Ashton Daigle

They were all woken shortly after dawn by a terrible clamor. Rakov was up first, fumbling for his glasses as Jesse sat up and peered around in the dimly lit room, trying to get his bearings.

The chaos was coming from inside Namid’s cell. The strong smell of urine, heavy and ammonia-like immediately filled their nostrils, and Namid’s growls and snarls echoed off the hollow walls. She’d torn up the featherbed, and feathers flew everywhere, floating dreamily as Namid screamed and growled.

“What on earth?” said the kid, as he woke too.

Seeing they were now awake, Namid launched herself at the bars, grasping them madly with both hands, trying to shake them loose.

“Out, out,” she screamed at them, low and guttural.

It almost didn’t even sound human.

“It looks as if she’s remembered a new word,” Rakov said, standing there, staring at her impassively.

“Out, out,” she continued. “Namid out. Out. Out. Out now. Namid out now.”

Not even thinking, Jesse began to take a step forward, but Rakov caught him by the wrist.

“Are you mad?” he asked.

“No,” Jesse said. “I wasn’t going to let her out.”

“Hat, hat,” she said, panting, but also trying to smile.

But it wasn’t a smile; it was a grim and terrible parody of a smile and her face looked cracked, distorted and animal like in the dim light.

“Hat, hat pretty,” she said, this time almost cooing. “Pretty hat. Pretty Namid. Hat, hat. Jesse hat. Jesse love. Out. Out. Out.”

She dropped dramatically to the floor, lying against the bars, panting, and them whining, whimpering like a puppy. Tears, true tears filled her eyes and she sobbed and continued to form words.

“Out, Namid out,” she said, half sobbing, half snarling.

Rakov stepped closer to the cell, trying to near enough to inspect her.

“She’s highly agitated,” Rakov said.

“That’s the understatement of the damned year Rakov,” Jesse muttered. “What the hell is her problem?”

“I do not know,” said Rakov, befuddled. “It seems her vocabulary is coming back, astoundingly so. But, at the same time she’s also regressing. It is almost as if the two halves of her; one human, the other feral, are fighting for control.”

“That sounds like a living hell Rakov, isn’t there something you can do for her?” Jesse asked. “Give her another shot or something.”

“How about I give you the needle and let you walk in there with her,” Rakov said, raising his eyebrows skeptically at Jesse.

“Point taken,” Jesse said. “I’m still not happy about it.”

“Either am I,” Rakov said, walking even closer to the cell.

Namid saw him approaching and she leaped up, excited, panting harder, yipping as she did, excited.

“Yes, out,” she said, smiling, truly smiling this time. “Out, out. Namid out.”

But when Rakov did not move closer she looked crestfallen, and whimpered again, the sounds coming from her not human, but animal.

“Please out,” she said, smiling broadly again, knowing she had used another new word; thinking the new words would please the men enough for them to free her.

Still, Rakov did not budge and he continued to stare at her impassively.

“Out, out,” she said again. “Namid out please,” she continued to urge. And then, when this drew no reaction, she grabbed the bars again furiously and snarled, enraged, “Out now,’ so loudly and so furiously that spittle and drool flew from her lips, landing on Rakov’s lapel.

Rakov, though, drew himself more upright, letting his bulk fill her vision and then he stepped forward and screamed back at her, “Back.”

It startled her. For a brief instant, it looked as if she were going to cry, but she regained her composure, never having let go of the bars and snarled back at Rakov defiantly, “No. Out. Out now.”

It was sobering and disturbing and Rakov backed up, not quite sure what to do next.

“Hurt you,” she said, lowly, barely loud enough for them to hear. “Namid out. Hurt you.”

“Nobody is going to hurt anybody,” Jesse said. “Why don’t we all just calm down here?’

Namid shook her head yes, though, furiously.

“Namid hurt you Jesse,” she said. “Namid out. Namid out or hurt you.”

She returned to the middle of the cell and sat, whimpering again, then crying.

“Namid not want,” she said, sobbing now uncontrollably. “Not want hurt you Jesse love. Namid out, or Namid hurt you.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jesse muttered. “I can’t take this.”

“No,” said Rakov, whispering lowly to Jesse now. “Go, go walk, go get breakfast. She is very convincing, but we cannot let her out. Not like this.”

Jesse nodded and walked outside.

This continued until well past noon. And by that time, all three men were stir crazy and felt crazy and sick in their own minds and hearts.

“It is horrible,” Rakov said. “It is terribly heartbreaking.”

“I ain’t never seen anything like this in my life,” said the kid, who had been crying.

“I swear to everything that is holy that when we do get that wolf, it’s gonna wish Garvey had got it first,” said Jesse.

“Out, out, out please, Namid out, Namid pretty, Namid out,” she continued muttering, almost in a chant.

Finally, shortly after three or four, she’d worn herself out. She was hoarse, exhausted, and panting, she laid down and fell into a deep fitful slumber.

“Thank God,” Jesse said, as he rose from his chair.

Rakov was already up, packing his bag and filling his ammunition pouch, preparing for the hunt. Jesse did too, hoping that going through the motions, the routine of preparing for the hunt, would somehow ease the heaviness of his heart, but it didn’t.

About a half hour later, they were ready to leave.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay alone with her?” Jesse asked the kid.

“I’m sure,” said the kid, but his body language certainly didn’t exude confidence. “I won’t fail you Mr. Jesse. I mean Jesse. I swear to God.”

“You’ve seen how convincing she can be,” Rakov said. “But under absolutely no circumstances are you to unlock that cell. In fact, I have half a mind to take the keys with me.”

“You can,” said the kid. “I don’t mind. Nor would I think any less of you, nor think you thought less of me.”

“It’s not what we think of each other,” Rakov said. “You have my complete trust young man. But she has tricks. She’s learning, remembering language at an astounding rate. It is very possible, even likely that her arguments may become to sound more human, more rational. But regardless, do not open that cell. I don’t care if she goes into labor right there in the middle of the cell, do not open that door.”

This got the kid’s attention and he looked a little squeamish.

“You don’t think she’ll give birth right there, tonight do you?” the kid asked.

“No, from the tests I ran yesterday and her size, I believe she’s only at half term,” Rakov said. “But if she keeps placing this enormous amount of stress on herself it could be unhealthy for the baby. It could force premature delivery.”

“Maybe you should give her a shot before we leave Rakov,” Jesse suggested.

“I considered it, but I think natural rest is best for her now,” Rakov said. “Too many sedatives aren’t good for the baby either.”

“Now look,” said Jesse. “We’re not going to be out late. We’ll get to the creek before dusk, sit there about an hour and then head on back. We shouldn’t be much later than eight.”

The kid nodded and Rakov and Jesse walked out and climbed up on their horses.

“Good hunting fellas,” the kid said.

“Yeah, I’d like to be done with this tonight if possible,” Jesse said.

With that, they rode off.

Clint and Harry watched from the saloon across the street.

“They’re leaving now,” Clint said. “That means the girl is alone with the kid.”

“I guess it’s time for us get on then,” Harry said.

“Ain’t you got a lick of sense in your head,” Clint said. “It’s still light out. Give it some time, we’ll go at dark.”