ELSA’S PACK

Losing A Loved One

My hands vibrated as I stretched out to my mom, something was wrong. Something wasn’t right. I couldn’t hear my moms heart beat, I paid attention but I couldn’t hear her heart beat. Werewolves had great hearing capabilities. I didn’t want to believe it.

I just couldn’t. How could I believe that she was gone? My dear mother, who never offended anyone, she was the sweetest soul ever and everyone knew that. The neighbors always compared her to Freyaa the goddess of goodness for her empathy and benevolence. She never wished ill on anyone and yet there lay her body, lifeless and unmoving.

Killed like a criminal and scum. Beaten like a thief in the brutest way possible. “Mommmmm!” I screamed with realization and pain.

“No no no you can’t go please dont live me alone in such a cruel world for what will become of me?” I wailed my nose now running freely.

“Shut your mouth. She got what she deserved and you don’t have to worry, you'll be joining her very soon… just not today.” He shot back with a venomous glare.

“Sir, her actions constitute clear obstruction of justice. She must be detained immediately.” One of the soldiers said to the warden.

“This is why I am where I am and you’re where you are. What distinguishes us from each other is intellect. You see, you boys don’t think you only act. The girl needs to be alive and so is her dad. Although, he is suspended permanently from his duties to the state.

“But don’t worry boys, we will get her soon. Besides, where can she run to?” He replied displaying his aged denticles while laughing. Others joined in grinning wildly at me and dad.

“Alright boys, that’s enough fun for today. Let’s leave this godforsaken apartment. Oh and Elsa, please do have a nice day.” He remarked as they left their cackling still resounding in my head.

I watched as my dad crawled to my mothers corpse, tears leaving his and soaking her cloth as he held her close and tight. My mother was really dead after all.

I managed to carry myself up, I looked round the house in which a lot of hazards were caused. I stumbled weakly in my dads direction. “We need to bury mom now.” I said holding up my emotions.

The other neighbors had eventually gathered at the cemetery where my moms burial was conducted. I wore a black veil over my face, as I watched my moms casket being dropped six feet under the earth. It all still felt like a dream but I knew it wasn’t.

Most of them approached my dad with their various words of condolences. “Ser Oppenheimer, your wife’s death is a great loss to our community and we will forever hold her in our hearts.” Mrs. Victory said her tone was soft and understanding.

The next day I stayed in my room till it was evening. I couldn’t step outside, all I did was cry all through the night and day. “Elsa honey, can I come in?” I heard my dads which seemed to have cracked from all the shouting and crying.

“Yes dad.” I answered.

He stepped into the room, taking gentle steps to my bedside, sitting finally. He was about to talk but he stopped in his tracks staring at me.

“Dad, what is it?” I was a little confused.

“Elsa, don’t you have something important to tell me?.” He said, his eyes down probably from the long tears it had shedded.

I haven’t been very honest with my dad and he had every right to know these things. He was talking about the fight yesterday, how I was able to defeat those werewolves.

No normal kid my age should do that, but I did. I remember how we had an influx of media personalities a few hours after the warden and his men left. They asked questions that clearly painted my mothers name badly. It was obvious the warden had a hand in this like he promised.

I was asked how I was able to kill those werewolves, if I was going to be executed and so much more. I never answered anyone as I just stared at the cameras till they left. The headlines and most of the news channels were all about me, a young girl from Nevada, who was able to defeat and kill three veteran male werewolves in cold blood.

Social media wasn’t left aside as people made posts about with comments like;

“Woah is she some kind of super wolf, how could a youngling do that I don't believe this. It’s just for media visibility.”

“No. It's true. I live in that building, she actually killed them, I saw their bodies being carried out from the apartment that day.”

“How could our army leave such dangerous criminals to roam the streets!” Another commented.

“In Bulgaria things like this happen every day, it's no big deal.”

It seemed the werewolf community had a lot to say about the incident, no one even cared about why I did it or my moms death. The Warden's plan seemed to be working as I was already causing so much hate, banter and cry for justice. It seemed very soon they would come for my arrest or execution.

“Dad I'm so sorry… our family is in more jeopardy because of me.” I said looking away at the window. There was a heavy downpour of rain outside which made the afternoon seem like it’s evening.

“Elsa, you don’t have to apologize. My colleagues betrayed me. The system has failed us. It’s not your fault okay.”

“They didn’t have to kill her.” I said. My eyes welled once more with tears.

“I’ll tell you everything dad.”

He forced a smile, drawing nearer to me.

“Everything you witnessed yesterday was very real, I have an ability dad.”

“What do you mean by an ability Elsa?”

“Dad, I think it’s more like a gift. Last year something happened that changed my life forever.” Looking at my dad, he had this intense concentration, taking in my every word. He always folded his hands in serious conversations.

“Dad, I'm the…”

A cold deliberate knock came, chilling the room with rhythm. The words froze in my tongue from the unforeseen interruption.

My dad looked at my face a bit worried. He brought his second right finger to his lips indicating I keep mute. He rose up with steady steps out of the room. I joined him in the sitting room.

The knock came in again this time louder almost angrily. We were aware that the general public saw us as antagonists now so we were expecting trouble soon.

My dad transformed his right hands, exposing his amber fur and razor sharp claws. I bent forward ready to transform. Dad flung the door open in one swift motion, already swiping at whatever dared stand on the other side.

Yet his claws came to an abrupt stop, suspended in the air like a thought half spoken.

“Ser Brownwell?”

“Ah, Elsa… it’s good to see you again. Just like I said we would.”