Beyond These Walls

Chapter 2

"Move it!" One of the werewolves, a supervisor, snarled harshly at me as I struggled to push the cart filled with rocks. I bit my tongue and focused on the job ahead. Dirt smeared my forehead and my palms were sliced open from the wooden handles which I gripped.

I could feel the angry glare from the supervisor as I pushed the cart along the narrow area where I had piled another set of rocks.

As I was dumping them from the cart, soft whispers from the girls beside me who were also dumping rocks, caught my attention briefly, before I returned back to my work. I heaved the cart around to retrieve more loose rocks when I looked up and caught one of the girls' eyes.

Behind the tiredness and sadness which was evident, I could see also the fear in them. When I glanced around, I realized that all of the persons walking nearby held that same striking terror in their eyes.

I swallowed hard and licked my dry lips. I wondered if I should ask them what was wrong, but quickly changed my mind when the supervisor walked by us, narrowing his eyes sharply.

"You humans aren't working hard enough. I can easily have you all fired." He threatened. No one moved. His body moved in a slow circle, hands behind his back, making sure we were all listening. "Let me make this clear to you all. If you don't obey me, or any werewolf here for that matter, you and your family will be thrown out of town and will have to fend for yourselves. And judging by how weak you people are, you'll easily be killed by a blood lusted werewolf."

He stepped forward, causing most to cower in fear. I however, didn't, standing my ground and meeting his eyes. He noticed immediately, coming right up to my face, raising his eyebrows. Not in surprise, but instead tauntingly.

I stood still, pressing my lips together, never breaking eye contact.

There was silence and I watched as he contemplated me silently. He scowled, as his walkie talkie clicked. His eye twitched, face paling and without a word, turned and walked away.

I watched him leave. This wasn't like him. Usually he would throw a comment towards me about how disgusting I am, how much of a low-life I was.

I knew something was definitely wrong. The fear that was showcased in the eyes of the people and my supervisor's strange behaviour made it more clear that something was not quite right.

************

I later found out that evening whilst eating with my mother what was wrong.

She said that few of her friends told her that someone very important was visiting the different areas in town, and most of the werewolves were nervous.

"He's an Alpha," She told me, slicing a piece of bread. "He owns and controls how things operate in town, even though he is hardly ever here. He tells the werewolves the tasks he expects us humans to carry through and they ensure that we do so." She paused, taking a bite of her bread and chewing hungrily. She wasn't able to have breakfast this morning because she was called in to work earlier than usual. I wait patiently for her to continue speaking, listening to the sound of Alyssa's laughter from where she sat with George.

After my mother swallowed, she continued. "The Alpha has been in many vicious and violent wars with some of his rivalries. And he always wins. He's supposed to be coming sometime this week and the werewolves are on edge."

My breath caught, fingers digging into my palms, wincing as they touched the cuts. I had heard many werewolves converse about the Alpha, about the high numbers of people he had murdered.

Mother looked at me, worry etched onto her face. "The first place he will be visiting is the mine."

I coughed, grabbing a glass of water, hands trembling. The water sloshed over the side of the rim, dripping to the floor.