Other Side

Chapter 6: Elves are real

No one came. Ari was off count, but his new count said it had been two days and there was no one. The schedule he'd been on was gone, leaving Ari to wonder if he was going crazy, if maybe he forgot his count or forgot how to count, maybe he was just wrong, but he'd seen no one. He didn't know if that was comforting or not. Ari could faintly hear footsteps in the halls above him, the pounding increasing as people seemed to bustle about in a hurry that was unfamiliar to Ari. Then there was silence.

Another day passed and another day came.

The rapid stomping of feet above him startled Ari awake. Muffled yells before there were screams all around him. The screech of a throat being ripped from terror, muffled to that of a hesitant scream of Ari's female classmates when he was back in school and screaming competitions were the regular gateway to avoiding class. The constant noise made him curl into a ball then and now, unable to curl into a comforting ball, his lungs deflated and would reinflate as the screams rang off like a phone tone. The clanging of metal doors blasted his sensitive ears. Ari shook in his chains trying to calm himself for if they smelled his fear, they would come for him.

1... 2... 3... 4...

Shattered glass crashed against the floor above, dusting shards raining down on him through the thin cracks in the ceiling.

'What the hell could cause the floor to crack underneath it.' Ari thought as lifted himself, tugging and tugging against the chains. Ripping his skin to shreds, bloodying the cuffs and bedding.

All he wanted was to die quickly. 10... 11... Just keep counting.

8463... 8464, the growling and crashing from above seemed to be dimming. The rustles returned to silence, allowing a breath from Ari. For a moment he thought that whatever intruders had come- left, then the clacking started. He recognized the sound of claws scuffling against the wood, vibrating into his skull.

The beast stopped outside the door, sniffing under it, and howling. Howling was how wolves communicated with each other and called for others from afar, but werewolves used their thoughts, not howls. Did that mean the man was out of control? The house shook. How many were here? Ari tried to hold his breath as bones snapped on the other side of the door. The handle twisted and for the first time, Ari was glad it was locked as the door thudded and remained unopened. He knew that wouldn't be for long, the lock wouldn't be able to stop one of those things from getting in. He pulled harder, a joint in hand giving way as he slipped the cuff. A single cuff.

The doorknob fell from its place, clanging against the floor and rolling in circles. Ari met the icy eyes of the beast.

"Someone get Leander!" The beast-ordered blonde hair fell in front of his eyes as his head whipped back to Ari. Ari realized he was an Alpha. Another Alpha raided Adam's pack, then where was Adam? The wolf stepped closer.

"Stay..." His voice broke scraping his throat for all moisture, "back." He tried to move away, chains rattling, but he was trapped, just like always, but this was new. He didn't know anything. He didn't these people, he didn't know their routine and they didn't know his. What would change and what would stay the same? And where was Adam?

The wolf didn't listen and stepped up to the side of the bed, gripping the chain in his hands. Ari's breath stopped as the chain snapped and crumbled in the beast's hands, releasing Ari.

Before he knew it, he was free from the chains and another man entered the room. Ari moved, trying to get away from the beast and the stranger, dragging himself across the bed. His legs collapsed underneath him as he tried to stand, to run. There was nowhere to go, no strength left to take him there. He dragged himself to the furthest corner, aware of the shuffling behind him. A reminder there was no getting away, there never was.