Chapter 4 MEETING A HUNTER 4.

"Arrgh!!" Bethany's scream startled Andrew.

"Bethany!" he called, and she pointed at the dead animal beside him.

"Is it dead?" her voice broke. "Where's dad? Dad! Dad!" she called.

James ran inside and halted on seeing the dead animal. He looked at Andrew. "How?"

"I didn't do it," he said.

"Dad!" wept Bethany as she hugged him. "You scared me so much. Don't ever do that again."

The three of them sat inside as people wailed outside.

"What's happening?" asked Bethany.

"I don't know," replied Andrew.

"I do," said James, and they looked at him. "It's the end of the world. Those creatures, or wolves, are out to destroy us. They will take over the world and it will be the end of all humanity. The vampires will soon be here." He spoke, and they listened, staring at him in shock.

"Are you okay, Dad?" asked Bethany.

"Does it look like I'm not?" he asked.

"We all know those are just myths. They don't even exist."

"They do now. Andrew, go pack our stuff. We're leaving."

"Dad, stop. You're scaring me," Bethany's voice continued to panic.

"Stop? Didn't you see what happened? It's over, Bethany. Those things will come back, and no one will be able to save us. We have to leave now."

The alarm rang, causing Bethany to tremble.

"Oh my God! It's the alarm," she trembled.

"Andrew, hurry!" shouted James, and Andrew rushed inside with Bethany following closely behind.

Bethany sat on the bed while Andrew packed. "What's going to happen now?" she asked.

Andrew sighed. "I don't know."

"You're not scared? I'm terrified," she said.

"I know. Nothing is going to happen to us," he assured her, touching her hand.

"Yeah," she said, tears filling her eyes. "I've got this."

"You look like you're going to cry," he teased with a smile.

"Cry? Me? No way."

"Where is the tough sister I have? She's terrified like a little lamb."

"I said I'm okay, damn it!" she yelled, throwing a pillow at him. He caught it with his hand and laughed at her.

"Superwoman is now a lizard," he joked, and she glared at him. As she raised her hand as if to hit him, James walked into the room.

"Bethany, go pack food in the kitchen," he said, and she quickly stood from the bed and rushed out of the room.

"Hey Andrew, I never got to ask what happened to that wolf?"

Andrew remained quiet, and James looked at him.

"Tell me," he said.

"I saw her."

"Who?"

"A girl. She had blue eyes and..." Andrew hesitated. "She killed it, Dad. She killed that animal," he explained.

"It's okay," he said, reaching out to touch Andrew's shoulder, but Andrew pulled back.

"It's not okay, and you have to tell me what's happening now."

"Andrew?"

"You know what's happening. Just tell us already. I'm getting scared," he said, trembling.

"Okay, calm down."

"Just spill it, Dad. That animal was sniffing. It only means that he got a scent, a scent he wanted. Whose scent was that?"

James sighed. "Sit," he said, and Andrew sat beside him.

"It happened in a hospital when I saw a man kill a doctor. He saw me and asked me to take care of you, but I refused. He then made my wife feel pain. I accepted to take you in out of fear of losing my wife or Bethany. My wife spent two more days in labor in pain before she gave birth to Bethany. I knew he did it to punish me. He only visited you once when you turned one and never again. He said something in the hospital, and I didn't understand it then, but I think I do now."

"What did he say?"

"He said you'll be the reason for another war. I feel like there's something going on that no one wants to talk about, but whatever it is, we certainly can't let it get to us. Let's go now," he ordered.

"Oh God," muttered Andrew.

"They're coming, Andrew. I don't know what this is, but I know something very big is coming. Listen, you have to find your father."

"How will I know him?" asked Andrew.

"You will. You certainly will. You have to..." A cough, which brought up blood from James' mouth, interrupted him.

"Dad!" panicked Andrew, holding him.

"I'm fine," he replied.

"You're not. You're spitting up blood," Andrew panicked, seeing the bloodstains on the ground.

"Hurry, clean it up. Bethany can't see it," James stuttered, and Andrew hastily grabbed a cloth from the wardrobe to clean the blood as James sat on the bed, his hand against his lower abdomen.

"Are you alright, Dad?" Andrew's voice continued to shake.

"Yeah, just a scratch," James answered, slowly raising his shirt above his stomach to reveal a sharp scratch that seemed to have spread.

"Jesus, Dad! You need a doctor."

"Pull yourself together, Andrew. I'm fine. Hurry, pack everything."

Andrew turned away from him and continued packing, his hands trembling.

"Keep Bethany close to you, no matter what," James said from behind Andrew, who nodded without looking at him. He was done packing and zipped the bag, lifting it up.

"I'm all set, Dad," he announced.

"Good. We leave at dawn."

In the early hours of the morning, the three of them walked out of the house. The street was busy with families preparing to evacuate.

"We need to get to the train station quickly," said James, running with them, when he suddenly felt a sharp pain from his injury. "Ugh!" he groaned.

"Are you okay, Dad?" asked Bethany, her eyes searching his for a reply.

"He's fine," answered Andrew. "We have to keep moving." He helped his father walk.

"He looks weak," observed Bethany.

"Let's just get to the train station now!" said Andrew.

The three of them reached the train station and got on a train.

"Here's a seat, Dad," said Andrew, and James sat down.

"Dad, you look so pale. What's happening?" asked Bethany.

"I'm fine, dear," he replied, looking at Andrew. "Is the train already moving?"

"Yes, Dad. We're in motion," replied Andrew.

He sat beside Bethany, who rested her head on her father's shoulder.

"Andrew!" someone called, and Andrew looked up.

"Kaylee!"

"I can't believe I found you," she beamed, walking towards him.

The train was filled with many people, and since everyone wanted to board, many were left standing.

"I'm with my mom. My dad couldn't make this train. What's happening, Andrew?"

"I don't know. I'm scared myself," he replied.

"Kaylee, please come over here," said her mom, who was seated in a spot.

"See you later," she said and left.

Bethany scoffed when Andrew returned to them. "Even in this time of fear, she still thinks about you?"

"Oh, Bethany, she saw me, and..."

"She wanted to make herself known. Please, let's worry about what's happening here, not some stupid romance," she interrupted.

"That's enough, Bethany," said James.

Bethany sighed and looked at her father's black shirt. One side was soaked.

"Dad, are you..." she stopped as she touched the soaked part and found blood on her hand.

"Oh my God... It's blood," she stuttered, and people close to them gasped in fear.

"Bethany, calm down," said Andrew.

"Dad, please don't die," wept Bethany.

"Honey, that's enough. Please, don't cry," James spoke.

"No, Dad," she wept.

"There's enough tension on this train. We'll go to another city soon, and then I'll be treated."

"Oh my God, what if you don't make it?" she asked through tears.

"I will," he said, touching her face. "I will, honey."

Suddenly, there was a heavy sound on the train as if someone landed on it. Everyone looked up.

"What's happening?" asked a woman.

Another heavy sound came, followed by more. Everyone started screaming as some people locked the windows.

The sound stopped, and everyone fell silent.

A can fell from a child's hand, and they all turned to him as he bent down to pick it up.

"Thank goodness it's over," whispered a lady. Just then, a glass window broke into pieces, and sharp claws grabbed someone from the train, leaving a trail of blood.

People screamed as they ran away from the window, but more claws grabbed people, ripping their heads from their bodies.

"We have to go, Dad! Come on!" wept Bethany as she tried to help her dad stand.

"Dad."