[IC] the hunter and her prey(a cursed human story, a beauty and the beast alternative to a cursed vampire story)

[Vampiretwilight]

starter:
the creature is inside his castle. the hunter is after them.
the rumors had begun to circulate. and this is where our story begins.

[amberly]

Andrew removed a matchbox from his pocket. It rattled, his hands shook. How few matches there were left. He had spent them burning the evidence of all he had done. Of what he was. He pushed the lid and removed yet another. Swiping it against the stone mantle he held it up to the painting of a vain young man. The oil and canvas lit at once, ashes falling to the hearth below, burning what he had been. Still he was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice anything amiss.

[Vampiretwilight]

Angel was riding her horse up to where the castle was. She had heard the rumors. She had seen evidence around her in the towns she had passed through. Townspeople told her what they thought was going on, what they had seen for themselves. Angel sighed. She gave her word to make an attempt at taking care of the problem. Anyway, now, she was approaching the castle. She got off her horse upon reaching the gates. She walked up to them and made to sneak her way inside.

[amberly]

There was no getting around it, he'd need more matches. Andrew sat on a bench by the door and tied a pair of sandals to his feet. He'd given up boots and long pants reaching below the knees. His skin was uncomfortably warm and itched far too much to be covered. His hands were gloved anyway. Outside he paused to shove the front door closed behind him and began trudging down the path to the gate on foot.

[Vampiretwilight]

Angel continued to approach the gate. Her eyes narrowed. She clenched her hand around the belt where she kept her gear. She was approaching close enough to see the creature leave his so called home. She was ready to do whatever was necessary for the sake of those people. This creature had to be stopped, she thought.

[amberly]

A rock from the path had found its way onto the carefully trimmed lawn. Andrew stopped, bent at the waist and extracted the nuisance with two fingers. The rock was unceremoniously tossed toward the middle of the sloping driveway. A few more steps and he repeated the process. A rock clattered across the gravel toward the gate. Had he seen something else move there by the bars? Something large enough to be someone?

He bent again. He chose a pice of gravel about the size of a grape from the path and took aim at where he thought he'd seen something. Then he threw it, hard.

[Vampiretwilight]

Angel quickly ducked to the side. She ducked behind some large wild bushes. She made sure not to be seen when the creature threw that object. She could not risk being spotted by her prey, not yet. She had to accomplish her goal. She needed to sneak up on him in order to do so. She would not allow him to breathe another breath. She heard the object as it crashed against a tree, right behind where she had once been hiding near. She sighed in relief.

[amberly]

Stone against bark made a distinct sound, but he was still uneasy. Andrew scooped up a handful of dirt and gravel. He used his toes to smooth out the hole it had left in the path. Then his long purposeful strides brought him to the iron gate. He elbowed it open. It swung easily on oiled hinges to the edge of the driveway. Did he actually want to go out? Two fist fulls of gravel suggested he did not. The box in his pocket still held two matches, enough to cover up any 'incidents' on the way to town. So he continued on.

[Vampiretwilight]

Angel watched the creature from her hiding spot. She slowly followed after him. She kept quiet. She tried not to make a sound. She reached for one of her hunting weapons. She was ready to strike once he was out all alone in the forest. She followed his footsteps, kept to the shadows. Angel kept her breathing quiet and to a minimum. She could not afford to fail. She approached him whenever he would stop. She would wait for the opportunity and then....take it.

[amberly]

Andrew listened carefully. He heard birds overhead, the river in the distance, and his own footfalls. Nothing he hadn't heard before. He settled into an easier stride. The river meandered closer to the road, wide and shallow, an easy crossing on foot or by horse. Carts had to be driven further down stream to the bridge beside the mill; there the watercourse grew narrower and deeper.

Andrew took the familiar shortcut out into the river. The cool water felt marvelous, he rolled the tension out of his shoulders. He breathed a heavy sigh and let the gravel he'd carried plopp into the river. "This is exactly what I need" he told the river.

[Vampiretwilight]

Angel saw the creature stop near the river. This was it, she thought. She carefully approached, continuing to be as quiet as possible. She raised up the hand that held the weapon. She waited until she got a good view of him. Then....she charged.

Within seconds, she was speeding towards him. Her run was as fast as wind. She got close to him and aimed her weapon. She took her chance and made the attempt. The weapon was used. The sound was loud, but it seemed no one was around to hear it. It was fast enough to where, under normal circumstances, one would not notice it until it was too late.

Angel could only hope she could take out this creature once and for all.

[amberly]

As if the river was on his side it echoed the sound of approaching feet. He tensed and turned his head to see what forest predator was upon him. Not an animal! Human! He reeled away slipping on a stone. It was the last possible moment he could have avoided the shot, and he was untouched, on his hands and knees in the water.

Scrambling up he ran, clumsily tripping over stones in the riverbed. On his hands and knees again he grabbed a rock. Standing he threw it at the woman, not waiting around to see if he missed before he was running again.

[Vampiretwilight]

Angel continued her charge. She avoided the rock. She knocked it away with her hand. She aimed her hunting weapon at the creature again. She was quite determined and refused to give up the hunt. She had made a promise and intended to keep it.

"You will not be killing any more innocent people, you monster!"
Her voice echoed throughout the area.

[amberly]

This was no horror struck traveler who'd caught sight of the lines enwrapping his skin. Like brown tattoo marks that traced the lines of his tears and branched out around his head, shoulders, even down to his feet.

She was after Justice. She knew what he had done apparently, or at least knew that people had died. Couldn't being imprisoned in his castle be punishment enough. He was already miserable.

"Agreed. I agree with those terms!" Andrew shouted back at her as he scrambled up the bank to run through the cover of the woods.

[Vampiretwilight]

Angel continued to give chase. She would not let him out of her sight. Her eyes were narrowed and she kept them upon her prey.

"You will not get away, beast of the forest!"
Her voice echoed throughout the wooded area. She picked up the pace and tried to pick up speed. She would not let him get away. She grabbed a different weapon this time, one without a blade. She fired it at him.

Agitated animal sounds were heard all over.

[amberly]

If only he was a forest creature he might know where to hide, Andrew mused. He abruptly changed directions rounding a large tree. The Hunter's shot tore across the skin of his shoulder. He growled and was surprised how animalistic it did sound. The pain spurred him on, running faster. Andrew doubted his luck would hold much longer.

He dodged and wove through the trees back toward the castle grounds. Home was his only hope of turning the tables on her.

[Vampiretwilight]

Wolves howled in the distance.

Angel kept on his tail. She did not loose sight of the creature.

"Stop where you are!"
She fired another shot. She kept doing so. She was gaining speed as she caught a second wind. She was angry and stubborn. She was not willing to give up.

"You will not get away!"
She shouted. It echoed throughout the area. She pursued him as he ran for that castle.

[amberly]

It seemed she was gaining on him. He was gaping for each desperate breath. "Stop so you can kill me? Thank you, no!"

The castle could be seen in the distance through the trees. Andrew turned again, not toward the garden gates that opened to a grassy hill and the dining room doors. He didn't want to be an easy target out in the open. Additionally, should he survive, he knew he would regret leaving footprints in the lawn. He ran searching for the driveway, for the gate he'd left open. He was afraid of stumbling upon actual forest creatures, as if his huter wasn't enough to worry about.

[Vampiretwilight]

Angel was on hot pursuit. She glared daggers at him as she ran.

"you will not be allowed to kill anymore people!"
Her shouts were practically screamed due to the echoing within the forest.

Angel jumped and rolled, landing in the driveway. She charged at him again. She used both weapons that she had out this time.

[amberly]

Andrew spun, one arm raising above his head with a flourish. He danced this way and that unpredictable, except that he was growing closer to the castle entrance. It helped him avoid being killed, though he received a gash in his side. It leaked blood onto his white shirt. She was more dangerous at a distance, firing at him. It occurred to him that in fact he needed her to catch up. He needed her in arms length. Now he turned back and charged at her reaching for one of her weapons with each of his hands.