Aileen counted down the days left for her graduation as she walked home. People around her mingled, wolves and humans alike. She watched a young wolf playing catch with a human boy; she noticed his eyes turn a light shade of green and he quickly closed them shut, hiding them. Hiding himself. If people knew who was walking among them, it would bring chaos, she thought. Aileen turned a corner, her eyes staring down at the small rock she was kicking, her bag slung on her shoulder, her hair tied up in a ponytail. The weather had disappeared; the sun had come out; it was miserable again. She kicked the stone with all her power and someone yelled from behind the bush. Aileen covered her mouth and hid behind the wall. Counting to 30, she peeked from the wall and viewed the clear coast. Without wasting another minute, Aileen ran to her house.
Her mother was a skinny woman, in her 40s. Despite her age, her hair had turned gray last year, when she worked two jobs and had to come late. Aileen knew her mother won't be home. She had the house to herself. Turning on the tv, she went to the kitchen to look for food and found a note on the fridge. 'Sandwich in the microwave, will be back by 6pm' nodding she took out the beef and cheese sandwich and sat on the sofa, reading the headline. "Michael Lane, 26, missing since last week. There are no evidences where he would have gone, but he was last seen at the Rayborn Valley. Authorities are searching for him, and - "Aileen switched the channel to HBO and was lost in thought. Rayborn Valley. She took a bite of the sandwich. It is where the Spirit Bones live. Was he a wolf? Was it truly an accident? If he were a wolf, the media won't have mentioned him. Her conscious answered.
Spirit bones. Her mind showed all the fantasies she had conjured about them since she was 12. They were the hunter wolfs, the strongest of all the packs. They were the reason humans and wolf live in peace, or else they would take the land over by were beasts and they would be carcasses. It was her dream to join the Spirit bones; they had an audition every year for 21-year-old wolfs. If they think of you as worthy, you would have only passed the first trial. Aileen had a plan to take part. She just wanted to make sure her mother should not be around when she was auditioning. She knew it was a betrayal to her, knowing she despised the idea of her joining the Spirit bones, especially when they took away her brother and brought his dead body. Aileen knew her brother had died heroically. A female spiriter mentioned he had killed off 5 were beasts when he died. Her mother had screamed at them, while Aileen had wept quietly.
The phone rang, bringing her back to earth. She stretched her hand across the sofa and picked up the receiver. "Hello, Aileen speaking." She said. The person breathed in the receiver. "Who is it?" she asked. No one replied from the other side. Must be a prank call. She thought and said nothing. She ended the call. Her mother had listed down the chores for her and spent the afternoon washing the dishes, doing laundry, and cleaning her room. In the living room, the phone rang again, "I will scream at them now." She said, annoyed at the prank callers.
Aileen picked up the receiver and before the other person could say anything, Aileen yelled, "I KNOW YOUR VOICE, I WILL TRACK YOU AND GIVE YOU TO THE POLICE." She stopped to catch her breath. "Aileen cross?" a female spoke from the other side. Oh shit, Aileen thought, "yes." She cleared her throat, "This is the administrative office calling regarding your application for the 50th recruitment of Spirit Bones." Oh my god, this was all she could scream in her head. "Yes," the voice went on, "We have reviewed your application and selected you for the audition. It will take place tomorrow at 9 am. Late comers will not be entertained." "Thank you." Aileen let out her breath. She didn't realize she was holding. "OH MY GOD." she said out loud. She had passed the pre-trail. It was the best news she had received in over a year. "I have to make sure, mom dosen't find out." She said and did a victory dance in the living room.