Stellaluna

Memories

We finally made it out of Missouri, and into Kansas. I stopped at a gas station to fill up the tank and use the restroom when I went to check my wallet and gasped.

There was more money in there than I had saved up. Way more. Sarge new how I felt about charity. Along with the money was a note.

Dearest Evie, it is I, your father. I rolled my eyes at his stupid reference. He loved that quote. And the “These are not the droids you are looking for” one.

Just kidding. It’s ya boi Sarge. Listen I know you’re gonna be mad I gave you all that cash but don’t be. No, I did not give you all my money and destitute myself, how would I run the tavern? I have just been saving all the tips you’ve split with me for all these years. They belong to you. I never would have gotten nearly as much by myself. But if you really feel like you can’t accept it then send it back with a few hot women okay? I’ll take one redhead, one brunette, ooooh how about an elf! Yeah. That’s how you can pay me back.

Love, your adoring and very lonely brother

Wow. He really cannot help himself can he.

No, it seems not.

We both laughed and I hid the money in the bottom on my bag, just grabbing a few bills for future stops. It was about 4 am so the inside of the store was closed but thankfully Selene gave me a bank card that way I could pay at the pump. The restrooms were open around back and more than a little gross so I did my best to be fast. I quickly got back on the road and followed my GPS, but I didn’t really need it. Being a wolf offered you a great sense of direction. Plus I had been almost everywhere since I was on the run for so long, bouncing from town to town, village to village. I turned on the radio and found a classical station. It’s not that I disliked any particular type of music, It’s just that instrumental music soothed my soul for some reason.

I like it too. It reminds me of the Goddess. Or the night of our first shift.

Yeah! It just brings a serenity to me unlike any other.

Before we realized, we crossed into Colorado.

Can we stop so I can run? Pleaseeeeee

We are almost at the drop off. You’ll be able to run then. We have to be fast. I promise after this you can run all you like

Okaaaay I understand. She pouted and I laughed a bit at her.

We drove down the country side as the Western Mountains loomed in the distance.

I can’t believe I am leaving again. I am tired of constantly being on the run. I sighed.

Do you think the Goddess made a mistake?

Evie don’t start. We’ve already had this conversation. You are not a mistake. The Goddess does not make mistakes. Oops. Amaris sounded annoyed.

I know I’m sorry. You’re right you’re right.

It is just hard to believe that all this is even real. I mean I feel like I only just learned about creatures and our world. I didn’t even believe them when they told me I was one.

I was abandoned when I was born. Found and brought to a human church where I spent the first few years of my life. They were very poor and couldn’t provide for the children they housed, however, so we all resorted to begging or stealing. I was a particularly good pick pocket as I was nimble and quick. It was there, that a group of men took me. I wouldn’t say kidnapped because I didn’t belong anywhere, and nobody looked for me or even cared I was gone. They had noticed my thieving skills and took me all over the country, pick pocketing and hitting marks for them. I was a small unassuming child who could easily fit in tight spaces and disappear before anyone noticed.

I was with them for four long, hard years. At seven years old I began questioning why I was still being starved and fed scraps when I had done the work to get them so much money. That’s when they started beating me. Soon after, they brought in a boy to help me with bigger hits.

“Aaron,” I whispered. A wave of sadness rushed over me so strong, even Amaris whimpered a bit. I had nightmares about him for years afterwards.

I can still see his face, every detail, like he was sitting beside me. Oh how I wish he was.

Aaron was eight years old when he was taken. He had fiery red hair, big pale blue eyes, and freckles under the dirt that normally covered his beautiful face. His smile was kind, and his soul gentle. He had a spirit none could break, though they tried. We worked together, lived together and slept together for a whole year. I remembered that horrible night like it was yesterday. It was a dark night, without a moon. I could never sleep on those nights, always plagued by the same nightmares. So Aaron would sing to me as we lay on the cold dirt floor. He had the voice of an angel, and taught me to sing as well. It was one of the only things that we enjoyed, that brought us some semblance of peace. We watched the light, seeping from the wooden planks above our heads, dance across the walls and floors of the empty cellar that they kept us in. We could see them pass over us, yelling and drinking as usual. He held me close and sang to me of our future. How a boy and a girl ran away together off into the sunset, away from all troubles and pain. It was our plan, a promise he made to me. We would buy a cottage with our savings, one by a river so that we could swim whenever we wanted and we could bathe and have clean clothes. We’d have all the food one could ever want and the most comfortable warm bed, so comfortable that we would never want to leave. We’d have a garden that we would tend to and have a cat and a dog and we’d sing with the birds.

His song always comforted me, as his sweet, tenor voice gave life to the shadows and light dancing around the walls. His story a fervent prayer. One we both willed to life with all our might. But that prayer would never be answered. Because, though I didn't know it yet, that was the night that our captors had discovered that Aaron had been taking a share of the spoils, he had been taking little by little so we could escape.

Before we knew what was happening the men stormed downstairs and dragged us up only to throw us together in the center of the room. They wanted to punish us, hurt us, but Aaron pushed me behind him and took the blame. He said he just wanted his cut. That he did everything. One of the men grabbed my arm and threw me behind them against a wall. Dizzy from hitting my head, I saw Aaron trying to fight them, feeble as he might be. He was no match for three grown men. I watched as they beat him, kicked him, each taking turns. I tried to stop them but they shoved me off and assured me I would get my turn. I ran and found a knife, and, blind with rage and tears, I attacked. Slicing, stabbing, screaming. I couldn’t feel their hits, or their blood. I took down two of the men and watched as the third ran, bleeding from multiple wounds, clutching his side. I stood over Aaron screaming, wild and covered in blood before I felt him grab my hand weakly. I jumped and dropped the knife. Pushing everything out of my mind except for Aaron. I tugged his arm, trying to pull him to the door.

“Aaron we have to go! Please we have to before he comes back!”

But he wouldn’t. He just smiled his beautiful sweet smile and touched my face.

“Evangeline.. you have to go. I can’t”

“Yes you can, please don’t leave me Aaron!” I cried, holding his head in my lap. He was only nine years old! He was too young! His hand fell to mine and he gripped it with surprising strength.

“Evie, you must. Promise me. Promise me you’ll live.” He whispered the last few words, losing strength and closed his eyes. I kissed his forehead, my tears wetting his pale sweet face and moved his hair away from his eyes. He looked like he was sleeping.

“I promise,” I whispered to him, but he was already gone.

I wiped away a tear that had escaped, and kept driving. We were almost there. I sighed. I missed him. Nearly 12 years later the pain was a familiar ache, my constant companion that I would never let go of.

I ran for days after that, always looking over my shoulder for the man that got away. I only stopped to sleep or find food, but sleep was plagued with blood and death so I tried to just keep moving. For five years I bounced from town to town, thieving my way to put distance between me and that empty sad shack. One of last places before I found Sarge was a city in the north. It was large and filled with bustling crowds of people, but these ones were very wealthy. Who cares if I took just the tiniest amount for myself? They wouldn’t miss it, and it’s not like it hurt anyone. At least that was what I thought before two abnormally large men cornered me in an alley.

“Now what is a filthy little rogue like you doing defiling our streets?” The largest one said.

“Rogue? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I told them putting my hands up in surrender

“Oh going to act stupid are we? Don’t lie I can smell it on you like sh*t.” He growled, picking me up like I weighed nothing by the collar of my shirt and sniffing me, before throwing me back to the ground and making a face.

“Filthy mutt. You should know better than to cross into claimed territory.”

“Please I was just hungry I didn’t mean any harm, I don’t know anything about territories”

His eyes turned black and he stalked towards me, his hands turning into claws

“How about I show you then what happens when you f*ck with my city.” I scurried backwards until I hit a wall, and yelped

“Chase come on man, it’s just a pup, it’s not worth it.” The second man pulled the other back away from me.

“What are you ?” I cried

“We are some of the best werewolves in the northern kingdom. Part of the great Silver Crest pack!” The one called Chase huffed. He changed back to looking like a normal human before my eyes could even comprehend what happened.

“Let’s go Chase, the Alphas calling us back.”

Chase kicked dirt at me and turned around, throwing over his shoulder “get out of here before I change my mind.”

And that’s just what I did, I ran again for days, until exhausted, I found my favorite giant lumbering oaf.

The GPS beeped breaking me out of my reverie. I pulled off into the parking lot of a trail head at the base of the Wasatch Mountain Range.

We’re here! We’re here! Amaris sang, practically doing cartwheels in my head. I laughed,

Yep. We’re here.

Thank the Goddess I can’t wait to stretch my legs!

Me too sister! I turned the car off, left the keys inside and got my bag.

It’s time to go. I told her, walking into the forest. It would take about a week to get through the mountains and find the Western Kingdom’s main settlement. And Amaris could not wait to be set free.

“On towards the yellow brick road, or whatever Dorothy said,” I muttered.