Red as Blood

Chapter 4 - Soldier Boy

(William)

I picked up the rabbit I shot and tied it to a cord on my pack. Now I could go investigate that awful sound. Possibly an injured elk. I could still hear the wolf howling, had it attacked the elk? By the sounds the wolf was making it sounded distressed, perhaps it wasn't hunting then. Maybe something had attacked the wolf and the elk.

I ran through different scenarios in my head of what the horrible noises could be. If it is an angry wolf maybe I shouldn't be going towards it.  But I had my gun...I continued towards the noise. Something might need my help.

I tracked the noise, growing more confused as I did. It had changed pitch now, and was definitely not an elk. It sounded almost... human. But I'd never heard any human make a noise like that. The closer I got to the sound the more anxious I got, something was... off.

I walked around a tree and stopped dead in my tracks.

There was a cage, bolted to the ground. A wolf ran around it howling frantically, occasionally stopping to bite at the lock on it.  It was useless though, and the wolf would give up and run around the cage howling again.

But that wasn't the shocking part. Inside the cage was a girl.

I could only stare as she writhed on the bottom of the cage in pain. Her helpless whimpers and moans of pain made me want to throw up, or scream, or both. I swallowed the bile in my throat and ran toward her.

Her hair was so black it was almost blue, excepting the strands that were soaked in ruby blood, her blood, the same blood that pooled under and around her cage. Some was a dried rusty brown, indicating she'd been there for a while. She was malnourished too. The girl must've been small normally, judging by her height, but she was also unhealthily thin.

I was about ten yards away when the wolf noticed me. It spun on me and snarled, showing its huge teeth. I put my hands out, trying to calm it. My heart beat furiously.  I took another step forward and the wolf nipped at my leg. I jumped back, sucking a breath in through my teeth at the pain.Then I remembered my rabbit. I untied it from the cord and chucked it past me towards the forest. The wolf took off after it.

I ran towards the cage and inspected the lock. It was a simple electronic sensor lock, engraved with The Queen's symbol, a reflective castle.  I ran my I.D. cuff under it, and let out a sigh of relief when it worked to unlock the cage. I wasn't sure it would, I was a soldier, so I only had second level clearance.

The girl continued to spasm in pain, and I wasn't sure what to do. I leaned into the cage, trying to get a good grip on the squirming creature, so I could haul her out. She relaxed, melting into my arms. Then she seemed to realize something and lashed out. She shrieked, and batted my hands away. "No no no! Please!" She screamed "No more! Haven't you hurt me enough?!"

I froze, realizing that she thought I was the repulsive person who put her in the cage. How could someone do that to a girl?!  I was furious. I gently wrapped my arms under her and lifted her out of the cage, ignoring her feeble shoves. I didn't have anywhere to put her, and I wasn't going to lay her on the ground, so I just held her. She weighed next to nothing, but now on closer inspection I could tell she was much older than I thought at first glance. She was tiny, but her face and figure hinted at maturity. I guessed her to be about eighteen like me or maybe a year or two younger.

She continued sobbing and shoving at my chest. "It's okay, miss. I won't hurt you." I whispered, trying to reassure her.

She screamed and kicked, ignoring me. "Put me down! Don't hurt me! Please! It hurts!"

She continued to scream only for a minute or two before sagging against me, obviously exhausted. She continued to mumble though, "Please. Please. Don't... Please. Hurts."