The Beginning

A crimson liquid came out of his body pouring out onto the pavement. I had to process what had happened. The images flashed through my brain. I let out a blood-curdling scream that filled the street. I kept screaming until my voice went hoarse. It all went black. All that I could see was his face and the redness of the liquid. I was alone in the streets crowded with swarms of people.

It has been five months since my dear step-brother died. What made it worse was the fact that we had been on our first date. Sick, right? A girl going out with her own brother. But what made it worse was that I didn't really love him. As I child I always loved the idea that out there in the world there was some one waiting to see me, hear my voice and be there to protect me. Every night I had a dream and there in the middle of the darkness there was a boy a bit older than me. We played and talked to each other. I loved him. His name was Wolf. His features were just like those of my step-brother, William. After my step-brother came that boy no longer was in my dreams.

The moment I saw William my mind went blank. His eyes and hair were a different color than the ones in my dreams. I knew that William wasn't the boy in my dreams but I just really wanted him to be the boy. His hair and eyes were grey. His hair was long but not too long. his eyes seemed to say Don't come near me!, but they also shouted, Help. I wanted to be near him and I was. I stayed near him most of the time. He was at that time 9 years old, just like me, but he did not seem like it since he was tall for his age. That or I was just short, I couldn't tell.

My little brother, Andy, was 6. He didn't like William. When Andy was introduced to William, Andy said, "The big bad wolf steals and eats little girls! Keep him away from big sister." Andy was a sweet little boy who had an angelic smile. HIs eyes were an aqua blue and his hair was a golden yellow as though it was made of real gold. For him to say something bad about another person was a miracle. I knew that this meant that something bad might happen but I still wanted to be near him.

 "Hey, big sis! Are you okay? It's time for your dinner." Andy said after he knocked on the door for what was apparently two minutes. Andy is now 12 years old which makes me 15. He now looks alot more handsome than he was when he was little. He has a bigger build but he still has those beautiful blue eyes that seem to glow. Another thing he still has from when he was little are his beautiful golden locks. I had to take my dinner inside in the hospital since I was going through rehabilatation. I had a mental breakdown when William died. I never thought that he would die. I thought we would be together forever.

There were pictures of Wiliam in my room. He was smiling, his grey eyes brighter than ever. His hair was longer in this picture than when he died. There was me, Charlotte Lunacanta, standing next to him laughing, My hair was long and brown down to my waist. My blue eyes were bright, as though they were laughing with me. We were together and it was his birthday. He never liked people taking his picture. I told him that pictures were like a way to look back at fun and sad memories and just think about how much we have grown. He said he wanted to look back one day and remember all the wonderful times we had together.

I sat up and grabbed the tray of food. I looked at it blankly like I always did. I rarely touched my food. Andy sat down too and just sat there like he always did every afternoon. It was very awkward for him and for me whenever this happened. He sat there and watched as I stared at my dinner. This was the daily routine for us. "Please eat your dinner Sis. William wouldn't want you to do this. He would want you to be happy." Andy always pleaded for me to eat my dinner. I was getting to be pretty thin. I was starving but I couldn't eat. My will just wasn't strong enough to pick up the spoon and start eating. I was getting a bit tired of this conversation.

"Shut up," I couldn't handle it anymore. "Shut up! We both know that William isn't here so why are you pretending? He isn't here!" My voice was strained with every word. Andy sat there staring at me. I had never yelled at anyone before. I was quiet even as a kid. I never talked to anyone until I had met William. I changed him and he changed me. Apparently William had never spoken to anyone in his class just like me. His eyes wide with surprise, Andy looked like he wanted to say something but never did. He got up and just walked out of the room.

I sat there wondering if I had gone too far when I realized it had been a long time since I had gone exploring. I thought that the guilt would wash away if I went out for a stroll. I had to sneak out as quietly as I could since I was not allowed outside of my room, for fear that I would lose it outside. I walked alongside the path. The sound of the fallen leaves echoed in the clear night sky. My breath hung on the air. The chill of the air slipped itself in my clothes through the blanket I wrapped around myself, sending chills down my spine. The stars were bright. It was Autumn. I had not looked out the window since I was put in the hospital. The color of the trees, even in the night, were beautiful.

The breeze of the wind blew my hair -that I had cut recently to my shoulders- softly. I figured that by now it was getting very late. As I walked toward the hospital I saw something in the corner of my eye. Two eyes stared at me from the bushes giving me a fright. It had a human-like look to it. The shape of the shadow seemed human but it let out a growl that could have put a roaring lion to shame. It was growling loud enough to make some of the windows in the hospital light up.

I was a bit scared but I knew that if I let my fear rule me then I wouldn't be able to see William without feeling ashamed. I tried to coax the animal out of it's hiding place. It didn't trust me but it appeared to be limping. As the creature came out I found that it wasn't a creature at all. It was a young boy about the same age as me, maybe a bit older. I was surprised but what made me even more surprised was the fact that he was naked!

I wrapped the blanket that I had used to keep myself warm around the young man. He looked at me warily. I ushered him into the warm hospital to keep him from freezing to death. Inside the hospital I could get a better look at him. He looked like William. No, William looked like him. This was the boy I had seen in my dreams as a child. He had grown a considerable amount. His hair was a dark brown, almost black. His eyes were the same.

I knew this was Wolf, the one from my childhood. I called out his name to see if he would recognize me. "Wolf, is that you?" He flinched a little. He stared at me his eyes growing softer with each second as he realized who I was. His expression was joy. His smile was getting wider and wider. Wolf started laughing as though this was nothing but a joke.

"I can't believe it's you! It's really you!" He was really excited. He picked me up by my waist, spinning me around until I felt sick. It was too late when I realized that he was being too loud. All the nurses came towards us. They seemed very mad. They interrogated me about Wolf. When they saw that he was naked their faces went bright red -it was a hilarious sight- sending me into a fit of giggles. The nurses were surprised when I even showed a smile so this knocked them of their feet.

After I calmed down they got Wolf some clothes and sent me back into my room. I sat there conversing with Wolf until Andy showed up. He was shocked to see I was up this early. He didn't notice Wolf until he came out screaming and scared him. Andy was pretty scared. Enough to go and try to beat up Wolf. Wolf was a little taken aback but he regained himself enough to trap Andy in a sleeper's hold. I on the other hand was sitting on the bed laughing until I couldn't breathe. I told Wolf to stop between breaths.

"Who is this guy and why does he look exactly like William! Answer me Sis." Andy was disoriented but he was still fine. I was still laughing a little trying to control my fit of giggles. I looked up at Andy and said, "This is my friend, Wolf. Andy, I hope that you can try to convince Mom and Dad to let him stay at our house. Atleast until I get out of the hospital, then I can come home and I'll find a way to work things out." I told Andy this with a pleading look in my eyes. I wanted him to tell Mom and Dad because I knew what would happen if I told them. They would immediately say no.

He looked at me the way I look at needles. He was obviously a little freaked out. This was okay though because I had most of this planned out already. "I don't know about this Sis. I mean, come on. Mom and Dad are obviously gonna say something. Where am I going to even put him?" I smirked at him. I already knew where he could stay. "He is going to stay in my room at night. No one goes in there anymore. Besides, there's plenty of space and he can come here in the morning just in case Mom and Dad do go in there." I turned to Wolf to see what his opinion was because we were discussing it without asking to see if it was okay.

This is when Wolf surprised me and Andy. "That's fine with me, but I'd rather sleep here. With you, Lotte." While he said this Wolf wrapped his arms around me. He was still the same old Wolf I knew since we were little. This was a very sad thought. Andy looked at Wolf with a shocked look on his face. "No! No way are you staying in here with her. I'll definetely get Mom and Dad to let him stay there. If they say no then I can sneak you in." Andy was yelling the first part anxiously and then calmed down near the end of the sentence.

"Thank you, Andy." I couldn't help but giggle. Now that I was able to find a place for Wolfy the playboy, I was all set. I knew there would be some setbacks but I can deal with those later. I sat down and grabbed the tray of food next to me. I picked up the spoon and ate the gruel that was in the bowl. At that moment the gruel tasted like the best thing in the world. The gruel was warm and it seemed to melt on my tongue. This was obviously because I was starved. Wolf was a bit hungry as well apparently, because he grabbed the red apple and chomped on it. The juice was dripping down onto his chin. The chomp was loud and when he opened his mouth you could see his canines. They were sharpened to the very point.

Andy, being the motherly kind, grabbed a napkin off the tray and wiped Wolf's face. Wolf struggled a bit with the wiping. It was slightly strange to see it happen but it was nice to see them get along. I was distracted by all this that I just remembered. Why should I be happy when William died? He deserves to be here and smile and laugh. I took everything away from him. A small tear went down my cheek and I struggled to hold back my sobs.

Wolf looked at me with alarm. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Wolf cradled me in his arms like I was but a mere child. I continued to sob into his chest. Andy was rubbing my back slowly whispering. "It's alright. Don't worry." He continued to soothe me. I was no longer sobbing. I was gently put down on the bed. The last thing I saw was Wolf and Andy go to the door and with a small creak they opened and closed the door behind them leaving me alone, enveloped in the strangely reassuring darkness, breathing slowly into a gentle sleep.

A bloody, beaten body was swimming in a pool of crimson red blood. It's eyes looking at me, not seeing me. It's mouth shivering, with a drop of blood flowing down, mouthing the words: "Why are you still living? Why did you leave me alone? Weren't we supposed to be together, forever?" It's arm shot out and grabbed me as I tried to run away. I woke in a puddle of sweat. I might have well been sleeping in a bathtub. I couldn't understand why I was remembering this now of all times. No, I understood completely. The dead body was William's. I was shutting William out on purpose. I am such a despicable person.

I sat sobbing and just couldn't get back to sleep. I sat and cried, remembering everything I didn't want to remember. How am I going to live knowing I was responsible for all this? I don't deserve to be with Andy and Wolf. They are both so sweet and kind. How can I be so selfish? I packed the few things I had and left with a bitter feeling in my mouth, tears dripping down my cheek and leaving behind my heart, I cast everything aside...

I went deep into the forest and crept carefully across the small bridge that seemed to barely carry a squirrel, into a clearing in the forest. The moon's light hit the middle of the clearing with such perfection that it highlighted the bright small flowers. It looked like an image in a storybook. I loved the small clearing. I had found this clearing years before this incident. I didn't believe it existed because I had only visited this place in my dreams with Wolf.

I wanted to stay here but I couldn't. Wolf would find me. I walked farther along into the forest. The owls hooted and everything seemed to have a haunted appearance. I kept walking until I found a small cave. I walked up to the mouth and looked about the area. I had learned that an animal marked an area that they lived in, like a cave. I found no scratches or clumps of fur outside the mouth of the den. I decided to explore the cave and take the risk of finding an animal inside. Not. Would you be able to walk into a cave that could possibly house a bear or a lynx or a tiger? Give me a break, I know this isn't Asia or South America but, still!

I needed to stay someplace. This was the best option there was. As I walked into the cave I saw two small wolf pups. They were play-fighting. One of them was a light grey and the second was slightly smaller and it had a light brown coat. This suprised me. I was barely five feet behind the pups. By now the parents would have attacked me. These were either orphan pups or their parents had gone off hunting.

I walked up to the light brown pup, knelt down and pet it on it's head. It looked at me with it's wide eyes. To my surprise, it's eyes were two seperate colors. I had read that this was known as heterochromia. One eye was the same color as it's coat and the other was red. When I had looked at the other pup it had the same eyes. What scared me the most about these pups was how they were completely accustomed to human contact.

"If you guys don't have any fear for humans you could be betrayed," I warned "It is a lot better to be like a lone wolf or a wary cat." I spoke with a sharp pain in my chest and a heavy feeling in my voice. A small, sweet female voice echoed within my mind. "Are you okay?" The voice was timid and it took me no time in realizing it was from the light brown pup. I looked at her with surprise. "What's your name?" I know this is strange. Why would someone interact with a talking pup? In all reality though, I had seen a lot of stranger things

 "I haven't been named." She said this with a small whimper. Another voice chimed in. This deeper voice also reverberated in my head. "She's just a big crybaby!" This voice had a mocking tone. He was her older brother, the light grey pup. I turned to him and pouted. "Aren't you two siblings? You need to stick together." He looked up at me with surprise. He growled quietly but lowered his tail submissively. I giggled at how fierce he was for such a young pup.

"Yep, it's decided!" I was excited for what had come to mind. "I can name the both of you!" I waved my hands in the air waiting for the reactions. They looked at the ground and whimpered quietly. I smiled softly, atleast I think I did. "It's fine. If you don't like the name we can brainstorm some better ones." I waited to see if they would agree with this. "Okay!" They spoke reluctantly but I could see how they were glad.

"I want a nice, simple name." She spoke timidly. I wanted her to be more confident. To change her personality I want to give her a great name. "You can be Artemis!" I cried. "Artemis was a strong, confident goddess." I loved Greek mythology. Actually, I loved all kinds of mythology. "And since you are Artemis," I tapped her small, wet, black nose. "Your brother shall be Apollo!" I flashed a smile in his direction. He had a strange look on his face. He had the kind of face I put on when I asked for a puppy and got mittens on Christmas. Utter disapointment.

 "I don't wanna be named after some guy I don't know." He lifted his muzzle arrogantly and snorted. "Um," The newly named pup, Artemis, said. "I actually kind of like my name." I smiled and lifted them both up unto my lap. "There's nothing wrong with not liking your name. Just wait until you grow up, at that time you will realise how important and special it is." I looked down at them and rubbed my cheek on their small heads. It felt warm with them in my arms. Very soon I will need to leave. Staying the night wouldn't hurt though, right? I slept with them curled up, sleeping next to me. I smiled and did my best not to laugh when Apollo moved closer to me, seeking warmth. I was enveloped by a warm, peaceful sleep and sighed contentedly.

The light came pouring into the cave softly. I moaned with annoyance, turning away from the light. Artemis was whining slightly, most likely because she was trying to get Apollo off of me. "Get up, human!" I cannot believe Apollo just called me that. I sat up quickly and knocked Apollo off of me. "My name is Charlotte!" I couldn't stand when someone called me something that wasn't my name. "Hmm... So you finally got up.... Charlotte." He was shocked at my little outburst but he accepted it and said my name. He looked adorable!

I gave them both a pat on their head and stretched my arms above my head. I turned my head to speak to them. "Is there a place where I can wash up?" I questioned. I was still tired and my body, not wanting to stand anymore, fell next to them.

Apollo stared at me before saying quietly, "Clean freak." I stared at him until finally laughing uncontrollably. Artemis looked at me with what appeared to be a shocked look. I was able to reign in my emotions and gave a small sigh. "I'm not a clean freak. I just don't like the idea of exploring an area I don't know, that could be filled with dangerous animals, while smelling like food!" I actually did smell like food. It was what I had ate before I left.

Apollo gave me a look before sniffing me. Artemis seemed curious and followed her brother's lead. "You kinda smell like porridge... and... an animal." Artemis voiced her opinion which was soon followed by Apollo's, "Hey, you're right!" I just sat there in between the two, pouting. It was slightly frustrating to not know what they were thinking. I continued to pout until Artemis peeked up at me and nudged Apollo to follow her gaze.

"You should let me in on the conversation too! I could possibly know what animal or creature it could be. It is my body and I should know who I was and was not around." I stooped down to have a conversation within eye-level. "It's strange. The smell is strong yet faint at the same time...While it can be overbearing like a warning it's also subtle as though only certain animals should be affected." I stared at Apollo in awe. He was very bright when he wanted to be. I could see Artemis give her brother a wolfy-like grin. Then she grabbed hold of the reins firing questions at me before I could completely comprehend them, "Where you in the presence of any canines or felines? They would be able to create a scent as strong as this. Wait, I forgot it was also subtle...Did you meet any strange creatures? Maybe a hybrid of an animal? Did you come in contact with any chemicals which could have altered the scent?"

This seemed like a daunting task to have all of the questions answered, especially when she continued to speak without pause. Artemis seemed like a completely different person, er, wolf. I answered the questions as best as I could. "I was at the hospital before I came here so there is a possiblity of coming in contact with someone who is going through animal therapy. I am also surrounded by medication of different kinds so there is a possibility of an alteration of scent. Still, I haven't made direct contact with anyone other than my brother, Andy, and Wolf, my childhood friend," I looked at my hands, counting the possibilities with my fingers. "Other than that, I haven't been in contact with any other people or animals, you two aside, that is."

"Hm." Apollo looked at me suspiciously but when he caught my gaze he quickly turned. "It must be nice..." Artemis looked at me enviously. "I wanna have friends too." I just stared at her for a second before I started to laugh suddenly. I just couldn't help it! "I'm your friend and your brother probably isn't too happy to hear that you don't enjoy his company." I smiled at her and wiped away an invisible tear. Apollo somehow regained his speech. "I won't allow you to just leave me for a bunch of stupid humans. I am your blood brother making me millions of times better than some one who has just met you." Sure he was an arrogant pup but he made a strong point don't ya think?

Artemis looked at us both in awe. I stood up to stretch my legs and remembered that I still didn't know where I could wash up. "I know you two want to play detective but can you please show me where I can take a shower or bathe?" I asked pleadingly. Artemis looked at her brother and nodded at him for some strange reason. Seeming to understand what that gesture meant, Apollo also nodded and turned around to sit in a corner of the cave deep in thought. "There is a place where you can wash up, just follow me and be really quiet." Following Artemis' commands, I followed quietly and carefully. It was slightly strange to do this but I wasn't going to go against a wolf, albeit a pup, who most likely knew more about the forest than I did.

 

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 21.01.2014

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