Chapter 14

She's gone! 'Uhhh…." Roxanne stirred as she opened her eyes slowly. She felt lightheaded, and a loud ringing seemed to disturb her whenever she tried to open her eyes. 'She's finally awake uhn?" 'Should we tell him?" 'No, not yet!" 'But… We have to…" 'Jeez, she's just regaining consciousness, shouldn't you at least be more considerate?" 'O-Oh, my bad…" Roxanne heard this strange exchange as she remained in her lying position, not knowing what to make of the sounds she heard. They were unfamiliar, yet Roxanne didn't feel at all bothered to hear them speak. In a way, it felt soothing as the ringing in her ear slowly declined and she was finally able to open her eyes slowly. 'Where… Where am I?" Roxanne questioned as she looked around the dark looking area. She noticed where she slept on a bed, but it wasn't a familiar one. Everywhere around her looked rocky and dark, with only little shimmers of glowing rocks and insects to serve as a source of illumination for her. 'You've finally opened up your eyes… Can you hear me?" A soothing, feminine voice called out to her. Suddenly, she felt a warm feeling on her hand as she felt the skin of another rub on hers. She turned her face from the unfamiliar terrain and glowing rocks and looked beside her to find… A person? 'Seems like you can" The young looking woman said with a smile. The mere sight of this lady and the sound of her voice shook Roxanne as she roused herself from her lying position immediately. 'W-Where… Where am I…?!" Roxanne said with a sense of urgency but winced at the sharp pain that accompanied her sudden movement. 'Calm down. It's okay… It's fine. You're safe" The young lady who seemed to be the oldest among the three said, though she didn't seem much older than her. 'I'm… Safe?!" Roxanne muttered. Suddenly, the memories of her earlier mishap with the strange creature which chased her appeared in her mind. Cold sweat formed on her skin as she recollected the crimson eyes of the beast and it's dark colour. 'N-No… Last I remember I was… Where am I?" Roxanne shouted in a scared and frantic tone. Her body trembled as she recollected the incident once again. She should have died. Even if the beast lost interest in her, the cold alone would have killed her within an hour. So why was she here? Who were these people?" 'Relax, it's fine now. I understand that you must be very confused, but right now you need rest. Everything else comes after. You don't need to be frightened… You're safe now" The woman covered Roxanne's hands with hers as she smiled gently. 'Just rest for now, okay? When you wake up… I'll answer all your questions' ' She added. Roxanne didn't know why, but something about this woman, her voice, her gentle touch and her warm smile… They made her feel so comfortable and her restlessness seemed to fade away. She nodded slightly, her tensed muscles relaxed and her head slowly began to feel dizzy. She was falling unconscious again, but this time she didn't fear. She felt assured, she felt safe… She fell asleep with those feelings. 'Impressive as always Lady Rita" One of the two younger looking ladies said. 'Jeez, I also want to learn how to do that. Won't you teach me Lady Rita?" The other one said. 'As I have said a million times already, you're not old enough. Besides, it's not my role to teach you girls." The young woman called Rita said with a smile. 'B-But…" They protested. 'Shhh. Our guest is sleeping. Let's take this outside, shall we?" Rita said, leaving the rocky area as she gestured to the other two to do the same. They followed her lead and left the place, leaving only Roxanne behind to sleep in peace and quiet, oblivious of what was happening or what was to come. Linda's eyes widened as she saw the state of her house. Glass shattered on the snowy ground, furniture and house decorations all scattered about. She had gotten an eerie vibe even before she reached the entrance and when she was outside, she already caught a foreign scent which made her feel more on edge. Now inside her home, she observed the disastrous state of the place. 'Roxanne! Are you there?!"She called out. No response came. Of course she expected that. It was pointless to call for her after seeing the devastation that occurred, but she still did so out of reflex. 'Something was here…" Linda muttered as she smelled the air in the small space. Suddenly, her eyes darted to her right and focused on the wall. That was where she saw them. Claw Marks! 'Of course… So they've come for her. But why? Why now? Who would do this?" Linda's thoughts overlapped. However, that wasn't the most important thing to do at the moment. First of all, she had to inform Melissa. ' 'Hello Melissa, it's about Roxanne. She's gone!" Linda said as she came out of her house in a hurry. 'What? What the hell is that girl thinking?!" Melissa said with an angered tone. 'That's not it Melissa! She didn't leave on her own… They've come for her!" Linda said urgently, without mincing words. 'W-What? But we entered into a non aggression pact, so why?" Melissa's voice came through, with disbelief and anxiety clear from her tone. 'Hell if I know!" Linda said. 'B-But are you sure mom?" Melissa asked with a little doubt. 'I saw Claw Marks, Melissa. I'm sure. Besides, my nose hasn't stopped working even in old age. This scent in the air, it's definitely not just Roxanne's. There was another one here, a man… ' 'Besides, what else do you think could have done this if not them?" Linda added. 'O-Okay. So what can I do?" Melissa said, calming herself. 'I can still flow the trace since not much time has passed, so let's meet up at the Oregon Woods Rockwood border. We'll go in from there." Linda said. 'H-Hold on… Rockwood? Isn't that the pack of the current Wolf King? Are we about to pick a fight with the most powerful werewolf in the region?" 'They picked a fight first. Besides, from the scent I'm picking the source is definitely a Rockwood." 'I-I understand. I'll be leaving now. See you soon, be careful" Melissa said. 'Who do you think you're speaking to? You too!" Linda said with a wry smile before cutting off the call. 'Just hand on tight Roxanne. We're coming for you!" Linda said with her eyes glowing blue. She gritted her teeth and steadied herself. Suddenly, she took to her feet and dashed away from her house with inhuman speed, cutting across the trees and dried bushes as she went toward her destination.