Savior of the Wolves

Jess's POV

“It’s my birthday! Today may begin a little scary but I have it in me to get away from here. I’ve planned this. I can do this. This day will finally end with what I deserve. What my mom would want for me...a celebration.”

I suddenly felt excited to open my eyes and see what my new life was going to look like. Years of fear slowly being replaced with hope.

My alarm was sounding off and I slid my hand over to turn it off.

But it kept beeping.

I shot up in the bed in an absolute panic.

There was pain. Everywhere. “Why do I hurt? Why can’t I see?”

I reached up to my face and I remembered. The blindfold. I frantically began ripping it off my face, but whimpers escaped at the sudden pain at the light from the room. My vision was blurry and everything looked cloudy and clumpy.

“Hey there. It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re safe,” I heard a woman’s voice calmly say to me.

My head jerked towards the voice as I shook. “What’s wrong with my eyes?”

The woman hesitated, clearing her throat, and said, “You were hurt. Your eyes are bloodshot and as soon as the blood dissipates, you’ll be just fine.” Her voice was kind, but I shook again when I felt her gentle pat on my arm.

Her voice seemed to grow even softer as she said, “Can I put the gauze back over your eyes? I promise it will help with the headache...and the healing.”

“I guess so,” I said as my head pulsed.

The lady leaned in with the gauze to place it back over my head. Her hands looked like shadows approaching my face and everything came back to me.

I threw my hands up to guard my face.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” she pleaded. “Call for Ethan,” she said behind her back.

“Where is he?” I screamed.

“Who dear?” she asked urgently.

“My father!” I cried. My hands were out in front of me, still warding off any approach.

“He’s not here and you’re safe. You’re in the infirmary and nothing bad is going to happen to you.” I could hear the voice getting closer as she spoke. She reached for my hands this time and held them softly in hers. She wasn’t holding my hands to confine me, she was comforting me. And I felt safe.

I haven’t felt a touch that gentle in...a really long time. She eased my anxiousness and I somehow felt as though I could trust her even though that feeling felt foreign to me.

“I’m going to let go of your hands, and put the bandages back on, okay? But I’m not going anywhere, I’m just going to pull up a chair. Is that okay?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied, lowering my hands as I could see her come closer. She gently placed the gauze over my eyes again. She was right. The brain-splitting pain was nearly gone now.

I jerked my head to the side as I heard another noise from across the room.

“Ethan, our guest is awake...and a little frightened.”

“I’m sure she is,” the kindest voice slightly echoed from across the room.

I could hear footsteps coming closer and instinctively began to sit up with urgency. Ready to defend myself. I grimaced as wires and tubes pulled at my arms.

“I’ll stay back here. After what you’ve gone through young lady, you deserve some breathing room.” I could almost see the warm smile in his tone. “We’ll take this at your pace. Don’t worry about a thing.”

Suddenly, a wash of calm flooded over me. Something about his voice was strong yet comforting. My worry vanished in a second.

I trusted him too.

Was this some kind of a dream where I was hurt and my body’s defense mechanism was producing this alternate state where I could stay peacefully in until it was all over? Like a purgatory.

“Am I dead,” I asked finally.

The gentle voice tried to muffle his laugh, “Most definitely not. I think you’re a bit too strong for that. You have quite a bit of fight in you I hear,” he said knowingly which made me curious about what he meant. But as my memories consecutively resurfaced, I felt as though I should be more panicked, but oddly I wasn’t at all.

“I remember bits and pieces...my father...did this to me,” I had to swallow my rage to finish, “but I don’t know how I got here.”

“That was your father?” the kind voice confirmed.

The rage stuck in my throat like I might choke on it, and I could only nod my head.

After all this time, I finally told someone something. I had remained under that monster’s control for so long and today...this very second...I finally was able to tell a person...that he hurt me. It felt like a weight was lifted. Like this was the first step to never seeing that man again.

“Well, one of my relatives heard a yell and we found you and brought you here.”

“I thought I was going to die,” I said aloud, but more to myself as I remembered my last thoughts. I remembered my final blows at him. Falling on the ground. I remembered something else...a peace.

Then a growl. Like animals were in the woods. But I was so beaten at that point, my mind must have been playing tricks on me.

Then, even though I knew it wasn’t important after what I’d gone through, a thought entered my mind again. I had made a promise to my mom that I would celebrate. I would celebrate for me…but ultimately for her. “How long have I been here?” I asked, holding back tears.

“Three days,” the man answered,

I felt my lip quiver. I felt so childish, selfish even, letting myself get so emotional over a birthday. But this one was supposed to be the one he didn’t get to ruin...and I missed it.

I could feel tears break a barrier that I couldn’t contain. I became lost in my thoughts. Heartbroken in a way.

The bandage still on my eyes, I felt alone in my pain for a moment. So many ideas flooded my thoughts. I had played out scenarios of just how I’d celebrate this birthday. Not one of them had been made possible.

I could feel my head shaking back and forth as I scolded myself. I would not let him ruin another day of mine. Not another second.

I had survived him.

And as I sat in my silence for a minute longer, I realized that the voice near me, these people, they gave me this birthday away from him. I began to remind myself that I was okay. He had tried to kill me…on my birthday. And even though I had thought that this would be my first birthday I could celebrate, it ended up being my first safely away from him. I had to tell myself over and over…that was my entire goal in the first place. The ultimate birthday wish had, in a way, come true. It wasn’t at all the way that I had planned it. But…I was free.

“Are you okay?”

I sniffled a few times. I tried to avoid it, but I felt embarrassed to ask for a tissue.

“Yes. I just realized how much I owe you and everyone else here. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

“Well,” the sweet voice said with an obvious smile, “you just did.”

I could tell the man turned away from me as his voice was harder to hear, then a woman responded with a quiet “thank you” to him. He had been complimenting them for taking such great care of me.

Then as if he surprised himself, his voice rose a bit. “I almost forgot to ask your name.”

I smiled and quickly regretted it as I flinched, raising my hand to my lip.

I could feel that it was scabbed over and swollen. Maybe it was better that I couldn’t see right now. I must look a fright, I thought.

“Jessica. I mean, just Jess,” I replied almost stuttering.

“Well, Jess. You are safe here. Please don’t worry. It’s important that you rest to get stronger and make a full recovery. If you need anything, send for me. My name is Ethan. I’ll see to it personally,” his voice spoke softly.

Even with the jumbled thoughts, and two thousand questions swirling around in my head, I found my body relaxing, my shoulders sinking down. I could finally take a deep breath.

Somehow, I was certain that I was finally safe.

I was relishing my reaction to kind words for a change when another sound broke the short silence. A door maybe.

“Son, I’m glad you’re here. She just woke up,” Ethan spoke softly.

Silence engulfed the room, and I wondered if the last few minutes had indeed been a mind trick. Was I actually still lying on the floor in the woods?

“You look so much stronger.” I shuddered instantly at the voice that spoke just inches away from me.

“Fu...” The word was interrupted by Ethan’s throat clearing. “I mean…I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

It was the most beautiful voice I had ever heard. I hardly wanted to reply at all just to hear more from him.

It was so comforted by it.

I felt an instant urge to rip off the blindfold to look at him, but I knew I was safer hiding behind it.

That voice. I searched my mind...why did it sound familiar? “I know your voice.” The words escaped my lips before I could stop them.

“I brought you here,” he said slowly.

“I remember...some,” I hung on the last word. Thoughts reeling in my head as though trying to put the moments of time together. There had been a sweet voice after I thought I’d died in the woods. The voice seemed like a dream now that I thought about it. But he had really been there.

I remember feeling safe with him. And now, he was here...standing next to me.

“Do you remember how you got here?” The care in his question made me almost want to answer it.

“Um,” the voice I had come to recognize as Ethan’s began, “I’ll fill you in on some of those details later if that’s okay with her.”

I was relieved to not think about it again. And quite touched that he asked for my permission.

I nodded.

I heard his nervousness as he cleared his throat and asked softly, “How are you feeling?”

I thought about saying “better” or “tired but good” ...any choice of words that went with my physical condition, which I was pretty sure he was asking about. But for some reason, the truth just blurted out instead.

“Thankful.”

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