I sat inside the Sedan, staring off into space. It was nighttime and we were at a lonely gas station in a county not far from where I lived. The gas station was old and had rusty lights hanging from each corner. I looked out the window and saw Leon stocking up on food. He has tried his best to make it up to me but from how I see it, it’s not looking good.
We had already gotten gas and caught a glimpse of the news. It seems that I’m off the hook. Now it seems everyone is trying to find me. They are planning a search to look for me. I was in some deep crap. Leon was upset about it too but he was doing his best to keep us hidden.
About a minute later, Leon left the station holding three bags full of food. He opened the back door and stuffed them in there. Then he came to the driver’s side and climbed in. “We have enough food to get us down the road. I bought sandwiches, hamburgers, cookies, and water. Are you okay with that?” he asked, looking at me. I nodded and stared out the window.
He sighed and started the car. We pulled out and continued down the road which was surrounded by a dense forest. The road seemed endless and the trees looked like they were going to cave in on the road and swallow anything in their way.
About an hour later, I got to the point of insanity. I was sleepy and cranky. I looked over at Leon who looked the same. Up ahead there was a billboard that said ‘Cheap Hotel, Come see us’. I looked over at Leon again and said, “Can we stop at a hotel?” He turned to me and said, “Are you sure? We can keep going if you like.” I shook my head and said, “I can’t anymore of driving and being stuck in this tin can.” He laughed but then it turned into a weary smile.
Soon we had booked two hotel rooms. I had one and he had the other. I told him about my privacy issues and he seemed to understand. The hotel was nice. It was decorated like a log cabin and it had a huge fireplace in the lobby. When I entered my room, it felt homey. It was decorated in the colors brown and a jade green. I sat on the bed and sighed. My life had turned upside down in a single day.
I unbraided my hair and took off my glasses. I was about to take off my clothes when a knock came at the door. I went to it and asked who it was. Leon called out and I opened it. He looked surprised when he saw me and stuttered a bit. I looked at him like he was an idiot and he finally composed himself. “I will be out for a minute. Please stay here and do not come out of your room. I will check on you before you go to bed. Bye.” He nodded to me and quickly walked off.
I closed the door and rolled my eyes. I took off my clothes and got into the shower. I let the water run down over my head and it felt good. After taking a long shower, I grabbed the pajamas we bought and put them on. They were cotton and had blue bunnies on them. I pulled down the comforter and the sheets and climbed in. The television was turned off and I was glad. I needed to think. As I thought, I drifted off to sleep and a dream came into view.
It was cold. I was outside and it was cold. The wind was blowing through me as if I were a ghost. I looked around me and saw I was in front of a huge castle. It was gigantic and made of heavy grey stone. I walked up to the gate and saw it was ajar as if it were waiting for me. I drifted inside and saw a couple inside the courtyard. It looked like they were arguing.
I walked closer to the couple but something told me to stay away. I saw the man’s face and I gasped. It was Leon. He was dressed weird. Instead of his usual Goth teenage boy look, he had on an old Gothic suit from like the 1800s. His hair was still long but it looked clean and cut. He even looked like he did now only he had a sense of freedom and youngness in him.
The girl in front of him yelled at him and pointed an accusing finger at him. He held out his hands and tried to comfort her but she would just push him away and scream, “Get off!” It made me feel sorry for him. The girl was my height and her hair was a dark brown. Almost like mine, only darker. She wore a long red dress. It gripped her at the bodice and the skirt flowed out all around her.
I couldn’t see her face but really, I didn’t want to. I looked to Leon and could see he was getting frustrated. It looked like he was going to go blow a gasket or something. The girl was yelling at him about how he could betray her like that and how could he go off and leave her for someone named, Maria. Maria? I smirked. Leon was getting caught with Maria.
I stood there for a while listening to the two bicker. That is until Leon blew it. His voice rose until it echoed in the mountains. It was cruel and harsh and worse than what the girl was saying. She drew back and tried to stop him but he was on a role. All of a sudden, a lady came out of the castle and ran towards the two. She was beautiful. She had long blonde hair and she had on makeup that made her look young and well kept.
The lady came up and put her hands on Leon, trying to calm him down. She cooed him in a Romanian accent and he instantly calmed down, breathing hard. “Thank you, Maria,” he said and placed a hand on her back. He glared back at the other lady and said, “You will leave, now. Christina, you will leave and never come back. I have chosen and you must accept that.”
Christina fumed and started laughing. “Hah! You think your Maria is all that you have hoped for but you wait. She will turn out to be a conniving whore!” She started laughing again. Leon walked up to her, looked her in the eyes, and slapped her. Christina whipped back and fell to the ground. She spat out some blood and sat on the ground. Her hair shielded her face.
Maria gasped and grabbed onto Leon. She scolded him in Romanian and held onto him. Leon, realizing his actions reached down to help Christina, but she snatched away. “Get away from me!!” she said and stumbled up. She turned to Leon and Maria and whispered loudly, “I bid you farewell. I hope you two have good and long happy life.” She choked up on the last part and turned around.
I gasped and almost fell over. It was me. Well, it was sort of me. I was young and flawless me. My hair was long and silky and I didn’t wear funky nerdy glasses. I had on some makeup and some red lipstick that made me look like a sad lonely princess. Tears came from my eyes and I, well she, walked away. She walked through the courtyard and out the front gates. She looked so sad. I stared back at Leon who now gripped the sides of Maria, who had a big smirk on her face.
I woke up violently. I screamed and fell off the bed. My head had a killer headache and I was dead tired. On the clock it said 3:52 am. Wow. I got up, grabbed my key, and walked out the door. I walked down the flight of stairs and reached the bottom. Sweat ran down my back and I felt feverish. My mouth was desert dry and begged for a glass of water.
I walked pass the sleeping lobbyist and towards the back. On one of the doors it read KITCHEN. I opened the door and saw that nobody was here. I walked inside and searched the cabinets for a glass. After settling with a blue goldfish glass, I went to the sink and poured some water in it. It was cold and soothed my dry throat. The dream bit at my mind and it was hard to think about.
The dream disturbed me quite a bit and it was to think about it. Why was I in the dream and why did the castle seem so familiar, yet I have never been there in my life. Then there was the fact that Leon was in my dream. Why did he cheat? It was so confusing. My feverish feelings made me feel worse. I sat on the floor and put my head between my knees.
I didn’t realize I’d been asleep until I felt someone poking at me. I looked up and saw a big (and I mean BIG) man standing over me. He was huge and towered over the kitchen. He frowned at me and said, “You shouldn’t be in here, miss. Breakfast starts at seven but it’s only six so you better get to your room. Sorry.” I nodded and slugged off to my room.
In the lobby, Leon was sitting in one of the chairs reading a newspaper. On the front page, there was an article about how the local zoo was selling marijuana by putting it in the animal’s food. It was a relief that we weren’t noticed yet. He looked up when I entered and said, “Get dressed. We have to leave early. You can sleep in the car. I bought you clothes. I hope they’re the right size.”
I climbed up the stairs and sulked into my room. Inside on the bed was a fresh pair of clothes. They were freshly ironed and they smelled of starch. It was a pair of jeans, not my usual slacks, and a pink tank top. The tank top made me freeze. It was pink with sequins that ran along the outline. In the middle was a picture of a black wolf. It was not my style. Not at all.
I yawned and picked up the jeans and the top. I took another shower and put on the clothes. The jeans fit me tight, showing off my hips and my long legs. My mom would have a field day. She never allowed me to have anything to provocative or tight fitting. She always said that if a woman had to show her butt to get attention than she was nothing. I laughed. I put on the top and laughed again. The top fit my curves and it showed a bit of cleavage. This was the most daring thing I’ve ever done.
I looked in the mirror and saw my hair was still down my back and it was in an array of curls. I was about to put it into my usual nerdy braid but decided why not try to be different today. I looked down at my glasses and saw that they would clash my look, and then I realized something. I always carried some contacts with me in case I lose my glasses. I ran back to my pair of slacks. Inside there was my spare contacts. I quickly put them in and smiled in triumph. I am actually normal. I’m not a nerd anymore. All of sudden, I heard Melissa behind me, reciting all of the taunts and joke she made of me ever since middle school.
I quickly took out my contacts and put on my glasses. I went too far. I put my clothes in a bag and made my way downstairs. Leon was now watching television. The new anchor was talking about the search. The lobbyist was gone and it was just me and Leon.
“You shouldn’t be looking at that. It could blow our cover,” I said, sternly. He turned to me and looked over my outfit. “Well, no problems. I think we should be going now. We need to cover as much ground as we can.” I started to make my way to the front doors, but stopped to ask Leon something. “Where are we going exactly?” He looked up at me and said, “To my house of course.” I nodded and continued out the door.
The morning was cool and windy. Leon had already checked out and we had gotten in the car and we were now speeding down the road. I grabbed a sandwich from the back and ate it. It was okay, but I was still hungry. Leon had already eaten at the hotel and I glared at him for not saving me anything. At about eleven thirty we came to a small town. It was really small with a few houses here and stores lined up on the side of the road.
I ordered Leon to stop and give me some money. He gave me a hundred and thirty dollars. I jumped out and told him to stay in the car. I went to the grocery store first. I bought a few microwave meals, hotdogs, and some canned goods. I even went and bought us a six pack of soda. After getting out, I dropped off my bags and continued to the local thrift store. I went inside and immediately saw that they were not the kind of thrift store I shopped at. It was mostly what I was wearing now that was being sold.
I was about to leave the store when I thought back. Mom and Dad would never recognize me in clothes like this. I only wore conservative clothes and if I wore these then they could overlook me if someone happens to spot me. I marched into the store and looked through the racks. I found three pairs of jeans, four tank tops with different designs and two pairs of flip flops. I also added in a few bras and underwear because I wasn’t about to wear the same on every day.
Marching out of the store with a proud look on my face, I made my way back to the Sedan. To my surprise, Leon was gone. I let out a frustrated sigh and put the bags in the trunk. Looking around, Leon was nowhere to be seen. I walked down the stores and peeked inside but he was gone. He abandoned me. For God’s sake, he abandoned me. I took the rest of my money and walked to the nearest inn. It was friendly enough, but my mood was so bad that I didn’t notice it.
The lady at the counter smiled warmly at me and I said, “How much does two rooms cost?” She smiled at me and said, “About two hundred dollars a night.” I frowned and looked at how much money I had. I shook my head and asked, “How much does one room cost?” She faltered a bit and said, “It usually costs a hundred but I’ll make it fifty for you.” I smiled and handed her the last of my money. She handed me a key and I took it.
After getting all my stuff from the car and trudging up the stairs, I made it into the room and dropped my stuff. The room had two beds (Thank God) and it was big. I sat on my bed and looked out the window. The Sedan still lay empty. I sighed and fell back onto the bed. “Leon, you drive me crazy!”
I drifted off to sleep and had another weird dream.
I coughed and woke up to the sound of wolves howling in the distance. I was in a red dress and in the middle of the forest. It was dark and one couldn’t see if he tried. I got up, dress stained with dark mud, and started running again. My heart was broken by the man that I loved. He had left me for another in the dark recesses of his castle.
I ran past gnarled trees and the musty smell of a swamp nearby. Where do I go? I ran down a hill and slipped on some mud and rolled down the rest. I lay crumpled at the bottom of the hill, covered in mud and dirt. Tears sprang from my eyes and I cried. Then I heard the sound of heavy breathing and patting feet. The wolves! I shot up and ran even further down the trail.
Up ahead I saw the lights of a passing carriage. I screamed out loud and tried to get the coach’s attention. He was too busy. The horses were going mad. I tripped again and fell into the mud. Behind me came a low and menacing growl. It was a huge wolf, barring his long fangs. I screamed and tried to crawl away but the wolf bit at my dress and was trying to drag me into the woods.
I screamed and flailed, hoping someone would hear me. I grabbed onto a pointy stick and stabbed the wolf in his ruff. He howled in pain and let go of my tattered dress. I jumped up and tried to run, but then the rest of the pack ran after me. They jumped on me, one by one. They bit my legs, scratched at me, and tried to bite off my flesh.
I kicked one off but he shook it off and ran back. My strength was giving way and the wolves were winning. My arm was chewed and bloody. I let my hands drop and just let the wolves overcome me. But then they all snipped at me and ran away. My head dropped to the ground and it throbbed in the top. I was bleeding everywhere and the pain was starting to fade.
I knew I was going to die. No one could save me. I looked into the sky and smiled at it. Maybe I’ll be welcomed into the heavens, never seeing sadness or anger again.
I woke with a start again. Sweat was all over my body. Next to my bed, there stood Leon. I screamed. He held out defensive hands and I calmed down. “Are you okay?” he asked me. I nodded, “Yeah, just a bad dream.” I got up and my way to the bathroom. I got a cup and put some water in it and drank it all. I looked at Leon who had on a black shirt and some jeans. I frowned at him and said, “You’re still not off the hook. Why did you leave me?” He looked at me then at his bed. “I ran into an old friend and he had something to show me. Sorry,” he said, looking at me with those deep dark eyes.
I nodded at him then walked back to my bed. Climbed in and tried to go to sleep. He looked at me and went to take a shower. He came out and climbed in his bed, sighing. I turned over and said, “I just realized something.” “What?” he said. “I don’t even have my night clothes on,” I said and burst into laughter. He joined me and I got up to go into the bathroom to change.

We were out of the hotel, packed up, and on the road again. I was used to the Sedan and how Leon hardly ever talked. I had gotten breakfast this time and was now full and content. We were going Sunders, a place located on the coast. It was, as Leon put it, a fairly large town. It was mostly a town for the rich I could tell that Leon came from a family like that.
We got to Sunders at about four in the afternoon. It was, as Leon had said, a fairly large place. Equipped with mansions and large town houses, the place looked like a celebrity town. There were no thrift stores around, only top quality stores like Gucci, Vera Wang, and other top celebrity name brand stores. I was glued to the window as you saw chubby rich women strolling down the street in their fancy jackets and spring wear.
We turned a corner and we were entering a neighborhood called Highland Suites. It sure was sweet, because the houses were humongous. Towering mansions with pillars and the high end statues in the front yards lined the street as we passed. “I cannot believe you live here. It’s amazing,” I said. Leon smiled and said, “It runs in the family. My family has been rich for centuries.”
Then we came to the biggest house of all. It was six stories tall. It was built out of pure white brick. It had three balconies in the front and a huge wooden door that had angels carved into it. The windows were as tall as the wall and you could see into the rooms. It roof had a tiny window in it and it had four fireplaces. The yard was beautifully cut by an expert gardener and flowers bloomed in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
We pulled up to the house’s gate, and Leon typed in a code. The gates opened and I gasped in excitement and amazement. We drove up to the house and stopped in front of the great wooden doors. “Do you actually live here?!” I asked him. He smiled and nodded. “Well, actually, my parents live here. I go to school in a private school near you so I don’t spend as much time here. My parents will like you, I think.”
I climbed out and made my way to the front doors. On them were identical knockers. The knockers interested me. They were in the shape of angels. The angel was curved upward as if it were falling and reaching up to the heavens. The body was the handle. I grabbed it and let it go, letting it knock.
Inside you could hear scuffling and the murmuring of people inside. I straightened out my jeans and watched as the doors opened to reveal three people. One was the dad who was big, muscular and had a big bushy black mustache. That was a mouthful. He towered over me and held out a hand. “Aye, what a nice young lady. It is a pleasure to meet you sweetie.” I nodded to him and shook his big hand.
The mom was thin and she was beautiful. She had her curly black hair in a bun and she wore a soft pink evening dress. “It’s so nice to meet you. We hope you like it here,” she said bringing me into a warm hug. She smelled nice, like cinnamon or apple pies.
Then there was the butler who nodded at me and said, “Good day, Madame. May I take your things?” I nodded, blushing. This was new to me. I have never had a butler before and it made me feel weird to order an old man around. Leon put his hand on my back and I jerked around. My blush got deeper. I bet I looked like an idiot. He nodded to his parents and led me to the Grande Stairs.
We walked up them and I could feel the parent’s eyes following me. We turned a corner and Leon stopped and let out a breath of air. “That was tense,” he said. I nodded. “At least you didn’t blush like an idiot,” I said, sadly. He looked up at me and cuffed my face with his hands. “No, you aren’t an idiot. You just aren’t used to this, that’s all. Plus, you don’t look stupid, you actually look cute.” I blushed again and he smiled and said, “See.”
He led me to the room at the end of the hallway and said, “This will be your room, okay?” I nodded and looked inside. I almost fainted. Leon had to hold me up. The room was practically bigger than my whole house. It was decorated in gold or yellow and it was beautiful. The bed was gold and huge. It had gold curtains hanging from the posts. The furniture was a deep dark brown that was great with the gold.
I let go of Leon and walked towards the bed. It was so big. On the north wall, there were wall length windows that stretched all the way to the high ceiling. I turned back to Leon and said, “This room is fantastic. It’s as if this is a dream.” He smiled at me and I smiled back. All of a sudden, without warning, the butler walked in and laid my bags on the floor by the dresser. “Madame, I have carried your belongings in here. I must inform you about the things that go on in here in the Cinch House. First of all, we hold a very tight schedule here and we must not be tardy nor must we be an inconvenience,” he started. Leon looked at me and waved. I waved back and continued to pay attention to the serene butler.
“So, by saying that, you must be on time to our meetings, dinners, lunches, and breakfasts. Breakfast starts at eight sharp. If you are late, you won’t be allowed to eat. Lunch starts at one thirty, and Dinner is always served at six sharp. Second, you must be presentable to everyone. I have glanced at your clothes and must say that they do not see to the standards of Mr. and Mrs. Cinch. They have ordered some clothes for you. The clothes will arrive three days from now. By that time, you can enjoy wearing the clothes you have already packed. Third, if you see to explore the house, do NOT go into the locked doors. If they are locked, then they must not see prying eyes. Well, I bid you adieu, and hope that you take these rules to heart. We, at the Cinch Family Mansion, see fit that these rules be followed at all times. Good day, Madame. By the way, my name is Finch.”
I nodded to Finch and he smiled with affirmation. He seemed to be pleased that I had listened to his boring rules. I watched as he hurried out the door. Wow, only ten minutes and I’m forced to follow rules that only seemed fit for a mansion. What clothes were they ordering by the way? It was really weird. Suddenly, the door creaked open and in came Mrs. Cinch. I whipped around and bowed to her. I don’t know why I did it but it seemed like the right thing to do.
Mrs. Cinch smiled at my weird behavior and motioned for me to sit down. “Hi, Anna,” she said. She had a soft voice that was able to calm anything down. I sat on the bed and she came and sat beside me. She placed a hand on mine and said, “I know Finch can be a bit overwhelming. He only thinks for the best of us, so don’t take it personal. So, what trouble have you gotten into?”
I looked at her and knew I could tell her anything. I told her the whole story and she nodded with understanding. “I know Leon can be a bit overwhelming, but he can really be a gentleman and take up for his actions. If he ever betrays someone, it’s for a reason. Now, about what you are wearing. I must say that I find those clothes rather degrading. A young woman shouldn’t have to wear such revealing clothes. She should show her elegance and power.” I smiled and said, “You sound like my mom. She thought these types of clothes were stupid.”
Mrs. Cinch looked at me and said, “You miss her don’t you?” I nodded and looked down at her hands. I looked up at her and said, “I bet she’s heartbroken now. I mean, wouldn’t you be upset if Leon got taken away from you?” She nodded and said, “Yes, I would be upset. But if he had someone like you to look after him, I wouldn’t be too upset.” I looked deep in her black eyes and saw that she really did care.
After talking for about an hour, six o’clock arrived. We got up and Mrs. Cinch led me downstairs to the dining hall. The room was long and it had a long table at it. At the end of the table, there sat Leon and his father. They were conversing about how the oil prices had risen. They looked up when we entered and smiled. Mr. Cinch stood up and led Mrs. Cinch to her chair next to his. Before Leon had a chance to get up, Finch had appeared and led me to the far end of the table.
He smiled at me and pulled out my chair. When I sat in it, he forced the chair and me into the table. I glared at him and he smiled and said, “Sorry, Madame.” He disappeared in the kitchen and returned with a maid carrying our plates. He delivered the Cinches their plates, while the maid delivered mine. I looked down at my plate and saw it was some gloopy soup that looked like Campbell’s Clam Chowder. I didn’t like that stuff. I gagged and almost thought that if rich people ate this every day, then they need to rewrite their menus.
I looked down the table and saw that the Cinches had huge whopping steaks on their plates and mashed potatoes. They even had steamed broccoli with cheese. My mouth watered. After Finch had gotten them drinks, soda and I had some water, he left. I picked up the spoon and put it in the gloopy soup. The spoon actually stuck to the soup. I set the spoon down and stared at the soup.
I looked over and saw the Cinches conversing happily. I was too far to talk to them. They even had great food. My stomach growled and I gripped it and wielded it to stop. After dinner was done, I was invited to come in the family room but I told them I would pass for tonight.
I sulked upstairs and heard their laughter echo through the house. I went into my bedroom and shut the door. My stomach growled painfully and I gripped it. Instead, I went to the bathroom and washed up and got into my pajamas. After getting into the pajamas, a knocking came from my door. I opened it and saw a steaming plate of steak, potatoes, and green beans. Outside, there wasn’t anyone there. I slipped the plate inside and devoured it there on the floor. Then I slipped it outside again and shut the door as if nothing happened.
I lay in the bed, looking at the ceiling. The room was dark but I didn’t care. Sleep was getting to me and I let it pull me into another nightmare.
I still sat in the mud. The wolves haven’t returned since that night and I was glad. The bleeding had stopped and I was now lying in the dried mud of the road. No one has passed but that didn’t bother me. Accept death right? I have been lying here for a day now. I didn’t move, nor did I say anything, I just stared at the sky and let the world pass by.
When evening came, the sound of a carriage came. The sound got closer until I heard someone shout aloud and the horses whinny. The sound of frantic feet came towards me and yelling. “Christina! Are you okay?!” someone yelled. Who’s Christina? I don’t know who that is. A face appeared in my view. It was a man with black hair and he was handsome. “Christina, what happened to you?!” I stared at him with utter disinterest. He was blocking my view. He was blocking my sky.
The man shook me, but I didn’t answer him. I stared straight ahead. I couldn’t answer him anyway. My lips were frozen and my body was immobile. The only thing working was my mind. He leaned down and lifted me into his arms. I was limp in his arms and probably heavy but he didn’t care. He carried me to the carriage and gently sat me on one of the seats.
“She needs help. Finch, go direct us to the nearest hospital. She needs to get to a doctor fast!” said the man to a short, bearded man. Then the man slammed the door and sat next to me. “Christina, are you okay? Speak to me,” he said grabbing my hand. I stared straight ahead. He shook me and asked it again, but I still wasn’t answering. Why couldn’t he just let me lay there, staring at the beautiful sky.
The carriage bumped down the road and we stopped at a big building. The man picked me up and ran inside the building. It was the hospital. Soon, I was riding on a gurney down the hallways. The doctors pointed bright flashlights in my unblinking eyes. One nurse questioned the man as they followed me. It was chaos.
Soon I was sitting in a hospital bed. The doctors stood and monitored me and asked me questions I could not answer. The head doctor was writing down notes on his clipboard. He soon took the man aside and was explaining to him what was wrong with me. “I’m sorry, Leon, but she is gone. She has suffered so much trouble and emotional distress that she is in shock and might be going into an external coma,” said the doctor glancing at me as he said this.
“What’s an external coma?” asked Leon. His face was so hurt, that if I knew him, I probably be sorry for him. The doctor replied saying, “It is when parts of the body become paralyzed and the only main function is the brain. This means that out here she is not herself, but in her brain she is herself. Also, that might be another problem. She is suffering from anesthesia.” Leon sighed with grief and sat in one of the chairs. The doctor sat with him and said, “I know a way to save her but it will cost you a lifetime.” The doctor leaned over and whispered in Leon’s. I tried to listen but was cut off when Leon nodded and the doctor got up and carried a pillow. The last thing I saw was the pillow covering my nose and mouth, unable to breathe.
I woke up and took a deep breath. These dreams were taking their tolls. I wiped my eyes and yawned. I slipped from my bed and walked slowly to the door. I opened the door and walked down the dark hallway. The hallway was dark and from one of the rooms came snoring that sounded more like a roar. I walked past and made my way down the stairs. I walked through the dining room and into the kitchen.
Inside the kitchen was the maid, she was sitting on one of the barstools and drinking a glass of water. When I came in, she jumped up and some of the water in her glass spilled to the floor. “Oh, uh, I’m sorry. Do you want anything?” she asked, leaning towards the ground wiping up the spilled water. “Just some water,” I said. She wiped up the water in one swoop and went to the sink to get me some water.
“So how long have you worked here?” I asked, looking around the big kitchen. She looked back at me and said, “I have worked here for a long time; about fifty years, actually.” I stared at her. Fifty years? She didn’t look over twenty. “Are you sure? You don’t look fifty. You look like you’re about twenty five.” I stared at her again and she blushed. “Yes, I am fifty. I remember when-“she was cut off by the sound of the door swishing behind me. “Lila, what are you doing?” said the voice I was beginning to not like.
Out of the corner of my eye, Finch appeared. He was glaring at me more than Lila. “Sir, I was just getting some water for Ms. McKinley. She said she wanted some,” said Lila who was coming towards me with the glass of water. I grabbed it and gulfed it down. Finch smiled a weird smile. “Ah, I see. So, how are you sleeping, Miss?” he asked, coming a little towards me. I scratched my head and said, “Oh, uh, I just had a bad dream. I’m sorry for bothering you guys. I’ll go back to my room.”
I gave the glass to Lila, waved goodbye, and hurried up the stairs to my room. I ran inside and locked my door. There was something wrong with Finch, and I sure wasn’t going to get in his way.
I woke up the next morning. I slowly got out of my bed and walked towards my bag of clothes. It was seven in the morning. I had an hour until breakfast was served. I sifted through my bag and came up with some decent clothes. It was a light blue plain tank top and a pair of dark regular jeans. Nice. I put on the clothes and opened my door. I walked down the hallway and came to the stairs. On the left side was the stairs that led to the upper levels, on the right was the lower level one.
Since I didn’t want to encounter Finch again, I took the staircase on the left. I went up the stairs and came to the third floor. It was like the second floor, with a long hallway that had doors lined up on it. I went to the left and came to my first door. It was locked. I was told not to pry, so I went on down each door and they were locked too. I figured that the rest of the doors are locked so I went up to the fourth floor.
On the fourth floor, there were only two doors. One was on the left side and the other one was on the right side. I went to the left and tried that door. It was unlocked. I went inside and gasped. It was an art studio. All on the walls, there hung magnificent pieces that matched the personality of the room. On the wall across from me sat an easel that held a painting that was half finished. It was too new to figure out what it was but you could tell it was going to be good.
I looked around the room and one painting caught my eye. It was different than all the other paintings. Instead of the usual red and orange hues, it had blue and black hues. On the front was a big wolf. It was so beautifully painted that the brush strokes looked like the actual hairs on the wolf. The wolf had bright yellow eyes and they stared straight ahead as if sensing something was coming. Behind the wolf you could see the distant outlines of the pack in the background.
I reached out and brushed the painting with my fingers. It was so beautiful but sad. It was like the wolf was always on guard, always afraid for the pack. He was leader and he must risk his life for the life of the pack. I looked at a clock on the wall and saw it was seven fifty. I had five minutes. I left the room, making sure to close the door, and ran down the stairs.
When I entered the dining room, I was the last one there. I was led to my chair and I sat in it. Again, Finch came out with the maid carrying food. Finch served the Cinches and I saw that their plates were piled with pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs. Lila brought me my food which was a bowl full of sloppy grits. I glared at it and pushed it away. Lila looked at me and said, “Is there a problem?” She gave me a worried look and she glanced at Finch who was laughing with Mr. Cinch.
I shook my head and said, “No, I’m just adjusting my plate.” She smiled at me and walked back into the kitchen. Over the course of breakfast, I stared at the bowl of grits and frowned at them. Over by where the Cinches were sitting, they were conversing so animatedly, that it made me sad and feel like the third wheel.
I looked up at the clock and realized that breakfast was almost over. Being at this house has made me feel more miserable that happy. So, I pushed the uneaten grits further and got up. The Cinches stopped talking and looked at me. Not looking at them as I passed, I went out of the dining room and towards the front door. I opened the door and walked outside to the gardens. The fresh air felt great. My lungs filled up with it.
I haven’t been outside in a while, and it felt good. I walked around to the right side of the house and to the gardens, where there sat a swing. I walked to the swing and sat on it. I was so tired and hungry. The swing was old and I was surprised it held me. My legs rocked back and forth, making me swing gently. Surrounding the swing, there were small bushes of flowers that made a sweet scent waft up to me. The smell was intoxicatingly good.
All of a sudden, I saw Leon pop out from the corner of the house, and walked towards me. Annoyance flickered inside me. I really didn’t want to be bothered now. My days here haven’t been that exciting. He was wearing a white buttoned shirt and some casual jeans. His hair was pulled back into a very small ponytail. He stopped in front of the swing. His expression wasn’t that great, as if he had heard that someone was picking on his friends. Then he opened his mouth and spoke.
“Why did you leave the breakfast table?” he asked his voice, not filled with concern, but filled with annoyance and anger. I looked up at his eyes and said, “I didn’t like my breakfast.” His eyes flared and he spoke in a calm quiet voice, “Well, if you didn’t like the breakfast, why didn’t you say anything?” I looked away and said, “Because, I’m afraid if I say something it will only make things worse. By the way, it would be common sense to feed the whole table the same meal instead of two different ones.”
Leon looked at me, obviously confused and frustrated at the same time. “I don’t get it. Finch has been serving you food right?” he asked, walking closer. “No! Finch has been trying to starve me. I want real food too. Why am I being served nasty soup and sloppy grits for breakfast, while you and your family have steaks and pancakes? If I’m trouble, then I’ll leave,” I said, my voice rising. Leon frowned and said, “Do not insult Finch like that. He has been our butler for over sixty years and he has been loyal and even a mentor to some of our family. We do not take such idiocy at our house.” I opened my mouth. What does idiocy have to do with this?
“Do not tell me what idiocy is!” I said. “Remember who made the whole museum blow up? I do! Now, we have policemen following our butts and you’re talking to me about idiocy! Get lost, Leon! By the way, ever since I met you, my life has been a mess.” I started marching past him, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me against him. “Don’t you dare, ever insult me like that again,” he said his voice menacing and low. I slapped him and stumbled backwards. He felt where I hit him, obviously surprised. “I HATE YOU!” I screamed and ran back into the house. I ran up the stairs and into my room.
I slammed my door and sunk to the ground. Tears poured out of my eyes. Why did my life have to be changed? Why did I have to spend my life here with a family hardly know and a butler with a menacing grudge against me? The tears ran down my face onto my shirt and my glasses got wet. I yanked them off and threw them to the ground. A knock came from the door and I yelled, “GO AWAY!!!!!!” They continued knocking and I screamed at them to get away from me. Soon, the knocking ceased and the person on the other side had given up.
I made myself get up and lock the door. Then, I walked to my bed and plopped down on it. Sleepiness overtook me and my eyes slowly closed, leaving me to be tortured by my dreams.
I was awake. I was in a room, decorated in the soft cream that is often seen in milk. I lay in the bed, not aware that it was a hospital room. My memories invaded my thoughts, but I couldn’t make them out. What was my name? Where was I from? The door in front of me opened and in came a tall, dark-haired fellow. I cocked my head and stared at him. “Hello, Christina,” he said in a solemn voice.
“Hi, who are you?” I asked, interested in this man. He looked up at me and said, “I am a friend, but you won’t remember me.” He set his hand on my hand, and I stared at it like it was something new. Well it was. I don’t remember being touched like that. “Are you sure?” I asked. He nodded and said, “Yeah.” Suddenly, a memory rammed itself against my brain. I gasped and gripped my head. The man put a hand on my shoulder and asked, “Are you in pain?” I nodded.
I felt a hand go on my cheek and I looked up. He was staring at me with such intensity that it made me think he was weird. Then, a man in a white coat came in. “Are you ready?” he asked the dark haired man. The man nodded and backed away. The man in the lab coat came up to me and pressed a cool hand on my forehead. “Don’t worry. It will all be over soon,” he said. A hot sensation went through his hand and I felt my forehead start to burn. A scream escaped my lips and my eyes rolled in the back of my head. All my memories streamed out of my brain and I was left with nothing, just the empty shell of my skull.
I jerked awake and looked around. The sky outside was dark and the moon shone through my window. I sniffed and got up from the bed. My body felt weak and it was sore in some places. The door was still locked, so I unlocked it and made my way downstairs. Leon deserved an apology. The way I had acted was really rude and he probably hates me for it.
The family was in the living room and I was about to enter, until I heard them talking about me. “…but she is too sensitive. You’re not going to expect her to remember are you?” I heard a deep voice say which must have been Mr. Cinch. Mrs. Cinch cleared her throat and said, “Well, your father is right. She has had a rough past and it is probably too great for her to try to remember. You need to give her a chance.” Leon let out an exasperated sigh and said, “I have found her but what good is it? She doesn’t remember me and I can’t take her back because she’ll be put in jail. Maybe I should just run away.”
I leaned in closer and saw that Leon had his head in his hands. This was terrible. I walked backwards a few feet and then started walking loudly, enough to where they could hear me. When I came into the door way, everyone had their eyes on me. Mr. Cinch had a pipe in his hand and he looked at me like I was just a common visitor. Mrs. Cinch was sitting on the couch, a book sat in her lap. She gave me a sympathetic look and I shied away from it. Leon was the worse one of all. His expression looked pained as if he was afraid that I would come over there and yell at him. Instead I walked over to Leon and stood in front of him.
“I’m sorry for being so mean and rude to you. I didn’t mean to make you so upset. I was just worried and scared and hungry. Are you okay?” I asked. He looked up at me with surprise and nodded. I smiled a warm smile and said, “Good. Well, um, I’ll see you. I don’t want to interrupt your conversation.” As I started to walk away, Leon grabbed my hand and motioned for me to sit down. I was surprised and sat down next to him.
“Oh, okay,” I said and looked at Mr. and Mrs. Cinch who were smiling at us. The rest of the night was nice. I got fed real food, while the Cinches talked to me about the most interesting of subjects. We talked about wolves. This family knew so much about them. My brain was filled with new information. As I made my way up the stairs, Leon stopped me to say something. “Anna?” he asked. I looked back and said, “Yes?” He looked at his feet and looked back up at me. He paused with his mouth open, and then blurted, “I just wanted to say, that I hope you have a good night.” I stared at him then laughed.

“You too, Leon,” I said and continued up the stairs. As I made my way into my room, a scream pierced the air. I looked down the hallway and said, “What now?” To be continued…

I ran back downstairs and saw Lila passed out on the carpet. Finch leaned over her, fanning her. “What happened?” I asked. Mr. Cinch looked up at me and said, “Oh, there was a mouse and she just screamed. Lila is afraid of mice.” I nodded and went back up to my room. I changed into my night clothes and climbed in bed. I fell asleep and (surprisingly) had a dreamless night.

I woke up to knocking on my door. I looked at the clock and saw that the clock said it was six in the morning. “Yes?” I called out; weary from being woken up so early. The door opened and Leon stuck his head inside. “The family has a surprise for you. Come down, quick!” he said and closed the door. I climbed out of my bed and went to put on some clothes. After putting my hair in a ponytail, I opened the door and went downstairs.

In the living room, there sat the Cinch family. They smiled at me as I came in. On the coffee table, there sat a huge brown box. I walked closer and asked, “What’s this?” Mrs. Cinch stood up, her blue floor length dress flowing below her. “We wanted to show you your new clothes. I must say that these clothes are perfect for you and will make you look like a young lady.” She ushered me to the box and I looked inside. On top, there sat a beautiful red dress. I lifted it up.

The dress was made of silk and it flowed through my hands. I looked at the bosom and saw that it was neatly embroidered. Black beads were stitched in tiny swirls along the bosom. There was also a row of black beads that went around the hem. The dress was strapless and it reminded me so much of my dream. It was the dream where I got attacked by wolves.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I jerked back into reality. I looked back and saw that it was Leon. He looked at me with concern and asked, “Are you okay? Are they ugly? We can take them back.” I shook my head, still dazed. I cleared my throat and said, “Oh no, they’re beautiful. It’s just that I’ve never had anything this beautiful before.” He smiled and Mrs. Cinch let out a pleased cry. “Oh, how wonderful this is! And just in time for Mr. Crisco’s ball tonight,” she said. “Come, we must prepare!”

She grabbed my wrist and whisked me away. I let out a cry as she almost made me trip over every step of the stairs. She dragged me to her room and sat me down on a plush stool. She pinned my hair up and sent me to take a bath. The bathroom was huge and the tub looked more like a Jacuzzi. I got in the tub and immediately didn’t want to get out. It was like every part of my body had relaxed and all my troubles drained from me into the water. I had to get out because Mrs. Cinch was about to have a spasm.

The first thing she did was my hair. She took a comb decorated with diamonds and brushed through my hair. At first it was tangled and a mess but after running the comb through it a few times, it straightened up and became silky. She ran some oil through it and put some type of hair lotion on it that smelled like cherry blossoms. After that she put some curlers in it and blow-dried it. When she took the curlers out, I had tiny curls that hung around my face. I was looking good already. “Am I done?” I asked. “No, not yet sweetie,” she said and got out some hairpins.

Mrs. Cinch took some hair pins and stuck them in her mouth. Then she spun me around and began pinning up my hair. After she was done and I didn’t know what she had done, she took out some make-up and told me to close my eyes. I closed them and felt as she applied some make-up to my cheeks, eyes, and lips. When she was done, I opened my eyes and tried to catch a glance but she scolded me and held up the dress. It seemed too good to be worn by me. I looked at the ground and she asked me, “What’s wrong, Anna?” I looked up at her and the dress. “All my life I’ve been ridiculed and never really had a sense of style. So, when you bought that dress, I really think it’s too good for me,” I said and let out a sad sigh.

Mrs. Cinch frowned and her expression grew of one sincere and concern. “Listen to me. You are a beautiful girl and you must know that. I bought you this dress because it fits you and because you are like a daughter to me,” she said. I smiled and grabbed the dress. “Thank you, Mrs. Cinch.” She smiled and ushered me to put the dress on. I slipped on the dress and she zipped it up.

“Ready?” she asked, her hands were placed on my shoulders. I nodded, anxious to see. She spun me around and I gasped. Was this really me in the mirror? In the mirror stood me. My hair was pinned up, the tiny curls angling my face so it stood out. I had on a little blush that made my cheeks look round and cheery. Also, I had mascara on which made my eyelashes stand out and my bright brown eyes to glow. My lips were as red as my dress and they were glossy and the lip gloss was applied just right. The best thing on me was the dress. It made everything on me look great. My hips were curved and the dress gave me a symmetrical shape.

I marveled at how great I looked. Tears sprung to my eyes and I almost burst out crying. Mrs. Cinch put her hands on my shoulders and she dabbed at her eyes. She reached behind her and brought out a rose. She pinned it in my hair and told me I was ready. After giving me a black shawl, she sent me to my room and made me promise not to show myself to the others. I slipped to my room and locked the door. I stood in front of the mirror and marveled at myself until a knock came from the door. “Anna, you can come down now,” said Mrs. Cinch and I heard her shuffle away.

I put on my red slippers and walked out the door. I walked slowly and came to the stairwell. Down below, Mr. and Mrs. Cinch stood together. Beside them, Leon stood, looking at his phone. He wore a nice black suit with a red shirt underneath. “Is she coming?” he asked, checking the time. “Yes. Actually, there she is now. Hi, sweetie,” said Mrs. Cinch. Everyone looked up at me and I smiled down. I wrapped my shawl around me and made my way down the stairs.

Leon looked at me with big eyes. I bet I looked different, especially without my glasses. “Wow,” he said and held out his arm. I blushed and said, “Thanks.” Mrs. Cinch came up to me and handed me some diamond studs to go in my ears. I put them in and followed the Cinch family outside to their limo. Standing, holding the door open was Finch. He didn’t look too happy but he greeted us anyway.

We climbed in and drove out of the neighborhood. Mr. Cinch was telling us about how high the oil prices had gotten, when we turned into the driveway of a large building. Limos lined the driveway and you could see people walking inside. I grew nervous. These are rich people. How am I supposed to talk to them? A hand placed itself on mine. I turned around and found it was Leon. “Hey, it’ll be okay. I’ll stay beside you the whole time.” I nodded and turned back to the window.

When we arrived to the door, Finch climbed out and opened the door. Leon climbed out first and gave me a helping hand. I climbed out and was bombarded by people taking pictures. Leon led me quickly past the throng of picture takers. He led me up some stairs and we came to the doorway. Inside, there were throngs of people inside. They were either dancing or chatting amongst each other.

Leon talked to the man at the doorway and the man immediately screamed, “Announcing, Sir Leon Cinch and Miss Anna McKinley!” I looked down at the people and the chatter ceased. Everyone was looking at us. Well, not really “us”, they were really looking at me. I froze. Leon grabbed my frozen hand and forced me down the steps. Behind me the announcer quickly screamed out, “Announcing, Sir Walton Cinch and Mrs. Clarisse Cinch!” We made it to the bottom of the stairs and the party began to liven up a bit.

Out of nowhere a blonde-haired boy came up. He looked our age and he bowed. “Why, Leon! We haven’t seen you in school lately. I wonder why?” he said, eyeing me as he said the last part. “And might I ask who this beautiful creature that stands in our wake is?” Leon laughed and said, “This is my friend, Anna. So what happened at school that was so interesting?” The blonde guy smiled and whispered, “Nothing. School is just interesting when you’re there. So, is your lady friend going to attend school with us?” Leon looked at me and said, “I don’t know. Mom and dad will have to decide.”

We stood there, Leon and the blonde guy talked to each other. I stood there laughing when I needed to. Overall, I was getting bored with the party. I looked around and saw that the other rich people were talking about things even more pointless. Suddenly, a voice came up behind us and I turned around to see it was another beautiful lady who knew Leon. She looked at him, barely noticing me. “Hello. So how are you Leon? I heard you got in trouble again,” she said. Leon rubbed his hair and looked at the ground. And (Oh My God) he blushed. “It wasn’t really that bad, Janet. I just blew up a museum.” I snorted and Janet turned her head to me, annoyed. “And who are you?” I smiled (sneered) and said, “My name is Anna and I’m the girl who got caught up in his scheme to blow up the museum. No problem.”

I excused myself and walked away. I found a seat in a corner and immediately sat down. This party was lame and it bored the crap out of me. The music was even lamer. It was some weird melodramatic song that dragged on. “May I sit down?” I looked up and saw it was a guy in the usual black suit. His hair was long and black and he also had a look of boredom on his face.

I nodded and said, “Please.” He smirked and sat next to me. “Ray,” he said and outstretched a hand. I smiled and took it. “Anna. At least there is one person in here who has some common decency.” He laughed and said, “Thank you. I feel the same. So, you’re with Cinch?” I looked away and said, “Yeah.” Ray leaned back and said, “What’s wrong? Is he mean or is he too “you know”.” I looked at him and said, “You go to school with him right?” He nodded. “Yes. They said he blew up that museum.” I nodded and continued. “Well, let’s say that he dragged me into his mess. He, in a way, ruined my life. I mean, yes, he has been nice and he has stood up for me, but why did he have to drag me into this mess? I’ve never seen him before, yet he acts as if we’ve known each other for so long.”

I looked down at my hands and sighed heavily. Ray placed his hand on mine and grabbed it. He stood up and I followed suit. “Follow me. There’s something you should know about this whole group of people.” He led me past groups of people, then up some stairs, down hallways, and into a huge room lined with books. There were seven podiums and on those seven podiums were books. The books were thick. The room was lit up by thin candles and they cast an eerie glow on everything.

Ray closed the door behind us and walked over to the fifth book. I followed suit and saw that on the cover of the book there was a wolf and written in capital letters was: THE FIFTH GENERATION. Ray opened the book to the title page and on the page there were the names of two families. The first one was the Cinch and the second one was the Arles. The Cinch family was in the book? The thing that bothered me was why were they in the fifth generation? Ray looked at me, his eyes suddenly becoming sad and mysterious. “Leon’s family dates back to the early 1500s. Your family, the Arles, have dated back to the same time. The families have been in constant arguments and wars and the rest of the clans have been in between them.”

I looked at Ray, confused. “How do you know me?” I asked him. He looked at me and said, “Because, Christina, I’m your brother.”

I stared at Ray. “What?” I asked him. He nodded and said, “Listen to me. You’re not Anna McKinley. You are Christina Marie Arles. You are my sister.” I started to back away. “No, I’m Anna McKinley. I’m sure of it. I have parents!” I said. The more I thought it, the less it seemed true. Ray shook his head. “No. Those are cover-ups. Cinch has hired them to make sure you were raised up in a normal community until he needed you.”

I felt my legs weaken then give out. I fell to the floor and stayed there. Ray came up to me and put an arm around me. “Don’t get too upset. You are our asset. We need you. We need you to be strong and hold out until we come for you. Okay?” he said, his voice soothing and reassuring. “What did he want me for? Why did he come for me?” I asked, feeling tears come into my eyes. My brother looked at the ground and said, “I will tell you next time we meet. This is not the best place.” He looked up at me and smiled. “My. If mom and dad could see you now, they would be so proud.” He brushed a curl from my hair and dug into his pocket. “Here, this is my phone number. Hide this. Also, there will be another party soon so we can chat there. I’m always available, remember that. Come, we need to get back to the party.”

We left the room and walked another way out. We came out of a door and found that everyone scrambled to get to seats. Ray turned to me and said, “Until we meet again, I bid you farewell Christina.” He kissed my hand and sped off. I stared after him as he disappeared behind a family of three. Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned and saw it was Janet. She sneered at me and said, “Leon sent me over here to tell you that we’re sitting over here. Come on.” I sneered back and followed her until we came to a big table where everyone sat. I sat down between Leon and the blonde dude.

As everyone sat down, a man climbed up on the stage. He was very tall and he looked really creepy. He had long black hair and a long black mustache and beard. “Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats. We are about to begin the program.” All the stray people were collected and placed in seats and the man could finally begin. Leon leaned into me and said, “This is awesome. Just wait.”

The man cleared his throat and soon the lights began to dim until he was the only one illuminated. “Hello. To everyone who is new here, I bid you a nice warm welcome. To all those who have experienced this ritual, I would like to say thank you for another year.” Everyone clapped and I did too. The man smiled and said, “This year we are celebrating the beginning of Harvest. The Harvest has been the main holiday for our clans and we must celebrate it and make sure that we honor it as much as our ancestors have. That is why, when we picked out our main event, we made sure that it would be grand and very honorable at the same time. Bring out the main event!”

Out from behind the curtains, three men carried in three objects. The first carried in a nice long dagger, the second carried in a huge goblet and the third carried in (Oh My God) a girl. She was dressed in a bathing suit and it made me feel so uncomfortable. Another guy rolled out a table and the third guy laid the girl on it. She didn’t move. Was she dead? Horror filled me as I contemplated what they were going to do. The old man stepped behind the girl and raised his hands. “This girl represents the life we have penetrated. She is a human and we must acknowledge that. Also, she represents the prey. That is why we must let her be welcomed to our clan and represent the start of Harvest. May the ceremony, begin!”

I watched closely as the man reached behind him and grabbed the goblet. He lifted it to the girl’s lips and poured it down her throat. She shivered and grew limp again. What the heck was that stuff? It was dark red and it was chunky. Bile rose in my throat. Then he took the dagger and poised it over her stomach. I shook my head. No. “As Elder of the clans, I hereby welcome this girl to become one with wulfen and to practice our ways. Mush!” he screamed and jabbed the dagger into the girl’s stomach. Blood spilled out and the girl let out a whine. My mouth dropped open and a sick feeling came to me.

I looked around to try not to see the girl moaning with a dagger jutting from her stomach. I found Ray and saw he was looking at me. I shook my head and he mouthed, “I’m sorry.” The girl gurgled as blood ran up in her mouth. She coughed then grew limp on the table. The men behind the man rolled her off the stage and the man who was left smiled. “Now the ritual has been complete. Dinner will be served and I wish you all a good night.” Everyone clapped and the lights turned back on. I sat straight in my chair. Leon and the blonde guy started an exciting argument on what the sacrifice should have been. I didn’t look at them. I didn’t look at anybody. They all were monsters. Janet started talking with Mrs. Cinch on how tacky the girl’s bathing suit looked. Not once did anyone of them were the least concerned about her well-being.

Waiters came out and handed everyone a plate of steak, potatoes, asparagus and carrots. I stared at it and almost threw up. The girl’s bloody image came into mind. Leon and the others started to dig into their steaks like wild animals. Maybe they are. I was soon looking past the meal and into my brain. I was in another world, but the image of the girl never left.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I was sent back to reality. “Anna? Are you okay?” I looked up and saw it was Leon. He looked at me while he chewed on his bloody steak. I felt my insides come up and I forced them back down. “Anna? Are you okay? You don’t look so good,” he said. I stood up and told him, “I-I need to go to the bathroom. I-I want to, uh, bye.” I made my way to the bathroom and locked myself in. My body shook and I sunk to the floor. Tears streamed from my eyes and I let out a cry.

A knock came from the door and I shut up. “Christina, it’s me, Ray.” I got up and opened the door. Ray sneaked in and I locked it behind him. “Oh, Ray!” I cried and ran into his arms. He wrapped his arms around me and said, “I know. I know.” He stroked my hair and we sunk to the floor.

By the time I was done, I had run my make-up and Ray’s suit was wet. Ray helped me wipe off my make-up and led me out of the bathroom. He hugged me one more time and sent me back out to the party of wild animals. I went back to the table and sat down. Mrs. Cinch looked at my face with horror. “What happened to your face?” I looked up at her and shrugged. “It’s nothing. I just thought it was too much make-up. My face was feeling greasy. Sorry,” I said and pushed my plate away.

I felt Leon’s hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off. He looked at me and observed me but I didn’t give him any eye contact. I looked at Mr. Cinch and asked him, “Sir, can I go home? I’m not feeling to well.” Mr. Cinch looked nervous and concerned. “Uh, okay. Tell the doorman to order you a cab. I’ll write down the directions. Come on.” We walked to the doorman. He explained to the doorman what to do and the doorman quickly set to do the job. Mr. Cinch stood beside me and asked, “Anna. Tell me what’s really wrong. Why were you crying? Did someone upset you? If they did then I will have a serious talk with them.” I shook my head and said, “Sir, I am just not feeling well.”

After telling him that I was fine, Mr. Cinch hinted that I was annoyed and left. The doorman came back and escorted me to the cab. The cab driver was a quiet man who only nodded and frowned. I climbed in and he drove away from the building filled with people who would make even a serial killer cringe.

We pulled up to the house and I paid the man. He smiled at me and watched as I got out and shut the door. I walked up the steps and opened the door. The house was quiet and it welcomed me. A quiet house was better than being in a big room full of people who sacrificed people for fun. Finch appeared. “Oh, hi Miss Anna. Why are you home so early? Did everything go okay?” he asked. I shook my head and started towards the stairs. I walked into my room and locked the door. My windows were ajar and I went to go close it. As I placed my hand on the pane, I saw someone moving in the darkness.

I walked out onto the balcony and looked down. There stood Ray. He looked up at me and waved his hand. “Christina! Let down something so I can climb up!” I ran back into my room and grabbed some sheets and tied them together. I ran back and threw one end over the railing. He grabbed the sheets and climbed up. Surprisingly, he had great upper body strength. He made it up the wall in ten good hauls. I stood back and helped him get over the rail. “Thank you,” he said, out of breath. “That is not easy.” I giggled and led him into my room. I shut the windows and walked back to Ray. “What are you doing here?” I asked. He looked back at me and said, “I followed you here. I had to talk to you.”

I frowned and said, “So, what did you want to talk to me about?” He sat on my bed and said, “I wanted to tell you everything. I will start from the beginning.” I sat next to him and paid attention to every word. “You were born on March 3rd, 1542. Your mother and father were the descendants of the original Arles. They are still in control. The Cinch family was created a few decades earlier. Mr. Walton Cinch will be the leader when his brother is no longer available. The Cinches and the Arles are very different clans. The Cinches are a quiet menacing clan. What you saw today was the Cinch clan. Some say their rituals are brutal defy what it really means to be us.” He paused and took a breath.

I thought about it. Then I asked, “What do you mean “us”? What do we do? Or as a matter of fact what are we?” Ray looked at the door and back at me. “Promise you won’t scream?” I nodded, eager to listen to the secret that everyone has been hiding. “We are wulfen, or werewolves.” I stared at him. “W-what did you say?” He laughed and said, “We are werewolves. We are people who shift forms to wolves. The only thing is that the folk lore is very fictional. None of the sayings are true.” I gasped and put my hand to my forehead. “I can’t believe this! This is unreal!” Ray smiled and told me he was going to continue.

“So, as I was saying. The Cinches really don’t know how to show others how the werewolf way of life should be. Instead they try to kidnap humans and change them into one of us. Being turned into a werewolf should be an honor, not a curse. The Arles clans are more passionate in what they are and do. They are very respectable and try to make peace. Their rituals are more honorable and appealing to all.” I nodded and Ray continued.

“Now we talk about you. You are next in line for the Arles clan. After mom and dad have passed on, you will be next in line.” “What about you?” I asked and a weird expression appeared on his face. “Oh, uh, I thought you would be the best person for the job. Anyway, the Cinches came up with a plan. Instead of fighting, they said that the clans should join together. That is where they came up with you and Leon. Since you and Leon are the children of the clan leaders, then the Cinches thought it would be best if you two were wed.” I paused. “Wed? Are you telling me that we were supposed to be married?” Don’t make me gag.

Ray nodded his head and continued, “That was the plan until Leon went against it. He had met Maria at the time. The two were inseparable. Leon really thought Maria was the one. You had tried to get on Leon’s good side. You tried everything. There had been dates planned, parties, and you even tried to plan vacations, but Leon was stubborn and he was oblivious. You were oblivious too. You tried so hard not to see that Leon was in love with another. That is until you caught him in the act. I have never seen a woman so hurt and in so much pain, but you were. That day, you two got into a huge fight. Maria tried to stop it but you were throwing insults. That’s when Leon blew it. He yelled at you and you called Maria a conniving whore. Then he slapped you. When he slapped you, I was about to shift. My anger almost ran over until one of the maids held onto me and stopped me.”

“You were literally torn apart and I could feel the pain radiating off you. Leon realized his mistake tried to take it back but you were too angry. You said what you had to say and left. After that, things went bad. The Cinches were infuriated at Leon. Their plan to marry you two had failed and the thing about Cinches was, they never liked to lose. There was a huge argument and Leon was sent to go find you, for you had gone missing. As he left, Leon took Maria and warned his parents that he would never love you. How he was wrong. That evening, Leon found you lying in the mud in the road. You were barely alive. It turned out that a pack of wolves had attacked you. The pack of wolves was real wolves and they were just looking for food.”

Ray paused and let it sink in. My dreams, I thought. My dreams were actually true. Maybe the dreams were not dreams, maybe the dreams were memories. I turned to Ray and said, “I had dreams. The dreams are matching up to what you’re saying. Maybe these dreams are memories. What do you think?” Ray looked at me and said, “It could be possible. Let me finish the story.” He cleared his throat and restarted. “So, when Leon came upon your body, he was devastated. He, Maria, and Finch hurried to take you to the hospital. The doctor told them that you were in a coma or in shock. The Cinches were very worried when the doctor told them that you might have a case of amnesia. What would they do if their son’s wife didn’t even remember who she is? The Cinches were in a straight panic. Then they came up with a plan. Well, the doctor actually came up with the plan. He suggested that they kill you.”

I gasped. They wanted to kill me? Ray’s face had turned grave but he continued on. “Yes. The doctor had suggested that they kill you. But the Cinches didn’t think killing you would help. Then the doctor suggested that they rebirth you. The Cinches, confused as they were, looked up the idea. The “rebirthing” that the doctor was talking about was something that he had done to countless patients. See, the doctor was an Elder and the Elders have special powers. The doctor could extract memories from patients and depending on how many memories he took out, it would take some time for the brain to restart and work again. So, since you lost all of your memories, the doctor extracted them and the estimated time for your brain to restart was about 450 years. And so far, it has been true. So, that is the story of everything.” I turned to him and asked, “What happened to Maria? Where is she?” Ray sneered and said, “Oh, she left Leon. She stated that she couldn’t live the rest of her life shadowed in a “stupid, ugly wench’s shadow.”

I nodded and said, “That figures. I was right.” Ray took my hand and stood up. I looked up at him as he said, “Well, I must go. This time has been has been very intriguing. But before I go, I must tell you this. Leon, he loves you. He might not show it and he might be very stubborn and naïve, but he does love you. Here’s my warning though. Leon comes from the Cinches and I, personally, don’t think he would be the right person for you. Okay?” I stood up and looked at him. “I know you’re just trying to look out for me. You should go before they get back,” I said and led him to the window.

Before he climbed down, Ray kissed me on the forehead and gently lowered himself down. I watched him as he ran off into the night. I closed my windows and slipped on my night clothes. Then I yawned, took the pins out of my hair and got into bed. I even slipped into a quiet sleep.

When I woke up, I put on a green dress. It was made out of silk too. The bodice was laced and the dress had lace sleeves. I combed out my hair until it hung loose down my back. I put on my glasses and walked out of my room. I went down the stairs and into the dining room. Finch was serving the Cinches and he looked up at me with a very annoyed glare. “Oh, Miss Anna, I see you’ve decided to show for breakfast.” He was so much nicer last night! What had happened? I was prepared to eat breakfast but I was blocked by Finch. “I’m sorry, but by avoiding and disobeying the rules, I must say that you are not permitted to eat. You may come when lunch is served.” I looked at the big clock behind him and it read 8:06. Six minutes after the clock. You’ve got to be kidding me?

I looked back at Finch and prepared for my “but” speech, but he raised a hand and said, “I am sorry, but you are prohibited from eating breakfast today. May I ask you to leave the dining room?” I let out a breath, turned then marched out of the dining room. I went up the stairs and decided that I should go upstairs to see the other rooms. I went past the third floor, and came to the fourth. I looked to the left and remembered the art studio and the unfinished painting. I walked down the hallway and tried the door. I expected it to open, but it was locked. Darn it. I walked to the right until I came to the other door. It, too, was locked.

Bored and hungry, I was about to give up. Did these people really not trust me? I went up to the fifth floor and saw that it led to a big room. It was a ballroom. In the middle, there hung a huge chandelier which had tiny diamonds strung up in the threads that ran from the top to the base. I walked across the floor and my shoes echoed. On the right side of the ballroom, there were windows that lined the whole wall. On the left there was a tiny stage that held a piano, a bass, and a small set of drums. I walked across the room and came to the last set of stairs that led up to the sixth floor. I walked up the stairs. The stairs, unlike the others, had walls on the sides and the stairs were very narrow.

I came to a door on at the top. I tried to open it but it was locked. Why was every door locked? I turned around and walked back down all the stairs. I came to the hallway that led to my room and saw that the Cinches were discussing something very important. Not wanting to hear, I proceeded to my room. That is until I was stopped by Leon. He was wearing a white shirt and some black pants. He stood at the foot of the stairs. “Yeah, what do you want?” I asked. He ruffled his black hair and said, “Want to go out?” I stared at him, confused. “You want to go out?” he asked again. His cheeks turned a light pink.

“When do you want to go?” I asked him. His face lit up and his blush got darker. He looked behind him, then turned back around and said, “What about right now?” I thought about it, like I really had somewhere to go. I looked back down at him and said, “Okay.” He smiled widely and nodded, “Okay, I’ll go get the Sedan.” He walked off and I hurried to my room. I ran to the mirror and fixed my hair. I combed it out and I fixed my dress. Behind me there came a noise and in the mirror there was Mrs. Cinch. She smiled at me. “Hi, Sweetie, how are you doing?” I turned around and saw the lady who was like a mother to me. Today she wore a nice soft purple dress that touched the floor every time she walked. Her beautiful black hair was tied up in a bun and she had on a little make-up.

I looked back at myself and said, “Oh, I’m doing alright. Leon and I are going out. He’s taking me somewhere.” Mrs. Cinch smiled even more. “Oh. Isn’t that sweet? See Anna, Leon is a really great guy. He is a very reasonable choice for a friend, or a boyfriend, or maybe even a husband.” I paused at the word husband. Did she think Leon was perfect for me? Don’t make me gag. I turned back around and heard a car horn honk. “Well, Mrs. Cinch, Leon really is a great guy but maybe not for me. I mean I don’t even know him that well,” I said and walked towards the door. All of a sudden, Mrs. Cinch’s bony fingers gripped my arm. She had a frown on her face and she looked very scary. “Please think about it. I know Leon is the perfect guy for you. Don’t make the mistake of choosing the wrong guy!” I stared at her. She had a crazed look on her face now and she looked far from beautiful. I nodded quickly and said, “Okay, Mrs. Cinch. I will think about Leon.”

She let go of my arm and I quickly walked out of the room. I ran down the stairs and out the door. There in the driveway, the Sedan sat. Leon honked his horn one more time and I got inside. He smiled at me and said, “So, where do you want to go first?” I looked at him and said, “Somewhere to eat.”

We stopped at a McDonald’s and I immediately ordered a cheeseburger. I stuffed it down along with fries and was content. Leon had watched me, taking in everything like I was a teacher giving out precious information. After eating, Leon took me to a museum. It was a museum of art. The paintings that were hung were not good paintings; they were more like paintings with a blue streak here and a dot there. They were just boring. Leon seemed pretty excited and I pretended to be too, so I wouldn’t kill his mood.

We finally came to the last exhibit and it was on animals. Most of the paintings just had a long green streak and they called it The Weeping Dog. I was totally bored and I guess Leon noticed it because he rushed us out of there. Next, we went to a history museum. At least they had real artifacts and such. I entered the museum and was surprised at how many artifacts there were. At the front desk, there sat an old woman. She seemed so familiar that I searched my mind to try to find out where I had seen her. She looked up at us when we approached and smiled. “Leon. I haven’t seen you in so long. Who’s your friend?” Leon smiled at her and motioned towards me, “This is Anna. Anna, this is the owner of the museum. Her name is Ms. Joe.” Ms. Joe smiled at me and said, “Why, it is a pleasure to meet you Anna.” I nodded and smiled warmly at her.

Leon looked between us then asked for some tickets. Ms. Joe insisted we go for free, but Leon bought the tickets anyway. We entered the museum and I was struck by how many artifacts there were. The main artifacts were from the old tribe called the Shumen. They dated all the way back to the thirteenth century. It was too cool. Leon seemed to notice my interest and he joined in, commenting on the artifacts as if he had been the one to find them. Then we came to the exhibit marked, THE MYTHS. I headed that way until Leon grabbed my arm and said, “No, the exhibit is not finished. Plus, there is a more interesting one this way.” I looked back at the exhibit and something desperately told me to go to it.

I turned back to Leon and followed him. The next exhibit was marked, POTTERY. I stared at it. This was it? I looked at Leon and frowned at him. The myths exhibit seemed way more interesting that this pile of junk. We entered and immediately, Leon talked about each pot, trying to distract me from the other exhibit. Halfway through, I got bored and Leon’s chattered was sounding more like the adults off of Charlie Brown. Blah, blah, blah… I came up with a plan. I groaned and turned to Leon. “Leon, I don’t feel so good. Where’s the bathroom?” I asked, groaning a little bit more. He stopped his chatter and turned to me for once. He pointed towards the exit and I excused myself.

Running through the boring exhibit, I finally came out. There in front was a gift shop and to my left was the MYTHS exhibit. I ran towards it, making sure I wasn’t being followed and walked in. The walls were lined with wolves. Wolf skeletons, wolf teeth and bones, even wolf hair were hung up in the glass cases. I was so interested that I didn’t pay attention to where I was going. Then I was lost. I looked around and found I had wondered into a stray room. It was a circular room and it was dark. All of a sudden, a light came on behind me. I whipped around and saw it was a painting. It was a painting of a lady. I walked closer and saw that the painting was of me. In the painting, I was wearing the same red dress as I had on in my dream.

I reached out and touched the painting. I looked up and saw that my eyes were golden, as it I was looking at the rising sun. I knew I wasn’t. Behind me, there stood a pack of wolves. Wait a minute. Was I a werewolf?

I stared at the painting. When was it done? And how could I be a werewolf? I heard the door close behind me and I whipped around. There stood Ms. Joe. She smiled at me and said, “Child, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you. You still look the same but you are totally different.” She walked closer to me and I grew afraid. “Who are you? Why do I feel like I’ve seen you before?” I asked. She looked at the ground. “My dear Anna, how little you know. I am your grandmother.” I stared at her in shock. “What did you say?” She smiled and came closer. She placed a frail hand on my shoulder and said, “I know you find it hard to believe but there isn’t any time. You need to contact Ray. He will help you. First, I want you to take my car. Drive to Maine. There you will find your Aunt Millie. She will teach you how to regain your memories and your powers. Now, Aunt Millie can be bit harsh so don’t hold it against her. She’s nice when she isn’t training you. Second, after Aunt Millie has trained you and you regain some sense of yourself, she’ll take you to the airport and you will fly to London, England. There you will go to your Uncle Gothenburg. He will tell you about our heritage.”

She took my hand and led me out of the room. She led me to the right. We exited the exhibit and ran into Leon. He was looking for me and when he caught my eye, he frowned and proceeded to come see what was wrong. Ms. Joe smiled at him and said, “Oh, hi Leon. Anna and I were just going to go see the gift shop. Isn’t that right, Anna?” She turned and gave me a look that said, “Play along or I’ll hurt you!” I nodded and smiled. “Yeah, we were. She said she had the perfect gift for me.” Ms. Joe turned back around and said, “See? We were just going to the gift shop.” Leon narrowed his eyes. Ms. Joe still smiled, forcing it. Leon frowned at Ms. Joe and said, “You’re really going to have me believe that you and Anna were going to the gift shop? How idiotic do think I am?”

He laughed and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Ms. Joe. She looked at me and said, “Run, Anna! Run!” She threw me the key. I took off running. Leon growled and was about to chase me, when Ms. Joe released a fire ball at him. The ball engulfed him and he growled. He was encased and he was slowed down. The ball of fire was slowing him down, as if he was running through molasses. I ran out the back door and there, in the alley, was a blue Challenger. I took the keys and climbed in. I turned it on and was about to drive off, when the wall exploded. Out came a huge wolf. It was black and its eyes looked menacing. Oh, God. It was Leon.

The huge wolf growled at me and he charged towards the car. I changed the gear to reverse and stepped on the gas. I let out a scream as I was propelled backwards. The car sped through the alley. Leon ran after the car, his eyes set on the car. The car flew out of the alley and I turned the steering wheel to the right. I swerved around and straightened up. I changed gears to drive and slammed on the gas again. The car sped past a confused Leon and I was speeding down the road at 80 miles per hour. Behind me, Leon sat on the sidewalk, glaring at me. His golden eyes were watching me until I disappeared.

I stopped at a gas station outside of town. I had some money on me, so I stopped at the pay phone and called Ray. I had put his number in my pocket. The phone rung three times and soon he had answered. “Hello?” he answered. I managed to squeak out a small hello. He replied, “Hey, how are you doing? What’s wrong?” I looked around me and said, “I need help. I ran from Leon and I saw our grandma. She lent me her car and she said that I need to contact you. We need to go to Maine and see Aunt Millie. Can you come?” Ray gasped and said, “Oh yeah! Where are you at?” I told him and he hung up.

I went inside the gas station and looked around. The cashier was leaning on the wall behind him, snoring. Even though it was about three in the afternoon, there were clouds that darkened the world. I looked out the window and saw that the front of the gas station was empty. I walked further into the building. Along the way, I grabbed some chips and a Coke. I was standing at the freezers when a black Sedan pulled up. What in the? The doors opened and there were four people. Leon was the first, his black hair ruffled and he had a heated look on his face. The second was the blonde guy. He looked amused and in his right hand he held a revolver. The third person was Janet. She looked beautiful even though she had a smug look on her face. She wore a black jacket, black blouse, and a black mini skirt. The fourth person was someone I haven’t met. He was tall and was really muscular as if he was on steroids. He scared the crap out of me.

They all got out and headed towards the front doors. Oh, no. What were they going to do when they found me? Then I realized that the muscular guy had some rope in his hands. I twitched. I crouched down behind the shelves peered through a hole between a bag of Cheetos and a bag of Doritos. I saw Leon appear and go up to the counter. The cashier jerked awake and asked in a monotone voice, “How may I help you?” Leon slammed his hands on the counter and said, “We need your service. We are looking for a girl. She has black hair and she is about this high. Have you seen her?” Leon raised his hand to show how tall I was and the cashier looked at it and observed. “Yes, there was this one lady. She pulled up in that Charger there.” He pointed to Ms. Joe’s charger. Leon didn’t look but the others did. “Where did she go?” he asked, his voice getting tight and angry. “I don’t know. Wait. She went over to that pay phone over there. She looked scared actually, like something was after her.” Leon nodded and drew away from the counter. He turned to his friends, totally ignoring the cashier.

“She must have run into the woods. I wonder who she called. Her parents are too far away and she doesn’t have any friends. Unless… I think she made some friends without us knowing. What do you think?” The friends thought about it. Janet looked up and said, “I know! The night of the party, she was talking to some kid. He was taller than you Leon and he had black hair. I guess that’s her friend but she was too uptight to really know.” Leon nodded and turned back to the cashier. “We’ll be back,” he said and they marched out the doors. The cashier watched as they all walked across the street and disappeared into the woods.

I jumped up and ran to the front counter. The man gasped and pointed at me. “Hey, you’re the girl they’re looking for!!” I put the chips and the Coke down and I leaned forward over the counter. I deepened my voice and put on a face that said, “I mean business.” “Listen here. Those guys you just saw are after me. I can’t let them get to me. Now, ring up these chips and let me go.” The cashier scrambled. After he gave me the bag, I ran back to the car and sped onto the road.

About five hours later, I stopped at a Waffle House. It was practically empty and that made me glad. I sat at the counter and a waitress with a beehive hairdo came up to me. “Hey, sugar, can I do anything for you?” I nodded and said, “Do you have phone I can use?” She nodded and pulled out a cell phone. I took it and punched in the numbers to Ray’s cell phone. “Hey, where are you?!” screamed Ray, frantic. I took a deep breath and said, “Hey, they were after me. I couldn’t wait any longer. I’m safe now.” Ray hummed some out of tune song then said, “Where are you? I’m driving down this long road. Wait; up ahead I see a sign that says ‘Waffle House Dead Ahead 3 Miles’. Is that where you are?” I half smiled and said, “Yeah, that’s where I am. How long will it take you to get here?”

Before Ray could utter a single word, something exploded into the wall behind me. I was propelled over the counter and soon I was lying a yard from where I was sitting. I coughed out dust and only breathed in more. “What happened?” I asked myself. Something had exploded into the wall behind me, like a bomb going off in a closet. The waitress was lying a few yards from me. She was on her back and I could see the faint trickle of blood coming from her arm. Oh no!

I tried to get up but the pain was so great that it made me tumble right back down. I groaned and looked back at the counter. You could hear chatter and some debris being moved. From behind the ruined counter, Leon appeared. “Hey! I found her!” he yelled behind him. He turned back to me and leaped over the counter. He crouched over me and said, “Anna? Are you okay? I’m sorry we had to do that but you left us no choice. We’re taking you back home.” He wrapped his arms under me and hoisted me up.

From my view I could see the other three there waiting. Janet was watching Leon’s every move as if she were a judge watching an ice skater’s dance. One false move and it could cost the whole competition. He maneuvered his way around the rubble and finally came to his friends. “I’ve got her. Let’s go,” he said and was about to walk towards the big hole, but stopped when a black Jaguar pulled up. “Who’s that?” he asked, keeping his eyes on the car. A smile came to my face. Ray.

The driver’s side door opened and out came Ray. He had on a pair of shades and he looked more like the Terminator then anything. He slammed the car door and stood there, waiting. Leon frowned at Ray. “So, is he the one you called? This is your help?” Leon let out a laugh that was more nervous than confident. Ray smirked and I could feel his eyes looking at me through the shades. Leon gripped me tighter and said, “She’s mine. She’ll be mine as long as she lives. I will never let her go. I love her.”

I looked up at Leon, who was staring down at me. Was this true? Did Leon really love me or was he just playing an act? All of a sudden, Leon jerked from looking at me to glaring at Ray. “Take her!” he screamed and threw me to the side. I let out a yelp and found myself in the blonde guy’s arms. He smiled down at me. It was a creepy smile that sent shivers down my spine. “Well, it’s just us now,” he said. The way he said it made me want to jump out of his arms and run but the way he was holding me made me immobile.

The blonde dude took off running. While Ray was distracted, Leon morphed into the big black wolf. His golden eyes were smoldering. He crouched down then propelled himself in the air. All of a sudden, Ray jumped up with amazing height, dodged Leon’s attack, and slammed a hand down on his spine. Leon let out a yelp and crashed into the asphalt. The ground cracked around him and dust flew up. Leon winced and processed the pain, while Ray landed on the ground with a soft whoosh. The blonde haired dude stopped and turned around. He let out a growl and dropped me. I fell to the ground and winced. Yep, something was sprained. Something clicked behind me and I looked up to see the blonde dude pointing his revolver at my head. Leon looked up with surprise and Ray stopped in mid walk. The blonde dude screamed, “Don’t move a muscle…or this girl’s head will get blown down the street. Now, let’s settle this like gentlemen, shall we?”

Soon, we were all sitting in the Waffle House, sitting there like civilized people. The only problem was that we weren’t civilized. Leon and his other two friends sat in barstools, Ray sat in a booth, and I sat in a chair while a revolver was aimed at my head. The blonde guy’s name was Marcel. He was quite nice if you got past the “I’ve got a gun to your head” part. Everyone else had a heated look on their faces.

I looked at Leon and said, “This is all so stupid. Why can’t we start over? I can go home and you guys can live in peace and not bother each other again.” Leon crossed his arms and glared at me. “It’s not that simple Anna. Life as you’ve known it is a lie. You can’t go back.” Ray frowned at Leon and said, “Quit it scum.” He turned back to me and said, “Don’t listen to him Anna. He has already deprived you of your life. Don’t let him take your mind too.” Leon jumped up and screamed, “Hey! Watch it! All I do is protect her! I’ve risked everything to make sure she was okay! Don’t try me!” Ray stood up and said, “Whatever! I have been too. She’s everything to me! Unlike you, I’ve never caused her pain.”

I jumped up and screamed. The scream was shrill and it quieted everyone. I stopped and said, “Right now both of you are causing me great pain. Leon, you need to stop and Ray, be my brother and stop making it worse.” Leon gave me a confuse look. “Brother? This buffoon says he’s your brother? Wow, and he called me a liar just then.” Leon let out a laugh. I looked at Ray. He had on a guilty face and looked at the ground. He lied to me? This was just tragic. I got up and ran out the door. Ray called after me and so did Leon. I didn’t stop. Not for them, not for anybody.

About an hour later, I was wandering the woods alone. Tears had spilled down my face and my breaths were short and raspy. Of all the things in the world, I had to be the one who experienced the stupidity and lies of other people. I stopped and fell to the ground. I put my hands to my face and burst out crying.
I slept against a mossy tree trunk and stayed there until it had gotten dark. The moon had appeared. It was full and it cast a milky light on all the trees and the ground. There were also fireflies out and they floated through the air like small lanterns. One landed on my hand and crawled around there. A giggle escaped my lips. How could something so small be so free and beautiful? It was amazing.
Behind me a twig snapped. I jerked up and looked behind me. There stood Leon. He was shirtless and he was sweating pretty badly. The moon’s rays fell upon him and he looked like some ancient god coming to greet me in my dreams. If only that god wasn’t a self- centered liar. He came closer to me and I looked away. He sat beside me and said, “Anna?” I didn’t respond. Instead, I examined another firefly that landed on my palm. Its light flickered on and off, as if sending me some type of message.
Leon continued. “I’m sorry. I know I haven’t been truthful and I know that what I did to you was more than hurtful. But today…I want to explain my side of the story. Ray told me that he told you your history. I want to make sure though. Are you listening to me?” I turned and looked him in the eyes. His eyes were golden now but I could read them. They were sad and there was a hint of tiredness in them. I opened my mouth and said, “Yes, I am listening but are you serious? I’ve heard the story. I’ve heard of Maria and my amnesia but what is there to tell? What is there left for you to tell me, or are you going to make it up?” Leon frowned and looked down at his hands. “Anna, Christina, I have made the worst mistakes in my life. Maria was only a fog that clouded my mind, making me oblivious to what I had in front of me. Let me tell you about Maria. She was beautiful, yes, but as I spent more time with her, her beauty became a curse.”
I looked at him and said, “Well, why did you stay with her? Why did you follow her like her long lost puppy?” He smirked and said, “I didn’t know. I was afraid I guess. My parents had arranged a marriage for me. I was young, naïve, and really didn’t want to follow plan into marrying a girl who I didn’t even know. Needless to say, I didn’t expect to be caring for her all my life.” He looked at me and was about to continue, until we felt a few drops of rain fall on us. Oh no!
Jumping up and looking up at the sky, I realized I was still in my dress and rain would definitely devastate it. Leon jumped up and grabbed my hand. He pulled me past the tree. We stumbled through grass and weeds until we came to a large rock. The rock was round and circular. In the middle was a big hole. It curved inward and provided some sort of shelter. We crouched down and just as we got comfortable, the rain started to pour. Rain leaked in and made my hair wet but overall it was better than standing out there. Leon stared at me as I stared out at the rain.
“What?” I asked, giving him a confused and weird look. He smiled and let out a laugh. “I was just marveling at how beautiful you look.” I looked away and said, “Now I know you’re lying.” I let out laugh and looked back at him. He had an angered look on his face. “Don’t say that! You are beautiful no matter what anyone says. I know you are.” He gripped my hands furiously and made me look at him. “Anna, you might be a “nerd” or a “dork” but to me you will always be my Christina.”
I jerked away. A jittery feeling came over me as he had grabbed my hands. It was a sense of lightness. I wrapped my hands around my arms so he couldn’t touch me and asked, “So, what did Maria do that made you quit on her?” Leon looked at his hands and said, “Well, when you had gotten attacked by those wolves, I had made sure that you received the best care. It was the least I could do after I sent you away. Of course, like any girlfriend would be, Maria was jealous. Of course her jealousy had turned into rage. The day we broke up, you were in the hospital. I had gone off to help mother with something. When I came back, I found her leaning over your IV. She was going to poison you. I was disgusted at her. She was not the woman I had come to “fall in love” with. With that, I banished her. I couldn’t wake up to a murderer. That was when I realized that you were fragile and could easily be taken away from this world. That’s when I realized that I was going to vow to protect you. That’s when I fell in love with you.”
The rain filled our silence. I thought about what he said. Did he really mean it? I glanced at him and saw him gripping his head. “I’m such a loser. I try to help protect the only thing I love besides my parents, yet, I only make things worse. Oh my God…”he said and choked on a sob. I saw a tear slide down his face. Surprise came to my face. Leon actually did care. Who knew? I felt something twinge inside me. A sense of forgiveness, a sense of love, simmered inside me. What triggered it? Was Christina still lurking inside me?
All of a sudden I was overcome with sadness. I pulled Leon’s hands from his face and he looked up at me with surprise. “Christina?” he called out like a little child. I leaned in and gently placed my lips on his. Before he could react, I pulled away and stroked his face. “Leon, please don’t be sad. I don’t like it,” I said. He looked at me with sadness and with extreme guilt. “Thank you. I’m sorry to trouble you. Are you okay? Do you hate me for my mistakes?” I shook my head. “I do not hate you. Leon, listen, I know you probably ruined my life, but I caused all this crap to happen. I mean, I left the castle and I got into a coma and I left you expecting for over a hundred years. That’s terrible.” Leon shook his head furiously. “NO! Do NOT blame yourself for my mistakes. And you didn’t keep me expecting. I was hoping that you would wake up and forgive me. I was scared to tell you the truth.”
I let out a laugh. This talk was getting ridiculously funny. Leon even laughed at his silliness. The rain had let up a bit and the moon showed through the clouds. Leon and I looked up at it. I turned to him and asked him, “So, how does the werewolf thing work, actually.” Leon shifted positions and said, “Okay, here’s the thing. We are part wolves and yes, we are werewolves, but we do not fit the descriptions of a fairy tale one. See, we do not shift at the sight of the moon, we shift at will. That way we can get out of sticky situations quickly. We are invulnerable to silver bullets and we do not have anger management problems. Most of us just come out angry.” I laughed at his joke and he joined in.
Soon, Leon was telling me everything about werewolves. How they feed on meat, preferably red, and how their eyes change colors when they feel the “change”. Leon also stated that when we shift we can be very vicious. Our teeth are very sharp and can cut through any tough material. Depending on the wolf, werewolf teeth can even cut through steel. We talked all night long until we saw a hint of the sun rising in the horizon. Leon got up, his bare chest covered in dirt. The rain had ceased and we could finally crawl out. Leon helped me up and we stood there. None of us really wanted to go, but we had to. As Leon started walking, a thought popped in my head. It was ridiculous and would probably embarrass me more than help me.
I called Leon over and he came back, looking confused. I grabbed his arms and lifted myself up to his face. I smashed my lips to his. Totally caught by surprise, it took him a while to figure out what I was trying to get through to him. Soon, he wrapped his arms around me and our bodies molded together. Two minutes later, I pulled back and let out a breath. Leon did too. He cupped my face and said, “I know you might say you love me, but I know deep in your heart you’re not sure. Please, for my sake, make sure that you love me. Trust me, when all is said and done, I will release myself to you. I can’t have another Maria.” And with that he walked off. Did he just diss me? I fumed but walked after him. Was he really comparing me to Maria? Ugh!
I knew, deep down, deep, deep down, that he was right. He led us through the woods and soon we came to the road and the gas station. Out in the parking lot, Janet and Marcel was munching on chips and some water. Ray was nowhere to be seen and the big burly guy was inside the restaurant. We walked across the street and Marcel and Janet looked up. “Well, bout time you guys showed up. We were going to have a search party look for you.” Marcel smiled a sneaky smile and winked at me. What in the?! I grabbed a bag of chips and stuffed my face so no one could ask me anything. I walked away, leaving Leon to handle Janet and Marcel. I went to my grandma’s car and sat inside. This blows.
Suddenly, someone rapped on the door. I looked up and saw it was Ray. I nodded and he climbed in. He sunk into the seat and sighed. “Hi,” he said. I stared at him. “Why did you lie to me?” I blurted it out. It was useless to try to hide it. Ray ruffled his hair. “I had to. It was the only way you would listen to me and let me get close to you. Plus, you might not like the real me.” I twisted towards him and said, “No! I would have listened! I trusted you and you just lied to me, thinking that I wouldn’t like you. How twisted, man! Now tell me. Who are you really?” Ray frowned and looked at me in the eye. “I was your advisor. We’ve been close ever since we were babies. My job was to protect you, to make sure that you were out of harm’s way.”
I looked at him. He was an advisor? Ray frowned at me and said, “I went with you when you to the Cinches’ mansion. Like I said, you tried your best to please him but he never paid attention. I, on the other hand, paid for his attention. I advised you to leave him, to set the deal apart, but you didn’t. You insisted that you were doing it for our country, not for him. I could tell that you were lying.” I looked at him and frowned. He was my advisor who insisted that I leave Leon. Maybe that was the right idea. Maybe I could’ve lived in peace instead of going through all this crap.
I turned to Ray and said, “I…feel like…I love him. Like when he’s around something goes through me. But in the woods, I kissed him and all he did was push me away and told me to wait until I really loved him. He told me he doesn’t want another “Maria”. Is he kidding me?” Ray turned away and said, “I know how you feel. I loved you too, but you were oblivious to my efforts.” I gasped. “Wait, you loved me?” Ray nodded. “I still do, but I am more patient about it. I wait for the right time. That was why I wanted you to leave.”
We sat in silence. I thought about Ray and Leon. Two guys love me… That was hard to believe. Maria was going to have a field day. Ray laid a hand on mine. “Listen, Anna. I will wait for you no matter what. I will accept your decisions, good or bad. Remember, if you ever need help, I will be here.” I looked up at him and said, “Really? Why?” He smiled and looked at me with kind eyes. “Because, I’m your advisor, that’s why.”
I smiled at him and he smiled at me. “C’mon before your boyfriend over there sets the car on fire with his glare.” Sure enough, Leon was glaring at the car with such a furious stare, that it would’ve set the car on fire. I opened the car and climbed out. Ray followed suit. We strode over to Leon and his gang. Leon smiled a tight smile and said, “So, what were you two doing?” Ray walked up to me and placed his arm around my waist. “We were talking, thank you.” Leon stared at Ray’s hand and I swear I saw the shift flow through him. “Anyway, we need to take her home,” said Leon, hardly pulling his eyes away from Ray’s hand. Ray frowned and said, “No, she needs to learn more. She needs to know her heritage and she needs to know about her powers.”
Leon glared at Ray and said, “No! She can come and stay with us. We can teach her about her heritage as much as the next person. What are you implying?” Ray glared back. “I’m implying that your family doesn’t know squat about us. She might as well just go to some random person in the street and ask them! So, Leon, don’t try to talk your way into her head!” Leon fumed. “Me? Wow, Ray, how long did it take you to come up with that one? My family and I know just as much about you Arles, than you take us credit for. You all are the same. You’re weak, stupid, and claim for peace when all you do is make it worse! So, Ray, do not pester me.”
I watched as the two guys glared at each other. Ray fumed and screamed, “Don’t push me, Cinch! My family is way more civilized than yours. We show honor, peace, and prosperity! All you Cinches show is evilness, ugliness, and all the things that go with your barbaric house of leeches!!” Realizing this was enough; I jumped in between the two and begged them to stop. Leon, paying no attention to me, growled a deep growl and glared at Ray. I held out my hands and said, “No, don’t do this!” Leon shifted and soon I was lying on the ground. I looked up and saw the big black wolf lumbering over me.
I jumped up and ran in front of Leon. I begged him to stop but his eyes were targeted straight at Ray. I pushed against him and still cried out my petty pleas. I looked behind me and saw a lumbering grey wolf. It was grey all over and it had black streaks going down its body. Leon’s friends were holding it back. I turned back to Leon and saw he was looking down at me. His eyes were golden and they were furious. He lifted a paw and swatted me away like a fly. I flew in the air and landed five yards away. A screamed escaped my lips as I flew through the air. The ground hit me like a wall of bricks and I saw black spots dancing in my vision. He had hit me. They were both about to fight. Anger filled me and pushed away the pain. My body twitched and soon I was sitting in darkness.

Janet
The fight had started off and now I was sitting here trying to push away a four hundred pound wolf away. It sucked. Anna was trying to hold off Leon, which was stupid on her part. Such a pitiful and weak girl trying to prevent a powerful and deadly wolf, it was stupid. I watched as Leon raised a powerful paw and swatted her away. She flew through the air like a person would throw a pebble. She landed some yards away and was still. With my excellent vision, I could see the faint rise and fall of her stomach. So close.
The wolf, Ray, went berserk. He thrashed against our efforts. Sweat appeared on my forehead and I let out a strained growl. This was getting out of hand. Suddenly, I was hit by the wolf’s head. I flew through the air and landed on my stomach. I looked up and saw Marcel and Beam were lying on the ground too. Beam groaned and slowly got up. He had a huge knot on his head and he looked mad. Marcel got up and said, “This isn’t going to end well.” The wolves growled and charged at each other.
All of a sudden, Anna appeared out of nowhere. She stood in the gap between the two wolves. From my point of view, her black hair masked her face. I watched in amazement as she raised both her hands and white lights shot from her hands. The light was like a wave. It blinded me and I cried out as I was thrown into the air. What the heck is this? I fell on the ground and stayed there as the force travelled over me. The light hurt my eyes and tears poured from them. Then it was gone.
I dared to open my eyes and saw I was staring up at the sky. I groaned as my body ached. I propped myself onto my elbow and looked around. Leon was lying a hundred yards away, in the road. Ray was dangling from the top of a tree. Beam was crawling from inside the restaurant, dust covered his body. Marcel was stumbling out of the forest. He had leaves poking out everywhere on him.
There in the middle stood the girl. I sneered at her. Why was she such a problem? Leon and I should have been together, not him and her. It sucked.
Anna stood in the middle of the parking lot. Her hair had gone from masking her face, to floating around it like little tentacles. There was a sudden force around her. It made chills go down my back. Then her hair dropped back down. She teetered, and then fell back. She hit the ground with a thud.
I watched to see if she would get up, but she didn’t. She was still breathing. She must be unconscious. What had happened? Why was she shooting that white light out of her hands? There was something freaky about this girl and whether Leon liked it or not, we needed to stop her before she kills us all.





Anna

I woke up and saw the ceiling. My head was hurting and my hands pulsed with uncomfortable heat. Let’s just say that my whole body was hurting. The ceiling was yellowed and I could tell I was in a motel. My eyes rolled over to my right and I saw the door to the bathroom and another bed. This was weird.
The bathroom door was closed and you could faintly see steam streaming from under the door. The sound of the shower pulsed in my ears and I winced. I turned back over and looked to the other side and saw the door. It was worn and there were a few holes embedded in it. I turned back and looked up at the ceiling.
Where was I? What had happened after I passed out? I sat up and let out a groan. This was terrible. I need some pain killers fast. I pulled back the covers and placed my feet on the floor. Pain shot through my legs and I closed my eyes.
Somewhere behind me, the shower stopped. I jerked my head back and watched as the door opened. Out came Janet. She stopped and looked at me with surprise. Soon after, that surprise turned into curiosity, then into annoyance. Was this girl bipolar or what? She was wrapped in a towel and she came out, grabbed her stuff and went back into the steamy bathroom. Well, not before she slammed the door.
I turned back to myself and hoisted myself onto my feet. The first few tries, I fell onto my back, but after a while I got it. The pain was receding and I could finally think.

A knock came from the door and I walked to it. Through the peephole I could see Ray’s distorted face. I opened the door and he waltzed right in. I shut it behind him and watched as he sat in the chair nearest to him. “How are you feeling?”
I looked at him and tried to explain the painful explanation but it sounded like gibberish. He shook his head and mumbled, “This is odd. How come you possess powers outside the usual norm?” I looked at him with curiosity. “Ray? What happed?”
Ray looked at me and said, “Oh, nothing. Leon’s friends pulled me off and we all apologized. You had a very serious head injury. You’ve been out for hours.” Hours? I’ve been out for hours? That’s messed up. On the plus side, I got a chance to kill Leon for throwing me like a bean bag.
I watched as Ray got up and came to where I was standing. “You must be hungry. I shall go get you some food. See you!” and he was gone. That was weird. Why was he in such a hurry? Something was up.
I looked back and saw that Janet hadn’t come out. I looked down at my clothes. I was still wearing the dress. This was lame. I went to Janet’s bags and got out some clothes. I grabbed some jeans, a tank top and some boots. Not my style, but with the clothes I was wearing, this looked like heaven.
I quickly put on the clothes and scurried out. I looked around and saw that we were in a small town. We were on the edge of it, right where the forest was. I memorized the door number which was 152, and then I headed towards the stairs. The stairs were rusty and very squeaky.
When I hit the concrete, I walked into the parking lot.
There was my grandma’s car. I needed the keys. The lobby was across the lot, but I didn’t want to be spotted. Darn. I ran past the other rooms, under the cover of the walkway above me.
The night was warm and it was great to feel the air. I looked everywhere and saw that the coast was clear. Then I darted across the lot.
The lobby was very old. It had retro chairs and furniture and even a retro counter. The lady at the desk was the most retro thing here though.
The lady had a tall beehive hairdo that glimmered from all the hairspray she had on it. She had on some thick blue eyeliner and some chunky red lipstick that clumped together when she smirked at me. She looked up at me through that eyeliner and smirked.
I almost let out a laugh when I saw that her lipstick had clumped even more. We both looked out the windows when we heard a car pass by. I turned back and saw she was staring at me with suspicious eyes. This was getting awkward, so I spoke up.
“Can you tell me where the other guests are located? I need to ask”- “Honey, they’re located in room 205 and 206. You need a key?” she interrupted me and reached behind her and grabbed a key. I watched as she tossed the key over her shoulder. I reached out and grabbed it.
I then left, without a word.
I snuck around to the back of motel and walked down the walkway to the room. 205 and 206 came into view and I bit my lip to keep from squealing. I readied the key. Suddenly, the door squeaked open. I gasped and darted down another walkway and into an opening. Someone muttered something, and then footsteps proceeded down the walkway. That was too close.
I leaned out and saw that the coast was clear. I quietly snuck back and looked around. Walking away was Leon and Marcel. They were chatting very low and they seemed to be caught up in the conversation. After they had turned a corner and their voices had drifted off, I rushed to the room closest which was room 205 and unlocked it.
I jumped in and slammed it shut. A voice came from behind me. “What are you doing here?” I jerked around and saw the big guy lying in the bed. He looked banged up and his foot was propped up on a pillow. He glared at me and said, “What do you want?”
Lost at words, I just stared at him. He had caught me by surprise and I couldn’t say anything. He still glared at me and said, “Are you retarded? I asked, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”
I snapped from my trance and glared at him. “I’m getting what’s mine!” Then I went to Leon’s bag and dig through it. The clothes were neatly folded and it made me mad. I had searched the whole bag but there was nothing. Angered, I picked up the suitcase and threw it at the wall. Clothes tumbled out and became wrinkled. I stared at the clothes with utter hatred. Where were the freaking keys?
I walked to the next suitcase and dug through it. Nothing. I couldn’t find anything. Where did he put the keys?!
The guy behind me stared at me like I was crazy. “What?!” I shouted at him, like he was the cause of my confusion and anger. His eyebrows went up and he said, “Nothing at all. I was just…shocked.” My anger eased up and I asked him, in a tight voice, “Where did Leon put the keys?”
The guy relaxed and he said, “Why? I can’t let you escape. Leon would kill me. He would kill me, and then revive me to make me search for you. Sorry toots. I can’t do it.”
My anger disappeared and turned into sadness. What in the heck am I supposed to do? I walked to the bed and sat on it. “What’s your name?” The guy smiled and said, “Beam. My name is Beamerson K. Genes, but everyone calls me Beam.”
I nodded and looked at Beam’s leg. “What happened to your leg?” Beam frowned looked at his leg. “You don’t want to know. It was nothing anyway.” He looked away from me and stared at his leg. He seemed troubled. I looked at him and said, “C’mon. Tell me. Who did this to your leg?” Beam frowned and shook his head.
“No,” he said.
I frowned and said, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll break your other one.” He looked at me and said, “Trust me; you do NOT want to know.” I shook my head.
“Yes, I do. Please tell me. I know Leon told you not to tell me. Please,” I begged him and even gave him my best puppy dog face. He looked at me, reluctantly and finally sighed a sigh of relief.
“You’re not going to like it,” he murmured. I held up my pinkie to show that I swore that I wouldn’t. He began by telling me what happened after I passed out. As he told it, shivers ran down my spine like tiny spiders.
“And this huge burst of white light erupted from your hands and it seemed as if it were traveling through the air. We were thrown back and the light blinded me so much that it hurt. Then it was gone. When I looked up, I was in the restaurant lying in a pile of rubble. When I climbed out, you were passed out again.”
My face contorted into a face of pain and I shot up from the bed. This was weird. Why was this happening to me?! I burst from the room and ran past everyone. Shouts rung out behind me, but I didn’t listen. Who knew what I might turn into…