“Now remember to put away your cushions in your own lockers. All rubbish to be placed in the bins aaaand I want all chairs up on the tables please, Mr. Williams will be in to clean our room while you are all home tucked in bed”, Gabby added, sucking in some air after her long sentence.
Standing herself, she replaced her own cushion back on her chair and sat down behind her desk, carefully placing her favourite childhood book in her desk drawer, locking it in place and then leaning back.
The end of the week had come quickly, and she was looking forward to going home and having a quiet weekend all to herself. Or she hoped, the last thing she needed was more trouble from her ex-boyfriend, or she should say vice-Principal slash ex-vice-principal boss!
“Jerk butthole!”
“Miss Rivers, that’s a naughty word”, said one of her little darlings, no doubt he’d said a few naughtier words in the playground thought Gabby looking up. Surprised.
She really should be more careful not voicing her thoughts, after all it had happened on more than one occasion.
Ignoring his statue like response Gabby just smiled, “Everyone go and get your school bags then sit on the floor”.
‘Oh! Moon Goddess I wish, I wish upon a star. How I wonder where you are... Bless me with a special moment, my dreams, my hopes, not near but far ...’
Gabby sighed, how wonderful it would be to be young and carefree. The childhood poem remembered often, spoken at the end of each week for as long as she could remember.
It was a once upon a time moment, long, long ago before she grew up and became lost in a world without family ...
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
“Okay children, no running, and no pushing Maria ...” Gabby said shaking her head at the little girl “... see you all on Monday”.
Gabby decided enough was enough. When her ex showed up unannounced once again by knocking on her front door, insisting Gabby let him in so he could take her out to dinner, she had lied and told Craig Leavers she was taking off for the weekend camping.
I'll prepared, throwing musty camping gear into the back of her sedan, Gabby had left without a backward glance.
Fool her! She had no food, no cooking equipment and no bedding. Just a swag, a summer sleeping bag, urgh! Her water bottle from school sitting between the two front seats and the clothes she was wearing.
Sporting only runners, her jeans, a jumper, t-shirt, and a parka thrown on the back seat.
To turn back now, Craig would have known. To drive to her favourite place, Craig would have known that also, so she changed directions and headed Westerly.
Maybe she may find a cheap bed and breakfast, a dingy motel to stay in for the night. Why she drove on through the evening she had no clue but she had a yearning for dense forest, running water and the sea.
“Shit, I forgot a towel!”
The radio no longer picked up any signals, her music was cutting in and out, there were no CD’s or tapes in her stereo, so she pushed the button and listened to the whining of the antenna as is retracted back into position.
According to her maps, when she had reception, the turn off should be up ahead. The last time she looked at her phone for directions was half an hour ago. Taking a chance, she indicated left and turned off the poorly made road and started driving down a makeshift dirt road that hadn’t been used in a while.
When was the last time she took a chance, endeavoured on her own like this. Never! Why? Because she was always dictated too and being hovered over like an inept child.
Craig was so overly attentive it was driving her bonkers, even if she did leave on a whim, at least it was her choice ...
“See, peace. Tranquility. I can sleep in my car or find a clearing if the night doesn’t get too cold”, she mumbled to herself, avoiding more potholes, the need to drive more slowly when the road decided to become narrower.
The dense foliage up above darkening her way as she got deeper into the unknown forest.
She didn’t even think about turning around, it was no longer an option, this was a one way, in and out kind of track.
‘Still a road’, she thought to herself, noticing the charge level of her battery and how low it was getting in her new hybrid car.
Craig might be right after all; she may actually be that inept child.
The sun had settled earlier, the coolness of the night started to take hold and Gabby had never felt so isolated in her entire life, but it was also thrilling to be so defiant.
No one would find where she was if she never made her way back - by car, walking was a long way but doable. However, she felt challenged, bold and a little nervous.
Driving just a little further in the dark, her high beams only illuminated so much ahead, to the left and right shadows were cast amongst the low ferns and greenery. Thank goodness there was a small patch of grass up ahead.
“The car it is”, she said pulling over as far as she could so she could make a three-point turn, on second thoughts make that a nine-point turn by the time she had finally parked in the direction she had just travelled, turning the ignition off to silence.
Utter silence.
No birds, no running water, not even a breeze.
Through the trees up above the full moon gleamed down, casting an eeriness around her.
‘I’ll leave in the morning’ she thought if she couldn’t find what she had come for.
Running water, a beach, she definitely got the dense forest.
Opening her door Gabby got out and stretched, found her feet in some soggy mossy slop then decided to get back into her car instead. The sleeping bag can see another adventurous day!
“In the morning I’ll go sight seeing”, she decided, grabbing her parka and covering her body when she reclined the front seat.
Her watch showed 8:45pm, it was too early for sleep and too dark to read, besides her phone had no reception to even contemplate watching anything so she lay there and closed her eyes.
The moon up above eventually lulling her to sleep.
Sleep was the last thing Gabby remembered hearing.
After Gabrielle and his sentinels set fire to the dismembered bodies they made their way back to the pack house, not in the least tired but instead confused.
“What did the Moon Goddess promise?” asked Bark holding his mates hand as they walked up the front steps, wearing the spare clothes they left pocketed around the grounds in case of emergencies.
“I’ll see you inside”, Gabe said ignoring the question for now as he headed for the back entrance where he’d left his good jeans and shirt.
“Are we at least going to contact Paxon Pack? Let them know what was said and what happened to the intruders?”
“I’m exceptionally tired for some reason, you can contact the Alpha at Paxon, let him know what happened. You can meet me in the morning and talk logistics”, Gabe said waving his hand over his head before disappearing around the side of the building.
The sturdy, stone structure was built after the original logged site was ravaged by a fire, close to ten years ago. The inside had been gutted and all past history was lost. When the main walls were deemed to unsafe to repair, an improved and well thought out structure had been built in its place.
Gabrielles father when he was alive insisted a well-hidden, safe room be built for the yougions and the pups. The women who weren’t adept in the art of fighting, or were trained as a medic and those women who were pregnant stayed behind.
While the rest protected their Alpha, each other, and their home at Deep Water territory.
Gabrielle ran his hand along the stone walls, remembering the hard labour as he climbed each step that led to his room. His father’s confidence in his ability as a stone mason, his son, his heir.
“Too many moons ago”, he muttered climbing higher until he reached the top level. At the very end of the passageway was his room, behind each door reading rooms, playrooms, children’s bedrooms ...
‘Moon Goddess what of these fables. What of this madness? Who dare come and speak intrigue and madness upon my land. I beseech thee’, Gabrielle said in his mind before opening the door to his private quarters.
Her divine light guiding his way like usual, shinning a beam through his open window.
Showering quickly, Gabe walked naked to his bed and slid between the linen sheets, the moon up above lulling him to sleep.
Sleep was the last thing Gabrielle remembered hearing.
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