A Reason For Being

Chapter Seven

Sora

I feel like I've been sleeping for a long time when I awake. I look at my watch on my wrist. It's almost 10 a.m. I remember what happened. I don't know how, but I saw my mum. She told me that I was the Saviour. It's my destiny to bring peace between man and wolf. I had given up on living when my parents died, but I needed to start looking after myself. I have hope now. A reason to live.

My stomach rumbles. I'm starving. I put on some clean clothes and go to the Sector to get breakfast. I go to Nakama and get pancakes and a latté. I remind myself that I need to go to the Hayashi's and apologise.

"Sora," says a voice. I finish eating the pancakes. They tasted so good. I've never felt so full. I look behind my shoulder and see Ted. "I like the hair." He smiles.

"Thanks. I wanted a change, a fresh start. Are you OK? Where's Ginga?" I say enthusiastically. I feel excited for the day ahead. I want to do something spontaneous, like getting another tattoo, but there isn't time.

"About that." The smile disappears from his face, and he looks like he wants to talk, but the words don't come. Something is wrong. He looks like he's holding something back, and then he bursts into tears. "Ginga's health has been getting worse for a while now due to his age, and he can't pick up the scent of wolves. I thought that if I reported his condition to ALFA, then they would retire him, and I would be able to buy him off them, but they refused my offer. They asked me to drop him off at the kennels so that they could...." He doesn't finish his sentences.

I immediately feel responsible. The reason Ginga couldn't smell me was because of the perfume I used to cover my scent. This is all my fault. I feel so selfish.

"Shit... I'm so sorry." I get from the table and stand by him.

"He's not just a dog. He's family." I stretch onto my tippy-toes and hug him.

"Can't we break him out?"

"ALFA will know that I'm involved, and I'll get into trouble."

"Damn."

"Yeah. I just wanted him to retire and live a normal life, like any other dog, but looks like that can't happen now. I took him to the kennels last night with a dog that was involved in an accident." He brushes his tears away.

"Accident? What accident? Was anyone hurt?" I inquire.

"Saw it happen on my way home from work. A dog just ran out into the middle of the road and got hit by a bus. Luckily, the driver wasn't driving the bus that fast. The dog was OK. It was massive. Looked like a malamute or something," Cho says.

The queue has died down, so Cho takes a moment to catch her breath and leans on the desk.

"The kennels usually use a small device which tests the animal to check that it's a dog and not a wolf, but the device broke. It's expensive to replace, so we'll have to wait a while till the capitol can send us another. It looked dog enough to me, though. I'm going to do some blood tests later just to be sure, then I'm picking up Ginga's body," Ted says.

"It must have been a dog. There's no way it's a wolf," I say.

"I guess..." Ted sighs.

"I'm sorry about Ginga." I squeeze his shoulder.

"It's not your fault," Ted says.

"I'm sorry but I've got to go do something," I say.

"No worries, I'll see you around," Ted says. I want to stay with him, but I have to go see the Hayashi's. I do something I've never done before and kiss his cheek. His face turns pink. I excuse myself and leave.