Wolf Of The Past: Spirit Of The Wolf, Book 1

Nicole stared at the picture of the happy family they’d once been. Smiling faces stared back at her, mocking her. She experienced a stab of pain when another unexpected sob wracked her body, but she’d cried all her tears already. She pulled the pillow closer to her chest and sighed, staring blankly at their photo. She remembered the day they’d taken it before Billy left home. She’d been happy then, with a brother and two loving parents. They weren’t her real family, but they’d seemed natural enough to her.

The clock beeped, bringing her back to the present. The meeting would be starting soon, and she had to go. She hadn’t contributed much before, but things were different now. She owed them to keep their work alive, even if they couldn’t.

Nicole walked toward the old brick building with determination. This was the first time she’d been back since… the accident. Some of the windows were broken and boarded up, and all carried layers of dirt that were several years old. It didn’t look much from the outside, faring only mildly better on the inside – but it was all the Smithsdale Environmental Society had for the moment.

The SES was relatively new and was one of her parents’ pet projects before their deaths. Although it hadn’t done much so far, it had found a good following among the local college students. It allowed them to get involved in something meaningful.

She reached for the door handle and paused, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. She glanced around but saw nothing unusual. She was probably just paranoid, but once in a while, she had the distinct impression she was being watched. Then again, everyone felt like that sometimes, so she was probably no different to anyone else. With that reassurance, she shrugged it off and opened the door.

The musty smell in the interior of the building hit her instantly. She’d forgotten how bad it was. Her parents never paid much attention to keeping up the place. They were always too wrapped up in what they were doing. She needed to talk to John about airing the place out. Nicole concentrated on breathing through her mouth as she looked around. Dim light filtered in through the broken, partially covered windows. There was just enough light to see the dust motes in the air, and the cobwebs lined the windows. The room was large, with a rickety stage at the far end. Between the door and the stage were several rows of rusting, fold-up chairs, and she noticed that the chairs were filling fast, with the first five rows already entire. At least attendance was still up.

“Hey, Nicole! Good to see you again,” a young voice said behind her. Nicole glanced back at the girl and recognized her as one of the regulars at the SES meetings. She nodded to the girl and turned away. “Sorry about what happened to your parents. If you need anything, just let me know,” the girl announced before walking over to the other side of the room and starting another conversation.