Page 17 - Hunter - The Vigil

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C CHAPTER ONE: SHADOWS CAST BY FIRELIGHT
perceive, these unseen threats — the monsters, creatures and While destroying all witnesses is one method of ensur-
denizens of the World of Darkness — continue to endanger ing their secrecy, some monsters rely upon other means to
humankind as they have for centuries, protected by their vic- ensure the silence of those who have seen “too much.” Some
tims’ self-imposed blindness to the peril they face. have the ability to make those who have seen too much forget
what they have witnessed, changing or erasing their memory
Blind to the Dangers completely. Unfortunately, such powers are rarely perfect or
permanent, leading to trauma and sometimes insanity when
In most cases, even those who come face to face with these
the monster’s supernatural command to forget begins to frac-
dangers do not recognize them as such. It suits a monster to go
ture. When the truth begins to seep out between the cracks of
unrecognized, unnoticed, unchallenged, and most have some
the monster’s control, hallucinations, nightmares and visions
method of blending in with humanity or of blurring their pres-
begin to emerge. All are shades of an unpleasant truth.
ence from humankind’s collective view. Perhaps more effective
For those without the ability to wipe a witness’ memory clean,
than any supernatural invisibility or demonic camoufl age, how-
a threat against his or her loved ones is often enough to buy a wit-
ever, is the human power to perceive only what pleases them.
ness’ held tongue, especially when it is clear that the predator is
And it suits humanity to ignore the horrors, to ignore the dan-
more than willing and capable of carrying through with the threat.
gers they present, and thus to maintain their façade of safety.
“If you tell, I will kill your family” is a harsh enough threat, but a
A woman drives along a dark country road and sees some-
creature that holds your son’s still-dripping ear in the palm of its
thing cross her headlights’ path. It turns, looking over one
hand and says, “Speak a word of this, and I will come back for the
shoulder to face the oncoming car, and she gasps as its blue eyes
rest,” is unlikely to be argued with or disbelieved.
widen and its human face contorts in fear before it dashes off
That is not to say that all encounters with monsters end in
into the woods. Later, she reports to her husband how lucky she
the victim’s death, however. Sometimes the monster keeps con-
was to have not hit “that deer,” and even describes the buck’s
trol, fighting back whatever monstrous instincts, drives or passions

velvet-covered rack, but she would never admit, even to her-
would set them at humanity’s throat. Other times, the predator
self, that the creature she saw wore a man’s features.
simply has other priorities — bigger fi sh to fry. Sometimes outside

A crime scene in the middle of a big city turns up fibers
circumstances intervene, and the monster is either driven off or
among the victim’s disemboweled entrails. When the lab re-
chooses discretion over satisfaction of his baser desires.
ports the evidence to be shreds of centuries-old linen wrap-
pings that twitch and shudder when touched, the police burn Eyes Ripped Open
those fibers and console one another that it was just “some-

The truth is out there and it crawls into some like a worm
thing weird,” some kind of “laboratory error.”

boring into the flesh of an apple. Shattered memories are slowly
Eyewitness reports of poltergeist activity are labeled as
taped together. Scars on skin tell an inescapable tale. For every
the hoax of stage magic, or the secretive actions of a petulant
voice that tells a person to deny what she saw, what she remem-
teen, or even mass hallucinations. It couldn’t possibly be a su-
bers, what she feels, there exists a bigger, meaner voice that gives
pernatural phenomenon. Man likes things rational. Man likes
it to her straight: we are not alone. We sleep next to beasts. We
things easy. Don’t rock the boat, or you’ll be called crazy.
drink with monsters. We feel their hands at our throats, their
Sometimes, however, ignorance is impossible. Sometimes
fingers in our mouths, their breath in our ear. Monsters are real.

the evidence is so clear it cannot be ignored or explained
The realization is different for everyone, of course. A
away. Unfortunately for humanity, when they are not given
police officer sees a pattern amidst several crimes where the

the option for self-deception, they often do not leave the en-
perpetrator can enter locked rooms without a key, can disap-
counter in any shape to share their knowledge with others.
pear into thin air and can kill its victims with a single touch.
For some, an encounter with the horror and mystery of
The officer’s logical mind knows these things are impossible

the World of Darkness is fatal. Monsters do not abide by the
and that surely a logical answer exists. But the patterns say
same laws that hold sway over the majority of humanity, and
otherwise. Draw a line connecting the pins in the map on the
even those predators that are not driven to kill out of hunger,
wall, and the cop sees a symbol that the Internet tells him
wrath or bloodlust may do so out of simple expedience or apa-
is Satanic in origin. He pursues this information, tumbling
thy. Dead men, as the saying goes, tell no tales, and those who
down the dark rabbit hole, suffering from nightmares, wasting
do discover the truth that lurks beneath the surface of the
away on his hunt for the truth.
“normal” world are often dealt with in a permanent fashion to

A priest finds himself listening to the slurred tale of a
protect the monster’s secret existence. By destroying all living
woman who claims to have “stolen” the life of another. It can’t
witnesses, a monster, be it a human slasher or a supernatural
be true, of course. And he smells the booze on her breath. She
being, is able to foster the aura of disbelief surrounding it, and
leaves the confession booth and he follows her. He loses her
foster humanity’s self-delusions of safety, providing a contin-
for a time, but soon comes upon her — burying a body that
ued environment of unwariness within which the creature can
looks exactly the same as hers. He stares aghast as she puts
prowl at will. Other times the death is not even intentional
down a grave marker of a white stone, and then he realizes the
— a creature with superhuman strength, temper or hunger
whole fi eld is full of similar stones.
may accidentally kill with no ill intent whatsoever. Humans
A woman with a violent child opens the door on a foggy
can seem frail creatures, compared to some of the monsters
night to find a pack of men in ragged clothing: they explain

lurking in the shadows of the World of Darkness.
that her child is different, he’s like them, and they’re his fam-
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