by Tara Brown
I heaved, struggling for breath. Tears formed in my eyes as the endorphins got lost. I couldn’t feel a runner’s high, but instead, a massive frustration and letdown. I heaved and shook as another branch broke. My eyes darted around the forest but my vision wouldn’t focus. The mental control I had built up was gone. I was no longer an elite athlete. I was no longer the girl in the diner. I wasn’t me or the girl from the streets, I was somewhere in-between.
A dark shape moved just beyond my sight. I blinked, still huffing and puffing, but the dark shape remained. It got larger as it neared me. At first I tried backing up, but my leg muscles cramped in sweet blissful agony, forcing me to hunt around for a weapon. I grabbed a sharp stick beside me and held it up, still trying to recognize the shape.
My breath huffed in a wheeze and my muscles ached, but I held the stick tight. “Just stay back!” I pointed the stick at it.
The dark shape cleared in my burning eyes as it got closer and I realized what it was—a wolf, a huge wolf. A scream flew from my lips when its cold stare hit mine. “GET AWAY!”
It didn’t lunge, or do anything. Instead of looking fierce and growling at me, it panted and tilted its head in curiosity, like a dog. Its long tongue even hung from the side of its face.
“Just don’t come closer!” I held the shaking branch up threateningly, but it ignored me and crept closer, wagging its huge bushy tail.
It blinked its green eyes at me innocently as it crushed branches, making loud snapping sounds that filled the forest as it continued to saunter toward me. It somehow seemed comfortable in my presence.
“Hey, buddy, are you someone’s pet?” I asked as if it would make the situation better. The wolf tilted its head to the other side, still walking directly to me. It pressed its chest straight into the shaking branch I held, almost telling me to move in.
After a moment, I dropped the branch, reaching out with my trembling hand. I hesitated before letting my fingers brush against its dark chest fur. Its hot breath filled the air, making more mist against the cool breeze.
“You’re a pet, someone’s pet. You’re not a bad wolf.” I exhaled and continued petting as tears of relief filled my eyes. “Oh, thank God.”
In the quiet drizzling forest, I sat freezing in my shorts and tee shirt, stroking the fur of a huge timber wolf and crying. I checked around for the owner, knowing it was definitely a tamed pet but there was no one but me and the trees.
I reached with my other hand, rubbing its muzzle. It bent down, licking me. I let it rub its face against mine.
“Want to help me get home?” I asked, still petting it. “Huh, do you, boy?” I scratched behind its ears and kissed the side of its face. “You’re a dog, aren’t you? You’re not even a wolf. You’re some kind of husky. Is your owner nearby?” I looked around again as the wolf stood over me. I grabbed at the tree beside me, but my weakened legs couldn’t push my body up. The wolf put its head in front of me again but more forcefully.
“You want me to grab you?” I felt weird talking to the giant animal, but it just invaded my personal space. I liked animals and I’d always wanted a dog, but my uncle had been against it. All through high school I’d volunteered at the local animal shelter just to be with animals. They always made me feel calm, but never had I seen one so affectionate from the start.
I grabbed onto its neck and let the giant wolf pull me to my wobbly legs. It pushed itself against me to hold me steady. It was large enough that I was pretty sure I could ride it, but I settled for it leading me. I was still dizzy and tripped a lot, but the wolf caught me with its huge body, always keeping me standing and moving. I shivered against the cold air, but the heat coming off the wolf made me feel a bit better.
I limped alongside him, feeling desperately lost and hopeless until I finally saw the peaks of the house in the distance. “Oh my God, you did it.” I rubbed the wolf’s face and ears. “Good boy. That’s a good boy. You got me home.”
The wolf rubbed against my bare legs with his muzzle, nuzzling me with the force of its strength.
I sighed when my foot touched the path, but the moment it did, the wolf took off running as fast as it could away from me. I stumbled with nothing to help me.
“Stupid weak body.” My legs were about to give out so I rested against a small tree, catching my breath.
“Ari.” A man I didn’t know jogged toward me. “Ari, I’m Ben. Lydia sent me to search for you. She said you were in trouble, missy, and that you’d better let me help you or else. She said you went for a run.” He was gorgeous.
The kind of gorgeous you don’t actually know how to act around. I smiled wide and considered playing with my hair, but the street rat part of me started to conjure up bad thoughts.
I ignored her and enjoyed my insides warming at just seeing him running in a tee shirt and jeans.
Lydia had sent him.
She must have heard my thoughts and panicked.
Ben was tall—very tall and strong looking. He reminded me of Lucas, but his face was handsomer and his smile was electrifying. His emerald-green eyes seemed familiar, but I knew it was the first time we’d met. I wouldn’t have forgotten a face like his.
“You okay?” He stood in front of me, looking me over.
“Yeah.”
“So you’re Ari?” He eyed the tattoos running down my arms and up my neck and smiled wide. “You do look like a lot of trouble.”
I wanted to say something witty back but I couldn’t, and my legs hurt so much that one more step would’ve been too much. I was officially frozen and seized up from the intense hill run I’d not prepped for at all.
I attempted a step but fell. He caught me before I could land. He smelled familiar. He picked me up and carried me close to his chest. “You’re freezing, Ari.”
“I like your wolf,” I whispered before I passed out.
Chapter 11
The runaway
Ari
“Ari finally met young Ben. I’m just gonna say it: she’s gonna have a hard time picking which one she likes better. She’s always liked Lucas, but she ain’t never met Ben before today,” Annabelle babbled in a hushed tone nearby, waking me from my sleep.
“She’s waking up now. Maybe fetch her some hot cocoa. She’s likely freezing,” Lydia whispered back.
“All right.”
I opened my eyes as the firelight in my bedroom flickered off Lydia’s worried face.
She bent over, speaking quietly, “You ever scare the hell out of me like that again, missy, and I will lock you away in a tower until your hair grows long enough that it’s your only means of escape. You hear me?”
I parted my lips with something spicy to say back but swallowed that down and nodded obediently. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I think Annabelle might be right about seeing Elsie. The troubled Ari is actually trying to kill you both. There’s no way you would’ve kept on running if she hadn’t pushed you to give her the pain she so desperately craves.”
“No, that was just me,” I disagreed. “I wanted to run and get my runner’s high, but my body isn’t in shape like it was before. I didn’t get a high so I kept pushing it.”
“I still think you should see Elsie.” Lydia’s face tightened. “We leave in an hour. When you’re warmed up.”
“Who’s Ben?”
Her eyes gleamed with humor. “Lucas’ older brother. He’s been in New York and Boston, working.”
“Thanks for sending him. Was that his pet wolf?”
Lydia chuckled. “I guess you could say that.”
“He’s lucky. I wish I had a wolf.”
Lydia burst out laughing. “Oh, I think you’ve got a couple. The question is, whatever will you do with them?” She cackled, walking out of the room.
“Old woman is losing her mind,” I muttered as she closed the door.
After cleaning up I walked to the stairs with a slight limp. My muscles were mending quickly. Lydia was standing at the bottom of the stairs with Ben.
&nb
sp; “How ya feeling, Ari?” He watched as if waiting to be certain I made it down the stairs.
“Okay. My legs are jelly.”
“That was an intense run.”
“I guess.” I hated struggling on the stairs like a wimp. “Hey, can I see your wolf, Ben?” I asked softly as I left the last stair.
He smiled as if confused. “Uh—sure.”
“Lydia and I are going to see some voodoo lady, but when we get back maybe? I used to work at a shelter. I love animals. I still can’t believe how tame he was when he helped me out of the woods. He’s like a service animal.”
Lydia laughed. “Honey, the wolf—”
“Yeah, it’s no problem. I would be more than happy to let you pet him,” Ben interrupted.
“BENJAMIN!” Lydia shouting at him made him flinch. “That’s enough of that. We need to get going.” She frowned and I felt like I had missed a huge piece of the puzzle.
Ben smiled. “Well, when you get back, just let me know.”
“Okay, great. I can’t wait to see him. If I hadn’t been so tired and injured, it would have been fun running through the woods with him.”
“Yes, it would have.” Ben grinned wide.
“Let’s go.” Lydia wrapped an arm around me and led me from the house. “What about Lucas?” she asked as we got into her old car.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re flirting with his brother.”
“I was being nice to his brother. I don’t really flirt, Lydia.” I wanted to say other things, meaner ones, but I kept ahold of the street rat’s tongue.
“You and Lucas have something. Don’t try to deny it.”
“No, we don’t. I can’t be with anyone until I fix what’s wrong with me. I’m always one small measure of control away from letting whatever the darkness is inside me out. And if that other me, that homeless beast gets out, she’s going to burn the world down.”
“And that’s why we’re going to see Elsie.” She started the car and glanced over at me. “And I will say, you were much nicer to Ben than you ever were to Lucas. It wasn’t too long ago Lucas saved you and earned himself a tongue lashing.”
Something about Lucas scared me. Maybe it wasn’t him that scared me, but my reaction to him. But I didn’t want Lydia to see that so I acted like it was nothing. “Well, Lucas was mean when he saved me, brooding and short tempered. He always acts like he can’t wait to get away from me and then spends his free time staring at me. Ben seems easy to be around. Just friendly. It doesn’t matter anyway, clearly I’m a pathetic wimp who can’t even go for a run without being saved.”
Lydia put a hand on mine as she drove. “No, dear, the first year is the hardest. We don’t even know if you’re immortal or if you have other gifts beyond this portal thing. We think we know what you are, between the intensity of your power and the fact you heal quickly, but the final tests will be completed shortly. That run should have you in bed and you’re only limping.”
“Muscle memory.”
“The only thing your muscles remember is sleeping in a cardboard box and running from the police.” Lydia rolled her eyes.
Not wanting to talk about being homeless I changed the subject, “Why are the tests taking so long, Lydia?”
“Well, it’s not like there is anyone to compare you to. You’re different and different takes a while.”
“I guess.” I stared out the window as we drove through the city.
“Well, here we are.” Lydia pulled into the driveway of a modern apartment building.
I glanced up at it, thinking ski resort condominium maybe, not house where creepy old witch lives.
“Just because she practices voodoo and hoodoo, doesn’t mean she has to live in a swamp.” She read my mind.
“Hey!” I laughed. “If I don’t say it out loud, you’re not allowed to criticize.”
We walked up to the fancy front door that had a video screen with buttons. Lydia pushed the buttons and spoke softly to the screen. I could barely make out the face of a woman.
The large wooden door made a soft noise and Lydia opened it.
I followed behind her to an elevator, trying not to be nervous. But it was hard. What if the lady couldn’t help me and I was stuck as a dual personality? Constantly fighting the darkness in me and succumbing to her depression and bad memories.
The doors to the condos were larger and spaced slightly farther apart than in a hotel. I had stayed at one in Phoenix once with my uncle when he’d taken me to do prom dress shopping. Thinking about my uncle made me miss him again.
Lydia walked up to a door and knocked.
It was opened by a woman with black hair cropped quite short and styled modern and funky. She paused before revealing the whitest teeth and the brightest smile. She was stunning. Her bright-blue eyes contrasted amazingly with my black hair and mocha skin. She was tall and fit, with classy rings and necklaces.
“Elsie, this is Ari.” Lydia pointed to the door. I walked into the apartment, seeing the desert everywhere. She had an adobe-New Mexican theme throughout her home. The walls reminded me of a desert sunset in soft burnt orange. The couches were a cactus green and the kitchen was sandy yellow. Cacti were the only plants in the house, with pictures of desert scenes everywhere.
I walked through in a daze like I was home. Many of my friends had houses decorated this way. It was common in the desert. “Your home is beautiful,” I spoke softly, mesmerized by the heat from the fireplace that made the apartment hot like the desert.
“Thank you. I just love the desert. I usually don’t come back to Washington for the winters. I love Arizona and New Mexico this time of year.”
“Thanks for coming back.” Lydia hugged the other woman. They were a contrast and a half. Lydia looked like an old witch, whereas Elsie could be a millionaire who enjoyed a jet-setting lifestyle.
“How could I resist? I’ve never seen one of her kind before.” Elsie’s face lit up as she eyed me.
Lydia laughed. “It’s fairly interesting watching her in action.”
Elsie smiled kindly. “I brought someone I think you can help. He needs to have some redirection. I think you’re exactly the solution to the problem.” She left the room.
I turned to Lydia who smiled and nodded. I had to remind myself I trusted her.
“Will you try for me? It will give me a better understanding.” Elsie brought a man in a wheelchair into the room. He was decrepit and wrinkled but something about him made me think he wasn’t nearly as old as he appeared to be.
He made my hands heat up as I let my guard down, allowing myself to feed on whatever it was I did to him. I rubbed my fingers together, making sparks between my fingertips. “Who is he?”
“An old friend.” Elsie’s voice sounded as though it was off in the distance.
He was asleep in the chair which I preferred. Not that it mattered really; I just wanted to let my hands have him. I wanted to push the heat from myself and take whatever it was I actually took from them.
Working with my control, I held on and didn’t let the heat flood from my fingers as I took small steps toward him.
When I got close enough I reached forward, brushing against his warm skin. Like a lover I caressed him softly, trying not to push it too fast. I wanted control. My body struggled to push as fast as it could, but I held back. Slowly my energy licked at his thin arm. I shivered with delight as I exhaled and released into him.
The air sparkled and the picture built between us.
He was walking down a street, checking his watch as he passed by a homeless man. He dropped some money into the man’s tin and looked at his watch again. He was late for something. He started to run, worried. It was a bus—he ran after a bus but it was too late. He dropped the briefcase he carried and instead, went into a building where he saw a woman sitting at a bar. He ordered a drink while he and the woman exchanged glances. The picture moved and they were in a room. I assumed they’d just had sex. She got up and left him there alone. He
got sicker and sicker, and soon he was in the wheelchair.
I pushed again and he was back on his way to the bus stop. He didn’t stop to give the homeless man money. He ran from the start, rather than walking and thinking he had plenty of time. He caught the bus. The picture changed and he was in a nice suit talking on the phone. A sexy woman came into his office. She tried to kiss him as she ripped open her soft silk blouse, but he pushed her away. Her high heel slipped on the floor and she flew back. She lost her footing and smashed her head on the desk. A red pool spread over the black tiles, making a puddle under her perfectly still face and torn clothing. He knelt above her, sobbing until they came and took him in handcuffs. He vanished from the wheelchair, reappearing in a cell.
“No!” I shouted and collapsed onto the floor. “No! What did I do?”
His life hadn’t improved.
He was in jail for something that wasn’t his fault.
It was mine.
Chapter 12
Yo momma
Ari
I glanced up at the horrified faces both staring at me as they realized the man’s life hadn’t improved. I’d ruined it.
Fearful from the looks they were giving each other, I stood up from the floor on shaky legs.
The street rat inside me whispered that we needed to go, now. She had seen the look Lydia gave me, before. It meant something bad.
I didn’t know what to do so I bolted. I listened to the girl from the street and ran as hard and fast as I could.
My legs felt better running.
In desperation and an overwhelming need to survive, I slipped behind the curtain in my mind, letting the survivor in me take over.