Owen's voice.

Shaking his head, Coach said, "Aw, don't be that way. I'm not happy about it. I like you, but you haven't given me a choice."

Coach was a mimic. Dad and I went for pizza with him after track meets a dozen times. Ronnie's Pizzeria was his favorite because he said they had the best spinach dip, and he's been a mimic the entire time. It was too much to process.

"I've known you for years, and you're a monster that eats people," I mumbled as I stood frozen to the spot.

"We're not monsters!" Coach gritted his teeth. "We're survivors." He waved a finger at Charlie. "Close the door, so no mess gets out there."

"Switch!" Owen screamed.

They were going to kill me. My pulse whooshed in my ears, drowning out everything else. Time seemed to drag as Charlie reached for the doorknob. With his body mostly out of the office, I leaned forward to kick back, hitting his knee with my heel. He screeched and collapsed outside the room as I spun toward him, slammed the door, and locked it.

I'd trapped myself with a mimic. I worked to slow my heart rate and make my brain function. What was the plan?

Coach laughed as he came around the desk, and I jerked the knife from my boot. I had five inches and twenty pounds on him. If this was a fair fight, he wouldn't stand a chance, but this wouldn't be fair. Sweat ran down my temple.

He stopped and glanced from the blade to my face. "You got lucky the other night, kid. You won't do so well with me."

Claws extended as he raised his hands. Charlie banged on the door. I flinched, and Coach grinned. "Jumpy, aren't you? Don't worry; this'll be fast."

There was nowhere to run in the small room. He lunged for me. I crashed into the wall with his claws digging into my bicep. My elbow smacked into the bricks behind me, and the knife clattered to the floor. The palm I held pressed to his chest kept him at arm's length, but he was stronger than he appeared and I wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

Coach would kill me. My breath came in gasps and the arm keeping him from me shook.

"No!" Owen cried. "Snap out of it, Bash! Switch!" He strained for control, but I couldn't focus enough to let go.

Blood trailed down my bicep as Coach's claws dug in. It dripped from my fingers, puddling on the floor and collecting around Owen's ring. The ring. It took all my effort to lift my numb hand and squeeze Coach's forearm. His skin sizzled against the iron band. Coach grunted and jumped out of my reach, grimacing at the smoking wound.

That space was all I needed to bend and retrieve the knife. As he came at me the second time, I straightened and plunged the metal into his heart. Shame washed through me at his look of betrayal, quickly replaced by a sense of self-preservation.