Hunted (standard:adventure, 1020 words)
Author: Claude	Added: Oct 05 2000	Views/Reads: 4192/1	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Liam crept through the darkness stealthily and the chase was on.

Liam crept through the darkness stealthily, moving from doorway to
doorway, crouching low, as if anyone could see him in the pitch 
blackness of the alleyway. Overhead, the dark grey clouds overwhelmed 
the dim light given off by the small crescent moon. Looking forward, 
Liam could barely see his breath, condensing as he breathed out, 
forming a small puff of vapour with each shallow exhalation. Liam 
darted from his small sheltered doorway across the alleyway and ducked 
behind a large skip, sitting outside the back entrance of a large 
warehouse. Liam’s head snapped around as he heard rapid footfalls 
behind him. Surely they couldn’t have tracked me down already he 
thought; his eyes darting from left to right, scanning the alley for 
any visible signs that his pursuers had spotted him. Not seeing 
anything, Liam took decisive action and moved quickly. 

Will walked brazenly through the alley, his torch like a beacon, cutting
through the darkness as he scanned from side to side. His steps were 
slow and short, but certain as he moved through the dark alleyway, the 
soles of his shoes echoing slightly on the cold bitumen. I am going to 
catch that boy, and when I do, there will be action Will thought, his 
cold thoughts of revenge a parallel to the chilly darkness of the small 
street. Will’s hand ran along his belt until it came to the small pouch 
he had put there. Fumbling with the clasp, he opened it and pulled out 
a pair of black woollen gloves and a black balaclava. Setting his torch 
on a nearby skip, he pulled on his gloves and then slid the balaclava 
over his head, pulling it across his cold face. Picking up his torch, 
he continued his methodical march. 

Liam waited for what seemed like an eternity. He had heard someone come
down the alley; he could only assume it was his pursuers. When he had 
heard something land on the lid of the skip, he was sure his heart 
could have been heard by his pursuers, no matter where they were. 
Eventually, Liam had heard the footsteps recede, moving past the rank 
stench of the skip. Cautiously, he raised the lid of the skip, just 
enough so that he could scan the nearby area. Not seeing anyone, or 
hearing anything other than the normal background noise, Liam lifted 
the lift of the skip and jumped out, trying to make as little noise as 
possible. Brushing the worst of the grime off, Liam reached up to shut 
the lid of the skip. He started lowering it gently and then felt it 
slipping out of his grimy fingers. He watched in sickening apprehension 
as the big black flap rushed towards its inevitable collision with the 
skip. 

Almost two blocks away, Will heard the sound echoing through the thin
and cold night air. Pivoting so fast but still keeping balance, he 
turned and ran back towards the alley. 

Liam was running before the sound had died away. He knew that his
pursuers must have heard the noise. He cursed himself inwardly as he 
sprinted towards the end of the alley, the opposite end to where he 
thought his pursuers had gone. He reached the end of the alley, still 
running full tilt. He skidded to the left and ran on. Ever the chased, 
he looked around this new street and saw that, although it was lined 
with streetlights, all they did was highlight the shadows. “STOP WHERE 
YOU ARE!” The voice rang out through the air. Liam didn’t even slow 
down. He knew from the sound that his pursuer was still quite far 
behind. Spotting a likely side street, Liam turned quickly, using a 
lamp post as a balance point. Quickly analysing the new terrain, Liam 
bolted towards the nearest safe cover and took it. 

Will felt the rush of the hunt as he ran down the street. Finally, he
was going to catch his quarry. This had been the hardest one to catch. 
Whoever this boy was, he had given Will a run for his money. That was 
not enough to stop Will, however. If this boy was going to run, he was 
going to be chased. Nobody had ever escaped from the Brethren before. 
Nobody who had ever dared to enter the hall and then run had ever 
eluded the Brethren long enough to survive. Will was the best hunter. 
He was the fastest, strongest and had by far the best endurance than 
any other in the small, elite clan. Now, he was about to take his 
hundredth captive, surmounting all records the Brethren had ever had. 
Will ran around the corner and stopped. The quarry was nowhere to be 
seen. Will dropped into a defensive stance and turned slowly, scanning 
the street. 

Liam looked down from the tree at his pursuer, his breath short and
shallow, his heart threatening to burst through his chest. Steeling 
himself, he released his hold on the branch, falling directly down 
towards the aggressor. He landed, kicking and screaming. He wrenched 
off the balaclava, but was thrown to the ground. Suddenly, he realised 
something was wrong. His attacker wasn’t attacking. I’ve failed Liam 
thought. He felt a sharp shock at the back of his head, and then 
nothing. 

Liam awoke, the pain a dull ebbing in his head. He opened his eyes, the
bright light of the room intensifying the pain, clouding his vision. He 
turned his head as he heard a deep and melodious voice, booming through 
what sounded like a large hall. “Today, the Brethren were challenged. 
Someone entered the hall and fled. He was captured. However, due to his 
speed and skills, he is to be accepted into our order. Today we welcome 
Brother Liam into the elite of this city” Vision slowly returned to 
Liam, and he saw the hall of the Brethren, the crowd cheering for him. 
He smiled. He had done it. The hunted had become the hunter. 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 

This is my first story post here, please give me feedback, be it good or
bad. 

This story copyright (c) 2000 by the author. claude@maileditor.com


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