CHAPTER 1: Rieka’s Rejection
1220 Words
"I’m sorry, Rieka. You are not one of us."
The words echo harshly through the chilly air between them. They infused Rieka with a shock that stunned her to silence when her mother spoke to them with that solemn face of hers.
“ You can’t stay here anymore.”
Rieka felt her heart cinch internally inside of her.
“Mom, please. I can’t help what I am.”
Her mother’s cold gaze remained withering upon her.
“No, you are a warlock, not a lycan. You have never transformed, and you are never going to. Eventually it will be better for you to go.”
Even though tears trickled down Rieka's face, she wiped them away determinedly.
“No way, so it’s you who has come up with this plan to erase me.”
“This is why the pack then made this decision,”
Rieka’s mom started strongly, unable to meet Rieka’s eyes anymore.
“It will be for the best when you are on your own.”
Rieka tightened her fists as if each fibre within her was protesting, directing her to fight, to oppose. But a pack works on majority and opinion of majority is final, there is little more that a mere single member can do. Her mother made her choice. Who was she? Even close to blood? What was she, a simple human?
Rieka began walking farther away from them, her feet adding echoes of montones on the silent cold night that surrounded them. The rejection of a slab far heavier than imagined began to take its toll on her and with every passing second was weighing her further down.
Rieka dealt with drinks with an almost robotic manner, Demonstance Moonlight Den felt like a dream. The buzz and feelings from the suds almost forgot as the past was blocked off for her, making it look like a bar, but it was a safe haven for Rieka to heal, even if for a few hours.
"Is everything alright? You seem distant,"
Lisa questioned with concern on the side as she rakes the drinks out. Rieka commented before offering a weak smile.
"I'm doing fine, it's just tight up there."
Lisa gave a slight shrug, not wanting to press further. She understood the unvoiced boundaries.
Usual mix of patrons filled the place, voices and drinks mixing together to create laughter. But part of Rieka's attention remained on an odd corner of the bar where two men seemed out of place. The two were only wearing jeans and a t shirt, just sitting quietly with Rieka in the backcourt. That fidgeting alone was unnerving her.
Rieka asked while walking up to Lisa, posture lazy while her gaze remained on the dark corner.
"Do you think the quiet guys have been here before?"
Shaking her head and rolling her eyes slightly Lisa replied with,
"I doubt. It's been hours, and they just wouldn't move."
Rieka replied while pressing her brows together as her attention turned back to them.
"Hmmm."
As she prepared to reach into her pocket to check the time, she noticed the name on the screen that made her cringe. With an expectant look, her phone rang.
“Do you think you can help me cover for a minute,”
she queried Lisa. Lisa spoke worryingly as there was a flicker in her eyes.
”Sure,”
She exited into the refreshing and cool air while the noise of the bar became faint as the door began to close behind her. She spoke with determination.
“Hello,”
“Rieka, once again you are behind on rent,”
With an annoyed and harsh tone, the voice continued
“are you going to stop doing this?” "I know, Mr. Peterson,"
Rieka said, rolling her eyes. I just need a bit of patience. It’s just that the business has been down.
“I know that you have been the case with your rent payments the second time now over a month, so your patience has run out,”
Peterson said finally agreeing.
“If at the end of this week you still haven’t paid up then it will be best for you to find a new house.”
Rieka stated,
“Please, a few days are all I ask,”
“It's hard out there, I'm clarifying everything I can.”
“We wouldn't want to keep repeating this story now, would we? It causes disappointment,”
Rieka and Peterson had one final talk before the call ended. Shoving her phone back into her pocket after removing her cigarette, anger wanted to pour out of her body all at once as a rush of stress made her feel uneasy.
The low footfall reverberations connected to her ears; She only twitched her head and saw the two men from earlier emerge from the shadows, in an intentional and swifter manner.
One of them asked whose voice was deep and a bit condescending.
“Who's all alone?”
Rieka took a deep breath and narrowed her gaze,
'What do you want?'
The second man spoke as a grin formed on his face.
“We have been keeping an eye on you, We have heard that you have been making things... inconvenient.”
She answered, her tone chilly.
“That's not how it works, I am a bartender and that is that,”
The first man stepped forward and said,
“Regardless, it would be best for everyone here if you decided to close it down.”
She felt her muscles tighten, and her heart beat slightly faster,
“Are you implying to threaten me?”
The second man said while laughing away.
“Take it anyway you want”
Rieka did not have the chance to reply when a firm toned and calm voice interrupted,
“But, is there a problem here?”
Both actively shifted their vision towards the shadow of a figure, exposing Ralph , who looked very powerful and ready to face anything, with his strong stance and determination to bear through the situation.
The first man started to speak, but this time was more timid,
“No problem, we were just leaving, I hope that pleases you.”
Ralph said, his voice so menacing it was as if he were sharpening a blade.
“It does not, but you are still going to leave anyway,”
They two creeped into the silent dark refreshing night in hesitation.
Rieka finally released a breath she had been holding.
“Thank you, Ralph .”
He nodded in understanding, his gaze grew gentle as he turned her way.
“Is everything alright?”
Rieka replied, brushing ashes off her cigarette.
"I'll be," "They've been watching me all along."
Answered Ralph .
"I know that," "I'll keep my eyes on them."
Rieka nodded, although the feeling of wrongness still prickled her skin.
"It doesn't end, does it?"
Agreed Ralph .
"No, But you're not alone."
Before she could respond, a sudden sound from the darkness of the alley caused both to turn. A larger figure emerged, face obscured, but the intentions were clear.
"You thought they were the only ones?" the figure growled, striding forward to them.
Rieka and Ralph froze as the tension thrummed in the air, carrying nearer the figure, who darkly promised what was to come.
- Writer
