Wulven [A Different Wolf Novel]

Chapter 9 | The Note

Littlewood Learning Center, 8:25 AM.

Liez and Valerie find their way to their seats as other resident orphans of their age rush in.

Looking a bit dazed, Liez puts her things on the table and takes a sit.

"Hey, Liez. Something's bothering you again?", asks Valerie.

"Erm, not really. I just got a bit weirded out with that guy back at Miss Ruth's office."

"Oh, you mean Mr. John Jones? Wait, you mean you don't know him? He's the Director of the Training Institute where resident orphans will be sent once they hit eighteen. He literally visits Littlewood every year.", quips Valerie.

"Well no, not really. In fact, I barely knew any of our visitors. For some reason, Miss Ruth sends me off to clean the basement whenever people come and visit. I mean, she's just too obvious.", blurts Liez.

"Well, Miss Ruth was a bit off too. She looked freaked out when she saw you with me coming into her office. Maybe she didn't want you to be there in the first place..."

"But why wouldn't she want me there?"

"Alright, settle down, everybody." Mr. Carter, the volunteer teacher, calls out.

"I hope everyone's good. Today, we're discussing Myths, Folklores, and Legends surrounding Lycanthrope. The werewolf. The wolf-man. Though that last one sounds a little too cheesy..." he scratches his head as he smiles sheepishly at them.

"...whatever you wish to call them, really."

Liez takes notes as he drones on about The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Legend of Lycaon. He keeps it very brief but straight to the point.

"Lastly, we have the Beast of Gévaudan. The first record of this creature started with a girl.", says Mr. Carter as he writes the words on the whiteboard.

"As the story goes, Marie Jeanne Valet saw a beast coming at her that was 'like a wolf, yet not a wolf'. She was later dubbed as the maid of Gévaudan for being the first person to have injured the beast. A lot of accounts vary but some say, she was charged by the beast while tending to her flock and the bulls in her charge went to town on the beast giving her time to run. Other accounts say that she was one of the best hunters in town and carried a homemade spear with her at all times."

"And as she was crossing a river, the beast came at her and as it reared for an attack, she plunged her spear dead center in the beast's chest. That's how the story went."

"Lesson of the story? Don't be the wolf", chuckles Mr. Jones.

"But really, wolves are important in the ecosystem. They keep the balance. Take them out of the equation, the ecosystem will crash. They're not the enemy. Ignorance is. You see, wolves are..."

Liez's eyes suddenly gravitate towards the door. She finds Mr. Jones standing there, looking at her. His stare is unnerving.

"Liza?"

Mr. Jones' eyes held a gleam as he kept staring at Liez. He looks almost predatory. Liez's heart beats so loud in her ears that she can barely hear anything else.

Mr. Carter clears his throat.

"Liez!", whispers Valerie, elbowing her to pay attention to Mr. Carter whose been calling her.

"Oh I'm sorry Mr. Carter, S-sir...", stammers Liez.

"I would appreciate my students giving me undivided attention during class hours...", asserted Mr. Carter.

Discomfit, Liez cast her eyes down.

"Alright, again for your assignment, I want you all to write an essay on how myths influence reality. Dismissed."

Liez glances back at the door but Mr. Jones is no longer there. Relieved, she quickly packs her things up and hurries out of the door, leaving Valerie behind. Anxious and perplexed, she speed-walks her way down the hall and into the attic.

Arriving at her place of refuge, she heaves a big sigh. She shivers at the thought of Mr. Jones' daunting stare.

"He's so creepy. What's wrong with him?"

She tries to shake thoughts of him off her mind and calms herself. She rolls her head around her shoulders, trying to get the stiffness out as she closes her eyes.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Finding her way to her favorite spot, she sees a small white envelope on the window sill. Picking it up, she smells a familiar scent. She opens it and grabs the piece of paper inside.

Tomorrow, 2 AM. Willow Creek.

"Willow Creek? That's at Hemlock Woodland. Thing is, that the trail has long been closed from the public", says Liez to herself."

Liez opens the window and looks in the direction of Hemlock Woodland which is apparently hidden by a thick forest.

"And 4 AM? Wow, that's awfully early! What's happening at 2 AM?!"

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