Memories Bleeding Through

[Mina Silbetier]

There are always memories. No matter how many times one can pass through a place, if something traumatic had happened there, that person would never forget the memory. How many times had she came back to Ángeles Caídosse City? How many times had she walked the streets where she had spent most of her life? How many times did she have to see the place where the orphanage burned down? How many times did she have to see her old home, the warehouse where her brother had been shot to death by a hunter?

Mina Silbetier had been to this city countless times after moving away, yet, she continued to come. From time to time, the elderly couple who she lived with would have business in the city, and she would come here for them. Sometimes, however, her brother’s resting place cried out her name, and she would swiftly run to see where her brother’s body laid.

The wolf knew the streets well still. She knew all the scents, all the touches, all of the tastes. Everything from her life before was still playing in her mind vividly as if they continued to play before her eyes on repeat. She knew the alleyways to take to get to the old warehouse. She knew which ways to take to avoid any hunters.

Night had fallen over the corrupted city, and darkness swept through the streets in a fury of its own. Many went in for the night to stay away from crooked officers and shady characters. The smell of filth clung to every building and every street. Home. Sweet home.

Mina stood in front of the warehouse, now. The building was two stories of rusted metal. The petite woman took in a breath as old memories came to her. Old memories of blood staining the floor, of howls and screams that shattered the night. All was silent here, though. Not even a rat scurried across the ground.

A sigh fell from Mina’s lips as a cool breeze ruffled her short black dress and blew her silver hair upward. Her eyes closed, and a solitude was found within herself as memories of Alric filled her head.

[Sythe]

It was dark. Darker then normal. But people still crowded around garbage cans set ablaze to warmth them for the night. But mostly they just kept quiet to sleep near the fire; others tried to sleep into their houses. But still, every one just seemed caged. Soft footsteps padded through out the night. Maybe once it was nice; maybe once there wasn’t so much decay.Maybe if there had not been so much greed. It would have never gotten this bad. Maybe, she didn’t know when the city had been like this. Before the nobles?

The streets had been lonely, it would seem that the nobles were only leeches. Sucking out the life of everyone, the earth, the sky didn’t even shine as bright as it said in fables. She had never seen the sky that bright. Well when she had been in captivity she had. The large wolf paused, and it’s ears seemed to cling to it’s head, as it’s tail dragged along the ground. The noise had been coming from this dog. That the people in the street seemed to hardly notice. A person or two would glance up, but most people just gave up, and would think it was a hallucination and just assume it was nothing, ignore the dog and look down.

The dog had been black, and its fur was more like a mane that spread down it’s back. It would appear it’s fur would be on end at all time. The dog had been narrowed, a slender bodice, as it padded through the streets. Eyes looked up and seemed to narrow on it. All the muscles of the dog had been in it’s legs, as if it didn’t know what rest was, as if it was always on it’s feet. It’s claws had been out, but it padded against the ground. It stopped turning to the people, it’s ears perking up along with it’s ears opening. It had been a blue color. The dog then turned around, and ran towards an alley way.

It paused, then skidded to a stop at the base of a decaying building. The dog’s nose twitched and it looked up. Another one?

[Mina Silbetier]

There was no going back. She had journeyed all the way out here to see where she had buried her brother. The time from the last visit had been much too long, and again her brother seemed to be crying out to her from his grave. He wanted her to be near to him again. So, into the warehouse she went, taking long careful strides.

Mina had taken Alric to the basement of the building. She had no other choice, really. There was no cemetery she could afford, and to take him anywhere would have only made things worse. They would have found out what he was. They would have discovered wolves among them. Instead of taking the chance, Mina buried her little brother beneath the building that had lived in for so long.

Down the rusty stairs she went. With each step came a loud creak regardless of how softly her foot fell on the stair. Her memories attack her mind once more. She remembered carrying her brother’s lifeless body down those stairs. She remembered the tears she shed, and she remembered how hot his blood had been against her skin.

She paused on the steps. Her hand gripped the railing tightly. “Alric,” she whispered softly, her body giving a tremble as the grief pressed hard against her.

[Sythe]

The dark dog, saw the woman leave. Then it gave one small jump, and it landed in the window. The shatter of the window breaking, echoed through the walls. It was really loud and would startle her if she didn’t expect it. The wolf stood there and it stared around the darkness, it’s eyes shining brightly as it paused, staring around. It had been dark over all in the abandoned ware house. Her nose twitched. She smelled the wolf, it was very strong considering it didn’t have much scents in this ware house, next to dirt and decay oh and rust. The dogs nose twitched, and it looked down.

Staring down at the broken shard the wolf stared down, with it’s glowing blue eyes. It shook it’s fur and in a flash a girl stood there, crouching down low. Blue make up smudged over her eyes, as she wore something akin to a black trench coat and black jeans. The girl stood up, pushing a few bangs out of her face. She jumped up on the railing, rusting and she walked slowly. Her nose twitched and her head turned to the ground. The girl turned and jumped down, landing easily.

When she landed she made not a sound. Even through the stench of this building, she could still smell the nobles on her. She hated that smell. She walked slowly towards the other wolves scent. This would be the first time she saw a wolf, besides when she looked in her reflection. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was pretty excited. She didn’t even see wolves in captivity, when the nobles had gotten her, the last time she saw wolves...she was a puppy and they had taken her away from her dying litter.

She had walked slowly towards the door to the basement. She paused, and looked back, her imprints were paw prints. She turned around and brushed off the trail, of the dirt. Continueing to walk down the steps, repeating the process, so it was if she was never there. When she got to the basement, she turned and saw the basement was large, her nose twitched and she turned. There the scent was. A woman, leaning over the railing, to a humans eyes. But she knew, the woman was like her. The woman was a wolf.

She stared up, and what the woman saw now was not a woman, but a wolf, dark with light blue patterning on it’s face. The wolf’s tail swayed, not knowing what to think of this situation.

[Mina Silbetier]

Her mind seemed lost as she slowly reached the bottom of the stairs. Her paranoia even dulled greatly. Her brother was all she could think about. If she could have one wish, it would be to see him alive once more. To see his face light up full of joy. To feel him hug her once more. Those were the days she missed.

Mina had heard someone enter the warehouse, and for the first time in her life she ignored the presence. She only cared about kneeling before her brother’s grave. Her memories were more important than someone following her into the basement of this warehouse. Would she regret thinking that way? Perhaps, but at the moment, no care came to her.

The wolf stepped down onto the basement floor, and her feet guided her to where her brother had been buried. There was no trace of the grave. Her nose was what led her to the exact spot, that and her memories. Those vivid memories would not leave her alone in this city. She could never forget what happened.

Mina knelt down upon the floor, and her hand gently moved over the dusty dirt floor. How many years had passed since she had dug her brother’s grave? So many, yet it seemed as if it had just happened yesterday.

“Oh, Alric.”