A wolf boy

Going back and remembering Chapter 1

I travelled through the same woods I did as a child. I can’t believe I still remember the way here but then again, I came here all the time. This place was something I knew better than myself. Every twist, every turn, every end… Or so I thought

I am 26 now; I have just graduated from medical school and I am about to face the harsh reality of the world. For 2 years, I was living of the small fortune my parents left me as a child but I want to save it, for in future.

My current part time job is working as a waitress at the local restaurant to pay the bills while I find a Surgery that will take me in. All in good time, as my late granddad used to say.

I day dream a lot and I always find myself thinking of the same thing. What might and could’ve happened. The name is in my doodles, in my notes, hell I even accidentally wrote it in the column of my exam sheet, while I was back in university.

By now, I figured I should visit it, to calm my doubts and to move on. It’s hard to move on sometimes. I feel that this place has always been calling me back, trying to draw me back in behind the rusty gates.

I can deny all I want but I’ve wanted to come back here, just to make sure that my old friends were still around here… Who am I kidding? I have been waiting 11 years to come back and see him. The boy of my dreams and nightmares. Who was my past, present and future. Was.

Clearing my head of thoughts, I made my way through the rusty old gates with a sign that faintly said under the graffiti;

“Welcome to Lazuli academy for young ladies.”

Underneath a smaller sign said;

“Provides boarding for young ladies in need.”

I used to board here. Alone.

11 years previously

Dear mum and dad,

Guess what?! It’s my birthday today! I’m turning 15 in about 2 hours and the time is 11 pm. Yeh, I know I shouldn’t be up this late but I’m just so excited! New possibilities and I get to watch the 15 rated movies!! Not that I will because I am a very good girl. I wish we could one day meet, I have been wishing the same wish over and over again each birthday but it never comes true. You would be in that white flowing fdress I saw in your old wedding photos and dad with where the dungarees he used to wear when he went fishing. I know a bit weird but you both just looked so beautiful and happy in it. Plus, they’re my only photos of you too. I hope you’re happy in heaven with each other. I’ll meet you for definite one day up there but I’ll be an old lady and you’ll still be young and youthful. A bit weird.

I love you and I miss you both. I have to go because the Matron is coming… And is drunk as usual. Yay…

Bye

Alana Strive

I neatly folded my piece of paper and placed in in an envelope where all my other letters were. I am old enough to understand my parents are dead and I won’t see them again but I still strive for a better future, after all my surname is Strive (pun intended).

I could start to hear heavy footsteps coming towards me and I knew it was the Matron.

“Alana! Where in hell are you?! I will punish you for this, I’ll whip a piece of manners into you! I’m going to take away your hot meal privileges and…

Her voice faded away as I crawled into a secret passage I found behind the wall. I think it was meant for emergencies in the past after all, this school has been here since the 1700s. I remember when I was 8 and I first discovered it. I thought it was a passage to Narnia and at the end, I would meet my parents.

Being a very curious 8 year old, I ventured through it. It was very narrow and I had to crawl as the ceiling was quite low. I had to crawl for about 3 minutes before I saw the light from the sun again. The fear of the Matron, even back then, kept me going.

My hands were raw from crawling and my knees were dirty from the mud. At the end of the tunnel, I saw the light seeping through a bush placed directly out in front of the exit. Climbing out, I saw a forest, the very one the students in my school were forbidden to enter.

For hours I played in this mysterious new world for me. I played alone, making pretend food out of plants and climbing trees.

That day was one of the best day of my life, the day I realised I could be free.

Now standing outside alone for the last time as a 14 year old, I have never felt so lonely un my life. I am never truly going to see my parents ever again and it’s time I stop writing to them, while I collect the broken pieces of my mind.

Treading through the woods, I stumbled across a large lake. That’s strange, that’s never been there before. I turned back and realised I walked to the part of this forest I have never been before. Suddenly, I feel more cautious and alert, as the night got darker.

The water was crystal clear, only illuminated by the moon. It was like a mirror, producing a flawless image.

Looking in, I saw myself. My brown hair, that was cruelly cut 6 months ago, grew till about my shoulders, turned black. My brown eyes, only ever shining with a tear, were as dark at the night sky. I curled my lips into a light smile as I saw a bird come down from its nest and rest on my shoulder.

It was dark blue with green tipped feathers. I reached out to stroke it on its head.

Suddenly the bird flew away and I heard a low growl from behind me. I turned around slowly to see nothing but trees and darkness. Sighing and scolding myself for being a wuss, I turned to stare at the water once again, wondering why the bird flew away.

Then, I heard a loud growl, from right behind me. I didn’t move.

Slowly in the reflection, I saw tufts of hair appear, long and shaggy. I couldn’t see much more but I had the feeling it was a wolf.

Shoot.

I turned around to face this creature and I had the shock of my life. It was a human. It was covered in dirt and grime, only it’s clear eyes that were looking straight at me, warning me not to move, I could see properly.

I froze, as the human bared its white, sharp teeth at me. I was staring at them, trying to pretend myself they were pretend ones from Halloween. I then tried to shuffle backwards and accidentally fell down on to the floor of the forest.

Slowly, he towered over my head, crouching like a dog. Cries of wolves suddenly were heard and the strange human howled back. Not even looking back at me, it ran away on all fours, leaving me stunned.

I stayed like that for a while, wondering why on Earth a human acted like that. It was so dirty and I was so scared, I didn’t even know if it was a girl or a boy. I was too fixated on its teeth, that were shaped closely to a human but incredibly white and sharper at the edges.

Walking back slowly to the school, my mind was void of any thought. I quickly crawled through the passage and then change out of my muddy clothes. I went to go and have a shower and bumped into my matron.

“You! Where the hell was you?! The principal came looking for you and we couldn’t find you anywhere! Do you even know how embarrassing it was when I said I didn’t know where you were? I’ll be a laughing stock because of you, I can lose my job! Do you understand? LISTEN TO ME!” She spat at me, angrily.”

“I’m sorry Miss Garrison.” I replied obediently not looking at her.

“Now go to bed and tomorrow, you’ll be waking up at 5 am to scrub the floor and I’ll make sure of it!”

Yeh right, you wake up at 10 am with a hangover and drink gin without tonic.  Then you sleep it off till 6pm and drink till you pass out at 12 am.

“Yes I will.” I calmly lied.

“Well what are you standing here for?! MOVE!”

I turned around promising to myself a shower for tomorrow. As I lay in bed, I stared at the peeling ceiling and had a nightmare about the wolf human.