The Runaway Huntress

"Where is your murder weapon, Liz?"

Uh-oh. Rico's question resonated in her mind. Right, where is my murder weapon? I haven't seen it either. She had to think fast before he suspected that it got lost and someone else had been on the scene before.

She turned around and bent over to reach for the other knife hidden in her boots. Raising the handle to show him that she has it on her. "I had kept it back before I passed out."

The knot on his forehead as he nodded and signalled for them to go on somehow left her worried. He knew that something was amiss. She has to be more alert from now on, especially around Lorna's partner.

The two girls went on their way back to the hotel room they had checked in earlier.

Lorna walked ahead of her, taking long and faster strides. She stared at the girl's back and sighed. She halted for a moment and rolled her eyes. Fine. She'll apologise later when they get in their room.

Melisca inserted her hair inside the jacket when she zipped the front from top to bottom, her hands in their pockets. The suit ended on her hips. It could conceal enough of the splattered blood on her. But the odour sticks in the air around.

When they reached the hotel front, Lorna stopped and swerved around for her.

"What?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering what the girl was about to say.

Lorna sauntered towards her while getting something from the sling bag strapped in the shoulders across her body. She pulled out a tiny bottle and sprayed it on her.

Melisca had closed her eyes and waved a hand in front of her face to diminish the strong fragrance that her sensitive nose had inhaled. Her face scrunched and her throat hurt from the sudden attack of the odour. She even retreated a step while coughing.

"What's that for?" She threw a glare at the girl.

"You stink," Lorna replied and sprayed again around her.

She caught her hand. "Enough. Let's just go faster." Lorna pulled her raised fingers, and she let loose of her grip on the girl's wrist.

Without any word, Lorna walked out first, and she followed behind. Melisca roamed her eyes around. She felt like someone was following them, but then her uneasiness vanished when she tried to look at the surroundings. It seemed like the shadow just faded away, or it was just her paranoid mind. Shaking her head when a slight headache occurred, she then hurried up after the girl.

When they entered the hotel lobby, the faded yellow light greeted their eyes as the few other guests and personnel glanced their way. Lorna remained looking down at the floor with her quick steps.

Melisca grunted. She had an urge to just sprint towards the elevator or the staircase. But using her ability would compromise her plans.

They stopped in front of the elevator as some young adults came out of it. They immediately hopped in, and Lorna pressed the button to their room floor. No one entered until they had reached their stop.

Lorna was still on the lead. Though the floor was carpeted, she could hear the stomping of each step from the girl.

She stayed silent behind her. Lorna opened the door, and they entered at once. Her company sighed in relief and went straight ahead to the bathroom.

"I'll just be quick." The girl stated as she threw her bag on the bed and closed the washroom door.

Melisca exhaled a breath as she heard the water running shortly. While waiting, she bent down to pick up her hidden weapon. Remembering where the other one was, she was sure she still had it in her grip before someone knocked out her consciousness. That was her favourite out of all the knives she had.

She took off her boots and pushed them aside under her bed. The dried blood on her knees was visible. That might be why the people earlier gave her a quizzing look. Even hotel personnel attempted to approach her, but she shrugged him away.

She couldn't take her pungent odour anymore and the continuous headache she felt. Her hand came on her forehead to massage it somehow.

"How did you do it?" Lorna's voice startled her. Her senses temporarily got numb from the tiredness of the unending events.

"Done what?" She asked back, turning to face the girl, who came out wearing only a white bathrobe.

"Stole the syringe from me, and did you lie about knowing how to use it?" Lorna continued questioning her while changing into her night clothes.

Melisca grabbed her own comfy attire for bed and strode to the bathroom.

"I never said I didn't know how. You just assumed that I didn't. Besides, you never asked me." She retorted.

"You should have said so earlier." Lorna's hands propped on her waist, lips pressed in a tight line as her eyes burned on Liz. "You shouldn't have stolen it from me. Aside from that, were you just a bounty hunter? Or a killer also? Because the way you did it, it seemed like you're used to murdering anyone."

Melisca swivelled around to face the girl. "The goal is to kill them, right? And I've accomplished the mission. So, what's wrong about it?" She wants to strangle Lorna's neck for what's she still blabbering out. Her body itched and felt heavy already. "And yes, I was just a bounty hunter. Only I was so eager for revenge that I had finished him like that."

"I understand that you wanted revenge, Liz, but, we won't tolerate you doing that every mission. What if there were any witnesses? We have to do it secretly without any unnecessary trouble. We shouldn't be found out in public. I brought you along to help you, but if you continue this kind of killing, I would have to let you go then."

Melisca stilled as she stared at Lorna. No, she won't allow the girl to just leave her hanging. And she's not just after the wolves, but also, Lorna's organization of hunters.

She breathed heavily and twirled around to face the bathroom door. "I'm sorry that I stole your needle. I won't endanger your group anymore, I'm sorry that I haven't thought about it." She said before opening the door and closing it behind her.

Lorna sighed and her shoulders slumped. She stared at the closed door for a minute and shook her head. She can relate to the woman, but then, they have to abide by the clan's rules to never be found out and messy. Liz could be a great asset to them, but also, she's also a danger to the organization. The woman might disrupt the secrecy of the group.

Melisca put her changing attire on the hanging rack then she immediately opened the jacket and tossed it beside the sink. She stared at the woman looking back at the mirror. Her damp hair hung loosely at one side, and the red sleeveless top she wore, got soaked from the blood she had laid upon earlier. The strong metallic smell hurt her nose so she instantly pulled up the cloth and brought it on the sink, tapping the water open. The colourless liquid changed into dark red as it touched the piece of clothing.

Her eyes lingered on her hands under the running water. She scratched her palms to wash away the dried blood that stuck on her skin. By doing so, an unconscious smile curved her lips. Then she snickered, she was just washing her hands, yet it brought her joy that she finally let loose of her restrained giggle.

She had done it. She had just got her first kill. Finally, after so many years of eagerness, this time she felt different, she felt like she had accomplished something at last. The satisfaction was not yet enough, but it was just the start. The beginning of ending everything.

The yellow burn in her pupils gleamed brightly in the mirror. Her heartbeat rushed as her head started pounding. She had stopped her gleeful moment and brought her palms to her forehead. Gritting her teeth from the sudden pain, her other hand came down on the sink to somehow hold herself up.

What's happening? She sensed something snapped inside her. That there was something that wanted to come out, to take away her being. She had closed her eyes to push back inside whatever she wanted to get free.

The groan of pain slipped past her lips as she felt hot all over her body. She opened her eyes and saw a different woman staring back at the reflection. Her eyes of gold somehow turned to a different shade of yellow, a lighter one. But she disregarded the change, the burning of her system agonized her. Forcing a step into the shower, she almost broke the faucet for water to start.

The cold splash on her head somehow soothed the pounding ache she felt. Both her palms braced on the tiled wall. The pain started fading away as her body cooled down.

Her eyes looked down at the red-coloured water on her feet. What's that about? Why had she felt that pain? It was her first time to suffer it. What's happening to her? Besides the confusion in herself. She still has lots of mysteries to find out. Like, who was the person that pinched her neck nerve? Does that someone stole her knife? Was he or she a werewolf too or another creature?

"Argh!"

Melisca's thoughts vanished when she heard a scream outside the bathroom, she had just woke up from her own state. Her head snapped in the direction of the door, Lorna!