Chased by a wolf

1. Restless

Evelyn Hales sat in an almost empty bus. She was glad there was no one next to her. Having people close, especially touching her, made Evelyn restless. Her bus ride had begun almost 6 hours ago.

"Three more," she counted.

Three more hours and she'd be in a new town. This time she would need to stay a bit longer than usual because she was running out of money. She needed to find a job. Something that would give her a chance to continue her vagabond lifestyle as soon as possible. She'd been living like this since she was 16. Before that she'd moved from one foster home to another. No one seemed to be able to handle her and no one wanted her.

When Evelyn was just 8, she had lost her temper, when one of her many foster parents told her not to wander around in the forest nearby. She became so mad that she started to throw things around and hit and kick anyone around her. 3 adults were needed to push her down on the floor and to make her stop. During the next year, her tantrums got worse. Doctors didn't know what was wrong with her, but they still gave her strong medication that took away her aggressive behavior. Tantrums were gone. They were replaced by an overwhelming feeling of restlessness. On her 16th birthday, she ran away. Since then, she hadn't stayed in one place for more than 2 weeks. Staying wasn't an option, because it always made her even more restless.

Finally, the bus stopped. Evelyn chuckled as she stepped out with her back bag. "Well, hello Twin Peaks."

It was a small town near the Canadian border. She loved that a forest surrounded the town. It always gave her great comfort. She often went camping, because in the wilderness she could feel calm. Unfortunately, a couple of days ago she had to sell her tent because she needed to buy a bus ticket. But Evelyn was hopeful that soon she'd get to buy a new one. First, she needed to find a job. But nothing long term.

She started to walk along the main street because it was getting dark. Without her tent, she needed a place to stay. Maybe there was a motel somewhere. It had to be cheap, though. She only had 80 dollars left. The street was empty. She liked the quiet atmosphere and the chilly wind didn't bother her either. Evelyn spotted a small motel. The lights in the sign were broken and she wasn't able to see it until she was almost under it. A couple of big trucks were on the parking lot, but other than that, it looked like it was a quiet night.

Evelyn opened the door and stepped in. The reception area was small but looked cozy. And behind the reception desk sat an older lady, napping on her chair and a knitting project in her hands. She woke up as Evelyn walked towards the desk.

"Oh, good evening dear," she mumbled and looked quite surprised.

"Hi. How much do you charge?"Evelyn asked and smiled politely.

"Um... One person?"

"Yes. Just me."

The lady looked confused but tried to hide it.

"Oh, well... Then it would be 60 dollars for one night."

"Then I'd like to stay for one night."

She nodded quickly. Before getting the key she turned back to Evelyn.

"Do forgive me, dear. We hardly ever get other guests but those bulky and rugged truck drivers. I'm... this is a nice change. I'm Mrs. Lewis, but, please, call me Brenda." She offered Evelyn her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Brenda," Evelyn smiled and shook her hand.

Brenda placed the room key in front of Evelyn. Then she took a paper form and asked Evelyn to write her information on it. She wrote down a fake address, which she used every time checking in to a motel. If someone was to check the address, he or she would find out that it didn't exist. Her phone number was also fake because she didn't own one. She didn't own one, because she didn't need one. There was no one to call.

"So... Evelyn. I'll show your room. It's on the second floor." Bertha chitchatted when they walked to the room. Evelyn nodded and smiled politely.

"If you need anything, dear, let me know. I'll be at the reception until 9. After that, my nephew will be there. He'll help you if you'll need something." Bertha left though she looked like she would've wanted to stay and chat with Evelyn.

Evelyn sat on the bed and sighed. A new town and she still felt restless.

----------------------------------------------

A man, in his early 70's, sat behind his mahogany desk. A map laid before him. Then there was a knock on the door. They greeted each other with a simple nod.

"So, you think you can find her?" he asked.

"I know I can." A smug answer.

"Over 10 trackers have failed. What makes you so special?"

"I have never failed."