Moon Over Min

Chapter 8: Min

"Beast!" The loud voice jolted me awake, sending me into a panic attack immediately.

The gate was piercing my eardrums as he shook it violently while shouting his cruel words.

"You should've died in that woman's womb! Those doctors were meant to give us a good child! Not a demon! We expected our loving child! You were a mistake! Hear me? A mistake!"

I began to rock back and forth with my knees tucked to my chest. My hands tried to block out his voice but he continued to yell.

For ten whole minutes, he yelled until he went back downstairs to his basement, slamming the door behind him.

The hot tears streamed down my cheeks as I forgot how to breathe. I was trying not to sob but my lungs barely had any oxygen in them. I was wheezing. The intense cascade of uncomfortable sensations happening at once was making me hyperventilate soundlessly as I was trying to find a way to calm myself down. My breath continued to hitch in my throat every time I tried to sob louder than I was. A subconscious reaction I developed over time to prevent him from hearing me.

I covered my hand over my mouth to muffle my cries. My chest rose and fell irregularly ― it pained me to breathe, to stay alive, to continue waking up each morning without hearing Noah's voice.

Why did Noah leave me?

I can't stay alive without him.

I want to see him, so badly, but the thought of getting caught by Antonio or R.C.R scared me to stay in Wyoming like a dog on a leash.

***

After about two hours, I calmed down enough to study on my floor. Waiting for the time to tick to the next hour.

I read through two books by the time my human slammed the front door shut. I flinched at the ear-splitting sound, before walking to my window to see him entering his car carrying a few suitcases. He placed them in his backseat, slammed it shut, entered the driver's side, and closed his door behind him. I could hear him mumble, not clearly, but along the lines of 'a few days' and 'hope the beast doesn't die by then'.

"A business trip?" My eyes flicker to the camera then back down at the car pulling out of the driveway. "He's leaving for a few days?"

I didn't know how much relief I could feel from hearing that the source of my anxiety had left the house, but my knees fell to the floor as I watched the car drive down the street.

He'll be gone for a few days.

This seems too good to be true.

There has to be some kind of catch. Someone else must be coming to visit, right?

He can't just completely trust me like that.

Will R.C.R come watch after me?

The questions filled my head as I stood back to my feet. I didn't want to believe the obvious fact that I was alone, fully alone.

Will the S.W.A.T team come to drag me to the lab forcefully?

Will Dr. Raven show her face to make sure I know my position as a donor?

I can't calm down, I need...

I need Noah.

He usually knows how to help me.

But he isn't here anymore.

I couldn't just let myself suffer alone ― even though I deserved to for being alive ― I needed to find someone.

Anyone.

***

My unshod feet carried me to the woods leisurely.

I don't remember when I came outside. All I remember was ruminating about being alone during my episode.

My body felt sluggish and heavy. My eyes stared straight ahead.

Did I get any sleep?

"Min," Bi ran up to me and paused in her tracks when she looked at me. "Are you ― are you okay?"

I felt my body fall forward. I thought my face would plant onto the ground, but Bi caught me in her small arms. "Min!"

My eyes fluttered close and everything went silent. I wasn't asleep nor unconscious, since I could feel Bi carry me through the woods rapidly in speed.

My eyes refused to open because of how heavy they were and my stomach twisted in agony.

When was the last time I ate?

I felt my body get placed down on the ground. The familiar feel of leaves and dirt against my skin apprised me that we didn't leave the woods. But where were we?

"Min?" I heard Kie's voice, his hands ― I assumed were his ― began to gently shake my shoulders. "I don't think he's waking up. His stomach is growling. He needs food."

"He doesn't want animal meat." I heard Bi say to Kie.

"He can't starve, Bi!" Liy retorted.

"I don't know what to feed him then!" Bi sounded frustrated. I could hear her pace back and forth. A faint scent of exasperation was in her pheromones.

I could smell her emotion.

"He wants human food so think human!" Kie sounded equally as frustrated.

"I can go fetch something," Victor said blankly.

"From where? Humans will smell our dog scent and turn away from us! Worse, they'll report our sighting to the police to come put leashes on us like housepets!" Kie snapped, his hand felt my forehead. He heaved out a defeated sigh. "Whatever, just ― just don't risk your life."

"I'll be back in a minute," Victor promised before a gust of wind blew against my face.

He must've left.

"I need―" Bi's tone sounded biting, her pheromones changed to rage almost. "―argh!"

"Go! Liy and I will watch him." Kie ordered.

Trusting Kie's words, Bi's scent faded away. She left too.

Soon, Victor returned and Kie propped my head on his lap to carefully feed me the food that tasted like chicken mixed with something tangy.

My body quickly digested the food. I felt the chemical energy begin to release inside of my body, and my eyes slowly opened. I lazily sat up, letting Kie help by placing his hand on my back, and my eyes automatically began to look for Bi. I couldn't find her. I then slowly looked at Victor, who was holding a two-liter bottle of water.

"Figured you need this too," Victor handed me the water, which I willingly accepted, and I gulped it down in large swigs. I was extremely dehydrated and the cool water helped me think more clearly.

My mind remembered staying up for nights, fearing that someone would come to get me and drag me to R.C.R.

A place where my death will be in a few years.

"Thanks," I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Yeah, no problem," Victor replied, walking away from us. Probably to escape the chance that I might want to ask him where he got the food and water from.

It was odd how quickly he retrieved them but my curiosity didn't care for that. It cared for my bare feet that were covered in moss and dirt on the soles of them.

"I forgot my shoes," I sighed, resting my chin on my knee. "I can't afford to track dirt and moss in my human's house."

"How did you normally get back in? Your shoes usually had the moss and dirt."

"I would take my shoes off before I climbed back inside, so I could take them into my bathroom to wash them clean again. They're one of the only pairs of shoes that Noah loaned me to keep my feet covered. He taught me how to clean them and how to wash my floor if I did manage to track filth inside. He also taught me how to clean my clothes and everything else."

"Your human, Noah, was reliable ― unlike our humans," Liy mumbled, his eyes glaring at the trees.

Oh yeah, I forgot Liy came from a human family like I did, but unlike my living situation ― Liy was kicked out after he accidentally stepped in a wolf solution that someone spilled.

"You're not doing well, huh?" Kie asked, raking his fingers through my tangled strands of hair.

"Not really," I muttered.

"Well, we may not know any humans you can ask help from, but some of us can give you assistance to anything."

"Kie doesn't have any memories of his human life."

"Maybe, a river? Is there one close by?" I asked.

"Yeah, a good running distance from here. I can carry you if you want."

"I don't want to burden you with my weight like I did with Bi."

"Are you kidding me? You're lighter than her."

"But―"

"Besides our species are strong. Ever since birth, we became this way, well―except Liy."

Liy scoffed, looking at Kie. His eyes reflected what he wanted to say 'speak for yourself' but he knew better than to say that to Kie, who might have a chip controlling his brain. And sadly, Kie didn't know that he had one since everyone refused to tell him. "Whatever," Li said, standing up and walking to Kie's usual spot to listen out the way Kie usually does.

Kie didn't say anything else to Liy and turned to me. "So?"

"I mean... if it's alright."

"It is," Kie swiftly stood up with me in his arms bridal style and ran to the bank of water.

My eyes widen at the sight. I think it's my first ever view of a river in person. "It's pretty."

Kie placed me on my feet and smiled. "It is pretty. Especially in the moonlight."

"I wish I could see it in the moonlight."

"You can. Tomorrow is the full moon. You should come."

"I don't know..."

"Think about it. No pressure."

I nodded, sitting down to place my feet in the water to wash them. "Do you guys wash here too?"

"Yeah, we do. This is our bath and drinking place. We have a filter to use and a few buckets."

"That's convenient," I said, feeling someone's eyes peering down at me.

I wasn't used to confrontation yet so acknowledging them sounded daunting to me.

"It is."

A few minutes later, the presence in the trees jumped to the ground and walked to us. It was Bi.

"Hey," She said, awkwardly waving at me. "Sorry, I had to... run."

"I have trouble controlling my anger."

"It's okay. You had to handle something personal," I smiled reassuringly.

Bi grinned. She looked relieved that I wasn't upset. "Can I take you home? Or am I not allowed on your property?"

"Are you comfortable walking on human property?"

"I am."

"Then―" I looked down at my feet. "―can you take me to my window?"

"Yeah! Of course!"