The Hunt
by Amber Wurster

     She prowled through the graveyard like a cat. Her curly black hair swaying gently in the cool autumn breeze. Her
bright green eyes scanned the area waiting to see movement. Her blood red lips were curled into an evil grin that could
freeze anyone dead in their tracks. This is what she lived for. The hunt was all she knew, and all she wanted to
know. She was the ultimate predator. With her beauty and enchanting voice she was a talented seductress. With her
strength, speed, and stamina she was a warrior unlike any other of her kind. They all knew her and looked to her example on how to hunt. She was remarkable. She had hunted over 600 times and succeeded each and every one. They called her Cauldron Fire for her depth and mystery were to that likeness.

   She heard a rustling followed by laughter. She turned and crouched low behind some bushes to see who had entered her playground. She saw two couples. They looked to be around the age of seniors in high school. They
were laughing and stumbling stupidly. She could see the bottles swaying in their hands with each step. She could
only guess at their contents and went on to assume that they were drinking some pretty powerful stuff! She decided that she only wanted one tonight. She’d let the other three live to tell about it. She looked at the first boy. He was
tall, scrawny, and pale. He reminded her of a skeleton. She took an immediate disliking to him and decided to look
at the other one. Her grin grew into a thrilled smile as she studied him. He was about average height, but his body
was built and he looked like sheer strength and power. He had hair so dark it blended with the night and blue eyes
that pierced her even as far away as she was. She made up her mind that she would have him.

  When the four sat down on a circle and began a game of “truth or dare” she edged closer and sat to listen to their
game for awhile.

   “It was your idea to play so you should go first” a skinny blonde girl told the one she’d chosen.

   “Alright” he answered. “I pick truth.”

   “What was the best sex you ever had?” the blonde asked teasingly.

   “With this one brunette in the back of a truck, can’t remember her name.”

   Cauldron Fire rolled her eyes. “Oh you got the real pick of the litter” she mumbled.

   “It was the best sex of your life and you don’t remember her name?” the skeleton boy seemed to echo back.

   “Let’s just move on OK” said a large and ugly brunette.

   “Just because you don’t ever get any...” skeleton boy started.

   “Hey!” the blonde shouted at the girl’s defense. “Fuck you!”

   “OK, my turn” the chosen one interrupted. “Jesse, I pick you. Truth or dare.”

   “I pick truth” the skeleton answered.

    Cauldron lost interest in the conversation and pounced onto her prey. His body was even stronger than it looked, yet he was no match for her. He struggled underneath her like a fish flopping at the end of a hook. The other three stood there with their jaws hanging open, frozen in shock. She took a bite of his shoulder. He wailed in agony as she
chewed the flesh to bits and swallowed it. Then she bit off one of his ears. She liked them because of their texture.
Instead of screaming this time the boy whimpered like a lost child. She smiled, she hadn’t eaten anyone this tasty in a long time.

   When she turned him over and started on his nose the fat brunette girl threw up on herself. The shock seemed to fade and the three kids scrambled away in all different directions. She went in for the kill by ripping a huge junk
of flesh from his neck. Now he was dead. She scolded herself for wasting the opportunity at having a bigger
meal. She simply lost her appetite when they were dead.

   She stood up and walked back to her grave. She flopped back down and reached her bony hand up to close the grave so no one would find out that she was the huntress the whole town was afraid of. She lay back into her coffin and enjoyed the taste and smell of blood that had followed her into her place of rest.

©2000 Amber Wurster