A Wolf-Girl's Tale

A/N: This is the second of three parts of chapter one. Tell me what you think, please.


Layla
ducked beside him as white dust from the top of the boulder rained down.
Neither of them was panting from the run.
I looked to Kuzon and found him looking at me; I turned my head to Layla but kept
my eyes on Kuzon. He smiled at me and I wondered if he had done that most of
the way here. I really only looked at him when he spoke. I turned my attention
to Layla.
She was looking at the sky at an angle; blinking slowly, breathing deeply. She
lifted her right hand above her head in a loose fist; she arched her hand in
front of her body to her hip. A line of red glowing light followed her hand and
materialized into a red bow. She held her bow in her right hand and used her
left to point at the sky. She bent her elbow as her hand came down. An arrow
materialized from the same glowing light and floated for a few seconds before
she grabbed and cocked it into the bow. “Layla, don’t.” Kuzon released my
knees and grabbed her arm. She looked at him before shaking his hand off.
“Nobody lives forever.” She said it quietly before she got to her feet in one quick movement. Everything was in slow motion. The sound of wood sliding across metal as Layla let the
arrow fly. Shot from the gun was dull in my ears; I heard the bullet whistle
through the air; two, maybe three seconds from now it would penetrate Laylas
heart. I leapt from my place in Kuzon’s arms and ran into Layla, knocking her
off balance. She hit the ground the same second the bullet went through my arm
and into my right side. Air failed me, but I heard a lifeless body hit the
ground a few yards away. I felt myself hit the ground just seconds later.
“You saved my life.” There was a wonder in Layla’s voice. Everything went black as I slipped into unconsciousness. ~~``~~``~~``~~``~~``~~``~~``~~``~~``~~``~~``~~
I opened my eyes and light immediately stung them; I closed them tightly, but the light
remained. My eyes fluttered open again and this time took in my surroundings. I
was lying on a hammock in a small room. A wooden desk was below a small window,
the shades were closed. A wooden chair was between the desk and me, the back
against the wall. A hair salon style basin was in a far corner. The corner
farthest from me had a door on both walls. One had an actual wooden door; the
other was a wooden door frame with a closed black curtain. The wall with the
curtain-door also had three rows of hammocks on it. Three rows of three, a
grand total of nine; each hung on wooden poles and held to the wall by chains.
The bottom hammock closest to me had a shear red, lacey cloth hanging in front
of it; tied to the hammock over it. A candlelit chandelier hung from the
ceiling over a red rug with a gold diamond design on it.
I was covered up to my waist with a navy blue blanket and my head was resting on
a pillow. My right bicep was wrapped in gauze and every muscle in my body
ached. My mouth felt like it was filled with cotton. I remembered Layla, her
soft brown hair and sweet brown eyes; I remembered her forming a bow and arrow
from red light. I remembered Kuzon, black hair and amazing green eyes; having
taken a bullet and still had the strength to carry me.
I thought back to them. Had they survived? Was the follower alone? Had Layla’s magic arrow killed him? Was Kuzon taken care of? How did I get here? Was I dead? Dreaming? Neither of those possibilities felt right.
Pain shot into both of my arms as I tried to raise myself up. I gritted my teeth and
suffocated a scream of agony. I swung my legs over the side of the hammock and
my feet touched the cool wood floor. My body was not only sore, but stiff as
well. I had thought I had been out for maybe a couple of hours, but the way I
felt suggested it had been much longer. I pressed my left palm onto the seat of
the chair and eased myself up.
I felt like I had peg legs and my feet had disappeared. I wiggled my toes, trying
to get the feeling back. I took two steps forward before realizing that I was
dressed differently. I was wearing baby blue silk pants tied with a drawstring.
A baby blue T-shirt tied with a black string just below my collarbone. I found
my old clothes in a pile on the other side of the desk, the right side of the
shirt and right paints leg was red from blood. I turned back to the hammock I
had awakened from. Underneath was a pair of blue moccasins. I stepped back and
picked them up, in the right one was a folded piece of paper. I set the shoes
on the hammock and read the paper.
Don’t freak-out, we didn’t kid nap you! Zulia said we got you here in
time to save you, but that you need peaceful rest. She said that the bullet
didn’t do any major damage, but that you’ll be sore for a while. I promise that
when you feel better, I’ll take you out for ice cream in my great Strawberry
and try to explain everything as best I can. I don’t know what Luna or Demetri
told you, but I’ll try and clear up as much as I can. Get better soon!!! -Layla
So Layla and Kuzon made it back together and Layla was going to explain everything. I was a
little surprised that she knew my Aunt Clara by her first name. Luna Clara
Saints was her full name. I also wondered what the great Strawberry was, but I
would find out soon enough I guessed. I set the shoes on the floor and slid my
feet into them.
I reached into the pockets of my old jeans and took out my only two possessions I
had left; an odd necklace I had taken from Clara and a pocket knife Demetri had
given me. My initials’ were carved into the handle. C. N. Cassandra Nightingale. I slid
them into the right pocket of the silk pants I was wearing and walked out.
I found myself standing at an intersection to the rest of the house. To my left was a short
hallway that led to a side door for the house; a black wooden door stood about
halfway down the hallway. The other wall for the hallway extended in front of
me, it too had two doors. I assumed one led to the bathroom, the other to
another bed room. Directly in front of me was the front door. To my upper right
was the living room; though it had no television, no couch or chairs, it was
carpeted and pillows were laid in a half circle around a fireplace. Layla sat
with her back against the ledge of the fire place absorbed in a book; an open
bag of M & M’s was on her lap.
A brick wall, about as high as my waist separated the living room from what I guessed to be the
kitchen. I placed my hand on the white block that hid it from my view; a
refrigerator. I was right, this was the kitchen. I heard rough straw bristles
scrape the hard stone -tile floor. I rounded the refrigerator and found a girl
sweeping with a broom.
She was my height with white blonde hair that came to the middle of her back. She
wore a soft grey long-sleeve shirt under a navy blue short-sleeve shirt; navy blue
pants and grey moccasins. All made of silk, including the gloves on her hands;
the same style as Layla and Kuzon’s, except hers were navy blue and held to her
wrists’ by grey ribbons that hung off about a foot. She had the exact same skin
tone as me.
“Hi.” My voice was dry and scratchy. She looked up at me; her eyes were lavender
swirled with a deeper violet color. She smiled at me.
“Hey, you must be the one I have heard so much about.” She had a soft English accent
to her voice. She leaned the broom handle on the short wall and wiped her hands
on her pants legs. “I am Yue,” she extended her hand, “and you are…?”
“Cassie.” I took her hand and shook it once.
“Cassie.” She repeated. It was almost like she expected me to have a different name. “It
is nice to see that you are finally awake.” Finally? “How long have I been out?” I asked. Her eyes swerved to the right, I followed them. Layla was sitting on the wall facing me; the bottoms of her feet pressed to the wall, her knees nearly poking my stomach. The bag of candy was in her left hand, a red and green pinched
between the index finger and thumb of her right.
“It’s December 22nd.” Layla said quietly. She popped the M&M’s into her mouth.
“Five days?” I was in shock.
How could I have been knocked out that long? Why? What had caused it? Couldn’t that
have been considered a coma? Why didn’t they just take me to the hospital?
Layla began massaging her temples, like she was getting a headache. Yue handed
me a small glass of water. She gave Layla a medicine bottle; one of the orange
kinds you get prescriptions in. Layla sat the bag of candy beside her on the
wall and starred at the bottle.
“We didn’t take you to the hospital because I don’t want the people in the white lab coats to treat
you like another of their little guinea pigs.” Layla spoke quietly. “The reason
it took you so long to wakeup is because of the coding they put on the bullets
of their guns. You’re lucky it came off in your arm; it gave Kuzon enough time
to get you here. I stayed behind and cleaned up the mess. When I got back, I
had just enough time to write the note before Zulia sent everyone out. Yue had
already taken care of Kuzon.”
“Zulia’s number one student… her only student, actually.” Yue said quickly. Layla had answered my thoughts. I had more questions than before. How had she known what
I was thinking? Why did she sound like there was pain in her voice when she
spoke of the people wearing lab coats? What did she mean by another one of their guinea pigs?
Who put coding on the bullets? Why had they tried to kill Layla? But every one
of my questions was wiped away except for the one I asked aloud.
“Where is Kuzon?” Layla smiled and pointed the bottom of the bottle behind me. I turned
around and saw that she had motioned to the black door.
“His bedroom.” Layla paused. “Okay, I know I promised a one-on-one-ice-cream-explain-everything-day in the note, but I promised to take Yue and Nicola out for lunch today. But if you want to do it some other time, I totally understand. We’re leaving in ten if you want to come.”
“Um, sure, I’ll come.”
Layla squealed. “I’m going to go get ready. Be back in a flash.” She nearly flew off
the wall and dove into the room with the curtain door. “She’s…” I began but I couldn’t find the words to describe her. “…something.” I said finally.
Yue chucked softly. “Something. Indescribable, that one; but she knows more about
real life than anyone gives her credit for, except Kuzon, of course.” “What do you mean?” I asked.
“Kuzon knows her better than her own mother. He is her step brother, but he acts much
more like a father, for lack of a better term. He tries to keep her out of
trouble, but it is nearly impossible to keep Layla on a leash, no matter how
long it is. But her mother is more to blame than she herself.” Yue spoke
quickly. “Her mother, Marash, kept her on a chain for so long; this is how she
rebels to her. She wants to be heard, but does not know how to speak.”
Layla walked out of the room; she wore gold trimmed red silk pants; a short sleeve
gold silk shirt over a red long sleeve silk shirt. She wore the same gloves and
necklace she had the night I met her. She was twirling a chopstick in her hair.
“Ready?” She asked.
“Ready.” Yue said.
“Ready.” I kept my voice low.
A sigh came from behind the wall. “Ready.” A girl rose into view.
She had brown hair cut at her shoulders, wavy. A sandy brown colored short sleeve
silk shirt trimmed in dark brown. Sandy brown silk pants tied with a dark brown
sash at her waist; dark brown moccasins. Her golden tan skin and clothes made
me think of a chocolate bar. A silver tree pendant hung on a silver chain
around her neck. Her hands were bare except for a silver ring with a light blue
stone on the ring finger of her right hand. Her eyes were a swirl of brown and
red. She looked at me.
“You must be the heroine I’ve heard so much about.” She sounded exhausted, but she
smiled.
“What?” I asked.
“The two of them wouldn’t shut up about what you did. There aren’t very many people
who would take a bullet for a complete stranger.” She paused. “What made you do
it?"
“They were helping me.” I said.
She nodded her head, “I don’t mean to sound like Connie, but did Kuzon have
anything to do with it?”
“I don’t understand the question.” I said as Layla spoke.
“Where’s my purse?” Layla asked.
“Under your bed.” Nicola answered. Layla ducked back into the room. “Do you think he is cute is what she means.” Yue said.
“I don’t know, I never really noticed.” I lied, I did think he was cute, but I would never tell anyone that.
Nicola lifted her eyebrows but said nothing.
“At least you won’t have Connie on your back.” Yue said.
Layla came out of the room carrying a red purse with a gold buckle in front. She grabbed
the bag of M&M’s off the wall, folded the top over and stuffed them in her purse. She grabbed my elbow and led me toward the front door, Yue and Nicola following us.
“Have you ever ridden in a Ferrari?” she asked as we walked out the door.
A/N: There you have it, part two. Tell me what you think and until next time, Peace!!!