The Silence After Yes

I stared into the darkness and whispered, "Mom, are you sure this is the place? You really didn't get it wrong?"

A soft laugh came from the other end of the phone.

"Of course. You said you never refuse, didn't you? Then go find it in the mountains."

Just before the call ended, I heard Janice Graham's sweet, playful voice in the background.

"Thanks for playing along, Mom. Let's just wait and see. She'll be so scared that she'll come running back. Who would've thought there was actually a fool who couldn't say no? We have to expose this liar!"

The call ended.

However, I did not dare disobey. I searched through the graveyard inch by inch under the moonlight until a pack of wolves surrounded me.

I really was not lying to her. I really could not say no, even if she told me to die.

…

I had been searching the mountains for three hours. The gravel had torn open my palms, leaving them covered in blood, but I still had not found the necklace Mom had told me to look for.

Then my phone suddenly rang. It was Mom.

I grabbed the phone and answered immediately, like it was the last lifeline I had.

However, instead of sounding worried, Mom's voice was filled with anger. "Our family dinner is about to start. How much longer are you going to take to find it?"

I tightened my grip on the phone and said carefully, "Mom, are you sure the necklace is really here? I've been looking for so long, but I still can't find it… It's getting dark. There could be wild animals out here..."

Before I could finish, Mom's voice suddenly rose. "Don't make excuses. I checked the place out myself. It's completely safe! If you haven't found it, then keep looking! Didn't you say you never refuse?

"That necklace is the one I was planning to wear to the family dinner! If you can't find it, don't bother coming home for the rest of your life."

Before I could say another word, the line went dead.

I bit my lip as tears suddenly spilled down my cheeks. However, I wiped them away almost immediately and kept searching through the graves.

This was Mom's request, and I could not refuse. I had to find the necklace and go home. I had waited so long to finally have a home, and I could not bear to give it up.

I did not know how long I had searched before a tiny glimmer of light caught my eye. My eyes widened as I hurriedly brushed away the dead grass beneath a gravestone, revealing a delicate necklace hidden underneath.

I laughed and cried at the same time, quickly picking up the necklace and clutching it tightly to my chest. However, the very next second, a deep howl rolled through the darkness somewhere in the distance.

I froze, and the smile on my face vanished.

My foster father was the village veterinarian, so I had grown up around all kinds of animals. I knew exactly what that sound was. It was a wolf, and from the sound of its howl, I could tell it was extremely agitated.

However, Mom had said this was a safe area, so why were there wolves here?