Wolves Den

Chapter 2

Mr Higgs was my kids church director and now he's also my choir director. Since fourth grade I've come to first Baptist church all by myself and sang solos or duets with Jen. Most of the time I just play an instrument for the choir while they sing but every once and a while, I sing, like I'm doing today. After we pray and the choir sings a few songs as a group it's my turn to come up with my guitar. "You got this Remi!" Jen yells like it's my first time doing a solo.

"Thanks Jen." I laugh into the mic. The rest of the church laughs with me. "Good morning everyone." I say loudly enough for everyone to hear me.

"Good morning Remi." They all say back a few of them clapping.

"I'm going to sing 'My Jesus' by Anne Wilson today. If you know it, feel free to sing along." I strum a chord on the guitar and start singing. Now I'm not some famous singing girl in a small town. I'm not even famous and honestly I'm not that good at singing. Most of the people who judge me can't hear properly so their judgment doesn't have much effect. But they all support me and make me feel at home. Which is more than I can say about my own parents.

Just as I strum my last chord I look up. My eyes immediately go to a tall figure in the back leaning against the door frame with two other people behind him. A breath catches in my throat when I look into his eyes. Yellow, like the ones I've seen in the forest near my house and at my hideout. I barely register when everyone goes quiet and when pastor Mark is on the stage waiting for me to leave. "Oh sorry." I whisper with a nervous laugh. He nods and starts clapping again making everyone else start as well. I sit back down with Jen who takes my hand in hers. Looking over my shoulder is expected to not see the men anymore but I do and they're all staring right back at me.

"They're kind of cute." Jen whispers in my ear as she glances at them. I turn back around and act like I'm listening to the sermon.

"Pay attention Jen."

After church, when everyone is saying goodbye I take Jens hand and make a beeline for the door only to be stopped by Mr Caldwell, a church deacon. "That was a lovely song you sang today, Remi." He tells me.

"Thank you Mr Caldwell, that's very sweet but I need to be going." I try to get past him but he won't let me through.

"Are you coming to bible school tonight?" He asks, already knowing the answer. I'm not some save the world Christian by any means of the word but I love to make people happy, and getting out of the house. Church was the only way I could think of.

"I don't think so, Mr Caldwell. My mom doesn't like me being out that late." I tell him.

"Oh okay well. I guess I'll see you next Sunday then?" He states. I smile and nod, then make my way out of the building.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Jen asks as I pull her to my car.

"I just really want to get home to my dogs." I lie. She gives me a look that says 'I know that's not true' but says nothing.

When I drop Jen off I wait to make sure her mom lets her inside and when she does I let myself leave knowing that she's safe and loved. But when I get home I can no longer shake the strange feeling I've had since I saw those eyes yesterday. Someone's watching me! Did my parents hire them? Is this a joke? So many more questions run through my brain but one sticks out the most. Who and what are they? By the time it's dark outside I'm exhausted, so after feeding Duckie and Rex I go to my room and try to do my homework that's due tomorrow. Just as I finish my math assignment my phone dings. "Moms being a bitch again. Can you pick me up?" Jen asks.

"I'll be there in five." Is all I text back. As quickly as I can I throw some shorts on and grab my sandals. Rex whines when I grab my keys but I don't acknowledge him. Outside is cold and a faint rain falls on my skin, my car has dew drops on it causing my hand to become wet when I grab the handle. But just before I can open the door someone grabs me from behind and clamps a hand over my mouth. I kick and I scream as best as I can but whoever has me is strong. I'm dragged into the woods, farther and farther from my home.

"You're not getting out of this sweetheart. You might as well stop fighting." A man's voice whispers in my ear.

"Let the girl go Dunken." Another voice shouts, authority ringing through his words. I'm released in an instant, and with it my screams. I snip around and land a foot to someone's balls. Just as I try to kick again, someone grabs me... again. "God damn it! She can kick hard." The guy I kicked groans.

"Suck it up Dunken!" The man who's holding me snaps.

"Let me go or I swear to god...." I warn.

"You'll what?" He asks. "We're stronger, fast, and smarter than you will ever be. So tell me princess, what are you going to do?"

"My dads the chief of police and my mom is the secretary of city hall. They'll have you hunted down the second they find out I'm missing." Lying has never come so naturally. "If you let me go now I won't tell anyone about tonight. I'll go back home and you'll never see me again." They're all silent for a moment before they burst into laughter.

"We know your lying princess. We've done our research." Everything I've tried hasn't worked and now they know everything about me. "Your mother is a prostitute and your father is an alcoholic. They won't care that you're gone. All they'll see is more money for them to spend on themselves." Tears threaten to pour down my cheeks but I hold them in.

"What do you want from me?" My voice comes out a lot stronger than I expected.

"Now what fun would it be to tell you that?" The shadow man asks with a menacing laugh.

"I've done nothing." I ground out.

"Little girls got some bite to her." The man I've come to know as Dunken laughs. Just as I'm about to throw more words at him, I'm turned around so I'm facing the man who is holding me. A breath catches in my throat when I look up at him. Yellow eyes stare down at me with such curiosity you'd think I was a dragon. Then it hits me. Yellow eyes.

"Y-you!" I exclaim. "You've been watching me!"

"You're very observant." He comments. "Most humans wouldn't have noticed anything."

"What do you mean human? Isn't that what you are?" I ask. The man shakes his head and sighs.

"We'll get to that later princess. Right now we have better things to get to."

"What-" I'm cut off by a sharp pain in my left arm. Looking down at my arm I see that the man has bitten me. When he lifts his head he licks his lips clean of my blood. Just as I try to yell at him the pain heightens to a point I didn't know possible. I scream and thrash around in the man's arms crying out with every painful pules my arm gives. "What did you do to me!" My voice comes out in a growl.

"I've turned you." He states. "You're going to become like me. You'll be powerful." My head swings and my vision dances. Soon my screams dim to my ears and I fall into darkness.

I wake up in the woods all alone. My memory is a blur and my entire body is sore. The faint scent of lemon and fresh cut grass lingers in the air as I sit up. Everything in my body protests but I make myself stand. A breeze runs through the air and it's then that I realize I'm naked. How the hell did I become naked? Where are my clothes? Why am I in the forest? Taking a deep breath I try to clear my head but the pounding only makes things harder. "Hey!" A voice yells in the distance. "What are you doing out here at this time of night?" The man comes into view and I see that he's holding a gun towards me.

"I-I think I need help." My voice shakes with unshed tears.

"Good god who did this to you?" Is all I hear before everything goes black again. 

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