Beyond These Walls

Chapter 8

The sheriff came over three weeks later in the evening. He talked about enrolling George, Alyssa and I in school. I didn't really see the sense of it. I was turning nineteen in a few months and I would only be in school for a short while.

And I'm not a very sociable person. I'm not shy either. I just don't like being amongst strangers.

The sheriff said I had the weekend to get back to him. And it was currently Sunday evening and I still hadn't made up my mind.

George and Alyssa were excited about going to school. They had gone out earlier with my mom into town and bought their bags and books, whilst I stayed at home and practiced shooting the gun.

I slid a slice of cake unto a plate and glanced out the closed window from inside the kitchen. The guards stood at the entrance of the house, poised and alert.

Three of the guards had gone with my mother and the twins into town and four other guards stayed at the home, watching me practice with the gun. They hadn't spoken a word the entire three hours I was out there and I didn't mind at all. In fact, I preferred it that way.

"Are you going to eat that?" Alyssa asked as I sat down by the table. Her eyes were glued to my chocolate cake that mom had made. She began leaning forward to me, a sneaky smile on her young face.

I slid the cake closer to me and shot her a playful glare. "Don't even think about it. Of course I am."

To prove it, I stuffed some into my mouth. She rolled her eyes at me and marched into the kitchen.

By the time I had finished eating the cake, my mother had emerged from her room where she had been relaxing.

"Have you made up your mind yet?" She asked softly. I shrugged a shoulder.

"How about you go tomorrow and see what it's like? And if you don't then you won't have to go."

I then had to tell my mom that things are different in this town.

Before the werewolves had taken over in my town, law was that every child had to go to school or be privately taught. But the law had loosened up immensely and few children go to school back in the town I had been.  Instead they worked for the werewolves, who worked for The Alpha. As soon as every human child turned nine they worked.

All because of the Alpha's shitty rules.

But I was in a town where the law was firmly intact and if I enrolled in a school, I couldn't drop out just because I didn't like it.

My mom breathed noisily through her nose in frustration. "I see. So you have to make the decision, Rebecca. You only have eighteen hours to do so and then I have to phone the sheriff to tell him your decision."

I ran a hand over my face, groaning into my palm. I would only be in school for three months. It shouldn't be so bad. And I was planning to skip some of those days anyway to practice shooting.

"Fine." I mumbled. As soon as I uttered the word mom turned and walked to the phone.

My fingers absent-mindedly went to my healing cuts on my cheeks, glad to see that they were healing.

I got up from my seat and went into my room, ignoring the fact that my sister went back to the table and ate the rest of the cake.

*************

I sat on my bed, facing the window. It was eleven p.m and I knew the guards would start to doze off because of how sleepy they would feel, so I would stay watch from my bedroom, looking to see if any danger was near.