My usually puffy hair was straightened and laid down on my shoulders. He'd gotten a new haircut. He told me I was glowing in the candlelight. We were at a popular restaurant in the city; it was date night. The band was jazzy and the lights were dim everywhere; they weren't needed. The mood set the tone for a carefree and intimate night.
Six men with machine guns came out of nowhere and shut down the restaurant. Nobody moved. A panic staggered everyone's breath as the doors were sealed shut. Everyone was being told to empty their pockets and put everything on the table. I had on ten-dollar hoops, and he had on a twelve-dollar watch.
Two men walked the aisles and collected the contents. One man stopped when he passed by our table and swiped our jewelry. At my date, we didn't have anything; it was part of the date. Leave everything in the car, no distractions.
Now, we're being thrown against the wall, a machine gun of some caliber pressed into my back. While the gunman searched and groped his way down my body, finding nothing, he lifted my dress.
Duncan watched; he was boiling underneath. I didn't move. Duncan and I made eye contact, and I shook my head no; then he reacted.
Duncan threw the man down and was shot as he turned around. He fought it, struggling to stay on his feet. After two more shots, Duncan dropped to the floor. Tears were burning my eyes and streaming down my face. Everything shrank into the background. At the back corner of my mind, I could feel the gunman still behind me.
Nora tensed.
There were two loud footsteps, and the gunman was sent crashing into a table. She turned around, and they were surrounded - ten ninjas in all-black bodysuits wielding blades of various sizes.
The suits were all staring at the gunmen with their swords drawn. They attacked all at once, leaving the gunmen in pieces before vanishing. I looked around, and everyone was panicking and running for the exits. Afterwards, I dropped to my knees and cried over Duncan's dead body. -
"Uhh.... Nora. Thank you for sharing, but we have other members that need their time to talk. Thank you so much."
Clapping echoed around the circle, that was the first time she'd felt like that; since the robbery. Accepted! It felt good to get the truth out. It's been two years since Duncan died.
"I'm gonna go get some water." Nora walked out and left the building. She was wearing: a purple jacket with cheetah print on the front and black denim. Her black curls swayed in the wind as it picked up. It was late. She cut through the park on the way to her parents' house.
They've seen plenty of the black bodysuits since then, also the reason I moved out. Nightmares triggered them to spawn all over the house, making sure it's safe. After a while, they'd disappear as if nothing happened. The real reason I moved out and into my own apartment is that it was better for me to have my space.
Nora put in her headphones and followed the dirt pathway. Indie banged through the earbuds as she stomped across the ground in her buckled platform wedges. She stopped on a small bridge and bounced several times. As she walked off, an object move in the corner of her eye. She continued down the dirt path, pressing the up button on the volume as she danced away. A branch snapped and fell, landing to the right of her. She stopped and looked at the branch; then looked up, searching the area. There was nothing. She continued, but the dancing stopped, she was focused.
Nora had this weird feeling come over her, like someone was watching. The ominous drums pounded away; overpowering her own reason. Her breath was quick and shallow as the hair stood up on her arms. She counted down from five under her breath then spun around, ready to catch someone. There was no one there; she looked to the left and right before turning back around. She caught a glimpse of someone coming fast, and it was too late for a reaction.
She yelped at a man casually jogged by two suits appeared beside her. Their eyes scoured the area in a steely glare that took everything in. She ripped the earbuds from her ears, the leaves rattled as the wind blew, blowing her curls back and forth. Cars passed beside the park, and strangers were all throughout it. The suits turned and looked at her. Nora fished her phone out of her pocket, a horror soundtrack mix an hour long was playing.
Frustration pierced her brow; Nora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her phone screamed at her, and she opened it.
Incoming call, she answered, it was her mom, reminding her about family night. I'm on the way she told her. You better be! Mom said.
Nora calmed down and begin to laugh as she walked away. The park came to an end shortly after, and she caught a lift to a store near her parent's home. She bought a beverage then walked behind the store until she found the trail she used when she was younger. It was pretty much a straight shot from there. She came out of the trail looking at the front of the house. Nora crossed the street, walked into the house and closed the door.
"Hey sweetie!" Her mom walked in and called her dad from upstairs.
"Here." Nora smiled and handed her the photo. Her mom was dressed in sweats, ready for a night curled on the couch.
"Aww... my little bronze baby... next to all these strangers."
"The group really helps mom."
Her mom hugged her," You know what else helps...food. I'll fix you a plate then we can watch a movie. Close the door." She said then walked off to the kitchen.
Nora turned around and eyed the door suspiciously, she went to close it, and she saw a shadow. She peaked out of the door and was suddenly launched forward onto the lawn. She landed on her stomach then rolled to a stop. Nora got up off the ground and looked at the front door; it was still open.
"What the -"
Nora saw a woman on top of the neighbor's house, staring back at her. The woman disappeared and reappeared in front of Nora. She wore a two-piece swimsuit equipped with armor that covered her limbs. She was slim and curvy; her upper body was covered in tattoos as they climbed up her neck. Her cheekbones were high and her dark brown skin was fair.
The woman looked down on Nora, "You are indeed her granddaughter." She said with a heavy African accent.
The woman circled around Nora, "Who are you?" Nora asked.
"I'm Beatrice, an enemy of your grandmother's."
Three suits appeared, swords-drawn in front of Nora, the woman laughed!
"You don't have to worry about me; I just want to talk to you. Things you don't understand are about to happen; this is your warning. History repeats itself young Nora, you're just like her. Ugh!"
"Why are you warning me? And What's coming?" Nora asked.
"This is a courtesy, my respects to your grandmother. You might want to send your parents away; they will be here in the morning." She said.
A tattoo on her neck glowed then she disappeared. Nora turned to the house. Her mom and dad were standing in the doorway watching. Her mom rushed to hug her, "Nora, are you okay!?"
Nora studied her parents; they had this strange calmness about them. She thought back, In the months after Duncan's death, multiple supernatural people would make contact with her. She's fought battles and came out unscathed, but never had she been warned about someone coming.
Nora was quiet as her parents rushed her inside the house. Dad grabbed his shotgun, and mom had her handgun.
"Hey! What are you gonna do?"
They ignored her question and continued their preparations. Dad went down into the basement and brought up two prepacked suitcases and took them to the garage. While mom grabbed food and other essentials, Nora stood in her way.
"Mom! What's going on!? Tell me what you know!" Nora demanded.
"I know that people came after my mom, when I was younger. She said it was a manhunt; now they want you. we're leaving. As soon as your dad finishes then we'll stop by your apartment so you can grab some things."
Her dad walked back and forth from the house to the garage, loading up the truck, ready for a future on the run.
"Why are they after me?" Nora asked.
"Sweetie, don't play dumb; I raised you. Ask your friends, they know all of it." Nora's mom went to the truck then returned.
Nora stopped her again, "When I was younger, Grandma was over, and we were playing inside the house. Later in the middle of the movie, she had to go. In the reflection of the tv, I saw her disappear in a purple glow."
"So? You saw her use her powers plenty of times, although you probably just thought it was all your imagination."
"What is she?"
"I'll tell you in the truck."
Nora looked at the suits, and they shook their heads no.
Dad had finished packing the truck and was coming to pack them in as well, rushing them into the garage. Nora got into the backseat and dad opened the garage. The suits were standing beside her window, looking down on her with their judgmental expressions. She looked away, she didn't like the feeling of running away, and the suits would never let her live it down. Her dad begins backing out when Nora reached forward and hugged her mom from the seat behind. After which, she kissed her dad on the cheek.
"I'm not going." She said, sliding out of the back seat and closing the door. Her mom almost leapt out of the window, trying to grab her.
"I'm not running anymore! I won't be hunted. The suits stepped forward and stopped her mom from getting out of the truck. They insisted she buckles up for safety. Nora made them disappear; then her parents got out of the truck. She hugged them again.
"They hunted grandma, and now they're hunting us. It ends here. My family won't be hunted anymore. I'm gonna stop them."
"We're staying too." Her mom said.
"No, you're not. Listen, I love you both, but you have to leave now. This isn't time to play hero, if they catch you, they will kill you or use you to get to me."
The color drained from her mom's face as she held onto Nora. "Nora." She pleaded.
"I have to do this. But you both have to be safe, to do that, you have to leave. I'll be fine. You should know that you raised me, didn't you?!"
Her mom let out a smile, "Okay baby."
Nora walked her mom back to the truck then walked to the driver side; her dad stood beside the door. As she approached, he kissed her on the forehead.
"Nora protect yourself. I love you! I'll let you know if we have any trouble." He said, looking her in the eye before turning and getting into the truck.
"I love you too!" She called after them.
Nora summoned two suits, "Make sure they make it safely." The suits nodded, then hopped on the back of the truck and disappeared. The look her dad had given her lingered in her mind. She followed the car's headlights until they were out of sight then continued to stand there.
Hope you enjoyed chapter 1.
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