TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT of the full moon, and everyone's going for a run in their wolf forms. Well, everyone except me. Awkward, isn't it? Invited to the Moon Celebration and not being able to go on the group run because genetics say so. I've never wanted to be a wolf-shifter that badly.
Instead, I'll be having lots of fun – stuck in my room. A part of me tries to convince myself that it's not such a bad idea after all: not surrounded by lots of deadly sharp teeth, but instead surrounded by the comforts of the house and food in the fridge.
My voice, on the other hand, had a completely different idea. "WHY AREN'T WE ALLOWED TO GO TO THE RUN? IT IS OUR RIGHT!"
I was a little bit confused why the voice referred to us as if we are two separate beings. But I think I've come to terms with the amount of weirdness I have. Another thing to scrunch your eyebrows at.
"One more thing," Jesse says as he and the others in the pack lead me to my room. "We will be locking the door."
I explode. "It's one thing to bar me from my freedom, but a complete other if you SEPARATE ME FROM MY FOOD."
The entire day I had been convincing myself that staying indoors wouldn't be such a bad thing, my multi-personality brain coming up with excuses, contrary to the voice's anger.
Though it would feel extremely weird, to refer to yourself as two different people, I was getting tired and confused by the voice. Is it part of me? A possessed soul? A piece of leftover pizza spirit seeking revenge? I reminded myself to think of a way to solve this bizarre situation later. In the pleasant confines of my room. Yay.
"Will you be okay with that?"
I mumble an incoherent response, knowing they'd lock me in for my 'safety' either way.
After a quick hug from Blaze and Liam, a peck on the forehead from Jesse, a twitch of an eyebrow from aloof Fynn and James speaking of Fynn's behalf about being back soon, they headed off their merry way.
I heard my door click as it locked and the footsteps left me behind.
Sighing, I turned to the space which had lots of interesting things to do for the next few hours while I'm unable to sleep.
While I admire the lush view the window provides of the outside world, footsteps return and perk my interest.
A heavy crack of wood-falling-on-wood can be heard before what can be guessed as two pack members leave again. I sure hope the floor is okay.
I spend the next hour dwindling near the window, trying to keep myself interested by counting how many sticks are on the white ground. However, my frustrations are verbally shown when I lose count or end up recounting the sticks.
Lost in my anger, I kick the wall under the window. My knee shoots up to my chest as I hunch over and grab my toes with my hands.
"Owie owie ouch!"
"That was probably the most stupid thing I've ever seen."
More so than your fascination for Jesse?
The voice is speechless, so I just let it be. Since I was bullied by my friendly mind neighbour, I was appropriately reminded to come up with a name.
Meanie?
Stupid?
Selfish?
Nah, that's too kind for what that minx is.
"Hey!"
I could tell that despite her rude behaviour, the being, too, was interested in what I'd name the thing.
"I am a she."
Though imagining her face resulted in blurry colours, I could still somehow imagine her deadpan eyes as she stares expectantly back at me.
Lisa?
Leesa?
"Not Leesa. Sounds like a name for my pet leach. Leeech-sa."
Riana?
I receive no reply, but I can sense she is thinking the name through.
"Yes."
The name fit the mysterious presence-in-my-head's personality like a glove. It sounded right as if it was meant to be – decided by the deity I was introduced to only days ago.
Okay, Riana. Let's go straight to the pot of gold: why are you always such a pain in my ass?
"We both share the same ass."
You are so difficult to deal with. Like a child.
"I guess that's your mental age, then."
I knew Riana would be able to fire comebacks as long as I continued, so I decided to take one for the team and surrender while I still had an inkling of sanity left.
On another note...
"Are you surrendering?"
Nope. I'm just nipping this in the bud. We had other stuff to do.
"No, we don't. Our mates locked us in here. Pathetic."
"Also, we both know I'm in a different league when it comes to the art of wit."
And reality, apparently. A messed up one at that.
Riana's use of the word 'mate' poked at my consciousness. Did she mean the fated mates that the Empress pairs wolf-shifters with? Or the colloquial term of friends? I guess Liam, Blaze, Jesse, James and Fynn all count as friends. Actually, change of heart. Not Fynn. We aren't friends. He hates me.
"He doesn't. He's just hiding something from you."
How do you know that? I've certainly been at the brunt of lots of verbal attacks from yours truly.
"He's acting distant because he doesn't want to get too close to us. Finny has something to hide from us – he worried if he lets us in, the truth will come out. If you'd been paying attention instead of licking your wounds from his 'verbal attacks', you would've noticed."
Finny?
"You pay attention to his nickname and not the fact that I was mean to you?"
So you finally admit your kink for abusiveness?
"I was only a little bit mean. A teeny tiny wittle bit mean."
My stomach grumbled in anger at being ignored.
"You should probably go feed that little monster."
Hey! That little monster fuels all your stupid conversations!
"You better placate it before it starts stabbing your insides with a dull knife."
Good idea.
I turn to the food wrapped in cling wrap on the wooden table next to the window. A tuna sandwich with real tuna. Not the fake sauce which tastes like chemicals. I suppose wolves can catch seafood pretty well.
Each bite made me grin in happiness like a psychopath. Although the sandwich wasn't cold like I preferred it to be, Fynn made a killer sandwich. A killer sandwich made by the wolf with killer eyes. How fitting.
***
A/N:
And we have finally given the voice a name! Riana! How do you like it? Would you change it?
This chapter was surprisingly easier to write and had more Katie and Riana interaction (albeit still jokey and a bit shallow, if I must say). They'll get deeper soon.
Quarantine with my family is surprisingly not the nightmare I envisioned. We have one more day 'till we'll be released from the confines of the hotel room but I don't find myself in any particular interest to leave faster. In fact, we've had a bucketful of hefty laughter (one being sticking an anus thermometer in each of our armpits. I personally think that's probably more disgusting - I don't want anyone's armpit hair to spread to mine 😬).
QOTC: What have your experiences with quarantine been like? How does it compare to your expectations?
Riana's identity will come out soon!
-Hilda
Look out for Chapter 22: maybe 20august2022? I start school on the 21st so it'll get more hectic from then on.