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Chapter 7: The Train
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Jane was shocked awake by a change in movement, a huge blast sent the train car up onto one side. The car tipped upwards, everyone holding their breath to see if it would fall one way or the other. With a tooth-rattling clang, it fell back flat on the track rocking the other way with a small bump of inertia. the women inside at the total mercy of the movement. Each falling hand over knee into whatever was the next lowest point. If Jane had been irritated with the grooved metal, it was nothing to how it punched and rolled her taunting with the illusion of handholds but in the end just another metal punch. Another deafening blast went off as the train rocked forward and up onto one side again, and rather than waiting to see if it was far enough, another blast was let off under them. It sent the train teetering over like a seasick dog, armless and unable to cling to anything. Like a child on the verge of jumping from a swing or a ship crossing the crest of a wave in a great
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Jane had been so shocked it was all she could do but stare wide-eyed at the three bodies one light brown, one dark brown, and one black. Well was it black? The attacker looked sort of thin and scruffy- it had taken her too long to recognize him. Ara! Not knowing what to do, she looked around and panicked, she could not jump in she would get seriously maimed by accident. Shifting from one foot to the other, she made a gamble. With a moment of inspiration, her eyes fluttered and she made a choking noise, grasping at her neck dramatically. She violently coughed and heaved, and fell limply. Before she could hit the ground, Ara had swooped in, shifted, and caught her head, before it collided with the pavement. He was breathing heavily, the whites of his eyes shining in a panic. “Jane?” he put his head down to her chest, cradling her body up against his now naked human form. “You idiot!” She breathed out fury on her face. Grabbing and twisting one of his ear
A Wolf's Equilibrium Chapter 1: A Rough Night
The night was crisp and damp. The damp spongy needle-padded dirt kept his footfalls muffled, he was nearly perfectly silent as he flashed through the landscape like a shadow. The perfect pallet cleanser for the noise and dirt of the city. Ara padded about sleek and silent. The smell of the rain seemed to become slightly sweet like there was some night-blooming Jasmine nearby. It had been far too long since he had taken his wolf form and just run. Changing in the cities was getting riskier and riskier with the tensions still high between humans and shifters. He sometimes wondered if there had been a time when the two races got along. Up on the next ridge, there was the distinct glow of a fire and the unmistakable rabble of humans. He felt giddy, maybe he would scare them, just a little. Maintaining speed, he shifted and flowed in the direction of the campsite. The smells of the forest soon became muted against smoke, beer, and pheromones. The fire disturbed the
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Jane only fully re-awoke the following day, it was dark, but there were piercing lights on various beeping machines. Trying to grasp the logistical memories of how she got there, and who it was that helped her. The exhaustion in her body sapped away all of her energy and channeled it to gripping and balancing over consciousness and remembering. She recalled the smooth water-like rhythm, and the wire hair, shockingly soft against her cheek. The throb of her wrist. The cold air caused her eyes to tear and her knuckles to become stiff with cold. In some scenes, her mind recorded the moment like a precious family memoir, but like a home video, it came with poor focus, skewed balance, and random blank spots. “I think you are going into shock,” Ara’s deep voice said out of the dark. “Can I wrap a blanket around you? We still have a few hours before the nearest hospital.” More shivers, more throbbing in her arm, the black clouds closing in obscuring her awareness.
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Ara’s house suited him. Or the little that Jane knew about him, it seemed to fit the bill. It was isolated, on the edge of the city, in the part that felt more like a small town, or a suburb. It was on the edge of a wooded area, up on a hill, so the truck became more sensible. Clearly, it was an older house, it was mismatched from the housing development that they drove past on the way. From the white porch, she could see the other houses, but they were way out of walking or shouting range. Other than trails and a small creek, his house was the only sign of humanoids. The house was painfully simple. Shingle style, with an elevated porch and triangular rooftop. It was old but in good condition, painted white, with black trimming around the windows. On the porch there was one bench, clearly made by hand, and a pair of enormous boots sat by the door. A cheerful boof greeted them as Ara led them up the stairs and into the house. Jane followed, slipping off her shoe
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The next morning Jane woke to sunlight and the smell of coffee. Ara must have come sometime in the night and placed a heavy blanket on her because it was not there when she had fallen asleep. Toll was also lying on the floor next to her bed. As soon as she moved the slap of his tail on the wood floor indicated that he had been waiting for her to wake. Ara had also done her laundry in the night, and it was folded atop the dresser. She blushed thinking about him washing her underwear, but she recovered quickly in the relief to be in clothes that fit her properly. Anatol’s nails clicked on the floor as he walked with her downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs, he paused looking out toward the door, letting out a low growl. Jane, curiously went to open the door, and she found Quincy and Ara outside standing tensely facing one another in the gravel driveway. The two turned to look at her, and she was grateful that Quincy was fully clothed this time in a bright seafoam
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Jane was still in shock when they parked outside Ara’s house. At first, he just let her sit staring straight ahead, unloading her things slowly one by one, giving her time to recover. On his third trip, he decided to nudge her along. He was still exceedingly nervous about how fragile she was and was always nervous she was too cold, or that even his lightest touch would bruise her. He unfastened her belt and lifted her out of the cab like a sleeping child. He put her feet on the ground but she made no attempt to do anything except stand and stare. “Jane?” he called gently. Nothing. With one hand on her lower back and one on her hand, he gently guided her inside. She was walking on her own but not speaking, and her eyes had turned down to the ground in a frightening deadpan. At least when she was staring forward he could see into her eyes. Not that it made much of a difference. He led her to the entryway, where he bent to take off her shoes, one at a time. He stood to close
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The next morning Ara woke before Jane. He just lay watching her chest lightly rise and fall and the sunrise. Their bodies entangled, and the only feeling in Ara’s whole body was content. The perfect temperature, the most comfortable position, the best smell in the whole world. This feeling of security was alien to him and scary. It was a vulnerability that he had only tasted with his love for his dog and select friends over the years. Everything about the morning felt good. From the hot shower to laughing over breakfast at how desperate Toll was for table scraps. Even cleaning up had felt like a fun treat because Jane could stand right next to Ara and ‘accidentally’ bump or splash him. The two of them drank in the happiness like a free-running tap. The mood did not change until they talked about their afternoon with Quincy’s pack, but even that did not dampen the bubble. They decided to wait till the afternoon so that they could use the time as an excuse to le
Latest chapter
- A Wolf's Equilibrium Chapter 9: Rescue Party
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- A Wolf's Equilibrium Chapter 7: The Train
- A Wolf's Equilibrium Chapter 6: The Scientist
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