A Guide to Surviving Against Monsters
00:20

The drive home was calm and peaceful.

Just kidding. If only.

However, things are rarely calm and peaceful in this world. Especially when the monsters lurking in the shadows were building their power, there was a demoness on the loose, and the barriers as we know them were weakening.

My tires screeched on the worn down pavement as I forced my car to stop. I pulled over, shrugging my coat on and grabbing my gun from the backseat. I had Theo's knife in my boot, my shotgun dangling from my hand as I threw my door open and jumped out.

Why was I acting this way?

Oh, you know, the bloody puddle and boot in the middle of the road signified something was wrong.

I could've called somebody. I could've driven back to the Grimms' household -- it was three minutes away. I could've waited, or yelled for help, or searched before jumping into the fray.

But I was a huntress, and a Foxit.

The barrette held my hair back as I dove into the thick forest, holding my shotgun in both hands. My footsteps pounded the ground, my breathing dead silent as I searched the forest.

If I killed all the mutants in the area, maybe the students will survive. If I kill all the demons in existence, maybe everyone will survive.

Too bad, I'm just... Me.

But at least I'm not some plain old human. I can at least save some of them.

"Who's out there?!" I shouted. "I can help you!"

The purple symbols on my iris flickered.

A branch broke on my left. I whirled, pointing my gun. A thin girl hobbled out of the bushes, her long, knitted dress torn.

"B-Blood... So much, so much--"

Her words were cut off as she sobbed into her hands.

I tensed, watcing her stumble to the ground. Her hair covered her face as she cried, kneeling in the dirt. I frowned, lowering my gun.

"You. What happened?" I asked, sauntering toward her.

"B-Blood... So much..."

She can't hear me. Or she's ignoring me.

I scowled. The girl wasn't visibly hurt, but she could've needed medical care. I groaned, reaching into one of the inside pockets of my coat. Inside was a flare gun. Any hunter in the area would identify the flare as an emergency signal and come running, if they were even a bit brave.

Since the Grimm boys lived so close by, I knew someone would come for the girl. The shot was loud, but bearable, a column of green smoke appearing in the air. With that taken care of, I stormed past her, ignoring the way her shoulders shook and her voice cracked.

Everyone cries. I can't stop to comfort her.

The idea of feeling guilty didn't even occur to me as I strode into the darker part of the forest. My eye twitched before purple flames appeared on my hands, making them into torches. One held my gun while I used the other to light my path.

Now... What's out here?

The growl was my first warning. The putrid smell of blood mixed with something infectious was my next.

Of course, the biggest warning was the literal minotaur that came charging at me, a third arm sprouting from its chest, its skin green and covered in warts.

Mutated.

The thing carried a battle axe, and while it was taller than most humans, it was on the short side for minotaurs. I took aim, shooting for its eye. The monster lunged sideways at the last minute, smarter than most mindless beings I usually fought. I barely had enough time to scramble backward as it brought the axe down right where I had been standing.

I stared at the blade that rested less than a foot away from me, buried in the dirt.

"That's not a good sign."

Diving out of the way of the next swing, I felt my eye burn as flames crawled along my skin. I touched the ground, sending a burst of flames across the grass and onto the minotaur. It roared in pain as the flames scorched its legs, their purifying effect attacking the mutation as well. The warts exploded, leaving behind goo that also burned the thing's skin.

Pure torture, I thought grimly, taking aim once again. The minotaur was too busy screeching in pain to notice my gun pointed at its eye.

I went through pain too, because of my mutation.

My finger brushed the trigger.

I know your suffering, and I'm sorry.

My teeth sunk into my bottom lip.

Please be at peace.

I fired.

It definitely didn't dodge that bullet.

The minotaur hit the ground with a thud, landing on the scorched grass. I stared at the body for a moment longer, swallowing my regret. Monsters like that would be the ones that we would be facing on the mission on Friday.

My worry increased tenfold.

I'm not done here, though.

I needed to replace the other person in these woods. The girl had spoken of blood, and there had been a boot in the road. Someone else was out here, attacked by either the minotaur or something else.

"Don't worry. I won't make you search too hard for him. In fact, I have him right here for you, Emmy."

I growled, turning excruciatingly slow to see Sasora behind me. Her red hair was short this time, brushing the spot where her pulse would be, if she was alive. The demoness held up a human man by his throat, but he wasn't fighting back.

He was already dead.

Did I mention she was only holding half a human man?

His bottom half was gone, blood still dripping from his torso. His face was pale, his eyes rolled back. Purple symbols flickered in my eye -- the feeling of despair wafted off the corpse.

"Why did you do this, demon?" I snarled. "Answer before I kill you."

The woman smiled, though her eyes were cold. It was the expression of a maniac. "Because I can, huntress. These weak beings can't stop me, after all."

"But I can," I threatened. The demoness flinched as purple flames crackled at the tips of my fingers.

"I have to admit," she spat, "you could very well destroy me. But, there's only one of you, and you already have your hands full. That, and I'm sure someone will kill you eventually, angel child."

"I'll kill you no matter what I have to do," I told her, my voice filled with hatred. "No one can stop me."

"Well then. I look forward to the battle," she smirked, dropping the body. "I'll leave this goodbye present for you."

I scowled, reaching into my boot. The knife felt good in my hand, familiar even. My purple flames covered my entire body, churning around the razor sharp edge of the weapon.

"Why don't we just do it now?"

The demoness growled as I lunged, one hand shooting flames. She hissed as they hit her arms, claws sliding from her nail beds. I ducked under her slash, kicking her shin and knocking her to the ground. Before the demoness could move, I climbed on top, sinking my knife into her chest without hesitation.

Only for her form to vanish into a thousand spiders.

"Nice try, huntress. I'll see you soon."

I whirled, trying to locate her voice.

But all I saw was the empty forest and the body at my feet.