Hunting

'What do we do now?' It was fine that I had come all the way with Dave, but I could not really help him. I barely saved my life last time.

'Stay in the car. Lock the doors.'

'What about you?' I asked though I already knew the answer.

He zipped up a Khakhi jacket that he had worn and covered his head with a black beanie hat that could also double up as a ski mask if required. 'I'll scout them out.'

'Then?'

'I'll just see what they are up to. Don't worry I won't go close enough for them to notice me.'

Reaching out a hand to cup the back of my neck, he pulled me closer and pressed his lips against mine for a mere second. I couldn't help but feel worried, the danger was real now. When I had just learnt about the different worlds and their inhabitants, it had seemed like an adventure, something that wouldn't have a direct impact on me. But now I could feel the threat brething down my neck.

'I'll be careful, promise.'

He opened the door and stepped out. 'Lock the door after me.'

I nodded and obeyed. I was like putty with him, all he had to do was give me instructions in that velvety voice of his and I would listen. Even if he hadn't told you, you would still have locked the door Ash. Don't pretend to be so obedient, my little voice scolded me.

Smoothly, he slid into the forest. I had never seen his vampire prowess before and I was impressed by his speed. I slipped lower in my seat keeping only the top of my head visible above the window so that I could still keep an eye on what was happening outside. Dave had told me that werewolves could smell vampires from far, they recognized the scent. I wasn't a vampire but had recently been in close contact with one, so what if they caught my scent? It wouldn't be hard for them to pick the lock of the car.

I checked my watch, Dave had been gone for 15 minutes now. In my half-slumped position, I started tapping my ankle on the door mat in impatience. A few minutes more and I knew I wouldn't be able to resist the wish to go out and check what was happening. The sound of a a dry branch snapping under the weight of someone, or something, froze me in my movements. Just after one of the street lamps that bordered the road, I saw some movement. The branches were shaking slightly and my ears started buzzing with a weird sound, 'Nnnnggggyyyy', and it was repeated continuously for a few seconds. Through the corner of my eyes, I spied a familiar hood, even though I had seen it only once before. It was one of my attackers. He came out of the forest, followed by his pal. They both turned in the direction of the car and started sniffing hard. They looked at each other and I saw the young man with the cap lift his hand in my direction, before I remembered that Dave had parked behind some bushes.

I ducked but could still hear the squishing sound of wet rubber soles on asphalt. They seemed to be walking in rounds, as if looking for something. The footsteps were coming nearer and nearer, a few more metres and they would see the car, however well it might have been camouflaged.

Had they smelled me? I turned around, trying to see if my baseball bat was near me and saw an aerosol-based air freshener in the open glove box. Would it work? I took it and started spraying it around me, hoping that the smell of lavender would cover my own smell. I didn't know whether it worked or not, but they turned and started walking in the opposite direction. As I stared at their departing backs, I heard the same buzzing sound, but it was clearer now, 'uuunnggrry'. It finally stopped once they were out of sight.

A face suddenly appeared at the window, it had big eyes with flashes of red in them and the nose and mouth was covered in a ski mask. I opened my mouth to shout, but closed it immediately as I recognised Dave. I unlocked the door and he jumped in the driver's seat.

'Did you see them?'

'Yes, they went the other way,' I said with relief. 'Did you get any information?'

Dave was pulling his ski mask cum beanie hat and it made his hair all ruffled. I automatically reached out my hand t smooth it down. At the touch of my hand on his hair, he bent down slightly for me to get easier access.

'They seemed to be looking for something, but they themselves did not know what exactly.' He switched on the engine and made a u-turn. The mission was over and we were going back home.

'Did you hear any kind of buzz around them?' I asked , still trying to understand what I had heard. The sound had been familiar as if my subconscious was trying to make me understand that I knew that sound.

'Buzz? No, they were mainly quiet and uttered very few words. Did you hear them say anything?'

We had almost reached home by then, the streets were so quiet. We didn't meet any other car on the way. It was not surprising as it was just past midnight.

'When they were near, I heard a sound and it was repetitive.'

Dave merely frowned.

We got down the car and I felt oddly drained even though I hadn't done anything apart from waiting in the car. Dave noticed my lethargy and proposed to bring something for me to drink.

'It's late, get ready for bed. I'll bring a tonic for you.'

'We're going to sleep, why take a tonic now? Won't it counter the purpose?'

'Nah, tomorrow when you wake up, you'll need the energy.'

'I don't have to go to work tomorrow. Claudia said that Mr Pierce called her and told her I can have the day off.'

'That's good news. But I'll still bring it for you.'

He seemed so determined to bring me something to drink that I finally agreed. It felt sweet to be taken care of.

Once in bed, Dave gave me a cup with a brew I couldn't identify. When Dave had left when Claudia was around, I had checked the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator to see if I could see the jam-like substance Dav had given me with my pudding, but in vain. The brew had a similar flavour and taste. Was it somethng he had brought from Bhuvar?

'Which flavour is this?'

Dave was disconcerted by my question and shrugged before going in the bathroom. I felt my hackles rise, but drank it nonetheless. This was the second time he was avoiding the question. I was still pondering on his strange behaviour when suddenly it came to me.

'Hungry!' I cried out.

Dave rushed out of the bathroom and looked at me. He seemed to be on his guard as if expecting an invisible opponent to jump out. 'What happened Ash? Why did you shout?'

Clenching the bedsheets tightly in my hands, I repeated the same word, 'Hungry'.

'You're hungry? Want me to make some oatmeal?'

'No. I understood the sound that I had heard around the two werewolves. It was 'hungry'. I think that they were hungry.'

Dave stared back at me. 'Are you saying that you heard them saying they were hungry?'

'No. They were not talking. I just heard the sound. And it seemed to becoming from them.' Put like that it sounded very odd and it made me start wondering if I had got it wrong. But Dave seemed to be finding it amusing and he harbored a broad smile.

'Ash, you know what this means right?'

'What? That I'm going crazy?' I said frostily.

'No, don'tyou get it? You were reading their thoughts!'

I looked at him blankly, thinking if I've heard wrong.

'Did you read their mind when you were near them?' I asked Dave. He shook his head from side to side.

'Vampires can't read the thoughts of werewolves, which is what makes them so dangerous.'

'And yet, you claim that I did.'

'You're not an ordinary vampire Ash...'

'I'm not even a vampire, period,' I interrupted him.

But he kept talking as if I hadn't stopped him. 'You are part werewolf, you inherited some of your father's genes. Perhaps this is what allows you to read their mind.'

Nonplussed, I looked at how excited he was by this discovery. I was so confused and surprised that I did not lnow how to react. I recalled how once I had Dave say something even though his lips hadn't moved at all, could I have been reading his mind? Was it true then?

What he said did make sense, but I was not ready to accept it. I had started to read minds too.