After a bit of tree climbing, Alex found a safe spot. A cluster of branches high up from the ground, it had taken some work, but Alex had found more sticks that she used to make a somewhat stable platform. Determined to show everyone that she more than this weak monster, she had refused to go home when it started to rain. Sure, she had gotten scared when it was dark, especially out in the woods, but she was sure Eva was going to come look for her any minute she tried to tell herself it didn't matter.
Using the light of her phone uncle Jak had gotten her, she clumped up a whole bunch of leaves to use as a pillow and tried to use her jacket has a blanket. Ignoring her hunger, she decided it'd be best if she slept, and unsurprisingly, the darkness opened its arms, happy as ever for Alex to surrender herself to it.
Instead of the normal unconsciousness that Alex craved, she found herself floating in some blue space, smaller objects gently circled her as she looked around, brushing the weightless hair out of her eyes.
What is this place? Alex thought, moving her arms like she was swimming to move around. She looked around and sighed softly, looking around. After some time, Alex decided to try and all asleep again, she didn't want to dream tonight, afraid of what her mind would conjure up if she did.
"Good luck with that, kid." Alex opened her eyes and looked around sluggishly, rubbing her eyes and yawning a few times.
Behind her was the wolf from before, its smile more gentle and human-looking, but most definitely the same wolf. "And I haven't thought of a name for this place yet...maybe you could help with that."
Alex raised an eyebrow, confused. "You... heard my thoughts?"
The wolf nodded, raising a paw and lowering it again, causing Alex to suddenly fall to the ground on her back. "Ow!" she squeaked, quickly getting to her feet.
"How did you do that?" Alex asked, frowning slightly as she rubbed the back of her head.
The wolf shrugged, "when you're as old as me, you learn the ins and outs of this place."
"That's... vague." Alex muttered, "How are you here?"
The wolf shrugged. "What do you want me to say? Something even vaguer so I can look like the villain?"
Alex blinked, unsure of what to say. This wolf reminded her of a different Eva, the sassy sister that Alex preferred. She sadly smirked at the thought.
"Any who~!" The wolf smiled, this one slyer. "You seem to be in quite the predicament. I can help, ya' know. All you have to do is make a deal!"
"Deal?" Alex questioned, "I...thought it was a wish?"
The wolf shrugged, looking around. "Wish works to, but I don't do wishes. Too much paper work... plus, deals are more powerful."
Alex looked at the wolf, clearly confused.
"Look, kid, you have a strong soul, ok?"
"What does that even mean? I hear it a lot but no one's explained that part to me." Alex sighed, regarding the wolf with curiosity.
The wolf's smile widened, "It means you posse one of the many rare traits in a human."
Alex eyebrows furrowed.
"In other words, you're special."
Silence.
"Wow, nothing? Usually that's the closing line. I'd usually have a deal by now.."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it." The wolf sighed. "Ok, so each human's soul has a different color. Each color corresponds to a trait, green means kindness, red meaning determination, purple equal's generosity, orange is honesty, bravery and justice is blue, and so on and so on, I didn't really pay attention in class..."
Alex felt like she should be taking notes. She nodded, encouraging the wolf on.
"When someone says you have a 'strong soul' it's another way of saying 'your soul tastes really good to witches'."
Alex gave an odd smile. She was tasty?
"No, not you... not your body at least. Your soul." The wolf corrected, Alex was taken aback before remembering that the wolf could read her mind. "Without your soul, you basically walk around like a zombie."
Alex blinked, her mouth forming an 'o'.
"But! The good news is-"
"Wait." Alex interrupted. The wolf looked at her, that smile still on it's face.
"Oh...sorry."
The wolf shook its head, encouraging Alex on.
"W-well, how does one get a strong soul?"
"It's either acquired or the human is born with it. Either way, it's just as strong. Sometimes acquired strong souls are, indeed, stronger, but not by much."
Alex nodded, "Ok. On to what you were saying."
The wolf nodded, then carried on, "But, the good news about having a soul as tasty as yours is... if you make a deal with me, you can become strong enough to protect yourself against these witches."
Alex nodded, liking the idea. "I would... but Eva.."
"Eva's the reason you're out here in the cold. Isn't she?"
Alex looked at the wolf, she wasn't shocked that it knew, it seemed to know so much anyways, but the wolf had a point.
Eva didn't care.
She wanted Alex to die, to be alone.
Alex lowered her head at the memory, suddenly feeling like finding herself some glass.
"Hey! There no need for glass when I'm here."
She looked at the wolf.
"I can make your problems go away quicker than those shards. Plus, Eva won't find out this time."
Alex considered this, taking it all in. She could be happy, she could be a normal human. She would be accepted by the other girls, they could probably train her to so she didn't bother them in a fight.
She could prove herself right, she could prove everyone wrong.... By becoming the monster her sister knew she was.
Alex heart sank.
"No." She uttered against her better judgement. She would not become that monster Eva knew she was. She would find a way to fight those Witches by herself. She could do it, after all, she was determined.
The wolf smiled, and Alex swore she saw its eyes glow red.
"You're just going to bother your sister, ya' know. Not being able to protect yourself...or her for that matter, you both have the same soul."
Alex blinked, her heart skipping a beat. "She.. would be in danger?"
The wolf smiled gently and shook its head. "Look at that, you're in this mess because of her and all you can think about is her feelings. About how she sees you."
Alex blinked, realizing that, yes, the wolf was right. She could totally be selfish here, give into her needs...but when your parents are beating the two of you... its hard not to care. Even if they set you off.
The wolf sighed, Alex looked at it.
"So accepting. So forgiving. No wonder soul's like yours are rare and fade fast."
Alex blinked at that last part, fade fast? What did that mean?
The wolf didn't bother to answer, instead it looked upwards, watching something.
"Memories." The wolf smiled.
Alex looked at the wolf, too tired to question what the wolf meant, but to curious to not ask at all. The wolf smiled, knowing what Alex did without looking at her, waving its paw as if saying 'look around'. Alex narrowed her eyes, trying to focus on what the wolf was gesturing to.
Alex followed its gaze, looking towards the sky. Her eyes widened in disbelief, all around her were her memories, all of them floated around the two, the cold screams of pain mixed with the small amount of warm laughter flooded that seeped from a glowing few.
Surrounding them like cloud, her memories floated along, surrounding them, things Alex had lived though, good and bad. It was almost peaceful.
"You can see my memories to?" Alex asked, well, stated really. She tryed not to look at most of them. She instead choice to focus on one of her favorite memories. The one before everything had happened. The night before the fire, her and her family were having dinner. Her dad didn't yell at her, her mother didn't hit Eva. It was surprising, that was the longest they had gone without any beatings, any harsh words.
The memory seemed to grey in color as the wolf began to talk again.
"Not really. It's more like your showing them to me." The wolf tried to explain, that smile never leaving her face.
"So many memories of your sister protecting you." The wolf mussed, tearing her gaze from the sky.
Alex blinked, narrowing her eyes "yeah she's a great sister. So what?" she grunted, mostly because she needed to hear it allowed. Eva cared, even after everything. She cared. She wasn't going to let Alex die out here all alone.
"Kinda like you're a little kid, right?"
Alex's hands became fists as she shoved them in her pockets, this wasn't a good subject for her. Especially after what had just happened. "She just wants to protect me. No biggie." She muttered this one, not believing it but using it as an excuse anyways.
"Like you can't protect yourself?"
Alex looked away, she was tired, and she didn't want this. Not tonight.
"Like your worthless?"
Alex blinked, "s-she never said that"
"You sure?"
Alex swallowed, afraid of the truth. I am weak. I am worthless. Shook her head, trying to free herself from her own grasp. We've been through this. She told herself, your better than that.
"You know why she's protecting you though, right?"
Alex shook her head. "Because I'm a freak."
"Because she thinks you're weak. She thinks you aren't brave or strong enough to face the truth, that your only worth protecting because it gives her purpose. Not because she loves you, not because she cares for you. Because she wants to know that someone will remember her for something.
"Your parent's weren't proud of you. What makes you think she is?"
It was silent for a minute, Alex hastily brushed the tears away, shaking her head.
"She was going to leave you behind in this world, you know. She was going to die and leave you all alone. She doesn't want to be near you, she just wanted to survive that house, and if that meant protecting you, then that's what she did.
"She doesn't love you. She isn't proud of you, you're nothing to her, you're a freak she has to take care of so no one else gets hurt."
The wolf opened one eye, its sly smile twisting into something else.
"Make a deal with me, and you won't be a problem for her. She won't have to protect and baby you anymore. You can be brave, and strong, and you'll never be alone again. You can finally be worth something, you can be a hero. Someone your sister will be proud of."
Alex gave in, tears running down her cheeks again. She was so tired of crying. Of punishing herself for her mistakes. She didn't want to be a problem for Eva, she wanted to be the bigger sister for once. She wanted to be the one to protect the both of them.
And if that meant she had to be that freak Eva had feared she was....at least she wouldn't be alone.
D-AdEYd!
