The Guardian of the Secret Word

Chapter 4

Asena

Please tell me I'm dreaming. This cannot be happening…

I take a couple of calculated steps trying to be as discreet as possible when my eyes finally lay on an unreal scene… A scene out of a supernatural movie.

A gigantic black wolf is towering over a brown wolf lying on the floor. I squint my eyes a bit and notice blood oozing from the hind leg of the brown wolf.

The black wolf growls at the brown wolf who is trying to free itself from the strong paws and claws of the black wolf. The brown wolf whimpers but does not stop writhing.

There are two wolves fighting right in front of my eyes… In the middle of the university campus.

I glance around me, hoping to find other humans that can confirm that this is not a hallucination. But no one is here…

Suddenly, the black wolf raises its head and … is he sniffing the air?

My curiosity has no limit, and I take a step closer, trying to see what is happening.

Just then, the wolf snaps its head to the right, and its eyes fall immediately on mine.

I freeze on the spot, horrified that the wolf noticed me. Is the wolf searching for another prey?

What should I do? I never took a course on wildness survival skills. Should I stay still? Should I run for my life? How can I fight a wolf?

The wolf does not take its eyes off me… As if thinking about its next move.

I take a small step back and the black wolf growls…Fuck, it is growling at me.

I stop moving once again, my body rigid with terror. What should I do? What can I do?

I try to scream but fail miserably. I swear I am opening and closing my mouth repeatedly, but no sound is coming out… This is how petrified I am!

I break eye contact, glancing around, trying to find help or at least an escape route… But the wolf growls once again and I look at it, my eyes transfixed on his. Which seems to calm it down. I feel as if I am pinned by the wolf’s intense stares.

The Black wolf is so focused on me that it forgets about the brown wolf pinned on the ground. The black wolf is taken off-guard when, suddenly, the brown wolf bites the black wolf’s leg and frees itself from its hold.

They circle each other, fangs baring, growling lowly. The black wolf makes the first move and lungs at the other wolf’s neck. Although the brown wolf is smaller than the black one, he is strong enough and dodges the attack. He even managed to claw the black wolf’s stomach. The black wolf stands up and snarls at its opponent before jumping right back into action.

Now I know why wolves are called wild animals… The fight is ferocious! They bite and claw and throw and collide… no one is backing out even though their furs are almost fully covered in red by now.

It feels like a fight to the death, and I do not know what to do.

I try once again to walk away, hoping that the fight is a distraction enough to occupy the black wolf.

Out of nowhere, a multitude of growls rises. I notice movement behind the fighting wolves, and then I see them… Wolves… I watch with numbed horror as a pack of wolves runs towards us…

My stomach contracts into a tight ball and my breath catches in my throat.

God, please save me… Today cannot be my last day on Earth… I am too young to die. I want to travel and fall in love… God I cannot die like that… torn apart by wild animals.

The brown wolf looks at the army of wolves running towards him and howls as if calling for its own backup. He digs his fangs into the Black Wolf’s shoulder, forcing the black wolf to the ground. And then he runs away.

When the pack of wolves reaches the wounded black wolf, part of them do not stop running as they run after the brown one.

The other group of wolves stays next to the black one. A couple of seconds later, some of the wolves raise their heads and stare at me…

Fuck, no… Don’t tell me they will com…

I do not get to finish my thought as a group comes running towards me.

And my survival instincts finally kick in. I turn around and run away… I run as if my life depends on it because chances are… my life does depend on it!

But running in heels is not an easy task. At least to me as I fall face first to the ground.

Fuck! f**k!

I stand up and look over my shoulder… They are closing in on me.

I drop my bag and my shoes and run for it. I run faster than I have ever ran before. But I know I cannot outrun wolves. I need a solution… Fast.

My eyes land on the chemistry building and I smile in relief.

I accelerate the last miles and as soon as I reach the building, I type the code to unlock the door.

I take a few seconds to breathe when I get in and securely lock the door behind me.

Now I need to run up the stairs and put as much distance as possible between me and those raging wolves. I doubt the wolves will be able to type a code and open a door, but I am not going to risk it.

I run up the stairs, taking the steps three at a time, and don’t stop until I reach the roof.

I finally breathe when I get on the rooftop and close the door behind me.

I bend over my hands on my knees, and I breathe heavily. I am seeing dark spots by now and I do not know whether this is due to fear or exhaustion…

I just ran what? One mile? And I am on the verge of passing out.

God, I promise if you get me out of this mess, I will get back into shape and work out more.

I jump when I hear a loud bump on the metallic roof door. Followed by another bump… and another…

 No. No. No. No. No!

This is not possible.

How can wolves open doors? Hell, how can wolves get the passcode?

Unless… Maybe I did not lock the door properly?

Another bang resonates in the silent night, and I see the metallic door shake.

I do not even want to know how wolves can do that!  What I know is that the door will not hold for much longer… And I need a way out.

I look around frantically, trying to find an escape.

Yes! The fire escape staircases!!!

Where the hell are the fire escape stairs?

I finally see them on the opposite side of the rooftop.

I start running towards my salvation when I hear the door fall on the ground with a loud bang.

Fuck! I do not have much time.

I use the last strength to reach the stairs, but luck is not on my side today!

Just before I reach the stairs, I am tackled on the ground, and I feel fingers plunge deep into my shoulders, keeping my face down on the cold and dirty floor.

Wait a minute… fingers?

Someone breathes down my neck, sending a sickening chill down my spine.

“If you know what is good for you, you will keep your mouth shut about everything you saw tonight.”

The stentorian voice of this human is scarier than a thousand wolves. I cannot see him, I just guess his shadow in my peripheral vision.

“Understood!” he roars.

I whimper under this ruthless man who digs his fingers even deeper into my flesh.

“Y… Yes…” I manage to whisper as a wave of acid wells up from my empty stomach.

Oh God, I am going to throw up… or s**t my pants.

“Good! Now you stay like that, face to the ground for an hour. Then you go back to your room, and you forget about everything. Otherwise, I will not only come for you but for your friends. Understood.”

I nod my head repeatedly, unable to speak, as sobs wreck my body.

He pulls me up by the shoulders and slams me back on the floor. I just got the time to turn my head and avoid getting my nose broken. But the unbearable pain in my temple foretells a big fat bruise.

“f*****g weakling human!” he spits out.

I hear footsteps fading away and I thank God and my lucky stars that this maniac stopped at that.

I am alive… Thank God, I am alive… And unharmed.

Am I unharmed? I know I have cuts and bruises on my body from the multiple falls and the rough treatments at the hands of this brutal man… But the real damage is on the inside… fear took over every cell of my body… I am in shock and I cannot find the strength to even stand up.

Shoulder shaking sobs take over and I stay like that on the ground, crying uncontrollably…