Mary Sue - Coming Home

Chapter 10 The Wolf Girl

It looked like a naked teenage girl because it was a naked teenage girl. They all stared mutely for a moment, then Amelia clapped her hands over Destiny's eyes. "What are you doing?" Destiny demanded.

"Protecting your virtue... or her virtue. Protecting someone's virtue."

Liara laughed tonelessly while Reina whistled with awe. "Not an ounce of fat on that tenderloin," she muttered.

"I think you chose the wrong virtue to protect," exclaimed Destiny, while Amelia tried to gesture to Liara.

Liara didn't understand and started mimicking the gesture back, both of them jerking their heads toward the staring Reina. Finally, Amelia said, "Cover Reina's eyes!"

Liara looked at her as if she was insane. Reina was at least twice Liara's size and significantly taller. "How?" she spoke-whispered. "And why?"

Reina pulled herself from her reverie, glancing back at Amelia. Destiny had not moved, being used to Amelia's antics and having found it's much easier just to play along. "Yeah, why? It's not like she's got something I haven't seen before."

Amelia sighed, but didn't move her hands. "Because you like girls and it's a ... naked... girl."

Liara frowned at her. "That's pretty reductive, Ams."

Reina crossed her arms. "Yeah Muey reductivo." Amelia suffered under their glances for a moment before Reina turned back. "Hope she's not dead. That would make all this way grosser."

The naked girl's body was laid out among the toys, her head pillowed by stuffed animals and dirty blond hair covering her face. Dirty blond wasn't just the color, the whole girl was lightly covered with dirt and sweat, like she'd never been inside. Her skin was naturally tanned, and there were some light scars on her arms, but mostly what was obvious to the Band was that she was heavily muscled and thin. "She's breathing..." said Liara tentatively.

"If I take my hands down, will you promise not to look," asked Amelia.

Destiny sighed deeply. "I feel like this isn't fair, but fine." Amelia removed her hands and picked her way across the shadowy mounds of toys. The girls followed, while Destiny kept a respectful distance.

They made a strange picture, three teenage girls clutching colorful expensive dolls while creeping toward a sleeping naked girl about their own age. The girl rolled over toward them and snarled like a wild animal. Liara tripped backward while Amelia slipped into a judo stance. Reina stood awkwardly with her fists bunched but unsure of where to hold her hands.

They all waited expectantly for the naked girl to react, and Destiny rushed up from behind. His eyes still dutifully closed, he tripped over a patch of grass and fell, tearing the knee of his jeans and yelling. To the girls' surprise, the naked teenager cowered at the noise. Amelia sent Reina to check on Destiny while she approached the girl.

She held her hands out like you would approaching a wild animal (she had all the animal badges the girl scouts had). In a soothing tone of voice, with her fingers tucked in the shape of a paw, she slowly whispered, "It's okay... it's okay. We're not going to hurt you. Are you okay? Do you need help?"

The girl looked at her quietly, but not wildly. Her eyes were cold, calculating. "I'm... okay," she said, her voice rough, like she'd smoked a dozen cigarettes or like it'd been a while since she'd spoken. "I'm looking... for Melon."

"What the fuck?" exclaimed Destiny.

Reina was helping him up, and they both stared at the naked girl. Amelia stomped over to them, removed Destiny's jacket and wrapped it around the naked girl before anyone could protest. Reina and Liara just stared, and Destiny didn't say a word.

The naked girl looked uncomfortable, and Destiny's large coat hung awkwardly on her. "Sorry... for... snarling. Haven't seen people... in a long time." Her language was perfectly clear, but oddly separated, like she didn't have a natural rhythm to it.

Liara stepped forward awkwardly. "So... do you usually just live with aliens... or animals... or something...?'" she finished lamely.

The girl smiled, and it was a beautiful smile, brilliant wide with a hint of predator. "Wolves," the girl said quietly. "I live with wolves."

Reina walked up with a swagger of fake confidence, offering a hand to help the girl up. "Sure. Wolves. Yeah. The girl who lived with wolves. I've heard that story."

The girl let herself be lifted, Destiny's coat hanging past her thighs. "You've heard my story?" she asked, eyes full of wonder.

Reina wasn't sure what to say next. "Um, sure. La niña que vivía con lobos. Think I saw a cartoon about it, even."

"What is a cartoon?" the girl asked seriously.

Destiny hobbled up on his skinned knee. "Missing the point. You're here for Melon? The girl named Melon?"

The girl stared into his eyes intensely. Destiny felt like prey. Like this girl knew all his secrets. "The girl Melon," she said, her eyes shining. "She will save the pack."

They all stood in silence for a moment. "What the fuck does that mean?" said Destiny finally.