The Hunters Hunter - McKenzie M. O'Brien (freda ebook reader .txt) 📗

been with him when committee members came to break the news. It had been the first suicide ever in the committee. The next day at school we had a special assembly to commiserate the loss and to teach us the signs and how to prevent it from happening again.
The speaker told us that one of the first signs was saying that your unhappy, feel helpless, hopeless, worthless. I could see why he would be worried about me. In his situation I would think the same thing. But I felt nothing close to wanting to kill myself I’m happy with myself, stressed about the next few days but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. I tell him this and he nods though he does not look convinced. I don’t push it any further though if I am suicidal only time will truly tell.
That night I dream of Chandler, Deana, and I playing in a field behind their house. It was a heartless and happy scene. There was nothing that would set of any kind of alarms, just three innocent children playing.
The next few days Chandler and I are inseparable Travelers are only aloud to come home every three years for two weeks at a time. He chose to come back now so he could be here for my ceremony of graduates, a plus and negative since he leaves the very next day.
Today we meet at the gym to work on my upper body strength, According to chandler I need to bulk up, he says “You have good strength and precision in your strikes but you lack the power that could make your punches truly lethal.”
We start with ten laps around the track alternating between a slow jog and a out right run. After a short cool down we start with twenty reps of Bicep Curls. We spot one another for two turns before moving on to Chin Ups, two sets of twenty each. We end on dumbbell curls with 30 pounds in each hand for one round of 40 reps. After stretching out we work a little on target control.
Two hours and 50 gallons of water later we were sprawled out across the green grass in my back yard staring up at the sky. We stay quite for the most part each in our own world pondering our own thoughts. I’m happy with the silence it’s a nice change to just sit around with a close friend and say nothing just enjoy their company.
I want so badly to leave it this way, I stall as long as I can. But our time is running short and I need to ask. I sigh and prop myself up on my elbows “Hey chandler?” I say turning my head to look at him.
“Hmm?” he replies his voice relaxed and his eyes closed.
“How come you continue your training? I thought travelers didn’t need to know how to fight like protectors. They told us in class that travelers are done training at age fifteen.” I know the question will upset him so I turn away not wanting to see his face.
There is silence for what seems like a long time, I bite my lip and take a deep breath readying myself before I look at him. His eyes are still closed but his mouth forms a straight line. I sigh getting ready to apologize and excuse him from answering my question when he sits up and looks at me.
I catch a small glimpse of something in eyes before he blinks. The something I saw now replaced with happiness. “In truth I was supposed to stop training, yeah. On several accounts the committee threated to suspend me if I continued to train. So I started to disguise it as just working out. Like the workout I showed you today. They accepted this and I was aloud to go out as a traveler. Out there the committee does not have control so I started to train again.
“And to answer your question I keep up to date with my training because I do some of my own protector work. Not just for the committee but for some of the outsiders. I guess I am kind of a bodyguard to people who really need me. I broke up a gang fight a few weeks ago.” He said smiling at me.
I nod understanding why he was so reluctant to tell me. If this kind of information got into the wrong hands Chandler could be blacklisted and taken to the DD (Dungeon District) with other black-listers. I cringe at that thought. I have only heard stories of the dark, cold, deadly district, but those are scary enough to stop anyone from breaking the law. It makes me fear for Chandler. I glance around nervously, He knows I would never tell but someone else could have easily over heard.
We stay silent from the time after, my head cluttered with fear for Chandler, and nefarious stories of The DD. When it is time to go our separate ways he pulls me in to a tight hug crushing me to his chest until I could breath. “Don’t worry about me,” he whispers, “I promise I will keep out of trouble.”
I nod and pull away smiling up at him trying to make it seem like I am not worried. A rueful smile spreads on his lips I don’t fool him. He kisses my cheek before he turns to walk home.
The next day I go to our usual meeting place, a small park in the middle of a forestry area. I sit on the highest point balancing myself on a thin plank of wood that makes up the base of a window.
I am tired and sweaty from training with the master a requirement for anyone who is going to be a protector, and people like me who don’t know. Today chandler promised we could take it easy, spend sometime at the park and maybe walk over to the duck pond and feed the animals.


TO BE CONTINUED
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Text: Mckenzie M. O'Brien
Publication Date: 04-19-2012

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