Love and Hate

Chapter 4

Figure of The Night

Victoria walked out to the back paddock to where she had been the last time when she was riding Country Boy. She had her shot gun with her and her warm coat. It was chilly out for November. It usually didn't get that way until right when Christmas came. She looked toward the woods a head of her. She wanted to go out there and make sure there was nothing there that could bring harm to her horses. She went out the pasture gate and secured it behind her. Gingerly, she walked into the woods. The trail she was walking down was covered in branches and leaves. It was hard walking on such slippery ground. It didn't snow there, but the dew and rain would make ground in the woods difficult to walk on.

Victoria noticed something laying on a log. She approached it carefully and when she came closer to get a good enough view of what it was, she gasped in surprise. It was a coyote. It was sliced open and his meat was gone. His organs were still there, but whatever had eaten it, must have been looking for something like the muscles. It smelled really bad. It looked as though it had only been dead for a day or two. Vicky couldn't think of any animal that could do this to a coyote. She held her rifle ready and walked on. She was looking around carefully, but she suddenly felt eyes upon her. She looked around, trying to find someone or something that would give her that feeling, but she couldn't see or hear anything.

Then there was a loud crack as a branch was broken. She turned to see a figure running off. She didn't know what to do, so she raised the gun and took a shot. She missed the thing by an inch. Getting frustrated, she took off after it. It was fast, whatever it was, but she didn't give in. It disappeared into a darker part of the woods. She fired again and stopped. She looked around, but saw nothing. Suddenly, she felt something fly by her head and she looks to see an extremely sharp spear like weapon pierce the tree right next to her face. She screamed in fright and was going to fire again, but she lost her footing and slipped down a hillside. She screamed in horror as she came closer to the darker part of the woods where the thing had gone. She made it to the bottom and hit a log. Pain cursed through her when she tried to get up and she had the wind knocked out of her so it was hard for to get up. She saw the figure at the top of the hill retrieve its weapon and then come toward her. She could feel the cold of his stare. Suddenly, things became blurry and within seconds, everything went black.

Cam was looking at her books and poetry of Michealangelo and also at the very expensive painting she had bought of his a while back. There was a bright moon in the black sky, with sparkling little stars doting the sky. There were dark blue waters with rushing white waves and a cliff that went half way around the cove. She looked at it, but then noticed something she hadn't before. There was a figure on the cliff. She had never noticed it before, but she could see some type of body. She came closer to the painting and looked at it. It was like a man except . . . green. It had a red mask over it's eyes and a shell on his back. That was odd. To Cam it looked almost like a turtle. She laughed softly to herself and wondered why the artist put it there. She knew that he was responsible for helping her and getting her ruled not guilty in the trail.

" Maybe I should pay him a visit." She said to herself. She knew he lived in Florida, but he was staying at a hotel. No one had ever seen him without his mask and coats, she wondered if she could.

Leonardo sat at the table in April's apartment and sipped his coffee. Donatello was usually the one to drink it, but for a while he had been doing so himself. April came and sat next to him and looked at him. There was a distance in his eyes and she wanted to know what it was. He wasn't one for talking about how he felt anymore, and he had clammed up, almost like Raphael.

Leonardo looked at April and knew he had to tell her about Raphael's sai that he had found in the water. He remembered that she and Raphael had been somewhat close since he saved her life from the foot clan. That was many years ago. April had been so shocked when she came back to find everything in shambles. She hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to anyone. He looked into her soft eyes and heaved a sigh.

" Ya know. I went to the east coast yesterday." He said softly. She knew where he was talking about. She was all too familiar with the place. She had gone there after Raphael had jumped and stood on the cliff just starring out at the ocean.

" I went into the water where Raph . . . fell. Um . . . I find one of his sais." April looked at him.

" Did you find the other one or a sign of his body?"

" No . . . one sai was all that was left."

" Maybe."

" No." Leo cut her off. He knew what she was going to say and he didn't want her to hope for something like that.

" I know what your thinking. But the ocean took him out. He's gone April. I'm sorry." She could see the pain in his eyes and knew that he had really cared for Raphael even though they did fight over the smallest things. She felt the tears stream down her cheeks and then felt Leo embrace her. Casey was standing by the doorway and had over heard it, but he didn't say anything. He just walked out again. Raphael and him used to be best friends and when he found out about Raph's suicide, he had cursed out all his anger and damned his friend. But deep inside, he knew that he wished he was back and that Raph hadn't done what he did. They never really talked to Don or Mike either. Everything was lost when Splinter and Raph died. Things just weren't the same.

Victoria's eyes fluttered open slowly. She looked around groggily, but she felt as though she couldn't move at that moment. She was in some type of cave and there was a fire burning nicely in front of her. She had an old blanket covering her, but it didn't do much good with all the holes in it. She slowly and carefully sat up. Her back must be bruised. Then she realized that she had no top on. She looked around for her shirt and jacket, but didn't see it. Her shotgun wasn't there either. When she looked in front of her, there was a figure in the shadows, but she could see the gleams of its eyes on her. She scooted away slowly and the figure made no move to stop her.

" Who are you?" She asked quietly. It tilted his head and glared at her, but didn't answer. His stare burned into her and she felt afraid and helpless. She turned away and starred into the fire. She was beginning to wish she hadn't came out there or fired her gun at it. But she wanted so much to protect her horses. Then the figure moved to a corner where it sat down. It remained in the shadows and starred at her intensely.

" Why am I here?" She asked without looking at him. He just starred at her. She narrowed her eyes at him.

" I have to get home. So where are my clothes?" The figure looked at her fiercely.

" Your clothes were torn badly when you fell. They won't do you no good." He said coldly. It was obvious that it was a man, but who?

" What do you want with me?" She heard him laugh softly. She didn't like the way it sounded either.

" You shot at me, you bitch!" He said, suddenly angry. She turned to him in shock at his words.

" Well . . . I didn't know who or what you were. I wanted to protect my horses."

" Horses!?!? You shot at me for a bunch of horses?!"

" Yes I did!! Those horses are worth millions and I don't like no one unauthorized near them!"

He glared at her coldly.

" Don't yell at me!"

" Fuck you!" She yelled. Suddenly, he lunged forward with his spear like weapon in hand. It hit the rock wall hard next to her and she found him on top of her pinning her down. The only thing she could see was the gleam in his eyes.

" What did I tell you?" She pulled one hand free and took a punch at his chest. Pain cursed through her hand and she withdrew quickly. Tears of fear and pain came to her eyes and she couldn't bring herself to meet with his.

" Please leave me alone." She whimpered. He laughed at her, but didn't let her go. She then realized what his hands felt like on her wrists. Strong and rough. Probably strong enough to break her neck, she worried. She wondered what the hard thing was that she had hit when she punched him.

" Who are you?" He looked at her closely.

" Someone you shouldn't have shot at." He growled.

" I'm sorry already!!!" She yelled as tears streamed her face.

" Oh poor baby is crying." He teased. Then she saw his eyes grow serious.

" I hate you humans!" He growled before backing away from her and sitting back where he was.

She starred at him in disbelief. Us humans?

" What do you mean by that?"

" Exactly what I said! Didn't you understand plain English? ? !"

" But you said 'us humans'. Aren't you human . . . too?" She looked at him and waited for an answer. He laughed at her again.

" Please . . . if I was, I would have killed myself long ago."

" Then what are you?" He stood and came toward her again. She backed up slightly, but when he came into the flame's light, she gasped.