Carlisia frowned just as the doors to her uncle’s private jet swooshed open and the wind hit her face, blowing her hair back. She didn’t want to be here. She simply didn’t want to move in with her mother.
Her mother was a short petite woman who she remembered visiting in her past quite a few times, but that all changed when she found out that the mother who she thought was kind and loving wanted to abort her.
The news had hit her like a dagger straight through the chest. In all honesty her mother didn’t look like that type of person but one cannot be judged by the mere façade they display.
From then onwards she had refused to meet her, acknowledge her presence at all. She didn’t want to be a burden on someone.
Of course her father didn’t know that she had found out the secret he was keeping only to save her from the pain but she found peace in the painful truth.
Her parents had been divorced for as long as she could remember but she never had the guts to ask her father about it. She felt as if it was a sensitive topic for both of them. Every time she thought of her mother the only thing that came to her mind was the abortion.
But now she was being forced to move in with her mother, who had remarried and had two step sons. Carlisia had picked this information up as her uncle tried to make small talk with her throughout the long 16 hours flight from Sydney, Australia to here Seattle.
Her mother lived in Fircrest with her family, where there weren’t any airports so she and her uncle were going to drive there.
For Carlisia it had always been her, her father and her uncle who were there for her, her family. Her father was in the army and had a very high post but being in the army meant going to each mission with the thought whether he would ever return.
Tears came into her eyes as she thought of her father who had passed away two weeks ago in an air strike. She had screamed and sobbed while her uncle held her in a warm embrace as they gave her the news.
It was difficult. Very difficult.
She had gone from depression to starving herself in two days. Then there was the issue of the custody to top it all off.
At first she was confident that her uncle would be given the custody but then an issue rose. Her uncle was a successful business men due to which he had to travel a lot. The court had said that her condition wasn’t stable and that she could not be left alone because teenagers thought things drastically so they wanted to hand her over to someone else who would keep a ‘close eye’ on her and that’s when they brought her mom into the picture and now, here she is, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, going to start her life in Fircrest, with the mother who wanted to abort her.
Wow, just peachy.
“Hey Carly, you okay darling?” Uncle Jim asks her and she nods giving him a fake smile but he could see right through it.
“I’m fine.” She replies clutching the strap of her bag as she made her way down the stairs to the ground where a black Mercedes stood and man dressed in black opened the door as she got in and her Uncle followed.
Her uncle was very successful and extremely rich but very picky at the same time, that being the reason he didn’t have a girlfriend. He was thirty four but owner of a mobile company which was expanding rapidly leaving its competitors in awe.
He was dressed in a fitted all black suit, ready to go to a meeting after dropping her off at her mothers.
Carlisia looks at her uncle who was deep in thought when his phone began to ring making him receive the call. She sighs and looks out of the window as the driver sped across a path which had trees on either side of the road.
They were twenty five miles from Fircrest. Her uncle chatted away about business and by the looks of it the conversation seemed important, looking over at her every once in a while as Carlisia gazed out of the window.
After about fifteen minutes she noticed that the forest got thicker but what made her squint her eyes was that she could see something running in the forest alongside their car in the shadows of the trees, making it difficult for her to make out the figure.
She looked more closer and her eyes widened, it was black wolf but what was extraordinary was the size of the wolf. She had never seen or heard of a wolf so massive. She continued to look at it with curiosity as it raced alongside the car looking towards her every once in a while.
However she was brought out of her observation when her uncle clears her throat.
“God, this can be so frustrating sometimes.” He says loudly causing Carlisia to look over him and give him a small smile.
“You know I’m going to miss you. I wish we could have done something to make you stay. Now who am I going to take out for ice creams every Friday?” He says causing her to smile even wider.
“I’m going to miss you too but this is okay. You need to focus on your job, besides I’ll be back as soon as I turn eighteen.” She replies even though she won’t be turning eighteen any time soon.
“I know but you are going to visit right.” He asks anxiously and I nod enthusiastically.
“Of course.” She Replies and her uncle relaxes.
“Thankgod, I thought you were angry at me for, you know, not doing enough to make you stay back at Sydney.” He replies and I shake my head at him.
“You did more than enough Uncle Jim and I guess this might turn out to be good. Beside there were too many memories there anyway.” She replies lying. She wanted nothing more to go back home at Sydney and lay on her dads bed and think of all the times they had spent together but her uncle didn’t need to know that, that would make him feel more anxious and guilty.
She looks over at him and knew he didn’t buy it but nonetheless she smiled assuring him she was okay.
Soon enough her mind drifted back to the black wolf which had vanished as they approached the sign,
Welcome to Fircrest.
She straightened up as she looked at the sign then back at her uncle who gave her an encouraging smile and two thumbs up.
She just nervously smiles back looking at every house thinking where the car might stop. As the car moved people would turn around and stare at it as if they could see her through the tinted windows making a chill run down her spine. She continues to look out of the window when suddenly the car comes to a stop at an unfamiliar house.
It was fairly sized but smaller than her house back at Sydney but with a big garden. On the other side of the street wasn’t a house like usual but a thick forest.
“I guess this is the place.” Her uncle says and she doesn’t respond. Not knowing what to say. She looked at the forest than back at the house
He gets out of the car and she nervously does the same and as they do the front door opens and a familiar petite women walks out in a yellow sundress and blue flats. Her red hairs were in a braid. Carlisia looked at her with disgust but hid it deep within her. She wasn’t the type of person to make someone feel low.
She looked at her mother with whom she shared no similarity but the same petite frame other than that she was walking copy of her father with blondish hair, pale rosy skin and green eyes.
Followed her was a very tall man with brown hair which were combed back. She guessed he was the husband her uncle was talking about. He had pale brown eyes and all together seemed nothing out of the box.
Her uncle looks at her and she looks the other way awkwardly not knowing what to do as the woman approach them.
“You must be Maria?” Her uncle asks the women who smiles at him warmly and nods then her eyes travel to Carlisia and warm up more as she pulls her in for a hug.
“Wow, Carlisia darling you have gotten so old and beautiful.” She says and Carlisia just nods not commenting that the last time she saw her she was eight and now she is sixteen and most probably wouldn’t even be here if her father wouldn’t have protected her enough to see this world.
Another gust of wind blows nipping at the skin on her bare arms making her fold her arms to gain comfort. She was wearing a thin white spaghetti strap top with black jeans and grey uggs, an awkward combination but very comforting according to the weather.
The sky was grey and the weather was windy but it wasn’t raining but the gusts of winds every now and then were cold.
Carlisia’s mother looks behind her and hold the guy’s hand pulling him forward,
“Carlisia this is my husband Ben.” She says and her daughter nod as he smiles at her.
“Nice to meet you.” Carlisia says out of courtesy and the man grins.
To be honest, he seemed more trustworthy than her mother.
“Pleasure.” He replies and looks at Uncle Jim who was looking at his watch.
“Lets go inside. It’s getting cold. You will love your new room baby girl, it’s very vibrant.”Her mother says and Carlisia nods.
“I’m sorry I won’t be staying any longer an errand has come up.” He says and looks towards the car where the driver was taking out her suitcases taking them inside.
Carlisia looks towards her uncle with raised eyebrow and then leans closer to his ear, “You said you were going to stay an hour or so.” She says in a hushed voice and her uncle scratches the back of his neck.
“I’m sorry.” He says causing her to sigh.
“It’s okay. I guess its goodbye then.” She says looking down and taking a deep breath.
“No its not, I’ll be visiting you from time to time.” He says and she nods.
Her uncle then looks towards the couple which were observing the scene quietly.
“Maria. Ben. It was nice meeting you.” He says and with that turns to leave but stops abruptly.
“Carly, darling your car will be here by next week.” He says and she nods once again.
“Goodbye.” He says giving her a kiss on the cheek and with that goes to the car and the driver drives away.
“Goodbye.” She mumbles as she stares as the car fading to the distance then turns back to her mother and Ben.
They look at her smiling and she shyly looks down not knowing what to do. After a few minutes her mother places a hand on her back ushering her forward with her, “Come on darling you’ll get sick. I bet you don’t get weather like this back at Sydney.” She says just as we hear thunder causing Carlisia to nod.
“Not much.” She replies.
“Ben, can you please show Carlisia her room while I make something to drink.” Her mother says and he nods.
“Of course darling.” He replies and swiftly grabs two of the suitcases while she grabs her duffel bag which contained all her favorite novels.
He makes his way up a flight of stairs and she noticed that he didn’t flinch or stop during his course as he lifted the two heavy suitcases with him making her curious whether he was on steroids or something.
He makes a left and enters a room whose wall were painted dark purple. The curtains were a lighter shade of purple where as the queen bed in the middle of the room had a blue and purple geometric bed spread. The room was fairly large with big window on the far right corner and a big bookshelf beside the mahogany dresser. There was a small walk in closet on the other side of the dresser and a door that probably led to a bathroom on the other side of the room.
Ben places the suitcases on the floor without any difficulty and stares at the room.
“I hope you like purple.” He says and she smiles.
“It’s very nice. And thank you for all of this, the room looks lovely.” She says examining it even though she would have preferred beige or orange but this would do, Ben continues to look at the room when a yawn escapes Carlisia’s lips.
“Tired?” He asks and she nods.
“Yeah. Major time difference you know. Back home at Sydney I am probably sleeping by now.” She mumbles and he nods.
“I know how that feels. My boys experienced the same thing when we moved here ten years ago. It makes a person crazy. They are gone to soccer practice, probably be back by dinner, you can meet them then.” He says and she smiles nodding.
“That would be okay.” She says and he smiles.
“If you need anything then we’ll be downstairs.” He says.
“I think I’m going to take a nap but thank you.” She replies as she feels her eyes get heavy.
She looks at the time on her night stand and sees its four in the evening while back home at Sydney its probably eight in the morning.
She stretches as she closes the door then makes her way towards the window. Suddenly she felt as if something was watching her, staring right through her soul making a shiver go down her spine.
She looks outside the window when she spots a pair of yellow eyes looking at her, she squinted her eyes closer and finally realized
Those yellow eyes belonged to the same black wolf.
