赤裸裸的滑稽故事

“We don’t know if he will have any other wolves with him,” Caleb said as he walked beside Galen down the hall, Fiona following close behind. “We need to be prepared for a fight, but the children are there too.”

They entered a room. Galen immediately walked ahead and pulled down a map to lay on the table at the center of the room. Caleb stepped forward.

“Here,” he said, circling an area along the mountainside between Summer and Broken Crag. “This is where Axel said Granger took them.”

“That part of the mountains….” Galen started.

“Yes,” Caleb nodded. “That’s why my connection to Ashleigh has felt cut off… because she’s insulated by the silver inside this mountain.”

Fiona let out a low growl.

Caleb looked up at her with confusion.

“What is it?” Caleb asked.

“That area,” she said, “I know where he is. It’s an old lab.”

“How do you know?” Galen asked.

“Because it belonged to Cain,” she said.

Caleb furrowed his brow, looking back at the map.

“I don’t remember dad having any labs outside neutral territories.”

“He wasn’t supposed to, and he hadn’t used it in a very long time,” Fiona said. “He used that lab for a project with Tomas. They chose that location because of the silver. They built the lab deep inside the mountain. It was far enough away from the actual silver deposit to not feel the effects while using it to block out the senses of any curious wolves in the area.”

“Then how did Granger know about it?” Galen asked._.

“Good question…” Caleb sighed. “For now, I don’t care. We need to get there, now.”

They left the room, continuing down the hall.

“I will gather my team and a couple of the medics. We’ll gather supplies to treat the wounded and offer nourishment to the children. I doubt we will find them well taken care of,” Fiona said.

“All that matters is that we find them,” Caleb said, looking back over his shoulder at his mother.

Fiona nodded.

“I will see you there,” she said. Turning and heading in another direction.

“Galen, I need you to–”

“I’m going with you,” Galen stated firmly.

“No,” Caleb replied immediately. “Your shoulder is injured.”

“I told you,” Galen said, removing his arm from the sling with a slight grimace. “It looks worse than it is.”

“Galen…” Caleb sighed. “You’re hurt. You need to stay here and prepare for our return. Thank you, Brother, but please do what I ask.”

“It’s my fault she’s gone. Please, let me help you bring her back,” Galen said.

Caleb sighed. He placed a hand on Galen’s good shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“I never should have said that,” Caleb began. “It’s not your fault. It never was. I’m sorry, I was scared and upset. But I know you would have done everything possible to keep her safe. You couldn’t have known.”

Galen nodded.

“I’m still coming with you,” Galen insisted.

Caleb sighed.

“I am leaving now. You go get final clearance from the medic, if they say your shoulder is fine, you know where to find me, or you can join Mom as soon as they’re ready.”

Galen nodded and ran off toward the medical center.

Caleb took a deep breath.

“I’m coming, Ashleigh,” he whispered before shifting and running toward the eastern gate.

***

Granger was tired of waiting.

He had checked on her multiple times in the past two days. It was clear she was struggling, yet she still hadn’t succumbed to the effects of the mist.

Caleb was coming, he had no doubt about that. It was only a matter of time. The quicker he made Ashleigh understand, the sooner they would be together. Just the two of them.

Granger checked the monitor once more. Ashleigh still lay in the bed, tossing, turning, and crying in pain and misery. He could feel her struggle, he knew she was fighting, but he also knew she was weakening.

He licked his lips with anticipation.

A little more is what she needed. Just a little push.

Granger reached down and turned up the dial, pushing even more of the mist through the vents and into the room.

***

The Valkyrie stopped her charge. She looked up to the moon in the sky, pausing her actions.

“We are out of time,” she said. “This is your last chance. Summon my power on your own. Use it to leave this place.”

Ashleigh pulled herself up to kneel on one knee. Her body ached, she was weak and tired. Her hair fell loose around her bloodied face. She licked her lips and took in tiny, ragged breaths.

“No,” she replied.

The Valkyrie stared down at Ashleigh.

“Your determination, though misdirected, is admirable,” she said. “Your will is strong, but you lack the confidence to wield our power.”

“I don’t want to hurt innocent people!” Ashleigh shouted in anger.

“Then don’t.”

Ashleigh shook her head, it was impossible, the Valkyrie wasn’t listening. It couldn’t understand.

It didn’t know how it felt, the shame of having killed all those men and women.

The screams filled the room once more. Ashleigh brought her hands to her ears, trying to push them out.

The grey skies shifted; trees sprung up around them. A burning shed behind them.

Ashleigh looked around and knew exactly where she was. The night of the attack on Summer. She stood up, looking around. The first man jumped at her. She grabbed him by the throat, squeezing until she felt the sickening crunch of his trachea. She let go, and his body crumpled to the ground.

Ashleigh looked down. It was the man that made the bracelets for the children.

A woman ran at her carrying the tray of dessert cakes.

Ashleigh tore off her arms.

The Valkyrie watched as Ashleigh’s rampage began, as she tore the men and women that attacked her apart piece by piece.

“Why do you lie to yourself?” the Valkyrie asked.

“It’s not a lie,” Ashleigh said through her tears. “These are the people I killed.”

The Valkyrie stared at the two men that came next, one was dressed to till the field, and the other held a wooden toy in his hand. As they approached, they smiled and waved at Ashleigh before she cut them down.

“This is not what happened.”

The Valkyrie raised her hand, and the entire scene froze.

“These are not the people from your memory.”

The scene rewound, and the first attacker came once more, this time dressed as he had been the night of the attack. Leather armor and his face hidden in mud and paint. He flew at Ashleigh, snarling and growling. Again, she caught him by the throat.

The scene froze one more.

“This is truth. They attacked, and you defended.”

“They were innocent people.”

“They attacked you.”

“I knew them!” Ashleigh shouted, still holding the man by the throat. She stared up at him, his face, his clothing all transitioned back to the sweet old man with the leather bracelets.

The Valkyrie shook her head.

“There is no point in this. They attacked, you defended. There was no wrong done by you or me.”

Ashleigh ignored the Valkyrie, the scene played on, and Ashleigh continued to see the wolves that attacked her as victims.

Until one moment, when Ashleigh felt his presence, she looked up into the trees with a snarl. She didn’t see him, but she knew he was there.

The Valkyrie looked and saw nothing. His presence, however, she recognized right away.

***

Looking carefully at the monitor, Granger noticed that Ashleigh had stopped twitching. Her body was still. For a moment, he was afraid he had pushed her too far. But then he saw her take a deep breath.

He smiled to himself as she slowly sat up.

Suddenly his attention was drawn away from the monitor as an alarm began to sound. He looked toward a different monitor that showed the cameras outside. He saw a red and tan wolf approaching the door.

“Caleb…” he growled and stood up from his chair. Granger grabbed his bow and arrow, and the set of daggers by the door before leaving the room.

Not noticing the way Ashleigh had stood up, tearing away her bindings as if they were nothing. Or how she stared into the camera as though she could see where he had been, and how her eyes shone brightly with moonlight.