Post by Eliora on Jul 18, 2021 4:55:53 GMT -5
In the dead of night, it was only a bit quieter than normal. With no sun to cook them, it felt so much cooler. Without a sound a lonely soul roamed the halls almost aimlessly, though his feet and his heart knew where to take him. There were others on patrol and watching over the territory and making rounds within to caverns but when they laid eyes on the big cat, they were sure to give it a wide berth and look after him as he made his way to the memorial. He seemed dazed as he prowled the corridors. Unaware that he was moving in complete silence, oblivious to those around him.
Everyone had seen the gradual changes that were coming over him but there was nothing that they could do about them. It was safer to leave him to his own devices. He would continue his duties in silence and even made time in his day to check on Foxxy and the babies. His visits with them seemed to be the trigger as well as his biggest joy and no one wanted to get in the way of them.
He seemed to revert back to his quiet sorrowful demeanor as he suffered in silence with no one knowing what to do for him,all except one. Eliora had been keeping an eye on him when she noticed his changes as well but he wasnt hurting anyone including himself. Normally she could care less about the people here aside from a handful and BJ fell in that small group.
She was all too familiar with typhoons of sorrow, especially since it was a constant reminder that she would never be whole and her soul would always cry silently at the constant pain. She’s also lost loved ones; her entire family, her daughter, and one of her mates. She of all people knew that not all pain was the same but they shared very common characteristics and she could clearly feel the connections with him.
Just as quietly, she followed him as he walked the halls until he reached the large cave that was the meeting place for the Heads. It was also the resting place for the lacquered statues of the five fallen honorary pack members who’d lost their lives so that the others could have a chance at a new start. He stopped and stiffened when he saw Chakori bent down in prayer. There were incense, candles and fresh flowers. He said nothing as watched her say her prayers to the fallen members. Seeing her there was like being dashed with cold water. it served to bring his mind back to the present. He took in his surroundings and for a moment wondered how he'd gotten there.
BJ had taken a step back almost as if to turn away. Ckakori lifted her head to see him and gave a slight bow of her head before respectfully leaving him. Everyone knew that he had been avoiding going near the memorial since it was set up. The statues were beautifully made and the area was well kept. The closest that BJ had gotten to them was when they were called in for their meetings and even then he didnt stay longer than he had to.
Eliora watched him as he hesitantly took a step forward until he was standing in front of Mike’s statue. The tears that fell from her face ran unchecked as she leaned against the rockface and listened for him.
BJ’s heart raced and his breathing became hitched as he stared up at the statue for a long moment. His tail violently twitched as he rolled his shoulders. He growled angrily as he clawed the floor before pacing back and force he would walk the length of the memorial from Mike’s all the way down to Fredrick’s. He was hissing and growling the whole time he stalked the floor. He kept coming back to Mike’s statue and the hissing and growling would pick up in volume. He would pause and chirp several times before prowling once more. It was almost as if he was calling for Mike and getting angry when he received no answer.
It was heartbreaking to say the least. The heartache resonated with Eliora profoundly. She clutched her own chest to try to alleviate some of the pain she was feeling, all the while biting her tongue so that she didnt make a sound. She wanted to go to him so badly and comfort him but didnt want to intrude. He’d finally been able to bring himself to the memorial site and visit , she didnt want to ruin that for him.
Bj stopped prowling and sat on his haunches in front of Mike’s statue once more. He shifted to his human form, tears ran freely down his cheeks. He snarled and angrily wiped his tears away only to have more replace them. BJ began to openly sob and stayed that way for quite some time. Today would have been their anniversary. What was there to celebrate? It was too close to the anniversary of his death.
Bj had tried so hard to keep his mind from latching onto that but the more he tried to forget the more prevalent it became in his mind. He gave a dry angry laugh as he looked up at the statue. “It’s funny how you were the one that would always remember and get mad at me because I forgot. It’s impossible to forget now.” he said and reached his hand into the smoke emitted from the incense.
“I miss you so much. I feel like i am alive but not living. I dont know what i am doing or even what i am supposed to do. It feels so wrong without you here with. We had come so close to having it all. None of this means anything without you here to enjoy it with me.” He said and sobbed as he brought his hand back to his leg.
“Im so lost without you. Why’d you leave me?” He demanded and began crying once more as he punched the ground and snarled at the pain. “This was supposed to be ours.”
Eliora tightened her grip on her chest even tighter as she listened and shared his sorrow. Soon she found herself gasping as she felt a presence appear beside her. She turned and saw a large wolf sitting beside her in the cave entrance. It’s pelt was a varying shade of brown and cream. It turned it’s bright sea green eyes to her and she felt as if it smiled at her. She recognized this wolf as the one that watched over him and showed itself to her right before the trials started.
She took a deep breath and let it out slow. “Despite his looks, he is quite the big baby. Of course i was the only one that could call him that.” The deep smooth voice came. “I didnt think i would die so soon either. He acts as though i have control over that.” the voice came again.“So you gonna talk or what? I know you can hear, hell you can see me so that works too.”
Eliora’s knee jerk reaction was to be offended but just as quickly as the feeling had come , it was gone. “Hey.” she replied
The wolf couldnt help but laugh at her reaction. “Oh come on this isnt the first time you’ve seen a ghost.” He said and turned his attention back to BJ which caused him to sober up. It wasnt her first rodeo dealing with ghosts and spirits. It was an ancestral duty to help them, it seemed now would be no different.
“It’s not but why do you still linger here?” She asked. The wolf gave her a droll look and stood , changing into a man as he did so.
He was very attractive and thankfully not naked. “Look at him and tell me you would leave someone in that much pain to their own devices.” She looked at BJ who was still weeping and felt her heart shatter. It was hard seeing such a big man so vulnerable. She wanted to take his pain away and help him.
“You are right. Do you plan to crossover anytime soon?” She asked curiously.
“Not as long as he needs me.” the man said and his tone brooked no argument. Eliora stared at him for a moment before turning back to BJ.
“Whenever you are ready,Mike, just let men know and i will escort you.” She said softly.
The man looked at her silently as if trying to gauge her comment to determine the meaning behind those words. “ Last I checked, the living cant simply help someone into the afterlife.” Mike said suspiciously.
“It’s a blessing and a curse.” Eliora said and rubbed her chest as the pain began to ease.
“Do you want to speak with him? I can help you with that and no i’m not going to kill him so drop the hackles.” She said gave a soft smile at his reaction to her words.
“How?”
“Well normally there needs to be a very strong connection between the dead and the living. Then there would need to be a safe place for meditation to make it easier to transition form one realm to another though, it does have its risks if we stay there too long. But i will protect him until the visit is over.”
Mike thought about it for a moment and looked back at BJ who was currently speaking to his statue. “Cant i just speak to him through you?” Mike asked.
“You can though you wouldnt be able to touch him. Would you like to speak with him?”
“I would.” came Mike’s reply. He wasnt one hundred percent sold on the idea that the woman would be able to do as she claimed though there was a huge part of him that wanted to at least try. Without a moment’s thought, he was walking across to stand beside BJ and placed a hand on his shoulder. BJ stiffened and looked over when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He didnt see anyone there and wondered what that was.
He caught Eliora’s scent mixed in with the incense and sighed as he wiped his face for the hundredth time. “ I know you’re out there, just come in already.”
Eliora sighed and walked into the cave
Everyone had seen the gradual changes that were coming over him but there was nothing that they could do about them. It was safer to leave him to his own devices. He would continue his duties in silence and even made time in his day to check on Foxxy and the babies. His visits with them seemed to be the trigger as well as his biggest joy and no one wanted to get in the way of them.
He seemed to revert back to his quiet sorrowful demeanor as he suffered in silence with no one knowing what to do for him,all except one. Eliora had been keeping an eye on him when she noticed his changes as well but he wasnt hurting anyone including himself. Normally she could care less about the people here aside from a handful and BJ fell in that small group.
She was all too familiar with typhoons of sorrow, especially since it was a constant reminder that she would never be whole and her soul would always cry silently at the constant pain. She’s also lost loved ones; her entire family, her daughter, and one of her mates. She of all people knew that not all pain was the same but they shared very common characteristics and she could clearly feel the connections with him.
Just as quietly, she followed him as he walked the halls until he reached the large cave that was the meeting place for the Heads. It was also the resting place for the lacquered statues of the five fallen honorary pack members who’d lost their lives so that the others could have a chance at a new start. He stopped and stiffened when he saw Chakori bent down in prayer. There were incense, candles and fresh flowers. He said nothing as watched her say her prayers to the fallen members. Seeing her there was like being dashed with cold water. it served to bring his mind back to the present. He took in his surroundings and for a moment wondered how he'd gotten there.
BJ had taken a step back almost as if to turn away. Ckakori lifted her head to see him and gave a slight bow of her head before respectfully leaving him. Everyone knew that he had been avoiding going near the memorial since it was set up. The statues were beautifully made and the area was well kept. The closest that BJ had gotten to them was when they were called in for their meetings and even then he didnt stay longer than he had to.
Eliora watched him as he hesitantly took a step forward until he was standing in front of Mike’s statue. The tears that fell from her face ran unchecked as she leaned against the rockface and listened for him.
BJ’s heart raced and his breathing became hitched as he stared up at the statue for a long moment. His tail violently twitched as he rolled his shoulders. He growled angrily as he clawed the floor before pacing back and force he would walk the length of the memorial from Mike’s all the way down to Fredrick’s. He was hissing and growling the whole time he stalked the floor. He kept coming back to Mike’s statue and the hissing and growling would pick up in volume. He would pause and chirp several times before prowling once more. It was almost as if he was calling for Mike and getting angry when he received no answer.
It was heartbreaking to say the least. The heartache resonated with Eliora profoundly. She clutched her own chest to try to alleviate some of the pain she was feeling, all the while biting her tongue so that she didnt make a sound. She wanted to go to him so badly and comfort him but didnt want to intrude. He’d finally been able to bring himself to the memorial site and visit , she didnt want to ruin that for him.
Bj stopped prowling and sat on his haunches in front of Mike’s statue once more. He shifted to his human form, tears ran freely down his cheeks. He snarled and angrily wiped his tears away only to have more replace them. BJ began to openly sob and stayed that way for quite some time. Today would have been their anniversary. What was there to celebrate? It was too close to the anniversary of his death.
Bj had tried so hard to keep his mind from latching onto that but the more he tried to forget the more prevalent it became in his mind. He gave a dry angry laugh as he looked up at the statue. “It’s funny how you were the one that would always remember and get mad at me because I forgot. It’s impossible to forget now.” he said and reached his hand into the smoke emitted from the incense.
“I miss you so much. I feel like i am alive but not living. I dont know what i am doing or even what i am supposed to do. It feels so wrong without you here with. We had come so close to having it all. None of this means anything without you here to enjoy it with me.” He said and sobbed as he brought his hand back to his leg.
“Im so lost without you. Why’d you leave me?” He demanded and began crying once more as he punched the ground and snarled at the pain. “This was supposed to be ours.”
Eliora tightened her grip on her chest even tighter as she listened and shared his sorrow. Soon she found herself gasping as she felt a presence appear beside her. She turned and saw a large wolf sitting beside her in the cave entrance. It’s pelt was a varying shade of brown and cream. It turned it’s bright sea green eyes to her and she felt as if it smiled at her. She recognized this wolf as the one that watched over him and showed itself to her right before the trials started.
She took a deep breath and let it out slow. “Despite his looks, he is quite the big baby. Of course i was the only one that could call him that.” The deep smooth voice came. “I didnt think i would die so soon either. He acts as though i have control over that.” the voice came again.“So you gonna talk or what? I know you can hear, hell you can see me so that works too.”
Eliora’s knee jerk reaction was to be offended but just as quickly as the feeling had come , it was gone. “Hey.” she replied
The wolf couldnt help but laugh at her reaction. “Oh come on this isnt the first time you’ve seen a ghost.” He said and turned his attention back to BJ which caused him to sober up. It wasnt her first rodeo dealing with ghosts and spirits. It was an ancestral duty to help them, it seemed now would be no different.
“It’s not but why do you still linger here?” She asked. The wolf gave her a droll look and stood , changing into a man as he did so.
He was very attractive and thankfully not naked. “Look at him and tell me you would leave someone in that much pain to their own devices.” She looked at BJ who was still weeping and felt her heart shatter. It was hard seeing such a big man so vulnerable. She wanted to take his pain away and help him.
“You are right. Do you plan to crossover anytime soon?” She asked curiously.
“Not as long as he needs me.” the man said and his tone brooked no argument. Eliora stared at him for a moment before turning back to BJ.
“Whenever you are ready,Mike, just let men know and i will escort you.” She said softly.
The man looked at her silently as if trying to gauge her comment to determine the meaning behind those words. “ Last I checked, the living cant simply help someone into the afterlife.” Mike said suspiciously.
“It’s a blessing and a curse.” Eliora said and rubbed her chest as the pain began to ease.
“Do you want to speak with him? I can help you with that and no i’m not going to kill him so drop the hackles.” She said gave a soft smile at his reaction to her words.
“How?”
“Well normally there needs to be a very strong connection between the dead and the living. Then there would need to be a safe place for meditation to make it easier to transition form one realm to another though, it does have its risks if we stay there too long. But i will protect him until the visit is over.”
Mike thought about it for a moment and looked back at BJ who was currently speaking to his statue. “Cant i just speak to him through you?” Mike asked.
“You can though you wouldnt be able to touch him. Would you like to speak with him?”
“I would.” came Mike’s reply. He wasnt one hundred percent sold on the idea that the woman would be able to do as she claimed though there was a huge part of him that wanted to at least try. Without a moment’s thought, he was walking across to stand beside BJ and placed a hand on his shoulder. BJ stiffened and looked over when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He didnt see anyone there and wondered what that was.
He caught Eliora’s scent mixed in with the incense and sighed as he wiped his face for the hundredth time. “ I know you’re out there, just come in already.”
Eliora sighed and walked into the cave