The Hunt
Chapter 15
Mystery Man
I woke up as the phone beside the bed rang. "Hello?" I asked groggily. " Wake up call." The woman said. " M’okay. Thanks." I mumbled and threw the covers off. Michael was still fast asleep and John was laying still with his eyes closed, but I knew he was awake by the way his eyebrows moved occasionally. " Michael wake up!" I yelled and when he ignored me I shook him a few times. " Go away!" he yelled. I walked in to the bathroom and got a towel. I ran it under the cold water and brought it back it, "One last chance Michael." He gave me the finger and I tossed the soaked towel at Michael. He Jumped up and gasped, " What the Hell, Joey!" I dodged Michael as he walked toward the bathroom trying to shove me as he walked by. " Do you two have to start so early in the morning," John complained as he rolled of the bed. As he stood up he stretched and then grabbed his jacket and said, "I’ll be back." While Michael was in the shower and John was gone I quickly changed in to a navy t-shirt and black jeans. I combed my messy hair with my fingers and looked in the mirror. Over-all I was satisfied with what I saw, however I could see the faint outline of the bandages John had forced me to put on last night after the fight with Michael had reopened old wounds. Finally Michael came out dressed in blue jeans and a red long sleeve shirt. We grabbed our bags and walked outside to find John. He was leaning against the car and when he seen us coming he straightened up and got in the car.
Once we were in the car John started talking, " Okay, so most likely you’re going to get suspended for that fight. If you get lucky and they don’t then DON’T. I repeat DO NOT. GET INTO ANOTHER FIGHT. Got it?" " Got it." Michael and I said in unison. I wasn’t to happy too be going back to school after yesterday but ii knew I couldn’t avoid it. As we got to the school Michael and I got out and walked in. I walked in to the cafeteria and found Natalie, Nichole, and Cierra. " Hey," I greeted them. Nichole looked up at me and said, " Hey your alive!" " Ya. Why wouldn’t I be?" I asked puzzled. "Well," She explained, " rumor has it you got the shit beat out of you yesterday by your brother and he nearly killed you." I sighed, rumors spread fast around her, I thought. I was about to respond when I heard the principal on the intercom say, " would Nick and Sam Dawson please report to my office immediately!" I picked up my book bag and cast a sorrowful glance at my friends before walking to catch up with Michael.
When we walked in to the office the principal, Mr. Perry, was standing there waiting for us. As we walked into his office and sat down. " Boys this fight went way to far. So you wanna tell me what this is all about?" Michael looked down and said, " I’m sorry sir I just kinda lost my head. To much… recent stress." The principal folded his hands on the desk and said, " I’m sorry about your parents but Nick that’s no reason I try to kill your brother." Michael nodded and I sat there quietly. The principal sat there for a moment and then said, " Well I’m going to go easy on you guys, two weeks after school detention. I’ve already contacted your brother so he know you’ll be getting out later than usual." After that he dismissed us and we went to class. By the time I finally got to gym I had explained what had happened a dozen or so times. I stood in line for roll and seen a crowd had formed around an unusually quiet Michael. " Come on Nick! Tell us!" I heard people begging him. I found Nichole and Natalie had already started walking. I hurried over to them and they both looked at me. " You didn’t get suspended?" Natalie asked me shocked. " Um, no just detention for two weeks," I explained. " Well then. I guess that’s lucky, huh?" I shrugged and said, " I guess." The rest of the class, who had participated in gym, finished their warm ups and the gym teachers said we were going outside to walk the track and play soccer. We walked out of the side door and traveled over to the track behind the school. We walked around the big red oval track for the rest of the period. We mostly talked about random things like school, favorite music, and television. I was listening to Nichole talk when I asked, " you’re a fan of supernatural, right?" She looked at me, " Ya, why?" " How do you kill a Shtriga?" " According to supernatural you’d have to shot it with an iron buck shot while it’s feeding on a person." She looked at me through narrow suspicious eyes, " Why? You know they are not real right?" I waved it off and said, " I know just curious." She looked at me, but didn’t respond. The air around us became awkward and tense. Suddenly I noticed that the rest of the class had left and it was just the three of us and the two people behind us… wait those two aren’t in our gym class! I whipped around and smelt the strong smell of sulfur. They were a about fifteen feet away and looking at me. " Guys," I whispered to Nichole and Natalie," When I say so run to the school find Nick." " Why Sam wha- whats wrong with their eyes?!" Natalie exclaimed. " Demons. They’re real?" Nichole whispered. I glanced at her through the corner of my eye. " Ya they’re real." The demons advanced quicker to catch up since we were still walking, well rather backing, away from them. " Okay," I said, " Now!" To my surprise Natalie ran but Nichole stayed put. " What are you doing!" I yelled. " You’re gonna need help." She stated. " how are you going to help me, your just gonna get in my way," I snapped. " Try me." She retorted. I shook my head and stopped walking as did Nichole. The demons were right infront of us now, barley five feet away. " Well? What can you do?" Nichole stiffened and said, "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, et secta diabolica." I was shocked but I remembered to continue, "Ergo draco maledicte et section. Ergo draco maledicte et legio secta diabolica" I heard a male voice behind me say, "Ut Ecclésiam tuam secúra tibi fácias servire libertáte, te rogámus, audi nos!" The demons’ eye’s got wide and they all opened their mouths but to our surprised no black smoke came out. That’s also when I realized they weren’t attacking us. " Why are you here?" Nichole asked. " What do you think we are a ghost?" the blonde demon sneered, but continued, " think about it what better place to make deals than a high school full of young, impulsive, naïve, and hormonal teenagers?" "So that’s it?" Michael asked, " Deals?" " Yes," she said very slowly as if teaching him a new word. " Why?" " Because dear boy, not as many people are making deals anymore sadly. But then the master had the idea of targeting a, uh, younger audience." Nichole spoke up now, " What do you tell them? Surely people here don’t wanna make a deal with a demon this young. If what I know is true then they get what ten years? That mean at maximum they get around thirty years." " Twenty nine actually." The other demon said with a British accent, " if you were right about the ten year part. However it actually twenty five." Michael gave Nichole a look that said be quiet, then turned to the demon, " Don’t you think people would notice a string of deaths like that. People from the same school all dying around the same age."
"Doesn’t matter to us. Either way people will still make deals or others ignore the fact that we exist."
" Well if you’ll excuse us we have to get going, deals don’t make themselves you know."
"You not going anywhere," Michael said though he didn’t sound too sure. " Oh and who’s going to stop us? You, Michael? With what Joey and some high school sophomore?" She sneered. " Michael? Joey?" Nichole asked. Realization shown on the demons face and she said, "sweetheart did you really think their names were Sam and Nick? No this is Michael and this ,"She paused and looked at me, "is Joey." Nichole looked at us like she wasn’t sure who to believe. I stood their silently.
Suddenly the demons face changed and she was no longer looking at us but past us. A man had appeared behind us. He was tall with brown hair, ivory skin, and yellow eyes. His lips were pulled into a tight frown and his eyes showed his anger. He walked towards us and stopped a few feet behind us. He looked the demon in the middle in the eye and said, "abstulit daemon retro ad infernum, in quo est super vos non faciunt me et indicabo tibi iterum." The demon looked like she would argue, but seemed to have lost her confidence. The demon said something in a low whisper and then they all disappeared including the mysterious man. Michael and I exchanged glances, but neither of us knew what just happened. " Another demon you think?" he suggested. " No," I replied, "It had yellow eyes. Demons have black or red eyes." Michael looked back at the spot and said, " Also a demon usually leaves traces of sulfur but," he walked back to where the man had stood, " There isn’t anything here." I heard someone harshly cough behind me and I remembered Nichole was still here. I looked at her and they only thing I could think to say was, " How did you know that exorcism?" " I watch a lot of Supernatural and just happened to remember it." She said annoyed. "Oh." "Oh?! Is that all you have to say is oh?" She yelled. " What do you want me to say?" I asked calmly. "How about who the hell you are Sam or should I say Joey?!" Michael walked back over and said, " calm down don’t make a scene." " Calm down! You want me to calm down?" Micheal ignored her and turned to me, " I texted John, he’s on his way." "Alright lets go and wait for him upfront." I started walking with Michael when he turned around and said, " Are you coming or not?" Nichole gave him an ill-tempered glare, but followed.
We walked to the front of the school and I checked the clock. " We only have ten minutes until school gets out." I informed them. John pulled up a few minutes later. Michael and I walked up to the car and said, " okay get in." While looking at Nichole. " Um, excuse me?" She she stuttered. " Get in" Michael repeated. " Hell no! I don’t know you or you." She said while looking at Michael and them me. " Okay look," Michael started and took his hands off the car door – which he had opened a moment ago – and pulling them on his sided, " I’m not in the mood for this. I’ve had a really long stressful week and I don’t wanna add kidnapping to my list of problems so GET IN THE DAMN CAR!" Nichole scowled but walked to the car and opened the door. She hesitated but when Michael started to walk around the car she hurriedly got in and slammed the door shut. I got in the back beside her and she pressed herself against the door away from me.
The ride back was awful. Nobody said a thing and tensions ran high in the car. Michael stared out the window and John constantly muttered to himself and occasionally glanced back at Nichole who looked at all of us with a mix of suspicion hatred and fear. Finally we got back to the hotel and walked back to the room. Nichole was the first to speak, " Okay so who the hell are you people?" She demanded. John ignored her and asked, " What happened?" I started by saying, " We were walking the track in gym and I noticed the two people following behind us I’d never seen in there before so I slowed down and as they got closer I could tell they were demons, so I walked faster and told Nichole and Natalie to run back to the school and get him, but when I told them to go Nichole stayed." Michael took it up from there, " I was in the gym sitting on the bleachers when some chick ran in and looked around then she ran towards me and said, ‘ Sam needs you!’ I asked for what and she said she didn’t know that there were a few girls following them and Sam was pretty freaked out. So I decided to go back out and that’s when I seen these two trying to preforming an exorcism but it failed." "It failed? How?" John asked. Michael shrugged, " beats me, I heard ‘em say it and it was perfectly said." " Hello! I want some answers!" Nichole yelled. She looked at me and I looked at John and then said, " Okay where to start where to start, um, ok so we’re hunters and those were demons, um, I’m Joey this Michael and John." I quickly informed her. " Hunters aren’t real. Demons aren’t real." She said slowly. " They are both very real." John said. She turned to him and said, " your all crazy." Michael took a step towards her and she jumped back. He ignored it and said, " You explain it then. Who were those people? Why did they disappear? You seem to know enough about the supernatural world so explain in the rational world." Nichole opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out except, " I can’t" Michael leaned forward and cupped a hand behind his ear, " I’m sorry, what was that? You can’t? Can’t what?" " I can’t explain it!" she snapped. " Thought so." He said. Nichole rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with a huff. " Michael! Stop that this is serious." John said. Michael glared at him, but said nothing. John started pacing the room. " Okay so we know they’re making deals. So first we gotta find who all has been making deals." He said. "How?" Michael asked. John looked at him, " I don’t know." " Great. We have demons making deals and we have no way to find out who’s already made deals." Michael complained. " It wouldn’t matter. There’s no way to break a demon deal." Nichole said. Now John looked at her, but she didn’t flinch. John looked grim and nodded to show she was right, " they’re all gonna die, but at least we could warn them or something." " What’s the point?" He shrugged. John walked over and sat on the bed and looked out the window. "Now what?" I asked. " Nothing, I guess. There isn’t much we can do, except get rid of those demons." Michael told him, " Theres no point in going back the mystery man took care of them. I don’t think they’ll be back." John looked intrigued and asked, " what mystery man." " The man that got rid of the demons. He said something to them and they disappeared." " Hmm. So I guess we pack up. Oh and Claire’s awake." Michaels gasped, " What? We have to go see her." " Later." John said. " First wehad other business to take care of." He looks at Nichole. Nichole met his eyes with a look of determination and fear. "Don’t worry we won’t hurt you." He assured her. " I just need you to promise me you won’t tell anybody what happened. Not for our safety but for yours. Bad thing seem to attract to people who have associations with hunting." " Don’t worry. I’m going to pretend I don’t know any of you." She said and looked pointedly at me. My heart sunk a little with guilt.
We took Nichole home and drove to the hospital. The sunny day had turned in to a rainy evening as storm clouds crowded in to the sky. We walked in the quiet hospital that smelled of sick people and antiseptic. Everything was white; the walls, floors, ceilings, even the chairs in the waiting room where white. We approached the front desk and an old woman with blonde curl hair that was in a messy ponytail and thick cat eyed glass wearing yep you guessed it white scrubs. " Can I help you?" She asked. " Um ya were here to see Claire Johnson." John said remembering the name Michael and Cassidy had given Claire the night they brought her here. " Room 319" We walked over to the elevators and pressed the third floor button. The doors closed and the elevator rattles a shook all the way to the third floor. When it spotted I quickly jumped out and breathed a sigh of relief. I hated elevators, with their close metal walls and unstable cables that could send you plummeting to your death. John lead the way down the dim corridor towards Claire’s room. 313,315,317…319. We walked in and seen Claire standing in a hospital gown and looking out the huge glass window into the parking lot below. "Hey," She said without turning around. " Hey. How are you feeling," John asked "Okay. Except I don’t remember what happened." She turned around and I was surprised she look perfectly healthy. Her skin was glowy and her hair had a sheen to it that a sick person normally wouldn’t’ve had. She smiled, "Michael." She ran over and hugged him. Shocked but happy Michael embraced her in a tight hug. John and I stood there and waited. She broke away from Michael and turned to John. " How have you been?" She asked and hugged him as well. I stood there and waited for my greeting sine we had been close before. I was shocked when she turned to me and said, " Who are you?"
So it seemed that the last thing Claire remembered was everything that happened the day before I first met her. The doctor said it was unusual but there was nothing they could do so they discharged her. In the car we tried to prompt her memory but to my avail. Michael seemed to enjoy having Claire back on his arm again. " I was so worried about you," Michael told her and Claire giggled. I sat in the front since Michael wanted to sit with Claire. We got back to the hotel and John said, " Okay we’ll hit the road in the morning, but until then we’ll have to rent an extra room for Michael and Joey." " But we always share one room." Claire said slowly. " Ya, but we have four people so we need two rooms." John replied. "Oh." She said.
When John came back and handed us the other door pass, Michael and I walked up to the next floor and to our room. It was exactly the same as the other room except reversed since it was on a different side of the hallway. I claimed the bed next to the window and Michael took up a spot in a chair by the coffee pot. I laid there on my stomach and flipped through channels before settling on Hell’s Kitchen. I closed my eyes and remembered how the last time I watched this show my life changed.
I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew Michael was waking me up and said something about getting my shoes off the bed so I didn’t ruin the sheets and have to pay for it. In the dark I blindly sat up kicked my shoes off and crawled under the covers.
I woke up to a loud crash at about 4:30. I stood up, shuffled across the room, and groped for the light switch. My fingers finally connected with it and the room was instantly floored with bright yellow light. I almost screamed at what I saw. A buff man about 6’5" dressed in a white shirt and jeans had Michael slung easily over his shoulder and had turned to me. What bothered me most was no broken window and forced entry though the door. However it appears Michael had still been awake and had knocked the coffee pot over to alert me or possibly in a struggle against the man. I suddenly remember it was the same man from earlier on the track. In an instant he was beside me and I attempted to run out the door.I had undone the latch when the man put his free hand on the back of my head and said, "nighty, night kid." And everything fizzled out….
***Hours Earlier***
~Unknown P.O.V.~
He slammed his fist down on the table and said, " This is outrageous. They almost killed each other, and you just barley stopped them." I rounded on him, " I was following strict orders. Maybe you should try it sometime."
"And what did he have to say about this?"
"Nothing really useful."
The large white double doors swung open and another man walked in. He was taller than the other two with chocolate brown hair. He walked up to the table and looked the other man, " Out." He barked. The man scowled at him, but disappeared. He then turned to me. His icy blue eyes met mine and he said only one command before disappearing, " Brother. It’s time."
I knew what he wanted, and I disappeared to fetch them.