Visitor

A Chapter by TKBickel

Up with the sun, a blissfully happy Samantha slid around in the kitchen in her flannel pj pants and tank. A hum of ‘You are My Sunshine’ floated in the air along with cracking eggs shells. She never thought this kind of happiness could ever be in her life again.

Mick lazily strolled into the kitchen, scrubbing his hands over his face then through his hair. The chair scraped the floor from under the table before he plopped in it and hung his head back. I think I had one to many last night.

Samantha couldn’t help but drop the skillet with a loud clank on the stove to make Mick’s head vibrate. “Good morning! Don’t you look like a fresh daisy…under dog s**t.”

Popping open one eye at her, he shot her a sarcastic growling grin. “Tone it down a notch or two. It’s way too early to be so damn happy.”

She picked up the bowl of eggs, turned to Mick and leaned back on the counter. Beating the eggs into submission, she grinned at him. He erected his head and met her over zealous grin. “Jesus Sammie cut it out. It’s too damn early for the games too.”

Her jaw dropped to play shocked at such a remark. “What, I didn’t say a word.” Turning back around, the smile returned as she dumped the whipped eggs in the pan. Sliding the biscuits in the oven she tended the sausage that was already sizzling on the stove. She couldn’t help but continue with a childish sing-song attitude. “Some one should have left a few beers for today.”

Bonnie and Clyde laid on the table with their sheaths beside them. They reflected the morning sunshine creeping through the kitchen window over the sink. He also noticed the shine on Johnny leaning next to the red door. She must have been inspecting and cleaning early this morning. It was an instilled habit for a Hunter to have their weapons in tip top condition at all times. He personally favored his shoot gun. It was loaded and ready, sitting quietly behind the recliner. Samantha liked to call it Butch.

Picking up a sheath, he tossed it like a Frisbee at her back. With a twist, she caught it and pointed it at him. “No abusing the cook or no breakfast for you.”

Samantha was enjoying playtime with Mick when the feeling began to claw at her insides. She recognized it. It was a lot like how she felt around Rayzon and it made her stomach flip. A panic shockwave rippled through her as she turned in time to puke in the sink. NO, screamed in her head.

Mick saw the panic before she turned. He thought she had said something. The pesky hangover disappeared as he rose to his feet. “Sammie…what is it?”

Sam bolted in the room shirtless, wearing pj pants and crazy bed hair, urgently echoing Mick’s question again. “Sammie what is it?” He woke to a scary sick feeling and her, No, echoing in his mind.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her arm, she turned off the oven and pulled the food off the stove. Strapping on the sheath on her right thigh around the p j pants, she moved to the table to slide Bonnie home. Breathe in and slowly out, keep your cool girl, no panicking or you will get everyone killed It’s not just you anymore.. In a low flat tone, she broke the news to them. “One of them is here right now…Sam take Clyde.” She tossed Clyde to Sam and he picked it out of the air. “Mick you want Johnny?”

He was already on the move for the shotgun. “No, butch and I will take this dance.”

Johnny made a little windy whistle as Samantha whipped it up in her hands. She was the first out the door. With a one handed heave, metal clanked as Mick cocked Butch. He was two steps behind Samantha, leaving Sam to take up the rear.

Creeping slowly and quietly as mice, the trio cleared the porch without the screen door giving them away. Instantly pulling into a tight circle back to back, their eyes had a 360 view of their surroundings. A cool breeze off the water moved the tree casting shadows, causing chaos on their senses. A complete rotation gave everyone the lay of the land. The only area out of view was the sides and back of the house.

Together, silently and slowly, their circle expanded. The circle morphed into a triangle the further they moved out. Samantha’s target destination was passed the back of Baby, to the far tree line giving her the view of the front, side and partial back of the house, including shoreline. Mick’s goal was the front center tree line with the view of the front and sides. Sam was left with the remaining tree line mirroring Samantha’s view.

The trio reached their points of destinations when Samantha’s senses and instinct peaked. She could feel it coming and realized the fatal error of their plan. Sam was out of her direct line. The corner of the porch blocked him. She sensed it coming and not for her. It was after Sam. The image in her mind played fast-forward, enough to know Sam was at the losing end of the meet and greet. She had to do something now, instincts hummed. Having no time to get to him, she mentally screamed at Mick while giving Johnny a flying heave at him. Sam needs you now!

Mick heard her loud and clear. Flipping around to fully face Sam and break out in a run, a blur passed by inches from his face. His mind ticked it out quickly. That was Johnny, as it buried itself in the tree beside him. He could see the white mist near Sam’s back and knew it will be a body in seconds. There was no time to lose but strangely time seemed to slow down. Everything slipped to slow motion, his heart beat and breathing but not his movements. The shotgun was out of the question. He would hit Sam with the spray so Butch fell to the ground as both hands firmly wrapped around Johnny’s handle. With a grunt and the strength of every upper body muscle, he ripped it out of the tree, took one step towards Sam and in a windmill move, sent Johnny flying a second time at the materializing form. He was on the move as his peripheral vision picked up Samantha halfway to Sam.

She sent another mental yell this time focusing on Sam to drop down.

Hitting the ground as the message came through, he heard a wet deep thunk, like a watermelon slapping concrete. The dead weight of a body landed on him and squished the air out of his lungs. As Sam tried to buck the corpse off, Samantha and Mick met over him at the same time to witness the body’s release of the white mist and evaporation. A muffled growl rose to them. “Get it off me now!” Mick clutched the handle of the ax, hooked deep in the body, and dragged the carcass off.

Sam jumped up and became an instant octopus, grabbing and franticly checking over Samantha “Are you ok?”

She slapped at his hands. “Quit it!”

He seized her face with both hands and entrapped her eyes with his. His being desperately needed to know. Sincerity struck-out from Sam. “Samantha, are you ok?”

Softening to his touch, she reached out to touch is face. “Baby for a good-looking extremely smart boy…You can be so dense at times.” She warmed him with a loving smile. “I believe you were the one under the dead body.” Slowly, a smile emerged as he mentally reached out to her. She felt it wrap around, like snuggling up with your favorite blanky. Samantha couldn’t help but jump on Sam and lay one of those pull-your-toes-through-your-body kind of kisses on him.

Mick rolled his eyes and began to complain. “Oh man…Come on you two…It’s to early…If I’d had my breakfast it would be coming up now. That reminds me someone needs their teeth brushed.”

Samantha tensed and pulled away as she was the first to feel it coming. “Oh-no-no-no…NO!” Her mood shifted gears from the fear to anger. Sam felt and saw the change in her as she dropped to the ground. It wasn’t long before the brothers felt a flicker of the energy vibe that bombarded Samantha.

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