#8 Hunter or hunted?
I'm walking home from another day of sleeping in class and detention and thinking about what to ask the being that inhabits the graveyard and what to do about the other graveyards when my ghost sense goes off.
I sigh and then while yawning I then mutter,"Alright what is it this time." That is the last thing I think before everything goes black. I wake up looking at a robot looking guy. "What." I deadpan completely done with everything.
"It is you lucky day welp! For it is I the zones greatest hunter that will skin and eat you because of how rare you are!" The robot guy says as he look at me like should be thanking him or something.
"Ok first of all don't call me welp or I'm going to cram your ass into a trash compactor and second. What do you mean rare? I'm just a regular human. I say without a stutter and totally straight face as I look the ghost robot guy straight in the eye. "Also isn't kinda rude to kidnap someone without even telling them your name first?" I say just fucking with him at this point.
The ghost robot looked confused for a split second like he was surprised I said that before recovering and saying,"My names Skulker and I can call you whatever I want! Also I know your a half ghost or halfa welp!" Skulker says with a grin on his face as he's says welp. "How?" I say trying to not let any of my fear shine through.
"I am a hunter! Tracking your pray and learning their movements is kinda my thing!" Skulker says fully leaving out the part about the Box ghost telling pretty much the whole zone. "Now with that out of the way I Skul….!"
He didn't get finish what he was saying as I transformed into My ghostly from and broke apart the net that was holding me to the tree in the deserted park easily and bodily slammed him into the ground below hard. "Did you tell anyone?!" I question hurriedly. "What?" He says with slight fear in his eyes as my glowing purple eyes seemed to slice through him. "Did you tell anyone?!" I said even more angrily as I crushed his body a bit under my grip. "The whole zone knows ok!" Skulker cries. "Box ghosts told the whole zone about you the first time you had met! I only found out through him I swear!" "Do any humans know?!" I say still staring into his eyes. "Did you tell any humans?!" "What? No! Why would I give my biggest hunt to some humans? Your only for me to hunt and to get your pelt!" Skulker says upset thinking someone other then him would get the honer of hunting this halfa.
"So you didn't tell any human Im a halfa?" I calmed down a bit as skulker finished talking. "No. There is no reason to do that so I don't." I sigh and get off him before saying,"Wow what a load off! So anyway you wanted to fight right? I question skulker. He seemed to grin as they got back on script as he says,"Yes! I will get your pelt!" He screams as he tries to shot me with a Canon. I just dodge that and yawn before saying,"Im going to take a long nape after this."
I then beat the ectoplasm out of him and as I am beating on him for scaring me like that a little thing pops out of the skull of the guy and I think of might of killed him again as the little thinks says,"How dare you humiliate skulker like this! You will pay for this welp!" I chuckle a bit and say,"Whatever dude the names not welp,it's Revenant. Also your looking more like a welp then I am pipsqueak." I then put him in the thermos as he continues to rant and yawn again.
"Well I guess it's time for a nap." Definitely going to pummel ghost box next time I see him though for the whole revealing me thing. I then transform back and walk home.
*A street away from the Arken residence*
As I am about a street away from home my ghost sense goes off again. "What now." I mutter tiredly as the ghost appears in front of me and says."You will face what is coming for you either as someone strong or as a coward. Your choice." The ghost then disappears right after saying that.
"Well that's not totally a bad omen or anything. Yep just going to ignore that as some random ghost pulling a prank on me." I then continue walking a few steps before stopping and groaning loudly into the sky as I turn around and head to the graveyard where my alley could hopefully tell me what is up with that weird message. I then stop as I think about the ghost in my soup can and decide to throw him back into the zone before going.
*Promise Cemetery*
"Hello, friend of mine?" I say into the graveyard paying extra carful attention at not stepping on any graves or really float over any graves as I am currently Revenant right now as I feel my ghost sense go off and hear,"Hello there Revenant. Need assistance on something or are you just here to enjoy the scenery?" Spec the protector of this graveyard says appearing in front of me.
I'm not really surprised as I say hi quickly and then tell him about the weird message I got from the ghost. "Seems like you've been challenged." He says not sounding worried.
"Oh is this like if I win at a board game I win a prize or something" I say but feeling like that's not really close to the truth at all.
"No,it is till one of you either crushes the others core or forfeit." Spec says casually. "Ok so two quick questions,what's a core and why am I being challenged?" I said trying to think about the killing another being.
"Well a core is the thing that powers our very being. Kinda like the heart for humans but a lot more important for ghosts." I hum at that and clutch at my chest imagining it as he continues,"I don't know why you were challenged but it most likely had to do with you making this whole town your haunt."
That makes me stop feeling my chest and say,"What?! No I didn't! There most be some kind of mistake!" "No,you did make this whole town apart of your haunt." "Why are you so cool with that? You don't seem like the type to share." "As long as you don't mess my graveyard or try to hurt those I'm protecting I'm fine with it." Spec said in a bored tone of voice already seeming like he was done with the whole thing.
"Is there a way to get out of the challenge?" Rev asked hopefully. "Afraid not kid,sorry." Said Spec sounding like and looking truly sorry for what Rev was going through.
"Not your fault." Rev said not wanting his only ghostly alley or really anyone if he could help it feel bad especially for him. "When is it anyway?" I say with dread. "It seems to very soon,in about two or so days." Spec says in a emotionless voice.
"How do I stop making it part of my haunt then?" "You can't." Spec says like it's final. "Why?" I say sacred of taking a life. "You just can't,it's apart of you like your leg is apart of you." I slump in defeat but I then think about the second option I could do.
"Wait! I can get the ghost that I wanting to fight me surrender?" "Well yes but it is very rare as ghosts don't want to seem weak in front of others and would rather die again." I don't care because I am already thinking about the ways I can get the ghost to surrender as I say,"Thanks for the info Spec! Have a good rest of the day!" I say as I'm still thinking. "Well you could also defeat the ghost in combat but that's rarer." Spec sates as if that were an afterthought.
I break out of my thoughts just then and felt confused and ask,"Why would that be rarer?" Spec then clarified,"Because ghosts usually just shatter the other ghosts cores for being in their haunt." I think about something and then smile at spec and say,"By for real this time Spec! Till next time!" I wave as I fly out of there.
"See you kid." He said with a small chuckle as he also said in a quieter voice says,"Hope everything works out well for you kid." Spec then melted into the ground.
Ben thought of all the ways he could figure a way out of this as the same figure from before watches him again grinning the same as before if not larger.
Let's hope our protagonist gets through this ok,yeah? I sure hope he gets out ok.