The snow spiraled down, forever caressing the naked branches of the few trees that remained standing. Over the horizon the white blanket stretched on, without an end or a beginning. Moaning dreadfully, the wind sent an artic blast around the already cold surroundings. Very few ventured out to the white paradise, where nights were long and days short, but both equally cold. A hare ran into the snow , leaving bloody prints in the pristine white. Then the silence stopped. A blast from a gun took the animal from behind . The tiny body jumped up, a squeak escaped it’s mouth, and just as quickly fell to the ground. The paw twitched a bit before his eyes closed and the body stopped moving.
From the cover of the naked trees a girl came. Her hair was short and curly, covered by a white hood. She wore a white parka and in her hands a rifle rested softly, almost belying the fact of having assassinated an animal. She bent over and picked the hare by the ears. She slung it over her shoulder and with a whistle called forth her companion. The wolf came quietly from the other side. His massive body was black, only for his left paw were white was dominant. He stopped in front of her and with a short decisive bark, took the animal from her hands. She let him have it since she was not really hungry, having eaten a few hours earlier. She smiled towards the wolf as he ravaged the body of the hare and silently she began to walk away.
It had been a while since their partnership had begun. Almost three years. She had killed his mother when she stole her week’s provisions and then following her tracks she had found the den. Five puppies met her and she unable to kill them or leave them to their fate ,took them with her.
Myra was the tiniest one of them, but she was the feistiest of the five of them. She always fought with the other four over anything whether it be food or the girl’s attention. With a white fur and black ears, Myra seemed comical and the girl always let her have her way. Next came Dreamer, with his grey fur, who peacefully gave in to anyone and the girl loved to be with him more, because he would let her scratch him behind the ears but would not play roughly with her. Luna was the motherly figure in the pack, leading the other four plus their guardian out of scrapes that the pups would get into. Of the five only one was playful, China loved to play. She would play with her siblings, with flowers, with ducks, butterflies, with her reflection in the rain puddles. There was nothing she would not play with. She like Luna was completely white sometimes making them both difficult to recognize .And then there was Shadow, he would glide silently out of places demanding his share of attention from the girl. He was far from social and when he became angry at Myra’s growls he would bite her terribly but not enough to draw blood. He was the hunter of the pack and resented when the girl went off to hunt with her rifle. After a while without the girl noticing he became the alpha male. Anything the girl hunted came to him first and she not minding since she could have her own food anyways from the groceries she bought every weekend when she traveled to Veronica. He also resented those trips since she would leave them tied to a post for those five hours afraid they would follow and make mayhem in the city.
Myra met them when she was near their home. She barked carelessly and ran towards the girl. Her head tilted to the side making her look as if she was smiling. The girl smiled silently and continued walking. Once inside her small cottage she unzipped her parka and hanged it on the nail near the front door. Blond curls were easily combed and she curled up on the sofa. The chimney was almost out and she stood up from her seat and put some more wood in it. Then China came bouncing from the kitchen. Her paws went up and almost embraced the girl but laughing she moved aside and China jumped up .The wolf coiled up on the sofa and the girl rested her head on her hand. The phone rang two times and then once more. When she did not pick it up the machine did.
“Hello this is Charlotte, right now I’m not available but if you leave me your number and name I will call you back as soon as possible.”
The machine beeped and another voice answered.
“Charlie this is your mother, please pick up I know you are there. Well I was calling you just to tell you that Olivia married yesterday. I know you know but it would have been nice if you have been present. I know she married your ex… well it’s not like you had fought for his love or anything. Please do remember that she is your sister. And call, do not hide from us. We are your family and we want you to treat us like that. Well call back “
The room was silent for a while until Charlotte stood up and went to the kitchen. There she opened the left drawer and took out a picture where her sister Olivia and Charlotte where smiling towards the camera. Charlotte seemed ever so happy and the man encircling her waist was looking down at her, his mouth seemed to be whispering something that made Charlotte blush. Olivia’s smile seemed almost forced and her eyes were cold. Charlie tore the picture up quietly. A sob escaped her mouth and she continued tearing the image. Once she was done she burned it over the fireplace and went to sleep.
“Charlie!”
She turned around and smiled as the man ruffled her small curls. Then he grabbed her by the wait and twirled her around.
‘I’m so happy Charlie…I could kiss you forever”
The girl smiled at his words and with a single-minded purpose kissed his lips. He kissed her back and suddenly Olivia came into the picture. Her long red hair complemented her frail figure. She was so pretty like a porcelain doll. Unlike charlotte who was so strong. Charlotte would never be considered fragile. She was resourceful, reliable, loyal, in all stronger than her frail sister who by sweet words thought she could live in a world full of wolves.
She never forgot the last words spoken between them. Charlotte had been angry and in spite had slapped Olivia.
“You are a stupid girl Olivia...weak and stupid. Take him. Keep him. I do not want him!”
Then She had ran out of the house and went home where Luna sat by her feet letting the girl let out her ragged sobs. She had never known what made her love leave her and marry her sister. She had never let him explain and silently Charlotte drew away from them and only went to Veronica once a week to pick up her provisions.
Eleven years later_______________________
Olivia had died. She had given birth to a tiny little girl ten years ago and then had never recovered. Then a year later she had tried to kill herself in the lake and her mother had stopped her, triggering suicidal attempts all of them failed. But three days ago, Olivia had succeeded. Her body had flailed down the staircase taking ten year old Alice with her. The child fortunately had been cushioned by her mother’s body. However her legs, the doctor said, would never be able to move.
Charlotte did not cry in the funeral. Her eyes were dry when her mother collapsed coming back from the ceremony. However she cried when Alice kept asking for her mamma when Charlotte was babysitting her. The girl kept crying for Olivia and the only thing Charlie could say was
“She went to heaven darling…to heaven”
The tears streamed down her face and she rocked the child back and forth
“She went to heaven darling”
Despite what the priest had said, Charlie kept telling her niece that her mother had gone to heaven.
Then a noise made her look up. The child’s father stood in the doorway and silently Charlotte stood up and went out of the room leaving the child crying for her mother.
“Mother”
Charlotte spoke quietly to the woman sniffing into a handkerchief. The last time she had called her mother “mom” Or “Mommy” Or anything of that sort had been twelve years ago when she had been seventeen and in love. But at the age of twenty eight Charlie had few hopes of becoming friends with her mother. Olivia was dead. Her father’s little princess was rotting six feet under and her mother looked up and spoke quietly
“Will you take Alice in with you. I do not think her father is up to it right now. You are the only one with any sense and …”
She woman busted out crying and Charlotte nodded silently knowing that she could not leave the child. But at her home. At her home it was only her and the wolves and a child was out of the question. She chewed on her lip and finally she accepted.
If Alice’s father protested to the change Charlotte was not aware of it. She only knew that her mother packed Alice’s belongings and put them in the back of her jeep. The car then fifteen years old purred and finally after many tries roared awake taking the two of them down the road towards the outskirts of Veronica. The child was asleep in her seat. The teddy bear Olivia had bought for her the moment she learned she was pregnant, was held tightly by Alice, and small hic cups escaped her mouth once or twice. She still cried for Olivia when never someone spoke her name, and because very few wanted to speak of Olivia the house had been silent and mournful. Her father had roared in protest of she taking Alice into the family ranch where Charlie lived at. He had argued that Charlotte was not fit to take care of a child, and if Olivia who had been the motherly one, had thrown herself down the stairs taking the child with her…imagine what Charlotte would do. Charlotte had not been pleased but angrily held her words back and in the end her mother had won. Now charlotte drove into the forest while the snow faintly outlined the dark sky. It did not fall until two hours later when the car pulled into the drive way and she took out the child and her things out of the car. Shadow came softly out of the barn, smelling changes in the air. When he came near Charlie and nuzzled her hand Charlotte pushed him away and wheeled the girl’s chair inside. Luna raised her head from the sofa but went to sleep once again figuring that the novelty would be explained later. China was the only one who followed her upstairs to the newly prepared room. Settling Alice into her new life was harder than expected. The child never wanted to be alone and when Charlie was near so were the wolves and they would ignore the child who sat stiffly in her wheel chair. She would rarely talk and her days were filled of looking out of the window and holding her teddy bear close. For a ten year old, charlotte thought, Alice was a sad child. When she had been her age, she had been able to run and scream and play. Alice was missing most of her life thanks to Olivia. Olivia never stopped having a hold on Charlotte. Since that fateful day when instead of being Charlie the one walking to the altar, Olivia had , Charlotte kept blaming things on Olivia. The fact that early rivalry had developed thanks to her parents favoritism, did not help to ease Charlie’s mind.
“Alice do you want some hot soup”
Charlotte hoped that the child would answer. She had been silent for the past week since she had arrived in an unbreakable silence. Only at night when the darkness brought the worst in some people would Alice break out in tears crying out for Olivia. The child did not look up but nodded. Charlie closed her eyes in exasperation and harshly grabbed the back of the wheel chair and steered it into the kitchen. The tow of them remained silent for the rest of the day. Only china would look at Alice and try to rub her head against Alice’s legs, but the child would push her away with her hands. Finally exasperated with the wolf Alice cried out:
“Get away from me you dirty dog… Get away from me”
The screech in her voice made Charlie jump up and stare at her with pitiless eyes.
“China has done nothing to you… Stop taking your feelings out on the poor animal”
“You shut up. Shut up”
She put her hands to her ears and screamed loud. Charlie stepped back and spoke low
“Alice… Alice… be quiet”
The wolf whimpered and curled near Luna. Suddenly a banging on the door made the two opposing rivals look away. A moment stretched with only the fire crackling in the chimney and the banging on the door.
Finally Charlie went to open it.
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Submission Name: After her death
