The night terrors return...

With all of us pitching in, we eventually finish the gruelling task given mere minutes to spare before our looming departure arrives. Red in the face, Fara holds a freshly skinned hare out while she glows with a bubbling pride—triumphantly showing off her efforts after begging us to let her get involved, appearing more than adamant about picking up the new skill. Handing her contribution over to Lillie for inspection, the youngster sits quietly on the moss-matted tree stump while swinging her legs—studying Lillie’s face curiously; awaiting the appraisal that was soon to shower down on her. With the afternoon meal prepared and packed away, Rose approaches us with a warm smile that brightens her ageing face—appearing grateful as she carries over our welcomed reward. As Ash hands over the carefully packed cooler, Rose thanks us in return before exchanging our hard work for a hacked wooden plank piled high with steaming chunks of meat. 

“I honestly have no idea what I’m going to do without you all after we say our goodbyes,” Rose’s pleased eyes momentarily dim while her smile fades into a growing sadness, “-your company has been such a comfort to me ever since I lost my Harold. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Say our goodbyes? Hold on a second, Rose,” Ash chuckles while taking one of her age-spotted hands into his, “-you’re not getting rid of us anytime soon. We’re a hard bunch to scare off if you hadn’t noticed.”

“Oh,” she chuckles softly, “-there’s no need to try to flatter me, young man. You’re not going to want to visit me when you’re all getting on with your lives. You’ll be far too busy exploring the new city and settling in, not that I can blame you.”

“That doesn’t mean we won't be visiting you. Trust me, you’ll soon get fed up with seeing our faces,” Lillie humorously joins in, helping to ease Rose’s burdening woes.

“Really?” the appreciative elder asks; her tone lightening with hope, “You mean that?”

“Just try to stop us,” I flash Rose an earnest grin, feeling content as I watch the worry rise away from her shoulders—appeased with our promises to stay in touch.

“Yup. I’d miss your cuddles too much anyway,” Fara giggles cheekily before her face drops into a state of utmost sincerity, “-and your cooking, Auntie Rose. But, mostly your cuddles,” she causes the teary-eyed elder to erupt into a heartfelt chuckle.

“You really are a sweet bunch, I hope you know that,” Rose reigns in her emotions, stifling her upset while her glassed over eyes brighten once more, “-now, I better leave you all to it. Eat up while it’s still hot,” she pats Ash’s hand, “-it’ll be a long day. You’ll need all the energy you can get.”

As the upsetting exchange comes to an end, Rose returns to her belongings, leaving our attention to drift towards our waiting breakfast. Eating with our hands, we eagerly tuck in while the other travelling wolves get ready to go. With each bite I take, I feel the gnawing aches within my stomach ease while my body grows more lively—finally getting the vitamins that it has been craving, absorbing all of its goodness after surviving for so long on the produce of the dying forest we find ourselves in. Despite wanting to sit and savour every mouthful, time remains against us—forcing us to devour the meal in a rush until we clear the entire lot. With the camp actively working to cover up any trace of our recent stay, we shortly join in and do our part by dowsing the remaining burning embers lit within the campfire, pouring buckets of water filled from the nearby stream onto the fiery pit’s flames until they are no more. With our tracks successfully masked, we leave little to any sign that we were ever here to begin with—taking a greater precaution than usual given the risen issue that it will be much harder to mask our scents now that the rain has stopped.

Walking over to join the anxiously awaiting wolves, I notice Ronnie make his way towards the front of the crowd alongside his trusted comrades, Finn and Hooper, the only surviving members of his former pack. Stopping as they arrive in front of the murmuring gathering, the trio look out towards the nerve-riddled faces stood before them. Gazing around slowly, Ronnie rubs his chin—ruffling the strands of his overgrown beard while his eyes cast over the huddled crowd as if he were making sure that we were all accounted for. With the ushered whisperings coming to a halt, the final stragglers race over and complete the remaining headcount. Satisfied, Ronnie clears his throat loudly in preparation to unveil the orders for the long and tedious journey ahead, ready to divulge what he had decided on this morning.

“Good morning all. I hope everyone got a decent night’s rest and is feeling in good spirits today-” our gallant self-assigned leader announces in a clear voice; his stern yet friendly gaze shifting over us while he addresses the silent gathering, “-we’re going to need it. As most of you already know, we’re shortly going to be embarking on the last hurdle of our journey today. If we can keep a steady pace, I’m certain that we should be able to reach Luna City’s district by mid-day tomorrow. We’ve planned to stop overnight, but I should warn you all, we are intending to push on until a little after the sun sets,” Ronnie clasps his hands as a few groaning complaints murmur from within the shuffling crowd, a shared concern spreading amongst them in regards to the durability of the young and elderly who may not be capable of travelling for so long.

“I know, guys. I hear you and I get it, I really do. I’m not disputing that what we’re about to do will be hard but, it could be a lot worse. We need to look on the bright side. The Moon Goddess is smiling at us for a change—we could be heading out in the rain again,” Ronnie tries to reason with the disgruntled few; coaxing them into resuming their recent silence along with the rest of us, “-just imagine how much more difficult that would make today if it was still pouring down. Can you guys honestly not agree? Anyone?” he prompts probingly, leaving no room for further dispute.

“Now that’s out of the way,” Ronnie swiftly proceeds before another rising complaint intervenes, “-I want to remind everyone that we need to stay vigilant, more now than ever. With our scents being easy to trace, the ruling Alpha’s scouts will probably pick up on our presence as soon as we enter their territory. It goes without saying that he’s likely got them stationed throughout the entire city’s clearing just as our own once did,“ his expression toughens as his voice grows more serious by the second, “-so, try not to react defensively if we see any of them. We’re going to need to negotiate our entry given our status, and I’d prefer it if we could start off on the right foot.”

“I’m not sure about this. Can’t we stay here and wait until the rain comes back? That has to be safer than having them know we’re there,” a hoarse voice calls out from up ahead somewhere within the crowd, the complainant’s face unseen while I stand towards their back, “-we could sneak past them if we wait.”

“Yeah,” another jeering voice calls out, “-we should do that. What do you expect us to do if they say no and attack? I’m not going to be able to fend off those guys, look at me.”

“They won’t attack us unless we give them a reason to. So, let me make myself clear—there is to be no hostility shown towards anyone we encounter. And truthfully, we can’t afford to sit around and waste any more time waiting for the weather to turn,” Ronnie holds his hands out as he tries to calm the opposing voices shouting amongst the crowd, “-we’re out of medical supplies and near enough everything else. Holding back is no longer an option. The sick need to have treatment; the elders need to rest, and so do the kids. We can’t keep going on like this,” he addresses the minority who seem to have grown arrogant to the dire struggle that the camp faces.

“He’s right, guys,” Hooper joins in agreement, “-living out here just isn’t an option from now on. I understand that you’re all scared, but it’s our only choice. Luna City is our best option given the size of the place,” he reasons pleadingly, “-and because of the opportunities that it offers. We at least need to try.”

“Thank you, Hooper,” Ronnie nods towards his friend appreciatively before turning to the crowd once again, “-so, with that being said, when we’re on the move, we all need to keep quiet and stay low. If anything happens out there, we make sure we stick together and look out for our own,“ he pauses chokingly as a glimmer of remorse washes across his scarred face, “-we can’t make any mistakes as we did before. I know we aren’t expecting to bump into another rogue pack, but we should prepare for anything to happen. Just remember, support and protect each other and we will all make it there safely, okay?”

“I’m going to go on and scope out what’s up ahead. Hooper has volunteered to join me while the rest of you will follow in our lead. Finn is going to stay behind so we can all stay connected in what’s going on—he’ll be able to keep everyone in the loop with our mind link in case we spot anything. If I send the signal, everyone needs to run, okay?” Ronnie waits for the crowd to respond in nervous nods of acknowledgement, “Do we all remember what the signal is?”

Satisfied that everyone is on the same page, Ronnie and Hooper run off into the woods when flashes of erupting fur come into view in replace of their skin. Shifting, they race off and disappear out of view—moving stealthily through the vast number of rotting trees surrounding us. With the heavy pattering of thundering paws receding into the distance, we turn to Finn as he gathers his comrades' belongings—awaiting the go-ahead to start walking.   

“Right, let’s go," Finn directs us while raising his hand; waving it behind him as he turns, signalling for us to proceed in the same direction the departed wolves had just recently gone.

The crowd responds in ushering uncertain murmurs while they begin to slowly shuffle onward—looking towards their fellow travellers with reluctance as the reminder of what happened a few months ago is unexpectedly brought back into our memories, allowing a storm-like worry to creep in and settle amongst us.

With the ambush still a raw memory for some here, Rose included after losing her husband during the fight, the very mention of the unfortunate event is enough to dampen anyone’s mood. As I recall the unprovoked mad frenzy that erupted in the dead of night, a jolting shiver caresses my spine, leaving me close to frozen. Remembering the faces of the ravenous wolves while they injured and killed some of our dearest companions, it was easy to forget that we could have met a fate much worse than we did that fated night. Luckily, before it came to that, Ronnie and a few of the others put an end to the hateful rogues—cutting them short in the chance of tearing through the rest of us, leaving us to wallow in further loss that night. Somehow, despite all the carnage, I managed to come out unscathed after Ash acted as the loyal brother that he is—covering me throughout the entire duration of the attack; stopping anyone who dared come for me as he bit and tore through the ill-intentioned savages.

Since the city takeovers started getting a lot worse, there was a lot of talk and gossip about the disbanded wolves that were forced to live in the Barren Lands, but no mention of the insanity they would endure after being subjected to isolation away from their roots. In a way, it was easy to see why they weren’t the most trusting creatures anymore, understandably but, it was hard to excuse the cruelty they showed towards their own kind that night, towards us. Despite the original desires of some of the survivors from the Crescent City wanting to go their own way, it was soon decided after the attack that we would all stick together—hoping to prevent one another from becoming those that we had met. After travelling with the group for so long, I soon learnt that many were hoping to find a new pack to call their own upon their arrival, but me? I’m just exhausted and need to stop running. Right now, refuge is all that I want.

No matter my own plans, I could understand the wishes of the others in wanting to find peace once again. Despite the old values that the wolves used to abide by, the times had adjusted along with the circumstances that we all lived in. With it no longer being frowned upon to invite an already crested wolf into a new pack, pity was usually offered in acceptance of taking in these lost and abandoned wolves. However, given that Ash or I have never belonged to a pack, the longing to be a part of something bigger than ourselves wasn’t too much of an issue compared to the rest. Growing up in an orphanage within the Crescent City was all that we had ever known, occasionally bouncing from the ill-deemed foster homes back to our usual abode—stuck in a continuous game of being pushed back and forth, never getting the chance to ever truly settle in.

When we first arrived at the already crowded home, Ash was only seven and I had just turned five. With no explanation or note, the Warden found two small children stood outside the orphanage's front doors that held no memory or recollection of who they were or where they had come from. Ash does claim that he remembers waking up in a dark car just a few minutes before we were ushered out into the cold, believing that he saw a silver-haired woman at the driving wheel before drifting back into unconsciousness. For me, all that I can recall is waking up outside during the middle of a blizzard—wrapped in blankets on the step of an icy doorway while the snow fell heavily around us, not even too sure of my own name at first.

Suddenly snapped away from my drifting thoughts of a time long forgotten, Lillie grabs at my arm and shakes me out of my daze. Looking up, embarrassment sweeps over me when I realise everyone’s already walked on as they follow closely behind Ronnie like a swarm—including Ash who seems to have shifted into his wolf form.

“Come on, you. Keep up,” Lillie chuckles while wrapping her hand around my wrist as she marches on, dragging me alongside her.

Walking tirelessly for hours, barely a word is uttered amongst the crowd, remaining silent as we cautiously survey our surroundings for any potential threats that may be close by. Keeping close to Ash’s side, I observe the aged and hallow trees swaying gently in the wind while their creaking branches hang over our heads like countless sets of devil claws. My eyes trace the wreathed ivy thriving up the lifeless trunks, climbing tall while suffocating them within their grasps. Glancing upwards, I catch sight of a perched raven watching us from above as we walk by, releasing an eery squawk the moment we walk beneath its held spot. Looking back towards the lonesome bird, I’m met with the animal's absence while I search the medley of dull colours painting the forest for its stark black feathers—startled by its unheard exit behind us, questioning whether it was even there in the first place.

Shaking away my bewilderment, I lift my head to look at the sky—watching the few white clouds overhead float by while revelling in the departing rays of mellow sunlight still casting down, allowing it to dance over my pale skin as it flickers through the winding branches forming a canopy. To my side, Ash inhales deeply, causing his nostrils to flare wide while he takes in the crisp, earthy scents around us—appearing bright-eyed and curious as we near our new potential home. With the tiring camp’s feet dragging behind us, we persistently scuttle onwards through the debris-strewn ground while snapping the fallen branches it displays with near enough every step we take. It doesn’t take long for the camp soon to become restless while the sun retreats into the canopy above in a magnificent flourish of ribbon-like fire—dimming our path as we wander through the forest in the growing dark, hoping the stretch of today’s journey will soon come to an end.

Against our will, we can’t help but slow down—eventually coming to a halt as most of the camp begins to complain, including the children who were now restless and hungry; nagging at their parents to find out when they could stop. Growing aware of everyone’s growing fatigue, Finn looks deep into the forest while appearing unsure of how best to handle the camp's unwillingness to continue forward anymore. Closing his eyes, he fixes his attention towards the darkening space before him—concentrating hard as he stands in silence. Within a few moments, he turns around to face us, gently smiling as he opens his eyes while taking off the layering bags strapped to his back.

“Right. Ronnie has said that we can stop. They’re going to patrol the perimeter overnight and will come and wake us when the sun rises. Unpack lightly, I guess and try to keep the campfire to a minimum. We should rest our heads as soon as we can and try to hunker down. It’s going to be another early start for everyone tomorrow, so try to get some sleep,” Finn announces before releasing a yawn himself, appearing just as depleted as the rest of us after receiving his unspoken guidance.

Whispers of glee spread throughout the stagnant camp; mostly from the little ones, eager to rest their weary heads after getting a hot meal. Glancing towards Lillie, I watch the relief draw across her face as she holds a heavy Fara within her arms, sleeping softly against her sister's shoulder after giving in a few hours before. Sitting down on a fallen tree trunk uprooted behind me, a strong waft of damp and decay engulfs the bitter evening air as I disturb its preservation. Despite the aroma of rot lingering around me, I’m undeterred in taking in a few steady breaths. Looking around as I feel myself melt against the wood beneath me, I notice the others doing the same, setting up for the night wherever they stood—stubborn with exhaustion while their bodies remain in refusal of wanting to get back up.

“Finally,” Lillie groans, “-I didn’t think I’d be able to carry her for much longer. I’m pretty sure that my arms are going to fall off in any second,” she winces through the light-hearted joke.

Walking over towards me, Lillie places Fara down next to the dead tree and props her against the earthy bark. Taking off her jacket, Lillie carefully rolls it up before gently lifting Fara’s head and sliding it beneath—finally resting herself after covering Fara’s small frame with the torn blanket tucked away in her bag. With her little sister resting, Lillie slumps down in exhaustion beside her—looking drained while hanging her head in depletion, barely conjuring enough energy to take her shoes off before individually inspecting them.

“Oh, brilliant. I mean, that’s just great,” she remarks bitterly while holding one of her boots in front of her face, shaking the damaged shoe towards me while the broken sole flaps like a chattering mouth—sending me into a childish fit of giggles, assisting in the recovery of Lillie’s smile as it returns to her frowning face, “-never mind. I guess it’s just a good job we’ll be in the city tomorrow.”

“My feet are so numb right now,” Lillie admits in an acheful huff while placing the boot down at her side, proceeding to rub her irritated ankles as she lets out a weak sigh.

Taking off her dirty socks, a flurry of sore cuts and blisters emerge on Lillie’s damaged skin. Noticing the wounds, she massages each foot individually, grimacing every so often as her fingers edge closer to her oozing cuts. Feeling as if my energy was being stolen away, I slide off the scratchy trunk and sit close to Fara, dropping my bag in the process and making a heavy thump as it hits the crinkly ground. Taking off my coat, I rest it over me; happily embracing the soft night breeze as it cools me down from beneath the thin cotton, allowing my mind and muscles to unwind.

As we settle down to prepare for what will hopefully be our last night in the forest, I look up at the faint sound of pattering footsteps as a set lazily approach. Returning from his nightly check-in with Rose, Ash looks at me while he strides towards us, nudging my head with his wet nose as he walks by. I reach out and stroke his shoulder in return, noticing his bones protrude from where muscle had once sat caused by the recent weeks of eating less than scraps. Leaning up to look at my brother, he stands motionless while trying to regulate his panting—appearing more than ready to give in to his much-needed slumber. Flopping beside Lillie in a sluggish movement, he hits the ground with force, almost crushing her hand in the process with his weight unknowingly.

“Get off me, you big lump,” Lillie giggles in a pitch much higher than usual; blushing a shade that was almost as bright as her hair while giving Ash a gentle push in playful retaliation, enjoying the sweet moment being shared between them. 

With our evening meal eaten, the conversation swarming amongst the camp soon fades into nothingness while the sky above smothers us beneath in a dark, velvety blanket. I gaze up at the vast, empty sky as the flat clouds spread out before me like milky cotton balls, obstructing portions of the endless abyss and showing off its timeless beauty. As the sky’s hue darkens, I watch the stars appear one by one; illuminating the blank space before me like a trail of fairy lights, leaving me to calmly surrender to the growing need for sleep before warily drifting away. As the darkness of slumber crashes over me, my dream world welcomes me back—unleashing a flash flood of flickering memories, taking me somewhere specific, like it usually does.

Before I have any time to guess where I’ve ended up in my past tonight, my vision settles while my mind watches on at my former self as she walks around the Crescent City library. With the morning light illuminating the disturbed dust floating in the air, she happily inspects the neglected books on the tall, forgotten shelves. I watch as she leaves, catching the bus back to her neighbourhood while embracing the freedom that she finally possessed—enjoying the peaceful stroll that remained while heading back to the flat she shared with her brother. My former self decides to order pizza, comically arguing with Ash about whether to have pepperoni or ham as a topping—blissfully unaware of the future that she awaits. I watch as she sits down and grabs the checked-out book she had chosen for the weekend, already enthralled in the first few chapters when the first of the few beasts began to lurk just outside in the shadows of the street.

The bright and hopeful dream quickly turns dark, almost as if a tinted film had drifted before me and covered the unfolding scene—making me grow uneasy as I swiftly sense the atmosphere contort sinisterly, readying me to relive what it is that happened next. Sounding just as harrowing as it did the first time, the shattering sound of blood-curdling screams begin to erupt from outside the walls of the old flat—sending the usually quiet residential street into a blind panic. With a daunting look of unbound worry spreading across Ash’s face, a rumble of growls and snarls break out menacingly on the other side of our locked door—confirming our presuming fears that the Crescent City was indeed under siege. The image of humongous wolves tearing through the streets replay inside my head, forcing me to rewatch the moment I witnessed them step under the streetlights and declare their presence. My heart stops as swiftly as it did the original time around, stricken with terror while I peek through the curtains and accidentally make eye contact with one of the enemies that stood outside; alerting him that we were here. Recognising the cold eyes of the tundra wolf as they lock onto my own through the pane of glass, I realise my cruel dream has taken me back to the night of the takeover, and more importantly, the night of my capture.

With an unrestrained fear growing inside of me while the dreadful night plays out, I feel its sickening presence gnaw away at my insides. As expected, the splintering sound of the front door being burst open resurfaces from my subconscious. Swiftly in response, a heavy base-filled growl bellows from the entrance and bounces its way down the hallway while our attacker uncaringly barged his way inside—revealing himself as he walked into our living room before commencing his attack.

Before I can relive what happened next, my wolf growls within my mind and brings me back into the present. With her amplified interruption echoing inside of my skull, I notice the sound of her unspoken outburst appear clearer than it had ever done before. Still swept up in the storm of emotions my dream had brought, my eyes snap open. I try to move but despite my best attempts, I remain frozen to the ground; paralyzed from the menacing aura immobilising me, trapping me in its chilling embrace. My heart pounds in my chest like a drum; resonating in my ears as it blocks out the sound of the night. While a bead of cold sweat drips down from my hairline, I notice my breathing become shallow and raspy as I urge every muscle in my body to move, releasing a pathetic whimper of desperation upon defeat. 

Unable to fight the surge of panic spreading through my veins, my eyes dart wildly in every direction; trying to take in the scenery surrounding me, longing for a glimpse of familiarity. As my eyes frantically search, I finally set my focus on the long, twisted trees above me—illuminated in the pale moon's glow. Noticing the familiar scents of the decaying forest seep in, I suddenly feel safe as I’m reassured that I’m no longer in the confines of the Crescent City, allowing me to shake off the remnants of my vivid night terror. With the fear that ensued me thankfully slipping away, it releases my body from its intense and unwanted grip. Drinking in the air, I feel my muscles loosen and my jaw unclench when I’m startled by a wet embrace on my upper arm— causing my stomach to turn before allowing the rollercoaster ride of terror to creep back inside of me faster than it had recently just left. What now?