echo [completed]

chapter 12

the familiar terrain of trees greeted kyle once more, reminding him that that place is getting near.

suddenly only his footsteps were audible in the empty, silent place.

he turned around and saw cora standing a few feet away from him, mouth agape.

"how are we supposed to get in?"

"you're a wolf." he said, making cora roll her eyes and groan.

"that doesn't mean i can just bust in there without injuring you or myself." she sighed. "we need a plan. a solid plan."

kyle shot his hands up, a sign of defeat.

"ok.." cora started. "i don't know if this is gonna work, but.." she looked around the place, spotted a tree trunk and grabbed it.

her reflexes were so fast - damn werewolf perks - that kyle wasn't able to prevent his forehead from getting hit.

"ow!" he yelped. "what was that for?"

"that's part of the plan." she smirked.

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a girl stood in front of the metal door, holding a blonde down on the damp ground.

mr. collins smiled at the view and looked over at his supervisor who was mirroring his reaction.

once the nod was given, the girl and the boy from the other side were welcomed inside the facility.

"i have something that i think belongs to you." the girl lifted the bag of flour out of the head and produced gasps.

"yes, indeed." the supervisor confirmed. "but how did you know he was ours?"

"i've lived in this forest for years, roaming around to find myself something to survive. i've glanced a couple of times when your patients leave the building." she threw a white shirt and gray pants. "he was wearing the same thing."

it was safe to say that the supervisor was impressed by the girl's observation skills.

"how did he manage to walk up here not naked? and where's the girl?" the supervisor asked.

"i found him alone, hunting - or trying to - near my usual spot." she replied. "and as for the clothes, i assume he found my cabin deep down the forest. those clothes - they're my brother's. i have kept some to make me..feel a bit at home." she shrugged her shoulders.

"well, thank you for helping us get this boy back inside. we don't want him back out there knowing he's still unstable."

"my pleasure."

"so where are we going to bring him?" mr. collins asked.

"he might want a reunion with his friend."

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with both hands cuffed behind him, kyle could only wish to land a punch on the greasy man's smug face.

"thought you'd escape, huh?" mr. collins snorted. "ms. eden's going to spoil that girl. probably offer her a job here in the facility to give her some shelter."

kyle remained silent the whole time, only hearing the rapid thumping of his suddenly raging heart.

"say hi to your friend for me." mr. collins pushed him inside a room with no windows and shut the door with a bang.

a pale figure's behind was all he saw and he knew that just by looking at the color of the hair that it was him.

"isaac?" kyle slowly approached the jolted figure.

"kyle?" eyes squinted so hard that they almost looked just like a couple of slits on his face. "kyle!"

kyle rushed to his side and hugged him. he noticed that isaac had lost a couple of pounds. his once solid and buff biceps were now mushy, most likely from lack of movement and food.

"what did they do to you?" kyle gently pulled away to look over his friend's current health.

dark bags under his red eyes, lips chapped like the desert, and surprisingly enough no bruises or cuts.

"it doesn't matter what they did to me." isaac smiled. "what are you doing here? you should be out there looking for your wife. what were you thinking!" guilt spread across isaac's face.

"i had to come back for you, isaac. even if i only knew you for a short period of time, i felt genuine concern for you. you're like a brother to me, you know that right?" kyle settled beside isaac, laid his head against the wall, and closed his eyes.

"well, your concern got you dragged back here - locked up with me." isaac sighed and pushed himself up.

the sound of dragging reached kyle's ears so he decided to check out what isaac was doing.

"i'm going to get you out of here." he replied as if he read kyle's mind.

"you're still not in the right condition, isaac." kyle stated.

isaac ignored kyle and headed for the door. maybe if he was able to shift to his werewolf form he would be able to kick the door open.

unfortunately he wasn't a hale.

but still he tried. tried to kick the rusty metal door - which caused his leg to be numb - and threw the only chair in the room at the door.

"stop." kyle sighed. "stop exhausting yourself, isaac. we have a plan?"

"we? we? did you bring chloe back with you?!" isaac's face went from pale to beet red.

"no. it's a friend from the woods and i think you two would get along really well. you have a lot in common."

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back in the office where she was told to go, cora sat slumped on one of the vacant chairs. the place was a mess, especially for someone who was supposed to run a facility.

"you should take the offer, dear." ms. eden said. "here, you would live a much better life: free shelter, better food, and protection from the savages that crawl in that forest. you surviving for years residing there blows my mind."

"thanks for the offer, but i kindly decline. the cabin holds so much memories i can't just...leave it. my brother - he and i built that cabin, promised that it would be our escape from reality."

"has reality caught up with you?" ms. eden asked. "what about the biting cold winter nights? what about the constant dripping of rain through your rooftop? what about the-"

"ok. ok, i get it." cora uttered as she tried to ease the headache trying to etch itself on her sweating temples.

"so, is that a yes or a no?"

cora and eden looked at each other. cora nodded with her plump lips pursed tightly.

"that's great. now, i will have mr. collins show you around the place to help yourself get familiar with the halls and not wind up in placed you wouldn't want to be found."

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A/N: one more week before school starts again and i'm not ready :/

12/28/2015

- lani