The Wolf

Ch. 2: The Real Monster

~Nico~

I lay enshrouded in darkness, but I'm not worried. I'm aware of everything around me, the smell of lemon sanitizer, the blowing of the central air, the taste of something bitter-sweet on my tongue. These heightened senses are making me disoriented, but a part of me revels in them. It's like I'm meeting an old friend that I've forgotten about, but we're still as thick as thieves. 

Images are bursting into my head with startling clarity. I see flashes of black curls and blue eyes. My mom. The memories of my parents are resurfacing now, after so long. I've nearly forgotten what they look like. As the memories stream back into my head, it's as if pieces are falling into place. Something always felt like it was missing inside of my head, but I could never place a finger on it. 

I don't know when, but eventually, I drift off to sleep.

***

I see my mom cooking in the kitchen. She is humming cheerfully as she makes our meal-- maybe that is why her food was always the best. Dad walks into the kitchen stretching, he was cooped up in his study all day working on documents for work.

"Hey, sweetheart, what's for dinner tonight?" He grabs mom behind by the waist, and she leans back into his embrace.

I feel a lump in my throat at this scene. I miss my parents so much. My cheerful mother with her long, dark, curly hair and ocean blue eyes, and my kind, caring father with his honey-chestnut colored hair and warm, brown eyes. They were madly in love and loved me just as much as they loved each other, maybe even more.

My mother turns off the stove right as her phone begins to ring. She picks it up and says, "Hello?" She listens quietly to the voice on the other line.

She finally replies with a laugh at what the other person said. They talk for a few minutes before hanging up.

My father looks down at my mother with a curious gaze, she smiles at him, "That was just the Head House. Mirabella's son, Alex, got into trouble, again. Their little troublemaker is so cute and energetic. I'm sure he'll make a great Alpha someday. We should have Nico meet him. I think that they'd get along."

"Oh, is that so." My father smiles gently at my mother, "We should definitely have them meet. Our little Nico is always so shy, we have to get him out of his shell while he's young."

"That's true," My mother looks at my father, "We don't want him to become a lone wolf." Her eyes gleam a bright, bright blue. It could have just been the reflection of light, but something tells me that's not it.

The dream shifts.

I'm at a big estate in the middle of the woods. There are log cabins in a circle around a grand house. 'Head House' pops into my head.  

I see myself at, maybe, 6 years old. I was really short and my hair was medium length. I could have easily passed as a girl. My deep blue eye glanced around at the surroundings nervously as my mother walked with me to the grand building in front of us. She held my hand and was chattering happily.

"You'll have fun here. I promise. Alex is a little older than you, but you guys should get along." She gave my hand a squeeze.

I obediently said, "Okay, mommy." And hugged my stuffed animal wolf tightly to my chest.

I still have that stuffed animal and I sleep with it every night. Judge me all you want.

The dream shifts again. This time I am inside the big house and inside someone's big room. There is a big fluffy bed close to the floor and toys scattered all over the ground; cars, action figures, etc. A child's room. I just sit in the center of the room and hug my beloved stuffed animal. I was all alone, waiting for someone.