CHAPTER FIVE
1049 Words
A STRANGE LAND
CLEO'S POV
I felt a hand poking me. I thought that I was dead but was baffled when my eyes slowly opened. It was blurry at first but soon I was able to make out who it was that was poking me.
It was a man. He had yellow teeth and looked very haggard.
"You don't look so good lass, come with me?" He said.
"Where am I?" I managed to ask.
My throat was very patched and dry that it hurt to talk.
"Water, please." I begged.
He walked away with his bent back and returned a few minutes later with a cup of water. I looked into the cup and it wasn't very clean. I could see the small insects that were playing around in it.
"That's the only free source you'll be getting here." He said with a very cracked voice and moved to walk away.
I tried to stand but then I felt a sharp pain course through my body and mostly between my thighs.
Memories from that night came back rushing to my mind.
"Oh, you're crying, miss."
I didn't realize that the feeble and old man had turned back.
My hands instinctively went to my face and I saw that he was right about the fact that I was crying. I didn't even realize when the tears fell from my eyes.
"Do you need some help?" He asked and stretched his hand out to help me stand.
I accepted his offer and stood with his help.
"What is this place?" I asked him.
"Las Vegas, darling." He replied and resumed his walk.
I had no choice but to walk with him.
"I haven't heard of this place before."
"What are you? An animal?" He asked sarcastically.
I sensed that he didn't know anything about my kind the same way I also didn't know about Las Vegas.
"Sorry, what are you?" I asked.
They got to an intersection and she could see the fast movement of what she didn't know its name. She put her legs on the road but then it passed.
"Do you want to get killed by one of 'em drunk drivers who think they can drive however they want with their fancy cars?" He asked.
I was breathing so hard.
"Those are cars?" I asked, very shocked.
He looked at me like there was something wrong with me. I decided to only do what he did and only respond when he asks me questions.
I kept following him with the pain I felt. It took longer for the pain to go away and that scared me considering that as a werewolf, I healed pretty fast. Or could it be that my mind was trying to divert the pain I felt in my heart and make it a physical one.
I followed him without saying a word. We got to some kind of construction like the one we had back at the territory. But it looked more standard. And yet it looked old.
He walked in and I followed suit.
"You can't stay here for long missy. You have to get yourself a job and work alright. That's the only way you will survive." He said.
"What's a job?" I asked him.
"It's something that you do that's going to earn you a ton of money. You'll need some of those if you want to live alright."
"Well this job, how do I find her?" I asked.
He burst out laughing. I wondered what I said this time that was wrong.
"You are going to find her in some big house or big company." He said and flicked a fake tear away from his eyes.
Then his eyes grew wide like he had just remembered something. He turned to me and smiled, revealing his very battered and colored teeth.
"There's a place you can find her." He said.
That piqued my interest. I walked closer to him. He had slumped on the ground and sat there while drinking something. She didn't know what it was but she didn't like the way it smelled.
"Where is this place?" I asked, very interested.
"I'll take you there but first you don't look so good. You've got to take a shower." He said.
At least I knew what a shower meant. But there was no stream in sight on my way here.
"Where would I do that?" I asked.
He simply stared and pointed over to a direction.
"Afterwards, we're going to get a very good sleep then by tomorrow, I'll take you there." He said.
I nodded and went off to where he pointed.
The next day when the sun was high up in the sky, he led me through a street and then we walked for hours before we finally got to stand in front of a very huge gate.
His chest was heaving up and down by the time we got there.
"Don't you even get exhausted?" He asked before he knocked on the gate.
"Who's there?" Someone asked from the inside.
"We're looking for a job please." He said.
I was looking at how huge the place was. My eyes landed at a window at the highest part of the window. There was someone there. He wasn't standing.
I felt like he saw me but soon he was gone as soon as he came. I wondered if I imagined that.
"There's no vacancy." The voice replied.
It was frustrating that I could not see who was talking to us. We heard her voice over something which was fastened to the wall at the gate.
"I'm not the one who is seeking a job. Tell your master, a maid from the street." He said.
After a while, I jumped when I saw the gate open without being pulled. I looked at the old man.
"Go on lass, tell them your name when you get in. Make sure to tell them the truth. If you don't, you may have to suffer the consequences." He said.
I walked leaving him behind. The gate closed with him on the other side. I walked to the door.
"What's your name?" The lady who I couldn't see asked.
I knew what telling her my name would cost me and so I replied,
"Audrey."
- Writer
