บท 27: C26. Rogue’s Eye
Josephine's POV:
I
was
in
the
depth
of
despair.
Not sure where reality and my imagination seperated.
I was still in my cell. The same boring gray cement blocks and the bolted heavy door that kept me trapped. Across from me was tripping. Glitching almost. The room was different. I could see both sides. The close side showing me the cell's door while the long side showed me my own image against the wall set up in my bed. This is not normal. This is trickery. This was not right. I knew in the pit of my stomach something was spilling over from the other side. I was looking out at a ghost reflection of myself. It didn't feel like me. But, it was a copy. I was against the cell's door at the same time also in my bed. I was with red eyes that glared me down. I was scared... But, my reflection was angry. My hands trembled but the reflection was still.
Maybe I was going insane here. No longer able to precieve time. I must be going mad. I was loosing my fucking marbles. Gathering anything I could pick up on as to some hint that I wasn't already dead. That I wasn't dreaming. That I was wide awake.
Casimir had been gone for some time. The only one that had brought me some comfort. Was he dead? Did they kill him already? Was I next?
"Josephine," my reflection spoke out.
Like death's warning call he was bringing me forward from my misery and into a new siren's call. My attention locked onto my reflection. I was no longer stable as I couldn't explain what I heard nor saw. This wasn't unusual. This was not what I normally dreamed. This wasn't a dream.
That wasn't me. It was not my voice. It was deep like a male's voice. A voice I would relate to as one like my father's. But, this was not my father. "You've been betrayed... Josephine." That was right. I have been betrayed. My pack has betrayed me. Cut me out like a some useless tomato head. His voice was clear as it rung in my ears. "Your pack is a mess." Yes... it's scrambled. "You are unmated." I sure am lacking. "You are the heir of Rabidcrest pack and they've treated you like trash." They've done that since day one. But, now this is becoming personal. They're framing me for my father's death. Aren't they? They're just going to throw me away without blinking an eye. I should be the one in command. I should be the one calling the shots by now...
His voice picked up in a growl, "You must dicipline them! You will kill them all." Kill. Kill. Kill. "You will rise up." Rise up. "You are Josephine Cromwell." Cromwell. Cromwell. Cromwell. "You are the Alpha of this pack." Alpha. Alpha. Alpha. "Do not just sit there."
My airway tightened as I found myself unable to breath. I was now falling into a vast wasteland. With lack of breathable air. Here in the room... I'm still in the room. The room was getting cold like a dead man's touch. The mirroring imagine of the room was freezing over. Snow flakes forming on the clear image. The air began to crystalize. Oxygen becoming broken as the air was unbreathable. The crystals in the air broke apart as the imagery of myself was shattering into a million pieces.
Born from it was a black wolf much like my father. He didn't bring comfort. I felt in danger as I tensed up. I felt frozen in fear. Like a deer caught in headlights.
His fangs elongated as he bared his teeth towards me. He walked in a stern stride. He was breaking through. Like he was coming from the otherside. The devide between life and death was in this room. This was a dead wolf. A ghost haunting me. A bad spirit. Blood oozed out of the four corners of the walls. Pooling up and washing away the shards of glass on the floor. He walked through the blood until he was at my feet. The light dangling from the ceiling swung and flickered rapidly. I could see shadows raising on the walls.
Rogue. This is a dead rogue. There was no hint of the moon goddess' blessing radiating from this beast. He was a foul beast. A true night terror sneaking his way into my thoughts. He was churning the thoughts in my mind. Stiring the beast in my heart. This is my ancestor. This has to be Marcus.
Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus. Marcus.
"No more fear," he said towards me.
"You are an Alpha." Alpha Alpha Alpha. "Start to act like one. You will go to the pack of BlackRidge." BlackRidgle. The rogue pack. Casimir's pack. "You will mate with the son of Alpha Kriska." Alpha Kriska's Son. The image of Casimir floated in my mind as I thought about only him. "You will raise an army and you will make everyone bow to you. You will come back here and take over your rightful homeland. And, you will kill your mother. Kill your sister."
Jude's scent filled the room as I could hear her growling. The little black wolf came through the divide ripped across my cell's room. Her body moving in fast. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" Jude's voice clapped loud like thunder. "Don't listen Josephine! Don't listen to him!"
The spirit turned his back on me. I could feel the anger rising in his belly as he aimed his hatred towards Jude. "You have failed this girl most of all," he said. Jude's body stopped as fear rippled in her eyes. "You have done nothing to help her. You are the one to blame. I should have picked a better guide instead of you!"
The spirit of the male wolf began to trasform. Taking on a new form. His legs stretching. His front legs becoming hairy arms as he trasformed into something like the beast of an old horror film based on werewolves. I've seen it before. One where the face is hardly man or wolf. The body is somewhere between. The paws barely feet. The body between fur and none. This was like a mid-trasformed wolf to me. Something from myth and ledged. As his hands trasformed into a monster's grip he took Jude by the throat. Smashing her air-way and taking her frail wolf body up to pin against the door of my cell.
No no no no no no no.
No no no no no no no.
No no no no no no no.
I was there fast as I stood behind him and reached out to try to stop them. I could hear the haunting effects of her neck snapping beneath his hands. I was screaming now. The horror of my wolf's dying whimper echoed through my ears. He didn't hesitate. Where the divide was it must have faded as my vision cleared and I was banging on the door. Stop this. Stop this from happening. I must. I screamed as I wanted to go back and fight that hell beast. I wanted to find out if Jude was alive. What happened?
The siren-like alarm to the hall's door beeped to alert someone was coming back onto the hall. I felt my chest pounding as I couldn't recognize the voices that were coming down the hall. My thoughts ran to wonder if Casimir confessed this time. Or... What if they're back to deliver a second round of helpings I recieved yesterday. If Casmir did confess would he lie and say I helped him? I focused on listening into their conversation as their voices echoed. The footsteps were coming closer. I don't trust anyone. How can I now?
"The damn brute has yet to confess."
"Still?! How much longer are they going to keep letting the murderers get away with this?"
"Maybe they'll have better luck with this wolf-less bitch?"
"What's her name again?"
"Bitch."
"Lowly omega."
"No... I got a better one... traitorous whore."
I tensed up as I heard their footsteps pass by the cell's door. They were laughing. I whimpered as I prayed they wouldn't come in here. No... Maybe I want them to come in here. I pounded on the cell's door to grab their attention. I could hear them giggle as they stopped to beat on the door right back at me. Those same eyes from the day prior peering in at me. They were guards. People that devoted their life to my family... And, they were the same faces that saw me for only my last name.
"HEY! You're going to burn slut! Didn't you know? They're gonna roast yah like a pig! OINK OINK OINK!" She yelled in at me before backing away from the window. I could hear the group of pack members bust out laughing. I felt my eyes swelling up in tears. I'm going to die... I'm going to die! They're coming in here to kill me! But... I want them to come. Let them come this time. I'm ready for them.
"Here's your slop, pig!"
I widened my eyes as the tray door slid open. Not this time. Not again. If this is happening again... The tray for prisoner's food slid through and dropped straight to the ground. It's happening again. The tray of rat... I wrinkled up my nose as a rat's microwaved carcus slung out. It rolled up under the bunk and I lept out of the way. I widened my eyes and felt shocked with disblief. It wasn't the worst to happen. The door flung open and a bucket was tossed towards the first place I had been. The bucket of blood... There it is again. As it hit my bed. But, this time I was out of the way. Blood splattered but the laughs I expected to hear follow were silenced with confusion from me missing.
I gagged as I remembered the taste from the first time. How the blood was caught in my mouth from when I screamed as it was thrown. I was swallowed up in uncontroled anger. I caught the door before it was shut and stepped through as I came across the small group of females from the local hospital cafeteria. They had been tormenting me with this meal plan. Now it was payback. My body cornered the one single handedly responsible as she dropped the bucket. My body backing her up towards Casimir's door. My nails sharpened as I struck her across the face. The force took an eye with it as I knocked it straight from the socket. I shoved her as I knocked her unconscious with the strength I gained. I turned to look at the other two. Already gone and running for the door. A siren went off suddenly as the building was announced something was wrong.
Matthew's POV:
Carole called me on my way home from the station to make sure I was still coming. It hadn't been that long since I left. The rogue was still being treated medicine. I left it up to the local guards to get him back to the cells since I had plans tonight. I couldn't swallow the idea I was about to meet my grandchild's father. I still couldn't figure out who it was. I had spent all day trying to squeeze it out of the fellows at work. No one knew who she had been dating this whole time. It was probably a good thing. I don't think I will ever be ready for the news. My sweet little girl is growing up on me. It seems like yesterday when I was pushing her on a swing at the park. She loved going to the park as a kid. She was an active child.
My family home was a modernized two story brick house built in the suburbs located on the edge of town. Where both sides of my house had neighbors I've known for the last eighteen years of my child's life. We move here right before Edith was born. There was a huge backyard with a vegtable garden my wife takes care of and a gazebo I built last fall. Before that was Edith's childhood playset. One with a rock wall, slide, swings, and monkey bars. I installed lights on the gazebo last month. It was a little get-away from the house. The house itself was three bedroom two bath. We never got around to having another child. Although it had been on the list until we decided it was too late to try. The third bedroom was used as a small library. The perfect study inviroment for my daughter. I encouraged her acedemic sucession. The house had an attached garage where most of the yard equipment was kept instead of a vehicle. It doubled up as storage and as a laundry room.
I kissed Carole on the cheek when I got through the front door and straight into a mudroom. It's where I took off my coat to put away in the closet. "Hello darling," she chimed happily.
"I hope you're hungry for lamb chops with snap peas and gravy mash potatoes." She wrapped her arm around my waist as she guilded me into the livingroom. Mother was already sitting with her legs crossed. I guess she was invited to the family diner. I didn't expect to see her. But, she is important to the family.
"Where's Edith?" I asked curiously. What I really wanted to know is if the boy decided last minute to skip town?
"Upstairs. They're going to come down to us," Carole said in excitement. She opened a bottle of wine and I would help with distrubiting the wine glasses. This was a celebration after all.
"You're going to like this one," my mother said and looked beyond happy. She'd take a glass from me and begin sipping. With the lack of sarcasm... It was safe to assume that means he's a good suitor. Who is he? Who has been behind my back seeing my daughter? At least it's not a street rat. My daughter has good taste. She's not in some rebelious stage. Carole let me go as she walked out into the hall.
"Ok darling! Bring him down!" Carole would yell up the stairs. She'd rush back in and stand beside me. I could hear them coming down the stairs. My heart raced in excitment. Whoever it is... I have to remember that I am happy. I love kids. I will love this grandchild. I just wish I knew this was coming last year. I would have saved the pieces to the playground I destroyed last fall. They were in the hall now. I could hear them stop just outside before my daughter would come in first.
"Hey dad," she'd say as she held onto a scrapbook. I looked past her. At the same time she'd turn to step aside as he stepped in. Zeke. It was Zeke. The first of his class upcoming grad student. He was a little older than my daughter... Zeke was in his early twenties where as she was barely into her twenties. His amber eyes shined bright with worry written all over his face. I really should have known... They've been childhood best friends for so long. I've already thought of him like a son. This was heavenly. I couldn't ask for a better son-in-law. Oh thank the fates, this will go well.
"Zeke," I said with surprise and let Carole take the glass from my hand. I walked up to him. Not too fast. I didn't want to spook him. I pulled him into a tight hug. "Welcome to the family!" I pulled back as his face filled with relief. "I couldn't pick a better mate for my daughter," I told him in excitement. "You defintely have my permission my boy." I patted him on the back of his head. This was exciting. Even for Carole. This will be the mating of the season! This will be talked about for the next year.
"I'm glad you aprove," Edith said as she sounded relieved. "We thought you would be angry."
"No," I promised. I will not be mad at my daughter. She opened up the scrap book to pull out pictures of a ultrasound. She'd place them in my hand to see first.
"You can't tell what gender it is... But, it's there," Edith promised as I looked at the little dot on the pictures and smiled large. What a cute little dot it is! I laughed and took it over to Carole.
"Have you seen it?" I asked her. She shook her head and looked at it as I handed it over. She covered her mouth in surprise.
"Oh~ Look at the little baby."
"A baby of Rabidcrest," my mother said as she stood up and walked over to look at the pictures. She looked up at us. "The future Alpha of this pack," she said in determination. I froze as I looked her in the eyes. Was that a...
"Is that your blessing?" Zeke asked.
"We'll call it offical soon," my mother said as she walked over to Edith and Zeke. Mother did like to call the shots first. She was speaking too soon. "But, you two have a lot to look forward to. You're going to be the next Alpha family to Rabidcrest. If everything goes well for Juliette at the masquerade. You'll have no competition here. The Alpha position will be yours, Zeke." Edith pulled my mother into a hug and started to cry. It would be good if Zeke was the next Alpha. He's been training to take after me anyway.
"Thank you," Edith said quickly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Edith busted into happy tears as she seemed to not be able to control her emotions. Carole gave back the pictures and Edith put them away in the scrapbook.
"I think we better eat," Carole suggested. It was very good she said something. We took the party across the hall and into the dining room where Carole set the table. Before any of us could sit the phone suddenly began to ring in my pocket. I pulled it out to see it was the station so I silenced it. I already told them not to call. Tonight was too important to me. Carole gave me a smile as I moved to let out a chair for her. Zeke groaned as a sound of vibration went off in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and looked sorry himself. Suddenly the phone to the house's landline started ringing. Carole frowned.
"For the moon's sake... Someone answer it," my mother said in anger. "Make sure to give them a lecture about interupting our family time." I looked towards Carole with apologetic eyes. She growled in anger before stepping apart from me.
"I've got it," she decided and walked out towards the livingroom where it would be. I followed after her as I debated about taking it from her to asert my dominance and demand an explaination from the caller. She picked the phone up first. Her eyes glued to it as she answered. I frowned as I stared her down. Her eyes turning wide. She looked at me as she hung up and pushed me towards the door. "You gotta get to the station." I heard Zeke coming into the room as he hung up his phone.
"We gotta go," he said quickly and was out the door before I could be. I kissed Carole on the cheek before following after him in persuit. What the hell is going on?
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