Return what was lost

Melina came to reset the barrier now the water had evaporated from the rocks as she strategically placed the rocks around the perimeter as she knew they didn't need to be too close together to reset the barrier . She had never done this on her own but she saw her hunter do it when they had their lessons in the woods. She set the rocks on the ground as she began to follow the trail she followed to outline the area she needed protected . She looked down as she began to notice some red droplets on the ground that had turned dark brown from air touching it . She looked at the droplets as she kept paying rocks as she followed the trail she followed. Then she came to a dip in the path as she her curiousity something made her do stupid things. Most people would run when they saw something mysterious but to Melina she had to know as if she was scared of something she seemed to understand why. She came to a spot where she saw scortch marks as she saw two of them as she wondered where the third hunter was as she saw three eyes but she couldn't feel him anymore. She looked down at the spots where she knew where the hunters once were as she was a bigger pool of wet dark reddish brown color . She hadn't been to this spot in two weeks now and she remembered the last time she went to the woods was when she was chased out of them by hunters to the Newman home.Then she saw it . A pale skinned hunter as his markings were dull but she knew this hunter as she instinctively ran to hug him as she didn't know what came over her but she missed the hunter she thought she lost and left behind . All of a sudden Melina felt like she was being drained as she could feel her heart beating rapidly and it was almost painful as she could feel her energy draining.The hunters skin began to get some pigment and color back into his tone and his marking began to shimmer a dull glow as she felt herself growing cold from the embrace ." Hunter ?" Whispered Melina as the next thing she knew she was being thrown away from him and he crouched beside a tree away from the girl. " No! No! Stay away from me. I didn't mean to do that to you. I was so hungry and weak I didn't know what I was doing." Said the hunter as Melina looked at her skin and her hands looked pale and almost transparent. " What did you do to me?" Said Melina in a small weak voice." I fed off of you. I took your energy and I am so sorry little one. I didn't mean to harm you." He said in remorse from his mistake he made ." I am okay . Just feel tired. " Said Melina as she tried to move closer to the hunter as he looked better than he had in months . She then realized that a witches energy kept hunters strong . It's why touching them was his lessons. Why he trained her to fight from afar because if they got their arms around you then they would drain you dry where you were unable to defend yourself from an attack." Never let them touch you always keep your distance. If they get a hold of you . You are as good as dead." Melina said a loud as she watched the guilt stricken face of her hunter . She began to click all the puzzles into place." If my energy was all the food you needed instead of being weakened . You could have asked me. I would have willingly gave you some of it." Said Melina in a naive manner." No ! You do not willing give me anything no matter who or what I am to you. You need to remember I am still your enemy at the end of the day. " He said in a cold tone as Melina felt hurt by his words." Who are you to me then. I don't know any enemies that help me learn to fight your kind. I don't know any enemies that would kill other hunters to protect me. I don't know any enemies that calls me little one like a father to his daughter. We may have been enemies once but now we are more." Cried Melina feeling rejected by his words." Never call me that again. Never remind me of that again." He demanded as he rose to his feet as he felt imposing and tall ." Which one teacher, protector,or father." Screamed Melina as she watched his eyes bristle with emotion as he paused at the last word." I would be your master not teacher. " He deflected trying to redirect the father comment as he moved in a pace around Melina." Well master hunter . If we are enemies at the end of the day why did you kill those two hunters. I saw the burn marks. I heard the fight . I saw you in you yellow cat form at the edge of the woods." Said Melina needing to know answers she never was allowed to ask." I don't know why I do it. I just do it. You still have my sword . I can't let you die without my weapon returned." He deflected as he hardened his resolve. Melina wasn't stupid she knew he cared more than just for the sword . But if he wanted the sword so bad she would give it to him as she sat on the ground and called for the sword in her mind as she meditated and washed the world out as she heard muffled words that she couldn't hear as she saw the sword being pulled to her. She was going to prove to him she could do it so he wouldn't have to protect her anymore over a sword." Melina . Melina! He yelled as it muffled in her head as she was still concentrated on her task." Is that the little witchlings name. My my friend I never knew you to be so sentimental towards your marks. " Said a voice the hunter recognized as he spun to see another hooded hunter with multiple marks on his skin as Melina remained in consentration as the hunter stood in front of the little girl as he faced another hunter.

Melina was still stuck in concentration as she tried her best to pull the sword she could see inside as she reached her small hands out like she could almost reach it completely oblivious to the situation surrounding her. The other hunter noticed the little girls actions as his face grew in bewilderment." What is she doing. Is she touched in the head or something . What is wrong with her?" Said the hunter that stood as the girls hunter blocked his path to the girl clearing doing something he didn't understand." I don't know . She is a very strange mark I haven't figured her out yet." Admitted the hunter as he turned to look at Melina as she reached and he knew what she was attempting to do." What are waiting for kill her and be done with it. Look at her she is an easy kill. What's one little stupid little witch to someone that is more challenging." Cried the hunter as he tried to push past the other hunter towards the small girl. " She is my mark not yours. She is about to relinquish her will to me. Do not mess this up for me." Growled the hunter as he lied buying Melina some time." That's why I'm here your taking to long the order is getting concerned you went rogue and the other three hunters have came back well dead and failed the mission you were sent to complete. So what is the hold up. She is a defenseless little girl just don't and come back." Demanded the impatient hunter as Melina hunter crouched in front of her blocking the other hunters view. Just then he saw the hilt of the soul sword as he knew what she was doing she was saving him in a way. He bent down and held onto the hilt as he pulled as melina's eyes shot open proud she did it . The hunters eyes looked worried and she peered behind her masters head and saw the tall imposing figure of another hunter as she narrowed her eyes then look at her master." You should run!" He said in her head as she knew this would get bad as she stood up and began to run as the other hunter squared off to face her as he drew his sword as he began to laugh. Melina looked at her master as she charged her shield as she prepared for a fight as she looked at her master and he shook his head no. She looked confused as this was what all the training was for as the other hunter caught on a second later as he swung his sword at Melina as she blasted him back with one wave after another as she pushed her attacked back. She knew what to do as this was what she was taught and now her master hunter had his weapon back she didn't need him anymore to protect her. His cold indifference earlier hurt her image of him and now he had what he wanted from her he could leave her." Go ! I don't want you here!" Yelled the young girl as she laid assult after assault on the skilled hunter as her master hunter was only trying to prevent her from showing her powers to the other hunter so he could lead him away from her now. The other hunter sliced back as he reflected her blows back at the young girl trying to dispell her attacks but Melina moved and dodged the backlash of her own power as she remembered what happened when her master hit her with her old energy.She felt still weak from her draining hug she gave her hunter and knew she wasn't all the way well enough to fight at full strength and she knew she was tired and she was scared and she wasn't ready to die just yet as she stopped using blast as it was consuming too much energy as she put her hands in the ground and she focused on the sword in his hand as she called it underneath as she was trying to make the hunter lose grip on his weapon knowing it would weaken him in this fight as she was too tired to fight much longer. " I said go! " Yelled Melina as she glared at her master as he froze seeing the green form a circlet in the rim of her iris's and then he saw it a flicker of a beast inside Melina. A flicker of a animal as he had not taught her this yet as he was afraid it would be debilitating to her and make her vulnerable. Then a strength he had never seen before rose in the little girl as she shielded herself and then the shield pulsed . He could see her hands changing to scales . Shimmering golden scales as he heard her growl . The other hunter stopped and looked at his fellow hunter." What are you waiting for let's kill her while she is building up do not let her change." Demanded the hunter as the master hunter came close to the other under and stabbed him from behind. The hunter grunted as he fell and Melina growled seeing the danger in front of her . She was still to weak to change into her morphed state. " Little one I have gotten him. Relax. Calm down your using too much energy." Warned her master hunter." Why did you do that. I had him . I can do this on my own . I told you to leave." Yelled Melina before she fell out of exhaustion. Melina was so wrapped up in anger at the words that he said. He bluntly reminded her he was still her enemy and he was only there for his sword but as Melina felt an angry rage changing her as pain had coursed through her body feeling like she was transforming into something bigger then she was anticipating she saw what he did to the other hunter. She saw his shove his returned sword through his back and he saw the utter betrayal he caused to his order.She grew confused of whose side he truly was as he said one thing and did another thing as it saved her life as she was reething in pain from feeling her arms feel like her bones were breaking as she had to concentrate in holding off the enemy as she was in knee dropping pain. She didn't know what just happened but she felt it all inside of her like a beast waiting to get out of her. Like an alternate mindset driving to be released from its own prison that was her mundane body. She felt thoughts that was not her own and saw and felt her senses high-ten to such an extreme it was overwhelming and overtaking at the same time. But the look on her master hunters face explained it all to what she felt scared him more then it scared her. Her hunter looked panicked and scared for her as she looked at him as she now understood what he meant . No matter the tenderness he showed her ,or the care he often practiced around her he would always be her enemy at the end of the day. " Little one . You brought my soul back." He stammered as he walked cautiously around the girl still to weak to try to fight him off." And you killed another hunter with it." Pointed out Melina ." And you were turning into an animal well a morphosis of your spirit animal. " He said as Melina looked confused at what he was talking about. Transforming into a spirit animal . The words bounced off her head as it was something she didn't even know she had in her. She just felt it coming and couldn't stop it." I am tired . I can't do this anymore. If your going to complete your mark get it over with if not let me go to rest ." Said Melina as she got weaker by the minute." Your always so ready to die. " The master hunter said in a sad tone." Not willing to die ,but not stupid enough to know the outcome of my life." Said Melina as she strolled past him and out of the woods towards the Bailey home . The hunter watched her to see her go inside as he heard the door locked . Melina hadn't seen her oldest sister Jamie since she left her first foster home where the house parents that rejected her adopted her oldest sister Jamie. Jamie grew up to be beautiful and was always competing in pageants with the full support of her former beauty queen adoptive mom. Now Jamie was now sixteen she was allowed to visit her sister for half the day at her home. The mom remembered the trouble Melina and Paula was to her two adoptive daughters Angie and Danny and when Paula was told she was going to visit Jamie she declined her invitation . Melina was a very seclusive child as she didn't speak much to people she didn't like or in situations that she wasn't comfortable. But when she was allowed to see Jamie a sister she hadn't seen in years it was not the reunion she imagined. When Melina would visit Jamie she was not allowed to stay the night more than one night. She was to be in full view of Jamie at all times and was told not to touch anything in their home as the mom was convinced Melina had sticky fingers. The other daughters there was not allowed to speak or play with Melina . Melina became very talkative to her sister Jamie whom changed her legal name during the adoption and the house mom expressed she didn't like Melina here because she talked too much and the dad steered clear of Melina now she was older and understood what almost happened to her. Melina just wanted to be with her sister Jamie since Paula made it clear she didn't think of Melina as any sister of hers by the way she treated her. Her only friend was April and the kid brother school yard boyfriend Paula forced her to be in a relationship with him because of her best friend Jerry. Besides her master hunter she really had no one to talk to. When James new mom expressed her disgust of Melina being in her home longer than necessary Melina only visited her sister two times before she wasn't allowed back in their home again. She wasn't even allowed to go to the bathroom in the home without being escorted there by her sister. Melina knew her sister Jamie was happier there and she had no place going to a place where she was told she talked to much and she wasn't allowed to roam free without constant supervision. It broke Melina's heart she was seperated from her sister Jamie and Mia was taken to another home where her grandparents kept her so she wouldn't have to go in the system . Mia got to stay home because her grandparents on her father's side wanted her and not Paula or Melina because she didn't believe they were her sons biological children. And Paula might as well be seperated from her because she treated other system kids like she was their big sister and when it came to Melina she acted like she was a nuisance to be delt with. When Melina didn't want to date the kid brother of her best friend she made Melina feel like she was stuck up and selfish but Melina really didn't have the energy to think of anyone else between her school, the mandatory therapy sessions with her very annoying child therapist who thought that was the day he would make her talk about how she was adjusting to her timing situation at the group home for the second time in her life , and her sessions with her hunter and her running from other hunters and a boyfriend was the furthest thing from her mind. The only good thing was that they didn't resume her medication for A.D.H.D. or the blood testing they used to do once a week. But Melina knew if she started to talk about what really was going on inside of her that small freedom from medication would be revisited in a heartbeat. Melina needed to keep her head clear she didn't need to be drugged up again and be off guard with her powers being in transition. She didn't want to be in a mental hospital at age eleven. Melina didn't really like him and often wanted to break up with him but Paula would talk her down each time she tried. As little league cheerleading captain Christina made it her mission to try to convince the other girls she was a terrible captain and Melissa her supposed best friend was melina's voice of reason when it came to her handling Christina as her petty persuits against Melina over her fifth grade revenge. Melina would often sit in her therapist office and catch up on her homework and would have quiet time. Melina was brilliant for someone her age as the therapist tried to convince her if he ordered her pizza not knowing her past history with her utter hate for pizza because Melina didn't want to talk about her past because she knew on e the flood gates opened there was no damn big enough to contain the flood waters of secrets and trauma Melina have had up to this point. " I tell you what Melina if I order pizza and let's say you can have a couple of slices will you try to participate in this week's sessions?" Melina remembered hearing her child therapist ask her as she had been silent for months at this point . " Two slices and I talk? Replied Melina as she had no intentions of relinquishing her silence for pizza as she didn't like pizza. The therapist thought they had a deal until the pizza arrived and each ate four slices of pizza . Melina didn't like pizza but she knew how to manipulate the narrative. That was something she learned from all the foster homes she lived in as she watched the other system kids use their words as weapons. " So now you have had some pizza can we talk about your time at home with your mother while you are here?" Asked her therapist which was the third therapist in a single year when the other two couldn't break through to her at all. This new child therapist was someone just trying to make a name for himself and Melina knew this because he really didn't push the subject like the other therapist on how Melina was actually doing in the system. " No you said if I ate a couple of slices we can trade information a couple implies two slices as I have eaten four in total and that is considered a few and not a couple. It's all about the wording on how information is relayed. So the deal was for two slices not four slices ." Retorted Melina as she continued to read her book as she flipped the pages between words not missing a beat. " Fair point. I see what you did there. Tell me something if I said a few slices instead of a couple of slices than would you have ate more then five to avoid answering my questions and keeping your word ." He said as he felt like he was being handled by a couple of well placed words . " Do you really want me to be honest with you?" Asked Melina as she finally put a bookmark in her book to stop reading . Now she gave this rookie therapist her undivided attention. " Yes I would very much like that to happen." Said the therapist as Melina could see his intentions were self serving . He needed this to work because he needed the experience of handling a child under extreme trauma. Melina knew she was just a milestone to a means to an end. " If you said a few pizza slices I would have eaten the entire pizza and not left you a single slice just to avoid from talking about things that happened to me that I do no not want to revisit anytime soon. I lived it I don't want to to revisit it . Let the past be in the past . Because I can't take it back I can't fix it and me talking about something I can't make right will just make me angry and you don't want to see me angry. So if that is all you wanted to know that you have gotten more information out of me then any other professional quack I have been made to talk to since I was six years old . If they couldn't get me to talk what makes you so special to think you can?" Melina said with a cold tone as she watched the therapist back away from her as she knew she saw his breaking point knowing right then and there he was never going to break her. " So write down what you have to and I'll be breaking in another therapist in a few weeks anyways." Melina said as she gathered her items to leave as her two hours of being babysat was over.