After a few hours of rambling through the forest, occasionally tipping over boulders or throwing smaller rocks, David and Mack circled back around to the cabin. "That's probably enough of this for tonight," said David.

"Yeah." Mack nodded. "This is really hella weird. I think I could stand to just sit around and get used to it for a while."

David had a sudden thought. "How about we watch a movie?"

"A what?"

"A movie! I'll show you." He lead the way back into the cabin, where Megan and Jeff greeted the returning pair. "Hey, we're going to go back to my room and watch a movie," said David. "You two want to come?"

"Sure!" Megan had watched a few already, she had greeted Aidan's television with recognition and delight when she'd first seen it.

Jeff nodded. "I've never seen one before."

"What the hell is a movie?" asked Mack again, feeling left out.

"It's something from the old days," said Megan. One of the lost technologies. It's like... well, the way you can record sounds and play them, like on the radio? Movies are like that but with pictures. They're usually stories, acted out like a play, and recorded so you can watch them again later."

"Oh."

"It's okay, not many people know about them. I just happen to have read a lot about the old days." She smiled, and glanced at Jeff. "And Jeff is a walking collection of totally odd and random facts. Anyhow, I'd love to watch a movie."

They went back to David's room and arranged themselves on the bed. "What would you like to watch?" asked David, looking at the other three.

Jeff shrugged. Mack said, "Well, as I didn't even know what one is, I don't know which one I'd want."

"What about the one with the Hunter?" said Megan. "You mentioned it once, and I meant to watch it, but I never got around to it."

"The Hunter?" asked Jeff.

"Yeah..." David felt a little embarrassed. "I got the idea for hunting vampires from the movie. It's kind of an odd one, but..." he shrugged. "It's a good story. Not real," he added, remembering what Aidan had said. "Aidan told me they had made this before vampires even existed, somebody just made it up, thought about what it might have been like and invented a bunch of crazy stuff."

He picked up the plastic case. He hadn't watched it again since that first time. He shrugged and removed the disk.

He started the movie, and then settled himself next to Megan. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

The sense of destiny, of something magical, wasn't there this time. It was just a story. A strange and interesting story, but that was all. Still, seeing the imagery again, seeing the Hunter... He knew that he'd done the right thing. It felt right, to be the Hunter himself.

When it was done, David placed the disk back in its case.

"That was weird," said Megan.

David nodded. "Yeah, it's kind of strange. Good though." He looked at her and smiled. "You remind me of the girl in it."

Megan looked back at him, and she suddenly looked pensive, serious. "The Hunter loved her though... do you?"

David hesitated, not quite knowing how to answer the question.

Then Mack snorted. "Does he love you? Anybody with eyes would know the answer to that. He might as well be hollering it from the rooftops! He only watches you every second you're near him. He only follows after you like a puppy. He only lights up like the barrier lights when you smile at him."

"Uh..." If David could have blushed, he would have been beet red.

"Oh." Megan did blush. "I... I think I love you too."

They looked at each other for a long moment.

Jeff coughed. "Mack, your tact astounds us all. Come on, these two obviously need some time without us hanging around."

Mack grinned broadly. "I'm sure." The two men got up and left, leaving David and Megan alone with a suddenly awkward silence.