Far beside the forest, a few people were busy cutting trees.
The harmony of birds chirping mixed with the rhythm of wood splitting under an ax, It was sounding beautiful, indeed.
Among the lumberjacks, a middle aged lady named Alena, swung her ax with an effortless precision, as droplets of her sweat fell onto the leaves.
The music from the radio hummed in the background, but to Alena's ears, it felt like noise - something really distant and quite meaningless.
She lifted the tool again. Her hands gripped the worn handle, the only thing binding her to this human world.
And brought it down with a crack, splitting the log cleanly.
Then, for a moment, Alena stood still and stared at the broken wood, imagining..... human bones instead.
Her trance broke when someone called her name.
She turned, spotting her co-worker, Georgia, approaching her with a broad grin. A grin that stretched wide enough to split her over-optimistic skull.
Sighing, Alena dropped the ax, grabbed the damn water-bottle, and advanced towards Georgia.
As soon as she got close, Georgia grabbed her hand, eyes sparkling with excitement. "He is finally going to come to my house!"
Alena blinked. "He? Who? NIKK?"
Georgia nodded so vigorously Alena thought her head might pop off. "Yes, Nik! Can you believe it?! We will roam around the city on his bike, and at the end….. He is gonna propose."
Alena lifted her eyebrows, "He told you that?"
Georgia's grin widened, "Nooo... but I've heard from his friend that he bought something special. It's got to be for the night. I am so excited, Alena I swear."
Alena's lips twitched into a smirk, "Congratulations. Finally, I get a break from your awful sex jokes."
Georgia punched her playfully. "Shut up. That's never stopping. I still want that shaved -"
Before she could finish, Alena clamped a hand over her mouth, "Stop."
Just for a second....she imagined squeezing harder, silencing her entirely.
She's so irritating, Alena thought.
Before the thought could linger further, The radio's music cut out, replaced by a crackling male voice, "Hello, natives of the 5th sector. I'm your Captain Kostas from troopers."
Georgia nudged Alena. "Isn't this the obsessive bum who's got it out for you?"
Alena shook her head, "Don't start."
Kostas continued his announcement through the radio, "There's a rogue and dangerous cult member on the loose. Everyone, For your safety, I request you all to stay in your respective homes. Do not open your doors for any strangers and report any suspicious behavior immediately. The troopers are always with you. Thank you."
Georgia groaned, lighting a cigarette. "His voice always sounds so intimidating and creepy. What's his deal with you anyway? Every time he's near you, it's like he's trying to crush you."
Alena sighed, "I don't know and I don't care. Don't align me with this guy. I am happy with my little family."
"Uh-huh." Georgia blew a puff in the air, "Anyway, you wanna sit and chat? I was just about to give you all the juicy details about Nik."
Alena looked at Georgia, "Didn't you hear what Kostas said? We need to get to our homes. And I've got some real important work to do, Georgia."
"Your police stalker isn't gonna mind if we sit for ten minutes."
"Girl, what the-," Alena snapped, stopping herself before the words came out harsher than intended. She inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself.
"Look, I just need to get back. My daughter's waiting for me."
Georgia sighed dramatically, blowing more smoke. "You're always so serious. Kalli can handle herself."
"It's not…," Alena picked her bag up, "Kalli and Lys are at a school picnic. They'll be back tonight. It's actually Kate who is waiting for me back in my house. So i gotta hurry."
Georgia raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, I heard you adopted your late sister's kids. Two of them, right?"
Alena nodded. "Yeah. Lys and Kate. Their parents were killed in that recent school shootout."
Georgia's face softened for a moment. "Damn. That's tough. How are they holding up?"
"Kate's eight," Alena replied. "And Lys is older - seventeen. And Kate has paraplegia."
Georgia frowned, "Wait, what? From the incident or…?"
Alena : "No, she's been like this since birth. She just can't walk, So, I am doing my best to take care of her."
Georgia took another drag from her cigarette. "What about Kalli? Your biological daughter? Hahaha."
Alena took a deep breath. "She's going through… a phase. Drinking. Smoking, Acting out. I don't know what's gotten to her. She's been like this since I told her she couldn't aim for the army. She's just sixteen. It's getting worse each day. I've tried disciplining her in... many ways, but nothing's working."
Georgia shrugged, "Go easy on her, girl. That's normal for girls her age."
Alena's grip tightened around her water bottle. "Not for her. I don't want her going down that path. I'm trying to keep her from… falling. Because I've been to those places at my age, it never ends well."
Georgia laughed softly. "Well She's not you, Alena. She never experienced your experiences. Let that girl breathe. She will get there eventually. You are too obsessed with this whole 'gotta be different than my mom' thingy. Chill out girl."
Alena's vision blurred for a second. The bottle in her hand felt heavier. Georgia kept talking, but Alena wasn't hearing it. She imagined taking the cigarette from Georgia's lips and shoving it into her mouth. Just silencing her…. Right there.
The urge was simmering, but she swallowed it down. Again.
"Yeah just leave it. You won't know.... I'm just doing what I have to do," She said firmly. "You don't know what it's like to be me. Just focus on fucking..... Nik."
She turned on her shoes, starting to walk away, "Take care."
Georgia's laughter followed her. "Okay i will fill you in with all the details tomorrow. Also, If you need any help, just ask!!! I am always here --- your bestfriend, right?"
"You fucking wish," Alena muttered under her breath.
But as Georgia's laughter faded, so did the brief moment of levity, leaving Alena alone with the weight of her thoughts.
She adjusted the strap of her bag and started down the familiar path home.
Humming that same tune from the radio.... she hoped it might quiet the unease that clung to her.
But no matter how much she tried, the anxiety just wouldn't shake off. It weighed on her like an itch she couldn't scratch.
As she passed by a house, a voice rang out from behind her, bringing her back to reality,
"Alena!"
She turned to see a Trooper's jeep parked by the house. Some Troopers was standing outside, speaking with the homeowners. Their demeanor was gentle, their voices calm as they reassured the family about safety measures.
Alena noticed Kamala kneeling to talk to a child, handing over a small badge as a keepsake. The sight struck her as unexpectedly beautiful.
This is really surreal, Alena thought, So different from their captain. They aren't that bad actually.
But then, the man who had called her name earlier, broke away from the group, striding towards her with a smile.
As he got closer, Alena recognized him. It's Freddie.
She sighed inwardly, "Yeah spoke too soon, some still suck just as much as their captain."