Chapter 2
Ever since that woman carried me here two nights ago, I’d barely moved. Unless you count the morning after I arrived when I tried to leave by myself. But when the others saw me trying to jump up to reach the exit to the dome-like home, they hollered out and the woman, plus the other more scowly male, came running. They wrenched me away from the exit, momentarily both playing a game of tug of war with my body, each clasping one arm, with me crying out in shock in between. But when another older-looking man came over and murmured something softly to him, he scowled and almost looked reluctant as he released me. With an almost smug air about her, with her nose stuck up in a way that reminded me of Jen, the woman dragged me back to her sleeping dwelling.
For whatever reason, they didn’t want me to leave. Why, I couldn’t fathom, but just getting up and walking out didn’t seem to be an option.
It’s not like I could reach the exit anyway. Never have I cursed my genetics for being so short.
I’d learned after some lengthy hand gesturing and sound repetition that the woman who had saved me was called Mowha. The sleeping space we shared was the tiniest little burrow dug partially into the ground beneath a hollow of rock, with the cracks along the side giving enough ventilation to breathe. If I peered through them, I could see the grass outside. It felt like sleeping inside a small egg. Mowha snuggled me at night when I shivered, the way my mother would if I came to her room in the early hours of the morning as a child after having a bad dream, and that gave me some comfort.
She coddled me like my mother, too.
After I realized that they weren’t going to just let me leave, I found I didn’t want to move at all, so she brought me strange food to eat, stuff like raw roots, seeds, and nuts, or tart wild berries which, to my horror, was served in an animal's skull, the holes filled with a dried clay and sand mixture to keep things from spilling out. When she didn’t leave me, someone else left food at the entrance of our sleeping space. Who, I didn’t know. There wasn’t much of a view outside the narrow opening. Even so, I ate very little.
I was grieving.
I’d been lying here for days, memories swirling through my mind over and over, driving me mad. We should have reached the lake by this time and would be getting ready to head home. Instead, I was trapped out here, lost, held in the care of these strange, primitive people with whom I had very little means of communicating. So I let my mind wander, thoughts from the last few days whirling like a storm inside my mind to keep me busy. I stared at the stone wall of the cave, eyes wide, unseeing as I remembered the feeling of the fall, the cold water, Kate’s scream, Lisa disappearing, Jen’s body… Oh God…
I shoved my fist to my mouth, biting down on my knuckles as I fought back that horrible, sick sensation that pooled in my gut every time I remembered finding Jen. But when Mowha came to check on me and found me biting down on my hand, she absolutely freaked out, flapping her arms and ripping my hands away from my teeth, before she brought me in for a tight hug, running her fingers soothingly through my hair, humming a little in her throat and chirruping at me, sounding very much like a bird. She reminded me so much of my own mother that I clung to her, seeking her comfort.
Seeing her in the golden light that beamed through the cracks of our shared sleeping space revealed that she was older than I’d originally thought, by a good ten years at least. How was a woman at her age so strong that she could carry a nineteen-year-old girl through the wilderness without breaking a sweat? Even though I was tiny and scrawny, it was still impressive.
When I calmed down, she carried me through the opening back into the main hollow of the home. The others were all gathered around, the sun beaming into the space from above giving enough light that I could actually make out most of it. For the first time in days, I studied the area and the people there, rather than focusing solely on the exit which was high out of reach.
It was larger than I thought, now that daylight was streaming through the cracks, and I had an easier time seeing a little more, even if it was blurred. It was a round, dome-like space, with small openings leading to other sleeping burrows. Everyone was working on something or other; new pelts, crushing and cutting plants and roots, or flowers, and some were carving up pieces of fresh meat. They were dressed in animal skins and hides, all smoothed out, some painted with beautiful dyes and patterns, or else left completely bare. There were piles of furs to choose from in a corner, and one older woman had one on like an old-fashioned covering. That strange language they spoke was guttural, mixed with growls and animal-like sounds that reminded me too well of wolves or bears. Everything about them was primitive, a group of people isolated in the depths of the hills from society, stuck in another time. They all had dark hair, almost black, but some had streaks of lighter brown in the strands from being out in the sun.
The moment we appeared, there was a commotion from one of the darker corners and two figures came barreling over, resulting in me crying out in terror and huddling back into the safety of Mowha’s arms. She scolded whoever had come over, and when I nervously turned to see what was going on, I was surprised to find two young boys jumping around us. They were probably my age, give or take a few years, full of energy, and were beaming wide, curiously checking me out like they were intrigued by my clothes. I knew they were making fun of my tiny size when the one with incredibly curly dark hair jabbed the other in the ribs, pointing up and down at me and let out a strange sort of chuckle while saying, “Gweebruh! Gweebruh!”
His companion, who actually had lighter eyes, pale green and grey, laughed too, nodding before reaching out to give me a smart pat on the head. Mowha snapped at them, but they just gleefully bounded away, one tackling the other to the ground until they were rolling around the space like a couple of goofballs. When they sent a bowl of newly diced florae flying, the older woman who had been working on it, snarled and began to chase them, but they were unfazed. They just bounded around, evading her swipes and shouts like it was all a game.
“Kray! Dow!”
A deep, baritone rumble from one of the larger openings echoed into the home, and everyone instantly stopped what they were doing, including the two rambunctious ones who instantly moved to the side and crouched respectfully to the figure entering the space. I could tell that it was the same, fierce man I’d met upon my arrival, but seeing him in the daylight had a whole different effect on me.
He was huge, tanned, muscled, and I could make out even more greys at his temples. He was definitely a lot older than me. I was thinking late thirties, maybe? It was so hard to tell. And it wasn’t like I could outright ask him, what with the language barrier and all. Though he was massive in height, he wasn’t bulky. Just incredibly toned, each ab, pec, and bicep clearly defined and impressive. He had strange, red markings around his collarbone and wrists, like gashes of red paint, tattoos that had been etched into his skin. They were sharp, pointed slivers, and only added a sense of lethal power to him that was intimidating as hell. His lighter, green-grey eyes scanned the space as he wandered in, choosing to move on all fours like a gorilla, rather than walk upright, and greeted the others with a gentle little head bump, moving to the older male and female first.
But when he reached the two boys, he cuffed them on the backs of their heads. They grunted and made a quick prattle of quiet but eager murmuring sounds that gave the impression that they were defending themselves. My guess only became stronger when they began pointing at each other, as though casting blame. To my surprise, Mr. Grumpy’s mouth twitched in the slightest smirk, as though he was amused by their squabbling before he simply wandered away without a word.
That was when he noticed Mowha and I standing there, and he came straight over, his light eyes locked on me the entire time. Over my head, I could hear her say something to him, and though he responded in that same, strange talk of theirs, he never looked away from me. The intensity of his stare, partnered with his overall fierce, masculine beauty and the obvious signs that he was something of a leader here, had me wishing I could make myself smaller, or disappear entirely. Like a coward, I lowered my gaze, shrinking back into Mowha, whose arms circled around me as she continued to talk to him.
That was when I felt a soft touch on my head.
I thought it was her, but when I opened my eyes to check, I found that it was him… his fingers idly stroking through the thick curtain of my brown curls, all while listening to whatever Mowha was saying. Her words had his lips pressing together tightly, as though he didn’t like what she was telling him, but his response was short, clipped, and with one last little gentle tug on a lock of my hair, he wandered over to where some meat was being cut up and prepared.
Free from interruptions, Mowha carried me outside.
She easily reached the part of the ceiling where the entrance and exit to this place was. I stared dismally at it, wondering how the heck I was ever going to be able to reach it because, in all seriousness, I needed to think about finding my way back through the forest to the river. I needed to find Kate, and hopefully get us rescued. The tunnel was at a sharp incline, nearly vertical, but with grooves smoothed into the rock that Mowha grabbed onto to pull us out.
We emerged from darkness into bright sunlight, golden beams shone through cracks in the leafy canopy overhead, and though it was still blurred as hell, I could make out my surroundings a little better than before.
We were in the middle of a clearing, the enormous redwoods spanning out, a few smaller trees and shrubs scattered here and there. The ground was covered with thick grass, dotted with random colours of yellow, white, and purple. Flowers! Gosh, I wish I could see! This was like something out of a fantasy book!
But my moment of wonder was quickly snuffed out when I suddenly found myself being carried down the vertical drop to the earth below. I squealed, hanging on tight as I buried my face into her greying hair, squeezing my eyes shut until I heard the thud of her feet, and felt the jolt through her body as we landed. She carried me over to the side of the clearing where the shrubbery was thickest, and along a well-worn path that eventually led to a strange crack in the earth, like a dried-up crevasse had broken a section of the forest in half. It was here that I was instructed to relieve myself. The brief moments over the past few days that I’d been grieving, she’d brought me here several times, so I knew the drill, but it had been at night when all was dark around me. I didn’t realize how deep this crevasse actually was, and now noticing how bottomless it seemed, I felt more nervous about using it than I had previously.
Though it was awkward, what with her watching me, and staring around the woods like she was expecting some sort of danger to attack us while I was taking a pee, I managed it without falling over like the clumsy dolt that I was, before she scooped me back up to return us to the clearing. I squinted around, trying to make out some sign, landmark, or anything I could use to pinpoint which direction I needed to go to return to the river. But I was seriously limited given my short range of sight. The only thing I could use was the position of the sun, which was directly overhead, signalling that it was noon. That wasn’t helpful.
I thought she would bring us back into the hollowed stone that was her home, but instead, when we broke through the thicket and re-entered the clearing, I could make out the blurred shapes of the other members of her group who had decided to come out, too. The two young boys were rolling around on the grass, play-fighting each other like careless youths, while some of the others were munching on a snack as they lay in a sunbeam, soaking up the warmth and vitamin D.
As she walked, I noticed how the flat ground suddenly began to fall in a gentle slope. Though I tried desperately to see around us, squinting hard to make sense of the shapes and colours, it was hopeless. Everything was just a mass of golden light, green and brown, all fuzzy and out of focus. It wasn’t until I could hear that sound of calm, trickling water that I realized we were approaching a creek.
Eagerly, I turned to look ahead, trying to see, but it wasn’t until she set me on a clump of soft, thick moss that I could make out the small, little brook that flowed through the rocks and leaves of the forest. The air was warm and moist, pure and clean, the spot so tranquil and lovely that I couldn’t help but smile as I bent over a clump of bluebells. This, sitting in the warm, summer sun, with flowers all around the small, flowing stream, I couldn’t ignore the sense of peace that washed over me.
From the top of the embankment, another figure appeared, carrying a small bundle under their arm as they headed toward where Mowha and I were resting. Even from here, the blurred figure was unmistakable, with its authoritative stance and confident stride. She grumbled under her breath, as though irritated by their presence, but didn’t tell them off or swat them away as they settled the bundle of goodies at her side before meandering over to where I was. To my surprise, it was the leader who took a seat and shifted so close he was resting alongside me, his legs stretched beside my butt, his own pressed beside my knees, facing in my direction. He was much too close.
Awkwardly, I tried to move away, enough to avoid contact, but he wouldn’t have it. He just reached out, snatching my wrist, and propped an arm over my legs, resting his elbow on the soft grassy ground, the position was casual but it caged me in. I wished I was more confident with men like Lisa was. The only time I’d felt safe enough to get close to a guy it had backfired, and I paid dearly for it for years after, during high school. Since then, I shied away from boys. But this guy, he was a man.
His grey-green eyes were on me, not even bothering to look around at Mowha, who was going through the things he’d brought over. His gaze moved over my body, narrowing on my oversized, and embarrassingly, smelly clothes. To be studied so intently by someone like him had me shying away, feeling like my face was so hot I could fry an egg on it.
“Tch!” He snapped irritably and gently, but firmly, turned my chin with two of his fingers, forcing me to look back at him. Satisfied, he relaxed in place, as if he intended to sit here like this with us for some time. Whenever I looked away, studying the forest as I tried in vain to make out my surroundings, hoping to make some sense of where I was, Mr. Grumpy would turn my focus back on him and our little bubble by the creek. Mowha, meanwhile, was prattling on about something as she went through the items he brought, but he ignored her, his focus entirely on me, the intensity of it made me squirm in my seat.
“Why are we here?” I asked her, despite knowing that it was useless to do so. None of these people spoke English. Even though Mowha was the only one who I’d had any sort of conversation with, it had been her telling me what to call her. I tried explaining my own name, but she’d found it to be such a tongue-twister that she just kept calling me, gweebruh.
So, it was no surprise when neither of them answered me. Mowha did, however, huff irritably at the male before she took a seat at our sides. Her dark eyes moved over his dominating posture over my body and though she pursed her lips at the sight, she didn’t tell him to stop. Huh, I guess this guy really was the leader of the group? It definitely seemed like his word was final.
“Gweebruh,” she called to me.
I automatically responded by looking over to see what she was unpacking. A variety of animal skins, a bowl of strange-looking plants, like flower bulbs, and one of their animal skull bowls. She also had a few pouches that looked to be bulging, which she set aside before shoving the skull into the guy’s spare hand. He raised a brow at her, but took it, reaching back into the stream to collect some water, before he returned it to her. Mowha dipped a thin skin into the water, soaking it, before lifting it up to start dabbing at my face. She was cleaning me?
“I can do it,” I offered, feeling strange to have her wash me down like I was completely incapable. But Mowha shook her head at me and kept going, a small smile curling up on her mouth while she worked, and soon, she began to hum to herself. I actually think she was enjoying this.
I felt a hard poke in my shoulder and, rubbing the spot, I turned to see the man trying to catch my attention again. He waved his fingers in front of my eyes, as though testing to see if I could discern his hand. I couldn’t help but giggle a little at the serious look on his face, as though he was gravely concerned about my blindness.
“I can see up close, just not far away,” I said to him. When he cocked a brow, tilting his head slightly to the side in confusion, I sighed, wondering how the heck I was going to explain this to him. An idea struck me, and without thinking, I reached up and grasped his wrist with both hands, bringing his hand close to my face. His expression was voidless and intimidating as he stared at me, waiting to see what I was going to do, but I was determined to have some sort of breakthrough with my communication with these people.
“Up close? Good,” I said to him, nodding as I waved his hand before my face. I felt like a fool, but I couldn’t think of another way to explain it. Guiding his hand farther back, about a foot, I nodded again, “Still good.” I pushed it back even farther, another foot, nodding still until I couldn’t reach any further. So I leaned forward, moving his arm way back beyond his head, took my place on the grass again, and finally shook my head. “Now I can’t see,” I said, looking up at the now blurred shape of his digits.
His empty expression suddenly shifted, his brows relaxing, and he let his hand drop, casually resting against the side of my thigh, and he looked to Mowha, who had been watching this with great interest. She then held her hand up, far from my eyes, and raised her brows. I chuckled half-heartedly and shook my head. As she brought it closer and it cleared, I began to nod, clarifying my range of sight to them both. I figured if they understood what I could and could not visualize, then they’d have more understanding of my confusion and constant squinting.
One thing I knew for sure, finding my way through the forest, even in daylight, back to the river, was an impossibility. I didn’t recognize anything around me. The only hope I had was if, using the sun’s location in the sky as a directive, I headed south, hoping to reach the river at some point. That, or if they kindly brought me back, but that didn’t seem to be a high priority at this moment. Not with the way they were all lounging in the sun, a few blurred shapes of the others joining us along the creek for a drink. In the background, I could make out the distant playful calls from the two boys who were running around the space, enjoying themselves immensely.
“Vulfu.”
I turned back to the male, his deep voice breaking the silence between us. What did he just say?
He leaned closer, his face only a few inches from me, and he tapped his chest, his bright eyes never leaving mine for a second, and murmured again, “Vulfu.”
Vulfu, was that his name? I watched as he pointed to Mowha and grunted her namesake, before addressing himself again. I thought I’d heard them call him that before, but I’d also heard them call him something else… aghaal or something like that. Whatever that meant. But apparently, he preferred this name.
“Vool-foo…” I said, trying to sound it out. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, as though he was amused by my pronunciation, but I had trouble with that deep rumble they all had laced with their words. However, he seemed pleased with my attempt, at least, and nodded. Slowly, as though proceeding with caution in an attempt not to alarm me, he reached out, his rough, calloused fingers lightly touching the center of my chest, and raised his brows in question.
“Gweebruh!” Mowha snapped at him, grabbing my leg as though irritated that he was being so focused on me, and began wiping down the bottom of my foot furiously. Instantly, my body spasmed as I began to laugh hysterically from the ticklish feeling, but no matter how hard I tried to yank my foot away, she held fast and continued arguing with him over my head.
“Mmuh gweebruh!” he growled back, narrowing his gaze at her, holding her resentful scowl until she looked away. He turned back to me, and raised his brows, waiting.
“Stephanie,” I said to him, a little breathless from my laughing fit, but glad that it was now over. I’d tried to teach Mowha how to say it, but she insisted on calling me… well, whatever that other name meant. I actually appreciated that he was curious about my real identity, rather than just giving me one he preferred. “Ste-ph-anie,” I repeated, slowly.
He furrowed his brow, and I could see the minuscule way he moved his lips as he tried to silently sound it out himself, first. Frustrated, he nodded to me, as though urging me to repeat it again.
“Steeeee-fffffff-aaaah-neeee,” I said slowly, trying not to laugh at the way his mouth dropped, finding the incredulous look on his face as he silently mouthed along sort of endearing.
“Sssssss…” he hissed, reminding me of a snake.
“Stephanie,” I repeated, encouragingly.
“Ssssstuh!” He hit the ‘T’ in my name hard, practically spitting it out.
Mowha shook her head at him, rolling her eyes, “Mmuh, Vulfu! Sdev! Sdevvy!”
He scowled at her, clearly unimpressed with her scolding. “ST-uh!” he insisted. “Ste-vvy!”
They both bickered back and forth for a minute, both clearly having their own opinion on how my name was to be pronounced. I didn’t bother intervening, as I wasn’t ever really one to get involved or throw myself into the middle of an argument. I’d rather crawl away and wait for it to be over, but Vulfu, as though sensing my discomfort, placed a hand on my knee, gripping it a little, as though warning me to stay. Not wanting to infuriate him further, as Mowha seemed to be doing a pretty good job on her own, I sat there silently, awkwardly waiting for them to come to some conclusion.
“Tch!” He snapped after another minute of their back and forth, clearly done with the discussion. He looked at me and tapped my chest again, waiting.
Both their heated gazes were on me, waiting, and I felt seriously on the spot here. It was like whatever I confirmed would mean picking a side, and that was something I really didn’t want to do. Mowha had been incredibly sweet and caring over the past two days, and if she hadn’t come upon me that night by the river, I most likely would have succumbed to hypothermia. Then again, Vulfu was something else… he was a dominant, terrifying presence that demanded respect. He was intimidating as hell, and his sudden interest in me had me so nervous and on edge that I was afraid to say anything that might upset him.
But in the end, he was the one who was closest. I lowered my head, finding it rather difficult to meet Mowha’s expectant gaze, and murmured, “Stevvy.” I glanced up to see that smug look on Vulfu’s features like he’d just won a bet or something, while Mowha narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. Just when I thought things would settle, she reached out and snatched at my sweater, pulling it as though to undress me. I balked, scrambling to cover myself. I am a quiet person, but having someone, a stranger, suddenly rip my clothes away was enough to make me speak up.
The flagpole… Cece… Marcus and Pete, Harris…
“Stop, no! Don-Mmmffurr!” I was cut off as the thick wool was pulled up over my head, leaving me in my bra and bell bottoms. Desperate, I spun onto my hands and knees and began crawling away as best I could, but a strong grip wrapped around my ankle and dragged me back. Frantically, I glanced over my shoulder to see Vulfu pulling me in one-handed, as though I weighed no more than a puppy. I kicked my legs and grabbed at the grass, which ripped out of the ground when I found myself hauled backward. Before I knew it, I was in Vulfu’s lap, his arm banded around my waist, while Mowha pulled at my jeans, only to be thrown off at first by the buttons and zipper before she decided to just tug away. “What are you doing?!” I shrieked, tilting my head back towards the sky, flailing against Vulfu’s grasp in a pathetic attempt to free myself. If I thought Mowha was strong, it was nothing compared to this guy. “Stop!”
Mowha pulled my pants free, leaving me in my simple black cotton bra and panties, and closely inspected the material of my jeans. She sniffed one of the legs and snorted in disgust, making me flush in embarrassment. I knew I smelled, but anyone would after being stuck in the same clothes for days. She tossed my things aside and looked over her shoulder at the two young males.
“Dow! Kray!” She called them. Huh, I guess that was their names? They stopped in the middle of their squirmish and hurried over, both grinning brightly as they nodded respectfully to Vulfu. If I knew any better, I would have assumed these two were twins, or at least brothers, by how close they seemed. They haven’t left each other’s side all day.
As they neared my pile of clothes, however, they wrinkled their own noses in disgust. That was when Mowha began to inspect my undergarments.
“Don’t!” I warned her, forgetting about freeing myself from Vulfu’s iron-like hold, and crossed my legs and arms over my body. “Don’t even think?—”
Even if anyone could understand me, I doubt it would matter. She easily snatched at my remaining coverings and ripped them free, also tossing them aside. Kray and Dow didn’t even flinch at this whole debacle, but simply collected my old clothes at Mowha’s request, and carried them away, disappearing beyond my line of sight into the forest and beyond, heading in the direction of the crevasse.
“Where are they taking them?” I cried, now completely red-faced as I tried to hide my naked body, my mind in overdrive as I fought back memories that threatened to tip me over the edge. Tears squeezed out of the corners of my eyes as I began to panic, curling in on myself to hide. I could feel my breath coming fast, my anxiety choking me as my nerves shattered, and I began to wail, breaking down completely. I could feel Mowha’s fingers on my back, as though she was trying to reach for me, but Vulfu shifted, turning me to sit sideways in his lap, and wrapped his arms around me tight, his thick muscle hiding most of my body. From his chest, he emitted a deep rumble, like a tiger chuffing when it sees its young, or a trusted companion, the hum building and vibrating against my cheek.
Bewildered and still in a state of shock from being forcibly undressed, I tilted my head up to peer tentatively at him, wondering what the heck he was doing. He was watching me, his eyes never straying from mine. Slowly, one of his hands came up to ever so lightly skim his fingertips along my jawline. Why was he being so… I don’t even know what he was being. I was so confused and freaked out that I didn’t even realize Mowha had taken my arm and was wiping it down.
“Stevvy,” he murmured, almost like a hiss between his teeth, making me shiver. Whoa, why was him saying my name like that making me blush?
I squirmed in his lap, momentarily forgetting about my nudity, I was so lost in the hypnotic, demanding pull of his gaze, that I began to tremble in his arms. All Vulfu was wearing was a pair of animal-hide makeshift pants that were tied up with homemade cord, his chest bare. He was a huge man, well over seven feet, and though he was leaner than young Kray and Dow, he easily had the most toned body. His strength was undeniable, especially when he moved me around like a ragdoll. As I squirmed, I felt a sudden bulge begin to dig into my backside, and I jolted in alarm, eyes wide as I stared up at him in embarrassment. The longer we stared into each other’s eyes, the more entranced and frightened I became, the mix of the two contrasting emotions overwhelming both my heart and my mind.
“Tch!”
The moment was broken when Mowha forcibly turned me in his lap, making me face her instead, my back pressed against the muscled plains of his front. Again, I caved in on myself, attempting to shield my nudity, but she wasn’t having it. Losing her patience at last, she seized my forearms and pulled, hauling me away from him and literally dragged me over the grass, my rear-end on full display to all members of the group that were near, and rolled me towards the creek.
I’d wriggled and attempted to crawl away again, all while loudly objecting to whatever the heck Mowha was trying to do, but it was all in vain. For a brief moment, I panicked, thinking she was over having to look after me, and decided that the best thing to end my pathetic existence was to simply drown me. I know it was extreme and ridiculous, but after being overpowered this way, being made to feel so weak and helpless, I was having serious flashbacks.
My screams echoing throughout the girls’ washroom, cowering in a corner of a stall as one girl after another threw soggy wads of toilet paper my way. Trash, they called me. Trash.
“Drag her out!” Cece Perkins laughed, shrilly.
One of the taller cheerleaders came at me, forcibly took me to my knees before roughly seizing a handful of my hair, and pulled me away from the corner. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hide as they continued to pelt me with the wet wads again and again.
“Trash, Stephanie Fields. You’re nothing but trash!”
“A whore,”
“Slut!”
“You like fucking the guys in this school? Do you really think they liked you? YOU?” They laughed mirthlessly and some became so brazen, that I felt a boot hit my back, and I fell forward onto the grimy, wet tile of the washroom floor. Some started collecting handfuls of water from the sink to splash in my direction, soaking my hair.
“Stephanie Fields…” they sang. “Miss Sad Girl of 197–”
“Stevvy!”
I seized up, blinking hard, trying to see past my tears. But even then, it was difficult to make out much. Right, my glasses were gone. I wasn’t in school. I was in the wild, lost, taken by a group of primitive people, uncivilised as cavemen. I don’t know which option was worse, high school or here. That is, until a pair of arms wrapped around me tight, and I found myself in a motherly embrace as Mowha swayed us slowly from side to side, humming under her breath.
We were at the edge of the stream, sitting on our knees, and my hands were raised, pressing against her shoulders as though I’d been fighting her in some way. My throat hurt like I’d been screaming, and I was gasping for air as if I’d just run ten miles.
Having Mowha hold me so sweetly, despite how insane I must have been acting, had me releasing a long, shuddering breath before I went slack in her arms. At my back, I could sense Vulfu’s close proximity, and when I peeked through my lashes, I could see the blurred figures of the others, crouched stock-still, and I felt an unbearable sense of embarrassment thinking they were staring at me.
Girls came into the washroom, catching the cheer team in the midst of their cruelty as I was then attacked, kicked, punched, and beaten down until I lay on the floor in a heap, crying pitifully. But they did nothing. Some stayed to watch, while others just turned around and left.
No one would help me. No one.
No one.
No one…
“Stevvy?”
I sniffled and, still locked in Mowha’s hug, I hesitantly peeked up at Vulfu, who was leaning around my back and over my shoulder to see my face. He did look a little alarmed, and incredibly concerned, as though he just witnessed something disturbing. His expression made me feel even worse. The judgement. I cringed away, turning my face into Mowha, finding it difficult to look at him now. She stroked my long, dark hair, the only one who seemed unfazed by my behavior.
But Vulfu wasn’t having that.
He reached for me, only to have Mowha snap at him and turn away. He began to argue with her, and honestly, I felt like I was a kid in the middle of a couple who had recently divorced or something, both fighting with each other as they fought for the child’s attention. He tried circling around, but she just spun the other way until finally, he seemed to give up, but he didn’t wander far. He settled on the edge of the creek, glowering at Mowha over my head while she proceeded to do her best to hide me from view.
After a minute, she checked over her shoulder, as though confirming he was far away, and pulled me back to then proceed with washing off the rest of me. I watched in fascination as she smashed the strange-looking root that resembled a plant pod in her hands, and used it to scrub at my skin, wiping away all signs of dirt and grime. Realizing now that her intention all along had been to clean me, I bowed my head, letting my hair hide my face, feeling so absolutely ridiculous to have lost my mind the way I had. And it was all for nothing. These people probably thought I was a lunatic. Though I still hated the fact I was nude, and that Mowha refused to let me take care of myself, I didn’t have it in me to keep fighting with her about it. She was a stubborn woman, for sure, and as I watched her work away on cleaning me up, I could see how much she was enjoying this. She was smiling broadly, not showing her teeth, I noted, moving me this way and that as she gently, but efficiently cleaned me off.
Though the water was chilly, the sun was warm, and it did feel good to get rid of that layer of filth and sweat off my skin.
But my clothes…
I peered off into the direction where Kray and Dow had disappeared, the blurred tangle of greenery and brown of the wilderness blending together, until finally, they both emerged, not a sign of my clothes on them. They just meandered over to some of the others, lightly bumping their heads together, apparently unfazed to see a member of their group cleaning a small, strange girl in the creek like she was completely inept.
But when Mowha tried to pry my legs open, I really put my foot down. “No!” I said to her, loudly and firmly. I shook my head and narrowed my eyes, trying to convey that I was not comfortable with this. Mowha stared at me like I was the confusing one. Like I needed a reality check on social etiquette, not her.
“Mmuh gweebruh…” Vulfu called to her from the shore, watching our interaction with close scrutiny. His tone was very suggestive like he was trying to prove a point or something. She just cast him a resentful look, her dark eyes flashing as she glared his way, as though daring him to keep going with whatever he was saying. When she turned back to me, she was thoughtful for a minute, before slowly reaching out, offering me the cloth she’d been using to clean me.
She’d been most forceful this entire time, so to have her suddenly listen and oblige by my wishes stunned me for a second before I nervously reached out and gratefully took it from her. “Thank you,” I said, turning away from everyone so I could finish up. I hurried, wanting nothing more than to find a way to cover myself and then hopefully communicate to them that I wished to leave, and rinsed myself all over. Mowha had washed my hair, too, which had felt amazing, and as I wrung it out, I could sense her moving around behind me, mumbling something to Vulfu. Why he still lingered around, I had no idea.
Out of all the people here, he confused me the most. Mowha was definitely determined to keep me as a pet or child of sorts, while the others merely accepted my presence but seemed far from interested in coming close enough to interact at all. Vulfu, however, had been so hostile at first, only to suddenly change his tune in a matter of seconds. Though for the past two days, I’d been hiding out, today, his presence was constant. Was he suspicious of me? Like I was a threat that he wanted to keep an eye on? Or was there something else?
I sat on my knees in the creek, arms covering my small breasts as I nervously peered over my shoulder at the two wild people sitting on the bank, waiting patiently for me to finish. I was so glad my hair was long enough to use as a curtain of sorts, as it fell thickly down my back. While Mowha was beckoning me over, a new animal skin in her hands, Vulfu looked like he’d lost his mind.
He stared at me, eyes wide, mouth slightly open, watching me sit there in the water as I stared over my shoulder at him like I’d shocked him somehow. I glanced down at myself, suddenly worried that part of me was showing, but my thighs hid my privates, the only real visible part being my butt, which was half submerged in the water. For one horrifying moment, I thought he’d seen the marks on my arms, but they and my upper half were facing away. With the fight I’d been putting up since having my coverings taken, I doubt they had a chance to get a good look. So that wasn’t it.
Mowha smacked him upside the back of his head, to which he angrily growled at her, sitting up higher to bear slightly over her in response. She retracted ever so slightly but didn’t look away from his intimidating response. They both waited, as though stuck in a staring contest before she finally lowered her head and relaxed. Vulfu did, too, begrudgingly looking away to scan the area, noting each member of his group’s whereabouts as he locked gazes with them.
Mowha beckoned me over again, and, seeing as everyone else was safely looking in another direction, as far as I could tell at least, I waded back over to the shore, joining her on the soft, mossy ground. She used a fur to dry me off, both it and the warm sunbeam filing down through the trees speeding up the process before she wrapped the animal skin around me. It was very plain, beige, with white spots on it, and I had a terrible suspicion this had once been a fawn. But she looped it around me, using a leather cord to tie it together at the sides, and I realized it was a makeshift dress. She made sure it was tied tight at the top, the hemline going straight across my chest, and it fell to mid-thigh, the bottom fashioned a little looser so my legs could move around freely.
I stared at it, marveling at how beautiful it was, even if it was a simple hide.
It’s not Bambi, I told myself over and over. Not Bambi, not Bambi…
Looking up at her, I caught the warm expression in her eyes as she checked it over, making sure it fit me properly, though she did have to lace another set of ties around my chest to make sure it stayed. I was a lot smaller than the rest of them, and this was clearly made for someone more their size.
“Thank you, Mowha,” I whispered, touching the soft spotted hair on the front of the dress, the colouring a perfect camouflage for the forest. I know she couldn’t understand me, but she picked up on my tone, and I know she heard the appreciation in my voice as I spoke to her. She looked immensely pleased, and though she didn’t respond in any way, she settled herself behind me and began to comb her fingers through my dark mane.
Only then, did Vulfu turn back to me. While Mowha busied herself brushing out the tangles in my hair, Vulfu inched closer, his eyes moving over me appreciatively. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was checking me out. But I quickly shook that thought away, those voices in the back of my mind reminding me of who I really was.
The pariah…
The loser.
The small, mousy girl.
I wasn’t someone men gravitated towards. I wasn’t a bombshell like Lisa or a beauty like Kate. Or even that confident superwoman Jen is… was, I remind myself, my heart compressing tightly.
And yet…
Vulfu’s heated gaze on my small, frail body was making me feel incredibly shy, my skin flushing by the way he lingered on my collarbone and the curve of my neck. Mowha huffed at him, as though warning, but he didn’t back away. He just settled before where I was sitting on my knees and lay stretched out on his side, holding himself up on an elbow, watching me. It wasn’t until he held his hand up to my face, that I even realized I was staring right back, my mind going blank as though I was stunned by the sun.
I jerked away slightly, shifting my gaze to his hand, only to see him holding a handful of ripe, wild raspberries. I beamed at the sight of them. Raspberries were my favourite, and seeing them now, being so hungry, I found myself beyond grateful. “I love these!” I said, grinning so wide that when I looked up at Vulfu to thank him, he narrowed his eyes at the sight of my smile.
I froze.
Was I mistaken in thinking he was offering these to me? The moment I saw his terrifying glower, I inched back into Mowha, who was busy splitting my hair into sections. She let out a soft, ‘oof!’ when I bumped into her stomach in my attempts to distance myself from this pissed-off looking wild stranger.
But Vulfu’s free hand snatched out, gripping my wrist tight to keep me from moving any further, and tugged me back into place. I stared up at him, wide-eyed and shaking, wondering what exactly I’d done wrong. His narrowed eyes scanned my face, analyzing everything from my wide, frightened gaze, to the way my chin trembled, my breaths coming out in quick, little gasps.
“Stevvy…” he growled, releasing my wrist, only to reach up and lightly run this thumb over my brows, as though he didn’t like the tense way I held them. He shook his head at me, clearly displeased, and before I could stop him, he shoved two fingers into my mouth, lifting my upper lip as if to study my teeth. I jerked my head away, still confused and scared. He prodded me again and repeated my name, “Stevvy!” he snapped, obviously wanting my attention, still. Warily, I peeked up to catch him gesturing at my body, giving a quick nod in my direction. He was asking me something in his own way, but I had no idea what. This language barrier thing was getting really annoying.
All I could think to tell him was how I was feeling. “Stevvy… scared,” I admitted.
“Scccurrrrrduh,” he hissed between his teeth, ending hard at the ‘d’.
“Scared,” I said again, and exaggerated my frightened expression, before pointing at him.
At this, his brows shot up, his look of agitated bemusement shifting to one of surprise and displeasure. Behind me, Mowha chuffed, like she was on my side.
Vulfu vehemently shook his head and pointed again to my mouth, reaching out to point at my teeth again, and shook his head once more. Then it hit me.
My smile, showing my teeth… had he not liked that?
I glanced around at the others, but they were too far away to see. I thought back over the past two days, and the only times I’d seen Mowha smile, her lips remained closed. I wonder if showing teeth was a threatening sign or one that was challenging? I think animals thought that way. Maybe these people were no different?
I cautiously met Vulfu’s expectant stare as he sat there, waiting patiently for me to respond to him. Slowly, I smiled again, only this time I kept my lips closed. At this, the corner of his mouth rose ever so slightly, and he nodded, as though in approval. I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed as Mowha began to braid my hair back from my face, and Vulfu settled again, once more, offering me those delicious, wild raspberries.
“Thank you, Vulfu,” I beamed at him, cautious of hiding my teeth. The way his eyes seemed to twinkle at my thanks, the way they crinkled ever so slightly in the corners, was like his own signature way of returning my smile. But he said nothing else. He just continued to lay there, holding my favourite berries in his hand for me to help myself to, while my stand-in mother figure tied off my long, thick braid with a leather cord.
I felt like a spoiled child, indeed, both figureheads volleying for my favour. Unfortunately, this couldn’t last. Tonight, I’d have to find a way to sneak out and hopefully, if I could get my bearings right, find my way south.