My Oblivious Luna

Chapter 3: The Encounter

Aella POV

I still don’t understand quite what is happening. Mara dragged me through the hallways of what seems to look like an ancient castle. The wooden floors creak as we make our way through the halls. Elegant paintings decorate the walls with every step we take. What captures my eye is the painting of a cruel looking man wearing a crown. He reminds me of Damien, but older.

We walk for quite sometime until we finally reach a courtyard. I notice Dante standing there looking in our direction. He’s leaning against an astonishingly huge statue of a man, holding a sword to the throat of an enemy kneeling before him. As I study the statue further, I realize it’s the same man from the paintings that caught my eye earlier. I’m brought back to reality as Mara shoves me towards Dante. He’s muttering and spitting out words in a language I have never heard. It must be some sort of incantation. Disbelief was an understatement when a portal appears at the feet of the statue of the fear instilling man.

I feel as if I’m being sucked into the portal, losing consciousness, as I feel like all my energy is being sucked out of me. I wake up, looking around hazily, confused as to where I am. I could’ve sworn Dante went through that portal with me, but maybe I imagined it,

I noticed I was sitting in the middle of the woods, in a soft patch of grass. I stood up in awe, looking up at the bright blue sky, and the beautiful trees surrounding me. The grass felt magnificent against my bare feet and I couldn’t help but smile. I breathe in a heavy breath of fresh air and begin to look in every direction, trying to figure out which way I should go. The distant sound of cars zooming through traffic caught my attention. I start to walk towards the noise hoping I can find someone that can help me.

"I'm finally free!"

Yes! You're free, Aella! Now we just need to free me!

I keep ignoring conscious, blaming its abnormally strong presence on the fact that I was held captive for the last 5 years. It'll fade with time. I know it's just a presence I created in my mind to combat the solitude.

My walking turns into a sprint as I realize this is real, I’m no longer trapped in the horrid hospital-like room. Realization hits me like a bus and tears begin to stream down my face. I’m really free, it can’t be this easy can it? 5 years locked in that room, abruptly coming to an end. I spent 5 years in solitude in that room, with only Mara occasionally entering and exiting due to the sole obligation of medicating me and feeding me. I don’t even have any memories of knowing what or where I’m going to end up right now once I reach the city. As far as I know, I have no one out there looking for me. No where for me to go, no shelter for me to hide. As I’m processing all of my thoughts, I realize the possibility of Damien coming to look for me is still there.

My sprint turns into a run as delight is replaced by panic. I look over my shoulder feeling like I’m being watched. I stop hesitantly, looking around, until my gaze falls on a pair of bluish-grey eyes peering at me from behind a tree. I can’t quite make out the figure staring at me so intensely, but I feel a pull towards this mysterious being. My voice shakes as I call out to the figure behind the tree.

"Come out." I say, hesitantly.

Stalking out from behind the trees is the biggest wolf that has ever existed, its fur a beautiful grey tone. I can now see it’s eyes more clearly and those bluish-grey eyes are mesmerizing. I can’t help but be drawn to the wolf, knowing how stupid I have to be to be standing face to face with such a beast. Something inside of me stirs as I stretch my hand out to touch its fur. Before I could fulfill my urge to feel his fur, a loud howl sounds from the other direction, getting the wolf’s attention. The wolf looks into my eyes one last time before sprinting into the woods, once again out of sight.

Before today, I was just a normal human girl with memory loss in a supposed clinic. I had accepted my fate of solitary confinement long ago, never once dreaming of leaving. But in the span of a few short hours, I was almost suffocated by a man with a hand that was larger than my head, pushed through a portal, and came face to face with a wolf too big to be a normal wolf. What is going to become of my life?

I continue on my path towards the sound of the cars. It seems like I walked for hours before I finally began to see the city come into view. I think to myself how could it be humanly possible for me to hear the sound of cars at such a far distance. I shake the thought and continue walking, making my way through the city.

I get a funny feeling when I start to notice onlookers glaring at me as I walk down the street. I look down and realize the scene that these people are seeing and the thoughts that must be going through their minds. A young girl walking barefoot in a busy intersection, long dark hair in a messy bun toppling over my head, with hospital scrubs that looked like she had been through hell and back. I scurry along the sidewalk until I come across a cozy-looking diner, and I wander in. I take my seat at the furthest booth possible from other customers and start to look at the menu. The server makes her way over to my table and gave me a cheery smile with a little wave.

“Hey there! What can I get ya!” She says enthusiastically. I was about to order something when I realized I didn’t have any way to pay for my dinner.

I close my mouth and lower my head and manage to squeeze out “Just a water please.”

The server stares down at me, proceeding to make her way to the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with a grilled cheese and some fries. I look at her surprised, as she smiles wholeheartedly at me.

“It’s on the house, honey. You seem like you’ve had a rough day. When you finish up, swing by my station at the counter, I have some spare clothes that just might fit you.” She says. I tear up and manage to squeeze out a small thank you as I eagerly bite into my grilled cheese. She smiles at me as she walks away before turning around and saying

“Oh, my name's Aliyah, by the way. Just holler if you need me.”