Orphic (#1 in the Hajar series)

twenty-three

"I'm okay, I'm in Boulder City." She sighed, "I need help, though. How quickly can you get here?" Farah changed her standing position to a sitting one, placing her suitcase on the sidewalk before lowering herself on top of it. Her head hung back, ashamed that she was going back, even after leaving, and for good reason, too. But she had no fight left to fight, no energy in her body to debate with herself whether Noah's killing was justifiable or not.

"Fuck," Israfil hissed, his voice somehow jittery. "Three hours, can you find somewhere to stay until then?"

Farah looked around at the quiet homes and the vacant street. She knew none of the people in this area would be willing to give room to a complete stranger from an entirely different state. Besides, knowing her Aunt Trinity, she probably told the entire neighborhood about their interaction. "Yeah," She lied, not wanting to worry him further.

"You fucking scared the shit out of me, you know that, right?" He scolded, his tone exasperated. "There's so much I need to say to you, but I can't right now. I get why you were upset, you have every right to be and it's understandable. But do you know what could've happened to you out there, on your own?"

Farah didn't want to know, she didn't want to listen to his chiding, but she knew full well she deserved it. But instead, she asked, "Like what?"

"You bear my mark," Israfil reminded. "Just that was enough for any exiled wolf to catch your scent and drag you wherever with them." He let out a heaved sigh. "I have to go. Please stay safe, I'll call you every half an hour to make sure you're okay. Text me your address, okay?"

"Okay," Farah replied.

"Oh, and Farah?"

She moved her hair away from her face, "Yeah?"

"Make sure you pick up my calls."

--

A growl awoke Farah.

She had set up her suitcase in a small alleyway, placing a stack of t-shirts to create a makeshift pillow, and covered herself with sweaters to act as a blanket. The hard plastic shell of the suitcase was incredibly uncomfortable to sleep on, and the clothes did little to hide her away from the chilly breeze that made goosebumps, but she had still managed to get a decent half an hour of sleep. It was now almost five AM, and the sudden animalistic sound had stirred her out of her rest.

Farah sat up, head spinning, and looked both ways through the alleyway. There wasn't another sound except for the hiss of a leaking pipe a few metres away, and the occasional moan of the wind. The flickering yellow streetlights provided little help to see but provided enough for her to acknowledge that there wasn't a presence there with her, or at least she she thought so. Heart pounding, she laid back down as she neared the three-hour waiting mark. She expected Israfil to be driving down the street any moment now, or at least on calling to say that he was on his way to this strange neighbourhood from Boulder City. 

Just as her eyes began to flutter shut, a snarl resounded her ears.

Her eyes snapped open with alarm and she sat up instantly, on guard. Again, when she looked around, there wasn't anyone there but her and the hiss of the leaking pipe. Everyone was still inside their homes, sleeping, unaware and unconcerned about the oncoming danger. She looked around again, only to be met with the empty alleyway. Farah let out a sigh of relief- glad that there wasn't anyone else there, and awaited a call.

She was staring at a tipped over trashcan with a rat scuttling through the garbage when she began to zone out. Her mind wandered, wondering how she had let her impulsiveness and stupidity get the best of her, dragging her out to the middle of nowhere in the heat of Nevada state, looking for a distant family member to take care of her until she got back on her feet. She hated how much she depended on others, as ironic as it was. She was a paradox in and on herself, she knew that. She thrived on being alone but needed human contact to keep what was left of her sanity.

A flash of yellowed teeth caught her eye.

A gasp left her mouth when she turned to face them fully, a dark gray hairy face of anger, saliva dripping from the fangs, eyes dark and burning ember. The wolf snapped its mouth at her, a yap bubbling in the back of its throat. The animal's pupils were dilated, but it was hard to tell because they appeared like empty black marbles in eye sockets. Its snout, pulled back in a menacing show of warning, promised a fate that Farah could not yet fathom. It was if she had turned her face for a moment, and the next, the predator appeared out of thin air.

Only, it didn't. It made sounds, ones Farah ignorantly disregarded as howls of wind, and she was beginning to instantly regret her decision to pay no heed. "Oh shit," She whispered lowly, now sensing the severity of the situation. Panic caught onto her lungs, leaving her tripping to catch her breath. The wolf was abnormally large, and the fact that it was even in the sticky humidity of Las Vegas left her not only bemused, but hysterical.

Slowly, Farah began to rise, not wanting to provoke it, and carefully put distance between them. The animal watched with beady eyes that reflected the alleyway as she moved backward, their two gazes locked in an unannounced staring contest. She watched with caution as its mouth pulled back further, revealing the rest of its yellow teeth. 

"Good doggie," She said, unsure of what else to say. Farah was tempted to scream, but she knew that if she did, the wolf would run towards her faster than she could react. Her hand reached up to make her prayers, first touching her forehead, then her heart, then her two shoulders, tracing the sign of the cross. As she did so, she recited her Catholic worship.

And then, the wolf pounced.