Killing Time

Part One                                        

12/25/3096

I am writing this diary in secrecy. They are coming to hunt me down. To find me, to kill me, to torture me until it won't matter any more, because that is what humans do. I am not a human. My name is Maya and I am a werewolf. There are secrets in my world and if someone, anyone, knew… Well, there wouldn’t be anyone else to tell.

You may call us the children of the moon, for that is what we are. We are also called The Leaders of the Wolves, The Mystical Ones, The Powerful Ones. We are the werewolves of the land of Asketel. I am a werewolf because of my secret. We hold our secrets safe-- Unless you want to kill time.

The end of the world rests upon the thousands of werewolves-- And me, a clumsy little werewolf. My parents were werewolves. They gave birth to me-- A stupid little werewolf. My parents were hunted and died five years ago. The leader of the pack, my uncle, took me in and raised me. Now I am a strong (still clumsy) sixteen year old werewolf. I learned how to fight, hunt, and survive. My uncle grows old, and someday, I will be the leader of the pack.

The fate of the world is at stake, I have to save them; I have to save the world.

                                                                                    1

    4/28/3096

Leaves scratched against the hard dried grass. Rustles filled the air. skritch scritch skritch scratch. Uncle was still asleep, snoring loudly. So much for a quiet werewolf I thought. I got up, (I was obviously not going to get much sleep) and burst to full speed through the forest. I avoided leaves, twigs and dead flowers that crunch under your foot if you step on them. I crept into a clearing. Wolves the size of boulders were sleeping in the cold scratchy grass. Well this is a surprise I thought. We sort of have (well had is a better word) a treaty keeping 800 acres of land to ourselves. This was a popular clearing and it was unusual- well thats an understatement- more like illegal for another pack to use this as their sleeping space. I tried to creep away from them, but one paw was sticking out, and I tumbled into the cave. My sister; Tana, was sleeping silently. I shook her awake.

“Tana! Get up right now!” I howl.

“Damn it, Maya! What do you want!?” She looked up at me groggily. I slit my eyes. “ What I want is for you to get up! Today is Choosing day!” Tana bolts up.

“WHAT! CHOOSING DAY!? Why didn’t you tell me!? Go get dressed. I’ll meet you here in ten minutes.”  Choosing day is a day of when the leader of both wolf packs chooses who they want in there group. The most trusted wolf in the pack becomes the Co leader of the pack, and then the co leader has to kill the leader in order to become leader.

                                                                                 2   

Both packs lined up, face to face. My Uncle stood next to me, and on the other side, stood the leader of the other pack; Senterius White.               

    Senterius growled in my direction.

“What are you, Co-leader of the pack? What are you gonna do to me, nibble my ear?” Howls of laughter filled the air. A deep growl filled my throat making both packs silent.

    “No. I’m going to rip out your vocal cords, and then gut you.” I snarled.

“Hey Sonerus! You have a feisty one there.” The pack howled again.

    “Thats it.”

I growl under my breath. I charge Senterius, clawing and slashing. I slashed at his throat, clawed at his jaw. He tried to shrug me off, but I hung on. Then I jumped off him, drenched in his blood. A deep gash ran across his face. He whimpered, but when he spoke, his voice was steady.

“ You’ll pay, Maya. You will dread the day you die.” And with that, he and his pack ran away. My pack howled with victory. Many voices chanted; ‘Way to go, Maya!’ Or ‘Great job, Maya!’ paws lifted me in the air, but Uncle’s face stayed solemn. I tried to be happy with my victory, but Uncle’s face stuck in my mind, and the sticky blood on me made it hard to think.

I padded to the cliffs and made my way down to a tidepool. I wanted to wash the blood off myself, but licking it off felt wrong somehow, as if the blood was going to burn my tongue.

As I was shaking the water off myself, a voice behind me said, “Well done. I have wanted to do that for a long time. Just didn’t have the guts.” I turned to find the source. It was Milo, a boy my age who was turned when he

                                                                                        was 16 and still looked the same. I could tell this because he was in human form. I willed myself to show up in regular clothes, not my pajamas like last time I did this.

Once I have gotten into my human form, a girl with purplish black hair, purple eyes and (Thank the heavens) jeans and a black tank-top, I said, “Thank you. I tried to hold it in but couldn’t anymore. The man is a jerk of massive proportions and I couldn’t take it anymore.” I raise my voice slightly at the last part, and then realize that I was almost shouting. I get slightly hotter in the cheeks and look at Milo to see if he was staring at me like I was crazy. I was very grateful for that. Most people thought I was too emotional.

“I don’t think you’re that crazy for shouting. I would too.” He says to me, as if he was reading my mind. Milo always seems to read my mind. I don’t know why. Milo has shaggy brown hair and freckles that frame his brown eyes. Now that I think about it, Milo is a little cute. Maybe even more than a little. Oh what am I thinking? Werewolves don’t fall in love. They don’t get married. They live as equals and individuals who don’t mate. They bite. Love was weakness. Werewolves are not weak. We are strong.

After a while I say “How come you always know what I am thinking?” Milo looks out at the sea in front of us.

“I guess…” He replies after a long time, “I guess I have a connection with you.” He stops, hesitating, waiting for my reaction. What kind of connection did he mean? Milo looks embarrassed.

After what I thought was the most awkward moment of my life, Milo says “I had better get going” and tries to bolt up the steps leading up the cliff. “Wait!” I shout. Milo does not stop. I race after him and in the sunlight of dawn manage to grab the back of his t-shirt. He resists for a moment, and then turns to me.

I catch my breath and say, without me even thinking about it, “I think I have a connection with you too.” What did I just say? Milo looks at me for a moment and then he does something I had not expected him to do. There, in the light of dawn, on the cliffs of Askadel, Milo kisses me. then he pulls away and runs up the steps and out of my sight. I was so shocked that I let him run.

I just got kissed. This means trouble.

4/29/3096

The next morning I walk down the cliffs to find a place to think. I find a cave that overlooks the sea. Inside the cave is a small waterfall and a stone that acts as a bench in the entrance. I think I am alone. I am wrong. Someone comes down the steps. At first I think the person is human and I tense. Then I realize that for a human to get down here, they would have already been bitten. I relax a bit. Then I realize who is coming down the steps. It is Milo. I try to shrink into the shadows, but he sees me. There is nothing I can do but walk towards him. This is just awkward. Oh well. No way around it.

“Hello,” I say. Milo says hello as well. After a very uncomfortable silence, I say “Well this is awkward.” Milo nods.

“Yeah” Milo replies. He sits next to me. I leaned back. A bit too late, I realized there was no wall behind me. I almost fall but (And this is the most awkward bit of it all) Milo catches me. Oh god. That was the worst. I blush a deep scarlet. I am so dumb. Milo leaned on me. The feeling sent shivers down my spine. I hate myself for falling in love. Oh my god. I can’t believe I just said that. Oh god.

4/29/3096, Later in the day

The sun is almost beneath the horizon. Far in the distance I can see the land the humans live on. The humans live on the mainland, and us werewolves live on this land. I think it is an island. I do not know.

I am sitting on the grass. I sleep in a tree, and unlike my family, I sleep in human form. I like sleeping in human form. It helps me relax.

As I am falling asleep, I hear a crunching sound. I look down from my high branch on the tree. I see a wolf, a white wolf treading across the grass. I rack my memory for a white wolf. No answers come. Plus I’m so tired I wouldn't recognize my sister. No, I do not recognize this wolf. In the dim light, I could be seeing one of my own pack. I remember the legends of the white wolfs. (They say that the wolfs fought in a war-- together. My uncle says that he fought in the war, but if that were true then that would be his secret) But I decided to follow this wolf anyway. I leapt to the next tree, changing into my wolf form, a black wolf, and landed with a soft thud. The white wolf looked around, but did not spot me. The wolf slunk away into the clearing where most of the wolves slept.

The way the wolf sneaked around… I knew who this was. The white wolf who was in our camp was Senterius White. And he had just entered Uncle’s cave. Of course it took me way too long to figure out what was going on. I followed him silently, and when I reached the cave I heard the sounds of a fight. I entered and saw Uncle with a gash on his side attempting to fend off Senterius, who was standing over him. I ran to  Senterius jumped on his back and started clawing him. He was not expecting this. ‘Good’ I thought grinding my teeth as he scratched my ankle. He thrashed about trying to get me off, but I wouldn’t budge. He staggered out of the cave and I saw my opportunity. I raised one paw and bashed him on the head While he was stunned I howled at the moon. Quickly, the whole pack woke up, saw me and Senterius and  rushed to my aid. In no time the whole pack was on him. We pinned him down. Someone from the pack screamed-- well howled-- very disturbingly loud. I turned in the direction the scream came from--to see my sister crouching over a weak wolf in the cave. With a jolt I realized it was Uncle.  I ran over at once.

“He is dying.” My sister said. “Fast.” As soon as she said this I realized that I had no feelings at all for my dying uncle. I had never loved him. I knew that now. Aids ran over, trying to help him, but he shooed them away as if they were flies.

“ Maya,” He croaked, “I want you to know, before I die, that the wolf who bit you was named Jasper Black. Find him.” As soon as he said this he began to cough. He spat onto the floor, and with horror, I realized the spit was red. It was true, I didn’t feel the love I had once felt for him, but I did not want the leader of the pack to die. I needed him here. I hadn’t even finished training.

Uncle looked at me. “Don’t fail me. Please.” With these final words his eyes went blank. Uncle was dead. He morphed into a wolf, then a human, and then wolf again. I closed his eyes. I almost turned away, but I heard an almost magical noise. I turned towards Uncle’s body and realized that through his mouth his spirit was escaping. His spirit was a transparent wolf tha hopped around the cave until it escaped to the starry night outside. I chased it, but it escaped into the night sky. I looked at where it went and saw a new constellation I had never seen before. It looked like a wolf, running forever in the heavens. Uncle’s words came back to me. Don’t fail me. Please. Then I realized, that I’m leader of the pack now.

4/30/3096

    The next day was a nightmare. Millions of wolves were running around, spreading news about last night. Youngsters were whispering or running away when they saw me, making me feel like a monster. I walked around the camp, studying the nature and behavior in it. Tana is still ignoring me.  Milo wouldn’t even go near me, and, well, I felt completely horrible. I walk into Tana’s cave. She’s looking at tapestries on the walls, of my mum and dad. I smile at the thought of them. I creep to Tana’s side.

    “ Knock Knock.” I say, and she nearly jumped out of her wolf skin.

“ MAYA!” Tana flips in the air, landing on my chest. “ Get off me, Tana, unless you want to be demoted to a human. Remember, I’m leader now.” I growl, deep in my throat. For a second, Tana looks shocked, then scared. She springs of me, landing on her paws on the rock. “ You wouldn’t.” She whispered.

I look her in the eye. “ I would if I have to.” I get up, licking my paws. “ I’m promoting you to co leader now. No but’s whatsoever.” Tana stares at me.

    "Really?" She asks, looking quite astonished.

    "Yes," I say to her, "Now get to work. Get everyone to stop isolating me. I have things I need to take care of." Tana salutes me in a playful way, but it still feels very serious. I leave the cave.

    I go down to the bottom of the cliffs, as I am sure I will find Milo there. I am right. He is sitting in the cave I discovered yesterday. As soon as he sees me, he hurries away down the beach. Oh man. Really? He knows I am going to catch up eventually, why does he have to make it hard? I change into wolf form and run up to him. He changes into wolf form and runs down the beach. I run alongside him. Eventually he will be forced into the  water. We run down a good portion of the beach until Milo jumps in the water. He thinks he will have the advantage, but I am fast in water. I catch him as he changes into human form to swim away. I drag him up to the rocky side of the cliffs and pin him there. Then I ask my question.

    "Why?" I ask, "Tell me, why are you avoiding me." I have changed into human form by now, but when I say this you can hear the faint growl.

    "Because," Milo says, looking more embarrassed than scared, "I kissed my pack leader. I broke an ancient werewolf law, and I broke it in front of you. If you told that to anyone, I would be isolated, not you. I would be breaking the law not you. Oh and as if that isn't enough, I don't even know if you like me at all." As Milo says this, his voice grows angrier and angrier. I realize that with three words, I could make him stop hating me. Three words I have never heard in my live, that humans use quite often. I know what they mean, but I don't know if I mean them. I decide to use them.

    "Milo," I say, "I love you." Milo stares at me for a few moments.

    "What?" He finally responds. I look at him and say the words again. Milo looks confused for a moment. Then, in another completely random moment, Milo kisses me. Unlike the last one, this kiss wasn't full of fear and unsureness. This kiss was full of love, a concept I knew little of. Maybe human culture isn't so bad.

    5/1/3096

Night and day, I stayed with Milo. Less people isolated me, so I guess Tana did a good job. Now Milo seemed to edge closer to me, as if he were me. Since Senterius killed Uncle, I have been looking for Jasper. Training was harder then when Uncle was here; I trained the wolves as much as possible just in case Senterius or Jasper come by. Each day I sleep in the cave, having nightmares about the wolf pack. Each night, I wake up crying, and Milo and Tana are there to comfort me. Days stretch out, into weeks, into months, into years. And finally,  finally, Jasper comes.

   

Part Two

    7/3/3096

The white wolf is standing, ready, as if to pounce on anything that makes a move. I had powers to change into an animal, and my easiest one: I giant leopard that can kill a wolf in one swipe. I pounce out, ready position. I roar, a loud roar that rings through the forest. Jasper whimpers. I transfer into a wolf again. “ Scared you already? That’s a first.” Then I pounce, a flip in the air. But Jasper was ready for this. He, too, pounces and we collided in the air. Fur, claws, paws are combined. Finally Jasper pulls me off him. My jaw is dripping with blood, and Jasper has a blood stained all over him. He drops me. “ Enough. Get out of here The goblet will show you the way.” And I run away, Jasper going in the opposite direction. The next day I wake up, and then walk out of the cave. Every single wolf screams in horror. I growl. “ Shut up, or you’ll be next to fight Jasper. I found him.” Every wolf whimpers. “ Get packing! We’re leaving. Its time Jasper dies.” Each wolf runs away. Milo is still standing. You’re dripping in blood! Did you really fight him?” I limp towards Milo. “Of course I did. I’m covered in him!”

I know I sound harsh. I think about the woods, Where I saw him. Of course I forgot to be quiet and the wolf saw me. I chased him a good 16 miles till we were off the hunting grounds. I had cornered him in the cave. The only reason I knew that this was Jasper was because I had identified him through other packs. I had taken a road trip and asked several people if they knew Jasper. He was (according to the guinea pack) part of that group. Apparently he fought in the war alongside Uncle. Wait… the only person who fought alongside Uncle in war… Senterius. I howl; A loud harsh howl that meant everyone should gather around me. 2 seconds later, every single wolf in the pack is around me. “ SENTERIUS!,” I bark. “ He is Jasper! I want every single fighter, old or young, to FIND SENTERIUS AND KILL HIM! And if you misjudge me, you’ll be next to be on the blood list. End of discussion. Resume your orders.” Milo runs up to me, Tana, right behind him. Thier eyes are staring at me with a million questions. I try to swallow but there is a huge lump in my throat. I am suddenly angry. Angry at Uncle, at Tana, at Milo, And most of all at Jasper,or Senterius, whatever you want to call him

7/4/3096

I lie in the tree looking at the human land. I think about the things that Jasper said. ‘’You will pay Maya. You will dread the day you die’’. The words replay in my mind over and over again. I sigh and look out at the moon. Not yet full. I think about the war. Then something crosses my mind… I gasp and sit up. I change into wolf form and start running I quickly. Before I can think I sound the alarm… crap. That was not supposed to happen. I run faster than ever. I am near the caves. I look for my Uncle’s cabin. I hope waaay to much. By the time I get there I remember how they burned him with all of his possessions. I turn, about to leave when something glittery in the corner caught my eye. It looks like a Mantel piece but I knew the fanciest thing my uncle owned was my human father’s gold goblet. OH. I catch my breath. I walk over to it and grab it. I leap out of the cave and run. Back to my cave? No, that would be too obvious. Into the woods it was.

    The woods were dark and dank, a tainted place of magic, and witches. We were not alone in quarantine on this island. Things lurked in the darkness, slowly growing stronger, stronger than a werewolf. Yet the woods were my only option. My only hope. Just like the goblet. This goblet can summon the dead and all the answers to all the questions of the world. It can summon my human father.

    As I approach the willow tree of death, a howl pierces the air. It sounds familiar. It sounds like… Milo. I turn into a lion, The goblet in my jaw. I race through the woods, my paws thundering on the ground.  He’s on the ground. His maw is red, torn flesh and bloody fur. “ Jasper.” He croaks as I turn into a wolf, Licking the blood of his matted, dried fur. I stare at him intensely, and he holds my gaze before reaching out with his paw and rubbing under my jaw. A soft purr fills my throat, and I close my eyes, rubbing against his paw. unconsciously, I turn into a human. He does too. He pulls himself up, pressing himself against me, kissing me. I wrap my arms around him, leaning against the tree for support. He runs his fingers through my dark hair, and my arms slip down to his waist. He pauses, for a second. “Maya.” I resume kissing him, shushing him. He hoists me onto his lap and I wrap my legs around him. I pull away, and he nuzzles my neck. A small sigh builds up in my throat, and I exhale.