Chapter 2
Unknown Perspective
Here, I lay In a patch of green. A lake, inches from my paw pads. And all I can think about, is why I'm here. Who am I, really? Am I important? Useful? Perhaps, but to whom? To what? I often ask myself these questions, for a reason unknown. Suddenly, I'm brought out of my thoughts.
"Willow!" I hear in the distance. I turn my head to meet a familiar gaze.
"Hey Chris." I replied, getting up to meet him. Chris is a friend of mine, he's new to his Alpha duties and likes the authority it supposedly gives him.
"What're you doin' out here by yourself?" he asks with a suspicious grin.
"Just enjoying the sunshine, alone with my thoughts." I said petitely, pointing to the blinding sunlight.
"Hm. You seem to enjoy that, considering you're probably the most anti-social social person in the pack." He responds with a smile.
I scoffed, holding my chest.
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" I said with a chuckle.
Chris smiles and started to slowly walk away.
"C'mon, let's take a walk. I'll explain during the road trip."
"Hey!" I yelled, running to catch up to him. "We're not that far out here!"
"Pfft! It's like 10 miles to the feeding grounds from here!" He said sarcastically.
I looked ahead of us and pointed.
"I can see it from here. We're like 100 feet from it." I replied.
He only smiled. Chris isn't a bad guy, he just has a hard time fitting in with other Alphas, maybe because of the Omega lifestyle he's used to.
Now, I on the other hand, am kind of an odd case. My parents were entirely different wolves, with totally different backgrounds, ethnicities, even different languages at first. Unfortunately, I lost them before I even knew what they looked like but my fur is a bright white with a baby blue-ish underbelly, tail and ear tips, and my eyes. Not to toot my own horn, but a lot of the males in our pack have tried to 'get with me', but the way I am just doesn't fit with that kind of lifestyle. Anyways, as far as I know I'm an only child. The closest thing I'd call family would be my reflection in the water. That may seem sad, but since It's all I've ever really known, it's not so bad for me. With that being said, Chris keeps trying to get me to socialize with the pack, but It's just not my thing anymore. It's not that they aren't nice to be around, but I'm just not the extrovert type.
"To answer your question, firstly when we actually see you in the pack, you interact. You communicate, you play with the pups, but it's never more than small talk. You keep to yourself, and when you disappear, we don't see you until sundown most days." Chris explains. It makes sense, but it doesn't change anything. I have no problem listening to others communicate their feelings, but not my own.
"Well.." I started. I didn't really know how to respond. He's not wrong.
"Exactly." He finished with a smile.
We continued toward the feeding grounds where dinner would be served. In our pack, we all eat together. No 'Alphas eat before Omegas' law here.
The others already started their meals, and the younger pups all wreaked havoc on their own caribou. Chris approached his dinner and began to eat. I looked over at the pack leader, Sebastian, who saw me and simply nodded.
"Thank you" I mouthed, and started walking back to the lake. Sebastian knows that I don't really enjoy eating in a group, and allows me to go out and find my own meal. He is well aware of my Omega status, but in the past, I proved to him that I was capable of hunting and seamlessly taking down a full-grown caribou. After that, he granted me permission to hunt on my own. Besides, hunting helps me focus. Less on my mind, less bothering me at night.
Dusk. 3 Hours since Humphrey Lost Consciousness.
The fiery sunshine slowly slides behind the iced mountain tips, casting its rays along the tall grass, in which a young Omega stalks her prey. This prey is a 350 pound caribou, grazing alone; foolishly. The young wolf slowly works her way closer and closer to her target, silencing her breath, and softening her step. She steps on a small twig, purposefully. The caribou snaps it's gaze in the direction of the noise. This is her moment to make the kill. She was about to snap her jaws around the animal's jugular when suddenly, a train horn is heard in the distance, spooking the caribou. Immediately, it bolts in the opposite direction.
Willow sighs, and stands up; disappointed in herself.
"Damn that train…" She whispers, swiping the grass in front of her.
She takes a moment to collect herself, closing her eyes; taking a deep breath. Now, she must find new prey.
Willow's Perspective.
I had a thought; more of a curiosity. I have never seen the train. Chris called it the 'Canadian Express', but I have no recollection of what it looks like. My only reality of it is the distant horn blaring in the distance.
I decided to check it out, so I headed toward where I usually hear the noise. We're not really supposed to go this far from the pack, let alone at night but.. I mean it's not like anybody's going to stop me.
I jumped over the small river separating the pack from the rest of the forest, and kept walking. It's getting darker, not pitch darkness yet, but it's getting there. Eventually, I heard the horn again, but much louder this time.
Eventually, I came across a long clearing, with tracks stretching the entire length. It also appears to have gravel all around the area. Strange.
I approached the tracks to investigate. Quickly, they began to vibrate, and the surrounding gravel began to shake and rumble. I eventually heard the train veer around the corner with a bright light. It's sheer volume frightened me, so I moved all the way to the edge of the clearing to watch it go by.
I sat down to view the event unfold. The train wasn't moving too fast, maybe as fast as a spooked caribou. The front of it went by, and after that I just saw a bunch of empty train cars, seemingly open on both sides. The wind rustled my fur, satisfying my curiosity.
I had seen enough, and I was about to turn away until I saw what looked like blood stains all over one of the train cars. I slowly walked toward the train to get a closer look, and what I saw horrified me.
Inside the train car on the floor, was what looked like… a dead wolf. I stared in disbelief as it whizzed by. I simply stood there in awe, processing what I just saw.
It took me a moment, but instantly I snapped into a sprint to catch up with the train car. As I slowly progress back toward the train car, I couldn't help but feel like an Alpha.
Quickly though, the bloody train car neared. I am soon close enough to see in, and the image in front of me haunts my mind. In a risky attempt to get inside, I leapt up, onto the side of the car, barely gripping the inside with my claws. The bloody mess makes it really hard to hold onto anything, but my claws eventually drag me into the train car.
I heave in air, trying to catch my breath after practically doing what only an Alpha does. I touch the wolf, feeling a cold body. My heart rate skyrockets as I near the wolf's face. I touch his cheek, feeling only a slight warmth. It appears that this wolf is a male, and based on the warmth, hopefully that meant he is not dead. I place my face near his nose to hopefully feel him breathing.
After a few seconds, I feel a very weak breeze on my cheek and my heart leapt into my throat as I realized this person is still alive!
I look over his body and see only matted fur. I cannot locate the source of the bleeding. In an attempt to find it, I roll him over with difficulty, getting myself bloody in the process.
He flops over, and immediately I see more blood seeping out of his body. My face flushes, and I sporadically search the train car for anything I could use to stop this bleeding. There was a box in the corner, unlabelled. I rip it open and in it I saw what looked like cloth inside plastic bags. I rip one of them open and pick it up with my teeth.
I brought the cloth over to the wolf's unconscious body and started to wrap him as best as I could, bringing more and more to snugly stop the bleeding. From him, nothing. Not a flinch, not a sound, not even a wince. Seemingly though, my efforts have stopped the bleeding.
Instantly after my assessment, I realize I'm still on the train. I look outside, unable to recognize any of the surrounding area.
I look back to the wolf, then to the ripped box of cloth. I quickly grab the box with my teeth and throw it outside the train.
Then, I look back to the wolf and try to think of a way to safely get him off of the train. If I don't do this properly, he could die.
I rolled him onto his back, and attempted to roll him onto myself. He doesn't weigh too much, and I was able to jump off of the train with him on me. The train wasn't moving too fast, and I was able to land without tumbling. I looked back at the train as it rolled away into the darkness.
"What have I gotten myself into.." I asked myself. This was going to be a rough night.
