Jocelyn, Travis, and Valeria walked into a town. People stared at the trio in awe and disgust. Jocelyn leaned over to Travis.
"Wow, I'm glad we're popular," she whispered.
Travis smiled and leaned over to Valeria. "Is it always this way?"
"Pretty much," she said, pulling up a hood to conceal her face. "You should do the same."
Travis reached over and pulled up his hood. However, Jocelyn did not have a hood and was forced to walk about, showing her identity. Valeria glared at Jocelyn.
"Don't you have anything to cover up that face of yours?"
"No. Why?"
"Because people don't trust strangers."
"Oh and I'm sure that walking around with my face covered is going to help the situation. No way."
A demon jumped off a nearby roof and landed in front of Jocelyn. Senses buzzing, she looked at the stranger. The figure was tall and wore a black cloak. As Jocelyn studied, she could see the stranger was a woman. Her hair was blood red and she had purple eyes that pierced Jocelyn with hatred. She stood defiantly before Jocelyn.
"Charmaine!" she demanded.
"Suit yourself," Valeria whispered to Jocelyn.
Jocelyn looked around, then back to the woman. She pointed at herself. "Who? Me?"
"Yes you, Charmaine. I'm not stupid. So don't play innocent with me!"
Jocelyn sighed. Bummer. She stepped into her defiant stance, ready for action if needed. "You're smarter than you look."
"And you're dumber than you look."
Burn. Jocelyn smiled.
"State your business and be on your way."
The lady's face twisted in a scowl that Jocelyn supposed was supposed to be a smirk. She ripped off her cloak, revealing a skin tight suit with deep red armor. Jocelyn and the others stared at her. "I'm not here for business, Charmaine. I'm here to kill you!"
Jocelyn looked back at Travis and Valeria. "Hey, guys, I'd appreciate you to stay out of this," she whispered. She turned back to face her attacker. But the woman in red was gone. Dread settled over Jocelyn. "Well that's not good."
The woman appeared a second later, jumping off a roof to tackle Jocelyn. Jocelyn's senses were able to warn her with just enough time to allow her to step out of the way. The woman landed on her feet and was already moving to attack Jocelyn again. Jocelyn, unable to pull her sword from her cane, brandished the whole cane like a sword. The woman drew a whip and attacked. Jocelyn leaped away from the charging whip as it split a wooden barrell in two. This is going to be harder than I thought. The whip snaked its way around Jocelyn's ankle and pulled her to the ground. She was then drug towards the woman. When the woman was standing over her, she drew a knife. Jocelyn pushed her cane between the woman's eyes.
The woman stumbled backwards and Jocelyn quickly got to her feet. She charged at the woman again who had just barely recovered. Jocelyn brought the wooden cane across the woman's stomach, then lashed out at the back of her knees. The woman fell to her knees. In one lightning-like motion, she tore off the sheath and held the blade under the woman's chin. She stared down at her.
"Why do you want to kill me?"
She grinned evilly. "He's watching you."
Jocelyn's breath caught. She certainly had no idea of who "he" was, but the way the woman said it turned Jocelyn's blood to ice. The woman cackled and drew a knife. She plunged it into her own stomach. Jocelyn watched in horror.
"You may have killed my brother, but you did not kill me!"
She dropped forward, dead. Jocelyn, still dumbfounded, gaped at the dead body. A knot of fear and dread formed in her chest. In that moment, Jocelyn realized how hard it would be to stay alive when pretty much all the demons were somehow tied to one Jocelyn had killed. We're screwed. Finding herself again, she picked up her sheath and returned the sword to it. It was now a harmless looking cane again. When Travis and Valeria came up to her, she realized that the crowd had shied away from the trio.
"Are you all right? You've looked like you've seen a ghost," Travis said.
"I'm fine. But I'm thinking that the evil already knows we're here."
"God! Why did Mendoza set you on this assignment? He's knows as well as I that this kind of mission isn't meant for someone with a reputation like you! We'll be lucky to get to the next town alive."
"Hey, man. I'm not doing this on purpose."
"Oh no. But you couldn't handle things quietly. You just start to fight in the middle of the friggin' street!"
"But I bet you would do the same thing."
"Whatever."
"Whatever yourself."
"Hey guys. Let's just go find somewhere quiet to discuss our next move," Travis interjected.
Jocelyn sighed and kept her eyes on Valeria. They nodded and followed Valeria into a dark alley. They found the cleanest and most comfortable spot to sit and plopped down. Jocelyn looked at the fuming Valeria.
"Look, we need to pull together. If this is going to succeed, we need to work together. That's the last thing we want is this "He" to know that we don't trust each other."
"Easy for you to say," Valeria snapped.
"You know what, I'm really getting tired of your attitude. Why are you so bitter towards me?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"I'm a paranormal hunter. Try me." Valeria just sighed irritably and rolled her eyes. "Okay. Sorry I asked."
"All right fine. You want to know?"
"Maybe I do."
"Your father killed me!"
"What?"
"You heard me."
"That's impossible."
"No it isn't."
"Why?"
"Because for all you know he could be dead. But he's not all right? At least the last time I saw him he wasn't."
Jocelyn felt as if she had just taken a cold shower. My dad? Alive? It's impossible. I would of found him by now. She looked at Valeria.
"How long ago was that?"
"Let's say you weren't even thought of yet."
Holy crap! That had to be at least 25 years ago! And Valeria doesn't look to be more than my age. But that doesn't make sense. She has to be lying. Unless what Mendoza said is true. That Valeria had died and now she's alive. But I didn't think any human had the power to do that. But I've been wrong before.
Jocelyn looked at her feet. "And let me guess, since you're alive again, you want revenge?" Valeria nodded. Jocelyn put her head in her hands. "And I'm the only known Charmaine left," she whispered.
Valeria sighed. Travis shifted. Jocelyn leaned her head against the wall and stared up at the sky. She smiled weakly and shook her head to herself. And you shall pay for your family's sins until the honor is restored. Man, am I in trouble now.
Silence settled around the three. Valeria shifted.
"Look, Jocelyn-"
"No. I've got quite a history of paying for sins not of my own. This is just one more. If you want to kill me, fine. But at least wait until the mission is over with."
Valeria stood up. "I am sorry for your troubles," she said and walked away.
"What's with her?" Travis asked.
"I don't know," Jocelyn sighed as she put her head back in her hands. She could feel the pressure of staying alive mount up on her.
"What's with you?"
"Nothing."
"Oh come on. If it makes you feel any better, I'm not out to kill you."
"Well, you're one of the few, my friend. One of the few."
Travis stood up. "Come on. I was really going for that bonding time. We should go find Valeria and bond some more."
"I've had all the bonding I can take for one day."
"Whatever. Let's go."
"Fine," she sighed, standing up.
A scream came from the distance of the street. Jocelyn and Travis looked at one another, nodded, and ran to the street. The crowd of demons and people had shied away from one spot in the street, forming a circle. Jocelyn and Travis tried to push their way through, but were pushed back by desperate demons. Irritated, Jocelyn took out her hook shot and fired it to the nearest roof. Once it caught in a beam, she hoisted herself up on the roof. She turned around to hand the rope to Travis, but he was already leaping into the air. He landed beside her.
"Wow," he burst. "I've never done that before."
"Great. Let's go!"
Jocelyn ran along the roof tops until she was straight across from the circle of people. A man was standing in the center of the circle. Or at least, Jocelyn thought it was a man. He was dressed in torn clothing. He turned to Jocelyn and Travis. His skin was a deathly gray and his skin seemed to be rotting away. Jocelyn almost threw up, but she willed her empty stomach to calm. He smiled, showing yellowed teeth. Jocelyn couldn't help but turn to Travis and make a disgusted face. Things that make you go uuuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhhhh.
"Charmaine," it said in a deep, monsterous voice. Jocelyn could barely understand it.
"Yes?"
"God, for once can you play stupid?" Travis whispered.
"This guy is not stupid and not to be messed with. Look at the person lying at his feet."
A body lay at an odd angle at the man's feet. His skin was rotted over his bones as if someone had literally sucked the life from him. It was like a mummy that Jocelyn had seen in Egypt once. Jocelyn shivered in disgust. Jocelyn could sense Travis throw up in his mouth. Assuming that he was really going to lose it, she stepped away from Travis. But he swallowed and calmed himself.
The man on the street below lauhed. The hair on the back of Jocelyn's neck stood up. Man, that's creepy. She shook herself and stood taller.
"What do you want?"
"We've been looking for you."
"Let me guess, you want to kill me?"
The man's grin got even bigger at the word kill. He opened his mouth and let out a terrible shriek. It was like nails on a chalkboard combined with the sound of silverware scraping on plates. A jolt of pain climbed up Jocelyn's back before she had the wit to cover her ears. Travis, being a weretiger, had more sensitive ears. He covered his ears and cried out in pain. He stumbled and fell on the roof, then slid off. Hoover Dam! It's a friggin Banshee wannabe. Jocelyn wandered a few steps closer to the edge. She slipped and fell off the roof.
She landed on her feet and stumbled. Her eyes were almost crossing from the racket this man was making. The crowd was also screaming in pain and covering their ears. Half of the crowd was on the ground. Jocelyn stumbled towards the man. As she got closer to the man, the intensity increased. Jocelyn fell to her knees ten feet from the man. A loud ringing became present in her head as the shrilly notes penetrated her head. Jocelyn finally let out a cry. Dizzy, in pain, and fed up, Jocelyn risked a quick grab for a vile of holy water. She chucked it at the man and quickly replaced her hand. The man caught the vile neatly in his hand. F'n'A! God, this guy is stupid!
The man started towards her. The pitch heightened, as did her level of pain. She fell onto her back as the man came within three feet. Jocelyn was crying in pain. Tears came to her eyes as she held them tightly shut. She writhed in pain on the ground. The man reached out towards her. His rotted hand curled around Jocelyn's throat, stifling her cries and cutting off her oxygen. The man lifted Jocelyn's face until it was an inch from his. Jocelyn opened her eyes to see his mouth become wider. A new wave of higher pitches ran through her head. She could almost feel her life slipping away as the pain increased.
Jocelyn shut her eyes again, unable to bear the pain. The next thing she knew, her throat had been released and she was laying on the ground. The shrill had stopped. Jocelyn could not feel any part of her body. Too exhausted to open her eyes, she passed out.
Jocelyn opened her eyes to see Travis and Valeria standing over her. She looked dumbly up at them. "Where am I?"
"In the middle of the street," Valeria said.
"Man, we thought you were a goner. I've never seen anyone take that much from a Banshee."
"By rights, you should be dead," Valeria put in. "Someone up their likes you."
"Yeah right," she said with difficulty as she sat up. "If anything, the people 'up there' like to watch me suffer."
She looked around. The mummy like man lay in the street and the Banshee lay five feet from Jocelyn in a heap of ashes. That was a close one.
"What happened?"
Travis looked to Valeria.
"I shut him up," she said, smiling.
Jocelyn stared at her in awe. "What? Sue told him to shut up?" Jocelyn said loudly.
Valeria rolled her eyes. "No. I shut him up!"
Jocelyn stared at Valeria for a minute. Then, "Oh!" She laughed. "I think I've gone a bit deaf after that."
"I know."
"What?"
Travis helped her to her feet. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
"Travis, your lips are moving but no words are coming out."
"Then- read- his- lips- you- moron!" Valeria screamed in her ear.
Jocelyn pulled away and stuck a finger in her ear. "Relax, Valeria, I'm not deaf!"
Valeria threw up her hands in defeat and walked away.
"What's with her?" Jocelyn yelled to Travis.
Travis just shook his head, slung Jocelyn's bag over his shoulder, and began ushering Jocelyn after Valeria. Jocelyn was slightly dazed still and it showed in her speech. She continued yelling questions at Travis, who refused to answer questions. Valeria led them out of town that came into a forest. Here the trees were lush green and it was hot and humid. Exotic birds flew overhead. Jocelyn looked up at them and wondered what they were. She fired a few more questions at Travis, before Valeria whirled around and slapped Jocelyn across the face.
"What is wrong with you?" she screamed. "Do you want to get us killed? Can't you shut up for just one second?"
Jocelyn stared at Valeria, then she looked around. "Dude, shut up. Do you want the whole entire forest knowing where we are?" Valeria balled up her fist, ready to punch Jocelyn in the face. "Hang on a second. Here's the plan. I'm still a little disoriented from the attack. I'll shut up for the rest of the trip until my hearing returns. After all, it can't be permanent right?"
"Thank you God!"
The trio continued on until dusk. Amazingly, they had hardly any trouble with attacking demons. Thanks to Jocelyn's "brilliant" plan, no one had bothered them much. Valeria found a perfect spot to spend the night and began making a spot for the three to sleep. Sweat poured off the three's foreheads. There would be no need for a fire. Travis, who had not let Jocelyn walk on her own since the town, sat her down. Jocelyn wsa beginning to get worried as her hearing seemed to be worsening. Holy crap! If this doesn't get any better, my hunting days will be over. Man, of all things, why did it have to be my ears? I mean, come on! Cripple the hunter right away. Fairies. She stretched her legs out as Travis plopped down beside her."Are you feeling better?"
Getting better at reading lips, she nodded. He seemed to be thrilled that she actually understood him without yelling at him, but Valeria was not fooled so easily. She crouched in front of Jocelyn.
"Is it getting worse?"
"What?"
"That answers my question."
Travis turned to Valeria. "Worse? How can it get worse?"
"That kind of attack from a Banshee has profound effects on people's hearing. Especially like that."
"I seen that as the Banshee got closer, Jocelyn got weaker."
"Yes. That's because the Banshee uses their voice as a way to draw the life from someone. Kind of like a vampire but not that physical."
"So it's not the typical Banshee you hear about in fairy tales?"
"No. Not even close. In fact, nothing in the stories is even close to the real thing."
Feeling left out, Jocelyn tried to push her way into the conversation.
"I know you guys are talking about me. What's going on? Why am I not getting better?"
"Because you should of died," a man said, stepping out of the shadows beside the group.
And there is chapter three! Hope you liked it.
Chapter 1