The Sea and the Wolf: Chapter 2

Hali sat back on her bed as she closed her cell phone shut. A disappointed sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the faded wood floor. Lyris has asked her to go out like they had planned to the day before. Yet, after that frightening email and the incident with the wolf it probably wouldn’t be the safest thing to do, a dark omen of some kind, so she politely declined.

 

Despite the fact that Lyris and her hardly ever got to hang out a lot of the time, she still considered her classmate a close friend. They had met on their first day of class, and they just seemed to click. They hung out during the lunch hour, and shared suggestions and tips for their art, and soon they were having movie nights together and even did a lot of shopping together, but only when they were free of course. And this was a moment when they were free, and she had to say no, just because she was a little frightened by the events from the night before.

 

Speaking of those events, she now remembered how the wolf had been staring at her, and the effect it had on her. Her body would always began to feel weak when she remembered the wolf’s eyes. They were a Mahogany like brown that were very intense. It frightened her to even try and remember them. Hali just couldn’t explain how they made her feel. She was not scared for her life when she thought about them, but she did feel a great power coming from them. It was strange.

 

Caren slowly came into Hali’s view as she slowly entered her room, taking the time to knock on her doorframe. “Are you alright? You haven’t left your room all day. You have the flu?”

 

Hali shook her head, “No, I am just having one of those days. You know, one of those days where you just want to stay where you are.”

 

Caren nodded a small smile on her face. “I know what you mean. Well, at least eat something. I’m going home for a few weeks, so make sure you keep the place in shape.”

 

Hali had completely forgotten that her roommate was going away for a few weeks. Her mother was ill with breast cancer, and she was at a critical point in her treatment. She needed her family, so Hali had promised to take care of the apartment, while she left to be with her mother. She nodded and smiled at her roommate.

 

“I will,” Hali promised. “Have a nice trip.”

 

Caren’s smile became wide, and wished her roommate well too, before she left the doorway back to her room to get ready for her trip. That left Hali with her thoughts once again. She stood from her bed and began to wander around her room once again. She stopped at her window, the curtains were still drawn closed from the night before, and she hadn’t peeked out since then either. She took in a deep breath before she pulled the curtains open, letting the setting sun’s orange glow enter her room. Her eyes adjusted for a moment and began to search the roof’s across the street, and then to the street’s below. All she saw were people on the streets, a few couples sitting outside at the café a little down the street.

 

She always liked to look at the people enjoying their speciality espressos, coffee’s and the treats they had gotten at that café. They always seemed to be enjoying what was going on in their own little worlds, and Hali liked to observe them from a distance and take in this sight. Sometimes she’d bring her sketch book and sketch them. It just relaxed her. It was something she had always done, especially at that one little café.

 

It had been opened for a few years, but she hadn’t ever gone. For one, Hali only drank coffee on occasion, which meant when she was very behind on her projects and had to pull an all nighter. And she couldn’t even remember the last time she had done that. Not since she moved to Athens from her small hometown, back in Canada.

 

It was a nice little café, painted a soft creamy orange that seemed to take in the ray’s of the setting sun. Its window’s were decorated with sun catchers of all colours on both floors and the shutters were painted in a soft beige colour that mixed in well with the creamy orange. The cafe’s chairs outside were of the same beige that were on the shutters, and had glass tables, the glass shaped and patterned like waves, but left a flat surface. The chairs were from the same set as the tables, and had cushions of the creamy orange, and it mixed well with the shades of the buildings. There seemed to always be people there as well. It was obviously a neat little café, but again, Hali had never gone.

 

Deep down she got a strange feeling from the building, and she had a feeling that she should stay away from there because it was the same roof she had seen the wolf on the night before, which worried her. She should probably give herself a few days before she should try and go out at all. For her safety she knew it would be better if she stayed inside. And that was what she was going to do. She felt a little crazy thinking that, but she didn't know what else to do.

 

She turned to her desk and looked at the contents on it. She found her sketch book and took hold of it, moving it from its place, and returned to her window sill. She leaned over and opened her window, letting the cool evening air hit her face. She placed the sketch book on the flat surface of her window sill. She returned to her desk to grab her chair when suddenly her cell phone began to ring once again. She turned to her bed where the cell laid. She grabbed it and opened it, giving a greeting into the mouth piece.

 

“Hali, is that you?” A whisper was coming from the other line. Hali’s heart began to beat quickly as she held the phone closer to her ear so she may hear a little better.

 

“Yes, is that you Lyris?”

 

“It’s Lyris. I need you to listen to me. I went out to rent a few movies after we last talked, and I noticed that I was being followed. I started to quicken up, but they started to catch up. Next thing I know I am running at full speed and now I am hiding inside a public bathroom. I locked the door, and so far no one has tried to get in, and I don’t hear too much outside, but I am scared.”

 

“Where are you?” Hali questioned, her body becoming stiff upon hearing Lyris's story.

 

“I’m in the bathroom near the south beach.”

 

“Okay, just stay put, I’m coming to get you.”

 

“Please hurry.”

 

With that Hali heard the dial tone, the sign that Lyris had hung up. Hali snapped around, quickly looking for her jean jacket that was located on her chair. She put it on quickly then turned to her door, where she quickly ran out her open door and down the stairs. She stopped at the end of the stairs where her roommate, Caren’s baseball bat was laying against the wall, still in its carrying case. She held her breath, knowing that Caren would kill her if she found out she used it, but knowing she may need it to defend herself. It was a chance she’d have to take.

 

She grabbed it, pulling it over her shoulder, and put on her sneakers that were at the front door already. She tied them up and stood, ready to leave. She opened the doorknob without a single thought and almost didn’t close her door behind her as she began to sprint forward taking off down her side walk toward the beach. She came to the corner and turned right, down to the beach.

 

As she ran, her throat began to burn, but she did not stop. She ran around people who were walking or just standing on the sidewalks. She barely made it across a street as the walk light beeped and warned its people that it was going to change. She continued, even as people began to scream at her, she just ignored them. Her friend needed her.

 

She leaped over the boardwalk and landed on the beach. She landed on her knees, but she jumped up right away, her feet were beginning to sink in the sand, but she ignored it as she began to feel her ankles become sore, and almost ready to give away. She could see the public beach bathroom. A small brick building right near the beach café that was currently closed for the evening. She ran toward the bathroom, becoming closer and closer with every step she took. Her hand reached out to the woman’s bathroom door handle and she pulled hard. Nothing. The door would not open. It was locked. She took in a breath, remembering that that Lyris had said she had locked it for her own safety. It only just dawned on Hali that she probably should have just called the police. As usual however, she acted way ahead of thinking. She frowned, mentally kicking herself. She would have to try and think harder from now on. At this moment however, Lyris needed her.

 

“Lyris, you can open the door now, it’s me Hali.”

 

There was silence. Hali felt her heart begin to beat quickly. This was the only public south beach, and this was the only bathroom on the beach. Hali began to feel panic erupt through her. Her fists began to smash on the door.

 

“Lyris!”

 

There continued to be no reply. Tears began to fill her eyes as she took a few steps back. She backed away enough so she may see a sign between the bathroom and the café. Her eyes slowly fell to the sign, her eyes scanning over what it said. Her mouth fell open; fear filled her up as she read what the sign said.

 

Because of vandals, effective of May 1, the bathrooms will be closed and locked up and be open only the same hours as the Beach Café. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

 

‘No, no, no,’ Hali screamed in her mind, but no sound escaped from her lips. She continued to back away until she bumped into something that was hard, yet soft. She gasped and stood still as she felt movement behind her. She held onto the baseball bat tightly as her breath began to quicken, her heart was also racing so fast she was sure the beating would break her rib cage. She felt a pair of arms start to descend around her, causing her breathing to stop, and her body reacting as fast as she could. She leaped forward, holding the bag at the end, hoping the baseball bat that was still inside. She swung it, hitting them in the chest. She heard a low grunt, but she did not look.

 

She just began to run, but quickly enough she felt a weight push down on her, and she felt her whole body fall onto the sandy ground. She felt her body be pinned down, her arms retrained. Panic overcame her and she began to try and struggle. She screamed at the top of her lungs, but was silenced a moment later as her face was pressed face first into the sand. She held her breath, trying to not breath in any of the sand.

 

A second later her face was released, she coughed as she spit up the sand she did breath in. “Now shut up love, or I’ll have to kill you, and I really don’t want to do that.” The voice was deep, and it had a strange accent. It was Australian. She felt her body be forced up with surprising strength. She was standing up right, but her arms were still retrained. She was finally able to look at her captor. He was tall, towering over her by several inches. Her guess was well over six-feet. His hair was cut short and was blonde, and spiked up in all directions. He had green eyes that looked down at her with a sick satisfaction.

 

“So, you’re the Hali that has been giving us the slip the last few weeks. You’re a hard one to keep track of. Always a few steps ahead of us,” he had a sickening smile on his face. “You must have one special gift.”

 

“Let me go,” Hali demanded.

 

“Now why would I go and do something like that,” he questioned. He was clearly amused by her demand. Hali continued to struggle against him. She even tried to bite him, but he was very quick at avoiding her, much to her disappointment. “You’re a natural love.”

 

“Go to hell you-”

 

Hali became silent as she felt her captor swear right after she heard the sound of something hitting him. She realized that he had released her and was rubbing his temple. She reacted quickly, diving to the sand recovering the bat. She grabbed it, and stood again, reacting as fast as she could, swinging the bat with all her might, hitting him directly across the side of his head. He lost his balance and fell to the ground, and he didn’t move and get up. She stood there, breathing hard, her heart still beating heavily.

 

“What the hell are you waiting for? Get the hell out of here!” Hali did not argue with the voice she heard and only stole a quick glance in the direction it had come from. She only saw a tall figure for a moment before she turned back in the right direction, heading toward her apartment. Her throat began to burn again, but still she didn't stop.

 

As she continued, she saw something pass her, and at a glance Hali looked down at a large reddish wolf that was running along side of her. Her eyes widened and her lips parted when her eyes made contact with the wolf. The wolf was looking up at her as they ran side by side, and as much as Hali wished that she could stop and run in another direction she couldn't. As she came to an end of the alley, the wolf's gaze turned away, returning to look straight ahead. She did the same, and came to a stop, sliding as she exited the alley. She slid, and fell outside the alley, landing on her side. She gasped and cried out as the sharp pain shot through her body.

 

She stayed for a moment, trying to ease the pain away, until she heard a deep growl from the wolf. She did not dare to look at the wolf, only seeing a glance of it as she jumped up, and began to head back into the direction of her apartment. With every step her whole body shook with the pain from her side. She could no longer see the wolf, but she continued running at full speed, even though her whole body was screaming and begging for her to stop. Ignoring the nerve endings that were firing hot sensations throughout her body, she barely made it across the street as the light changed. A few motorists honked their horns at her, but she ignored them. Dodging a few people who were walking, she crashed into her apartment door.

 

Tears fell down her face freely when she came to a stop, half frightened and the other half from the pain from when she had fallen earlier. Her fingers fumbled with the key's to her apartment. It was only as she tried to unlock her door that she realized that her entire body had been shaking, and she was fighting hard to keep her hands steady. She was able to concentrate long enough, and the key finally fit into the slot. With a turn of her wrist and a push the door flew open, and Hali stumbled in.

 

She fell hard to the ground, her eyes were half shut and she found them hard to keep open. Her whole body ached and felt exhausted at the same time. It was an effort for her to push her body off the floor, but she was able to do it eventually. Once up she stumbled over to her door, removing the key and and shutting the door, followed by her locking it. With that done Hali felt the last of her energy escape her, and she immediately headed over to her couch to rest. When she entered the living room she thought she'd only take a moment to rest on the couch, but once she hit the couch, she closed her eyes and and fell into a deep exhausted sleep.