Chapter 2

"What is a dream, Anne?" asked the kid who's sitting in front of me.

When Chuck is away, Red always brought me here to teach the children about what school is.  But not all the children are very fond of me, however, they like Red so much that they still keep it hidden from their parents and attend this.

"Well, a dream is…"

After asking me that question, instead of being dumbfounded, I just realize how our world is different. If I were the person who I was before coming here, I might say I want to become a doctor or at least something professional but now, I don't know.

I just want to end this fucking life, "I guess, it is something you want to be when you grow up"

"Then I want to go to school," the kid said happily

"What nonsense are you spouting? We will never grow up," said the group leader, who doesn't like me

"Yeah! We are in the war and we will kill their kind," second motion of their one member.

A war that started millennium years ago by their ancestor; red foxes and werewolves. A hatred for being different is still brought-up, up to this day, where they can't even choose their future.

Was it disrespectful for their ancestor to not harbor their feelings towards the werewolves? Or like what Red says, it became the norm for them?

Yeah sure, we shouldn't forget our history but I think it doesn't mean that we should live to their beliefs'

"Stop it, Leo," Red says in an authoritative tone.

I continue teaching them until sunset and then go back to the village. While going back, Red apologized to me for what happened so I just smiled at him and says it is okay.

After coming here, Red explain to me why this happened to me and why is everyone mad at me for just being the rumored granddaughter of Harold. I'm not saying I understand where they coming from because that's bullshit, however, I understand that the hatred is being sowed in their heart right before they were born.

"I will leave the blanket here," Red says after he left.

I am all alone again in this room. Should I start to feel at home? How funny. Madness is slowly eating whenever I see this room, on how I reminded that bruise is my breakfast, blood is my lunch, and coldness of this room is my dinner.

I know, I said to myself that I understand but… I hate them! I really do but why is my heart starts to waver whenever I see their innocence and genuine smile. They are the ones who did this to me, no… they aren't

"Chuck, yeah he is," I whisper to myself.

"This way, Mr. Harold,"

"Leave no one. Slaughter everyone you see,”

"They will not listen to our peace. Its either to be killed or kill,"

I woke up from the voices I heard. Whose voices is this? And more importantly, why are my parents are with them? How come they know what happened to me? What's the meaning of this?

Minutes of silence after hearing the voices, screaming are now being played all around. Red came to me while panting and blood are all over his body.

"Run before Chuck kills you," he said in a monotone.

Before I could utter a word, he left me after he finish his sentence. I walk out of their room and to my disbelief, children, women, and men are scattered all over the red ground. As I walk farther, I saw nothing but bodies on the ground and then Leo who's coughing blood. I came to him and try everything I can to stop the blood.

"I want to become like you and teach other kids," Leo said hardly before life abandon him.

I want to cry but I can't. I feel sad about what happened but at the same time, I feel relieved. I don't know what emotion should overtake me but I don't want to see them slowly dying that's all I know.

I close his eyes and put him on the side.

I don't know how could stop all of this; I don't know even know if I have the conviction to stop this. Just stop killing each other, please.

I get a piece of wood with the fire on it and run immediately to the path leading to their secret base. I let the fire eat the other side of the road, hoping that Red and other survivors already crossed this path.

"Anne, what are you doing?" I look behind me and saw Dale same as Red when he freed me.

"Stop! Please," I said

But before he could say anything, one of the red foxes shot an arrow on my shoulder. Dale, catch me and pulled out the arrow and the red fox who shot me is now gone before he could even flee.

Just hear my voice and silence beg to stop this. Please…

Weeks have been pass, but we still haven't gone home. No matter what we try to do to leave this island, some forces prevent us from leaving. That's why my father goes home to bring my siblings and live here for a while.

Though if I have choices, I want to go home and forget all those things that happened. The voices, their face, and their safety, that's what hunts me until to this day. All I could do was to live to the guilt and hope for their lives to be safe.

"Anne, Mr. Harold's calling you," Dale said that brought me back to reality.

After they rescued me, I found myself lying on the bed of this bedroom, and since then, they won't let me off this room except for eating meals. And after living here for weeks. I discovered the hurtful truth that Harold's blood is running through my veins.

He is my grandparents, meaning to say I have wolf blood though that part is already known to us siblings. It happened a long time ago when we sneak one night to buy some midnight snacks but that fun night becomes a Pandora box to us. My parents didn't know that we knew.

Of course, it's hard to accept the reality. But as time passed, we learned to accept and use it to our advantage. But since we are still not used to it, I am still surprised to see it up close.

"We have a problem," the woman says after she sees me, "But first, how come she's here?" she added.

"That's what I want to know too. What is she doing here?"  Harold said emphasizing every word he uttered.

"We have to do something about her before its too late," the woman replied

The woman came at me and hold my right hand and slice my palm. I try to take back my hand from her grasp but she’s holding it firmly. She let my blood drips on the floor before she let go.

She drew something on the floor using my blood and me as her center of her drawing. After that, she started to say some kind of ritual. My blood created light that looks like shield around me.

Things seen and things not seen, let this girl walk in between.

They though look, they shall not see,

Grant invisibility for I am Arson, Orcer of Furvus

And it harm none, So it mote be

Nothing happened to me after the ritual ends except for the drawing on the floor, it disappeared. And since its not a meal time yet, the woman instructed Dale to bring me back to my room.

After coming back, I lay on my bed and I don’t know when I started to fall asleep but the time I woke up, the moon become the queen of the sky.

Freezing breeze came at my window, making me shiver from head to toe. I got up on my bed to close the window, but as I step out to bed, I heard a voice that almost make my heart stop.

Truths are hard to find

Facts are not the truth

Acknowledgement is fact

Reasoning is not acknowledgement

“Who’s there?” I asked while my legs are shaking violently.

Are they here to kidnap me again and kill me for sure? Since they already prove that I am the granddaughter of him. Oh! Please, I don’t want to experience those things again so can they please help me here?

Instead of answering me, she kept saying rubbish words that I don’t understand.

Will you risk something to find it?

Will you accept it?

Or will you abandoned it?

Like how they become a bandit?

I want to shout to inform them but my voice wouldn’t come out.

After saying those sentences, she revealed herself by putting her body in the light of the moon. She’s wearing Victorian clothe for child and she has reddish hair and ribbon on her head.

I may not give the answer you want

But I can lead you to one

Come meet me at the forest

When the clock has the right angle

After she said that poem, she disappeared on my sight the moment the curtain is blown by the wind. I’m dumbfounded on what she’s trying to say to me but one thing for sure is, she stole my curiosity.