my Prisoner

“Happiest eighteenth birthday love” my dad said, hugging me by my shoulders while I blew out my candle.

“Thanks dad” i smiled back, looking at the smoke that came from the candle as I blew it out.

I drowned the noise from around me out as I stretched my hands to get the cup from across the table before it could fall then I caught sight of it.

The mark that left a searing pain for days.

I looked at it. ‘Did he make it?’ I asked myself, looking at the now old burn mark. I sighed, standing up from the table and going to the kitchen.

“So….” my dad started, clearing his throat. “Everyone gather around” he started, the smile on his face making me a bit skeptical.

My dad only had that look on his face when there was a kill, or when something good was about to happen.

I crossed my fingers behind me, hoping it was the latter. “I would be getting married to Siera this weekend” everyone burst out to happy cheers smiling and congratulating him while I stared. I did not really know how to feel about it.

I had seen Sierra around a lot and knew that sooner or later, this was going to be the end result, but announcing it? It was just..

“Hey” the woman in question walked up to me, giving me a small smile while she rubbed my upper hands. “Hope you are okay with this right?” she looked….. for lack of better words, nervous.

She looked as though she was going to break down and start crying if I said I was not cool with it.

“Why would I not be?” I said, forcing a smile “you make my dad happy. That is all that matters” I said, genuinely meaning it.

She was a nice woman, but something about her seemed a bit off. Like she was a ticking time bomb, waiting for the right moment to explode.

“Thanks” she said, pulling me into a hug. “I can’t wait to start calling you step daughter” she said, the smile in her voice evident but I pulled away from her with a tense laugh, creating as much space as I could so that it did not seem awkward,

“Maybe we should take baby steps here” I said, to which she nodded, touching her face as though they felt warm or something.

The party went on, more on a celebration for my dad’s upcoming wedding than my birthday now but I was used to it.

My dad and I were never really close. I can still remember how he begged Aunty Meg to take me in till I became a full hunter at thirteen, something about the way I reminded him too much of my mum for him not to hate me. And when I did come to live with him, I was practically invisible to him. So to me, this was just another day, a least there was cake this time.

I thought to myself, standing up to put the remainder of the cake on the fridge for those that would want to eat it later, when someone came into the room rushing to my father with fear in his eyes.

I looked at him, feeling something suddenly out of place but I shook it off, most likely the stress from last week creeping up on me. I tried to tell myself.

“Hunters!” my father called, all traces of smiles and happiness wiping from the air in an instance. “prepare your…” my father did not get the chance to finish before the door burst open, fire engulfing everywhere and everyone running around, looking for where and how to put off the fire.

“The last dragon” someone muttered, causing my heart to slam against my rib cage.

My dad carried the set of knives from under the cabinet, so swift that I almost did not see him make his move.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you” my dad said, smiles evident in his voice as he tried to slice the dragon’s claws that stretched into the house, but it was not possible.

The dragon was just as swift as my dad if not faster. Sounds of blades clashing could be heard but there was only one thing on my mind.

Safety.

I needed to get the children to safety “Sierra!” I called, needing a bit of help as some of the mums had carried the younger ones, thinking the toddlers would have followed.

I looked around, calling her again “Sierra!!!” but nothing. It was as though she was never here, traces of her not even seen.

Screams could be heard from all around as the dragon burned down everything in its path.

“Baba” I screamed, looking for him. This was definitely not the type of fight we could handle, we needed to fall back and strategize.

I opened my mouth to call him again but then I froze. Right there, in the claws of the dragon was my father.

He laid limp, not moving, not fighting back just… there.

With blood dripping down the claws of the dragon, especially the part of the claws that was buried deep in his body.

“no” I whispered, my body unwilling to me as a result of the shock.

He took a few more while some ran away, leaving nothing but dead in his wake, not even flinching at the thousands of people that charged towards him.

Then everything stopped.

He looked down from where it had been flying, as if just noticing me.

It landed, tossing my father to the side like he was some piece of rag. Before it came towards me.

Slowly, shifting back to its human form as it approached me.

I gulped. The children? Some had managed to get to safety while most did not make it.

“My prisoner” he said, with a smile yet his eyes screamed so much hate, but it was him

The little boy from years ago was in front of me, only that he was not a little boy anymore and he looked like he was out for blood….