The forgotten wolf

Pine leather and something undescribable

I can’t believe I did it I left. I left the small town where although I spent most of my young adult life had no fond memories. I left the dinner with the only family I really had but ultimately I left Tommy! I left speeding down the interstate on the back of a motorcycle with a man I didn’t know I was clinically insane there was no doubt obviously one to many blows to the head. For what ever reason I trusted this man maybe it was because he had been the only one besides Mac to ever stand up for me or maybe it was the way his eyes peered into my soul. There was only three things I knew for certain 1 he said he knew I was different, my whole life I felt like I didn’t belong. If he actually had answers I needed to know. 2 if I would have stayed Tommy would have put me in the hospital or killed me, I’d never seen him so mad. I noticed his hands a bloody mess against the glass doors before we ran out he was like a crazed animal. Lastly after I got my answers I wasn’t sure where I’d go, but I would never go back there! I’d miss my dinner family but that was it and a sense of relief mixed with the adrenaline washed over me.

I hadn’t been paying attention to where we were going lost in my own thoughts and emotions. It wasent until we had stopped that I finally took in our location looked the familiar blue glow from the sign we were at a 24h Walmart.

“Why are we here?” I said to Alex was this the safe place he wanted to take me to? I’m sure by now Tommy had reached out to a few of his cop buddies and they would find us here.

“Don’t worry we aren’t staying long, I need to get you a coat and a change of clothes our destination is still hours away and I don’t want you to freeze” with the adrenaline running through me I hadn’t felt how cold it was and remembered I was still in my thin waitress outfit.

“Oh how long will it take? And where are we going?”

“We will reach there just after sunrise, I can’t tell you where we are going yet because it’s not safe for the others.” Alarm bells ring and I’m on high alert now.

“Wait others no! No! No! Take me to the bus station I can’t I don’t know you and now others no!” I’m shouting but this is insane going to an undisclosed location with a man I don’t know where there will be people I don’t know. I could be rapped or killed or sold into s*x slavery all of the worst case scenarios are rushing through my head.

“Calm down Evelyn I promise I will not hurt you or let anyone hurt you I know you don’t know me but you have my word”

“How do you know my name!” I’m shocked no one around here calls me Evelyn not even Mac he knows I hate it the last person to call me Evelyn was my moms best friend she had raised me from the time I was born until I was 13. When she died so did my name and I went by Ely ever since.

“I told you I will explain everything I knew Sarah she wrote to me when she was sick. Now I’ll tell you more but we can’t do this here please” he reaches into his pocket and hands me a wad of money “go by yourself what ever you need and meet me back here in 20 minutes”

I shake my head “I don’t need your money but I will meet you back here. You better not be lieing about Sarah” I say walking toward the neon Walmart entrance. I make a mental list of what I need and get to work.

Boots,

Socks,

Jeans,

T-shirt,

Coat,

Underwear,

Book bag,

Toothbrush,

Dry shampoo,

Everything else I should have in my make up bag. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, I figure when I get to where I’m going I’ll find a thrift shop to buy more clothes. The money I have will need to last for a while I’ll need to find a place to live, possibly a motel until I get a job. I’ll need to buy food and other essentials this was going to be hard but I’d make do.

I head to the check out pay for my things and head to the bathroom I have only 10 more minutes to get cleaned up. I examine myself and ouch it’s been along day my eyes are tired my hair is a mess, any makeup I had on is now gone. I can see the yellow bruises on my face as I run the tap and splash my face washing the rest of any residual makeup. I quickly strip off my uniform toss it in the trash then wash the rest of myself in the sink. I dress in my new clothes and boots putting my white stained tennis shoes into my new book bag along with the locked box making a mental note to get something better than this. I reach into my makeup bag apply some new makeup covering my bruises then brush my hair and put it up again. I slide in my jacket and toss the rest of my belongings into my book bag. I never had a lot before but now to think all I have is what is in this book bag it makes me feel a little sad. I give myself another look in the mirror and it will have to do.

I’m walking back to the parking lot where Alex had been, I could just take a cab to the bus station, I should. But I can’t he had mentioned Sarah my Sarah and I don’t know what it is but I trust him. I look around I’m at the spot he left me but he’s not here.. did he leave.. did he lie to me .. just as I’m about to walk back into the Walmart and see if I can borrow a phone an old black pickup truck pulls up infront of me and I see Alex driving.

“Hey you ready?” He says and I’m confused

“The bike?”

“It’s in the back” he says nonchalant I look and there it is. I’m quite and perplexed as I open the door it squeaks loudly and then just as kind when I close it behind me. The cabin of the truck is quite the motor purrs softly which is a contradiction to the rest of the truck from the outside it looks like it shouldn’t even run. Alex drives off the truck handles beautifully I’m reminded by the expression “you can’t judge a book by its cover” we are back on the road interstate and as if he reads my mind he breaks the silence.

“I burrowed it from a friend the place we are going is still hours away. I figured you could sleep in the truck, it’s a little warmer not much tho I’m afraid. the heater is broke but I saw you got a jacket and jeans so hopefully it will be okay.”

“A friend I say” disbelief fill my head as he nods I don’t press it “so why don’t you tell me more about Sarah”I say and shiver I guess my coat isent very warm or maybe it’s the adrenaline rush wearing off and the lack of sleep finally catching up. I yawn and he hands me his jacket I hadn’t realized he wasn’t wearing it.

“I’d rather wait until we get to the facility, besides you need rest and a clear head to prowess everything. Go ahead and get a couple hours of sleep I promise I’ll tell you everything” I pout a little but take his jacket and cover myself. I inhale deeply it smells like pine leather and something un describable but absolutely delicious. Some time after I am asleep and I dream of steel blue eyes and pine trees.