Midnight Moon

Chapter 4: Prepare for Blood

Small rundown log-cabin

 District: 1 

Human sector: 12

It's taking a lot of work to get out of bed this morning, it's like my body knows that leaving the safety of my furs will only lead to bad things. Unfortunately, staying in bed is not an option either unless I want to be publicly whipped and forced on a world tour of prison. Not to mention my family would be charged $10,000 for my misdeeds, we can hardly pay for our food. There would be no way any human could pay off that much. Unless they were one of ...them.

Anyway, by the time I finally got out of bed we had to rush through breakfast, thankfully we had been smart enough to lay out our clothes last night. Knowing that there was a high probability of it being cold we were wearing almost all of our cold gear. It's not much, but it should at least keep us warm for most of the hunt. Though the boys tried to hide it I could clearly see their nervousness, telling me all I needed to know about how they felt. I want to comfort them, but I won't make promises I can't keep.

As we got close to the middle of our district it started to get more crowded, forcing us to hold hands to prevent losing each other.

"SIXTEEN THROUGH TWENTY YEAR OLDS OVER HERE!"

"Be safe okay?" I tried to keep the tremor out of my voice but I could tell from their faces it didn't matter if I did. Because Eli and J were both 19 they had to go with the younger group while Isaac and I went with the next group. I hugged both of them as tight as I could and tried to hold my tears back, I would see them in a matter of days. Even though they are not my biological brothers I have always seen them as my brothers and nothing will change that. So there is no need to worry. Unless they get claimed. No, they will be fine, I'm sure of it.

"Come on baby, you gotta let them go."

"I know... Just stay out of trouble and don't forget what we talked about. And please for the love of god stay safe."

"Don't worry, Eli and I got each other. You need to look out for yourself."

"TWENTY-ONE THROUGH TWENTY-FIVE YEAR OLDS OVER HERE!"

"That's our que, see you guys later alright bro"

Splitting up seemed like the hardest thing in the world even though I know that neither party is alone. Yet. I must have spaced out because next thing I know we are standing in a short line only one from the front. The lady sitting at the table at the front of the line was checking the people in. Like every year she was asking for names plus age then pricking figures. Although this year she also seems to be directing people to specific buses. At least that's what it appeared like, I did only watch her do one person so I can't really tell for sure.

"Name?"

"Isaac Clark."

"Age?"

"Twenty-five."

"Finger. Stamp here. Bus 16."

Isaac takes one last look back at me before walking over towards the busses, I hope to god I'm on that bus with him.

"Next. Name?"

"Arlein Clark."

The she-wolf gave me a quick once over before a disgust look came over her face. I racked my brain for what I could have done that was so wrong when she cuts off my internal evaluation.

"Your maiden name?"

"...Moore"

"You humans are so disgusting, not even waiting until out of maturing age to start acting like bloody rabbits."

At one point in time her comment might have fazed me but now it just reminds me of why I hate the wolves so much.

"Age?"

"Twenty-five."

"Finger. Stamp here. Bus 12... Slut..."

She said the last part after I started to walk off, but I still heard it. It only fueled my hate fire at this point.

It didn't take long for me to find my bus, it was one of the first ones in the row. Before getting on I take one last scan to see if I can spot Isaac or the boys. Unfortunately, I don't see either so I quickly walk up the stairs onto the bus.

"Name?"

"Arlein Moore."

I make sure to say my maiden name so as to not instagate another verbal beat down.

"Seat 18."

My seat was close to the front of the middle, thankfully it was the window seat and not the aisle. That would allow me to get a little bit of a heads up about what's to come. It appears that I was one of the first people on the bus because as I look around I only see 1..2..3 people. Wow I guess I'm early for once. Might as well enjoy a little bit of peace before the panic sets in.

What I assume to be 20 minutes, give or take, passes. Really though I have no idea. I can't see the sun because of the other buses, and I've never been good with telling time. Anyway, my seat partner got on and as I looked her over my heart stopped. For a brief second I swore she was my sister, the sister I haven't seen for just over 5 years.

The had the same pin-straight black hair, the youth still present on her face, the small button nose, and thin eyebrows. Fortunately the resemblance ends there, my sister had- no, has blue eyes, a larger forehead, and a smaller chin. Not unlike my best friend who has rich long curly brown hair, gray-green eyes, larger face frame with sharp cheekbones, smaller chin, and a more pointed nose.

I spent the first 2 years that she was gone blaming my best friend, you see, Abby asked-More like begged- us to go with her. Before the full beast takeover Abby had made a name for herself, at 16 she made her first pro team and started her first game at 17. At 19 she made her first national appearance for the USA national soccer team, she kept playing even when the beast made themselves known. She would always say the easiest way to give up hope was to take away normality, she believed that by continuing to play she showed in her own way that she wasn't scared. At the time I condemned her for it, until something changed. I'm not sure when exactly but she started hiding herself away, she became jumpy, reserved, and paranoid. At first I thought it was just because she had big games coming up but now that I look back, it couldn't have been that.

One of the last times I saw her was 2 weeks before she had a big double header down in Brazil, she was asking-Begging- me to go with her. I told her we couldn't afford it and she came back offering to pay for it all and let us stay at one of her friends' houses. Then I told her I couldn't leave my family at a time like this and she came back, offering all of us to go. At the time I thought she was just excited but now I think she was desperate. My sister, being the adventurous person she is, jumped at the chance to travel one last time.

The week passed and next thing I knew they were saying their goodbyes, they were only supposed to be gone 2.5 weeks. I still haven't heard from either of them, I don't know if they're dead or alive. God I hope they're alive. I stopped blaming Abby for taking my sister with her, and now spend that time praying to nobody that they are still alive.

The bus lurched forward and the drive to hunt hell began.

~~~~~

A/N

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my work, it means a lot to me. I love all of you and hope you have a great rest of your day/night. (Don't forget to sleep.)

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Word count: 1,350