Lunaticus

2

I was in my room. The dinner was made and the others were setting it on the table now. I was showering, cleaning the oil and muck from my body.

Dinner was the only time we were all together. There were hardly thirty of us, all from different backgrounds and ages. The oldest was the captain herself, well into her sixties but looking a day past twenty.

The youngest was Arthur, just a baby when someone had left him on the captain's porch, wailing in the cold September night.

No one ever found his parents or his whereabouts. Now he was five, a giddy ball of excitement and clumsiness. Everyone cajoled and put up with his antics. In my opinion, he was the best thing to happen to this goddess forsaken place.

Neat and tidy now, I made my way down the stairs. The dinner table gossip resonated all through the house. Topics were shared, laughers were frequented as much as the cranberry juice. People exchanged their problems like it was no big deal, like they weren't social outcasts, shunned and rejected.

I took my seat at the middle and helped myself to a turkey leg. At the pace they were going, if I didn't fill my plate now I'd be going to sleep with a grumbling belly.

"Hey, psst. Don't eat."

"Huh?" I asked, the fork near my mouth.

"The captain isn't here yet." Timothy, in his early thirties, whispered to me. I nodded, sighing as I placed my fork on my plate.

"But she's always on time."

"It's the new kid." He scratched his beard, the only part of his face that wasn't marred with claw marks. "I think."

"Hey Tim, you think you could beat me in a cranberry juice marathon?" The guy seated opposite to me hollered.

"Aye. As if you are any match to me."

"Guys," I tried to interject. "Maybe slow down? We're running thin on groceries and it might not be the best idea-"

"Oh really? I bet you put juice in one hole of your mouth and comes right out throw another one." He said, mocking the claw marks. I could feel Tim tense.

"Now now, how about we have a water marathon-"

"So would yours, right after I finish carving your face-" Tim was starting to stand, and I was pinching my forehead as the table started to chant Tim's name or Jackies.

"Everyone, settle down."

The captain. Heads turned. She was standing, tall and proud, in her cargo jeans and gray tanktop. Her hair was pulled in a clean blonde bread, shoulders thrown back. Her hand disappeared behind Jackies standing figure.

"Aw Jack, sit the fuck down."

"Yeah."

"Sit down you're blocking our view."

"Boo."

"Yeah yeah." Jack raised his hand in surrender, and sat back down with a harrumph.

Revealing the palest boy I had ever seen. Vulnerable, tired, terrified. Those were the three words I would have used to describe the slouch of his shoulders, the way his gaze was planted on the wooden floorboard.

His hair were silver, almost fight. He was tall enough to make someone think he was almost twenty, but the frail look and hollow bones told another story.

"Now if everyone has finished staring," The captain called, her thin voice making everyone look at anything but them. "I would like to introduce Lyell."

"Lyell, this is the, well we don't have an official name. This is the pack. There are twenty-nine of us in total, now thirty that you have joined us."

His head bobbed. I think he was nodding.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?"

Ever so slowly, his head lifted. Slight and sleek features, eyes gray like a silver pot. There were hollow under his eyes and in his cheeks. But despite the weakness, there was something really bizzare about him.

I wonder which flavor of crazy he was.

"My name is Lyell. I, uh, ran away-"

"No, no Lyell. You don't have to tell us anything." The captain cut in, while all of us silently groaned. Things were so dead-beat boring around here, he would have said he was the son of a fish monger and we would have gulped that down like fresh wine.

"We live here like a family. All the tasks are divided, and everyone has a fair share of work to do each day. You'll be taken to the task master tomorrow, and you can tell her what type of work you're interested in. Okay?"

He nodded, though from the look on his dull face I knew he had heard it all before. "We live together in peace and as a family. We protect each other, with our secrets and our lives. I'd like everyone extends the same courtesy to Lyell, so that no one feels anymore of an outcast as they already do."

Everyone nodded solemnly. Say whatever you like, but the lack of hierchy in our pack meant everyone respected each other without a hint of judgment.

"Is there somewhere in particular you'd like to sit?"

Lyell paused, scanning each of our faces. He started from the furthest left, trailing until his eyes landed on mine.

Luck of all lucks, Arthur was seated right next to me. He waved his hands giddily, pointing at the space between us. I silently blew out a breath.

"Is there...okay?"

"Yay, I have a new friend! I have a new friend!"

Attention seeker. I was too fond of him to admonish him. I scooted to the left as a chair was placed beside me.

This new boy had the scent of north. Pine cones and lilacs. I found myself leaning in, inhaling deeply.

As Arthur started to chatter animatedly, I focused on my food. I wondered what was his story. His hands were as white as the rest of him. I took notice of the pink lines across his wrist.

So those were the type of demons he had.

His nails were cut, clean. I found myself wanting to trace the veins that stretched across his bony hands. The thought disturbed me so much I made myself focus on my plate for the rest of the meal.

But there wasn't much I could do to block my ears. So pretending I was deaf but otherwise paying strict attention, I listened to the soft timbre of his voice. It wasn't deep, nor was it rough.

It felt wrong to tag it to a male, but he sounded chuberic. Like if he sang, he would have the attention of the world.

They were playing some game. Papers and pens were involved. But time passed too quickly and I stood up, stacking the plates together.

He stood up too. Quick as a viper, his hand striked towards mine and he made my fingers wrap around a piece of paper. I quickly looked at the others, but it seemed no one had noticed.

He too was gone. I carried the paper and the plates to the kitchen. Then, leaning against the wall I carefully uncreased the piece of paper.

You're my mate.