Phoenix Jones // BluePhoenixBirb

I lived in the middle of a huge forest with my village. We had been there for generations, hadn’t talked to the outside world since my great-grandmother was little. Everyone was happy with that; outsiders wanted to control us, to make us like them. We were too different from them and they didn’t understand or even want to.

Everyone in my village had a job, and we all had to do something to help the community. I was a gardener; each gardener oversaw their own section where they had to water, harvest, and care for the vegetables there.

It was a normal day just like any other. I had finished picking the vegetables and had to get water. I grabbed my shoulder yolk and began my walk to the nearby river. As I was filling up the buckets with the rushing water, I heard a snap from the other side of the river.

I looked up and saw a man, he looked to be taller than me by at least a foot, and he was staring right at me. He was tan from the sun, had dark hair, and what looked like even darker eyes. Something inside me shifted, like I could breathe for the first time. There was a noise from behind him that caused him to jump and run toward the sound.

I quickly continued my task and made my way back as fast as I could.

####

After I watered my vegetables, I quickly made my way to one of the elders.

No longer than a minute after I knocked, the door opened. “Tristen? What are you doing here at such a late hour?” Elder Grace said. She was one of the oldest members of our village; she had long white hair and soft blue eyes.

As she gestured me inside, I quickly told her everything about what I saw at the river.

“Oh dear, that does sound troubling. Tristen, I’m going to tell you something that mustn’t get to the other villagers.” She waited until I nodded to continue. “Living in these woods with us. Are wolves.”

“But I didn’t see a wolf, Elder Grace. I saw a man.”

“Long ago when our village was very new and very small. The village was weak then and was attacked frequently, but not by other humans as you know. Wolves. They were angry that we had taken their home from them, the woods were their territory.

But the founders didn’t listen to what nature was so obviously telling them. They wanted to fight for their new home. There was a man named Jeremiah. He was one of the strongest men in the village and was loved by all. He wished and prayed to be as strong as the wolves to protect his people.

After that he began to change, he walked on his hands and knees, and he growled at others when eating. It just kept getting worse and worse until one day, he didn’t come out of his tent. The villagers, worried for their most loved neighbor, went to check on him. But when they opened the tent Jeremiah wasn’t there, instead was a wolf. Before the villagers could think, it ran into the woods.

Some went into the woods to find him, but most never came back. The wolves stopped attacking but there were some that just stood and watched the villagers.”

“I don’t understand, Jeramiah was eaten by a wolf?” I asked.

Elder Grace sighed and shook her head. “Tristen, Jeremiah became a wolf. This story was passed down to me and I pass it to you. What you do with the information is up to you.”

I got up from my seat, still confused. I was about to walk out the door when Elder Grace stopped me.

“One more piece of information for you. Not too long after Jeremiah’s disappearance, there were reports of people seeing a person run through the woods.”

#####

That night I had the strangest dream. I dreamt that I was a wolf running through the forest. I was running so fast that I could barely tell where I was going. I stopped suddenly in front of the man from the river. He looked shocked to see me but smiled, then his skin started to move like there was something under it. There were horrible cracks and breaks filling my ears. I lowered myself to the ground and covered my ears with my paws.

Then there was a soft nudge on my left front leg. I lifted it and saw a tan wolf with dark eyes looking back at me. He had his front half on the ground and his back half up, it looked like he wanted to play. The dream continued with us playing and running through the forest together, it was the best.

#####

I woke up to birds chirping and something rubbing into my chest. I opened my eyes and saw that I wasn’t in my home, I was on the forest floor. I tried to sit up and get a grip on my surroundings but there was something holding me in place, well someone.

Hugging my chest was the man from the river. He was sleeping peacefully with his face on my chest. I put my hand on his shoulder and started to shake him until he woke up. His lips moved to show off his teeth and he let out a growl. I shoved him off me and stood up, only to see that I was naked aside from a pair of old worn-out shorts.

“Why did you take me?” I asked the now awake man. He looked at me in confusion.

“I did not take you.” He said, he sounded like he was just learning how to speak. “You come here.”

I folded my arms in front of me and tapped my foot on the ground. “Tell me how to get home. Now.” He gave me a sad look which felt like a knife going through my heart. He got up from the ground and started walking through the trees.

“Taking you home.” He said looking at me over his shoulder. I nodded and started to follow him.

#####

It had been a few days since I woke up in the forest, and I had made it home safe. But that man kept showing up. “If you’re not going to leave, tell me your name,” I said looking at him. I was filling up my water buckets for the garden and he showed up from the trees.

“Price. You?” He asked, his hand in the water feeling the current. His eyes shined his joy at the feel of the cold water.

I smiled, “Tristen.”

Once I got the buckets filled, I loaded the yolk and began to walk back home. I heard footsteps from behind and knew that Price was following me. I rolled my eyes, “Price you can’t come with me. I could get into a lot of trouble for talking with an outsider.”

“Not outsider. Mate.” He said making me freeze. WHAT. He stepped in front of me and put a hand on my cheek. “That is why you turned. We are mates.”

“I-I have to get back. Stay here I’ll come back tonight, and we can talk more.” I said and stepped away from him and continued my walk home.

After I watered the plants in my section, I went to my home to wait until it was safe to leave. I pause at my door when I saw something stuck to it, it was a note. It was short but terrifying.

Leave us alone or die, freak.

It felt like my body went to autopilot as I began to run out of my village and into the forest. “P-price!” I called once I got close to where I left him. I was shaking and my vision was starting to blur with my tears.

“Tristen!” I heard from behind me, I turned and saw Price standing there looking worried. It got worse when he saw my tears. Before he could say another word, I slammed my body into his.

“C-can I stay with you?” I asked looking up at him. He gazed at me as if I just ripped out his heart.

“You don’t have to ask.” He wrapped his arms around me tightly and began to lead me further into the forest.

#####

The next morning, I felt great. I cried so hard last night that I slept like a baby. I was woken up by voices, it sounded like two people arguing.

“Let me in Price! It’s me, what is the problem?” A woman yelled. I furrowed my brow and got out of bed to see what was happening.

Price was standing in the front entrance to his home, our home, blocking the path so the woman couldn’t come in. I walked closer and put my hand on his back, his touch always helped me so I thought it would have calmed him down.

“Price who is that? Are you cheating on me?” She yelled while glaring at me. I frowned, who did she think she was?

“Not with you. Not cheating. Tristen is my mate. Leave Lona.” Price said simply, I smiled and started to rub his back slowly. He smiled and turned his head to look back at me.

She just stood there and glared, I sighed and said, “How about I try? Could you go start some food?” I asked, Price nodded quickly and ran further into our home. I turned to Lona and dropped my smile. “Lona, is it?” I continued without waiting for a response. “How about you just leave? If Price and I are mates, then you must have one out there. So go find him and leave mine alone.” I went to close the door, but she shoved it open.

“I don’t want my mate. I want Price, and I will have him. I don’t care what it takes. So why don’t you leave us alone, don’t make me kill you. Freak.” She was gone before I could respond.

I closed the door and found Price. He was putting fruit into a bowl. “What are the rules here?” I asked, “If you want to put someone in their place, how do you do it?” He looked up from his task and made a confused face.

“Challenge. If someone disrespects, you or tries to hurt you. You challenge them. Fight until yield or death. You want to challenge Lona?”

“I do. She threatened me and she wants to take you for herself. How do I challenge her?”

He nodded and explained everything I needed to know to win the fight.

#####

The fight itself was a blur, I could only remember bits and pieces. I remember Price’s people booing me and cheering Lona. The feeling of so many different pairs of eyes on me. Lona’s punches and kicks, her taunting me by blowing kisses at Price. Mostly I remember standing over her limb body, covered in her blood, holding her heart in my hand.

I did what I had to; I protected the ones I held closest. It cost me a home that I could never return to, but also rewarded me with a new life with someone who loved me.