Capture
Chapter 2: Trapped

Panting over the alarm system Neema attempted to gain her breath as the ringing of the alarm permeated throughout the walls of the cave, jarring everybody from their silent slumber. A clanging noise came from the opening of the cave as metal shutter snapped shut, barricading the entrance with rusting black walls, as if they would stop the wolves from reaching their hunt. The black shutters were flimsy at best, but to the wolves were probably like paper, something they could smash through with very little effort.

The alarm was stupid, it had probably sealed their fate more than it had saved anyone, but Neema still found herself clinging to the box as if it could save them. Nothing could.

The sound continued to blear through the walls, providing the wolves with a beacon to their location, if they did not already know. Hundreds of village members found themselves staggering into the long corridors. They were disoriented and confused, they did not quite understand the detrimental situation that they were all in. They were under attack; their freedom was flitting through their fingers before they could do anything to stop it. Before they could really appreciate the warped freedom they had.

Neema wanted to warn them, encourage them to move faster but her words were stuck in her throat. Her mouth was dry and she struggled to inhale.

Once she was in control of her body, her surroundings snapped into focus and she realized her thin fingers were clinging to a metallic inanimate object and not her siblings. Siblings that she had left in a room alone. Alone! Caillum and Jana would be panicking because of her absence and the loud shrieking noise the system was making. Her feet moved and before she even realised what she was doing, she was fiercely shoving people out of her way. She had more important things to do then encourage them to move faster. She had sounded the warning and now it was their choice on how to respond. Her duty was done and now she had to get back to her room.

A red flashing light kept blinking throughout the corridors, bathing the walls and her skin in red. More colour, but the red was a marker. A reminder of the blood they would shed for this small slither of freedom they clung to.

Pushing through the red tinted people Neema began the quick jog back to her room, dodging the chaos that ensued within the narrow corridors. Violently pushing the obstructing people out of her way. She was desperate, and in her desperation she became feral. Barring her teeth at confused people who were clenching towards the walls in huddles. Huddles that formed like hurdles she couldn’t jump over. Instead she barreled through them causing them to tumble in her wake. The People were stoic and frantic at the same time, but they’re no longer her concern. Her two siblings were and they needed her now.

Barging through their bedroom door, Neema was greeted with the picture of her brother’s young body clasping a frightened Jana to his heart whilst stroking her frazzled bed hair. Her sorrowful sobs and his glacial eyes reminded Neema of how badly she continued to fail them. How their little minds must have wandered where she had gone, especially Caillum. Had he wondered if she was another family member he had lost. She had to do better by them.

The two young children were the only reminders of her mother and father, and as their last surviving relative she always felt an extra need to protect them from the harsh world they lived in. Acting as the only mother Jana knew, she always wanted to shelter them from the dangers ahead, but she knew their time of safety was over. If she had ever provided them with safety to begin with. The walls of this village could be as cruel as the world outside.

Stumbling across the room to the sight of her scared siblings, Neema grasped their young bodies into her tight embrace. Stroking Caillum’s hair while pressing tiny kisses to Jana’s forehead to help soothe the storm within their young hearts.

“Don’t worry my loves, things will be fine” she reassured them, but her voice held no conviction to her ears. Her normally mellow voice wavered and her heart pounded with the fear that flowed through her veins but Neema would not cry in front of her siblings. Blanketing out all signs of fear she placed them back on the bed before she began pacing through the room gathering items they would need for their travel. The few items they had at their disposal. The few items she had to fight tooth and nail to protect from other wandering eyes... and hands. Always hands.

“What’s going on Neeya” Caillum murmured as his teary eyes penetrated her stoic gaze, the use of her nickname brought a smile to her face before it was quickly replaced.

“There is no time to explain but we have to go now” said Neema as she ran around the room grabbing what little of their belongings she could fit into her small satchel.

She threw a couple of protein bars into her small bag with a spare top for each person, while she told Caillum to put shoes on. Placing shoes on the trembling Jana, the screams and shouts of her village began to penetrate over the alarm reminding her that time was not their friend. Placing a coat on each child, she gathered little Jana in her arms whilst grasping Caillum’s small hand and pulling him along behind her. Taking one last glance behind her Neema committed to memory the walls of her sanctuary and prison before she braced herself for the troubles ahead.

Peeking her head out of her room, the once boisterous crowd of scared people where dwindling down the corridors towards the back of the cave. Watching the tumbling crowd Neema noticed that the further they delved into the cave the narrower the corridors got. She grabbed her brother’s hand and readjusted Jana in her arms. For a moment Neema thought about making her walk as well but quickly dismissed the idea as soon as she thought it. Jana was nearly three and although she could walk well, her little legs wouldn’t meet the fast strides of Neema and the jogging of Caillum. It also didn’t help, that they barely ate any food of value, Neema had been able to scrounge up a couple of protein bars and they ha been living off them for god knows how long but it wasn’t enough. Neema often missed meals to give them what food she could but they were growing children, they needed food of the earth. Not processed food that had been in tiny little wrappers for gods only knew how many years. Meat was hard to come by, and no one hand it out for free. Everything was give and take. Always taking.

Quickly grabbing the thin holey blanket from her bed, Neema tied Jana to her front so she would have full mobility of both arms. She slung the small travel bag on her back and followed her brother down the corridor. She didn’t know how she was still moving, but the adrenaline pumping through her body gave her life and drowned out the gnawing hunger pains of her depleted stomach.

Villagers had gathered in clumps at the back of the cave, forming a large crowd of shuffling and sniffling people. Everyone pushing and shoving at each other in their bid to escape but, the tunnel delved no further. People bared their teeth at each other like the wild animals they tried to escape. Nails sharpened as they sliced at each other, pushing, shoving, pinching. Where was the “community ethic” now that they were under attack. It was dead and buried just like all those women and children who had died from starvation because of greed. The wolves were to blame but so where these humans. They spoke of community, but it was a dog eat dog world unless you were a bitch in heat. A female would be saved if she would give up what little she had, her body for food, but for what end, to preserve her temple so it could be ravished by the hand that fed her. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Neema refused and that was why she now barely stood along the carnage of these people. Her body was heavy like lead, she felt sluggish and could barely muster enough consciousness to stop the panic. The panic that caused her to grip Caillum’s hand tighter and bury her face in Jana’s neck.

The village had failed again. They had barricaded people into a cave that had no other exit. It was ludicrous, stupid even and exactly something these foolish people would do. They were nothing like her home village, but there was a comfort in numbers. She could strike out alone, or cling to this corrupt community. It was either stay and be caught together, or leave and be caught by herself because where else could she go but back to her room.

Capture was inevitable.

Their cruel masters were coming and they were trapped like caged animals.

Oh how the roles had reversed. The humans were buried under ground like they were the fox in a fox hunt and the wolves burned and shot at the ground above them. All so they could have their trophy to place on their mantel. The irony was not lost on Neema.

They were truly the beasts they transformed into. The wolves only knew the hunger of their beast and the need to dominate. They were the holders to the keys of hell. Purely putrid in every way imaginable, and they were crashing at the gates of the compound. Heavy thuds ricocheted off the metal barricades. They were much more durable than Neema could have ever imagined but their fall was fast approaching.

The whimpers of her village people began to grow as the clanging of the metal rattled their hearts with fear and despair. With no visible exit they would be swallowed into the bottomless pit of wolf society, eaten alive and then spat back out. Until all that was left were bones for the wolves to grind on.

Neema refused to lose hope but she could feel surrender slowly seeping into her heart, like the water seeped along the damp cave walls. Slowly traveling downwards until they clung in puddles on the floor. Doubt ebbed into her until it too, pooled into her being.

A shuffling at the front trampled in the pool of doubt until it drained from her body, replaced by hope. Hope, because movement from the front of the crowd was felt. Her body unconsciously drifted forwards, the shuffling at the front of the crowd began carrying her and her sibling’s forwards. Not understanding how they were moving forward when she knew they had reached a dead end, she pushed up on the tips of her toes to see what was happening. From what she could see the rock wall at the back was some sort of hidden exit that when a lot of pressure was applied to it, it opened. As if it were some hidden trap door, their hidden saviour.

Sucking in a breath of relief she began pushing the people in front of her, the pressure applied seemed to make the passage way to their freedom open wider. Although the exit was very small compared to the corridors they stood in, it was wide enough for 2 people to walk through at the same time. Stumbling forward, Neema patiently waited her turn to enter through the door. Her eyes constantly flicking forwards and then back towards the corridor they had come from. She could hear the metal doors of the village clanging, sharp nails clicking against the cool metal. She could almost see it in her mind. Their muzzles slick with saliva as their teeth and nails pulled at the bars. A loud thud was heard accompanied by the scampering of nails along rocks.

The wolves were inside... But her family were not.

As fast as she could with the people ahead of her, she pushed her way through. Her sore fingers dug into Caillum’s shoulder as she shoved him through the crowd. Their bodies weaving through the dwindling people. A haze fell over her as she challenged anyone to dare try and stop her, she was wild like a mother bear protecting her cubs. The people were in a frenzy, clawing and climbing over each other to try and get inside.

The wolves galloping closer. She could hear their paws clapping against the floor as if they were already applauding their victory.

Looking back Neema saw one of the village hunters Victus, ushering in the last of the villagers. When the last man and woman was in, he signaled for more hunters to assist him in pushing the rock wall closed on them. There was an urgency to their moves, strong muscles tensed with the weight of the wall as they tried to force it closed. More people climbed over, sweating as they struggled to force the heavy stone door shut.

Neema stood by watching them, her feet stuck as more and more men fought against the door.

One wolf stood out from the rest. His regal head bore sharp teeth that dripped with saliva. Paws beating against the ground. Faster and faster.

It was a battle against time.

Yellow gleaming eyes staring her down, taunting her. Sharpened canines bared in anger. The wolf’s muscles strained as it sprinted down the dark corridor, its claws slapping a steady rhythm into the floor as it quickly approached.

The door thudded closed as the wolf propelled itself into the wall. A resounding thud shook Neema from her thoughts as the hypnotic effect of those poignant yellow eyes was broken by the sound. She could hear the feral growling of the wild animal outside the corridor as it continued to slam its body into the wall.

She could almost see those Yellow eyes as if the wolf was in the room with them.

Those eyes with the haunting promise of suffering.

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