Chasing the Omega

by Jessica Edwards

  I look up to see why the place has gone quiet only to see four tall frames at the diner's entrance.

  Why are they here? They look so out of place standing there.

  Bane walks with confidence towards the closest patron; leaving the other three standing guard at the door. He leans down to one of the regulars and speaks to him.I don't know how I can hear him, but I hear every single word.

  'You might wanna stop staring at us before I tear you apart piece by piece big man.'

  'Hey!' I rush from behind the counter, stand directly in front of him only to be met with a broad chest. Damn he's tall..

  'I don't care who you are, but I won't have you talking to the regulars like that Bane.'

  At this point Ryder stands by Bane's side; never taking his eyes away from me.

  'Are you saying we aren't welcome here because we're not regulars?' Bane looks at me with pure disgust written on his face.

  'Of course you're welcome here, but if you're going to disrespect the regulars then I'm going to have to ask you to leave.' I say this with as much confidence I can muster, but with Ryder standing with his eyes on me the whole time, I'm really quite surprised I haven't shat myself.

  'We aren't here to start trouble, we just came to have some food in this highly recommended diner that you have here.' Ryder's voice fills the whole diner, and I can't help but stand there looking into his bright green eyes.

  'Take a seat and I'll grab you some menus.' Neither of us take our eyes away from each other, but the connection is broken too quickly when I hear Sam's voice calling me.

  'Alice! Where the hell are my goddamn fries!?' I turn around to see Sam giving me the grumpiest look ever known to mankind.

  I look back at Ryder to see him sitting in one of the booths with his friends, but his eyes remain on me.

  I walk behind the counter; my hands shaking as I grab four menus and four pairs of cutlery.

  'I'm known for being a patient person, but please give me my fries!'

  'I told Terry to take his time, so whenever Terry's ready to make your fries he'll make them.'

  I walk past the counter and laugh when I hear Sam confronting Terry in the kitchen.

  Poor him..

  I stand at the edge of the table and hand Ryder all the menus, 'I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order, kitchen closes at seven thirty.' I hurry back to the cashier when I notice Sam sitting back in her seat, with a few fries on a plate.

  'Those aren't yours are they?' I point towards the fries on the plate just as I hear Terry yelling from the kitchen.

  'Nope, but they're mine now.' She grabs for another fry just as her elbow knocks the milkshake over the edge of the counter.

  Everything happens in slow motion. Time slows down as I see the milkshake descend to the floor, and I feel this uncontrollable urge to catch it before it falls. With the time slowing down, it gives me enough time to catch it just inches before it spills everywhere. I look at the milkshake resting in my hand and check around me to see if anyone noticed, but I'm only met with four curious sets of eyes.

  'Nice reflexes you got there Alice.' Sam doesn't seem as freaked out like I am right now. Instead, she picks up another fry just as I slam down the milkshake on the counter, to which it falls over.

  'You didn't see that?'

  'See what? You rescuing my delicious milkshake that is now spilling everywhere on this counter.'

  'Sam honestly, I'm freaking out right now!'

  'Are you okay? Want me to call your mum?'

  'No...I just, I need to tell you something about what happened here last night.' I whisper to her over the counter in hope that nobody hears me.

  'What's going on with you today? And why are you whispering, no one's looking at us except for them.' Sam remains looking at them until she turns around and tells me that they're leaving.

  'What's the problem? What happened last night?'

  I take a steady breath and replay the events of last night, 'I was working here last night until closing hour, and it was only me and Terry left at the diner. He asked me to take the trash out to the dumpster and...and I heard a growl from behind me, it was so quiet I thought I didn't hear anything, but I turned around and saw the biggest wolf I've ever seen, and I've never seen a wolf that big before in Small Town.'

  'I mean we see wolves all the time, we live in Small Town for god's sakes! We're gonna see wolves running around and for one being here...it was probably drawn from the smell of rotting food or something.' Sam grabs her schoolbag from the floor and starts packing her things.

  'Sam, I'm telling you, it was huge! It bit me right on the shoulder and ran away!'

  Sam stops packing her things and looks at me with pure worry on her face.

  'It bit you? Did you tell your mum to look at it?'

  I shake my head knowing she's about to have an outburst. 'No.'

  'Why the hell not!? She’s nurse! God knows what that thing carries.'

  'There wasn't any point in telling her because by the time I went to bed, the cuts we're all sealed closed, and the marks were completely gone when I changed for work.' I show her my shoulder and find it still the same. No bite marks.

  'Why didn't you say anything in school?'

  'I didn't think it really mattered when I woke up this morning and only saw a few cuts there.'

  'I wish I knew what to tell you or at least give you advice but..' Sam remains calm and collected, but I know that on the inside she worries too.

  'Your milkshake would have been on the floor if I hadn't moved to grab it in time, everything in this room moved in slow motion like the time was slowing down for me to catch it before it leaked on the floor. Then hearing Bane whispering to Paul to stop staring or he'd tear him apart. Correct me if I'm wrong but he's sitting right by the door and I'm all the way back here! Something's wrong with me!' I turn around to face the coffee machine, and pour myself a large cup of coffee.

  Sam speaks to me in a quiet and comforting tone; she probably knows that I'm close to losing my mind. 'This all happened after it bit you?'

  'Yeah, and It scares me to even think about what could happen to me. What if I actually turn into one?' I turn around with my mug of coffee and sit next to her.

  Sam scoffs, 'You're my best friend, and whatever happens just know that I'll be there for you. Even if you don't want my help, you shouldn't go through this alone. So if you do turn into a big scary wolf - which is impossible by the way, I promise not to tell anyone. The last thing I want is you chasing me on a full moon.'

  Sam stays with me till the end of the shift but leaves shortly when her mother comes to take her home. Sally offers to take me home but I politely decline seeing as I've got to lock up the diner. I take out the trash, brush and mop the floor, then change out of my uniform, I lock up the back and exit through the front.

  I double check that the door is locked when I hear rustling coming from behind me. I shrug it off blaming the wind, but when I hear it again I can't help but think it's the wolf from last night. I stay rooted to the ground in absolute fright, when I hear laughter coming from behind me. I turn around a little too quickly and fall forwards on the floor.

  'I didn't know for sure, but I had to check to see if I was right and now that I know, I was right about you.' I look up into Ryder's cold, distrusting green eyes.

  I stand with unsteady legs and shiver when my back connects with the diner's cold, damp door, 'What are you talking about?'

  Ryder, Bane and Silver create a half circle around me; Ryder in front of me with the other two on either side. Kellan remains a little further behind Ryder; showing no signs of joining this little confrontation.

  Silver steps forward, grabs my braid and pulls my head back hard. She leans forward right into my jugular and inhales.

  I couldn't move..couldn't if I even tried.

  'She's new, but she's changing fast. I wouldn't be surprised if she changes tonight, if she survives that is.' She shoves my head forward and stands back.

/>   It's Bane's turn to step forward. He stands in front of me; shielding Ryder from view. Bane reaches out with his giant sized hand and wraps his hand around my small delicate throat.

  'Let's get one thing clear here, I don't like you nor will I ever like you. I don't trust easily when it comes to people like you. His scent is all over you and it's taking every ounce of control I have not to kill you but I promise you, if you get in my way and humiliate me again like you did in there, I'll kill you myself.' I reach with both of my hands to stop Bane from strangling me. His figure goes all blurry when suddenly his hand disappears from my throat. I fall to the ground like a rag doll on all fours and start gasping for air.

  I hear them arguing, but I can't make out a single word. I look up with blurry eyes to see Kellan standing in front of me in a protective stance.

  'He was killing her and you weren't gonna do shit about it! She's got nothing to do with the murders here!'

  Ryder's head tilts to the side as he listens to Kellan, 'Leave us, I need to have a little conversation with Alice. Alone.' Both Silver and Bane snicker like hyenas as they run in the middle of the road.

  'Kellan leave, I'm not going to hurt her.' Ryder kneels down in front of me and cups my cheek gently. As Kellan walks away, he turns around and looks at Ryder with warm, sorrowful eyes, 'She's no threat to us.'

  'Go home Kellan!' By the time I can stand on my own two feet, Kellan's already out of sight.

  Chapter 4

  The last thing I wanna do right now is have a conversation with Ryder. I'd rather stick pins in my eyes and cut out my tongue than speak to him. But here we are, in the middle of the night..alone. Awesome.

  'Look, I'm really tired and a little pissed off with you and your friends, so just say what you got to say and leave me alone.' Hopefully he'll never have to speak to me again.

  'What happened to you last night?' I should have moved when I had the chance because right now, my boobs are getting to know his chest really well.

  'Absolutely nothing. It's not like I owe you an explanation.'

  Ryder cages me in with both of his hands on either side of my head. 'You think I didn't see you in there, we all did! So I need to know what happened to you last night.'

  'Why is it so important to you to know?' I duck underneath his arm and start walking.

  'Alice! You need to listen to me.' Before I know it, Ryder grabs my wrist and turns me around to face him, 'You may not believe me but I'm trying to help you'.

  'Help me!? Two of your friends look like they want to kill me... and Kellan? He's the complete opposite of you. So why now?' Never will I understand the relationship between them, but if Kellan wanted to leave the group wouldn't he have done it by now?

  'I'm trying to help you understand what you're about to go through.'

  'And what would that be?' I take my hand from his hold, and place my hands on my hips in expectation of his answer.

  Ryder turns his back on me, places his hands in his pockets and sighs in defeat, 'The change.'

  A small part of me expected for something like this to happen, but for someone to actually confirm it out loud speaks otherwise.

  'Into a wolf?' I snap.

  He turns around and looks sympathetically at me, 'I wish I could say no but you are, and by the look of things, It's going to happen pretty soon.'

  'What will happen to me when it starts?' If I knew what to expect maybe it won't be as bad.

  'You really wanna know?' I nod just as Ryder continues, 'You'll start sweating a lot and you're gonna feel really hot, you'll start to feel nauseas and if I remember correctly a headache too, but just think of it as a bad fever because that's not the worst part.'

  Headache and sweating I can cope with but throwing up? I feel nauseous just by thinking about it.

  'What could possibly be worse?'

  'You're body is gonna feel like it's gonna explode, and the last thing you want to do is fight it. Your body's telling you that the wolf inside of you is ready take over, and if you fight it this time, the next time you start to change you're most likely to not survive.'

  'How do you know all of this? Are you...a wolf?' Nothing prepared me for what Ryder was about to tell me.

  Ryder merely shrugs, 'We all are.'

  'Who's we?'

  Ryder doesn't answer me, he only gives me this knowing look that gives me the realization that I need to know what he means by his expression.

  'You're saying that Bane, Silver and Kellan are wolves too? Come on be serious?'

  'You think I'd help you if you weren't becoming one of us. You're scent was all over that diner for any wolf to pick up on it.' Ryder's hands are balled into fists as he stares at me with a dark evil glint in his eyes. I don't care if he's angry or frustrated with me, I just want to go home and forget this conversation ever happened.

  'I'm not becoming one of you! This kind of thing just doesn't happen to people!'

  'You what to know what happened to Mr.Daniels!? How his body was found ripped to shreds in his own home!?'

  I can't take this anymore, I do the only thing I can think of to block Ryder's voice, and cover my ears and pray that he stops.

  'Stop it Ryder, please!' I beg and beg for him to stop but he only carries on.

  'What's going on out here?' Not only has Ryder stopped shouting, but his whole body stiffens when he notices Terry standing with a flashlight pointed right at him, 'He giving you trouble Alice?'

  I take my hands away from my ears and shake my head, 'No, he was just leaving.'

  Ryder looks back at with me pure desperation in his eyes, but I can't listen to another word he has to say. 'Goodnight Terry', I walk away, leaving both men standing alone in the dark.

  The walk to my home was surprisingly peaceful. There were no run ins with Ryder nor an encounter with a wolf, just me and the sounds of nature. I hear the blood curdling screams of the wild fox; the loud belching of the red deer stags clashing their antlers in the night. I look up towards the bright lit moon and hear the flocks of the whistling wigeon, and the honking pink footed geese in the busy moonlit sky.

  I take the shortcut home and come across the clearing of the forest that stands between me and my home. I believe that many secrets are in this forest, but I feel no threat nor afraid to know what hides inside it. As I stand at the clearing, I feel nothing but power. I've experienced the feeling of becoming close to death and I couldn't feel more alive.

  I dash through the forest and leap over the thin winding creeks and the slippery rocks. I dodge and zip past rotting oak trees and under lowered branches. Bugs zip in and out of my ears, humming and buzzing their little song. Green leaves, yellow leaves and red leaves scatter on the ground like a rainbow of rich, autumnal colors.

  Ahead the forest trees get thinner, I'm close to home. As I draw closer I see the old worn bridge that leads to the road opposite my home.

  Home sweet home.

  I live with my mother in a quiet residential area in a beautiful detached house. It's been the only home I've ever lived in, and there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be because of the silence and peacefulness the house provides. The house has a big garden with beautiful trees, plants and even a swimming pool. The house is pretty spacious for only the two of us with two floors and a smaller third floor with big windows.

  The gate is on the ground floor where the big hall communicates with two comfortable airy living rooms, a bathroom, and a modern large kitchen is placed in the heart of the house.

  One living room has a door that leads out to the terrace that overlooks the garden.On the first floor are four rooms which consist of two doubles and two singles with two bathrooms. My mother sleeps in the main bedroom which has it's own bathroom and her own balcony.

  I walk across the road and reach the wraparound porch in front of the house, and turn the handle to see that it's locked. Mum should be home by now....

  I tap my knuckles on the pristine glass door and wait for any sign of movement.

  I tap agai
n and wait a few minutes longer. Nothing.

  I move to check underneath the doormat and see the lone silver key, I guess she's not home.

  I pick up the key and enter the house, 'Mum? Are you home?'

  Not once did she answer me when I called her. Maybe she had a date tonight?

  I take the stairs down into the kitchen and notice a piece of paper stuck on the refrigerator.

  Alice,

  Got called down to the hospital,

  Probably won't be home till morning,

  Supper in the microwave

  Love you, Mom x

  I guess that adds up to where she is.

  I open the microwave and groan in satisfaction when I smell the sweet aroma of the pepperoni pizza; my mother knows me too well.

  Before I change out of my clothes and into my nightwear, I reheat the pizza and grab myself a can of coke.

  By the time I come down the stairs, I take the pizza and can over to the sofa in front of the TV and download the season finale of Game of Thrones.

  What a day...

  What if what Ryder says is true? That I'm changing into one of the most dangerous predators known to humans? Whatever happens to me, the last thing I want to do is hurt somebody, I'd never forgive myself if I did.

  I come out of my trance to the opening theme of Game of Thrones when suddenly everything in the room starts to blur, and I can't see anything. I wipe my eyes with the palm of my hands to feel that my face is burning.

  I hear my heart beating rapidly inside my chest, and I start to notice that I’m struggling to breathe properly.

  I stand on my feet to work my way towards the bathroom, when suddenly I feel a stabbing pain in my stomach; It's like my insides are being twisted and pulled.

  I pull the bathroom door open and balance myself on the sink.

  I look in the mirror to see myself completely drenched in sweat.

  Oh no...It's happening! What do I do!?

  My head starts to throb as the pain in my stomach becomes too excruciating to cope with. As I try to stop the agonizing pain, I feel the most intense agony searing into my lower back, and all I can do is scream. The pain becomes worse whenever I try to fight it, and straight away I feel the nausea creeping up my throat. I double over and vomit violently to see black liquid coating the edges of the toilet. I lose count of the amounts of time I vomit, but I refuse to stop fighting. I refuse to change.