The Faerie Slayer
Chapter 17

Abby's Pov

I was still uneasy when I woke up. My dream alongside the events of last night had kept me tossing and turning. At one point I had even gotten up to turn on the lamp. I made sure the window was closed about half a dozen times and slept on the side of my body that wasn't completely covered in bruises. When my alarm clock rang to signal that it was time for school, I felt as if I had just went to sleep. Blurry vision accompanied my groggily eyes. I stumbled out of bed and screeched out load at the pain of standing up. I fell right back down without a second to adjust what had just happened. My head rang, I was exhausted as a result of my sleepless night and I could not walk a step for the life of me. I decided it best I skip out on class today. I reached for the cellphone on my dressing table and texted Ben. It took him seconds to reply that he would skip with me.

'I'll be there with some snacks in the afternoon.'

I smiled to myself and used my sheets to hoist myself back up. My mother came to check on me before work.

"I think I'm sick," I excused and used the covers to hide my wounded leg," I'll stay home today and catch up on some assignments."

She didn't give me a hard time. I hardly ever skipped out on class so when I did, my parents knew it was usually for a fair enough of a reason. I snuggled with Snowball and was able to sleep for a few more hours now that it was light out again and I was less scared. Eventually, I woke up and this time it was easier to walk. It still ached and hurt a little and so I headed downstairs to the kitchen and snagged a raspberry scone from the oven. I used a frozen bag of peas and held it on each bruise for half a minute. I did this over and over and over again until I had basically numbed it and the peas were beginning to defrost. Upstairs, I missed a text from Caleb.

'Sorry, I was sleeping. Skipped school today.'

'Why, is everything alright?'

'I had a crazy night. I'll tell you about it in person.'

'Tonight?'

'Are you still coming to The Snake Pit tonight?' I asked although I wasn't sure that I would be going.

'If you are still going, yes.'

I decided that I wouldn't confirm until I knew that by tonight I would be able to walk completely. I went up and down the stairs and each time hurt less then the previous.

It wouldn't be the worst thing if I had to miss Matt's show, this is the perfect excuse, I thought to myself.

When Ben arrived, he had the usual Chinese take out in his hands. My stomach rumbled reminding me that I'd only had the scone from this morning.

I let him inside and we were now seated in the living room, Ben sprawled on the L part of the couch.

"What the hell happened to your leg," he mumbled through bites of fried shrimp. He peered closer to examine my skin.

"If I tell you, you'll think I'm crazy."

"I watch anime," he used his chopstick to poke into another shrimp," nothing surprises me anymore, try me."

"I was walking Snowball last night in the woods by my house and this giant snake attacked me."

"Like a garter snake?"

"Not a garter snake. This one was huge, it was thicker then my arms, and it was long."

"How long is long?"

"Long enough to wrap around a truck."

"What kind of truck?"

"Oh my god Ben, it doesn't matter. Point is, it almost ate Snowball so I had to grab him and then it wrapped around my leg and wouldn't let go."

"You're supposed to aim for its eyes. Take the dirt and throw it at its face."

"Well it doesn't matter because seconds later, this giant black wolf showed up out of nowhere and grabbed the snake off of me."

"How deep into the woods were you?"

"Not deep at all maybe like half a mile."

"What the hell was a wolf doing this close to the city?"

"That's what I was thinking and it didn't seem like it wanted to hurt me. If anything, it rescued me."

"This reminds me of something I just seen on the news," he pulled out his cellphone and typed something into his browser, then he handed me the phone. Displayed on the screen was the big bold title of a news article that read; Massive Lone Wolf Causes a 13 car collision in Boerum Hill.

I skimmed past the article and played a video where the camera men zoomed in on the wolves face. I immediately recognized the eyes, dark brown with a hint of something lighter. He soared through the streets in a state of panic. I felt my chest sink to my knees at the sight of the lost wolf. Through the screen I wanted to help, I wanted to do anything to provide comfort for the rescuer of my life.

"That's the wolf," I said," I'm sure of it. That's the wolf that saved my life."

"He didn't save your life," Ben rolled his eyes," he was looking for his next meal. Thank your stars it wasn't you."

"No, you don't get it. He looked at me, like he wanted to save me. He did."

"He was just hungry and the snake was probably aneasier prey then you were. They're saying it could be a lost wolf from up in Hudson Valley."

I sighed out loud. What Ben was saying made sense. It was logical, realistic and most likely the truth. Still, I couldn't help but feel a personal draw to the animal, was I crazy to think that it was looking out for me? Could it be that after seeing what Caleb was capable off that I myself have gone a little naive in the sense of the supernatural?

"Where is the wolf now?" I asked.

"No clue. They are sending out a team from animal control to hunt it."

"Are they going to kill him?"

He shrugged and shoved some noodles into his mouth. He spoke while chewing and said," I hope not. I think they might just capture it for a bit maybe release it back into the wild. Can't have any wildlife this close to the city you know."

"They can't kill him he's harmless-"

"Didn't you read the news? It says thirteen car collision, three injuries, and that could have been way worse. Nobody died yet."

I remained silent. In all cases I could not help but side with the wolf. It was strange to self admit that I felt a certain safety when he was around. He growled in my face to scare me away from the snake, even when it was my attempt to save his own life. I couldn't be mistaken, I was rational and logical in all aspects of life and that is why it was so difficult for me to grasp hold and to accept the phenomenon that is Caleb but this, what had happened with the wolf last night in the woods was something I could not lie to myself about nor did I want to.

"Do you think you'll be able to make it to Matt's show tonight?"

"I think so. I just need a few more hours but I'll be alright."

"You're coming alone right?"

"I invited Caleb,"He grimaced and I rolled my eyes," what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. Remind me not to order anything rimmed with sugar."

I elbowed him and grabbed a shrimp from his plate. For a while we sat in a comfortable silence, watching through television shows until finally I was reminded of Ben's father.

"Did your dad call by the way?" I mumbled and he did not look as if he wanted to answer. Finally, he said," no," and I left it at that.

Ben left a few hours later and by this time I only had the place to my own for an hour or so more. I put on my house shoes, leashed Snowball and headed outside for a walk. I found myself wandering by the edge of the forest, peering between the hundreds of trees in hopes of catching sight of anything. Surely if the wolf was dead and if the snake had killed him by now , the body would have been found, right? Then again it's been less then twenty hours. Snowbell tugged at the leash as if the memories of the woods terrified him still. He forced me in the opposite direction and probably rightfully so. He yelped and weeped when I resisted until finally I carried him in my arms. I took a step forward and another and another mindful of where I was placing my feet next. It would be hard to miss the snake but still, there could be others. In the back of my brain chanted a melody rang sounded something like ; this is a mistake, go back now.

Further more, it reminded me; you're already injured. You wouldn't be able to run away.

I had a few more minutes until I would reach the spot where I had been saved by the wolf. I followed the short trail of blood that wasn't mine and released a sigh of relief when I seen that there was no body. That would mean that the wolf had survived, it had to. Part of me urged to further explore. Part of me wondered what if he'd stumbled further away after being bitten, and perhaps died a few more miles out. The what- ifs rushed to my brain like a hurl of reminders that I wasn't quite as cerebral as I once was.

I knew I couldn't take any more chances. If the wolf had died then there was no one left to rescue me from the snake. I hurried back home before the sun would set.

Snowball practically leaped out of my arms and at the feet of my mothers when we'd reached the front porch. She was just getting out of the car.

"How are you feeling?" She greeted me after giving the fuzzy animal some kisses.

"I feel better, at least I can walk now."

"Walk?"

Crap. I had forgotten that I did not reveal to her the true reason that I had stayed home.

"I was so tired I could hardly get up," I was suddenly also conscious of the fact that if I did not stand at an angle she would be able to make sight of my bruised legs," I'm gonna go upstairs and do some reading."

"Alright," She shot me me a strange look and I did not stick around to help her understand better.

In my room, I grabbed the book that Caleb had given me and moved on to the next page. I had time to do a little bit of reading before I'd have to get up and get ready for The Snake Pit tonight.

You're going to think that I'm a drunken Conspiracy theorist with nothing to show for but these words. Sure, it might be easy to blame the stuff that you do not understand on mental illness, or drugs and maybe even alcohol. How about this? Take whatever sticks from this piece of writing and I guarantee you that in your life time, you are bound to stumble upon something at least once that will make you stop and think; could there have been any truth to that crazy book written by that crazy man?

I will start again, at the beginning of when a child is formed on a star. What is it if not an alien? It could look like you and I but it hosts the abilities that we have not unlocked yet. Not quite the cliche of powers but aptitudes, defined as the natural skill and talent that a person posses and is born with. These creatures bear innate intelligence and wisdoms beyond your wildest imaginations. Think to your self for just a second, what if it were true? Every childhood fairytale and fantasy had to originate from something. The creatures of the stars are the people of the Fey. Wild but wicked beings who's existence is made to torment us, the 'regular people.' I would be shocked to live long enough to see this book be published. Something tells me that my work will rot in my office while I rot somewhere unimaginable.

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