Chapter 68: Chapter 68

ELISA'S RETURN

Elisa's Return

The Tundra, Arctica

Floor stared at the wolf, who was walking toward them. She smiled as she reached them, nodding to each of the wolves. Something wasn't right. Floor could feel that something had shifted in the air.

The air picked up, blowing her clothes and hair completely out of place. She could feel the dust picking up behind her, threatening to cover her in its gritty substance. She looked around. Most of the wolves had a confused look on their face, but Elisa remained calm.

She was calm even as the snakes began to crawl around her, remaining at her feet, looking up at her. She bent down and whispered a few words to them. Floor frowned. There was no way, no possible way. It didn't make sense. This whole thing was just completely messed up. Floor looked around at the others, but no one was making a move to do anything to her. It was almost as if they were all frozen in time. When had things gotten to this point? How this happened without any of them realizing the awful truth?

Aatu looked at Elisa. "Are you okay?"

She laughed, not really an evil laugh, but not a sweet and innocent one either. She looked at him. "Yes, I'm okay, Aatu. I'm actually better than okay. Everything is going just the way I wanted them too." She smiled as she looked around at what used to be the Kitee Pack. "Look, at us, we are back together and on top. What more could I ask for?"

No one asked as the snakes started to circle around them. They stared up at the group with their yellow, unblinking eyes. Floor wanted to step away, but the circle was so tight. More and more snakes were coming out from places that she couldn't even see. This was insane, completely mental.

She gripped her gun, but shooting would do her no good; she could clearly see that. There was something comforting about the feel of cold steel in her hands. It was just that thought of having some kind of control that seemed to really ease up her mind.

She didn't know what really what was going on. To look at Elisa, you wouldn't think she was a goddess. She looked so normal, so innocent, and so carefree. She also had a lost look about her, but that was probably normal. Everyone felt a little lost, a little unsure, and little scared at times. It was just part of living.

Elisa smiled at Aatu. "It's good to see you back in one piece. I was afraid that we would never see you again." She stepped over the snakes with ease, her smile growing wider. "I'm sure you must have a lot of questions." Her eyes seemed to pause on the newcomer. If Floor didn't know better, she would had said there was a look of almost hate there, then maybe a flicker of fear. Why would Elisa be afraid of her. The glance did only last for a minute because the next time Floor looked in her direction, it was focused back on Aatu. "It's good to know that some of us got a second chance at a happy life."

Aatu's eyes shifted back from Elisa to the Pack. "What are you doing here?" His voice shook at the words, like he was afraid to really believe what was going on. "I mean, it's great to see you and all, but it still doesn't explain what you are doing here."

Eelis nodded. "We thought you were dead. We've been looking for you for months."

Elisa smiled. "I've been around too. I've been watching you all. I've seen how you've all grown and changed. You've held together through so much, but I'm afraid that it's not over yet." The snakes hissed at her feet. "We're so close," she whispered to the snakes. "So close, my darlings, just stay with me a little bit longer."

Floor knew what the wolves were doing. As long as they could keep Elisa talking, then she wouldn't attack them. It was actually a pretty brilliant plan and she hoped that Elisa didn't see right through it.

The wolves were all staring down at Elisa, who was still smiling sweetly at them. She really didn't' see through what they were trying to do. Either she was so trusting of them or she really didn't see what was going on. She probably thought that she had them completely beat and they were just trying to take their way out of a certain death. Granted, Floor didn't see how they were going to talk themselves out of this one. They were surrounded by snakes on an island in the middle of a magical land. Floor would say that they were the defeated ones.

Elisa smiled. "Now, I am afraid that we are going to have to cut this little reunion kind of short. I really am one to catch up, but we can't do that today. We have work to do. I hope you've all liked my games so far. I put a lot of time and energy into thinking them up, so that's why they were so good. You never even saw what was coming." She shook her head. "It's funny that you spent so much time looking in all the wrong places. All the answers were right in front of your face all this time. I bet you feel so stupid right about now."

Eelis frowned. "No, not really."

Elisa glared at him. "Don't kid yourself, Eelis, I know you're just saying that to make yourself feel better. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's not going to work." She turned and walked over the rocks were she sat down. "Now, I'm not going to leave you alone while you die. I think it's such a shame to die alone." She tapped her finger against the stone. "I've never known what it's like to die, but I've watched it enough. I'm sure it's quiet painful, at least when it's in my hands." Her laughter rang out. "Now, eat, my children."

Floor stared in horror as the snakes stared forward, their long fangs out. They were slowly creeping toward the group at a pace that was just downright scary. She tried to step back, only to step on someone's foot. She looked around, there was no way out. They had no hope. This was the end of all hope, the end of it all.

She tightened her grip on her gun. She could Aatu trying to talk to Elisa, as if he was trying to reason with her. Floor wanted to tell him just to kill her already. It was the only way that they were going to get out of this. He surely didn't believe that Elisa was going to let them walk out of this unharmed.

Elisa clapped her hands, the snakes stopped coming forward. Their little heads turned as one to look at Elisa, who was smiling broadly. "Come on, now, you didn't think I really kill you so quickly." She smiled at their open confusion. "Now, we have a lot to talk about." She reached behind her seat and pulled out another rock. "You must all be very confused, but I want to show you something. This is what you're world would had been like had I not got involved in your petty lives. I've actually given you the good life, if only you could see that." With a swipe of her hand, Floor's world changed.

Floor found herself in a small ball again on her bed. This seemed to be a normal position for her these days. She thought that maybe if she just stayed this way that her mother come upstairs, order Floor to get downstairs, and do something with her life. She kept waiting for that moment to happen and did not want to own up to the fact that it never would.

Her mother was dead and there was nothing that she could do to change that.

She hugged her pillow close and wished that she could erase that night. She had been at the club, more than likely only a few meters away from where the bite had taken place. She just stood there and danced lost in her own little world. She just stayed there completely unaware that her mother was being bitten by a werewolf.

It was just not any werewolf. She knew who it was and had even begun to think of him as a good person: Aku. Aku was the reason that her mother was no longer here with her.

Floor heard a knock on the door. She was not in the mood to talk to people, but knew that whoever it was would not wait to be invited in. She stared at the door and waited.

Sure enough, a few seconds later the door opened. Her mentor, Jukku , entered. "Your mother would not want you to be up here wasting away."

Floor pulled the pillow away. "Well, she is not here to tell me otherwise."

Jukku sat on the corner of young Hunter's bed. "Aye, but I am." He looked at Floor. "Your mother left a suicide note telling the police about depression problems. You and I know otherwise." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

Floor could see that her name was written on the front of it.

"Your mother asked me to read this to you, but I think that you should read it in private." Jukku offered her the envelope.

Floor reached for it and took it. Here was her mother's last words.

"After you read it, you need to destroy it." Jukku stood up. "You need to burn it and burn it good." He excited the room.

Floor opened the envelope slowly. She was unsure what her mother would have to say, but she also wanted to make this moment last. It was her mother's last words. Once the letter was destroyed, there would be no more of her for Floor to hold on to. Finally, she got the letter open.

Allison,

By the time you receive this, I am probably gone. It may look like I took the easy road out and you may think that. However, that is far from the truth and I just want you to know that. Life is never easy and death is harder. What I did was perhaps the most difficult thing that I had ever done in my life. No more fluff. It is time for you to learn the truth.

On the last full moon, Aku cornered me and bit me. I was unarmed and had done nothing to provoke the attack. He just came out of nowhere and attacked me. It was a full moon and I knew what was going to happen. I did not want to become a monster and kill people, to put you at risk. I knew what needed to be done. I did it to save lives.

I know that you believe that everyone has some good in them, but he does not. I do not want you to go on a revenge hunt, but I felt as if you deserved the truth and deserved to know what really went down. The world is cruel and not fair, but do not take it upon yourself to hunt Hale down. If you must, use backup.

Mum

Floor sat back. She knew what she had to do and she was going to do it. The sons were fighters, but the daughters were the leaders.

She bit the edge of her finger nail. She was supposed to be a leader. She looked around her room. There was no way that she could lead from here. She had to get up off her bed and fight.

Floor stood and walked slowly over to her desk. With one swift movement of one hand, she flung the contents of the desk top off unto the floor. Tears were running down her face. Derek, Derek, Aku was all that she could think of. She had to do this for her mother. She went over to her dresser and looked at the contents. There was a picture of her and her mother from last summer. She took her right arm and sent it flying to the floor, where the glass cracked and broke. She gripped the sides of the dresser. This was all Aku's fault and tonight she would not go unnoticed.

Tonight the Alpha was going down. Tonight was her chance. Tonight was her night.

She moved away from the dresser and went over to the bed. She knelt down and pulled a brown box. She sat back on her heels and took a deep breath. This was it. She opened the box and pulled out a crossbow. She slide an arrow out of a hidden compartment and loaded it. Step one was completed.

With a sigh, she stood up and headed to the garage where the rest of her family was waiting. She was doing this for her mother. Her mother's death would not go unpunished.

Floor reached the garage. Her father and grandfather looked up as she entered.

"Floor?" Esa asked looking at his daughter with concern.

"I am ready," she said in a strong voice.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Esa asked again. "Are you sure that it is not too soon?" Jukku loaded a shot gun. "The sooner the better." He stepped toward his granddaughter with a loaded gun. "You are ready for this and you know who is responsible."

Floor nodded. She was not going to look away. "Aku."

"Aye," Jukku said nodding.

"What about his Pack?" Esa piped in.

"Kill them," Floor said.

Floor looked around at the others, breathing hard. They all had lost expressions on their faces. Had they seen what she had or something different?

The only thing that she was certain of was Elisa's laughter, which just seemed to echo above them.