Hell Upside Down

Chapter 5 - Part 2

Point of view Alena

As Thomas remained stoic, Noah brought his punch up, ready to hit. I ran towards him to put myself between his fist and Thomas.

- "He didn't do anything." I explained.

Noah seemed confused as if he couldn't wrap his head around any other way that I could have gotten hurt. "A creature was wandering the woods and attacked me." I continued.

To be completely honest, I didn't think the creature would have caused me any harm if Thomas hadn't scared it. It was protecting its pup. I still didn't understand why I felt so drawn to them, though.

- "She's telling the truth." Thomas admitted.

Noah slowly took his hand off his brother's throat. He turned towards me, trying to get out any more information. He gave up and said: "Let's just get you back."

As we walked back, I followed the brothers towards the woods. I had no idea where I was going, but they seemed like they did, so I trusted them. The more I got to know them, the more question and mysteries came up. I thought that wolves were packs animals and didn't understand why they were hunting or doing whatever they were doing so far apart in the forest.

- "What happened to the creature?" Noah asked his brother.

Thomas had put back up his walls. Any softness that I had seen in his eyes had disappeared. Cold and insolent, Thomas was back. He smirked with that expression he did every time he wasn't going to say something that would send shivers down my spine.

- "She's going to die soon. My claws released enough poison to kill any living thing."

My heart was crushed. I wondered what would come about her pup. "What about her puppy?" I ask.

Thomas scratched his head and, with a bit of embarrassment, replied. "I didn't realize she had a pup. Without a mom or protector, he will starve to death if he is not eaten by another creature before then."

The pup was one of the most beautiful balls of fur I had ever seen. Noah noticed my sudden frustration. He grabbed my arm and made stared straight into my eyes. "Promise me you will never go back into the woods alone. The pup is gone. Those wolves are unnamable. Forget about it."

I looked down back at my shoes. I wanted to go back and find him. I wanted too so badly. Noah pressed down on my arm. I had no escape. "I promise."

The following of the way was made in silence. As soon as we saw the door, Thomas hurried towards the door, leaving Noah and me behind. Thomas was gone when Noah turned back to me.

"I'm sorry to do this to you, but you have to understand that I have my reasons..." Noah tried to escape my gaze. "I am going to report you for the kiss."

I looked confused, but Noah quickly disappeared after those words into the building. Report me? I had no idea they had a no kissing rule. I stomped back to my room with anger and more confusion.

I was scared that I would get in trouble for a stupid kiss. A good kiss, but a stupid one. I had barely met Thomas and had no idea what had gotten into my mind.

I stood in front of the window for a long time. My mind and my body were tired. This day was only the first day at Hellia. In a matter of hours, I had met so many strange and interesting people who all could kill me with a snap of a finger. I did, in fact, almost die but from a mysterious creature who called to me in the woods.

It was known that Hellia brought the worst and best in people. It was four years of suffering to control our power's connections and live in a world of magic.

I stood there, staring at the woods, with my bandage covered in blood. The blood had bled through the layers of tissue. Too tired to deal with it, I got into bed.

Right before I fell asleep, I heard a howl. It was barely audible, but it went out for hours. I knew it was that little ball of fur, screaming. I knew for a fact that his mom had died, having succumbed to the poison. The howls shattered my heart. Tears started rolling down my cheeks as I remembered what it felt like to lose my mother. I remember the slow agony she had to go throw before rejoining the heavens. My mother, too, had died from poison.

The poison of love.

The owling continued while flashbacks were emerging from the surface.

A few days before she died, my mother was lying on her deathbed. The bedsheets had tiny flowers on them. She was shaking and weak. Her beautiful blue eyes had lost some of their light. I wished I had taken her eyes, but I didn't. I had inherited grey eyes from the dad I had never met. She took her necklace off and handed it to me.

- "Stormi, wear this necklace. Promise me to never take it off." She said while tears were rolling down her cheeks. "I never want you to die from this." Her little nickname gave me a smile. She called me Stormi ever since I was hit from lighting during the full moon. Stormi reminded me of the mark on my back which reminded her of a storm.

I took the necklace, placing it around my neck. "I promise."

Ever since I had that necklace around me, I had never felt the same. I felt empty, weaker, less... I never grew the courage to take off as she was gone before I could ask her about it. Maybe it was the necklace, or perhaps it was the loss of my mother. Either way, the loss was unbearable at times.