So this story is about two OCs I created, though it is set in the same world as Kelly Armstrong's "Women of the Otherworld" series. There will appearances by Armstrong's characters throughout the story though! Please read and review so I get more inspired to write and I can do it good. Recently, I have broken chapter one up into 3 smaller chapters. It feels more appropriate. Hope you enjoy!
oOo
As Sonya made her way up the stairs in her one bedroom town house, some might think she was in a trance. The brown carpet was soft yet scratchy under her bare feet and as she reached the top stair, she stopped a moment and dug her toes into its surface absently. "Sure is empty in here," she said to her walls and then continued on down the short, white wash hallway to get to her bathroom. She passed the door to her room that was directly to her left and continued to her destination located nearby. There was a small pile of fresh towels she kept for convenience along with her hanging house coat next to the sink. Her pyjama pants pooled at her ankles along with her panties as she wiggled out of her clothing and they were both followed by the loose shirt she tugged over her head. She stepped away from the pile while reaching for the door's lock; Sonya lived alone but she had seen too many horror movies to not lock the damned thing. As she warmed the water and turned it to a shower, she started to relax. She stepped into the hot water and stood right under the faucet, letting the water cascade down her.
The water was welcoming after sitting in her cool living room the entire evening. She had been drawing for the last couple of hours, working on a piece she would occasionally progress on when she had free time. Sometimes she hated the picture while other times she was inspired by it and driven to continue. A majestic wolf pack was portrayed, running in the moonlight through a forest. It was not necessarily creative, but she had wanted to prove she could do this sort of artwork; one that took hours upon hours to complete. Her inspiration had been an artist whose name she couldn't place but she would know his pictures on sight primarily and she really admired his talents. Preferably, she chose to use traditional mediums. She had spent extra money on better pencil crayons and pencils to ensure quality. The wolves and dark forest were contrasted against the dark blue night sky. The moon was the emphasis in the sky as it shone light on its loved ones.
Shut up, mind, she thought. We're taking the shower to take a break from the picture. Drop it. She shook her head as it dawned on her that she was arguing with her thoughts. Sonya rubbed her face and reached for the shampoo.
oOo
Once her fingers were pruney, she decided it was time to get out. She wasn't sure how much time had passed while she enjoyed the warmth of the cascade of water, but when she stepped out of the room, a shimmer of light met her. The glow was coming from the gap between her curtains in her bedroom so Sonya wrapped a towel around her hair to dry it then grabbed her robe to keep the warmth with her. As she reached to push the curtain aside, she noted how light her hand looked. "I need to get out more," she murmured, "I look like a friggen' vampire." Her nose wrinkled at the thought of sparkling in the sun.
The light outside was softer than she thought it would be. During her late night, it had begun to snow without her noticing. The world seemed asleep with a cozy blanket pulled over it. The gold of the dawning sun shone softly off the snow and her eye lids began to feel heavier. She peered around the frozen world slowly, trying to enjoy it before it was ruined by people ripping the covers off themselves and drudging to work.
Speaking of work…
Sonya groaned. How had she forgotten she had to work today? If it wasn't too late, she might get some sleep in before having to get ready. Setting her chin on the windowsill, she started pulling the towel off her head. Her damp hair was attempting to stick to her face but she brushed the blond strands away. The tips of her hair were cold on her face, but her back was protected from the evil tendrils by her robe. In a final resistance against her defiant hair, she ran her fingers through it to push it all back.
She was about to walk away from the window when a slow moving object left the nearby park; she strained to get the details of it. It was making its way slowly across the road and seemed to be heading for the small sidewalk between her house and her neighbour's. The animal became more and more distinguished as it approached. Curiosity beat her as it started to get into viewing distance from her front door. She rushed down the stairs, her robe fluttering helpless in the wind she was creating.
Her final leap down the last two stairs would have been a show to a person in the living room, but it was as empty as it usually was. She veered around the corner and strode down the small corridor she called an entrance. Sonya snuck a glance at her clock on the living room table and grimaced as it proudly read 4:49am. At this point, she assumed there would be no one outside to peek at her. She slowly opened the door and looked around cautiously.
It was at the end of her drive way now and they both stopped dead in their tracks when they looked at one another. She had a screen door between her and the animal, so she figured it would give her enough time to react if it tried to attack her. Looking at what it actually was now, she confirmed what she had suspected: a wolf. It was too large to be a dog and did not look like any species of domestic canine she had ever seen around this area before. It had a long muzzle that was dipped low, and he peered down it right at her. Neither of them made any sudden movements. What is a wolf doing in Des Moines, Iowa? she thought. Sonya loved wolves and was ecstatic to see one in person. She tried not to show it too much as to not scare the beast away, but she wanted to run and grab her camera or, even better, her sketchbook.
With some hesitation, she tried to coax it over to her. "Hello," she said gently. "If you stay right there, I can grab you something to eat." She turned away from the door and quickly strode into the kitchen. On her counter there was a small package of beef jerky that she hastily grabbed. When she returned to the door, she looked out and saw no sign of the animal. Disappointment bubbled up in her chest, but just as she was about to close the door, the wolf stepped out from behind her car. It was now only a few feet from her door. She held a strip of dry meat up near the screen and watched it tilt its head. A smile crossed her face at the expression it was making. "I didn't know wolves made faces," she teased. The wolf snorted a response as it began coming closer to her.
Before he – yup, definitely a boy, she thought – reached the door, she slipped the meat through a small gap she created but she quickly closed it, just in case. He walked over cautiously, eyeing her and the meat.
The cold began nipping at her quickly. All she had on was the flimsy robe and she felt the goose bumps start. She rubbed her arms then her legs in an attempt to reheat. Sonya glanced up a moment and met the animals gaze; she was surprised by what she saw. Instead of the usually gold eyes that wolves had, this one had deep blue ones. A spark of intelligence was there, but she thought she might be imagining it. His gaze traveled down and then he stopped. His head snapped in the other direction.
"What is it?" she shifted from her kneeling position and stood. She tried to look in the direction he was but it seemed he was looking at her drive way. She made a face and looked down at herself to see her robe wasn't on as tight as it was before, not really covering what it was supposed to. Did it fall open or something? Why would a wolf care, anyways…?
oOo
Sonya stayed with the wolf only a little while longer, but the cold was too strong for her and she was becoming increasingly tired. "It's been fun," she spoke knowing this animal couldn't understand her, "but I'm cold and tired. I hope to see you again." She smiled at him, and before she knew it the wolf was gone. She watched him until he was out of her sight of her door, then she closed it.
Running up to her room, Sonya tried to get some of her earlier warmth back. Heating bills were a bitch, so she kept it at the same temperature all year 'round. She was airborne as soon as she was in leaping distance of her bed. Before she forgot, she set her alarm for 10am and mourned for the 4 hours of sleep she was about to get.