Capítulo 22: Chapter Eighteen: A Tormented Game of Hide and Seek: Part One.
The creatures out the window don't leave, along with all of our agonizing worries. My palms sweat profusely the more I sit watching out the window with only one eye. There's no way they can see us, but it doesn't prove they can't hear or smell us. The sound of their howls grow louder as if they are tormenting us from outside before they break in; to physically torture us.
Everyone in the room is either tensely pacing, taping, picking at their clothes, letting short breaths halt oxygen flow; and all the same ignoring the fact that these werewolves could eat us tonight. We have to do something before it's too late but we're just sitting here, as if we're playing a hide and seek game.
I feel like right as my mind is panicking about what we need to do, Koda stops pacing and intensely runs his hand through his long dark hair, "They're not gonna eat us!" His raised voice makes me flinch, "You know why? Because they didn't eat anyone else they took from here."
Lynn shushes him but he only continues, "I do not doubt in my mind that they were sent by the Hunters. Because how else would they get here otherwise?"
Koda mutters under his breath, "I know the Hunters sent them."
Suddenly it dawns on me, "I think I need to expose myself to them..."
Everyone instantly starts arguing with me and I can't get a coherent conversation with a single one of them.
"It's the only way to find everyone else, let them bring us to our family."
Jane buts in louder than the rest of the group, "Our best option is to let one of us get taken by these wolves..." They all stop talking to listen. "...And the rest of us go following them to wherever they took our family. Then we can sneak in and take everyone back."
Koda stands, "Ellie, there's no possible way we can do that with you, even if you wanted." There's a waver in his voice, "It's a trap."
Of course, it is, but maybe I need to sacrifice myself a little to save others.
Estelle huffs, "We already walked into a trap by coming here in the first place."
Jane stands from her seat, "I have a plan, just let me take care of this myself. This is what we're going to do right now, go looking for books on werewolves."
Koda begins, "Jane-"
"No, Koda. We've got to look through these books."
His tense stance makes me understand he is thinking about a situation, but the rest of us nod in agreement; picking ourselves off from the mental chains that heald us down and now scattering ourselves across the small library to search its shelves and cupboards. Koda sulks behind slowly, standing last and keeping his eye on his sister. He must be expecting something more from her, I know it.
Personally the most shocking aspect of all this right now, to me, is how the three Elyrians know nothing about werewolves. Animals from their world! They only claim that wolves are not from their continent, making the horror set in my head way quicker.
A noticeable frown comes across Koda's face as he refuses to let his eyes away from Jane for more than a minute. Beside me, Luke stops him, grabbing his shoulder whispering in his ear, "What's going on with you?"
Koda replies back so no one else can hear, intending only a personal statement between him and Luke, "She has a plan, but I don't want her to do it."
Luke nods over to Jane, "You know she's gonna do it anyway."
With his hooded eyelids Koda blinks down to the floor, "I know. But it's not the best decision for this family."
With that, their secret discussion is over and I'm questioning what could be going on in everyone's heads. It wasn't too long after midnight before our arrival, so now we have been at the estate for over an hour; so now it's already been about fifteen excruciatingly silent minutes in the library.
We barely have made a dent in the pile of books we found before scraping sounds start coming from the side of the house. At first, no one hears it, and so I glance out the window not daring to peek the curtain back further than an inch.
I let my eyes adjust, seeing the outline of the pine tree in the yard. A minute goes by, and finally, I catch two lumps circling the tree, but the sound doesn't come from them. It comes from what I assume is a third werewolf.
Forgetting about the window, I mention the sound and as if it's listening to me it becomes so loud that everyone else notices. It rattles Gram's decorative teacups displayed on the backside of the room, making Estelle move from Koda's side and get to her feet.
"I think the wolves know we're in here..." I whisper.
Koda stands, scrambling to take the two books he found and left on the countertop, "We need to find a safer space!"
Jane gets ahold of the three books she found while Luke clutches another in his hands.
The pounding sound becomes closer as if the creatures outside can smell our fear. With everyone swarming around the room to grab their belongings I can't decipher the sounds from outside. All I know is that a werewolf is most likely on the other side of the wall.
Luke steps over to the door at the back of the room. It leads to a bathroom that links with our grandparents' bedroom. He opens it, then peeks around the door slightly. A loud bang nearby makes a picture frame fall off of the wall. Luke jumps back with a yelp making the rest of us flinch.
I step back in utter fright as Luke says, "I saw it, I saw it! A wolf on the other side of the window. We have to go now."
We end up sneaking out of the doors to the library, looking around slowly before darting up the staircase; making the banister's wood clatter. Our easiest option is to go into my bedroom I slept in before, because nothing can break in through a window unless they manage to get on the roof and break the skylight. Out of all places, shouldn't we have gone to the other end of the house instead? This room gives me that feeling I know all too well, that a stranger will come through the door to take us, this time being furry creatures on all fours.
Once we get settled in, I sink my body into the red lounge on one side of the room. Instantly the springiness makes me want to just fall asleep, noticing how comfortable the piece of furniture is.
Koda shuts the door and dims the light on the side of the room where the skylight is near the bed. Once he steps down into our little area he notices Estelle trembling off to the side. She stands, with her head to the floor and her arms wrapped around her body.
While everyone else begins having a conversation about what books who wants first, Koda steps over to Estelle and rubs her shoulders. She tilts her head up to meet his eyes and he sighs, "Here," He offers her the empty end of the lounge. "Why don't you come sit with me."
She only nods and so he leads her over to sit, then puts his arm around her gently, "It's okay, I'm here with you."
Lynn sits in the rocking chair while Jane and Luke get spots in the reading nook in the wall, their books piled on the top of the dresser next to it. After we get settled for the second time tonight I'm feeling a headache of exhaustion develop.
Not much time passes by before the six of us begin scanning tables of contents, pages, pictures, and storytellings for details on wolves. An hour passes us by slowly at the speed of what feels like a snail. But the lack of sight on the werewolves' whereabouts has given us motivation throughout the night, hoping to stay awake to search harder for information that we can benefit from.
The only aspect that gives me comfort is the ticking clock that begins inching for dawning hours by the second. Making me know there's no chance the werewolves will expose themselves to the human countryside in broad daylight; considering it safe for us once the sun has risen.
At first, we only find a few unsuitable paragraphs of information including on the royal wolf kingdom who hosts two main packs. They're called Snow and Silber, which house the largest population of these rare creatures on the planet. These packs are able to resist animalistic behaviors, unlike the non-royal packs who are prone to possess less control of their Elyrian mind.
These wolves are intelligent, Elyrian-like, and are generally safe to converse with. Their continent is across the sea and the kingdom is safe to visit. From what we know, these wolves here are not from the royal packs. And it was mentioned somewhere that any packs living in their villages are unsafe.
Packs are almost always found together, and there is never a time where a wolf is completely alone. Since they roam together, always expect a group of them anywhere. A normal pack entails less than ten wolves living in a small village. Their villages consist of their homes and the pack leader's property, while the main kingdom has more governmental buildings, businesses, and property.
Jane announces, "So I just read that werewolf packs prefer living together in a secluded area, full of tree coverage in order to protect themselves from the weather. Most of these creatures dislike rain, snow, or any type of water. This does not include the royal Snow pack."
She notes that it's a possibility we can ward them off with water. And then we all agree that spraying the wolf with water could make it run off. When Koda adds that he wished we had a body of water nearby to protect ourselves.
"What if Jane uses her powers?" Luke suggests but then Jane argues she can't pick up a body of water to move it.
Luke huffs, "I don't mean that," He sounds frustrated. "If you're a water elemental I think you should be able to fix it by controlling the rain or something."
Jane frowns, "I can't make it rain."
"You could at least try," He responds.
"We can't make it rain right now if we need to find where our family is being kept. That's not the point in all this."
Luke moves away from her slightly, "No no! I mean make it rain and then follow them."
That's a great idea, "They'd go back to where they came from."
We all agree that if it comes to the point Jane should be the one protected from the wolves because she can be the one to sneak in since she's a water elemental. She argues that this plan isn't the most efficient, and we can't depend on her since she can't make it rain.
Koda starts fussing about Jane wanting us to be taken by the wolves, and that sacrificing herself or anyone else is not the best plan. His argument is cut short when Luke begins talking about his most recent findings, "They are the third most dangerous creature on Elyria. The first being the Dark Witches, second being Faries, and third, being Werewolves. But, Mer Folk can be dangerous above land which I don't understand why because it doesn't say. Since these creatures are not very negotiable, most types of Elyrian individuals refuse to communicate with them under any circumstances."
"Here it is!" Jane skims through the yellowed pages of the book she has been reading, "The pack leader is born into reign, but it is a rarity for one to be powerful enough to force leader upon themselves. The leader is powerful enough to make their followers unable to choose how to make decisions, including bodily movements, mind control, and more. This is why if it is necessary, targeting the leader is the easiest way to escape a wolf attack. The pack leader speaks to their followers through telepathy in English or wolf tongue."
Next Koda reads aloud that the werewolf is a very animalistic creature, which is the only thing that my Elyrian family knew before. He continues to mention that they do have an Elyrian form but only when their mind is stronger than their inner wolf. This tendency to change to their Elyrian form only comes when the wolf is calm and peaceful, which usually is in a romantic moment, otherwise, the change is rare. The aggressive wolves may change to an Elyrian form less than once a month when a calmer and bright-minded wolf can change at least once a week for up to a day.
Finally Luke reads, "Do not under any circumstances kill a werewolf, this will result in their whole pack coming after you." He remains reading to himself, mumbling every word and then groans, lifting his head from the book, "It says that your last resort in killing a wolf can only be done if you're able to escape the rest of the pack, or they will eat you."
Koda stands, making Estelle who was leaning on him fall over to the side with her dropped eyes. She looks up at him sleepily as he clears his throat, "Does it say how to kill a wolf?"
Luke looks for a long while and then skips ahead a few pages. He finally gasps, "I think I found it! Grabbing a tuft on the bottom of its throat can put the werewolf in a slight shock, this is when you should cut away at its tough flesh. The thinnest part of its body is the neck, where the fur thins below its jaw. Decapitation is one of the only ways to kill the werewolf because their bodies heal quickly from direct moonlight."
"Does that include Earth's moon, on only Elyria's?" Lynn questions.
"It doesn't say," Luke replies, "But it does say that the bones and organs of the creature are dense and it says something about you shouldn't try piercing its heart. I think this means that no one's strong enough to get that far into its flesh."
****
I'm jolted awake, feeling a hand on my shoulder only finding myself more disoriented when my eyes snap open to pitch blackness. I sit up, finally coming to conclusion that it was just a surreal dream and that nobody is physically trying to kidnap me; not yet at least. I fall back down slowly into the lounge, feeling a fuzzy blanket dangling from my side that must've fallen off me in my sleep. I untangle myself from it, while the most recent events of my family pool back inside my brain.
My eyes finally focus, seeing the other side of the bedroom still has its light dimmed just enough for me to glance around the room. Lynn is asleep in the rocking chair, leaning uncomfortably so her feet can touch the floor. Her pillow behind her back has slid to fall over on the top of her head.
The lounge is empty and when I look over to my right I only see Luke and Jane asleep in the wall cubbie. The nook is big enough for the two of them and pillows surround them everywhere. I can only see in the shadow that their feet are hanging off the edge.
If they're in the cubbie then where is Koda and Estelle? I hear someone in the room rustle in their sleep, coming from the floor below. I sit up to finally understand the two missing people are together in a heap on the floor. They've covered themselves in a blanket and Koda uses another as a pillow while Estelle's head is resting on his shoulder. Even more shockingly, his arm is laid overtop of her with her hand wrapped around his forearm.
She practically asked him to be there for her, making them friends I think. He put his arm around her last I knew and now they're cuddling on the floor? Is that what friends do? I don't think I could handle a friendship then.
The tranquility of everyone's breathing is calming, but I have a feeling that sooner or later we'll be in a panic like before. Not only because I've assumed, but because I'm hearing light thumps downstairs. I drop the blanket off of me carefully and reach overlooking at the time on somebody's phone. It's only 4:03 in the morning, so I decide to take a leap of faith and sneak out of the bedroom unnoticed.
Right away I shiver, the wood floor being cold on my bare feet. I stop beside the large grandfather clock, hearing it tick. My body becomes stiff and I stop breathing in order to hear to the best of my ability. Inside of the house, I hear usual noises, mostly slight creaks, and the refrigerator running in the kitchen somewhere below. Everything seems empty of any other living creatures, I know because I'd be able to hear their heartbeats, the movements, the breathing, but nothing.
There's no need for me to peek over the balcony, so I descend the staircase as quietly as possible; paying detail to the smooth railing under my palm. In the darkness I struggle to find the last step but when I do, I instantly bring my attention over to the front door. In this moment my curiosity takes over my brain allowing me to peek out the windows.
Backing out right away, I'm ready to turn towards the kitchen until I'm distracted once more by the outside world. The yard sounds empty and I'm not picking up any wolves so I take the time to hear the sounds of the crickets chirping. They echo through the early morning air, comforting and reminding me of the first time I arrived here. The sound makes me want to sleep right here in the front room, just so they can sing me to better dreams.
But after my toes get chilly from standing at the door and gazing out its windows dreamily, I've decided to investigate the kitchen as I initially planned.
I pass the staircase, turn right at the bar and tiptoe down the hallway. Still, no sounds alert me from inside the home, convincing my mind there's no one here. But why did I hear that sound when I woke up? There's no way my ears were playing tricks on me, that's never happened before and they haven't ever steered me wrong.
Once I enter the kitchen, sneaking as if I was trying to catch an intruder; I find the room illuminated in yellow light. It comes from the part of the room where the wall curves and the windows behind the sink show off the patio. The lights above the sink don't do much help in making the room bright, but I'm still able to determine nothing is askew.
I blink over to the part of the room off to my left where the six person table stands. My attention almost immediately goes to the dark early morning sky, the glass doors draw me towards them to try to pull me into the cloudy night. With my hands to the glass I notice this slight glow of the skyline, making me wonder what's out there in the hills that make it look so enchanting.
I turn around, deciding it's best to finish my duty, and then go back upstairs. The one chair at the head of the table, facing the glass doors was not pushed in; showing that the last one sitting in it left in a rush. I find as well that their cup is still sitting where they left it on the green placemat. I don't get to really examine the rest of the room before I notice something out of place; a slip of strange-looking, thick paper on the table.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder