The Old Lady
Terra
With my thumb up, I was desperately waving to cars driving down the road to stop. They passed by, paying no attention to me, leaving me in a cloud of dust. It was a very sunny day and the heat was making me uncomfortable to the point of wanting to kill someone. The backpack I was carrying on my shoulder weighed tons and my feet ached, which made me swear with every step I took.
I had been like this for hours, and no one had taken pity on me to stop and give me a lift. This was not my best option, but the money I had was not going to last me much longer. The last paid job I did was a fortnight ago, and there wasn’t much left of the salary they paid me. Who knows when I will be able to get another. The life that I self-imposed going from one place to another was disastrous, and what I wanted most was to enjoy the stability of a home. But I promised myself that I wouldn’t until I found what I was looking for so fervently. The thing would complete my being and would provide me with peace and love until the last day of my life. My fated mate, gifted to me by the moon goddess. The man I have been tirelessly searching for, for the last five years.
I looked in both directions, and I didn’t see any car approaching. “Damn serial killers,” I exclaimed aloud because of them, no one wants to stop to give a stranger a lift. I raised my hand and put it over my eyes to shade them. The sun was blazing high, and if I didn’t get help soon, I would die of dehydration.
A few meters from me, on the side of the road, I saw a rock. I couldn’t take it any more, and I had to rest, even for a few minutes. It was better to sit there than in the middle of the dust. I walked as best I could and when I got there, I dropped onto the rock without hesitation. I took a deep breath when the weight of my body stopped being concentrated on my legs. But I still had to do something else, since, despite the cap I was wearing, I needed to cover my nape and neck with something else. I wanted to rest here a while longer, and with the sun on my head, I would most likely pass out in this heat.
I took off the backpack, and stretched, my neck sore and tired. Then I took out a scarf, which I put under the cap. This managed to cast a nice shadow on the back of my neck, keeping the sun’s rays from hitting me directly. It wasn’t much, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances.
Going back to my backpack, I took out a nearly empty bottle of water, and took a sip, fearing I’ll finish it and run out of it. “Stupid,” I exclaimed, chastising myself for negligence.
“This would not have happened to me if I had gone to buy water before getting on the bus that was about to leave. Of course, the driver would not have waited for me.” However, I couldn’t afford to lose the bus ticket. Money is getting scarce by leaps and bounds, and with the little I have, I had to take care of it like a treasure, since I still had many roads to go.
Looking to the sides, I sighed, since the road was empty. This road is not busy, but it was the cheapest route to get to Cardy. According to Charles, a wolf I met a few days ago told me about a wolf population that was near this town. He did not know the exact address, since this was a reclusive community, which did not mix with the human population or other wolves. They were very jealous of their traditions, and the way in which the Alpha governed its members were typical of wolves. It was the perfect place to go if you wanted to live in a hierarchical structure where the Alpha is everything, along with his Luna. The betas and gammas were the second with authority.
The rest of the members had to respect this. Their animal side was more important than their human side. For werewolves, this was the way of life. And those who had turned their sights on human society and been seduced by their way of living had to give up their wishes or be banished from the pack.
In comparison, where I come from, although we maintained the structure of the Wolves, also we were open to changes. As long as it benefits its members, of course. I am the second daughter of the Alpha, and as such, I knew how to uphold the traditions and what they meant. It was paramount to survival as a race. The humans were advancing not only in terrain but in ideas. It was dangerous for the wolves’ future.
I close my bottle, and place it back in the backpack, closing my eyes. I take advantage of that moment to take off my boots and massage my battered toes. “Damn, how I would like to be on the beach. Wetting my feet with the waves of the sea, hand in hand with my mate,” I said, imagining that incredible scenario. Swearing that on my honeymoon, I would insist on going to a paradise where we could sunbathe, naked, on the soft sand of the sea.
But my reality was different, since after several hours of waiting, and several attempts to catch transport and being ignored, I was immensely surprised when a van stopped a few meters away from me. I couldn’t believe it, and I immediately bent down to pick up my belongings and rushed to the vehicle that was waiting for me.
I approached the window below, and stuck my head in, smiling at the driver. She was an old woman, not so old that she couldn’t drive, but she also didn’t look competent enough not to worry me. I swallowed hard, considering whether it was a good idea to ride with her, but I knew she was my only option.
“Are you waiting for an invitation? If you want me to give you a ride, get in now.”
I raised my eyebrows at this comment, mentally scolding myself for putting myself in these situations. In a hurry, I opened the passenger door and got into the van. I immediately put on my seatbelt, and I turned towards the old woman, who was starting the vehicle.
“Thank you, you don’t know how much I appreciate it.”
The old woman, without turning to see me, made a Mm!, not taking her eyes off the road. I shook my head slightly, looking straight ahead.
The road was silent for half the time until the old woman spoke, “Where exactly are you going? Since I can’t think of anything in the surroundings that is worthwhile for a young woman from the city to make the journey here”.
With my eyes, half closed tired from the trip, I woke up fully hearing her. I cleared my throat, taking the sleep out of my voice, and said, “I’m looking for an area near Cady. A friend told me that nature in that part is magnificent. I am a photographer and I would love to take some photos there.” I had to lie, since for nothing I could reveal our world.
The old lady made an um! Only, but said no more.
After a while, I closed my eyes again, resting my head on the glass of the door, and falling asleep.
In that dream, I felt the presence of my beloved, and even though I didn’t know him yet, my heart was already crazy for him.
