Patty Liu - Silent Reflections

Wolf bounded up the steps two at a time. He was in quite a good mood and he was bursting with energy. He got into their room at the inn and saw Melody sitting on her cot with a piece of paper in her hand. She looked so worried and distressed that Wolf immediately sat down and gave her a hug.

"Huff, puff. What's wrong Melody? Don't mess up that pretty face of yours with a frown," Wolf said. He was starting to like the way Melody felt in his arms. She was all soft and she smelled so good. Wolf frowned to himself when he realized his thoughts. Cripes, where did that come from? he thought.

"Wolf, something's happened to Virginia," Melody finally confessed. Tears were slowly filling her eyes. "It's all my fault. I should have stayed in the room."

"Where has Virginia gone?" Wolf suddenly realized that Virginia's scent wasn't around. But he hadn't thought much of it. His sense of smell had gone berserk these past few days because of his terrible sneezing fits. "Where did she go, Melody?" he repeated his question.

"I don't know, Wolf. I found this." She handed Wolf a small piece of paper with crude writing on it.

YOUR BELOVED VIRGINIA IS GONE AND SO ARE ALL YOUR FRIENDS. TURN BACK WHILE YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE OR THEY WILL ALL DIE!

Wolf clenched the note in his fist and his hand began to shake.

"Where did you get this?" he began to growl.

"It was right here on Virginia's bed when I came back upstairs. She had been sleeping when I left and now she's gone." Melody began to cry. Wolf saw her tears and tried to calm himself down so he wouldn't scare her.

"Cripes, my Virginia! Someone's kidnapped my sweet love of my life!" Wolf raised his head up and howled into the small room. Melody covered her ears and cried harder.

"It's all my fault, Wolf. I'm so sorry. I should've been here."

"It's no one's fault. Do you think you saw anything? I must find Virginia." Wolf began to pace the floor of their room.

"But, Wolf. The note says that if we don't turn back, Virginia and your friends will die. What are we going to do?"

"Huff puff, I don't know. Let me think." Wolf read the note again to himself. Then he crumpled it up and threw it against the wall. He was sure Virginia was all right. He could feel it. Nothing terribly bad had happened to her yet. He must find her before something did. Who was behind this? He whimpered. Melody was quietly sobbing on her bed and Wolf felt sorry for her. She was so kind and so sweet and now she was stuck in a mess she didn't really even belong to. He sat down next to her and patted her hands that were on her lap. All of a sudden, Wolf felt an urge to just kiss Melody.

He began leaning in but he immediately stopped himself. What in the world?! he thought to himself. He scratched at his forehead absentmindedly. Virginia is lost and here I am wanting to kiss Melody. What is wrong with me?! He had to get out of there to search for Virginia.

"All right, Melody. You're going to stay here in case someone comes back or something. I am going to go out and search for her or any sign of her abduction around the village. I will return as soon as possible." Without another word, he fled the room, but most of all he was fleeing Melody.