Her Vengeance

Sirena sprinted through the woods, holding her twin sister’s hand in an airtight grip as wolves howled from behind. Sirena cut through a thorn patch, down towards the river. Thorns dug into her legs as she continued to drag her sister along. “Wait…wait,” her sister gasped. “I can’t keep running.” Sirena faced her sister, continuing to run. “We can’t afford to stop,” Sirena said as beads of sweat rolled from her forehead into her eyes. “We have to get to Sheriff Jackson.” “Please, I’m not like you,” Silena cried. Sirena stopped running only briefly. “We need to lose our scent. They’re tracking us. We can stop as soon as we cross the river.” Her sister refused to budge. “Silena, please,” Sirena begged as the howls grew louder. “Let me carry you.” “You’re hurt,” Silena shook her head, her beaded braids clanking together as she did so. More howls filled the night sky. These howls were more mournful, a death cry. “Papa,” Silena breathed out. Sirena didn’t respond. She only grabbed her sister and said, “That will be us if we don’t keep moving.” “Go without me,” Silena yanked her hand away. “Silena, now is not the time-“ “My body literally can’t run anymore,” Silena explained as tears streamed down her face. “Silena-“ “Sirena, I am in so much pain,” Silena explained. “You’re stronger and faster than me. I’m only slowing you down.” Both girls flinched as an explosion sounded in the distance. Their house. Silena pulled her sister into a tight hug. “One of us needs to survive,” Silena continued, “you need to survive. So run,” Silena finished by giving her sister a shove, thorns crunching under her combat boots as she did. “Here,” Silena all but ripped a necklace from around her neck and tossed it to Sirena. With shaky hands, Sirena slowly placed her sister’s half-moon necklace in her pocket. This was goodbye. They would never see each other again. Sirena threw her arms around her sister again. “Please,” Sirena begged as tears poured down her own face in torrents. “We can make it,” Sirena whispered, but she knew deep down that was a lie. Her sister was right. Silena wasn’t born with the wolf gene. Her exhausted body literally couldn’t take anymore. Sirena held her sister closer, feeling Silena’s body shake with exhaustion. “Go,” Silena whispered once more. “I love you,” Silena cried. “I love you, too,” Sirena replied as she backed away, thorns crunched beneath her boots. “Aim for the stomach,” Sirena choked out as Silena pulled switchblades from her back pocket. “I love you,” Sirena cried again. “Go,” Silena urged. The howling was getting closer and louder. “Go,” she whispered one last time. “I love you.” “I love you, too,” Sirena cried before sprinting in the direction opposite the howls, her ears still picking up the sounds of her sister’s silent sobs as she ran farther and farther away. It wasn’t until she reached the riverbank did she feel, or hear, her sister’s heart stop. A gasp escaped from Sirena’s mouth as a sharp pain filled her chest, marking her twin sister’s death. The tears came hard and fast; she stumbled blindly along the riverbank as tears filled her vision. She needed to keep going. Sirena had only been running for a minute or two before victory howls from the rival pack, filled the night sky. Had her entire family beenl slaughterd? Was she the sole survivor? Sirena stumbled into the river. She needed to cross over. She quickly began crossing through the rushing, freezing water – the water burning the gashes on her legs- gashes left behind by the thorns. There were some places in river where she could walk, and some places where she had to swim; but she eventually made it across. She crawled onto shore, her hair and clothes drenched with river water. She turned to take one last look at the land she once called home. On top of the hill, her family’s mansion could be seen burning in the distance. EMTs were on their way; Sirena could hear the sirens in the distance. She slowly…painfully… stood to her feet, ignoring the blood slowly flowing down her calves. Sheriff Jackson. The name echoed in her head. She needed to get to Sheriff Jackson. Sirena continued through the woods. She needed to keep moving. She needed to get to safety. “Haydee,” a voice called out. “Haydee.” Haydee returned to the present at the sound of her name. “Are you still with me?” her therapist, Dr. Chiro, asked. “Uh…yeah,” Haydee answered, shaking the images from her head. “Are you still having nightmares?” her therapist asked as she returned her gaze to her notepad. Haydee nodded. “Same ones?” the therapist asked. Haydee thought. Every nightmare was the same. Her…stuck inside of a closet…inside of a burning house. Her…sprinting through the woods…running from an unseen predator. Terrified. Haydee silently nodded once more. “Often?” her therapist asked. “No, actually,” Haydee sighed with relief and some happiness. “I get them once every 2 maybe 3 weeks.” “And the blackouts?” “I…nothing too intense,” Haydee admitted reluctantly. “But Monte is usually there to ground me,” she added, her hand subconsciously going to her nearby companion. Dr. Chiro smiled at the Saarlos wolfdog, sitting obediently by his owner. “And how is Monte?” Dr. Chiro inquired kindly. “Do you still…feel him in your mind?” “I don’t know what I was thinking when I told you that,” Haydee quickly said. “I think I was dreaming or something. Maybe it was the medicine. I started a new one that week. I – I’m not…I can’t read Monte’s mind,” she explained desperately. “Okay,” Dr. Chiro replied calmly. Haydee bit her lip nervously. She couldn’t feel Monte in her head. She couldn’t talk to animals, and she still didn’t understand why dogs suddenly began gravitating towards her in the last 6 months. “Haydee,” Dr. Chiro spoke, “you’re shaking your leg.” Haydee looked down. Sure enough, her leg was shaking- her body’s subconscious tell that she was anxious, nervous, and mentally unsettled. Monte rested his big head on her stationery leg and stared up at her with his oddly colored grey eyes. Giving Monte’s head a gentle pat, Haydee willed her shaking leg to cease its movement. “Um…” Haydee shifted in her seat, “do you think, maybe, we could change my medicine? This one is…it makes me feel weird.” “Really?” Dr. Chiro looked back at her past notes, “I was actually going to suggest keeping you on it for one more week,” she smiled. “You’ve kept a steady job writing grants; you’ve been living on your own, successfully I may add, for the past…almost 2 years. You’ve made a lot of progress. I don’t think we should change anything.” Haydee couldn’t argue with that, she had made a lot of progress. “Well, we’re almost out of time,” Dr. Chiro closed her notebook. “Do you have any plans for today?” her therapist asked with an encouraging smile. “Uh…no,” Haydee scoffed. “Same thing I do every year. Bring Monty with me to my foster family’s house. Have ice cream. Go home. Besides, twenty-seven isn’t one of those big deal birthdays,” Haydee explained with a shrug. “I disagree,” her therapist said, “you should treat every birthday like it’s a big deal. Remember where you were when you first started seeing me?” Haydee thought back. She first came to Dr. Chiro at age 15, and she had been a mess. She had entered the foster system at 14; she didn’t utter a single word to anyone for a good 8 months. Nothing. Haydee absently scratched the back of her Sarloos wolfdog’s ears. “I guess you have a point,” Haydee relented. “Every birthday should be a celebration.” “That’s right,” Dr. Chiro agreed proudly, “Every day should be a celebration, Haydee.” Haydee concurred. “Before we end today,” her therapist continued, “I’d like to discuss your foster family. I believe the topic of adoption came up at a family dinner last week.” Haydee released a stressful moan. She wanted to slink down in her seat. “Cliff and Sarah Jamison have tried to adopt you multiple times. Each time, you resist. Why?” “It’s nothing against them personally,” Haydee frowned. “And, contrary to what many believe, it has nothing to do with me being black and them being white. I don’t care about that. I never have. But…I can’t explain it. Every time they bring it up, I get this deep pain in my chest like I’m supposed to be remembering something.” “And what about their son?” “Aiden? What about Aiden? Why are you bringing up Aiden?” “Um…I believe Mr. and Mrs. Jamison have two sons,” Dr. Chiro grinned. “But it’s interesting that your mind went straight to Aiden.” Ooh…Dr. Chiro was good, getting her to admit something she didn’t want to admit. But Aiden was gorgeous. Haydee couldn’t help but think about his blonde hair that fell in front of his eyes when it was wet. And how could she not blush at the thought of his poignant, bright blue eyes that seemed to know her every thought before she did. “Well played,” Haydee replied with a raised brow. “Thank you. As you told me last week, he should be returning home today.” Her therapist leaned forward slightly and stared at Haydee with a knowing smile. “Are you excited?” she asked Haydee. “Uh…yeah…I guess,” Haydee shrugged one shoulder, feigning disinterest. Her leg began to shake, and Monty’s head found its place on her lap. Dr. Chiro looked on with a raised brow. “It was a long time ago,” Haydee huffed, “it was a child’s crush.” “You two aren’t related by blood.” “Again, it was just a small, child-like crush,” Haydee refused to give an inch to her therapist. She no longer had a crush on her slightly older foster brother with the gorgeous, tan, muscular body. Her stomach no longer did weird things at the sound of his voice; she no longer felt like melting into a puddle every time he hugged her or looked at her or smiled at her. She was totally and completely over him. And if it weren’t for her dark skin, Dr. Chiro would see that Haydee was blushing brighter than a red tomato. “I am completely over…hot – him,” Haydee corrected herself quickly. “Yeah. I’m good. Over him.” “So, I take it you’re able to hold a conversation with him, one that lasts longer than 15 minutes?” Dr. Chiro asked. “Sure,” Haydee lied. Yes, the longest conversation she’d ever had alone with Aiden, with no Monty present, had lasted 15 minutes. She timed it. At least she no longer froze when he talked to her or looked at her. “Trust me, I’m over him,” Haydee lied confidently, “and yeah, I’m happy he’s back. It will be good to see him…again.” Dr. Chiro smiled encouragingly before saying, “Anything else you would like to discuss before we finish?” “Nope,” Haydee answered without a second thought. “Same time next week?” “Yep. I already have you in my calendar.” “Thank you,” Haydee said before leaving the office, Monty on her heels. Dr. Chiro stared out the window of the 5th floor, watching as Haydee climbed into her car and drove off. Dr. Chiro picked up her mobile and pressed speed dial. “Hello,” she began in a clipped tone. “She just left. She seems stable. (…) I know you don’t feel comfortable doing this, little brother, but we both know how important it is that she remain hidden. (…) She says she hasn’t had any major blackouts, but…I think her body is beginning to notice the placebos. (…) Keep an eye on her. See you when I see.” With that, she hung up.