A Mythichaotic 90s Tale

XIX. The Dakotas

Halle

Flashback

I went out of our house to greet everybody a good morning.

Today's the day. June 26, 1915. Ralph and I are officially turning 17.

It was unusual to see the neighborhood empty especially at this day when I thought they were going to throw a celebration.

"Hey!" Finally, a person.

It was my fellow birthday celebrant who's smiling widely and spreading his arms.

"Happy birthday." I embraced him.

"Haliana, Ralph." It was mon père, who seems to be serious and grumpier than he usually is. It disappointed me how he did not show a happy face for this time.

Ma mère appeared behind him and unlike him, she looks happy but still surpressing a grin.

"Why don't you go by Clarence's holding and buy us food?" She suggested.

Not knowing what to answer, I look at my twin brother who nodded before collecting the coins that father gave us.

When I saw a stick, I kick it to express my anger. They treated this day like any other. There wasn't even a 'bon anniversaire' from them.

"If you looked at mother's face closely, she's hiding something." Ralph said, releasing his quiet yet very observant phase.

"I don't like surprises." I answered like a child. Although I certainly hope there is one instead of none.

While walking through the woods on the way to Clarence's, a thick, carved, pointed stick passed right in front of my face and it landed on a trunk of a tree.

"Shh...." Ralph said before signaling me to follow him silently until we were behind a big rock.

"What's happening?" I cluelessly ask him.

"I don't know." He answered before slightly standing up and pushing the stem of leaves covering the view.

As afraid as I was, I just watched him do that but he immediately sat back, looking so surprised and breathing heavily.

"What did you see?" I whispered.

"It was fast." He said absent-mindedly.

He came back to his senses when a woman appeared in front of us and she was smiling, "What are you doing here?" She asks.

I was going to answer before her wrist was in my mouth and I tasted fluid that was quickly rushing to my throat. It made me scream but it was useless since the sound was blocked by her hand.

The next thing I knew, I woke up starving but not with food. I was famished by the taste of fluid that I've tasted awhile ago.

I stood up and looked at my brother who was still sleeping. I patted him to wake him but I was distracted by a noise that made me follow it.

I rushed to it, it was a person and the next thing I knew, I was feeding in it.

"Haliana." Letting of the monster I became in seconds, I look at my brother whose eyes are red as blood with dark veins under them.

After a millisecond, he was feeding on the same person I did.

And not for another millisecond, he was lying on the ground with the carved stick on his back and so was I.

The next thing I remember was waking up in full white room, handcuffed and beside the bed I was lying was my brother's.

It was the same day 22nd of November. That's one thing I remembered that day. But I wasn't sure of what year it was.

End of flasback...

Just last week, it was November 22. And the person I was with was Stan who is now late for our date.

He promised to take me to the movies today and he said he was going to tell me something. He just doesn't know how to read time because I'm waiting for almost an hour already.

But of course, I trust his arrival. Just like I trust him keeping my story to himself.

At this moment, with Red roaming around all the time, the only person I can really count on is Stan. It was really annoying, but that was before.

Arms enveloped me before I felt his lips on my cheek, "Hey."

I held his hand and lead him to the gate of our estate.

I turned to face him, "You're late.... Again."

He was going to answer when someone else interrupted.

"Hey liar, give me back my necklace." She was walking towards us from a kilometer away. If it were normal people in our place, they wouldn't hear her with her volume.

She wasn't even shouting but her face showed a different expression. I see a bitch.

Just as I was about to tell her that we still don't have what she's looking for and probably never have it, she turned.

It's the second time I saw her wolf. And it's daytime, her black fur is much more visible.

I readied for attack, and so did Stan beside me. She was already running with her four legs when somebody decided to show up and shielded.... her.

Red shielded her from us. Her! He was facing us!

She stopped and like a dog, she whimpered.

"Give it to her." Red told us.

"We already told everyone we don't have it." I answered.

"Actually," Someone shouted, it's Zack. The witch who is running towards us with his squad, "He has it. He lied. About the necklace and your relationship."

With that statement, Sol growled but I doubt that compared to my anger when I looked at Stan.

I admit I'm a bitch. But there really is always that one guy who's gonna out-bitch you.