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Without A Trace: Chapter 2: Wolf In The Market Square

by Twilight Nova

Twilight Nova Here she is! Chapter two. WARNING! BLOODS!
Chapter Two

Wolf In The Market Square





Älskar took a deep breath as the light of the sun shone through his window and pierced his sleeping eyelids, pulling him from his restless sleep. He cracked open his yellow eyes slightly to look around his room. He had taken his parent’s room after their death, letting Tyst have his old room and Hund Tyts’s old room. It was the smallest room, his parents kind enough to give him the biggest and Tyst the second largest when they originally moved to New Hope. It could only fit Älskar’s twin sized bed and his dresser with a small area of walking space. The young adult sat up, yawning and stretching. His right shoulder popped. It always did; when he fell on his shoulder when his parents were killed, he had injured it pretty bad. He could hear the clicking sound of Hund’s claws on the hardwood floor as he stood, and soon the black wolf mix came into view. He wagged his tail and greeted his sleepy owner with an affectionate lick on his hand. Älskar walked through the halls of the one-story home from his room to the kitchen. Tyst kept the house clean, which Älskar was grateful for. Älskar cooked, brought food and money home, and kept the police off their back. They both had to go to school, still, as they both would have to until they were twenty. This was a rule established for New Hope. Even Iris went to school when they first arrived. Thinking of Iris filled Älskar with a rush of grief, which came so suddenly Alskar had to sit down on the cold floor.



Mom. Dad. Iris. Lasair. The names of those he had lost to the Government rushed into his head and tugged at his heart. No, he told himself. I must be strong. For Tyst. For Hund. For them… Älskar lifted his yellow-eyed gaze as his ears picked up the sound of small shuffling feet. “You awake, then?” Älskar asked, not expecting a response. The short ten year old shuffled sleepily into the kitchen, nodding slowly. Älskar stood, shaking his head as if to shake the sad thoughts away and walked over to Tyst. He kneeled in front of Tyst, looking into his younger brother’s amethyst eyes. “You want some breakfast, then?” Älskar asked. Tyst nodded. Älskar smiled and stood, pointing down the hall to Tyst’s room. “Go get ready, I’ll make it.” Älskar told Tyst. Tyst nodded, shuffling down the hall to his room. Hund would have usually followed him, but the black dog knew Älskar was making food.



Hund stayed at Älskar’s feet as he cooked bacon and eggs, usually tripping him. Älskar groaned, “Hund, it’d be blasting if you’d stop standing at my feet and drooling!” Hund didn’t move. He just stared up at Älskar with his pleading brown eyes, slavatiating. Älskar sighed, “Knew it’s not bleeding likely. Here, have some bacon and be off.” With that, Älskar threw one of the raw pieces of bacon to Hund who, satisfied, padded off to Tyst’s room.



Tyst came out a bit later, shaggy brown hair combed, teeth brushed, and all that. He wore a long pale grey shirt that was too big for him, the sleeves covering his hands, as well as his favorite worn blue jeans, also too big, which had grass stains on the knees. Älskar smiled, placing an old white plate with a few pieces of bacon and an egg; over easy, which was the way everyone in his family liked it, on the counter. The kitchen took up a medium sized area of the house, the rest of it consisting of a living room, the bedrooms, a laundry room, and his mother’s music room. The kitchen had a stainless steel fridge, oven, and a toaster on the wall. The counters were black and tan granite, and there was an island in the middle of the kitchen where the sink, dishwasher, and counter to eat with chairs was. Tyst began eating after opened one of the black wood drawers under the granite and gave him a fork. Älskar went to his room and changed from the clothes from yesterday, which he slept in, to a black T-shirt and old, worn bootcut jeans. He put on some white socks and some old black tennis shoes. He brushed his teeth, combed his messy hair, and put on some deodorant before walking out of the bathroom to find Tyst washing his dishes. Älskar ate the rest of the bacon besides three pieces and ate the other egg, then went to grab his backpack as Tyst loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. He grabbed his large, pale grey backpack, then went to Tyst’s room and grabbed then ten year old’s red backpack. Grabbing Hund’s leash on his way past the wolf mix’s room he chuckled to himself as remembered how much they spoil their dog. He whistled and Hund came running, and Älskar put the red leash on the dog’s thick red collar. Tyst walked over, shoes and socks on and ready to go. “Here ya go, now let’s chivvy along!” He chuckled with a smile as he handed Tyst his backpack. Tyst nodded, putting it on, and they walked out the back door and around the modern style home.



Älskar always took Hund to school, as did most kids who had pets. It was so they didn’t run away, which was possible now that some of the doors were automatic. He shouted, “Cheerio!” to Tyst as he dropped him off at the elementary school, then continued along the sidewalk to the high school. The high school was rather large, having four buildings, each the size of a normal high school. As Älskar walked in, he sighed, seeing the large crowd of people his age. They were from the countries that survived, which were only the top ranking ones. People from Great Britain like him, Americans, Japanese, Australian, Irish, French….. The list goes on. Älskar walked to the Pet Care area, which had many different rooms Alskar had never been in, each made for different animals. He had only seen the Drop-Off Room, where, of course, you drop off your pets. He gave them Hund, who ran to see Jessibelle, a collie dog Alskar noticed he fancies. Älskar said thanks, then went through the winding halls to his locker. All the lockers were a dull red, as was the ceiling of the large buildings. He grabbed the things he needed for history then went to his class.



The teacher, Mr. Alexander, was a kind man. He was very smart, funny, and Älskar had learned a lot from him. He had short dull blonde hair which was a bit spikey. His face was clean shaven, his eyes a kind bright orange. He wore the usual grey athletic shirt and jogging pants, being the cross-country coach. Älskar sat down in his seat near the front and got out his notebook, pencil, and textbook. The room was like a college lecture room, most likely so it could hold many students. Mr. Alexander was an American man, so when Älskar asked, “How’s she running?” Mr. Alexander didn’t know what he was saying. The rest of the class filed in, and Mr. Alexander began talking about New Hope. “When the Destruction happened, scientist from the surviving countries came together and engineered an atmosphere with air for the moon, where we live now,” he explained, pointing to a rather good drawing of the moon and Earth on his whiteboard. “They made it habitable, which is why you’re all able to be here now. They uprooted the rocky ground and replaced it with soil for the different kinds of plants we need. Soon they brought ships full of those who survived, and….” Mr. Alexander explained, but Älskar had spaced out thanks to his ADHD. He snapped back to reality and took notes, then went on with his day. Älskar’s closest friend, Verraten, a kind and mysterious young German with light blonde hair and blue eyes, was in the halls, so the two playfully socked each other’s arms. He usually kept to himself, and Älskar only saw him during lunch and free period. He had a slight accent, but was easy to understand. Next was genetics, then language arts, lunch, then a period where he got to do his homework until it was time to go. Älskar put the stuff he didn’t need away in his locker, then picked up Hund from the Pet Care. Hund was so happy to see him he stood on his hind legs and barked, his tail wagging. “Calm down Hund!” he chuckled. “You are acting like you haven’t seen me in years!”





As Älskar walked Hund home, he began thinking of Lasair. He recalled what had happened after he stabbed the bully.

“Hey dork, thanks for saving me,” the Aussie giggled, walking over to Älskar. “W-well, I was happy to help! I couldn’t let that bully be mean to a girl as pretty as you!” He exclaimed, but pursed his lips together once the words came out. Did I really just say that? He asked himself mentally. The redhead’s freckled cheeks turned a bit rosy. “Y-you really think I’m pretty?” Lasair asked, her bright grass green eyes giving away her happiness. Älskar, how nervous he was sucking away his words, nodded. The ten year old girl walked right up to ten year old Älskar and kissed him on the lips.


Älskar smiled at the memory. He missed Lasair dearly, but he knew she was dead… He dropped Hund off at his and Tyst’s average-sized square house and tossed his backpack onto his bed. “Time to pick up Tyst,” he sighed. He told Hund to stay, but the dog didn’t, then walked to the elementary school. Tyst was there waiting in the front office, and stood and ran over at the sight of Älskar and Hund, kneeling down to pet the excited black dog. They walked home in silence, of course, until they reached home. Älskar dropped Tyst off at their house, then grabbed money for the market.



Älskar needed to buy some paper for Tyst’s school project; which was to draw what they thought a forest on Earth looked like, and he needed to buy some meat for dinner. He bought the paper at an office supply store, having it put in a plastic bag. He walked through the sprawling mall the store was in. It was full of people, especially teens. There were girls his age who stopped and watched him walk by, whispering and giggling to each other. Älskar knew why they did. He usually worked wherever they offered him pay, and because of how often he moved heavy things and exercised, he was pretty well built. Apparently, he was attractive. He shrugged off their giggles and exited the mall.



As Älskar entered the farmer’s market, a rush of memories slammed into him like a freight train. It was the square his parents were killed in. He swallowed down the urge to cry and walked stiff-leggedly through the colorful market. Spices, herbs, meats, eggs, fish, honey…. grow it on a farm anywhere on Earth, it was there. He came up to a stall selling meat and greeted, “Hiya Joe.” Joe was a large, muscular man. He was a butcher, but he was kind. Standing seven feet, which of course made him taller than Älskar, and he had buzz-cut dark brown hair, and kind blue eyes. He smiled when Alskar walked up, cocking his head and asking, “The usual, Älskar?” Älskar nodded. “One pound of cow,” he confirmed with a nod. Suddenly, Älskar felt a small pain in his back. He turned to see the bullies of his grade. He growled in annoyance, turning back to Joe.



There were three bullies; twins Ambrose and Amos, and Claude. Ambrose and Amos were identical twins; average height, cowlick styled hair, looking like the average teen. The only difference between the two was that Ambrose wore navy blue, dyed his hair ocean blue, and had pale blue eyes. Amos wore orange-red, dyed his hair crimson, as well as having crimson eyes. Claude was muscular, but short. He was the average height of a sixteen year old, and he wore all dark grey, had black hair, and dark brown eyes, They were all unneededly cruel and had no manners. Amos noticed Älskar had ignored Ambrose hitting the tall young adult; snapping angrily, “Hey dimwit!” Alskar ignored him. He and Ambrose both had horrible voices that reminded Alskar of nails on a chalkboard; annoying, and higher pitched than the usual man. Claude grabbed Älskar by the back of his shirt and pulled him away from the stall, towards the center of the market. Älskar struggled, but Claude had a tight grip on his black T-shirt. Claude finally released him at the center of the square, but Älskar was unable to regain himself and fell onto the hard stone. This…. Is the exact spot where they were killed…. Mom and Dad… He landed on his right shoulder, making him wince. Claude laughed, taunting, “C'mon, freak!” Älskar slowly got up, ignoring his taunts. “Aren’t you gonna fight back, mutt?” Claude chuckled. Älskar stopped. After he killed the cops, a rumor spread that he bit them and mauled them to death. That’s how he earned his nicknames. Mutt, dog, wolf… Name a word for dog or a type of canine, he had probably been called it.

That had set Älskar off. He didn’t remember what happened next. He didn’t remember falling asleep, but next thing he knew he woke up in a cell. He had blood in his teeth, around his mouth, and on his fingers; in and around the nails.
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