TRANKIN MOUNTAINS
23:00PM
The full moon shone brightly in the dark sky. A six year old boy child in an old grey peacoat and grey pants revealing his ankles climbed out the window. A four year old girl child also followed. She also had an old peacoat on but hers was brown.
Carefully the boy moved along the window pane as the girl followed. The girl's feet slipped but swiftly the boy held her by the back of her coat. Her bright eyes widened. Carefully the boy pulled her back near the wall. "Shh," he whispered.
The girl nodded dumbly, avoiding looking down. The boy peeped on the window beside him. A woman who seemed to be in her late forties sat on the other side of the wooden desk. There were two men who were in fancy coats and barret matching their dark colored coats, seated on the opposite side.
"I'm glad you made it today," she said pulling out a file from the drawer.
She slowly opened the file. A photograph appeared as she slid it across the glossy table.
He took the photograph which was of the girl wearing a brown peacoat. "That's her, Pamela, Pamela Diaz," she said. "So what do you think?"
She moved her upper body closer while rubbing her long bony hands with visible veins together.
The first man with a moustache took the photograph from the table and showed it to the man beside him.
"She's beautiful," the second man with a scar eyebrow said, his eyes on the photograph showed at him.
"And young," the woman in her middle forties added.
"You said she had a sibling?" the man with a moustache asked.
"Oh yes," pulling out the boy with a grey peacoat's photograph from her file handing it to him.
He took the photograph. "Paul, that is Paul, Paul Diaz the older one,"
"We don't need a boy," said the second man with scar above his left eyebrow. His eyes never leaving Pamela's photograph. "Plus he doesn't seem tender."
The woman lets out a short giggle. "Oh Mr. Wagner, you are so picky,"
"If you knew our client you wouldn't judge me,"
"Oh no, not at all I'm not judging,"
"You said how much is she?" the man with a moustache asked.
"Well Mr. Hapin, since she's still young and untouched she'll be a little expensive," the woman explained, moving her upper body even more forward.
"How much are we on about?" Mr. Wagner asked.
"Seven hundred kilos," the woman replied.
The two men past glances. "She is a virgin and the only four-year-old we have around here, you can't expect me to give her out so cheaply," the woman explained.
"Fine, we are taking her," Mr. Wagner gave in.
"Very well gentlemen, follow me," getting up from her leather chair.
The two men also got up from their comfortable chairs following the woman out.
~ ~ ~
"Come," Paul whispered moving past the window.
Pamela followed him. Paul finally stopped moving and bent down before jumping on the pile of dry hay below. He then crawled off the hay and got on his feet turning to face Pamela. He waved at her.
"I'm scared Paul," Pamela whispered, fear in her tone.
"Come on Pamela," the boy waved. "Trust me."
Pamela nodded dumbly, her body trembling. "I'll catch you," Paul assured her.
The loud yells caught their attention. Mr. Hapin suddenly stuck out his head from the same window they had climbed out from.
"There! Get her!" he yelled.
"Pam now!" Paul yelled.
Pamela reluctantly jumped on the hay as the man with a moustache climbed out the window. Paul quickly helped Pamela up as they started running up the snow. The loud barks from the dogs who were chained on the carriage wheels stroke fear in the two children's hearts.
"Stop!" Mr. Wagner yelled storming out the front door with the woman. "Stop those children!"
More men appeared from behind the carriages running after the two children. Shot guns on their hands. "Stop!"
"Faster Pam!" Paul said between gasps.
"STOP YOU STUPID CHILDREN!" the woman yelled at the top of her lungs, making her appear more wrinkled up than she already was.
They run as fast as their little legs could carry them on the snow, heading toward the woods ahead. Mr. Hapin whistled as a black stallion appeared below the window as he jumped on it, holding tightly on rein going after the two children.
More horses appeared with men on them which were carrying fire torches, following the second man into the woods. Mr Wagner also whistled as his brown stallion appeared. He quickly climbed on it, turning to face the woman.
"Pray we get them old woman or they will be trouble," threatened Mr Wagner before his horse galloped inside the woods.
* * *
Paul held Pamela's hand tightly as they ran deeper inside the woods. The howling wolves in the distance filled their ears making their hearts pound faster.
Pamela suddenly slipped and landed on her knees, letting out a short cry.
"Pam," Paul said between gasps stopping to help her up.
"P...Paul," she tried to speak through gasps, misty breaths leaving her lips.
"Come let's go," pulling her up.
She nodded as she held her brother's hand tightly running. The galloping of horses and loud yells from men accompanied by the barking dogs suddenly sounded nearer.
Paul's forehead frowned as he increased his pace, hoping Pamela didn't lose her steps again. They run in-between the trees.
Paul's ears suddenly caught Pamela's terrible breathing pace. He knew her little lungs were struggling to take in oxygen. "Hang on Pam," he said through gritted teeth.
"There!" a husky man's voice yelled.
Pamela lost her step, falling again. Her hand loosened from Paul's hand. "Pam," Paul said, his brows knitted.
He stopped running and headed back for her. Tears ran down her cheeks as fear reeked all over her. "Come Pam, let's go," he said, helping her up once again. "Hang on."
He attempted to make another run but a horse suddenly appeared before them neighing, standing on its hind legs striking fear in the children hearts. Paul rapidly pushed Pamela behind him picking a little twig from the snowy ground. His dark eyes ran around the few men on horses who had appeared from all directions, locking them in the middle. Pamela's hand-held Paul's arm tightly while sobbing.
"Did you really think you could get away from us?" Mr Hapin asked rudely.
He jumped off his black stallion the moonlight illuminating his sharp face with a moustache.
"I'll kill you! Get away from us!" Paul yelled crazily, his voice sounded shaky.
A laughter broke from the few men. "Listen up here kid, give us your sister and we might spare your life,"
Paul's dark eyes suddenly spotted Mr Wagner who was approaching them on his brown stallion.
"Now, be a good boy and give me your sister," Mr Hapin said once again, slowly moving towards Paul.
Pamela held on Paul's arm even tighter sobbing. Paul swung the twig at Mr Hapin who was attempting to get near him.
"No! Get away from us!"
"Kill him already Hapin," Mr Wagner yelled as his stallion came to a stop.
Mr. Hapin's eyes widened a little. "But he..."
"A kid, a kid standing on our way," Mr Wagner finished his sentence. "Now would you kill him and take the girl."
Mr Hapin turned back to face Paul.
"Oh should I let someone else do it?" Mr Wagner asked.
"No, I can do it," Mr Hapin quickly replied, rising his shotgun, pointing it at Paul. He swallowed his saliva. His hand gently landed on the trigger. He took out a short misty breath.
The sound of the howling wolves suddenly caught everyone's attention. All the horses neighed crazily and the dogs barked crazily. Mr Hapin's stallion neighed crazily and took off, disappearing deep in the dark woods.
"What the..." he yelled, lowering his shotgun, his eyes on the white wolf standing on the ridge above them, howling.
"Shit," cursed one of the six men pulling out his shot gun.
"Get the damn girl Hapin or I'll do it myself!" Mr Wagner ordered, pulling out his shotgun. He pointed it at Paul. "Stand still."
More wolves suddenly appeared from nowhere attacking the few men.
"What the..." a wolf jumped on his brown stallion as he shifted his shotgun toward it, firing bullets at it.
Paul quickly pulled Pamela as they ran down the endless woods.
"They're getting away!" Mr Wagner yelled, shifting his shotgun's barrel toward Paul and Pamela who were running.
Two wolves suddenly emerged from nowhere, jumped on him, ripping him apart. "AAH!" he cried in agony.
The horse neighed and got on its hind legs knocking him off its back. It than ran down the dark woods. More wolves headed for the wounded Mr. Wagner on the snowy ground.They all started ripping him apart as blood splashed on the white snow.
Mr Hapin on the other hand ran up the woods, misty gasps leaving his lips. The sound of paws running after him caught his attention as he quickly stopped. The white wolf jumped on him but he fired bullets at it as two more wolves appeared from behind.
"Damnit!" he cursed as they jumped on his back.
He fell on his face screaming as the two wolves started ripping him apart, blood splashed on the snow.
* * *
Loud screams from the men filled both Paul and Pamela's ears as their boots dug into the snow. The sound of paws touching the snow caught Paul's ears. He immediately applied brakes pushing Pamela behind him who was snarling, her eyes on the dark world around them. Paul tightly held the twig with both his shaky hands.
His eyes running around every direction for any sign of the predator. A big black paw moved out of the shadows as the moonlight illuminated its terrifying face as it smirked. One eye all bloody as if someone had attacked it.
Sweat ran down Paul's tensed forehead not daring to move his eyes off the predator. It slowly moved toward him leaking off the blood from its mouth. Shadows of the swaying trees filled the snow as the moonlight shone on them.
It picked up its pace, heading for the two children. Nimbly Paul pushed Pamela out of the way as he swung the twig toward the wolf. It jumped on him, knocking him over onto the ground. The twig on his hand got tossed away, further from his reach.
"PAUL!" Pamela yelled in tears.
Its mouth spread open showing off the huge canines which rip Paul's coat aiming for his skin. Snowballs suddenly smashed on the vicious wolf's face. Without wasting time it stopped harming Paul and turned to face Pamela who was on her wobbly feet, a small snow ball on her left hand.
"Leave him alone!" she yelled.
"P..." Paul struggled to talk.
The wolf moved its huge paws off Paul's chest and grinned, heading for the defenseless Pamela. Pamela stared at the wolf heading for her, Tears running down her huge bright black eyes, which almost looked like a sad puppy.
"PAM!" Paul yelled stretching his hand toward Pamela then clutched it close.
Blood splashed in the snow. The smashed, use to be wolf dropped on the snowy ground. Pamela's eyes widened even more staring at the shadow of a huge hand shrinking back to her brother's hand.
Paul's head dropped on the snow as Pamela ran toward him. She knelt before him, shaking him. "Paul! Paul!" she yelled between sobs. "Get up! Get up!"
"I...I am going nowhere," he weakly said, his eyes half open and weary.
Pamela lied on his chest as she held onto his coat crying. "I'm sorry," tears running onto Paul's loose T-shirt. "I'm sorry Paul."
Paul weakly reached his hand around her back. "Shh, we are fine," he said once more this time sounding clearer.
Author's Note
Took almost two hours drafting this chapter😁
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