Chapter 4
Escape
“We feel free when we escape—even if it be but from the frying pan to the fire.”
~Erick Hoffer~
“So who was that guy?” asked a very curious Mia from the passenger seat.
She could tell that David was trying his best to be nonchalant about Exsavior, but failed miserably when she worded her inquiry. It was obvious to Mia that he did not want to come off as the jealous kind in front of Isabel, which is why she took it upon herself to question her friend.
Mia noted how the question unsettled Isabel, making her laugh nervously as she drove. “He’s just someone I used to know from a long time ago.”
“Used to know?” Mia squinted her eyes in suspicion.
“Yea, someone I went to school with before I came here.” Isabel simply said. Mia stared at her directly with a stern look in her eyes. In all honesty, even if it appeared so, her intentions were not to upset Isabel. Mia needed the facts straight in order to balance out of all the lies she had to deal with in her daily life.
It was depressing to realize that Isabel added to that pile of deceptions.
She heard David sigh of relief and that caused Mia to ease up on her question. If he willingly accepted Isabel’s answer, why couldn’t she do the same? Even if the excuse sounded weak or false, Mia needed to respect that. It was selfish to no do so since she harbored her own secret.
In rendition, Mia rested her back on the passenger seat as she mused with her own suspicions.
‘Why would she hide the fact that she knew him when he answered the door, and why didn’t she say that she knew him when I asked who he was? Better yet, why didn’t he?’ Mia just watched Isabel as she drove to their school, noticing how she did the same every possible chance from the corner of her eye.
It was a standoff that lasted seconds, but neither worded their doubts.
Even so, she assumed that this was probably some old relationship Isabel was trying to keep buried from David. Due to this, Mia was determined to learn about it later, when she was alone with Isabel.
Dropping the notion, she relaxed her tense mind and proceeded to watch the road in front of her.
The red light disappeared and changed to green, signaling Isabel to continue her drive. Their school, from each of their respective homes, was not that far. Falls Academy was at the center of the city, and that facilitated the students to make their way easily in the morning. The traffic was a bit harsh every once and while, but nothing too frustrating.
Upon nearing the academy grounds, an enormous statue came into view. It was a monument of Hercules and it always signaled their arrival at the school. The entrance to the institution consisted of a detour roundabout from the main streets that practically surrounded the small square of the statue. As Isabel took the detour, she noted the enormous school sign that relayed the information of the upcoming football game her school has holding. She could hear David all hyped up, making comments about it from the back seat, none of which pleased her.
The game would only consist of the immortal students showing off some of their skills and relieving some stress. A chance they jump at to liberate some of their ‘real’ energies, and it was because of that, Isabel disliked the idea of David participating. Unfortunately it couldn’t be helped, more than half of Falls Academy’s student body was nonhuman. It was an excellent school, offering easy entrance to any Ivy League college, but its price was that, an ambience of immortals.
Shortly after, they saw the enormous building of the institution, the rotund edifice of the library being the first notable structure. In one swift stride, Isabel passed the library as she made her way to the parking lot where the smaller extensions of the school were located.
The refuge for the unnatural kind did not go unnoticed by Isabel, which was why she would always keep a close eye on her friends. The night before, Isabel was prepared to follow Mia and take out Ed when the time presented itself, but that would have revealed her true identity and all the baggage of the supernatural world.
‘That wolf did me a favor without even knowing it.’ Isabel smiled to herself, remembering the night before while parking the car.
“Ed!” The name broke Isabel’s chain of thoughts, instantly. Looking up, she saw David, who had already left the car in excitement to a very much alive Ed, and Mia, who followed in pursuit.
Isabel’s shock was blatant, as she remained seated for a few seconds to assimilate what she was seeing.
‘Tall form, bulky build, brown hair and the same beady eyes, there’s no mistaken it, it really is him.’ Isabel’s mind searched for any clues that could prove her wrong, but saw none.
Hesitantly, Isabel grabbed the car door and stepped out, as if her day had just turned dark. In the same fashion, she approached her friends.
“Dude chill, its fine,” Ed chuckled.
“Fine?! But the game, and school and the prom and everything else that you’ve built here…what about Mia!?” David rambled on and on about some list they had apparently made in order to get the best out of high school. He put his hands out towards Mia, as if exhibited her like some trophy Ed was missing out on.
Her scowl of confusion quickly turned into a glare when David signaled her.
“What about me…” Mia asked in annoyance, but was ignored.
“What’s going on?” Isabel chimed in.
Ed sighed as if finding David tiring. “I’m leaving the academy after what happened last night.”
Isabel’s eyes squinted in suspicion. “What exactly ‘happened’ last night?”
Sighing once more, he answered. “I went after Mia to do what you told me to do…” He said, looking at David who was grinning at the thought, opposite to Mia’s expression. “But I got lost and stumbled onto some Covenant officers doing research on the native foliage of the forest. Apparently, I was exposed to some of their chemicals, which is why they took me into custody.”
“So you’re leaving the academy because you now have some weird disease?” This time it was Mia who interrogated him, and by the sound of her tone, everyone could tell she did not buy it.
Ed chuckled. “Of course not, I was treated immediately, but my parents did not like the idea of the school losing one of their students so easily. Especially when said student was exposed to something so dangerous.”
There was a short silence in the air, and Isabel expected one of them to counter Ed’s tale.
“Duudee….look at her!” David pleaded, stressing out the word ‘dude’ and showing off Mia again.
Isabel stifled a laugh when Mia’s anger got the better of her. She saw how her best friend grabbed and twisted David’s hand, making him whimper and cripple under the pressure.
“Ok, ok, ok please stop!” He exclaimed.
“David, listen, it’s out of my hands. I’m sorry it had to end like this dude, but can you please be ok with this? I don’t wanna have to leave like things like this with you.” Ed’s voice was more serious this time.
David composed himself after being released from Mia’s grasp. The words relieved Isabel, but it was different with David. In addition, it saddened her when she saw his solemn eyes. She knew him well; he would play the fussy child act in order to avoid facing his feelings. Emotional situations were not David’s style. Nevertheless, Ed’s departure was for the best.
“Don’t worry my dude, its cool. See you on the flip side?” David said dejectedly while grasping his hand and pulling him for a slight hug. He patted his back and Ed spoke.
“Most definitely.” And that was it, the bell rung right after, signaling the beginning of the student’s first period.
“C’mon Mia, David, we should get going.” Isabel spoke as she pushed David inside the building. She would deal with Ed later, but right now, all she could do was hope that he really meant it when he said he was leaving.
When Isabel successfully pushed David through the main doors, Mia defiantly stayed behind.
‘What the hell is his game? And how the hell is he still alive?’ and that’s when something triggered in her head. A flash of the giant wolf that tore him up flooded her mind.
‘…Was it real…?’ Somehow, when she was released from its compulsion, Mia’s mind went blurry, and everything that had happened fell apart in her head. She knew Ed to be dead, but everything after that was blurry.
Once David and Isabel went inside, Mia boldly confronted Ed.
“Ok, so what’s your game?” She said in an annoyed tone.
Ed just looked at her in an arrogant manner. He grinned, crossing his arms over his chest.
“You’re so in over your head little Mia.” and suddenly, Ed’s voice was not his anymore.
Right before her eyes, Ed morphed into a slender blonde shorthaired woman; one she was familiar with. It was Claire Wilde, a ranking Templar Defender of the Covenant and also a shape shifter.
“So, the Covenant sent you to clean up this mess, fool everyone of Ed’s disappearance.” Mia stated, while looking around to see if they were alone. This made her ease up a bit when she noticed that they were.
“Of course, you know I’m the best for the job.”
“Great, another pair of eyes to watch me,” Mia said spitefully, becoming more annoyed with the treatment she was receiving.
Slowly, she moved to sit down on the staircase that led inside the school. Claire decided to remain standing.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I may be here permanently, but it is no way tied to you.” Claire said nonchalantly.
“Then why are you here?” Mia countered, not believing anything Claire said to her.
“Oh, there are so many reasons. The wolf you saw the other day, and the many other spots that the Witches sealed off after the Black Night.”
“So, the wolf was indeed real then.” This made Mia lose herself in thought.
Again, some of the bits and pieces started to make sense.
“Yes, it was real and you’re lucky to be alive. Of course, Lynn didn’t make it in time to kill it.” Claire said.
“So I was bait.” Claire nodded uncaringly, irritating Mia.
“You have to understand Mia; if you are to be a part of this organization, you must start at the bottom.” But Mia just scoffed at this.
“Why didn’t Lynn kill the thing?” She asked curiously.
“Someone else got to it first. When she started to scout the area, she found the shrine in rubble, which could only mean that a witch released the damn thing.” Claire said, while massaging the bridge of her nose in frustration.
“Released it?” Now Mia was confused. After the incident, Lynn returned to site to resolve unfinished business, only to make it back with nothing ‘important’ worth sharing. At the time, Mia did not know or care about what that business was, so she dropped the subject. Nevertheless, now she assumed that it had to be the wolf.
“Boy, you sure are a rookie. The spots that were hit by the Black Night were all points where a large number of supernatural beings were killed. The witches, fearing that those places could be used for another war, sealed them magically. However, there were some live ones that were incarcerated as well.” Claire explained, factually.
Mia just sat there in silence as she processed everything she had just learned.
“Now that thing is here, and I’m going to be the one to kill it.” Claire said, pausing as she recalled something. “What’s more, I’ve already seen the damn thing, roaming around the Hillside Forest.” This time, she smirked defiantly, before turning away from Mia to morph into a hummingbird again.
She did not bother to wait for Mia’s reaction, as she just flew off. Claire knew that Mia would be flustered by the fact that she already had a lead.
‘Not if I get to it first.’ Standing up, Mia lifted her arm in the direction of the distant hummingbird. She desperately wanted to take her down, but she knew that no good would come of it. Besides, Claire was too far away for a good shot. Determined, Mia dropped her hand and sighed as she entered the school. Tonight would not be a school night for her. It would be a night of hunting.
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“So Exsavior tell me, why are you not in school today?” More bothersome questions he found uncomforting.
Several hours had passed since Lily’s son had left with his friends, and for some reason, Exsavior was still in Lily’s house. Nevertheless, he felt comfortable since the woman was being very hospitable, but he was still very anxious for Isabel’s return. That was the main reason he was still waiting. Also, her arrival would end the countless prying.
Exsavior thought about her question, and unfortunately, he could not find an answer.
‘Why am I not in school? Because I’m a werewolf…because I don’t need it since I’m like one hundred years old…’ Those were all the right answers to that question, but nothing that could be a plausible lie came to him.
Lily just smiled softly when she did not receive an answer, assuming her own conclusions.
“It’s ok. You don’t have to be ashamed of being a high school dropout.” Lily said to him, while sitting on the couch next to Exsavior.
He had not moved from that spot since.
When he heard her own assumption, Exsavior just nodded, uncaring of what that actually meant since it protected his true identity.
Abruptly, Lily stood enthusiastically as she went to her phone. “You know what? I’m going to call someone, a friend who will be nice enough to help you.” She said as she went to grab the phone, but Exsavior stopped her when he spoke.
“Help me with what?” He asked, scowling in confusion.
Lily paused for a second; her smile never left her face. In a small instant, Exsavior saw her eyes temper in sadness, or what he assumed to be a sorrowful memory.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be ok. I just want you to meet someone.” He could smell the tears begin to form around the circle of her eyes.
Exsavior was now fully uncomfortable. He did not know why this woman acted the way she did, and even more so with him—a total stranger.
Still, he just remained calm and spoke nothing, deciding to leave things the way they were.
“Yes, it would mean a lot if you could come now. Ok, thank you so much.” Lily finished her call to whoever it was. She hung up the phone and did not say a word to Exsavior, as she disappeared into the kitchen to resume her cooking.
‘What the hell is a social worker?’ He thought in confusion as, once again, he was left alone to his thoughts. It did not take long for the person to arrive, which meant that Exsavior would soon have his answer.
The doorbell rang and Lily immediately rushed to answer it.
“Hi Margery, thank you for coming on such short notice,” Lily said to the woman at the door. Apparently, she knew this social worker personally.
Exsavior stood, eyeing the unknown woman. She wore glasses and a feminine navy blue suit with a peach colored tie. In her arms, she held some sort of note pad and the same purse thing that Lily had with her. She seemed kind enough, since she smiled at Exsavior as soon as she saw him.
“Hi there, you must be the very handsome Exsavior Lily was telling me about.” Her grey eyes smiled back at him, as strands of her black hair fell over them. In a kind gesture, she held out her hand towards him.
Exsavior just looked at Lily, seeing her smile, and then he shifted his gaze back at Margery, who was doing the same.
Sensing no real ulterior motive, he just shook her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you as well.” He said cautiously.
“Oh, you have such a nice manly voice for someone your age. It shows confidence.” Margery complimented enthusiastically, as if trying to cheer him up. He just nodded towards her as they all moved to the living room.
Remaining silent and vigilant, he observed the woman. The conversation began between Lily and Margery, which allowed him to just listen and watch.
“I don’t have much time, Lily. I am on my lunch break and this is an unofficial evaluation.”
“I know and I apologize if this is an inconvenience, but you know how I get with kids in this situation.” Lily said.
“Yes…I do.”
Then Lily explained to Margery how she met Exsavior and the little that she knew and assumed of him. Exsavior never once butted in. When Margery finished speaking with Lily, she just turned to Exsavior and spoke.
“Well Exsavior, can you tell me why you dropped out of high school?” Again, more annoying questions that Exsavior was not prepared to answer.
‘Because I’m an immortal…because I’m about a hundred years old…because I’m not human…’ He thought.
“Um…I was forced to.” It was the only thing that came to his head. He figured that it was kind of true, since he was sealed away in a forest against his will.
Margery narrowed her eyes. “Who forced you to?”
“No one, it just couldn’t have been helped.” He said, unsure of what he was saying.
Margery sighed and then spoke again, making Exsavior become more flustered. “I’m going to need more details here, Exsavior.”
This time Exsavior answered agitatedly. “Why do you persist in knowing what is of no concern to you?” He asked stoically as he stared at Margery almost menacingly.
Margery was taken aback by the tone of his response, but she just shook it off and recomposed herself.
She smiled and spoke, “Honey, it’s for your own good. We’re just trying to help you.”
“Help me with what!?” He asked, confoundedly.
“Exsavior, its ok, we know you have no place to go. Whatever happened can be fixed. We can help you, so you don’t have to be alone anymore.” This time—Lily spoke to him gently—revealing yet another one of her assumptions.
Lily thought that Exsavior was a homeless kid, and because of that, she called in a social worker. The truth was not far from what they believed. Exsavior did indeed have nowhere to go, but it did not mean he needed tending to like some lost child.
“Thank you for your concern, but I don’t need your help.” He said as polite as possible.
“Sweetie, our help is not optional. It’s my obligation to see to it that you’re put in foster care. Now, can you tell me what happened to your parents?” Margery asked.
Exsavior ignored the question. “Foster care?” He said, not really knowing what that meant.
“Yes, you will be put to live with a nice family in the meantime, where you’ll proceed to get a job. Once you turn eighteen, you can leave and live on your own.” She explained.
‘No way in hell!’ He thought to himself.
“Please excuse me; I need to use the restroom.” He said nonchalantly.
“Oh, I’ll show you where it is.” Lily said.
Exsavior nodded and stood to follow her. When they made it to a door, he went inside and analyzed the room, instantly seeing his escape. He smirked to himself, but realized that Lily was still waiting outside for him.
‘She’s persistent…’ He thought.
“Exsavior are you alright in there?” She worded aloud.
The question was ignored as he proceeded in touching the window frame with his hand. Barely exerting any strength, the metallic square popped out of place. Lily had probably heard the scraping sounds, which caused him to make haste after noticing the door knob rattle fiercely.
“Exsavior…? Exsavior open this door!”
Suddenly, the door opened…
Exsavior was confident that he did not need to seclude himself in the bathroom, so he did not bother to even lock the door.
A gaping hole greeted Lily while a slight breeze, coming from where the window frame should have been, tickled her face.
Exsavior was nowhere in sight…