Chapter 2: Wandering Mind.

Tiana listened raptly to Professor Kima’s lecture on ‘History of killings around the world by shape-shifting monsters over the years.’ and she got bored after fifteen seconds of the class so she zoned the Professor out.

“Guys, Emmaline and I'll go out tonight.” She’d announced at dinner three years ago when she turned eighteen

“No.” Her father’s stern reply came, he turned his focus to the bowl of soup he was eating.

“But–”

“There are no buts!” He’d reprimanded her harshly. 

Her vision turned red, jolting to her feet, she demanded with a furious growl,“WHY?!”

“We’re protecting you.” Her mother’s gentle voice answered her instead.

“Protecting me?” She asked, sarcasm dripping from every word,“You overshadow me! I'm never allowed out but Emmaline has it, infact freely!” She vented her frustration, screaming.

“Tiana!” Her father called her name with steel.

“And she’s just a year younger than I am but you let her have everything she wants!” She yelled back, bitterness coating her every word.

“You know that’s not true, Tiana!” Her father returned angrily.

“Just leave me alone! All of you. I hate you!” She yelled at him, kicking her chair and ran to the kitchen. Searching frantically for something…anything that would calm her. She picked a chinaware from the rack and smashed it, though it did nothing to cease her anger it gave her something to do, to channel her anger because all she wanted was to punch her father’s face until he bled. She picked another and smashed it, she was tired of being treated as a third wheel, tired they never let her soar. She never bothered pausing or looking at the door when it opened, not even when her  mother’s scent filled her nostrils.

“Tiana…please…we want you to be safe.”  Her mother spoke softly. She ignored her mother and continued smashing the plates on the floor.

“Please, stop it, you’ll hurt yourself.” Her mother continued upset and it broke her. Instead of replying, she stormed out of the kitchen, climbed the stairs to her room furiously to sulk, forgetting about dinner…no, refusing to have it.

By midnight, she was so hungry she couldn’t resist a sneak to the kitchen. She got out of bed and tip-toed out of her room, without switching on the light, she didn’t need to as she had a perfect night vision. She opened the fridge with a silent prayer,“Oh heavens, please let there be something.” 

Seeing a carefully covered plate, she beamed smiles as brought it out, put it on the kitchen island,  dragged a kitchen stool and sat on it.

“Thank you guys.”  She hooted mentally, sniffing the plantain porridge and dug into it.

She frozed when she felt a sudden chill accompanied by a twings of piercing pain ringing through her marrows, she screamed both in trepidation and pain as the darkness sucked her life force away.

Tiana found herself standing on a narrow path surrounded by low grasses and heard low continuous howls, horribly the howls sounded happy. Taking a quick glimpse of her surroundings she shuddered in fear…the place looked strangely familiar and she couldn’t for the life of her fathom why. Shielding her face with her palm from the blinding light ahead of her, she felt a tug, an urge to walk to the source of the light ahead. She followed her instincts and five minutes later…she wasn’t sure of the exact time, she came to an open clearing and came face to face with a wolf.

A she-wolf, taller than her. Its fur was an immaculate white with a single pink stripe that ran from the middle of its head and stopped at the tail. Its eye colour was gold and the paws were ocean blue. What was odd was that Tiana felt confident with herself, she was neither scared or intimidated by its presence but felt content. Tiana was stunned when the wolf spoke.

“I’m Luna Bella, your wolf. The one meant to complete you, created to guide you. I’ve waited for this day and for you to mature so we will unite and be together finally.”

“How? Why?” Tiana thought to herself, wondering about the possibility of a talking wolf.. She had been watching too many Disney movie series.

The she-wolf chuckled heartily,“You will find out soon.”

“You can hear my thoughts? ” Tiana asked, shocked. 

“Yes, and you can hear mine too, because…”, Luna Bella said, taking majestic strides towards her. Tiana was puzzled when Luna Bella walked right through her, “I’m you, your missing puzzle, your completion, your wolf but never your mate.”

Tiana’s eyelids opened slowly, her consciousness coming and going. She heard distant voices only to discover they belonged to her family. They were crying, they thought she was dead and it broke her heart to see them in pain.

She remembered clearly how she was never normal again after that day. She communicated with Luna Bella daily, and the wolf became her first best friend. Her mother and her sister were both second…well to begin with, despite how weird it sounded…she was never totally normal before and having an abstract best friend made her an official weirdo. Well, she avoided whatever would get her angry, she and Luna Bella were a crazy pair whenever that happened.

The last time her control snapped, she was on a date with this guy named Ethan…She was twenty then plus her parents had allowed her to date, well…that was the only thing she did that they never put a foot against and they even urged her.

“Hurry up, Tiana.” Her mother coaxed excitedly peeping through the door. “It’s 7:30 pm already.” Her mother gasped seeing her still rumbling for an outfit. “Emmaline!” Her mother cried. Emmaline rushed upstairs with a fry pan with her father in tow weilding a spatula ready to hit. Her mother looked at them confused,“What's going on?”

“Karen, you screamed bloody murder!” Her father had replied in a rush.

“Really?” Her mother had demanded, folding her hands and fixing her father a glare. Tiana remembered she’d opened the door wide and burst into a giggling fit.

“Now, what’s funny?” Her sister had demanded angrily.

Tiana stifled her laughs and kept a straight face,“Nothing.”

“Em, for the life of me this young woman here needs help getting dressed for her dinner date in a fancy restaurant somewhere in FESTAC Town.” Her mother exclaimed.

Emmaline grinned,“Fashionista Emmaline Mante to the rescue.” She'd squealed, shooing Tiana into the room,“We’ll see you guys when I’m done.” She announced closing the door.

She’d walked into the upscale restaurant, scanning the sea of people, smiling politely when he had waved at her from his table. He was exactly the way his Profile Picture had portrayed him. She approached the table with a confident gait.

“Hi.” He greeted, standing to meet her, she took his outstretched hand and smiled when he pulled out her chair.

“I like him, Bell.” She announced to Luna Bella when she sat down.

“Yes, you do.” Luna Bella replied with a hiss,“Well, I don't like him. He’s fishy.”

“Whatever! I’m going to enjoy myself and you’re stuck with me, you might as well enjoy it with me.”  She stated factly.

“Whatever.”  Luna Bella, rolled her eyes at her.

The waiter soon arrived with the menus and they both ordered their meals. She enjoyed his company, he was even interested in History, he was an intelligent fellow and she had thought he was the one. She gasped when her hair was yanked suddenly from behind and a lady’s voice screeched in her head dragging everyone’s attention to her,“You shameless bitch!”

Tiana managed to free her hair and turned around to see a very furious, lanky looking girl, “Excuse me?” She asked Miss Furious Lanky calmly whilst Luna Bella pushed her to the background the second the lanky girl slapped the living nightlight out of her.

“Leave my man alone, he has a girl in his life!”

“What the fuck?!” She cursed, rubbing her abused check.

“Let me deal with this bitch!” Luna Bella growled furiously as they both fought for dominance.

“No! We’d be in trouble.” Tiana

replied. Luna Bella growled angrily in response and pulled off her heels…they didn’t hurt the girl too much just she scared the bitch for good on her face and broke the front teeth of the Ethan guy. She walked out of the restaurant and hailed a taxi.

“It’s your fault!” Luna Bella reminded her furiously as if the humiliation they received wasn't enough,“I told you he was fishy!" 

“Really, Bell?” She demanded with sarcasm.

“You never listen to me!”

“I’m sorry.” Tiana apologized soberly.

“I’m sorry too, let’s go home.” Luna Bella replied, holding a grip on herself. She and her wolf argued a lot but they each knew when to compromise.