It’s night time, and the only sounds that could be heard was the sound of the cool breeze swishing past. Walden is all alone in his bedroom, his eyes are wide awake, and he’s thinking, unable to sleep. It’s been like this for him; getting worse after the rejection, and months after Sandy left.
He got up from his bed then, maybe a cold shower would do. The feel of the water running down his skin always helped to calm his nerves. It might not bring sleep to his eyes, but it would go a long way in bringing him some much-needed relaxation.
After taking off his night clothes, he stepped into the shower cubicle and turned the water on. As it was night, he never expected to hear any other noises apart from the rushing water, until…
“Alpha Walden…”
Walden jumped. That torturous voice, the voice that has taken away his sleep for so many months since his sister left. That voice that won’t leave him alone. The voice of the man he killed over a year ago, the voice echoed again, louder this time.
“Alpha Walden.”
No! NO! Walden closed the tap before placing both his hands to cover his ears. It can’t be back again. No! This… this is just a dream… this isn’t real, but why does it feel so…?
“Alpha Walden!”
“LEAVE ME ALONE!!!”
Silence, a little moment of silence to make Walden believe that the voice was gone, until it came again.
“Why? Alpha Walden? Why?”
It’s just a dream. None of this is real!! Wake up, Walden! Please, wake up. He tried pinching himself, literally begging himself to wake up from one of these nightmares that had tortured his mind for so long. He wished for it to be a bad dream, but why is it that as time passes, the dreams seem to be getting closer to reality?
The voice came closer to where he stood, he could feel the spirit’s presence, and even for a mighty alpha, Walden cowered like a rat.
“Please! Just stay away from me!!! Stay the hell away from me!!!”
The spirit was right in front of the cubicle. He could see it through the glass; the voice was coming from the chopped off head which sat on the hand of the decapitated owner whose clothes were completely soaked in blood. Walden’s mind had never remained the same since the first day he saw this spirit.
“Why? Alpha Walden, why?”
“I didn’t… I didn’t mean to,” he stuttered. “I swear that I didn’t mean to kill you. Please, forgive me,” Walden begged, closing his eyes, not wanting to see what was standing in front of him any longer. He felt as if he was losing his mind.
The next sound he heard was loud but slow squeaking noises, as the door to the cubicle was being opened.
“No, no, no!!! Please. I beg you. Don’t hurt me, please… I swear that I didn’t mean to kill you! I thought you were the enemy. I thought you were the evil one. I never knew that you were innocent. I am sorry!!! Please, don’t hurt me.”
The voice only came closer, soon Walden heard slow footsteps approaching him.
“I asked you why, alpha Walden.”
“I’ve told you everything. I had no evil mind against you. I did it because I thought I was protecting my people. I made a mistake and I acknowledge it as a leader, please… don’t hurt me.”
Silence. The footsteps stopped. Maybe the spirit had heard, maybe the spirit had understood his words, the reason for his decisions. When Walden thought that it was all over, when he thought that he could look up now, the blood on his face drained when he saw the expression Conor’s spirit gave him.
“Never! I will never forgive you! You will join me alpha Walden, I promise you, I will not rest until you join me.”
“No!!! please. I beg of you! PLEEEASEEE!!!!!”
This was too much; the torture, the psychological damage this spirit was causing him. Walden shut his eyes again, crouching down to the cold slippery floor with both his hands covering his ears.
But the spirit didn’t stop; instead, it’s other unoccupied hand then dug into the pocket of its blood-stained trousers and brought out a dagger; the same dagger Walden accused him of being in possession of when he was still alive, right before his execution.
“Remember this, alpha Walden?”
Walden looked up then, and back down again. How could he forget what he’d done? How could he forget the mistakes he’d made? All because of the blind eye he turned towards Samara’s actions, these mistakes were haunting him now.
Please, wake up Walden. Let this be a dream. Let all of this go away now…
“Please don’t hurt me.
*I will not rest until you join me.
I will not rest until you join me.
I will not rest until you join me.*
“Arrggghhhhhhh!!!!!! Then do it already! Stop torturing me like this and just take what you want! Even if it’s my life,” Walden surrendered.
*I will not rest until you join me.
I will not rest until you join me.*
“Arrrgghhhhhhh!!!!!! Arrrgggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Arrghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!”
Walden’s screams continued, and so did the voice of the ghost. He screamed and screamed, yelling, crying out, until the sound of his own voice woke him up from a horrible nightmare.
**********
Mistakes are natural, and so are regrets. The goddess never created a perfect wolf, they all say, for in their imperfections, these creatures find strength, love and happiness to live fulfilled lives. However, this is not the case for alpha Walden of the silver pack, whose mistakes have left him broken, battered and lonely. His mind has been torturing him for months, and all because of the mistakes he’s made in the past, he might end up losing his sanity, and then eventually, his life.
He regrets all of the actions he made in favor of Samara, but regrets have no use now, even after her death.
The sleepless nights keep coming, and if Walden manages to get any sleep at all, it would be saturated with nightmares revealing the spirit of the innocent man he killed more than a year ago.
He is tired, he wants to give up, he wants to give his life if that is what will finally appease the spirit., but it seems that the spirit doesn’t want to kill him just yet, it wants to make him suffer. It derives pleasure in seeing Walden screaming like a mad man every night, begging for his life.
This has to stop. Walden is fed up, and now he knows that there is only one way to stop this, to end all of this once and for all to satisfy all that are involved.
He will be taking his life.