Wayward Wolf - Completed

White Flag

 Chapter 36 - White Flag

'Wayward wolf, you must wake up! There is no time to waste.'

'No,' I replied to Shunkaha. 'I'm done. It's all over. Just let me finally rest.'

'It's not over. Wake up! You have to wake up! Don't give up now!'

"Alex! Alex, dammit, answer me!" I heard yelling from afar. It had an echoing sound to it. 

I groaned as I was slowly brought back to reality and I groggily opened up my eyes. I went to move my hand instinctually and hissed as I looked over and saw that it was underneath a bolder.

"Alex, so help me god if you don't answer me right this second I'm going to come down there and severely kick your ass!" the voice yelled again.

I strained my eyes to look up at the bright light that shined above me. It was so strong, I could barely look at it. "God?" I groaned. The big man upstairs sure is a lot ruder than I expected him to be. What ever happened to 'come to me, loved one' or 'walk into the light'. Instead I got a threat.

"No, Alex. I'm not God. Though I can see how you'd make that assumption."

I paused. Even if I didn't just recognize that voice, the tone told me everything. "Austin?" I yelled up.

"No shit!" he yelled back. I saw him then. Well, a 'tiny' him. I could barely make out his head that was sticking through the small opening at the top of the cave. He seemed to me a mile above the ground. How on earth did he see me from up there? "Are you alright?" he yelled down to me.

I groaned. "I think so. Hold on." I looked over to the rock on my arm and tried to shove it off but it only hurt worse. Frustrated and wanting to get the hell out of this cave, I bore my eyes into it, and as if it heard my thoughts the rock rolled off of my arm. Huh. Magic can come in handy.

I slowly got to my feet and nearly gasped as I looked around me. There was nothing but rubble. This beautiful cave was no more. No more drawings along the walls, no more moonlight glow to it. The tiny glass shards that were on the ceiling were gone or shattered completely. 

I looked around the rubble, though, searching for Darwin. 

"What are you doing?" Austin yelled.

"Looking for him!" I flipped over a few rocks. Nothing yet.

"Who?"

"The Wizard of Oz. Who do you think?!" I rolled my eyes.

I heard Austin's muffled laughter from above. "Glad to have you back."

I looked around. Searching over and over. Not leaving one rock unturned. "He's not here," I whispered to myself. "How did he...That's impossible." I rubbed my hands over my face. "Shit," I swore to myself, unconsciously throwing a rock into the side wall and hearing it shatter in response to my anger. 

"What's wrong?" Austin yelled.

"He's not here! He's gone!" I yelled back. 

"Alright, let me get some rope to get you up," Austin said. He was gone for about a minute then he came back and he threw down a long rope. 

I grabbed onto it and began to pull myself up. When I finally reached the top I took his hand and he pulled me the rest of the way.

"Geez, girl. Easy on the donuts," he smirked.

I slapped his shoulder. "Shut up." I cradled my sore arm to my chest. 

He narrowed his eyes in on it. "Is it broken?" he asked.