Proto stories

The Wolf Pack

I staggered onwards. I gritted my teeth. I had to keep going. If I didn't, my mother would have died for nothing, and I would run myself to death before I let her sacrifice be in vain. I grasped my side. I knew that it was bad. This was the first time for a long time that I had had to run from anything. Many years ago I had been constantly bullied. Then something changed. I started taking martial arts lessons, and I became very good. It had all come naturally to me. I always had been able to see what my opponent's next move before they knew it. Still, here I was, running. Whatever it was that had attacked me and my mom... it wasn't something that I could've fought. That huge man had shrugged off moves that would've dropped a rhino, and he had laughed at them. Humans shouldn't even grow as big as that guy had been. He had easily been 8 ft tall, and he wasn't tall and skinny. His build was solid and sturdy. It was only a little farther to the hill. I didn't know why, but I knew that if I got past the pine tree at the top of the hill I would be safe. I stumbled to the top of the hill, using the last of my energy to propel myself forward. I felt a strange tingling sensation, and then, I collapsed. My last sight was a picturesque little camp, complete with strawberry fields and worn cabins. I felt myself fall and hit the ground, but it was a disconnected sensation. My energy was gone. I felt the darkness tugging at the edge of my vision. I heard voices, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. I felt myself falling, and this time there wasn't anything to stop my fall. I fell, and fell, and fell.

I woke up, and instantly I was on high alert. Something was odd here. It wasn't that I felt something wrong, it was that something felt right. I always had had a knack for reading people and situations, and nothing felt off here. That in itself was strange. As long as I could remember, things had felt wrong. I looked around, and remembered the night before. Tears formed in my eyes, but I blinked them away. This was no time to be weak. Sitting on a bedside table was a glass of... something, and a note. I picked up the note and read it over.

"Hey dude, if you're reading this then I'm not there. Drink up, and you'll feel better. If you can get up, come on out and sit on the porch. Chill out, I probably won't not be gone for more than ten minutes. Till then, Daniel."

I shook my head. Still, I didn't see anything that I had to lose, so I sat up and drank up. I nearly spit it right out. It couldn't be. This tasted exactly like what my mom called siperup. It was a specialty of hers. She made it whenever I had a bad day and I needed cheering up. Memories flashed through my head, a thousand experiences with my mom. Now, now I would never see her again.

"BOO!" I was really lost in thought, so when I someone yelled right next to my ear, I nearly took their head off. As it was, I spun around with a flat palmed strike. I almost knocked him out.

"Oh, crap! I didn't mean to do that! Are you okay?" I got a good look at the kid, and it stopped me short. He looked so much like my uncle, it was kind of scary.

He blinked and looked at me, his eyes watering. "Yeah, I'm fine. If I had known that that was coming, I probably wouldn't have done that. Anyways... I'm Daniel, who are you?"

"My name's Shane. Where are we?"

"Eastern branch of Camp Olympia. You really were lucky. If you hadn't stumbled right in front of a border patrol you probably would have died on the hill. Getting away from a Priothys is a big deal too. We haven't seen one of those in North America before. Usually they hang out in the Mediterranean area, maybe in northern Africa a bit. Some head counselors will be coming in soon to talk to you and try to determine you."

"Determine me? I think I'm plenty determined."

"Not that kind of determined. We mean we have to figure out who your godly parent is. Did you grow up with either of your parents?"