赤裸裸的滑稽故事

“Caleb!” Galen shouted as he ran into the office without bothering to knock.

Caleb looked up from the papers he was reading.

“Whoa… Galen, slow down! What’s wrong?” he said.

Galen put his hand on his knees and took a breath, having run up two flights of stairs as soon as he had heard the news from the gate.

“Ashleigh…” Galen huffed, “she….”

“She what?” Caleb asked with concern.

“She’s here!” Galen shouted.

“What?” Caleb replied with eyes wide, “what are you talking about?”

“Word from the gate, Ashleigh, daughter of Winter, has entered the border,” he said.

“She didn’t tell me she was coming….” Caleb said, looking at his phone.

“Caleb,” Galen said, pulling his attention back from the phone. “Fiona is already on her way to greet her.”

“What!?” Caleb shouted.

***

Ashleigh had driven faster than ever before; she was so worried about Caleb that she hadn’t bothered to grab her phone. But, as she passed through the borders of Summer, she was relieved. At least now, if she got in an accident, someone would know._.

‘I’m almost there, Caleb,’ she smiled to herself.

After about ten minutes, the drive up to the main compound came into view. Ashleigh felt her heart pick up the closer she got to Caleb.

In the several hours, it had taken to drive here, Ashleigh had considered that she should turn around multiple times. If Caleb was truly sick or something had happened from the surgery, he would have let her know.

But when she was honest with herself, she knew she wanted to see him, to confirm with her own eyes that he was alright.

She pulled the car around the circular drive; it was the same place she had parked before when she came to Summer. Ashleigh shifted the car in to park just as she saw someone walk out onto the platform that served as a welcoming stage.

A woman, late fifties, brown hair with grey highlights. A regal presence came off her even as she leaned on the staff to hold her steady with each step.

Ashleigh swallowed. The last time she met her, she had no idea who she was speaking to. Now, she was nervous.

“Luna Fiona,” Ashleigh greeted as she came up the steps. Placing her fist to her heart and bowing slightly.

“Winter Wolf,” Fiona replied.

Ashleigh lifted her eyes. The way she said it felt uncomfortable.

“Actually,” Ashleigh began, “my name is–”

“I know who you are,” Fiona said abruptly, giving Ashleigh a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Ashleigh swallowed again.

“Why are you here?” Fiona asked. “We had no notice of visiting guests from Winter or any other pack.”

“Uh,” Ashleigh hesitated. “Well, I came to check on Cal–Alpha Caleb.”

Ashleigh corrected her mistake, noticing the faint glow at the edge of Fiona’s eye.

“He was injured while aiding our pack. So it’s only right that I come to make sure he continues to recover well.”

The corner of Fiona’s mouth tilted ever so slightly up as she cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

“Ah… ‘continues’ to recover well?” she asked.

Again, the way she said the words made Ashleigh feel uncomfortable. Still, Ashleigh nodded.

Fiona took a step closer to Ashleigh.

“And in your opinion, his recovery has been going well until this point?” Fiona asked.

Ashleigh took a step back.

“I…” she didn’t know how to respond.

“Do you think he is doing well?” she asked again, taking another step closer.

Ashleigh felt a sudden force against her chest, making it hard to breathe.

“It is difficult for the body to heal when the heart has been weakened. Perhaps that is the reason that I do not see that he is doing well.”

Ashleigh was almost gasping for air, the pressure around her getting thicker, and she was forced to her knees. One hand on the ground kept her steady.

Fiona took one more step. Now standing over Ashleigh, looking down at her. The glow Ashleigh had noted before was no longer faint.

“He mourned her,” Fiona said in a low, quiet growl. Eyes blazing. “We all mourned her.”

Ashleigh gasped, tears building in her eyes from the strain of trying to breathe. She felt lightheaded now.

“Mother!”

Fiona took a deep breath before looking away from Ashleigh.

Ashleigh fell forward as the pressure was released. Coughing and sputtering as she desperately inhaled every bit of oxygen her lungs could take. Her throat and chest both burned.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She assumed it would be Caleb. But she was surprised when she looked up to see Galen. He offered her his hand, which she took immediately.

“Are you ok?” Caleb asked from behind Galen.

Ashleigh looked over his shoulder, and for a moment, she was confused until she looked down and saw Caleb sitting in his wheelchair.

She didn’t understand.

Her heart was racing. Her mind was moving from one thought to another.

“Ashleigh,” Caleb’s warm voice called out to her. Calming her just enough to hear him. “Are you alright?”

She saw the concern in his eyes. Then, taking a deep breath, she nodded.

“Good,” he smiled. “We should talk.”

Ashleigh swallowed and nodded again, not trusting her voice just yet.

“Galen,” Caleb said, “see to mother, please.”

“Of course,” Galen said.

Ashleigh didn’t even notice when Fiona had left. She supposed it was while she had been coughing and trying to catch her breath on all fours.

She watched her walking away in the distance, Galen chasing after her.

‘He mourned her,’ she had said, her eyes filled with an angry sorrow. ‘We all mourned her.’

Fiona’s words.

Ashleigh couldn’t focus on them as she struggled to breathe, but they disturbed her as she watched her walk away.

“Ashleigh,” Caleb called her attention back to him.

Her eyes fell on his chair.

“We should talk,” he sighed.

“Seems like it,” she said.

Ashleigh took a deep breath and moved closer to him.

“You said,” she began, “you said, that the operation was a success….”

“It was,” he replied. “I survived. I have complete control of the majority of my body. I just can’t walk.”

Ashleigh bit the inside of her lip. She didn’t know how to respond. He told her that he could walk and that the surgery had fixed everything. She had believed it was a miracle.

“I know,” he said with a smile. “I lied.”

“Why?” she asked.

“I haven’t given up, and neither has my team,” he said. “I trust they will find a way for me to walk again. But for now, I didn’t want you to worry. You had enough going on in Winter.”

Her heart ached. Without the use of his legs, he wouldn’t be able to shift again. But he was smiling. She didn’t want to take that smile away from him for anything.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I don’t feel much– Oh!”

Caleb was interrupted when Ashleigh suddenly sat on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

“Ok,” he laughed. Wrapping his arms around her.

“I missed you,” she whispered.

“I missed you too,” he sighed, smiling as he ran a hand through her hair.