Supernatural: The Huntsman.

"Ahh, finally done." Alexander exhaled loudly and joyfully before tossing the journal on the bed.

The sun peered through the curtains into the room. Alexander looked at the warm ray and checked the time. It was almost afternoon.

If he left now even with a few pit stops he could be home by nighttime. With that in mind, he packed his things and left the room to check out.

On his way to the front desk, Alexander happened to catch a glimpse of a black car sitting in the parking lot. It was a black Chevy Impala.

He halted.

'It couldn't be.' Alexander thought in surprise. 'Could it?'

'Isn't this a bit too soon.' He was admittedly a little excited at his discovery.

'If it is them then chances are there's a monster nearby.' Alexander reasoned.

It was generally frowned upon to jump on another hunter's hunt. Hunters were usually solitary and untrusting individuals. So if it really was who he believed it to be and he interfered with their work he may end up getting on their badside.

He stood there with his head down and a look of contemplation.

After a short while he lifted his head and groaned. "Alright, what the hell. Let's do it. Guess I have to postpone my plans. Again."

He continued on to the reception to pay for his stay and extend it. This time he was served by a different receptionist than the one he had seen the previous day.

Returning his belongings to his room. He purchased a newspaper from the lodge and headed for the nearby Ranger station.

He planned to check the newspaper for any peculiar cases or patterns, then try to procure more information about that case from the local Rangers by passing himself off as a bounty hunter. Claiming to be police or FBI in this part of the woods would raise a few eyebrows or he would most likely be met with resistance. It could be interpreted as though he were telling them they couldn't do their job well.

At the station, he overheard a conversation between two rangers about a local named Hailey trying to report her brother and his friends missing. Despite the fact that the registered date of return for her brother's camping trip had not yet passed.

He spoke to the rangers there and came up short. There was nothing exciting happening or anything boring for that matter.

They were even kind enough to advise him to be careful what he read. In a small town like the one Alexander was in, everybody knew everybody so the news was rarely exciting or accurate.

Whatever little thing that seems remotely interesting even if it's just a little, they were quick to jump on it. A small car collision could be made into a huge deal or a person dying of old age could be classed as death under mysterious circumstances. One had to exercise caution when using it as a source of information. The best and most accurate news usually traveled by word of mouth.

Receiving nothing Alexander begrudgingly returned to his room with an arm full of newspapers and articles, gaining nothing from the town's current newspaper. He turned his attention to the town's past and continued his research of the town's history on his laptop.

After hours of scrolling and reading, he noticed something peculiar in the articles. For a very long while now, Black Water Ridge a forest in Lost Creek had a bear attack every 2 decades. The attacks always ended with multiple people missing and declared dead.

"Why would a bear attack only once every 20 years?" Alexander muttered, furrowing his brow as he scanned the article. "Bears rarely even live that long in the wild."

'And multiple people taken in roughly the same timeframe. To do that in a forest you need to have excellent tracking and hunting skills.

Bears are great trackers but barely decent hunters. They could never hunt that many people down in that close a time frame.' He thought rubbing his chin.

'If they truly were bear attacks, the frequency of the attacks should have increased and the bears in the area would have become more hostile to humans. After getting a taste of human flesh a bear wouldn't be the same. And yet the frequency of attacks stayed the same. This seems controlled... Restrained even.'

'After all my research, I have found nothing. But this, this could be something.' Alexander believed he had found his monster. 'However, one thing is for sure. Whatever is out there, it's one incredible hunter.' He smiled at his discovery, impressed with his detective skills.

Grabbing a nearby newspaper in the pile he said while looking at it. "For now though, it looks like I will have to pay this brave young boy a visit."

On the newspaper he held published years ago in 1959, the title read 'Frightened little boy, the sole survivor of a gruesome bear attack.'

.....

Not waiting a second longer that very afternoon, Alexander located the home of the sole survivor of a previous "bear attack" and went for a visit.

Alexander walked to the door and knocked. While waiting he wondered if this person would have the answers he needed? The attack happened so long ago he was just a child back then, would he still remember. Or had the memory long faded with the passage of time?

The door opened and an old man peeked his head out. "Who are you and what' ya want?" He asked to the point.

"Hello, sir I'm Alex, a bounty hunter in town. And I've just been commissioned to help with a search for some missing campers in the forest." Alexander lied.

"Search, ya say. What that gotta do with me?"

"I was wondering if it wasn't too much trouble, you could tell me what you remember from the attack you and your family suffered years back in 1959," Alexander said handing the old man the 1959 newspaper article about him.

Taking the article the old man's countenance changed, it grew weak and fragile like that of a child. In many ways, he was still that scared little boy.

The old man weakly walked back inside leaving his door open for Alexander to follow.

Looking around the poorly kept room it was easy to see that this old man could never forget the attack he couldn't move on with his life. He was barely living, just waiting for death.

The old man took a sit in his living room. "I don't know what to tell ya? My parents got mauled by a... bear."

Realizing what he was about to receive. Alexander clearly explained.

"Look, Mr. Shaw, I understand. You were young when you were attacked. You tried to tell them what you saw but you were a kid no one must have believed you. Probably, chalked it up to the crazy imagination of a scared child." Alexander took a breath. "But I'm not here asking for what other people told you, you saw. I want to know what you believe you saw that night."

The old man looked up at Alexander to find him confidently staring back at him. After a long pause.

"I saw nothing." He finally sighed. "It moved too fast to see. Hid too well. Heard it though. A roar. Like no man or animal I'er heard."

"It came at night. I was sleeping in front of the fireplace when it came inside our cabin." The old man paused to take a breath. "It didn't smash a window or break the door... It unlocked it."

"Tell me what bear can do something like that?" He asked Alexander.

Alexander hummed in wonder.

"I didn't even really wake up till I heard my parents screaming. That thing dragged them off into the night."

"Why it left me alive... Been asking myself that ever since. It did leave me this though." He said pulling his collar down to show a scar on his neck, a deep claw mark. "There's something evil in those woods. There's some sort of demon."

Looking at the feeble old man reliving his worst memory. Seeing the horrendous scar on his neck. Alexander could see it, he could picture that day vividly as though he were there himself.

He could see the young boy lying in a pool of his own blood in shock struggling to breathe. A scared and frightened child not knowing whether he was going to live or die. Helplessly listening to the screams of his parents as they were dragged off.

He thanked him trying his best to not lose his composure. "Thank you, Mr. Shaw. My truly sorry to drudge up such horrible memories. If it's any consolation please know this information will help save lives. I won't be taking any more of your time."

Alexander left. Walking out of the old man's home and shutting the door behind him. Alexander paused, he may not have shown it but the old man's story overwhelmed him a little. 'I feel guilty.' His eyes filled remorsefully and pity. 'Making him relive such a painful memory.' He thought pinching the bridge of his nose with his hand. Taking a moment to regain control of his emotions and breath. His hand fell and his closed eyes flared open, burning with a newfound vim. "This isn't a game. This isn't a joke. I'm going to find the monster responsible, and kill it."

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