A LUNA'S SHADOWS (RE-WRITE IN PROGRESS)

(Adira)

Suddenly I dropped to the cold concrete below. The dirt ground under my body, my heart beat faster. The drugs had mostly worn off. There’s a crowd shouting and clapping around me. I push myself to my feet, slightly unsteady. The insanely strange man smiles across from me. Glancing around, I looked for an escape. But the entire ring is closed in by steel and soundproof materials. Smart, but not safe for me. Fear rattles through me, welcome to the war echoes through my thoughts.

“I doubt she’s anything special, look at her shake.” One woman sneered.

I fought the urge to snap back, to give her a dose of what I am. My father’s Alpha lineage runs through my blood. Though I wasn’t incredibly naïve, I couldn’t fight. I did not know-how. I had a pity’s worth of training against my brother. Not enough to challenge a most probably trained rebel. There isn’t a chance I would live through this. Sorrow filled me, but it also filled me with peace. If I die, I will accept it. My fingers reach for my hair and tuck it behind my ears. The few rouge curls had fallen from the messy bun.

“How old is she? Like fifteen?” A man snickered.

“Time to wake my future Luna up.” The man roared to the crowd.

“Alpha Vlad has never been wrong…” the same man whispered to the woman he clutched in a tight group.

“We will see…” she said.

“Well, at least I know whose hands are killing me.” I whispered to myself.

In one flash, Vlad has shifted and his wolf-self is inches from me. I shifted, praying I was quick enough. Our bodies clash, his claws dig into my chest and his jaws are inches from my neck. Pushing myself from under him, I turn and somehow dodge his second attempt. But I barely catch a breath and his jaws are snapping at my neck all over again. A growl rippled through my body, and the cool air brushes against my bared teeth. Power flows through my body, an intense burning, every piece of my insides feels as if it were on fire. A whimper escapes me with my heavy breaths as I gape in pain. The crowd around us cheers.

“This is only round one, my little Luna.” Vlad whispers in my ear.

And he was so right. There were many more rounds.

Each round left me breathless, in an undesirable amount of pain. Whimpering, wishing for death. But he was strategic enough, leaving me with just enough strength to live and heal. The crowd loved him while they left me on the ground. They didn’t care for the barely, the new adult wolf being tortured before them. What type of pack is this?

“Final round little Luna, show me or die.” He hissed.

“Show you what?” I sighed.

“Your darkness.” He hissed.

The ending round, three on one. Taking turns to exercise their strengths on me. Each zap, ripple, fire, just caused me to die that little more on the inside. My soul is just a shadow of what it was. That’s when I felt it, something crawling around me. Something shuffling underneath me, something that wanted to spread its chaos from its fiery depths. Something that wanted death and a master to serve. Around us, the ground rippled. The crowd fell silent as it grew more intense. A hazy bubble glimmered around me. The zaps from Vlad filter through it in slow motion. I easily dodge it with confusion.

Something dark climbed through the cracks of the ground, it growls entirely animalistic, but nothing I had ever heard before. Nothing I could describe, but the sound is enough to grow goosebumps on my arms. It leaps at Vlad; they roll into a ball of growls and blood. Then there is a sharp stab to my neck and a bolt of lightning ripped into the distracted creature. A wave of dizziness hit me. It felt like the same type of sluggish drug that they had given me before this had begun. I tried to stay awake, to fight them off. Needing to escape. Eventually, I did not fight for myself and gave into the lulling drug. An evil laugh is the last thing I hear before I venture into the dream world.

Alarms blaring caused my body to wake. My heart raced. Unknowing what’s happening around me. I rip my wrists from the zip-ties and feel the bed head groan from my strength. Sitting up, I hear screams echoing throughout the halls. I stumble to the door as the world spins around me. Fiddling with the locked door, the next wave of drugs hits me and I fell to the cold concrete floor. I stare around the room, searching for something. The bland dresser, rusted mirror, nope. Small side table with a candle? Nope. Metal old rusted bedhead? Maybe? I stumble to it and try to break one of the fake vines off. My bedroom handle rattles, a weak growl rumbles in my chest. The old door squeals open, and Uncle Jay quickly helps me up.

“Come on Kiddo.” He sighed.

“No way!” I pushed him away.

“I’m getting you out!” Jay said.

“This could be another trick!” I panic.

“I made an anonymous call to the officials. Come on, I will get you out.” He said and held a hand out.

I took his hand. But only because right now I need to get out or die. This could be one or both, so I let him take my weight and stumbled with him through the dark halls. Growls and gunshots echoed throughout the pitch-black halls and rooms. No power, only screams and torch lights. Almost horror-movie like. Reminding me of being the drugged-out main character who dies in the end, unless it’s a plot twist. Then maybe I will find a weapon at the end in the most obvious place and end the war. The idea is far-fetched, but I would have my family back and there wouldn’t be a war.

Jay pushed against a door that had been hidden, rusted tin fell to the ground, banging loudly.

“Fuck.” Jay mumbled and pushed against the door again.

“Just where do you think you’re going?” A voice hisses from the darkness.

Jay shoved me out the door and pulled it shut. He only managed one word before he slammed it shut.

“Run!”

So I ran, well, more so stumbled at a quicker pace. Before I realized he had slid a needle into my pocket with reverse written on it. Pulling the cap off, I hesitate. I hated needles. Now I have to willingly inject myself to get as far as I could. I couldn’t shift on this drug. It was as if it numbed my entire primal side. I shut my eyes and jab it into my leg. Hissing with the stabbing pain and cool liquid that rushed into me. Stumbling further and quicker with each minute passing. I made it to the dock. A rickety old wood pier stood over the swirling waves below.

“Hands up wolf!” A deep voice said.

“Shit.” I mumbled.

Without looking back, I ran to the end of the pier. A bullet clips my side as I jump into the water below. Not today. I pull myself to a stump and hold my breath, watching the torch lights flicker over the edge. Because of course, uncle Jay had planned to get me out at night, when it was cold and dark… Movies suggest the darkness helps, I guess if you’re used to the cold and not out of your mind in fear it isn’t so bad. The water is icy, it’s angry and the waves swallow me. I gripped the stump as hard as I could. Waiting anxiously for the torches to leave. Each minute is painful. Each moment I am under, my head grows lighter. Finally, the lights left. Rapidly, I swim to the surface and gasp. Sweet air fills my lungs. I drag myself to the small rock wall beside the pier. Ripping my hands from the sharp curves of the muscles. Whispering a small series of curse words with each level climbed.

Pulling my soggy, bloody, shredded self over the wall. My weak body takes forever to heal as I push myself to stand, dragging my feet to a dimly lit maze of shipping containers that are kept behind the old warehouses. The first of the winter snow lands on my nose, bringing a winter breeze with it. I shiver. The cold isn’t nice when you have just climbed out of the ocean. Wrapping my hands as I push myself to weave through the shipping container maze. The snowflakes on my skin. I had to shift. My fur would be the only thing that could not freeze in this cold. Shifting is painful while I am weak. The bones break and slowly put themselves back together. But finally, my thick black fur coat protects me from the cold. Trotting up the street, I hear a howl behind me.

Instinctively, I want to turn around and face them. Alpha blood calls for me to not turn from a fight. Human me? Well, she thinks we should hide, because of how incredibly weak we are right now. And wolf me? Well, after hearing the almost impossible argument of weakness we run to the shadows between a shipping container and an old rusted warehouse. Crouching behind metal trash cans was not my finest moment. But right now they were all I had to cover my scent and hide. A pattering of paws grew closer, I could hear them sniffing the entrance of the small alley. I sighed in relief when I heard the paws leave and fade off into the distance. So, I crawled out. Made it to the entrance and heard a growl.

“No running now.” I sighed.