Chapter 3: Bad idea

Of the false alarm last night I had managed to get some sleep, but not enough to make my body feel well rested. I woke up early before my mom. Through a tiny hole in the window, I could see that the place was barely bright outside which was still not safe for me to leave. I sat down until I could see light slowly appearing from outside.

"Where are you going?" my mom woke up seeing me leaving the room.

"I'm going to feed the chicken," I told her.

"No, no, please come back and lay down it's too early."

"Mom..., it's okay, outside is now brightly lighten."

My mom sat up still not wanting me to leave.

"Today is the partner's selection event and I want you to focus on getting your hair done and finding a good dress to wear," my mom told me.

"I already know what I want to wear," I told her.

My mom gave me grave look knowing I was telling her a lie. The truth was I didn't care what I was going to wear in being peered with someone I doubt I'll ever love nor have any interest in.

"I'll be right back after I'm through feeding the chicken," I told her as I ran off.

"Red," I heard her calling me.

I didn't stop going my way.

I spotted werewolf protectors when I left my house and a few people who had woken up early as well.

"Who thought they saw a werewolf last night?" I heard a man inquiring one of the protectors.

"It was a false alarm, get on with your morning chores," the protector told him ignoring his question.

One of the protectors looked my way and I immediately went to the back of my house filling a bucket of water to give the chickens before giving them their feeding. After I was through I went back inside, closing the door shut behind me.

"Red come to my room," I heard my mom.

Immediately I went to her to see what she wanted and there I approached her holding a red dress with a head covering in her hand.

I stared at it. It was very beautiful and it was the first I was seeing it.

"This was the dress I wear at my wedding," she told me.

"Mom, it's beautiful," I told her as I went to touch it.

It was so soft within my hand.

"This belongs to you now for today," my mom told me.

"No, mom I can't take this."

"Please...., take it" my mom begged me.

I took it staring at the beautiful dress in my hands.

"Go and get dressed and let me help you with your hair," she instructed me.

I rested the dress on my bed and went into the bathroom to get myself cleaned up.

"Red, do you want me to make breakfast before you leave?" I heard her.

"No, mom I'm fined," I answered.

I had no appetite for today's event. I'm unsure when I ever will.

I took off my clothes and began to put on the dress.

When I was through my mom entered my room to check on me.

"Oh my gosh you look so beautiful, Red," my mom told me as she walked over towards me before the mirror.

I stared at my reflection. I indeed was.

My mom began to pull out my curly hair from its bun and fixed my long hair that reaches my waist.

"You're going to make every young man want you as there's own today," she told me, too staring at my reflection in my mirror.

"What if I don't want to belong to any of them," I said to my mom sadly.

"I understand honey but this is something you can never run from," she told me.

My head lowered sadly.

"One day you'll look at this and smile knowing that the person who you're chosen to spend your entire life with has treated you well and loved you so much."

I nodded.

"Let's leave now," she told me.

My mom held my right hand as we exit the home. Everyone male and female was staring at me as I walked past them.

"She's beautiful," I could hear them whispering behind me.

"Red truly does suit her," I hear another conversation about me.

Delaphine and other females were already at the square area waiting on the partnering event to start. She glimpses at me gravely. She was still angry with me about yesterday. My stomach churns as I saw Turner walk past me staring at me as if he was lost. My eyes went away from his right away not wanting to have anything with him.

"Ms. Gwen and Red, he called to us as he passed.

I just nodded remaining not to make any eye contact with him.

Everyone became silent as they saw Bazaar walking to the stage accompanied by several of his best fighters or hunters as always.

"Young adults who are a part of this event I'm sorry to say the partner-choosing event will be put on hold until further notice," he told us.

"No," I could hear some unhappy female within the crowd.

I smiled happily for I was not interested in it anyways. My eyes met Turner as I did and I saw him looking at me gravely. Immediately I look away from him.

"You all can go home now and continue to do whatever you've always done," Bazaar said goodbye leaving us.

"Mom, you can go home without me I'll see you soon," I told my mom.

She nodded.

I had something to do before I went home and that was to apologize to my best friend for being so rude yesterday.

I looked within the crowd searching for Delaphine no longer saw her. I walked to find her and there I spotted her with the leader's son, two of his male friend including her crush, Ezekiel, and two stuck-up girls I really didn't like, Jude and Mara.

"Delaphine," I called.

She glanced at me and returned to the conversation she and the others were having.

"Delaphine," I again called.

"What do you want?" she walked over to me angrily.

"I'm sorry for acting like a complete fool," I told her.

She stood staring at me gravely.

"I understand that you don't want to forgive me but you do know where to find me when you feel like it," I told her walking off.

"Girl...., please how can I be angry at you for too long," she pulled me towards her hugging her.

I returned her hug happily.

"Delaphine, aren't you coming?" I heard Junior the leader's son called.

"Where are you going with him?" I asked curiously.

"Outside the walls to the pond," Delaphine told me.

"No, that's a bad idea, you all could be killed," I told her.

"Ezekiel is going to be there and it can be a great chance for us to be together," Delaphine said.

"No, Del, you know what you're going to do is very wrong."

"Delaphine," Junior again called her.

"I'm coming, give me a sec," Delaphine told him.

"You don't have to come, Delaphine," said to me.

"Werewolves can kill you," I tried to talk her out of going.

"Werewolves don't normally come out during the day time there mostly out during the night," she told me.

Werewolves truly did mostly come out at night to hunt us. During the daytime, it seems they rested saving their energy for the night.

"Well, what if you're all unlucky in meeting one now," I told her.

Delaphine ignored me running behind the others. I hated what she was doing, I followed her hoping I could put a stop to her madness. Still, she refused to listen to me and I end up secretly going through the gates as well.

We all stood staring at the beauty outside.

"I cannot believe we're doing this," said Mara excitedly.

"Follow me to the pond, my father explain to me it is not too far from here," said Junior.

As I was about to pull back Delaphine through the gate. She runs into the hood with the others.

"No, Del," I called chasing them.

I followed them until we were near the pond and too far from the walls. They all began to strip from their clothes giggling like drunkards.

"We need to return to the wall now," I tried to tell them.

"You can do so on your own," Junior rudely answered me.

"You guys are making the biggest mistake of your life," I told them as I watched them ignore me walking into the large pond.

They began to play in the water and peered into a couple kissing. My eyes widen seeing Delaphine kissing Ezekiel. I wanted to be happy for her but coming out here just for a kiss which can cause you to be killed by a werewolf was pretty stupid to me.

"Shut up and come into the pond to relax," Junior said to me.

I rolled my eyes spinning around to leave. I now had planned to return to the wall and inform the leader of their foolish action. I cursed myself for not doing so earlier instead of foolishly following them to commit suicide. Suddenly I stopped seeing yellow and dark eyes wolves staring at me between some nearby bushes. His mouth opened slowly showing his sharp white teeth discovering I had seen him.

"Guys....," my voice shivered scared as hell.

"What!" Delphine answered angrily

I slowly walked backward not knowing what to do. I know if I run he'll catch me and kill me and if I scream he'll do the same. Now, what I'm I suppose to do, how can I escape from this vicious creature? I wish at that moment I didn't follow these reckless fools.

I heard Jude scream. "There's a werewolf between the bushes!"

Quickly everyone ran from the pond grabbing their clothes as the werewolf slowly walked from between the bushes that were concealing him from us. It was larger than a bear. With each step it took it growls at us getting closer to us. My entire body trembled and everyone gathered close behind me crying in fear.

"What are we going to do, Red, I'm so sorry that I didn't listen to you and now we're all going to die?" cried Delaphine.

"Run for your life!" shouted Junior.

Everyone screamed running away. I clumsily fell flat onto my face as I was about to. I looked up seeing them all running back to the wall without me.

"Grrrrrrr.................," I heard the werewolf growl behind me.

I turned towards him quickly, breathing heavily.

The wolf stared into my eyes. His yellow and black eyes were filled with rage ready to pierce his teeth into my flesh. His claw dug into the ground leaving small holes as he walked steadily towards me like a predator hunting its prey. With every step he took closer to me I dragged myself backward until my back was resting on a tree. I couldn't get further away from him. I cried knowing I was about to die now and no one will be able to save me. My eyes close shut and my lips shiver as he growls bringing his mouth wide open to my neck.

"Human, what will be your last word when I kill you?" I heard the vicious beast speak to me. Its voice was filled with pure darkness I felt every hair rises along my skin.

"Aren't you going to tell me?" it again asked as I felt his cold nose and hot air from its mouth touching my neck.

I screamed.

"Arrh....," I heard the wolf cry out as if it was in pain moving quickly away from me. My eyes opened terrifyingly and there I saw the grey werewolf lying on the ground covered in blood. He was headless. I remained in the same spot even though he was dead, I still wasn't safe. A larger werewolf than him, a very dark one that looked like night taking the form of an animal until it was time to darken the sky was before me. It was looking down on his own kind it had killed. One of my hands accidentally touched a dried leave. The dark beast's head turned to look at me. My eyes widen shockingly seeing it was the blood eye werewolf. The werewolf boy I had saved at a younger age that was now a grown wolf and probably a fully grown man within his human form.

I tried to push myself over the large tree root but failed hitting my back hard. My eyes close in pain.

"Return to your wall now," the blood-eyed wolf spoke to me. His voice was much more powerful than the werewolf he had killed. It was so much mightier and too terrifying. He had a voice that scares the living hell out of you. One would have to know him to not be afraid of his voice.

My body stiffen against the large tree root and I gazed at him terrify and surprise at what he had said.

"Get up and run back to your wall now," he again spoke to me. My entire body shivered at his voice.

I was about to have a panic attack but I fought hard not to. The beast's voice was more terrifying than his voice. The size of him was like looking at a mountain, a very dark one.

"How do I know you won't kill me when I get up and run?" I asked him terrifyingly.

"I could kill you now, can't I?" he inquired me instead of answering my question.

It was so hard to trust a vicious werewolf. I don't know if I was being fooled to think he was helping me or was he just returning a favor of me helping him 12 years ago.

I breathe heavily, nervously, pushing myself up onto both feet. My eyes didn't leave him as I did.

"Go..................," he growled angrily at me.

I ran the fastest I could and glanced at him as I did checking to see if he was chasing after me but he wasn't. I fought hard to get to the gate of the wall quickly. The gate opened as I had reached and I was pulled inside by Delpahine and the other who had eluded without me.

"I'm so happy you're alive," Delaphine cried hugging me.

I looked through the gate as it slowly closes and there I glimpsed the werewolf watching me from behind a tree.

I cried returning Delaphine hug.

"We're happy you are alive Red and we're all sorry we didn't listen to you," Jude said hugging me as well.

"Yes," I nodded crying I was not dead, thanks to the blood-eyed beast.

They both soon stop hugging me.

"How did you manage to escape from the attack of the werewolf?" Junior asked me curiously.

I gazed at him knowing if I should tell the truth I would be in danger. He and everyone would think I'm a witch and I would be burned alive. Bazaar believes werewolves were caused by witches somehow awakening a very dark vicious animal spirit to take over man's soul that's why a werewolf is able to shift within a human form. He believes that the evil spirits had managed to create more creatures like him in populating the world just like us humans and other animals.

"You should be happy I fought hard to escape because I could have died!" I shouted at him hiding the truth that it was the blood-eye wolf who had saved me.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes.

I turn around and run home wanting to be away from them.

"Red!" I heard Delaphine calling.

"Red!" she again called.

I ignored her running home.