Chapter 16: Chapter 16
PAST
The old woman pushes her golden locks away and adjusts the bag on her shoulder. She has been walking for a while now and she is already getting tired because of the heavy load she is carrying.
She adjusts her bag again as she sights civilization. Waking up and eating in the forest is alright with her but she won’t miss a fine breakfast or is it lunch.
She has lost track of the time but the bright sun radiating on her indicates that it is still mid-day.
The laughter of the children becomes clearer as she steps into the land, her eyes flicking here and there to observe the surroundings.
Some people in the city watch the woman as she walks by the houses and they grip their children tightly, lock their doors and windows for safety.
She is human to them, an old horrible smelling human.
She walks slowly to a shop and as she enters, the bell above her head rings.
The shop owner looks up, frowning as he inhales the scent of the woman and also takes in her appearance.
He puts on a tight smile as he mind-links the alpha.
There’s a human in the territory, Alpha.
I’m on my way.
Then he speaks to the woman, “Is there anything I can help you with?”
The old woman busies herself with the artifacts in the shop,
Her hands trail an old looking structure and she asks, “Is this an antique store?”
The shopkeeper watchers her with keen eyes, “No, I sell snacks here. The structures are for the children. They are curious little things who needs something to wonder about.”
“Children… do you have one of your own?”
The shopkeeper eyes her again. She doesn’t look like the kind of person he should be giving information. He doesn’t even know who she is.
“Why don’t you buy something, you look starving.”
The woman walks to the counter and looks down at the transparent glass, “You sell sweets too?”
“Yes, the pu- kids love them,” He catches himself before he can reveal anything about them and his eyes moves around. He is getting really impatient.
Where is the alpha?
She pulls out a cupcake and sandwich, “These will be two dollars.”
The woman looks down at the items and her stomach grumbles, “Two dollars. I think I have that.”
She stuffs her hand into her pocket and takes out two silver coins and places it on the counter.
“Will that be enough?”
The man laughs nervously as he stares, “We don’t use coins again.”
She does look like she came from the sixties.
“But that is pure silver, they mean a lot in certain places.”
Exactly, certain places.
He man laughs again and gulps, trying to find a way to carry the coins without hurting himself.
He gives up with a sigh.
“Why don’t you just put your card in here, I will take the money through your bank.”
He pulls out an ATM machine and waits for the woman.
She tilts her head at him, “What’s that?”
He stare sat her like she has grown a double head, “It is a machine that customers use to pay when they don’t have money on them.”
“But I do have money on me,” She points to the coins still on the counter. The man can smell the silver on it, even if it is a mile away.
“That’s my money, my coins.”
The man sighs, trying to hide his frustration. He puts in the cupcake and stares at her, “How about now. The pay is only a dollar.”
The woman nods and carries a coin off the counter and puts it back in her pocket.
“There, now will you give me the sandwich.”
As the man is about to lose his cool, the bell rings as the door opens, signalling that there is another customer.
A little girl bounces into the shop, her grey eyes flicking through the artifacts before she walks to the counter.
“Good morning, Big E. I want a cupcake and an ice cream,” She goes on her toes and presses her face on the transparent glass, “Maybe another cupcake would be nice.”
He laughs.
She always does this when she comes by.
He grabs all she ask for and hands it to her.
Her little eyes looks down at the snack and then at the coin on the counter.
“What’s that?”
She tip toes and tries to reach it but he picks it up quickly and keeps a smile as it burns his palm.
“It’s the woman’s pay. Not for you to play with.”
The little girl turns to the old woman as the woman picks up the cupcake and give the man a smile.
“Thank you, big E.”
The little girl blinks and turns to the man who still has the coin in his palm, “Yes, thank you, Big E.”
The girl turns back to the old woman and tilts her head, “You look old. I have never seen anyone as old as you.”
“Really?”
The girl nods violently.
“You can come with me. I will show you where you can stay to eat.”
Before the shopkeeper can stop them, they walk out of the shop and he drops the coin on the counter in a hurry.
He looks at his burnt hands and back at the coin.
He has to find a place to destroy it before it hurts someone.
The little girl holds the woman’s skirt as she directs her to a bench.
As the woman sits down, the little girl speaks, “I will be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
The woman sits, amused as she watches the girl run away, her little feet making noises on the ground.
The woman is envious of her. She isn’t free to run around like she does, she has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, almost literally in a way.
She glances at her bag and the corner of her lips turns up in a smile.
Little feet paddles back to her and she raises her head to see the little girl as she stops to paint, holding her snack to her chest.
The old woman notices only one cupcake in her arms and her brows knits together.
“Where are the rest?”
She points at it and the girl looks down at her hands, “I gave them to my sister.”
The girl moves closer to the old woman and raises her snack to the woman’s lips.
“Eat.”
“Oh no, I have mine here. Thank you.”
The woman raises her and watch the little girl tilt her head as she raises her hands higher, “You need it more than I do.”
The woman hesitates but slowly takes the offered snack and thanks the little girl once again.
“You’re welcome.”
The girl sits beside her and watch the old lady eat.
It takes great effort for the girl to climb on the bench, all the while the woman keeps wondering if she should help her but when she looks down at her body and hands, all she see are stains.
She feels like she can’t taint the little girl with the dirt, the stains of the world. She is too little for that.
“Minerva!”
The dark skinned girl responds quickly when her name is called.
She recognizes the voice and her eyes moves to the arriving male.
“Alpha.”
She rushes down the bench with little to no effort and she hurries to him, dragging down the trousers of the man.
He places his hand on her hair and runs his fingers through it, his eyes never leaving the old woman.
Minerva is a girl that craves attention from him so when her little hands threatens to tear off his shirt all in the name of getting him to look down at her.
He laughs and does so, more than she expects.
He lowers himself down to her height and looks at her, almost at the same level.
“How about you go play with the others. I need to talk to the old lady.”
The corners of his eyes wrinkles as he watches her stare at lady who minds her own business as she bites down on her snack.
The girl turns to him and nods, “Only if you promise to not hurt her.”
He pulls out his pinkie and holds it in her direction.
“Pinkie swear?”
She eyes his extended finger and places her own it, “Finger swear!”
He laughs at her words.
“Now, run along.”
She doesn’t argue with him. She just runs over to the other direction and when she has gotten to a far distance, the shopkeeper emerges from his shop and sights his alpha as he stands on his feet and places his attention back on the old woman.
The alpha takes steps towards her as she takes her last bite and the shopkeeper follows behind him.
As he stops in front of her, she looks up at him.
“This is our mayor, miss,” The shopkeeper says the very thing he has been singing in his head since the old woman walked into the shop.
“He wants to welcome you to our pa- town.”
The woman eyes moves from the shop keeper to the man, wondering if he can speak for himself.
When he doesn’t say a thing but only stares at her, she stands to her feet, slowly dusting off her clothes and she picks up her bag, her very heavy bag.
“You don’t have to worry about that. I am already on my way.”
The silent man finally speaks up, “I can show you the way out.”
“I can show myself out, sir, after all I can here myself.”
The old woman gives the two men a smile and the shop keeper cringes at her appearance while the other man stares blankly at her.
Like she said, she came here on her own so she can find her way back.
With ease, she retraces her steps and when she finally arrives at the edge of the forest she came from, she stops and turns behind her.
“You can come out now.”
Her eyes stays on a particular bush and with hesitate, little Minerva steps out looking anything far away from guilty.
“You should head back to your home. The forest is very dangerous for little girls like you.”
“I know.”
The woman laughs, “Why did you follow me then?”
“You will protect me.”
The old woman smirks and winks at her, “Clever girl.”
“Will I ever see you again?”
“Let destiny decide.”
The little girl frowns at this but doesn’t have the time to say another word.
“Minerva!”
Hearing her name, she turns to the town but when she turns back expecting to see the old lady, no one is there. It is just the wind howling.
She smiles.
What a strange old lady.