Monsters Within

Chapter 6

Jasper scratched his arms as branches of leaves and twigs scraped his skin. He could hear his mom scolding him for not putting some cream on to repel insects, but he immediately shook his head to focus. He needed to move before the sun showed up, or everything would be in vain.

He could hear his ragged breathing and his heart throbbing, but he still continued walking. If he could just find the right spot where the school was, he would have seen his brother by now. If not, at least he needed to see the school for himself, if it really existed in the first place.

“Argh! Where is it? How am I supposed to find that school if I am not sure if I have powers?” Jasper asked himself while wiping the sweat that was starting to form on his forehead.

He really didn’t know if he had powers in him like his brother. But according to the information he gathered, only mutants and other magical creatures could open the way to the school. And as a twin brother, he could inherit the same power as his older brother, who was a mutant, because they shared the same womb.

Sure, his brother’s power manifested earlier than him, but his ability could be a little late. His mother told him that it was possible, just like what happened to her twin sister before.

While making his way deeper into the woods, he sensed something from afar. He did not know what or who it was, but he knew that something or someone was following him. His heart started beating so fast it felt like jumping off its cage. He did not know what to expect in this forest, and not knowing anything could be quite scary for him.

He glanced back but saw nothing but the trees he had left behind. He couldn’t help but feel relieved when he saw no one. When he looked back in front, the sound of the dry leaves crunching from behind him traveled through his ears. He could not help but hug himself when he started to feel the chills in his arms.

He hid behind a tree and peaked at it to see if someone was coming. He calmed himself and closed his eyes to hear his surroundings more clearly. All he could hear was the wind and the trees. The sound of the dry leaves was now gone. Staring at the forest, he waited for everything to calm before sighing.

And when he thought he was safe, he heard a low growl at his back. He slowly looked in front of him and saw a wolf glaring at him. Its teeth were gritting, ready to bite him anytime. Its saliva was even dripping like it couldn't wait to devour its dinner.

“s**t! What the hell,” he whispered under his breath. Sweat started falling from his temple to his cheek. Even his palm was already sweating, and he felt like crying. He felt like his soul had left him and fled somewhere else.

“Grrr!”

He tried backing away from the wolf, but the tree prevented him from doing so. He picked up a small branch from the ground and pointed it to the wolf in front of him, hoping that, somehow, it would help him defend himself.

With shaking hands, he threw the branch in the wolf’s direction with all his might, but it didn’t even wince from its place. All his hope vanished, and he couldn’t think of any other plan to defeat or escape from the predator. He suddenly wished for his powers to manifest right there so that he could kill the wolf and save himself. Whatever his ability was.

“Help me.”

In a blink of his eyes, the wolf suddenly disappeared from his sight. He searched around him and saw it lying on the ground, unconscious. But it was not alone. A familiar person wearing a red jacket was now standing in front of the unconscious wolf, staring down at it.

“Y-You!” he exclaimed, not expecting the presence of the person who had just rejected his request hours ago.

He exchanged glances with Rai and the wolf. He was not quite sure what happened. The moment he blinked, the wolf was gone and unconscious, maybe dead. And Rai was already in front of him, checking whether the wolf was still alive or not. It was so fast that he failed to grasp what the girl did.

“What did I tell you?” asked Rai. She left the wolf and glared at the guy. “Just f*****g give up! What do you think would happen if I didn’t arrive on time? You could have been a fresh dinner to this wolf by now.”

Jasper saw the girl’s eyes again. Those expressive eyes changed every time she was angry. She could pierce someone with those glaring eyes without batting an eye. But what he wanted to see was those innocent eyes he first laid on the moment their eyes met. Those pure eyes that he saw before he mentioned the school's name.

“T-Thank you,” he muttered, hands shaking a little.

“What!” she exclaimed, trying to intimidate the guy more. She wanted the guy to give up on whatever it is he was planning. She didn't care if she had to scare him off, but it looked like it wouldn't work. The guy was determined.

Once again, he was taken aback. “I said, thank you.” He stuttered, but he managed to smile in her direction even though he was shivering.

Rai looked away with creasing eyebrows. “We need to look for shelter. We can’t go on like this. There is a huge possibility that we could meet more wolves on the way this late at night.”

“Wait!" He hesitated. "We?”

She shot him a glare one more time. “Do you have to f*****g ask me that? Just be thankful that I am good enough to help you find that damned good-for-nothing school. But at least find a shelter for us in return.”

“Yes, you’re right. I will just shut my mouth,” he said. But instead of getting pissed off, he smiled. "Thank you."

Rai didn't pay much attention to what he said and started walking in an unknown direction. She was stumping her feet while clawing at the twigs that were blocking her way. It did not even look like she was trying to keep the other wolf’s attention from them. Because she was angry, she needed to vent it to someone or something.

Jasper just followed her, keeping some distance because he was afraid that the girl would lash out at him instead. He didn’t want to be scolded again or add to the girl’s already hot temper. He would just do what the girl wanted until they found the school they were looking for.

“By the way, my name is Jasper. I haven’t told you my name yet,” he said, trying to start a conversation.

“Okay,” she answered.

Jasper fidgeted. “Ahm... you haven’t told me yours,” he said cautiously.

Rai sighed harshly and said, “Rai. My name is Rai. Happy?”

“Yeah. I am happy. Nice to meet you, Rai!” He smiled at the woman’s back. Even though she could not see him, he wanted to smile. At least she answered him even if it was not a pleasant introduction. It was better than nothing.

Silence filled the place. Only the harsh wind was all they could hear. Rai could already tell that the atmosphere had changed, but looking at the guy, she knew that Jasper hadn’t felt anything at all. He was busy catching his breath because of all the walking they did, plus the encounter with the wolf.

If he was looking for that school, he must be aware that he could not enter without powers.

“I just want to clarify myself here,” Rai stated. “I decided to find you because I wanted to help you. But that does not mean that I would be going to that school with you. Do you understand?”

Jasper looked up, mouth gaping. He did not expect that Rai would start a conversation. “Okay, I understand. Thank you,” he said, smiling widely. “But why do you hate that school so much?”

Rai did not answer.

“It’s fine if you can’t tell me. I just thought that you have some kind of connection with the school.” Jasper wanted to smack himself for the question. It was insensitive of him to ask something like that when it looked like the girl hated it so much.

He thought she was not going to answer. And when she did, he listened carefully. “That school took my family’s lives.”

“I...” he didn’t know what to say. But with those words, he could tell how much she loathed the school his brother loved so much. He felt the painful stabs she was feeling with just those low and cold voice.

“They didn’t save them. How can they handle hundreds of students if they can’t even handle one of them? Two of them. And what? My father could not even do anything about it. He couldn’t blame them or arrest them because they are authorized to do what they want with the students. And that includes murdering them. That is why I have all the right to be angry at them.”

"Why are you telling me this? A stranger. Isn't this a private thing?"

She sighed. "That's the point. We are strangers, and we will continue to be. You will soon forget about me."

Jasper looked at Rai. She looked calm, but her eyes told him otherwise. He was beginning to love those eyes of hers, and he couldn’t help but get magnetized by it. Those eyes were like looking at his soul, deep inside of him. But he didn’t care whether she really was looking at it or not. He liked it when she did that.

He inched near her and stared at her.

Rai’s left eyebrow raised. “What are you doing, punk?”

He went back to reality when he heard her harsh voice. “Ahm... what am I doing?”

“Tsk. Weirdo. Let’s rest here. Do you have water? I’m thirsty.”

Jasper smacked his head to wake himself up and focus on his original plan.