1. My Eighteenth Birthday
♦ 1. My Eighteenth Birthday ♦
I was brought up in to thinking they were the enemy.
In order to survive, they had to die.
That's how my mom died; ripped to shreds by these insane creatures.
My father pushed my training even harder, and soon, I learned to be a killer just like him.
Even so, I could never make myself kill another living creature even if they were supernatural. Seeing the light leave their eyes as their souls left their bodies... just the thought made me want to vomit.
That's what made me different, despite my genes, I was not a hunter and I knew I never would be. But, my father didn't need to know that.
My kindness would be my downfall, my enemy would become my family, and my family would become my killers.
|Rosalie Burns|
April 3rd, 2015
8:57am
Well this was a fantastic way to start off my eighteenth birthday.
My father had just come into my room announcing the details of the hunt I would be going on tonight. How exciting; as an eighteen year old that's exactly what I wanted as a birthday present; a solo mission. Well I wouldn't be completely alone, my team would be there with me, but the actual act would be done by me and me alone.
See, I come from a long line of hunters. The Burns Family is the oldest and most respected family in the hunter world. But we don't hunt your usual game, oh no, we had to go after the supernatural type; the favourites being the werewolves/ shifters. My entire life had been dedicated to the hunter way of life; every secret, every weapon, every supernatural species has been in grained in me since I was a child. Now that I was eighteen, and the only heir of the Burns family, there were certain duties I was meant to follow. The first was bringing home my first kill.
Anyone under the age of eighteen is unauthorized to go on a hunt and kill. The first seventeen years of life is dedicated to training. Then once you're legal; BAM- you're expected to bring home your first kill in order to be accepted into the hunter community. So in short; being a hunter really sucked.
Being a Burns was even worse; I had the highest expectations and was set to attack the Lunar Eclipse Pack- they were the strongest pack in Canada and the U.S combined. There was a nagging inside of me that told me that this was not going to go well. If I went, I would be making a big mistake. I sighed as I fell back against my bed; I stared at the white stucco ceiling, maybe I'd find my answers in the small specs.
I wished there was some way for me to get out of it, but once immersed in the supernatural it's hard to leave. Besides, I couldn't do that to my dad. We had already lost my mom a few years ago, and he still wasn't completely over it. If he lost me too, I don't think he would be able to handle it. My father went on a slight downward spiral when mom died; he became an alcoholic for three years. Those were some pretty tough years to survive, my dad was never physically abusive, but the verbal abuse he used to give himself was substantial. He blamed himself, he still does, but now he's gotten better.
I shook my head, those were memories I didn't want to think about. I needed something to take my mind off of things. I stood from my bed and walked out of my room, as I passed my full length mirror I paused to evaluate myself. Yup, still the same girl I was yesterday. I was still in my pyjamas, shorts and a t-shirt, while my hair resembled a beautiful bird's nest, and I had bags under my eyes from the sleepless night I had. I quickly rubbed my eyes to get the eye boogers out from the corners and ran a hand through my hair in order to get out some of the knots. I shrugged, whatever, no one was going to be here besides my dad.
I moved from the mirror and into the long hallway. Our house had been in my family for generations. It was large, like a mansion, with one too many rooms. My room was on the second floor and there were two more above me, plus the downstairs and the basement. I passed the wall full of paintings, each came from a different era. When I reached the winding staircase, I did what any normal new adult would do; I walked down the stairs until I was halfway down, then, I began to slide down the railing. My hands gripped the old wood and I hopped onto the rail. It was a smooth sail downwards, and as I let myself go, I felt the first string of happiness I did all day. My laughter echoed through the halls, the sound vibrated through the empty rooms. My ride didn't last too long, and when I found myself closer to the bottom, I quickly hopped off the railing before I could crash into the floor.
I landed on the wooden floor with a small, "Oomph," and let out another small laugh. I ran my fingers through my hair again as I walked toward the kitchen. There was nobody in there so I knew my father was either in the weapons room or his study. I was in the mood for a milkshake, preferably one made of strawberries and chocolate. I moved around the kitchen and collected the necessary ingredients for my morning milkshake. It wasn't long until the familiar, and loud, thrum of the blender filled the room. My hand pressed against the plastic top so it wouldn't fly up. I watched as the different ingredients became one delicious drink in the blender.
I poured the drink into my favourite travel mug; it was decked out in a cherry blossom design. I made a move to sit on one of the island chairs, but just as my backside connected with the chair, a leather bound velvet bag slid across the marble counter toward me. My eyes widened as I recognized the familiar crest branded on the bag; the aged silver colour in a picture of a moon with a dagger stabbed in the center of it. My eyes snapped upward toward my father, the happiness was practically radiating off his body. I raised a hand and brushed against the worn leather. I knew what was in here; my heart rate accelerated and as did my nerves. This was exciting, yet completely frightening.
"Dad, is this...?" My voice trailed off as my fingers played with the frayed knots on the ends. My dad laughed and nodded his head on confirmation. The smile on his face made my insides squirm. Inside this bag was the family heirloom. It has been passed down from generation to generation. It's supposed to go to the first born son of each Burns generation, but after my mom died my dad didn't remarry nor did he have any other children. My hands shook as my hands grasped the velvet material, slowly, I pried open the aged knots and reached my hand inside.
My fingers brushed over the cool metal until I was met with sa smooth wooden handle. My hand grasped the item and I slowly brought it out. In my hand I held the family dagger. It was made of silver mixed with wolfs bane and a bit of werewolf poison. The blade was sharp, and shined as it reflected my shocked expression back onto me. My fingers gripped the wooden handle; I could feel the small engravings on the wood dig into my skin. I let out a small breath; I knew what this meant. This dagger brought the responsibility of becoming the head of the family; it would be my turn to plan the attacks, lead the trainers and decide what jailers would live and which would die.
"I... wow, dad, this is... wow," I had no words as I stared at the metal in front of me. I felt my dad move until he was next to me. My eyes flickered over to him and he looked so proud as I held the dagger in my hand that I just didn't know what to say.
"I know honey, you're surprised, but I really do think you're ready for the responsibility that comes along with the dagger. I'll retire in a few years and there is no one else I would want to become head of the family after me," my dad said as he pressed a kiss to the side of my head.
I smiled nervously, "Thanks dad," I murmured. I didn't know that else to say, I couldn't tell him the truth; that would just break him. He was my dad, and I knew that I wanted to make him proud.
"You've grown into such a beautiful young lady and a skilled hunter. There is nothing else I could ask for in a daughter. I know that if your mother was here today, she would be extremely proud of you," he said. I sighed inwardly; he played the mom card. I watched as my dad's eyes began to take that far-away look that happened whenever my mom was mentioned.
On the outside I tried to be the epitome of cool, but on the inside I was anything but. What I wanted was to throw the dagger to the other side of the room. This dagger had the power to kill even the strongest of magical creatures; especially werewolves. I knew I couldn't handle the responsibility he was giving me, but one look at his face and I knew that it was something I needed to accept. No matter how much I wanted to get out of this life; it wasn't possible. I was stuck, I had people who counted on me and I couldn't bring myself to leave my dad all alone.
My dad was in his mid-forties. He had dark black hair that was beginning to grey, and wrinkles that formed around his eyes. He had been hunting his entire life so he was pretty physically fit, but was beginning to get a slight beer belly. I had inherited his dark hair, but my eyes were from my mother; a bright piercing blue. I wished my mother was still here; I missed the talks she used to have with me and the advice that only a mother could give.
"Dad, I don't know what to say..." I said; a part of me was beginning to feel a little shy about the whole thing. I placed the dagger back onto the bag and quickly turned toward my father. I forced a smile onto my features and gave him a hug. I pressed my face into his familiar embrace and breathed in his cologne. I felt my heart drop as I realized; tonight I would be officially become a killer.
"It's okay honey, I know. Go on upstairs and get dressed, we have preparations to take care of," he said and placed another kiss on my forehead. "I love you pumpkin." He smiled brightly.
I stood from the chair and grabbed my cup, along with the dagger. "I love you too dad," I replied with another tight smile before leaving the kitchen. My feet padded against the wood in quick little steps, and I took the stairs two at a time in order to get to my room faster. Once I closed the door behind me, I was able to let out a small little breath of relief. I placed the cup onto my desk and put the dagger back into the bag. I held the bag in my palm before gently placing it onto another table I had full of weapons and other hunter gear.
My finger traced along the back of one of my guns. I may not have been a killer, but I really did enjoy training. I loved learning how to use different weapons; my personal favourites were the guns, crossbows, and knives. When I trained, the number one place you could find me was at the target boards. I loved the feeling I got when I hit the mark I was aiming for; there really wasn't anything like it. My weapons were used as a means of relieving stress; how could I use them once they were tainted with the blood of an innocent?
I felt something went drip onto my chin. I blinked and quickly rubbed my hand to my face, I realized I had been crying. I shook my head and sighed; it was time for me to grow up. I had been living in a fantasy land thinking I would somehow get out of the hunter's life. I was eighteen now and I knew that it was time I accepted my role in this family.
I ran my fingers through my hair and quickly tied it into a pony tail at the top of my head. I moved toward my closet and I changed into a pair of black track pants and a grey form fitting work out shirt. I then grabbed my gun from my weapon's table and placed it onto the holster on my waist, I also grabbed my bow and a couple of arrows. My eyes hovered over the dagger, I contemplated on whether I should take it or not. I shook my head and left my room; not yet, I didn't want to use it just yet.
But tonight, tonight I would.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
|Rosalie Burns|
April 3rd, 2015
3:37pm
BAM, BAM, BAM... BAM!
I breathed deeply as I took my shots at the target board. Two hit the ring just outside the bull's-eye and two hit it straight on. I was getting rusty; or maybe it was because of nerves. My head whipped around when I heard two sharp raps against the door. I took the earplugs out of my ears just as my dad descended down the stairs.
"Rosalie? Are you still down here?" he questioned. When his eyes found me he gave me an unimpressed look. I retaliated with a sheepish smile. My dad sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, a small smile played on his lips as he moved toward me.
"Ah, sorry dad, I just wanted a few last minute practice shots," I lied; I turned back to my equipment and reloaded my weapons quickly.
My dad chuckled, "It's all right, but you have a little over an hour to get dressed," he told me. I looked over at the clock on the side and saw it was almost four o'clock. I was surprised; I didn't know I had been down here for six hours.
I nodded my head, "Okay, I'm just going to shower, I'll be downstairs at the house in an hour or so," I said. I gave my dad a hug before rushing up the stairs, I grabbed an extra weapons bag and placed my stuff into it (I have no clue why I didn't think to bring one earlier). I had been practicing in the warehouse we had on our property, my dad had turned it into a private training house for us. It wasn't too far from the house, maybe a 15 minute walk or a five minute run- I decided to run.
I made it to the house in a couple minutes and just ran straight to my room. I went straight to the bathroom and stripped so I could shower. I quickly did my business, so I could take a few moments to relax in the warm water. I closed my eyes and lifted my face up toward the spray; the droplets began to hit my face in soothing splashes. I inwardly sighed, I had a little over six hours before my mission, and we usually do them in the dead of night since it's easier to do a sneak attack.
When I was nice and relaxed, I turned the water off and stepped from the shower. I grabbed one of the towels I had and wrapped it around my body. I took another towel and flipped my hair down so I could wrap it into the towel. I had an hour before we had to leave so I had lots of time to get ready.
I already knew what I was wearing; the outfit my mom wore to her first solo raid. All it consisted of was a simple white v neck t-shirt with the family crest on the bottom, black leggings that had been immersed in a number of anti-supernatural concoctions, and her leather jacket. I added a thigh holster for my gun and a silver knife was placed into one of my boots. I decided on leaving my crossbow at home since I really didn't think I would need it.
I moved from my bed toward the family dagger. I was supposed to bring it on the raid with me, but I already knew that I wasn't going to. I don't know, when I looked at the dagger there was something that didn't feel exactly right about it. My fingers brushed over the handle, I felt my pulse spike and I quickly retracted my hand. There just felt like something was different about the blade; it didn't sit right with me. I took the blade from my weapons table and brought it over to my vanity. I opened the last drawer and took the bottom out before slipping the dagger in and then I put everything back in order. It should be safe in there; there was only one more person who knew about that secret compartment and that was my mom.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror; how could there be so much sadness in the eyes of one person? I shook my head and took my hair out from the towel to let the tangled mess air out. I watched as my reflection changed slightly as I began to brush my hair. It took me at least ten minutes to get the snarls from my hair; the perks of having curly hair (note the sarcasm). I put some keratin oil in my hair and tried to smooth it through my hair evenly. I guess it was time to get ready then; it actually took less time to moisturize and put my clothes on then it did to do my hair. I didn't bother with much make-up; if I was going to fight it wouldn't make sense to risk having racoon eyes and becoming blinded by smudged make-up. I just used foundation, pressed powder and some water proof mascara.
"Rosalie? Honey, are you ready?" My dad questioned as he knocked on my door.
"Yeah! I'm coming!" I shouted back.
My hair was still wet, but I shrugged it off- it would be dry by the time we got there, so I just put it into a simple fishtail braid. I grabbed my stuff and walked down the stairs to where my dad was waiting. We still had at least fifteen minutes left before we needed to go, but I guess there was nothing wrong with wanting to leave early.
"I'm ready," I stated as I walked into the living room.
"You look so much like your mother..." he murmured as he pressed me into a bear hug. I could feel the smile my dad had on his face as he kissed the crown of my head.
"Thanks dad," I said, smiling at the thought of looking at the woman whom I looked up to. I pulled away from my dad and that was when I noticed the company we seemed to have gained when I was upstairs. My eyes flickered back to my father and I narrowed them in annoyance; he had invited over my male neighbours, who were pretty much around my age. My dad had mischief written all over his face as he grinned. I knew why he invited them over; he wanted me to choose one of them to become my fiancé, someone to help me in becoming the head of the family. I was completely against the idea, because why do I need a man to help me be a leader? I think I can do it just fine without a man by my side; just like Princess Mia from The Princess Diaries. My father took every opportunity he could to set me up with one of these four boys, but instead I became best friends with each of them.
How weird is that? A dad setting his daughter up with four boys; shouldn't he became a papa bear and threaten them with a shotgun or something?
Sometimes, he was such an odd man.
I looked at the boys around me and smiled in welcoming. I had to admit though, my dad did have good taste. The boys were amazing; sure they had their flaws, but all in all they were amazing friends- almost like big brothers to me.
Cole Forbes was an eighteen year old guy. He stood at an outstanding six feet, towering over my frame, with blonde hair and beautiful sea blue eyes that any girl could fall in love with. Cole and I met in kindergarten; we trained together at the academy. He was quite built, courtesy of all the training, and was a whiz when it came to throwing knives. He was a sweetheart, but was also a cocky son of a b!tch, my favourite quality was his ability to crack a joke and make someone smile no matter how bad things were.
Matthew Morris stood at an astonishing 6'1, he was also two years older than me at the age of twenty. He was built the same way as Cole, but with two years on him he had slightly more defined muscles. Matt was amazing with coming up with strategies and game plans. Matt was a humble soul, with a taste for reading just like I had. Matt was really like my big brother, I knew he was the one I could always go to whenever something was wrong, or if I needed to talk.
Jacob, Jake, Forrest was probably my best friend out of all four boys. Jake was the same height as Matt, and he towered over me- which is something he loved reminding me of. He was one year older than me, but we had grown up together. Jake had known me since my diaper days, and he knew pretty much every embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me. He had beautiful emerald green eyes, with slightly tanned skin and dark brown hair that he loved to run his fingers through. Jake is what you would call a rebel, but I knew how to put him in his place. He was also a bit of a player, but lately he's mellowed out. He was another cocky son of a b!itch, but when he wanted to be, he could be the most caring person I had ever met. Jake's favourite weapon would have to be the guns, and boy did he know how to shoot.
The last boy was Jake's twin brother; Mark Forrest. He was also my best friend and the one who kept me from going insane being surrounded by all the testosterone. Mark was pretty much like his brother; cocky, tall, gorgeous face, and built body. The only difference was the fact that Mark was more willing to show his heart on his sleeve.
"Well, hey there boys, I wasn't expecting for all of you to come over..." I said, a crap greeting I know, but eh- I didn't really care. Each boy smiled brilliantly at me and I swear I almost fell over; how is this even legal? I could go blind with smiles that adorable.
"Happy birthday Rosie!" they chimed, and before I knew it I was engulfed in a hunter hug. We had a nice group hug before each of them tried to hug me alone. I laughed as each of them fought to hug me first; with Jake succeeding. Once I hugged and thanked each boy, I turned toward my father and crossed my arms in suspicion.
"I don't mean to be rude, but uh, what are they doing here? I thought we were going to meet everyone down at the cabin," I stated in confusion.
My dad smirked, "Well actually honey, I won't be leaving for another hour- Marty and I have some things to work out before your mission. So, I called the boys and they agreed to take you," he told me.
I groaned, as much as I loved the boys, they weren't much fun to be in a car with- especially for a ride that was six hours long. It sounds like a long time to be awake for, all day today and pretty much all night tonight as well- you'd think I'd get tired quickly. When actually, it's common for a hunter to be up for hours on end and our immune systems were built to accommodate that. Thankfully I would probably get some sleep in the car.
"Have fun sweetie, I'll see you tonight, and please be good?" my dad pleaded teasingly. I rolled my eyes as the boys chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah, bye dad, I'll see you later," I said and gave him a hug before marching out the door. I heard the boys follow behind me as we walked to the driveway. I wasn't surprised to see Matt's car sitting on the asphalt.
"So I'm guessing that Matty's driving..." I said, and Matt nodded in confirmation. "Okay, great, so that means I call shot-" I began to say, but was cut off by Cole.
"I call shotgun!" he exclaimed, and quickly ran over to the seat.
I groaned, "No fair! I was just about to say that!" I shouted.
Cole smirked, "You snooze you lose Rosie!" he teased before shutting the door behind him. Matt laughed and followed his lead as he got into the front seat. I sighed and turned toward the two twins beside me, fabulous, I would be stuck in the back with my two annoying best friends. I noticed that they were staring at me and I blushed lightly.
"What?" I questioned self-consciously.
Jake was the first to shake of his stupor, "Ah nothing, we were just admiring the view Rose, nothing to worry about," he teased and sent me a wink with a cheeky grin. I rolled my eyes as he slung an arm around my shoulders.
I laughed as Mark came and wrapped his arm around my waist, "Haha, you're so funny. Sometimes you two are too much," I said.
"Hey! Arms off brother, Rosie is mine," Jake said as he pushed his brother away playfully.
Mark grinned, "She likes me better," he teased right back as he playfully pushed him back. I suddenly became a tug-of-war toy between two five year olds. Quickly, I tasered both boys and ran toward the car. I heard them calling my name, and I only turned around to stick my tongue out at the two before slipping into the car. I knew I would be stuck in the middle either way, so I took the spot and put my seatbelt on.
"I hate you," I grumbled to the grinning Cole. Jake and Mark wasted no time in squishing me between the two of them. I sighed and pressed my head back, "This is going to be a long ride," I grumbled as Matt started the car.
Matt chuckled as he pulled out of the driveway, "Don't worry Rose, it's only a six hour drive- you'll be fine," he teased, winking at me through the mirror.
"Somebody better roll down the windows- I had chipotle for lunch!"
I groaned; fine my ass.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Here is the first chapter of the rewritten version! To be 100% honest with you guys, I love it, I can feel myself falling back in love with this story and I'm really excited to begin writing the next few chapters. I want to hear your thoughts! Are you loving the new version as well, or no? Tell me in the comments!
Also, I'm coming up with some new names for the story, and I will post a poll once I narrow things down.
For news about updates and other fun stuff follow me on twitter, my twitter handle is @QuietTeardrops.
Until next time, stay beautiful! I ♥ you!
xoxo- Shar ♥
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