Welcome to the English translation of Aurora. Have fun reading and please keep in mind that English is not my native language. If you have a minute, please leave a comment and tell me what did or did not like about the chapters.
Concerning updates: I´m aiming for a one chapter per month cycle, but I won´t promise anything.
Thanks to Adina Barth for the amazing cover!
beta reader: shadowwing135
The Forest Spirit
"What a show," Feng shouted enthusiastically and turned to Sally. "How did you like it?"
"Well, it surely was as loud as promised," the Nurse replied, rubbing her ears. "But I´ve rarely had so much fun. Really... impressive."
"Have you seen the drum solo?" Meg wanted to know. "Did you see how fast he was?"
"We were there," Nea replied and laughed. "Your faces were worth gold when they hammered out the first song. You've really never been to a concert like this before."
"I always thought it sounded just like on the CDs", Meg said. "But the show they're putting on... that´s truly something else."
Nea nodded and exchanged a look with David, who grumbled in agreement. Then she looked around for Claudette and Dwight. The two had fallen back a little and were still at the exit, trapped between a bunch of laughing fans and two security guards.
"Hey, you two lovebirds, hurry up a bit," the Swedish called out, before turning to her group again. "Well, I'm certainly not the only one starving here, am I? I´m gonna get some food. Someone coming with?"
Everyone except Sally nodded and immediately made their way towards a nearby fast food stand. The Nurse stayed behind and waited for Dwight and Claudette, who didn't really hurry despite Nea´s vocal request. The two had enjoyed the show in their own way, and the sight of the couple put a smile on Sally's face.
She raised her head to the stars, closed her eyes and in thoughts went through the concert she had just witnessed. First the intro, a firework of special effects, fog and lights. Then the first song. Powerful and loud. Sally had been carried away from the beginning and the cheering crowd around her had charged her with euphoria that had let her tremble.
The singer had said a few words between each song, made a wonderfully vulgar joke or just heated up the mood a bit. He had proceeded with a nonchalance that was only possible with many years of experience and professionalism. The guitarists had also played their part in the performance and had stormed back and forth on stage. But most of all Sally had been fascinated by the drummer.
Like a king he had sat behind his drums and cymbals, placed on a high platform. His arms had moved with a power and speed that Sally could hardly explain, and every stroke had been perfect.
Back then, in the fog, she had not believed she would ever get back into the real world. When that happened, she had not believed that she would ever be able to be among people again. But the survivors had taken her in, like one of their own. Despite the bitter past that bound them together.
Somewhere in the distance some fans broke out in unrestrained cheers and Sally opened her eyes again. She looked around curiously. Dwight and Claudette were about to fight their way out of the entrance area, while a small crowd was forming a few meters away. Apparently, something exciting had happened, but Sally preferred to keep her distance.
Of course, she was curious, but even after two years the customs and habits of a society she hardly knew remained intimidating to her. Silently she followed the events and a moment later she spotted the striking hairstyle of the singer, who had just left the stage. It looked like a surprise meeting between band and fans was taking place over there.
Sally turned her head and looked around for Nea. Should she tell the Swede? Sally knew, that she was a fervent admirer of the group and had already tried to get an autograph at several concerts, but so far, she had not succeeded. Now there was another opportunity. Sadly, Sally could not spot her anywhere
Uncertain if she should go after Nea and risk getting lost in the crowd, she took a step backward and collided with someone rushing behind her. Sally was pushed forward and would have fallen to the ground had, if not for the strong arm, that wrapped itself around her waist.
In shock, Sally quickly writhed herself out of the unknown persons grip. Her body was ice-cold and only half as heavy as that of a normal woman. No one could discover her. Sally drove around, instinctively ready to defend herself.
"Oh, excuse me, I'm terribly sorry." A young man in a black tank top and with sweaty hair raised his hands in defence. Speaking with a strong Scandinavian accent, he continued. "I didn't see you there. Are you alright?"
"Yes, yes... I´m alright", Sally muttered and shot a quick glance over at Dwight and Claudette. Strangely enough, she felt uncomfortable alone in the company of a complete strange stranger. But when she looked back at the young man something struck with her.
"Hey, didn´t I just see you on the stage?"
"Yep, behind the drums", the guy replied. "To be honest, I had hoped to sneak past the fans today. I'd rather leave the signing to Joakim."
Sally didn't answer, and the musician explained, "Our singer."
"Oh," Sally nodded, "Well, I have to admit, this is actually my first time listening to you."
"There's nothing wrong with that," the man replied cheerfully, and Sally added. "It was even the first rock concert of my life."
"Oh, then we had a special honour. I hope we gave you a worthy initiation. Did you like it?"
Sally nodded.
"You played beautifully. Honestly, I've never experienced so much energy in a piece of music."
"A beautiful way to say it", the drummer laughed before pulling two sticks out of his back pocket. He quickly signed them with a big, black pen and pressed them into Sally´s hands. "Here. A welcome gift for our newest fan."
"Thank you", the Nurse muttered, and the musician shook her hand. "You're welcome. But I better be on my way now or else I´ll blow my cover. See you next time."
With these words, he turned around and disappeared into the crowd, while Sally remained somewhat stunned. She felt the weight of the sticks in her hands just as Claudette appeared next to her and moaned, "So, here we are. Finally. We had a little traffic jam back there."
"Hm... What?"
"I said we had a traffic jam", Claudette repeated, looking around. "Where'd the others go?"
"They went to get something to eat," Sally replied. "But they should be back any minute."
"Damn, I wouldn´t say no to a bite too," Dwight muttered, "Are they getting something for me as well?"
"I don't think so," Sally said, and Dwight growled something incomprehensible.
"What's going on over there?" Claudette asked and pointed toward the crowd. Sally turned around and answered, "I think some of the musicians are signing autographs."
"Really? But one´s missing, or did I just overlook him?"
"The drummer," Sally murmured, right when David arrived, his arms full of fast food bags and beer cans.
"Now don´t tell me you´re eating that all by yourself." Dwight let his gaze slide over the food, amazed at the sheer quantity David had brought. "That's at least four portions."
"The girls discovered the band," David grumbled. "From that point on food was secondary. Shit, can you take some of these bags?"
Claudette and Dwight rushed over immediately and relieved David from some of his burdens. Looking over his shoulder Dwight stated. "If I have to carry this, it's gonna cost them."
Quickly he reached into one of the bags, pulled out some fries and put them into his mouth. Claudette watched him with a grin, before following his example. The food was so abundant anyway that Meg or Feng would hardly be able to eat a whole bag alone.
Meanwhile David opened one of the cans and took a big sip of the beer inside. Sally had already noticed that the alcoholic beverage was as much a part of the event as the band itself. The smell was omnipresent.
"What do you think of New York, Sally?" Claudette suddenly ripped her out of the thoughts. She looked around for a moment and then answered. "It´s... tall?"
"You can say that again," Claudette laughed. "After all, it's one of the biggest cities in the world."
Sally nodded and looked over at a group of skyscrapers.
"Back in my days I´ve seen pictures of the city, but the buildings were much smaller. And of course, it´s something else to actually be here. And all the cars. It´s simply impressive."
"Weren´t there any cars around back then?" Dwight asked with his mouth full of fries. Sally shook her head. "Of course there were. But they were louder and slower. And the stench was almost unbearable. Today everything´s so… perfect."
"Perfect might be a little exaggerating," Claudette noted. "But over the last couple decades mankind has made some huge steps, that's true."
Dwight agreed with her and the four kept talking, until Meg, Feng and Nea joined the group again. The Swede had gotten herself a T-shirt of the band, black and with the golden logo directly on her chest.
"Successful?" Claudette asked, but Nea just shook her head. "Nope, too many people. Can't get through in an hour and we don't have that much time. Dammit!"
"At least you got yourself a shirt," Dwight said and the Swedish girls face brightened a bit. "At least a souvenir. And the logo looks awesome, doesn't it?"
"It does," Claudette confirmed, then turned to Meg, "Do you have anything?"
The athlete raised her arm and showed a black sweatband around her wrist, decorated with the golden band logo as well. Feng, on the other hand, only growled angrily.
"I hate being the smallest of us. At first I can hardly see the band and now they don´t even have any T-shirts my size."
But the next moment her anger already gave way to a smile.
"We still got our memories," Claudette said comforting. "And perhaps that´s the most beautiful souvenir there is."
"How poetic", Nea commented with a sarcastic voice, before adding slightly disappointed. "An autograph would have been something… but it doesn't matter. Hey, Sally, what have you got there?"
The Nurse lifted the two drumsticks she had completely forgotten about and everyone looked curiously at the elongated objects before Dwight asked. "Wait... Is that a signature?"
"The drummer came by here earlier, right after you left," Sally explained, "He bumped into me and we talked for a second before he gave me this."
"You have signed drumsticks from Hannes van Dahl," Nea asked, her eyes wide open, and grabbed one of the sticks as Sally held them out. Curiously, she looked at the signature and drove her finger along the shaft. "Fuck, how long has he been gone?"
"It's been a while," Sally replied. "We only spoke for a moment."
"What did he say to you?" Meg asked enthusiastically and Sally answered. "Not much. He just apologized and asked me how I liked the show."
"What was he like?"
"I don't know... friendly?"
"Damn, you´re lucky", Nea muttered, giving the stick back to Sally. "First concert ever and already a date with the drummer."
"You can keep it," Sally said, but the Swede shook her head. "No. He gave it to you. Besides I got something already."
"And…" Sally seemed hesitant. "What do I do with it now?"
Nea laughed.
"Frame them and hang them over your bed. Like a poster, only way cooler."
"Or you could buy yourself the rest of the drum kit," Claudette added with a smile.
Meg opened her eyes in panic and sat straight up. Breathing heavily, she looked around before she recognized the outlines of her room in the darkness. She was at home at Coldwind Farm.
Tired, the athlete fell back into her sheets, bathed in sweat, and tried to close her eyes. She had probably had a nightmare, which unfortunately has not been a rarity for more than two years now. The time of quiet nights was long gone and would probably stay gone forever, but there was a shimmer of hope.
While she used to wake up screaming and flailing around like a madwoman, now she rarely experienced more than a slight start. Meg knew that she had not screamed in her sleep or made any noise, because in that case Sally would have already appeared in her room. The Nurse took care of her like a mother, for which Meg was grateful. Even though she did not like to admit it, her support was much needed. Sally was someone Meg could turn and talk to. And she had an unspeakably light sleep, which usually lasted no longer than two hours per night. Paired with her improved ears, this meant that she heard almost everything in the house.
Meg smiled as her thoughts wandered to the sleeping habits of the other killers. While Sally managed with inhumanly little rest, Max and Anna did not seem to have been freed from their humane needs at all. Anna still was a night active creature and often roamed around the woods, even hours after midnight. However, she made up for it by sleeping in the following morning.
Her room resembled the cave of a predator and was decorated with numerous things she had brought back from her prowls. A colourful feather, a strangely shaped root or a glittering stone, everything even remotely beautiful or miraculous was given a place in her collection. Her bed was a heap of pillows and duvets, perfect to cuddle into at night.
Max, on the other hand, was an early riser who also went to bed early. As soon as the sun went down, he looked for something to eat and then disappeared into his room, only to reappear with the first rays of sunshine. During the first weeks he had kept running through the fields with his chainsaw at five o'clock in the morning, but luckily Sally and Meg had been able to push that habit up to half past six.
Like Annas, his room followed its own style and was reminiscent of a workshop, although a very messy one. The floor was covered with screws and metal parts, there were heaps of materials on two workbenches, and the walls were covered with nails, with various tools attached to them.
Sally had tried more than once to get him to clean up, but it was a hopeless endeavour. In the end, the Nurse had given up with the statement that it made little to no difference anyway, as long as he felt well. His bed, in contrast to Annas, was more like the human standard, but it was just a simple mattress, without any pillows or blankets. Max simply threw himself on the soft surface and immediately fell into a deep sleep, never failing to snore.
Meg leaned to the side and put an ear to the wall. Quietly she could hear the regular sawing, even though Annas room was between that of the Hillbilly and her own. Fortunately, the Huntress did not seem to mind at all.
Yawning, Meg lay back again and tried to find back into sleep. She had her only window, which was facing east over the fields, wide open and the nightly chirping of grasshoppers entered her room. Lost in thought, the athlete remembered learning at school that the sounds were signals of readiness to mate. Judging by the sheer number of chirps, there had to be a real orgy out there. Or just some really lonely guys.
A light smile drove over her lips as her thoughts wandered to Dwight and Claudette, who had looked so happy last week in New York. Sally, Anna or Max were by no means unpleasant contemporaries - quite the opposite - but for almost a year now Meg had been the only normal person living on Coldwind Farm. Once a week she went to the nearby town, but the inhabitants met her with reservations. They distrusted the farm and all its inhabitants.
When Meg had agreed to move to the farm with the strange creatures that were Sally, Max and Anna, she had known it would be a lonely affair. She had hoped that the withdrawn life would soothe her panic attacks and that the constant presence of the killers would treat her fears and traumas. And she had been right. It had worked so well that her memories of the fog had atrophied into lurking shadows that occasionally reached for her thoughts but were not able to grasp her anymore.
Life on the farm was nice. It was pleasantly quiet and strangely Meg felt a deep satisfaction when she thought of the house and the fields that now belonged to her. Nevertheless, she longed for other company. Someone who had not tried to kill and torture her at some point in the past.
The trip to New York had been a lot of fun. It had been such a pleasure to mingle with a crowd in in which she was not looked at with suspicion and in which no one knew who she was or where she lived. The countryside had its advantages, the city had others and Meg loved the abundance of people and faces the latter had to offer.
Her fingers moved slowly, almost involuntarily under the blanket and into her pyjama pants. It took a while before her body tightened briefly and she pulled her hand back out again with a sigh. Moist fingers glittered in the moonlight and Meg noticed that she really was damn lonely.
For a moment she wondered if she was longing for a partner, but then she got rid of the thought with an inner shake of her head. Slightly ashamed, she remembered the two idiots with whom she had had something one could call a relationship back in high school.
She had sacrificed her virginity to one of them after she had drunk way too much at a sports party. It had happened within half a minute on a dirty toilet cabin and weeks later she had still wanted to sink into the ground just at the thought of it.
For this reason, she had decided not to rush anything with the second one, and probably exaggerated it to such an extent that at some point the guy had gotten himself a side chick. From that point on, the subject had been over for Meg until the seemingly overjoyed sight of Claudette and Dwight had started to cause small cracks in her determination.
Close your eyes, Meg, and go to sleep, she admonished herself. Forget these fantasies, tomorrow everything will be different.
They were spick and span, white and immaculate, just as Dwight liked it. Satisfied, he closed his mouth and put the dental floss aside. Dwight had just spent a quarter of an hour picking out the last remains of food from between his teeth and the spinach Claudette had put in front of him today had been a tough opponent. But in the end, Dwight had emerged victorious. In addition, the meal had been delicious, a quality that could by no means be attributed to every dish of the Canadian.
Dwight nodded to his mirror image, turned around and left the small bathroom. Despite officially still living with his parents, he was spending more than half of his nights at Claudette's tiny apartment in the city, so he wasn't quite sure which place was his real home at the moment. Of course, he didn't want to take advantage of the Canadian and many a girl would have told him to find his own apartment. But not Claudette.
Just like Dwight, she belonged to the type of person who clung to her partner like a monkey to its branch and they had already heard from several sides that a relationship could quickly break up as a result. However, the two had not noticed anything yet. Dwight liked to cling to Claudette and Claudette liked to cling to Dwight. They were happy with it.
He dropped onto the narrow bed they shared and turned his head toward his girlfriend. She was dressed in a bathrobe and wet hair fell down her back in a dark plait. After coming out of the shower, she immediately had sat down at her computer and accessed several websites, all related to the university of Waltonfield. The reason: from today on one could expect a message whether one had been admitted to a semester abroad or not.
Dwight had repeatedly explained to her that it was not only possible, but also much more likely to receive the exam results sometime over the next few weeks and that it would not make any sense, if she tied herself to the computer screen. She would know soon enough anyway. Claudette had listened to him every time and every time she had remained stubborn. The was nothing he could do.
Excited, the Canadian opened a chat window and typed in a quick message. It was a forum for all those who had applied for a semester abroad and taken the test. Just a few days ago, the focus had been on studying tips or forming learning groups, but today there was only one question: Has anyone already received a result?
"Anything new?" Dwight asked casually and grabbed one of the fat books lying on the left side of the bed.
"No," Claudette murmured without turning her head. Meanwhile Dwight opened a random page and flew over a short paragraph. It was about a... fungus? Or something like that. He barely understood half the words in front of him and with a smile on his face he put the reading aside again. It was still a mystery to him how Claudette managed to read through three of these monstrosities within a week and not only understand, but also to remember them. With his eyebrows raised, he looked over at her.
"Anyone heard anything yet?"
"No"
"Just like I said," Dwight muttered, "It´s probably still three or four days from now on. They're academics. They like to take their time."
"Hey!"
"Now don´t tell me otherwise. The one time I went to a lecture with you the professor was almost half an hour late."
"Yes, but... well, you might have a point there."
"If I even dared thinking about showing up to work half an hour late because – and I´m quoting here – my coffee was to hot and I couldn´t drink it in time, my boss would fire me in the blink of an eye and my dad probably too."
"Your boss is an asshole, though."
"But he knows punctuality."
"Better a nice guy five minutes late than an asshole right on time."
Dwight smiled, and Claudette shot an amused glance over her shoulder. Then she looked forward at the screen again and switched to Gmail. A quiet click told Dwight that she had pressed F5. Apparently, there were no new mails, because she immediately switched back to the forum, where she scrolled down and read the last messages.
"Mitchell didn't make it," she mumbled, "Poor guy."
"He's already got his score?" Dwight asked.
"Looks like it," Claudette replied, "Yeah, there's a screenshot. Damn, he really screwed up. Ten points out of forty."
"They'll probably send the first mails to people who failed miserably," Dwight remarked. "There they don't have to correct that much."
"You´re probably right," the Canadian muttered, "Sarah's out too. Nine out of forty."
"Seriously, are you even studying for your tests?"
"They're difficu... fuck."
"What's the matter?" Dwight asked and looked up worried. Claudette didn't answer. Wordlessly, she stared at her screen. With a frowned forehead Dwight swung his legs from the bed, stood up and walked over to her.
Arriving at his girlfriend, he bent down to get a better look at the screen showing Claudette's mailbox. At the top there was a new message, marked bold and unread. The sender was the "Natural Science Institute of the University of Waltonfield", the subject was stated as "foreign semester exam results".
"What are you waiting for? Open it," Dwight said and gave Claudette a friendly push. Her hand lay on the mouse, but she didn't move and a moment later she replied. "No, I can't. You do it."
"Why?"
"I'm too afraid," Claudette mumbled hysterically and stood up from her chair. She turned around and buried her face in her hands while Dwight sat down in front of the screen. Smiling, he reached for the mouse and clicked on the mail. Claudette still stood behind him, not daring to take a look at the screen.
"I failed, didn´t I?"
"I'm not that far yet", Dwight answered in a deliberately casual manner, which only heated up her nervousness even more.
"Oh my God, I failed, I´m sure," Claudette muttered. "Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten an e-mail yet. Why didn´t I spend more time learning, Dwight?"
"Try looking at it this way: if you failed, you get to stay here with me."
Claudette only growled, still refusing to turn around.
"What now?"
"Wait... Ah, here it is. Yep, failed miserably. Five out of forty points. Congratulations."
"What?"
Claudette drove around, her bathrobe flying around her body. Hurriedly she skipped the introduction and searched for the test result, which was right at the end of the mail. Her eyes wandered slowly from left to right as she silently read over the lines.
"I hate you," Claudette screamed and boxed Dwight on the arm, who did not even attempt to defend himself. Then she embraced him, pressed a quick kiss on his cheek and jumped into the air with joy.
"I'm going to Paris!"
"And you thought you failed," Dwight commented shaking his head. "Thirty-eight out of forty points. Nerd."
"Yes, yes!" Claudette shouted, "Yes, yes, yes, yes!"
"I'll miss you, you know," Dwight murmured the same moment one of the neighbours knocked on the wall. A muffled voice grumbled through the plaster. "Do you have any fucking idea what time it is? Quiet now!"
Claudette didn't pay any attention to the guy and instead sat down on Dwight's knee, who pulled an artificial pout.
"Don't be sad," she comforted him and put one hand on his shoulder while the other tried to pull up the corners of his mouth.
"But I want to be sad," Dwight replied childishly. "In two months, you´ll fly to Europe and then we´ll be separated for half a year."
"I know," Claudette whispered and gave him a long kiss. "I'll miss you too. Here..."
She kissed him again.
"And here"
She reached for his hand, pulled it under her bathrobe and put it directly above her heart. Then she kissed him for the third time, this time the longest. Dwight felt her pulse beating faster and faster and as they separated again, a razor-sharp smile shot over Claudette's lips.
"Two months is still a long time away," she said deceitfully and rose, pulling Dwight by the hand. "But I'll need it."
"To learn?" he asked sarcastically, but Claudette shook her head. Then she pushed him away from herself so that he fell backwards, tripping over and landing on the soft mattress of her bed.
Before he could orient himself, a wet bathrobe had already covered his eyes and obstructed his view. Dwight could see Claudette's shadow through the fabric as his nose filled with her unique scent and his body was pushed into bed by her weight.
"Stashing love," a voice whispered into his ear while cautious fingers were pulling at his shirt.
Sally looked to the side. She had heard footsteps upstairs that had been far too soft to belong to Max. Besides, the rascal had already stormed out to the fields half an hour ago. It must have been Meg, who apparently got up unusually early today. Normally, the athlete slept until about half past eight. Sally looked at the clock on the wall. It was just before seven.
Shrugging her shoulders, she turned back to the magazine in her right hand, while her left grabbed the handle of a steaming teacup. Attentively she read the lines that a journalist, who in her opinion was extraordinarily talented, had written about the first moon landing. Looking at the pictures of three astronauts, Sally read the names of the first men to set foot on the moon. It was amazingly interesting.
On the shelf behind her was a whole series of magazines on various topics that she had brought with her from her trip to New York. Some dealt with scientific topics, others reported on art, technology or politics. Or history, like the one she was holding in her hands right now.
Someone rumbled down the stairs and Sally knew it could not be Anna, as the Huntress´s steps were much stompier and there was no way she was already awake.
"Good morning, Meg," Sally greeted when the redhead came into the room and sat down at the table.
"Mornin", Meg mumbled, her eyes still shaded with tiredness.
"Slept well?"
"No"
Sally looked up from her magazine.
"Nightmare?
The athlete nodded and replied. "But not that bad, I think. I can't even remember anything, I just woke up and couldn't fall asleep anymore."
"Until now"?
"Yep"
"Are you sure you don´t want to lie down a little longer? You look tired."
"Can't sleep anyway," Meg mumbled, before she asked, "Do you have any of that tea left?"
Sally pointed to a rusty red teapot standing in the kitchen, whereupon the athlete rose, pulled a cup out of a drawer and filled it up with the hot drink. Then she reached for a piece of bread, got a glass of jam from a cupboard and returned to Sally. Yawning, she dropped onto her chair. Orange sunbeams broke through the window and seduced Meg's ruffled hair to a red glow.
"What are you reading?" she wanted to know while opening the jar.
"A report on the first moon landing," Sally replied.
"Apollo 11?"
"Exactly."
"We had a teacher at school who was literally obsessed with the subject," Meg muttered and stroked a thick layer of jam on her bread. "Fortunately, she asked the same questions every year, so we hardly had to learn anything."
"Too bad," Sally replied and watched Meg eat before turning back to the article. The two sat silently opposite each other, but the silence was by no means unfriendly or oppressive. It was simply a pleasant Saturday morning, and nothing more had to be said about it.
"I think I'll go into the town," Meg remarked after finishing her breakfast. A look in the refrigerator told her that they had almost used up their food.
"Don't forget the sausages Anna loves to eat," Sally reminded without looking up from her magazine. Then she added more to herself. "Damn, these letters are small."
"Do you need glasses?" Meg wanted to know, but the Nurse shook her head. "No. No, it´s fine."
"Whatever you say." The athlete shrugged her shoulders. "I'd better be on my way. Otherwise I won´t make it back for lunch."
"See you later."
Meg ran upstairs into her room, grabbed her backpack and came back down the stairs into the living room. From there she walked straight out onto the front terrace, sat down on the floor and put on her jogging shoes. For a short time, Meg remained in a seated position and let her gaze wander over the fields which, apart from the forest line in the south, seemed to extend into infinity. Warm sunbeams fell diagonally through the thicket and an abundance of insects hummed busily through the tall grass.
Nature was already awake, just like Max, who revved his chainsaw somewhere in the fields. From time to time Meg felt a shiver run down her spine when she heard the rattling sound. It was an anxiety she would probably never get rid of. But it hardly affected her in her everyday life, so she just shrugged her shoulders, stood up, adjusted her cap and finally started jogging down the path through the fields.
Weeks was a small town and just like one expected it to be in the rural USA. There were four wide main streets that stood at right angles to each other and formed an almost perfect square. A mix of traditional cottages, probably still from civil war times, and modern concrete buildings, which the municipality had built during the last economic upswing, lined the roads.
In the whole city there was only one supermarket, which could hardly cover the needs of the inhabitants. However, this was a stroke of luck for all the other shopkeepers who were still specialising in a certain trade. There was a butcher, a baker, a tailor and so on.
Meg slowed her pace as she turned from a small side street to one of the main streets. The run had made her sweat a bit, but it was a good workout to stay in shape. Moreover, it gave Meg an almost therapeutic effect if she could just focus on running, banishing all other thoughts from her head. Gasping, she tried to control her breath.
The sun was already nearing its zenith and many of the residents of Weeks were already on their feet, even on a Saturday. In the small town everyone knew everyone, so that it was immediately noticeable when someone unknown dared walking through the streets. Not that the inhabitants had never seen Meg before, but most had never exchanged a single word with her, so they kept giving her suspicious looks every time she showed up.
Fortunately, the athlete had gotten used to it and just could not be bothered by it anymore. Casually she walked down the street. Her destination was the supermarket on the southern corner, which would offer her everything she needed. Passing by, she looked at the Internet café across the street and briefly considered whether she wanted to contact anyone or look up anything.
The operator of the small, run-down business was one of the few people here who met Meg with honest friendliness, probably because he himself was not exactly one of the most popular fellows in town. He was a tall, thin, middle-aged man, always dressed in dirty T-shirts and had an amusing curly hairstyle. Glasses with a thick framed perfected the image of the classic nerd. His name was Adam and on one occasion he had told Meg that he had long since disappeared from here, were it not for his sick parents.
The athlete shrugged her shoulders when she came to the conclusion that she would not be visiting today. She had seen Claudette and the others just a week ago, so there probably was not anything new to report. With springy steps she went on and disappeared into the supermarket.
There Meg strolled through the shelves, stashing good after good in a small plastic basket, always under the suspicious eye of the fat cashier. She probably wanted to make sure Meg did not steal anything. As soon as she had everything, she went over to the fat lady who scanned the goods, quickly typed something into the cash register and handed her the bill. Meg gave her some green dollars, took the change and put everything in her backpack before she left the store.
Once again, she had not exchanged a single word with the woman and, lost in thought, she stepped out to the street. Back in the open she turned right, but immediately slowed down again and ran to the left towards the butcher's shop. She could not forget Anna's sausage.
As she strolled along, Meg glanced up and noticed that the sun was already high in the sky. She should probably hurry. Without much effort Meg accelerated her step and turned into an alley she knew was a shortcut. A dog barked at her from a backyard, but she paid no attention to it. Meg had learned a long time ago that silence was far more dangerous than noise.
The next moment she reached one of the main streets again and steered to the left. However, a few metres further she stopped already when her gaze was drawn to a glaring poster attached to a bare brick wall. With a curious look, Meg walked up to the blue placard and tried to decipher the bright yellow writing while quietly cursing the designer for his choice of colour.
"GREAT MARATHON" she recognized after a moment and pulled her eyebrows up with interest. Below there was the typical stick figure in a running posture, a symbol Meg had already seen countless times. At the bottom of the poster she spotted the organizer, which was the sports club of Burlington, the start, which was the town of Burlington and the finish, the town of Weeks.
"Sportswoman?" a voice asked, and Meg turned, hoping to have hidden her fright. Her gaze fell on a young woman, about the same age as her, with black hair and a friendly smile. She looked at Meg before she asked with a light Spanish accent. "And? You in?
The Latina pointed to the poster and Meg noticed that she was carrying a whole supply of flyers under her left arm.
"I, um..." stammered Meg, "I don't know... probably not."
"Too bad," the black-haired girl replied. "You have the figure of an athlete, if I may say so." She smiled again and stretched out her freehand.
"Hi. I'm Eleonora."
"Meg"
"Pleased to meet you," the girl said and pushed one of the flyers in Meg´s hand. "Since you still seem to be undecided, here, take one of these."
Meg took the note while a boy appeared at the end of the street, also carrying a pile of posters under his arm, and shouted, "Hey, Ellie, where are you?"
"Coming," Eleonora replied and then whispered with a cheerful giggle. "My brother´s a little impatient. It was nice meeting you, Meg. Bye."
With these words she turned around and ran down the road. Meg looked after her briefly before she lowered her eyes to the flyer, which was still resting in her hand. She wondered if she wanted to take part in the event, but then shook her head and crumpled the leaflet into a lump. It was better if no one became too aware of the lonely hermits on the Coldwind Farm. Hastily she continued her way and headed for the butcher's shop at the end of the street.
The forest was her friend. It spoke to her, whispered secrets into her ear and treated her with presents. The forest nourished her and offered her shelter. The forest belonged to her as firmly as the animals and plants belonged to it, and like everything in the forest, she also had a fixed place. She had a task, a role that she had to fulfil and without which the entire system, the entire order would be disturbed: she was the Huntress.
Anna ducked under a branch and carefully placed one foot in front of the other. Small twigs and leaves had arranged themselves into a minefield of sounds that could destroy out all he efforts with a single misstep. But Anna had already gained enough experience to be sure that she would not make such a mistake. She knew where to put her feet and she knew it because the forest ha thought her how. Anna's bare soles analysed the underground with every step, while her eyes were always on the lookout for traps and sources of noise.
At the same time, she watched the rabbit family sitting there in the clearing between the bushes and enjoying the juicy grass they were eating. Attentively they turned their long ears in all directions and sniffed for possible attackers, always on the watch, always on the lookout. Their eyes covered a wide field and yet they were completely blind to the immediate threat that stalked them. Hidden in the darkness a smile drove over Anna's lips and silently she released one of the throwing axes from her belt.
At the same moment the sound of a breaking branch crashed through the forest and the rabbits all lifted their heads. Anna's smile froze and for a second prey and Huntress remained in their respective positions before the rabbit family quickly withdrew into their den.
Disappointed, the Huntress crooked her head, stood up and hung the axe back on her belt. She would probably get nothing today, but that was not so bad. The rabbits would have to escape her again tomorrow.
Anna turned her head and looked in the direction from which the disturbing noise had come. There was only one kind of creature that stumbled so carelessly and blindly through the forest: humans. It was probably the children again. The ones she had seen so often in the woods.
Anna looked over her shoulder once more and memorized the place where the rabbit burrow was hidden, before she left without causing a single sound. Curious as she was, she wanted to take a look at the intruders and hurriedly moved along a narrow stream, climbed a hilltop and squatted between the branches of a small tree.
Her gaze wandered from left to right and got caught in a movement, far in the distance between two tree trunks. Anna immediately recognized a group of children jumping one by one over an uprooted pine tree. Again, a grin flashed on her lips. Then the Huntress moved backwards down the hill and sneaked in a wide arc to the right, always listening for the treacherous noises and voices.
"When we find her, you'll be the first one to touch her," one of the children ordered, and another one asked anxiously, "Why me?"
Both seemed to be girls.
"Because it´s your first time with us," a boy explained, and the first girl added, "You have to prove yourself."
"Otherwise you can go home right away", a fourth said and a fifth wanted to know. "Are you afraid?"
"I... No!" the second girl defended herself meekly and with a voice trembling with fear.
"Well then," the first girl said, while Anna passed behind a bush and caught a glimpse of the group. "Then there's no problem."
"But first we have to find her," one of the boys said and the anxious girl asked, "Have you found her ever before?"
"Many times," the first girl replied.
"Touched too?"
"No, she always got away."
Anna put her head to the side as she listened to the conversation and tried to remember the occasion on which she had fled from the children and not vice versa. She concluded that the cheeky girl was probably a liar. Anna did not like liars.
"But if you've never touched her before," the anxious girl continued, "Why do I have to be the first?"
Anna saw the other girl, who apparently was the leader, stop and turn around. "What now? You with us or not?"
"Yes, I am... But why do I have to..."
"Because you're the new one," the leader shouted hysterically, "My dad said right away that you niggers can't be trusted when you moved to town last month. You gotta prove yourself to us."
"We ain´t supposed to say that word," one of the boys remarked, but the leader did not let herself be rebuked and answered, "My dad says we´re living in a free country and we can say whatever we want."
Anna had meanwhile decided that she did not like the leader at all. Hidden behind a rock she contemplated what to do now. On one hand Sally and Meg had made her promise to stay hidden, but on the other she was curious about how the children would react if she showed herself. It might be funny to scare them a little.
No, she was not allowed to. She had promised Sally and promises had to be kept.
"I think I don´t wanna do this," the anxious girl said, after which the leader stopped dead in her tracks and looked at her for a moment.
"Then you can't join us. Get lost."
"But I..."
"Get lost!" the sassy girl shouted and with both hands she pushed the fearful girl away. A squeaky scream escaped her mouth, as she stumbled over a small rock and fell to the ground.
"Let's go," the leader said imperiously and left, while the other boys followed her. They all seemed to disagree with her action, but nobody dared to stand up to her. Meanwhile, the dark-skinned girl stayed on the ground and looked after the group in shock. Anna, who had watched the whole scene from her hiding place, growled quietly and wished she could remove people like the leader girl from her forest.
But she had promised Meg she would not hurt any of the kids. And promises had to be kept.
Meanwhile the girl, who had been left behind, got up and tried to brush the dirt off her clothes. Then she sniffed and raised her hand to wipe a tear from her cheek, as she looked around in apparent despair. Anna watched the girl and wondered if she needed help. But what could she do? She was not allowed to show herself.
The girl looked after her old group, she was no longer part of, and was already preparing to follow them. Then she changed her mind and wandered away in the opposite direction.
Somewhere a small animal broke through the undergrowth, which Anna knew was no danger. Nevertheless, the little girl drove around in shock and looked in the direction the sound had come from. Anna shook her head and decided to follow the poor thing until she was sure she would find her way home.
Silently she sneaked after her and carefully avoided any contact. The girl should not know she was being followed. Anna had promised. The little one described a wide arc as she hesitantly moved through the forest, repeatedly casting anxious glances in every direction. It was clear to see that she had no idea how get out of the forest
Her sharp ears told Anna that the girl was breathing faster and faster. A clear sign of growing fear. A little while later she accelerated her steps and the Huntress started to hear silent sobs. The girl was on the verge of absolute panic, crying, running through the woods in despair and looking for a way back home, while her dark braids got caught in the bushes. She stumbled several times until she finally ripped open her shirt on a branch and stopped in shock.
"Help!" she shouted into the forest.
Only the echo answered.
"Help!" she called again. "Please!"
Startled by the cries, a medium-sized bird flew up from his resting place in a tree. It was completely harmless, but the loud flapping of its wings gave the girl such a fright, that she winced and let out a squeaky scream. Fearfully she took a step back and stumbled again, this time over a root.
Once more, she fell to the ground, while Anna had made a decision. Deliberately careless, the Huntress stepped out of her hiding place and stopped several metres away. Nevertheless, it took the little girl a while to discover her.
Trembling, she froze in her attempt to get up and just stared at Anna, fear filling her eyes. The Huntress had decided not to approach her immediately so as not to scare her any more. She had to be careful, the girl should not try to run away from her. Therefor Anna just stood there, with her head tilted a little to the side and a friendly smile on her lips.
However, the little girl remained paralysed by fear, so after a while Anna squatted down, reducing her height. She knew it could seem threatening, especially to someone as small and vulnerable like this girl. She put her axe on the forest floor and raised her hand into a soothing wave. That seemed to give the girl some security, because she finally escaped the shock stiffness and managed to stand up completely, her weeping eyes still fixated on the Huntress.
"Do... do you want to hurt me?"
Anna shook her head violently. She did not want that at all.
"Can you... can you help me?" the girl asked and sniffed hard.
Anna nodded. The little one´s face brightened immediately, and hopeful smile conquered her lips. Relieved, Anna stretched out her hand to the girl, who now hesitantly approached her. After a moment, the girl's soft fingers touched the Huntress´s rough paw and she made big eyes.
"Whoa, you're not even made out of air."
Anna shook her head and asked, "What's your name?"
Apparently surprised that she could speak, the girl took step back again and stammered. "Ma... Marie"
"I Anna," the Huntress replied and stood up, which seemed to scare the little one again, because she took another step back. With a friendly smile Anna looked down at her and asked. "You lost?"
The girl nodded anxiously.
"Come, I'll show way out," Anna said, went over to her and effortlessly lifted the little girl into her arm. Then she picked up her axe from the ground before she started to make her way back. She knew she could not bring her into the town, so she would just take the girl to Sally. Sally would know what to do. After all, Sally always knew what to do.
Panting heavily Meg jogged the last few meters to the Coldwind Farm and jumped up the steps to the entrance door, where she finally stopped. She took two deep breaths and calmed her pulse before entering the house.
"Hello, I'm back," she announced her arrival.
"Excellent," someone answered from the kitchen. "Bring me the groceries, then we'll have lunch."
Meg walked over into the kitchen and handed Sally her backpack. The Nurse immediately put it on the worktop next to the fridge. She began sorting the food Meg hat bought onto various shelfs, before she grabbed a metal pot and placed it on the stove. In the meantime, Meg sat down at the table with Max, who was deeply focused on deciphering the words and phrases in Claudette's dinosaur book.
"Hi, Max," she greeted and glanced at the pages where she recognized the image of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"Meg hello," Max murmured, but continued to concentrate on the text in the book. The athlete quickly skimmed through the information in one of the text boxes and asked, "How are you doing?"
"Difficult," Max stammered, "Many words, long words."
"Tyrannosaurus," Meg mumbled and nodded, "There´s a lot of long names in there, but it's a good exercise for you and Anna. Keep at it."
Max nodded happily and chuckled, while Sally curiously fished something out of Meg's backpack. Unfolding the crumbled paper, she quickly flew over the lines on a flyer, that seemed to advertise a marathon.
"Hey, Meg," Sally said over her shoulder, "Are you planning to participate?"
Meg looked over at her in surprise and Sally held the flyer in the air.
"No," the athlete replied. "Some sporty looking girl put it in my hand before I could say anything. But I shouldn't draw attention to myself, or we´ll run the risk of being discovered."
The Nurse briefly looked at Meg, at the flyer and then at Meg again, before quickly checking the pot. Then she sat down at the table.
"Would you like to participate?"
Meg looked up and briefly glanced at the flyer in Sally's hand before answering, "I don't know. I haven't been to an event like this in a long time."
"I can see that you miss running."
Meg shrugged her shoulders. "A little. But I don't think that..."
"Then why don't you start running again?" Sally interrupted her. "This is a perfect opportunity. And seriously, the three of us are the last people you need to worry about."
"What if I meet someone and they decide to show up here?" Meg asked uncertainly. "If they find out about you in town, they'll come out here and lynch you, I'm sure of it."
"First," Sally lifted a finger, "As soon as they see Max, they´ll be legging it. Second," she lifted her next finger. "None of that´s not gonna happen just because you took part in a marathon."
"I thought it would be better not to take any risk."
"That's no risk," Sally replied. "Please, Meg, I see you've been longing for company ever since we got back from New York."
"I..."
"And I completely understand if. If you keep sitting here with us any longer, you'll miss half your life. Please, promise me you'll participate."
Sally held the flyer out to her, but Meg only looked at it. After a while she finally nodded and took the flyer in her hand. At the same time the front door opened, and Anna came stomping in, carrying something on her arm.
"Hello Anna, have you brought us something with you again...", Sally asked, but broke off in the middle of the sentence when the Huntress put a little girl on the floor who immediately hid behind her. Anna looked briefly at the little one before she turned to Sally.
"Oh my God, Anna, we talked about this," Sally called and stood up. "You were to leave the children alone. Please tell me you didn't hurt anyone."
"I didn't hurt," the killer replied, "Other kids haven't seen me."
"Why did you take her with you?"
"She lost in woods."
"You got lost in the woods?" Sally asked, addressing the little girl this time. She only nodded from behind Anna's knee and Sally knelt in front of her. Meanwhile, the Huntress asked, "I did wrong?"
"No," Meg answered over from the table, scratching her head. "But I think we´ve a problem now.
Sally now reached out to the child and asked. "What's your name, my dear?"
"Marie"
"Marie," the Nurse nodded, "I hope Anna didn't scare you too much."
The girl shook her head.
"Come on, you don't have to be afraid of us," Sally said gently and the little one slowly came out from behind Anna. Her gaze was fixed at Sally's orange eye until she spotted Max sitting at the table. Fearfully she stopped again.
"You don't have to be afraid," Sally repeated and stood up. "My name is Sally, that's Max. He may look angry, but he's a very sweet fellow. I promise."
Max tried to smile but failed miserably.
"And that's Meg," Sally continued, with the athlete behind her raising her hand to a greet. "You're from Weeks, right?"
The girl nodded.
"Well, Meg can get you back there," Sally said, "But first we´ll have lunch. Are you hungry?"
The girl hesitated a moment before nodding again.
"Then come and sit with us," Sally invited her, while Anna walked past her, leaned the axe against the wall and sat down at the table. Marie followed her hesitantly and was suddenly lifted into the Huntress´s lap. There she sat and stared at Max for a moment before she was approached by Meg.
"How old are you?"
"Ei... eight."
"I guess you´re already pretty good at reading then, right?"
Marie nodded and Meg said, "Anna and Max are practicing right now. They´re not bad as well but I´m sure you´re far better."
The girl seemed insecure and Meg pushed the dinosaur book over to her. "Here, try and help Max with these sentences."
Meanwhile Sally had returned to the stove and calculated the amount of rice she would need for four people. She herself would not eat anything, because just like sleep she only needed very little. For Meg she would add some vegetables, but Anna needed meat. Max was a true omnivore and would get a little bit of everything. In his case, however, a little bit meant a lot, as the Hillbilly ate for three men. Hopefully, he would leave something for Marie.
Sally tied an apron around her waist and then started frying schnitzel in a pan. Not too much, Anna liked her meat as raw and bloody as possible. But today Marie was here, maybe she should stick a little bit more to the norm, than usual. Sally shot a glance over her shoulder.
Marie and Meg were about to go through a sentence with Max and Sally was pleased to notice that the girl had almost lost all her shyness by now. She and Max burst out laughing in amusement when he repeatedly mispronounced a word.
A little time later, Sally was serving the food, while Meg took the dinosaur book and put it on a nearby shelf, right next to Nurse´s magazines. Since everyone had a ravenous appetite, the conversation died down until they had cleaned their plates empty. Then there was some more reading, until finally Sally looked at the clock and said, "What do you think, Marie, should Meg take you home now? We don't want your parents to worry about you."
The little girl nodded, so the athlete got up and put on her shoes. Meanwhile Marie said goodbye to Max and Anna, jumped from her chair and followed Meg to the door. The Huntress waved at her with a faint smile as she left the house, Meg following close behind her.
"Alright," she said. "Let´s take you home."
The day was nearing its end and the sun was close to touching the horizon as Meg and Marie finally reached Weeks. Chatting happily, they walked to the streets and the little girl could not seem to be stopped.
"So, you're new here?" Meg asked, and Marie nodded. "Mhm, we moved here a month ago. Me and my family."
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"I have a brother," Marie replied. "But he is much older than me and lives in a big city far away. My mother and he don't get along so well."
"Why is that?"
"My dad said he'd explain that to me later," Marie answered and balanced on the curb. "He also said he wasn't my real brother. Only half or something like that."
"I understand," Meg mumbled.
"Oh, can you explain it to me then? Because I didn´t understand it at all."
"I think that´s something your father should do," Meg replied, before changing the subject. "Did you know that I moved to Weeks only recently, too?"
"Really?"
"Yes, it was something like a year ago."
"But that´s not recently, silly," Marie said laughing. "That´s a long time."
"Maybe for you," Meg replied, feeling a smile on her lips. "Just wait till you're as old as I am, then you'll see how quickly time passes."
"How old are you anyway?" Marie asked, pulling Meg by the hand to the right.
"Twenty-two, in a few weeks' time," the athlete answered, and the little girl put her hands over her mouth in excitement. "That's not much longer! Can I come to your birthday party?"
"My birthday party? I don't think I'm going to have one."
"Why not?" Marie wanted to know, but Meg just shrugged her shoulders. "Don´t know. But let´s strike a deal, alright? If I´m making one, I´ll send you an invitation. Okay?"
"Okay," Marie nodded.
"Is it still far?" Meg asked and the little girl shook her head. "No, just around the corner. We don't have a big house, just a tiny flat. My dad says that's all he can afford. He doesn't make much money, I don't think. Not like you."
"What makes you think I earn a lot of money?"
"Because you have such a big house!"
"That's not really mine," Meg replied, "That's actually Max's. He got it from his family, and he's letting us live in it."
"So, Max makes a lot of money, then?"
"No," Meg said laughing, "His parents may have had a lot of money once, but the house is all that's left."
"That's a shame," Marie replied, before pointing to a run-down concrete building. "We're here."
Meg just needed a quick look to see that Marie's father really didn't have much money. As far as she knew, the building served as shelter for the lowest of workers employed in the fields by the rich landowners of Weeks. The rents were probably not too high, but with the condition the building was in, one could probably call any sum an exorbitant price. Suddenly Meg felt pity in her for Marie, who had to spend her innocent childhood in such a bleak and miserable environment. For a moment she just looked at the building. Then she turned around to Marie and knelt down.
"Okay, Marie, before I take you back to your parents, I need to ask something of you."
The girl looked at Meg.
"It's about Max, Anna and Sally," Meg explained. "As you´ve seen, they're really nice people. And just like you and me, all they wanna do is live a peaceful and undisturbed life. But they have a problem. You´ve seen it for yourself, they are not like everyone else and even though they are incredibly dear company, people might still be afraid of them. Do you understand me?"
Marie nodded.
"And when people are afraid, they might do bad things. Terrible things. So, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about them, okay? That's very important."
Marie nodded again and asked, "Not even my parents?"
"Not even your parents," Meg confirmed. "It has to be a secret between you and me. Not them, not your friends, not anyone."
"I don't have any friends," the girl said, with a sad expression suddenly covering face. Meg briefly raised her eyebrows before answering, "I'm sure you'll find friends among the village children soon."
"They don't like me," Marie murmured, looking up, "Can I come and visit you sometimes?"
"Marie, I... I don't think that would be a good idea."
Disappointed, she looked down again.
"Alright."
Meg paused for a moment and tried to ignore the knife piercing her heart. But it was better this way. Composing herself, she stood up again and opened the front door. First, she let Marie through before entering herself and followed the little one up the stairs.
On the second floor Marie stopped in front of a door and Meg raised her hand to knock on the dark wood two times. When she heard footsteps inside the apartment, she looked down at Marie and gave her a smile. But it was not returned. Then the apartment door opened, and Meg found herself facing a worried looking African American.
"Yes, how can I help you... Marie!"
The man immediately squatted and pulled his daughter into his arms.
"Where have you been? We already wanted to go looking for you."
"She got lost in the woods," Meg explained, and the man looked up at her. "She was in a state of complete panic. I gave her something to eat and then brought her back here."
The worker looked back down at his daughter and asked. "Weren't you out with the other children? I thought they knew the ways."
"Yeah, but they don't like me," the girl muttered, "They told me to go away."
Meg shook his head while the father took his daughter back into his arms, comforting her. Then he turned to the athlete and said, "Thank you."
"No problem."
"I'd love to give you something, but I'm afraid I don't have much myself."
"That's not necessary at all," Meg replied. "You have a wonderful daughter."
"I know," the man said, "Thank you again. I couldn't think of anything worse than something happening to her. By the way, my name is Leonard."
"Meg," the athlete answered and the two shook hands before Meg said goodbye and the man pulled his daughter into the apartment. Marie and Meg exchanged a last look over their shoulders before the door fell shut. With a dull rage in her stomach, the athlete turned around and made her way back to the farm.
"So?" Sally wanted to know, "Have we blown our cover?"
Meg took off her shoes first and sat down at the table before answering, "I don't think so. Marie promised me she wouldn't tell anybody. Besides, her family's not exactly popular in Weeks."
"How do you know?"
"Well, her father is one of the black field workers," Meg sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "And Marie didn't get lost in the woods on her own. She was left there by the other children."
"Really?" Sally asked, completely aghast. "That's terrible. Anna told me something similar earlier, but I didn't really believe her. The poor thing."
"Anyway, she won´t tell anyone, and even if she does, they´ll probably take it as just another childish, made-up story."
"Don't forget, you're not exactly popular among the townspeople either."
The athlete looked into her hands before she finally replied. "I know. But right now, there´s nothing we can do about it except wait and see."