Who?
1506 Words
AMELIA
Everything was in ruins, there were dead bodies everywhere, blood soaking the ground, and body parts strewn about. The sight was sickening. Annabelle, overwhelmed, vomited at the shocking display of c*****e she was witnessing for the first time.
After she managed to calm herself, we took a deep breath and forced ourselves to move forward. As much as I wanted to flee with Annabelle and never look back, we needed to know the truth: we had to be sure that our parents were really gone.
We maneuvered our way around the bodies, my heart breaking at the sight of those who had been alive yesterday. These were the people I had lived with, shared meals with, even those who had sometimes treated me like a lowly Omega. It was utterly saddening.
Why did this happen?
After a few hesitant steps, we came across Vella, the kitchen Omega manager, and my friend David, who had never once judged me. Their throats had been savagely torn out. I couldn’t help but think that David must have fought valiantly for Vella, the woman whose evil mother cared little about anyone, while he was so kind-hearted.
I gently kissed David’s forehead, saying my final goodbye. Annabelle, knowing how much he meant to me, squeezed my shoulder in silent acknowledgment of my pain. We continued walking, each footstep heavier than the last.
We neared the pack house, and then my heart dropped as we laid eyes on our mother.
“NOOOOO!” Annabelle screamed, but I quickly shushed her, we couldn't risk alerting any remaining rogues.
Our mother’s heart had been torn out, a sight too terrible to bear. We couldn’t hold back our tears as we whispered how much we loved her before kissing her forehead. The only one left I could hope was still alive was our father.
And then we found him, lying next to the Alpha. It seemed he had tried to protect his leader. My father was dead, his throat torn apart, and his hands and legs…gone.
It was too much for us to witness. Heartbreaking, especially for two young girls faced with such horror.
In silence, we hugged each other tightly, neither of us daring to cry out, yet our tears soaked our t-shirts.
I could barely breathe as we crumbled to the floor, sobbing our hearts out.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally calmed down enough to look around for any sign of life.
But there was no one.
Just an all consuming silence.
Then it hit me,the pack’s safe house.
I had hoped everyone was still out there, and as I took Annabelle’s hand, it was hard to accept leaving our parents behind.
We took a few moments to say our goodbyes. I slipped my parents’ wedding rings off their fingers and placed them on the necklace my father had given me for my sixteenth birthday.
Our parents had made me and my sisters promise that if anything were to happen to them, we would take their rings and keep them close. It was surreal to find myself fulfilling a promise I never thought I would have to keep.
We couldn’t bear to see our parents in pieces, so we said our goodbyes, knowing this wasn’t how I wanted to remember them—and I was certain they wouldn’t want that either.
As we walked further into the pack house, uncertainty gripped us. Were there still any rogues lurking about? We moved on high alert, grateful to the Moon Goddess that it was still quiet.
Inside, however, the state of the house was dismal. Everything was in ruins, and there were more bodies strewn across the ground.
I should have felt grateful for the way my parents had raised me, but it wasn’t enough. No, I had been taught compassion and understanding but not this horror before me.
We made our way to the door of the safe room, and after a deep breath, I opened it. We descended the stairs, our hearts pounding with fear and anticipation.
What we found was beyond comprehension.
The pups, female wolves, and elderly were all here, but they were lifeless. Who could do something so cruel? How could anyone dispatch these defenseless creatures? What had they done to deserve this?
Annabelle and I clung to each other, trembling in shock. Eventually, we unlocked our embrace, and I began to look around, desperately praying for any sign of life among our pack members. But the longer we lingered, the dimmer our hopes became.
In hushed tones, Annabelle and I called out, wishing for someone to hear us. To our astonishment, a voice responded.
We could scarcely believe our eyes as we rushed toward the sound, only to find Mrs. Meyer
Mrs. Meyer, my mother’s best friend and a nurse at the pack hospital, lay before us.
“Mrs. Meyer! Oh my God! Are you okay?” Annabelle exclaimed, her voice a mixture of shock and concern.
“Annabelle, Amelia, hello. No, girls, I’m bleeding like hell.” Mrs. Meyer said weakly, though she managed a faint smile.
“Mrs. Meyer, we need to get you help now. Do you know where Betty is?” Annabelle asked, looking around frantically for her friend.
“No, it’s too late for me, Ana. As soon as I stand, I’ll surely bleed out. I can feel it,” she replied, shaking her head. With a trembling hand, she cupped Annabelle’s cheek. “And, dear, Betty is already… dead.”
Dammit.
Betty had been Annabelle’s best friend since they were pups. While I could tell that Annabelle suspected her fate, seeing the truth confirmed out loud cut through her like a knife, tearing at her heart.
Mrs. Meyer, noticing Annabelle's tears, turned to me. “Amelia, is there anyone else alive out there?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“No, no one is alive except the three of us in here. I don’t understand how the rogues got in since the last attack.” I managed to reply, my voice trembling as I fought to hold back tears.
“Amelia, darling, I need you to listen to me carefully,” she said, looking directly into my eyes. I nodded, bracing myself for what she had to say. “This was an inside job. One of our own was working with the rogues. He showed them how to enter, and he let them in.” The realization shocked me.
But who?
“Who?” Annabelle asked, her voice trembling as I remained in shock.
Could it be Lucas?
But why?
No.
Derek?
No, he was cruel, but I didn’t think he could betray his father like that.
But who?
“He must be the only survivor looking to claim the pack. Please, girls, listen to me. Amelia, take Annabelle and run now, and please don’t look back.” Mrs. Meyer’s gaze held a weight that suggested she knew more than she was saying.
“We won’t leave you here alone, Mrs. Meyer. We can’t, right, Amelia?” Annabelle shook her head desperately, and I nodded in agreement.
“Girls, girls. No…” she said, shaking her head. “There’s nothing that can be done for me. You know I’ve always loved you both like my own. Even if I couldn’t save Betty, please let me save you girls, please.” Her plea was filled with desperation.
“But we can’t. How will we live without everyone else?” Annabelle asked again, tears brimming in her eyes.
“Girls, you are both stronger than you know. You need to get off the pack lands before they come back again. Get into town among the humans. Have you got a phone with you?” Mrs. Meyer asked, shifting her focus back to me.
“Yes, I do, but…” I started, but she interrupted.
“Good. Amelia, take Annabelle to town and call Annabella, your sister. She will help you both. Please promise me you’ll get away from here before they return.” Mrs. Meyer’s eyes were pleading.
Annabella.
How had I forgotten about our big sister? With everything happening, we had been so focused on our immediate danger that we overlooked the fact that she was still alive.
“Yes, we promise we’ll find her and call her, but we can’t leave you to die here.” I insisted, fighting back my tears.
"Girls, you are capable, and you will succeed. Please don't concern yourselves with me,I'm doing well, and the comforting thought is that my family is eagerly awaiting my return. Now, I kindly ask you to leave."
We both rose to our feet, recognizing that we had made our attempts, and she likely preferred not to receive further assistance. With a sense of sadness, we waved goodbye. Just as we reached the door, Mrs. Meyer called out to us.
"Girls." she said, her voice faint.
We turned to face her.
"The individual... who... sent... those rogues... was..."
Then, Mrs. Meyer fell silent.
She was gone.
- Writer
