The Myth of the Wolves

Chapter Two: Elsewhere

The man was about to speak when she heard the overseer calling from down the tunnel. “Halo, are you down here?”

She looked at Damius to see his expression turn serious, his lips set in a straight line. “Do not mention me,” he stated seriously. He moved past her, grabbing onto her hips as he squeezed to the other side of her and further into the tunnel. Sparks were erupting all over her body, and she fell to her knees when he disappeared into the darkness.

After she gathered herself, she heard the overseer call for her again. “Yes, I’m here,” she replied, getting back to her feet. She popped another pill into her mouth that the doctor had given her.

“You’re to be in the Operator’s office as soon as possible.”

Halo had only ever been called into the Operators office once before, and it was when she was eleven and began skipping work. She had been starved for three days, and she was beaten mercilessly by the Operator himself. She shivered at the memories, but she followed the overseer despite her reluctance.

The old mineshaft grinded aggressively as it rode up to the ground floor. It was always slower going up, and she basked in the precious time she had in the shaft. Several people came in and out of the shaft, and she nodded in greeting at each one.

Finally, she reached the “ground level,” which was just the cave where the village resided. She exited the elevator and trekked through the dismal tunnels until she reached the room to drop off her oxygen system to be refilled. Eventually, she reached the Operator’s room, and she hesitated for just a moment before knocking.

“Enter,” came his gruff voice from inside.

She opened the heavy metal door, wincing at its strong metallic scent. She would have to wash her hands later. The Operator was behind his metal desk, tapping his pen as he leaned back in his chair, eyeing her curiously. “Sit,” he commanded.

She sat obediently, the mustiness of the chair fabric not escaping her notice. She folded her hands in her lap, straightened her spine, and looked the Operator straight in his boring brown eyes. She sat and silently waited.

He looked down at his pen before responding. “I received a call from The Council,” he started.

Halo’s eyes widened in shock. Why would The Council contact the Operator, and why would that result in him asking to speak with her?

The Operator noticed her surprise, and this seemed to relax him. He put his pen down and stood up. “Well, in any case, they requested you leave here immediately to undergo a full physical exam. They have requested that you appear at the Stuart North Street Medical Center immediately.” He rubbed his scruffy chin, angling his head at her. “You don’t happen to know what this is about?”

She shook her head, completely taken aback. Why would they want to give her a full physical exam? Was this because of her appointment earlier this morning with Doctor Hazel? She was lost in her own thoughts, and she did not hear the Operator dismiss her. He cleared his throat and looked at her and then to the door with a pointed expression.

“Sorry,” she mumbled and hastily left his office.

By the time she reached the medical center, her heart had calmed down some. It was just a physical exam after all.

The receptionist was much nicer than the one at Doctor Hazel’s office. In fact, she was sure she had seen her at the mines a few times in the past.

“Halo!” she exclaimed. “It’s nice to see you honey.”

Halo smiled at her warmly. “You too, Isla.”

“You can head on in,” she gestured to the door behind her. “It’s the second door on the right.”

The other people in the waiting room mumbled complaints as she seemed to have cut ahead in the lineup.

This medical building smelled a lot cleaner than the one near her home, and it was much larger, containing six doors from a connecting hallway behind the receptionist’s desk.

She knocked on the second door on the right and waited for a response.

“Yes, come in.” She heard the voice of a female from the other side.

She opened the door and entered. The woman was someone she had only seen a handful of times before. Her name was Sasha, and she was in her early middle-ages. She had soft brown hair pulled into a tight bun. Her eyes were so blue that they looked almost white; there was no warmth in them.

The woman smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. “Halo, is that correct?”

Halo nodded her head in affirmation.

The woman jotted some notes down. “Please, if you could disrobe and lay on that bed.” She gestured to the hospital bench with white paper lying on top of it. She handed her a large thin sheet and left the room, allowing her to disrobe on her own.

As she pulled off her pants, the pills that Doctor Hazel gave her fell out. She decided to take another one before taking off the rest of her clothes. She covered herself with the sheet and sat on the hospital bench, the white paper crinkling beneath her.

After several minutes, Doctor Sasha knocked on the door. Halo allowed her in and nervously clenched the sheet up to her chin.

** Warning: This may be triggering for some **

“If you would, please lie down, I need to conduct several tests. Please do not interrupt me and allow me to fulfill the tasks I have been asked to do.”

Halo wondered why she had worded it that way, but she complied, nonetheless.

“I understand you have been having episodes of extreme heat lately, is that correct?” She asked her while pushing hard against her lower belly.

Halo grunted in discomfort, but she replied, “it felt more like a fever, but I think I am better today. It was a rough night.”

The woman seemed pleased with her answer. “I need to conduct something like a pap test, so please lift your knees and relax.”

Halo complied as she felt she was in no position to decline, but she felt uncomfortable about the entire situation.

** Warning ends here **

During the rest of the tests, Sasha had a concerned frown. This worried Halo.

Finally, she was done. “You may get dressed. I will send you home tonight, but I fear that tomorrow you will need to come back here first thing in the morning for some more testing.”

Halo was now worried to no end. “Is there something wrong with me?”

“No, no dear. Nothing like that. Please just make sure you’re here tomorrow. Everything is fine.” Her face, however, looked somewhat in disbelief. “You may dress and head home. No more working for today.”

More Bonfire Stories.

Halo arrived home, deciding to nap the rest of the day. She was exhausted, and days like this were nonexistent.

She exhaled loudly as she sat on her cot, looking around at the house the community had helped her repair after the fire. She always wondered how that fire started, and she had assumed it was due to either a spark from a firepit or an overly excited child who had just discovered fire. Regardless, that fire had shaped the rest of her life.

She closed her heavy lids and fell into a deep sleep filled with fire demons and a particularly sexy man with swirling green eyes.

She woke up to the sound of frantic knocking.

Rubbing her eyes, she swung her feet over the side of the cot and answered the door.

Hegel’s relieved face greeted her. “I didn’t see you after work, so I got worried and headed right over here,” she said.

“I’m fine. I was asked to have a physical, and then I was sent home after.”

Hegel’s expression changed to concern. “Are you alright? How are you feeling?”

“I feel good. I’m not sure why they wanted to do a full physical.” Halo didn’t want to worry Hegel unnecessarily, but she also didn’t want to lie. “I have to go back first thing tomorrow morning for more testing.”

Hegel now looked panicked. “Another test? Are you sure you’re feeling alright? They never take this much care for us.”

“I’m honestly not sure why they want to keep testing me. I told them I felt fine. I guess we will find out tomorrow. I’m not going to complain about not working in the mine though.” Halo laughed in an attempt to ease Hegel’s worried heart.

Hegel smiled at her, but the concern never left her eyes. “Shall we head to the fire? Timothy and Richard were able to catch four fish tonight.”

Halo’s mouth watered. Four fish for nine of them, assuming Angela would be there tonight. Hegel laughed as she locked her arm to Halo’s and they both walked down the dingy road to Hegel’s firepit. Hegel stopped several times to complain about her overseer’s shrill voice, mimicking it several times. She had Halo in tears by the time they reached the firepit.

When they arrived at the fire, Halo had completely forgotten about the moment she had with Timothy until their eyes met. She blushed and looked down at her feet, though she didn’t feel the heat that she felt before.

She sat down next to Timothy and smiled awkwardly at him. She could relax tonight as it was Mervil’s time to prepare, cook, and serve the fish. Timothy shuffled closer to her, his knee warm against hers. Her blush creeped from her cheeks to her neck, and she heard him laugh softly.

“Is Angela not coming tonight?” Halo asked. “I miss her.”

“She will be here soon probably.” He sounded content as he leaned back against his chair.

Before Halo could respond, she heard Angela’s melodic tone, “Halo! I missed you baby girl!” She took the other seat next to Halo and rested her head on her shoulder.

“How was your little date last night?” Halo asked, shifting away from her so she could wiggle her eyebrows at her best friend suggestively.

“It was kind of sad actually,” Angela sighed, brushing her honey-blond hair out of her golden-brown eyes. “He told me he loved me.”

Halo sucked in a breath. “Yikes. Didn’t you just start going out?”

“Yes,” she sighed in disappointment. “I mean we’ve known each other our whole lives, but still, that was too much too fast.”

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that.” Halo side-hugged Angela tightly.

“It’s okay,” she replied. “I’m just glad to be single again to be honest.” The trio laughed, Halo rolling her eyes, and Timothy looking exasperated.

She felt Timothy’s arm snake around her shoulder, and she quickly looked at Angela to see if she had noticed. Angela was busy talking about her night with her date to take notice of her brother trying to cozy up with her best friend.

Mervil had put the fish on the fire, and it hissed as the juices fell into the flames. Everyone grew silent for a moment as they watched the fish cook.

“We would have had five tonight, but Idaho only caught two fish tonight. I felt it unfair to keep five for us.” Timothy whispered close to Halo’s ear.

Halo started to feel hot again as she watched the flames, but she willed it away.

Hegel cleared her throat as she took her seat. It was time for another Wolf Myth.

“Tonight, I will tell the story of the Wolf Slayer.” Matthias [the little boy] gasped and moved closer to the fire. Mervil ruffled her son’s hair.

“It is said that a Wolf Slayer arises every generation, waiting patiently, to abduct Stella, the Moon Goddess’s daughter. It is said that him and the Moon Goddess have unfinished business; he claims she murdered his child, so he had made it his mission to kill hers.”

The fire cracked as more juice from the fish fell into it. Hegel cleared her throat, coughed once, and then began again, her cloudy eyes reflecting the flames in front of her. “He patiently waits every time Stella is reborn, and he manages to murder her every single time.”

“If the Moon Goddess is so powerful, why does she allow that to happen?” Matthias looked quite incredulous.

“Who knows what goes on in the divine world? Maybe the Wolf Slayer is also a God? Maybe he is just a powerful mortal? Maybe death doesn’t really matter as there is a better existence in the beyond?”

Everyone grew quiet as they contemplated the possibilities.

“Or maybe it’s just a story, and he doesn’t even exist,” Angela almost shouted.

Halo couldn’t help the snort that escaped her. She looked apologetically at Hegel and gave Angela a glare.

Angela shrugged and whispered, “you thought it too.” Halo smiled, despite herself. She loved that woman.

The fish started to smell amazing, and that is when they knew it was ready to eat. Timothy grabbed a plate for Halo before returning to his seat.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

He nudged her playfully, “of course.”

Angela began to take notice. “You two seem extra cozy tonight.”

Halo put her hands to her cheeks in an attempt to hide her blush.

Timothy shrugged casually, continuing to eat his fish.

Angela looked at Halo sceptically, but she continued to eat.

Hegel continued to drone on with the teachings and stories of the people of the moon. Every now and then Angela would catch Halo’s eye and make some sort of gesture, insinuating Timothy and her had something going on.

Timothy did not miss these insinuations and smirked despite himself. He was happy to have people believe that Halo belonged to him. She was always his, after all.

Throughout the night, Timothy would press his leg against Halo and squeeze her shoulder. He debated setting his hand on her thigh but decided against it. He needed to take it slow. He didn’t want to scare her off.

At the end of the night, he offered to walk Halo home, but he realized Angela would be joining them. He clarified his intentions, “we can walk Angela Home together, and then I can walk you home after.” He wanted to make sure he had some alone time with Halo tonight.

“It’s okay,” Halo politely disagreed, “I’m fine with how we normally do things. You can both walk me home, or I can go on my own.”

Timothy smiled warmly as he thought that Halo was forever the people pleaser. “It’s okay, Halo. I want to walk you home. We can take Angela home together first.”

“Oh okay,” Halo responded. She really did not want Timothy around her alone while she was going through the uncomfortable heat she had been feeling, but she didn’t know how to decline his seemingly innocent request without hurting his feelings.

The air was especially cold tonight as they walked Angela home. Angela had been falling asleep during the last bit of the fire, and Halo and Timothy were basically dragging her home as she learned against them, yawning loudly and frequently. By the time they reached their house, Doctor Hazel was already outside waiting for them.

“Timothy, I need your help with something right away,” she sounded urgent.

“I need to walk Halo home first,” he was firm.

Halo spoke up, “I will be fine on my own.”

“You can’t tonight. She will be fine,” Doctor Hazel argued.

“I really don’t feel comfortable allowing her to walk alone this time of night, mom.”

At her son’s concern, Doctor Hazel softened. “Alright, but I will be waiting outside for you. Please hurry up.”

Halo thought Doctor Hazel was acting strange, but she brushed it off when Timothy put his arm around her shoulders and led her toward her street.

The dusty streets seemed to settle with the lack of use this time of night. The fires around them were nothing but ash and coal. The only lights guiding them were the odd streetlamp and the scattered lit-up houses. It was peaceful this time of night. Halo breathed in the chilled air, and she exhaled a sigh.

Timothy squeezed her shoulder. They always fell so comfortably into silence, just enjoying each other’s company. It felt incomplete without Angela, however.

Once they reached Halo’s house, she quickly escaped to her door, trying to avoid a repeat of the night before, but Timothy was faster. He reached out to open her door for her, forcing her to step aside and give him a proper send off.

She took a step back, “thank you for walking me home tonight.”

Suddenly she could smell an intoxicating scent of cedar and pine. Her body felt hot, and she almost fell. Timothy reached out to steady her. “Are you okay?” he asked. He felt her forehead. “Wow you feel hot. Should I take you to the clinic?”

Halo moved away from Timothy, trying to keep her emotions in check. “I have an appointment in the morning. I’ve just had a fever lately.”

Concern took over Timothy’s features, and he stepped back to properly look at her. “Is it with my mom?”

“I saw your mom today, but it seemed she referred me to another woman who did another checkup on me. I must go back in the morning for yet another checkup.”

Timothy’s face fell. He stepped closer to Halo. “Listen,” he warned. “I don’t think you should go to that check-up tomorrow. “

Halo was confused. “But I’m sick or something. You can see it for yourself.”

“It does seem like you’re sick, but I know my mother is involved in things that are concerning, and the way she reacted to us tonight makes me even more worried.”

“I don’t have a choice, Timothy,” Halo argued. “If I don’t show up tomorrow, they will come looking for me.”

Timothy ran his hand through his blonde hair in frustration. “I will go with you tomorrow,” he concluded.

“You can’t miss work.” Halo was adamant.

“I can, and I will. I will come here tomorrow morning to walk you to the clinic.”

Unsure of what else to do, Halo nodded.

Timothy pulled her toward him. His almond eyes sparked with something she couldn’t understand.

She put her hands against his chest, attempting to create some distance as her body heated up despite herself.

His lips pressed against her warm cheek, and he moved his lips to her neck, breathing in deep. His hand tangled in her hair, and he almost kissed her neck when a loud c***k sounded nearby just as Halo pushed him away.

“I need to rest,” she whispered.

“I will see you tomorrow morning.”

Halo washed up and readied herself for bed. Although she had a nap earlier, she knew she would be able to fall asleep in no time. It had been a long time since she was able to sleep more than around four hours a day.

Damius.

The flames were l*****g her skin, burning her alive, when she suddenly awoke to a cold hand over her mouth. Sparks erupted all over her body. She was hot, and she was desperate. She wanted that touch somewhere else.

Damius’s green eyes were dark with l**t, but there seemed to be something else in there. He was angry.

She tilted her head in question, and he released his hand from her mouth. “Do not speak too loudly. I must get you out of here tonight,” he stated.

“Out of where?” She was beyond confused.

“Out of this damn cave. Out of this hell hole they call a village,” his voice was angry.

Questions swam wild in her mind, but he shook his head and replied “another time. We need to leave before they get their hands on you tomorrow. I’m afraid my presence here has all but ensured your death.”

She started to shake. The heat in her body was still burning her. His angry eyes grew soft. “Take another pill the doctor gave you before we leave. Pack only essentials. I have everything else we need.”

She knew she could trust him. Deep down inside her heart she felt like she had no choice but to follow this man.

He stepped outside while she readied herself and packed, swallowing down another pill. She had a small messenger bag that carried three sets of thin clothing, her toothbrush, toothpaste, a bar of soap, and a facecloth. She wore several hairbands around her wrist, and she brushed her hair up into a high ponytail, her long dark hair reaching her waist.

In a rash decision, she wrote a note that she knew only Hegel would find. I am okay. She placed it in her hiding spot beneath a floorboard.

She sat down for a moment and calmed herself down, willing the heat away. If Doctor Hazel and Timothy’s reactions were any indication of her being in danger, then this stranger was telling the truth. She had no choice but to go with him.

She could not leave her friends behind though. She knew Hegel could not make such a journey, and it saddened her to abandon the woman. She had been a mother-figure to her, although more like a grandmother.

She thought of Angela and Timothy. She had to get to them before they left. There was no way she could leave them.

She had reached her resolve when Damius’s soft knock sounded, and he entered quietly. “Are you ready?”

“I have a few concerns,” she started.

He looked exasperated and seemed to be in a rush, but he nodded for her to continue.

“I wish to take my best friends.”

Anger shone in his green eyes. “Impossible.”

“Then I can’t go,” she reasoned.

“Halo.” The way he said her name made her knees buckle and her heat erupt. He saw this, and his eyes darkened. “This is more complicated than you realize. It will be hard enough just to get you out of here, let alone other people who are not in immediate danger like you are.”

Her grey eyes grew sad, and his features softened. She asked, “would I be able to come back for them?”

He shook his head adamantly. “We may be able to help them eventually, but you are not coming back here under any circumstances.”

“I have another concern,” she continued. He nodded his head.

“I think I’m really sick or something. I don’t know how far I will be able to travel.”

Damius smirked. She could see amusement dancing in his green eyes. “You’re perfectly healthy, Halo. Trust me. I can explain everything when we have time to talk about it.”

Deciding to trust him since she felt she had no choice, Halo followed him out her door and toward the mines along backpaths, noting how fit he looked from behind. She realized she had to get ahold of herself as she barely knew this man. Soon, however, they would get to know each other a lot more than she realized.