(5th of June, 1999)

It was the early afternoon. Nathan and Kimberly were booking it north as fast as his truck would allow. The humming of a struggling engine as Nathan held his foot down on the gas pedal with a lead foot. Kimberly was staring out at the trees and wildlife as Nathan… well Nathan was staring at her.

After their shared night of passion he couldn’t help but wonder what it meant. What THEY meant. Maybe it was nothing at all but… it seemed so intimate. Like it was more than a simple night of passion. At least that was how Nathan felt. Or maybe all the isolation has been getting to me? No… it has to be more than that!

“Nathan?” Kimberly asked as he snapped out of it.

“Uh! Yeah?”

“The Seekers. What are they exactly? I mean; what do they want?”

Nathan stared off into the road ahead. The Hellsing family had been hunting them for years but honestly… “I’m not sure.” Nathan said as Kimberly looked away from the window and directly at him. Surprise on her face. “The truth is wherever they go it seems to be hell on earth. They kill, devour, and torture. My family has always been sensitive to their presence. So we always felt as though it was our duty to take care of them. As for their purpose. Who knows…”

Kimberly caught herself staring with a wide eyed glint. She couldn’t believe that after all these generations they still seemed to know so little about these creatures. This creature. The one, the “Survivor.” Of the pack. It was mind boggling for her. Why go through all the trouble? Is it really for some sort of civic duty? She pondered this from the passenger seat. She’d ask him but… he already doesn’t seem to be sure himself.

“Then… why not just stop?”

The truck came to a complete halt. The pair flying forward in the process.

“I didn’t mean the truck moron!”

“I know what you meant!” Nathan roared. Silence fell on them for a moment as Nathan took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. His blue eyes stricken with gloom. “It’s not that easy you know… I trained my whole life for this. How could you even suggest that?” He asked as he stared into her. She couldn’t find the resolve to stare back.

Kimberly hugged herself and shied away. “Because… I worry about you.” She said as she mustered up the courage to look him in the eye. “I just feel like this whole scenario is going to get you killed that’s all…”

“…”

Nathan was speechless. She does care… but still that’s no excuse. “It’s okay. Like I’ve said I trained my whole life for this.” Nathan said as he got back on the road and started driving. Making their way north.

“I know. I’ve just got a bad feeling is all…”

5:00 PM

It was the early evening in the north of Maine and suddenly it started to snow. The duo looked out in awe with a smidge of shock. “Snowing in the summer?” Nathan remarked as the crystals melted against the windshield. “Does this happen often?”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Not too often… no.” Kimberly suggested.

An ill omen?

A little more time had passed. The truck persisted as night began to fall. The headlights cutting through the snow and darkness. Nathan kept his eyes peeled and his head on a swivel. Kimberly was starting to feel sick. Now it’s getting dark? No… it’s pitch black. It is definitely too early for that! She thought as she pulled her pistol, albeit a little pre-maturely. Or so they thought. Nathan was suddenly stricken with a massive headache paired with nausea and searing pain in his frontal lobe. He lost control of the wheel for a moment as “Watch out!”

*Crash!*

A large elk had jumped out onto the road as Nathan’s truck barreled right into it. The engine began sputtering out as he tried to regain control of the wheel. His mental state in shambles. “Ahhhh!” He yelled in pain before finally crashing and landing in a ditch. They were now stranded. Nathan throwing the door open as he fell out and into the snow. Nearly an inch off the ground at this point.

“God damn! Damn! Damn! DAMN!” He yelled as the throbbing persisted. Kimberly jumping out of the passenger seat, grabbing the double-barrel shotgun as she ran to his side. She got right up next to him before forcing some aspirin down his throat and handing him some water to chase it with.

“It’ll be okay you hear me!” She said as she heard the clicking of hooves on concrete behind her. “What is…”

As Kimberly turned to face the source of the noise she couldn’t believe her eyes. It was they elk they hit. She felt as though that impact would’ve been impossible to survive. After all they were going well above the speed limit. Above and beyond really! But there it stood. Kicking its hooves with—a with a… a tentacle for a head?

“What the fuck!” Kimberly said as Nathan writhed in pain.

“What is it!?”

Kimberly aiming her weapon in shock simply said “Company…”

The fear in her voice wasn’t misplaced. After all it was no mere tentacle on the creatures head. It had a mouth. And as it puckered a dozen rows of sharp gnarly teeth could be seen. Rotating in a circular fashion as if they were on a conveyor of flesh. The mouth gaped open 5x its natural size. Drool fall and drizzling from the top before landing right back into its mouth. It kicked up gravel as it prepared to charge.

Kimberly placed both fingers onto both triggers of the double-barrel as her hands shook with fear. The creature charged furiously as the snow began to kick up like silt. As it neared it let out an indescribable screech just as she pulled the triggers. Sending double the pellets its way as the tentacle-like head was shredded into a slushy mist of flesh and blood. Its elkish body crashing into the snow… it’s monstrous figure undecipherable.

“In…” Inhale. “Out…” Exhale. “In… Out…”

Nathan collected himself as Kimberly redirected her attention to him. Shaking him to make sure he was okay as suddenly his eyes opened wide. And his breathing stilled. He had regained control. It was then that he looked up into the night’s sky. In it was the aurora borealis. But something was wrong…

“It’s glowing… blinking on and off like a light!”

Kimberly looked up as well and she couldn’t believe her eyes. It was like… it was alive. There’s something wrong here… She looked back down at Nathan before slinging his arm over her shoulder. Feeling as though there was no time to pay any mind to the strange phenomenon occurring above. Stating “Come on! We’ve got to get you to a hospital!”

“No!” Nathan yelled as he yanked himself away. “We’re close!”

“What do you mean we’re close? Close to what…” It was then that Nathan wrestled his .38 from its holster. Declaring that THAT Bastard was near… He stood to his feet and made sure he had all his gear. Taking a few swigs from his flask. He turned to face her.

“It’s not far now… Its in the woods. Right up ahead.”

“But Nathan…”

“We’ve got a job to do Kimberly… Or… I’ve got a job to do. It’s time I finish this.”

“You… by yourself?” Kimberly stood strong next to him. “No. We do this together.”

Nathan stared into her eyes. He grabbed her by the waist with his left hand and pulled her in for a kiss. She embraced him back as the two shared in the moment. The snow falling around them. The night sky glowing above them with hues of blue and green. With eyes closed they pulled their lips apart slowly. As they opened their eyes Nathan stared deeply into hers.

“Okay… we do this together.” He said as she smiled.

The two started walking into the woods as Nathan stopped in his snowy tracks. Turning to look at her he said. “And Kimberly… I love you.”