Alice
"Werewolf? Like those in the movies?"
I asked him with an extremely exaggerated voice. And it seemed Harvey found it funny.
"Yeah, exactly like those in the movies. Unless we're not a rival to some vampire gang, Alice."
My breath became ragged. I was in trouble by entering this wolf's den. But I tried so hard to keep myself calm. It wasn't a useful thing to be a scaredy cat right now. I needed to get as much information while Harvey still acted nice to me.
"And how did you know my Mom? I am pretty sure she is a human and not your kind!"
Harvey laughed. Oh, that sweet and gentle laugh. But I got goosebumps because my kind kept making scenarios as if the man in front of me was a human trafficker.
"You'll gonna be surprised when you hear it, Alice."
Okay, that was weird. What secrets about Mom that I didn't know about? I arched my brows and signaled him to talk more.
"Edith was a gamma in our pack. Same like Jeff and those four people at her funeral." He explained calmly.
Gamma? Another strange term again? I might explode if I heard those words again.
'What? What is that gamma thing? She wasn't a werewolf, was she?"
Surprisingly, he nodded. Mom was a werewolf. But I am pretty sure I am a hundred percent human. How could a human like me have a werewolf, Mom, then?
"B-but, I'm a human! There is no way my Mom is a werewolf! You better not try to mess up my mind, creep!"
Harvey inched closer to me. He tried to hold me tight but I tossed his hand away.
"Tell me everything, Harvey! Please!" I was practically begging him. Everything was so confusing and I couldn't choose which one I should be believing.
He hesitated for a bit and glanced at the window. After a while, he sighed and looked at me.
"It's because you're adopted, Alice."
Liar! No matter how hard he tried to sound sincere, I could still sense lie after lie underneath his words. Something that I couldn't grasp about. Something that Harvey decided to bury deeply without anyone knowing. And something about me.
Or at least to me.
And I didn't know what was that something. My mind kept pushing me to find out every layer of mysteries about my life. But I knew it better. If I kept pushing him to the edge, it wouldn't be impossible for him to knock me out again.
He is a monster. No, everybody in here is a monster. And I couldn't help myself to be calmer at all. A sudden surge of panic engulfed me whole. My mind went blank, then dizzy, and then everything turned black.
Damn, my weak heart had decided that it was good to pass out in front of this monster.
"Alice! Wake up! What's wrong?"
I could barely hear his voice in my consciousness which slowly faded away. And suddenly everything went black.
***
I woke up from my faint. It was dark. Everywhere was dark and I saw the moon shining so brightly on the window. How long had I been passed out? Was it a whole day? A week? Or even a month?
No, please you shouldn't be running wild right now, stupid head.
I looked around the room - still the same room as I was before. And I tried to focus my sight on the wall.
It was 3 AM.
Witch hours, I see. What a nice time to wake up, right?
But I felt something off. This house was so quiet. An eerie silence that stabbed me right through the heart. And I wondered why.
Of course, because people were already sleeping, you moron.
Then it was a good thing I had woken up this late. I could sneak out safely because everybody was probably deep in their sleep right now.
Time to go, Alice. Safe your ass before you get knocked out or even become their prey!
They are a bunch of monsters that have no emotion. Staying here wouldn't bring any good things for humans like me. Ignoring a perfect opportunity to escape was a poor choice.
I quickly jumped from the bed and sneaked around to find my bag. But I found none. He didn't bring any of my stuff to this house.
Worthless trash, he probably thought.
Then it would be so much better because I didn't need to carry anything in my run. I dashed to the door, unlocked it, and peeked into the hallway carefully.
The house was indeed empty. And it was my first time seeing this part of this house other than the room I was staying in. It was indeed huge. And luxurious. And beautiful. And every glamorous term could be associated with a thing.
In short, a grandiose castle.
But I didn't care about any of those things. It is better to live freely in my old dusty house rather than live a lavish life between those monsters. I prefer my safety better than any other thing.
After I was certain that everything was indeed safe, I sneaked from that room and strode carefully along the corridor. A deep red carpet covered the wooden floor.
Nice, Harvey. What an elegant choice of interior you had.
I glanced around and tried to find the stairway that would lead me outside. For a whole minute, I couldn't find anything in the dim light. But I finally saw the thing I was looking for.
A majestic looking staircase with dark wooden railing and the same deep red carpet on its steps. At a glance, this house oozed the old money vibes that I usually saw in the movie.
I marched my way down the stairs and directly to the front door. My hand reached out the knob and tried to open it.
It was locked.
I tried it once more. Still locked.
I groaned desperately.
Think fast, Alice! Don't waste your time here and keep moving. Or else that monster will catch you!
Yeah, she was right! My gut always gave me the best advice one could have. I should have believed her like every other time I did. I was thinking so hard to find any other escape. I felt every gear in my brain worked and an imaginative creaking sound could be heard on my ear.
That's why you should keep using your brain, kids! Don't let your mind be a dull machine that would only lead you to another trouble.
Every door was locked. Front door, back door, and even those tiny dog doors. After spending approximately ten minutes to find another way out, a light bulb lit up inside my head. I got an idea. A risky one but I thought it was better than none.
I swiftly moved upstairs once again and headed back to that room. I had spent pretty much time in here and I could practically figure out how to break the window open.
Yeah, jumping out from the second floor sounded like a great idea compared to being detained in this creepy monstrous house. My first try to unlock the window was successful! It swung open and the cold night air slapped my face without any hesitation.
Shit, was it winter now? Why the air felt so cold?
I looked at the ground that was probably forty feet below. It was a lot higher than I thought. And my acrophobia decided it was a good time to act up.
My heart was racing, my feet were trembling, and I was shaken in fear. I inhaled a lot of deep breaths. A dozen times perhaps. But my anxiety didn't subside at all.
Calm, Alice. It's time to choose your fate. Jumping to below with a few broken bones, or becoming their feast in a few days.
I closed my eyes, calling my Mom to be a pair of wings to help me. And just like that, an unknown force seemed to take over me. A sudden courage gave me a strong boost to make up my mind. I climbed to the railing and with one deep breath I decided to jump while closing my eyes.
A soft thud was heard.
I opened my eyes and blinked it few times. The ground was surprisingly soft. I glanced around and realized it was a thick layer of grass covering the yard. Something I should be grateful for because if Harvey decided to use a concrete floor instead, then I would be for sure having few fractures. A bothersome problem for a running away.
Well, hello freedom! I'm coming to you.