Into the depths of shadows

Chapter 1 - The secret life of a Huntress

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock. The sound echoed through the house like a human heart, each minute passing agonisingly slow. The house was quiet except for the ticking and Finley could almost imagine that she was alone. But she knew better than to believe that.
For as long as she could remember, Finley had known about the monsters. Even before it had been revealed to the rest of the world she had known. The things that went bump in the night and terrified the dreams of children were real.

Vampires with their pale skin, red eyes and murderous tendencies stalked the streets and clubs after dark.
Werewolves with their rough feral faces and the razor sharp teeth that could tear the flesh off your body in a second waited in bars and woods for their prey to walk past.
Fairies with their cunning perfect appearances that lured unsuspecting victims into an endless game with no way out.
Warlocks waiting with their spells and curses for the next clueless pretty girl to walk by after a few too many drinks.
And the monstrous demons with their pitless eyes and unnaturally long talons who snatched people as they slept and devoured their souls.

It was easy for Finely to see them all as monsters. It was easy for her to label them as vicious creatures. She'd seen far too much for her to think otherwise. She'd been a Huntress for a few years now, dedicating her life to hunt down and kill any monster that broke the law. Her job was simple: Hunt and Kill.

Finley did not feel bad or guilty over what she did. Killing had become second nature to her and the thirst for vengence was always on her mind. Her journey as a Huntress had begun three years ago when her older brother, Aiden, had been murdered by a dark creature known by the name of Arlin Shade. All Finley knew about him was that he was a wanted criminal, known for the countless vicious acts that he'd committed. Secretly she was hunting him down to avenge the death of her brother. But while she waited to find him she spent the rest of the time hunting down others that were guilty.

She could distantly hear the creaks and groans of the hallway as her next bounty approached. She was lying down in one of the bedrooms, the springs from the old mattress digging into her back. The room was covered in dust and spider webs after being abandoned for who knew how long. She could only imagine the reasons for the previous owners to have left. The cracked yellow paint on the wall was peeling and the roof had stains of mould that gave the whole room a musty smell.

Finley closed her eyes, her hand tightening on the hilt of the dagger that hid in the side of her leather jacket. Her hands were clammy with sweat from the summer heat that hung heavy in the air. She took a deep breath, instantly regretting it as the foul smell of burning filled her nose. The demon was close.

The door creaked as it opened, scratching along the wooden floor. Her heart began to race like the beat of a drum. She kept her eyes closed doing her best to act like she was asleep. But she'd never been very good at acting. She heard the demon as it neared and felt the cold air that came with it. She shuddered slightly, the hair on the back of her neck standing on edge. She squeezed the dagger hilt harder ready to pounce at the right moment.

In a second the demon was on her, its talons digging into the skin on her shoulders. She winced before springing into action. Her eyes flew open settling on the shape in front of her. Its jagged spine twisted at an unnatural angle. Its form was smoky but Finley could see the charred bones of the demons body. The long talons of its claws were sharp and slicked with black slimy liquid. Its dark black holes for eyes stared down at her with a fierceness that make her cringe back with hesitation for only a second. It lunged towards her, teeth exposed like pincers as it aimed to sink its teeth into her throat. She fumbled with the dagger in her clammy hands and she gasped as its burning saliva dripped from its mouth charring her skin. She slashed upward the blade connecting with its chest and it screamed an awful sound like nails being dragged down a chalkboard. Finley stabbed it again in the chest and watched as the demon began to bleed, acid blood dripping onto her throat. It burned and sizzled against her skin and she fought the urge to scream out. The demon began to die, its form turning to dust and disappearing into ash.