Guardian - 2. Chapter 2

I didn’t know what had happened. All I knew was that something had hit me, and the next thing I knew was that I was laying face first in the dirt next to a highway. I was lucky to be picked up by a trucker. But my mind was still on my friend the wolf. How would he find me? If he could find me. I figured I was still in Montana but I didn’t really care where I was anymore. Maybe if I played my cards right, I could start anew. But who would help a 16 year old when I’ve got no family and no form of ID on me at all. The school would notice I was gone once it started. Maybe I’d become a missing person. Whatever the situation, I knew my parents weren’t going to be the ones that put in a report. I should just stop thinking about it.

They were able to stop after the rain ceased at a nearby rest stop. Gabriel went in the bathroom and stripped down to his boxers to dry off the rest of his jeans under the heat blower. Ted gave him a shirt to wear and his socks were quick to dry. It took him a while before his jeans and shoes were dry enough to put them back on. When he dried out his hair, he noticed that there was still blood. He wondered how deep it was and used his fingers to asset the damage. He was right figuring his head was gashed, it wasn’t all that long and it was already clotted over with a scab. He was horrible with picking them so before he even started, he brought his hand away. What the hell was he hit with? When he heard the door opening he panicked, stopping to wash his hands of the slight blood that was on them. Another teen had walked in after Gabriel put on his jeans and shoes, lucky he wasn’t in his boxers. The other teen looked older, maybe nineteen or so. Gabriel waited until he was at a urinal before he grabbed his jacket and escaped the bathroom.

The sun was shining brightly when he exited the building. Ted was talking to another man when Gabriel came out. Gabriel then took a moment to really look at his ‘savior’. He looked young but the creases next to his eyes told of his older age. His hair however was dark brown and had streaks of gray on the sides. His eyes went to Gabriel as he came out, seeing he was dressed as he waved. Gabriel blushed but walked straight to the two who stood near the truck.

“All dry?” Ted asked him. Gabriel gave a nod and as if on cue, his stomach gave a grumbled growl, the teen wincing when his stomach knotted up. The other adult laughed and pointed over his shoulder at his wife who was setting up a picnic table near a small outdoor barbeque stand.

“We’re about to start grilling if you and your son want to join us.” Gabriel was about to interrupt saying he wasn’t this guy’s son but he felt the heavy hand on his shoulder and heard Ted speak.

“That’d be great. Been on the road a long time, and we could use a good meal.” Gabriel felt strange at how Ted just opened his arms the way he did even after he found him in the middle of nowhere. Gabriel took a step away for a moment.

“You really don’t have to…I’ll be fine now.” Ted ruffled Gabriel’s hair and the teen went absolutely still. Did that just happen?

“It’s no worries kiddo. You look like you need some help. I bet your parents are worried so after the delivery I’ll take you back home.” Ted was quick to catch the sudden sulk of his shoulders and the completely defeated fashion he stood in. He had to strain to even hear what Gabriel said next.

“I doubt they want me.” Now Ted was curious, and noting again that something foul must be going on. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a great idea to bring the kid something, even when they were invited. He couldn’t help but question him.

“Why do you say that?” Gabriel moved away again, turning his back on the man.

“Because they’re the ones that left me probably.” The words again were muttered and Ted found his head tilted and the most curious expression spread all over his face. His brows creased together and Gabriel had left the company to go off and sit alone. Something must have happened for his parents to even leave a teen alone in the middle of nowhere. He let Gabriel have his time. He turned and walked back, the other man waving him over. Ted gave a soft sigh as he started the conversation.

“Henry, I believe I’ll have to decline your offer.”

“Decline?” Ted heard the confused tone and gave a nod.

“Gabriel isn’t feeling up to it, he’s had a…long day.” He wasn’t sure how to really say anything, though he wanted to tell the man that the teen wasn’t his son, the man didn’t need to know he found him on the side of the road and think he was a crazy man that sought young teens.

“Oh alright. Well you’re welcome anytime if you want.”

“Thanks in advance, it was nice meeting you Henry.” Ted held his hand out, getting a firm and friendly shake from Henry as the man smiled.

“Same to you Ted. Take care.” He turned and left, seeing Gabriel sitting on the bench not far from the picnic and camper area. He headed to the truck. He knew he had something in his cooler he could grill up.

Gabriel had gone to an empty bench that looked onto the empty yard of the park rest area and a small playground for the younger children. Glancing up at the blue sky that darkened as the sun set, his head still hurt a little but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t take. They had been here for a long while and Gabriel had decided he was very hungry. Having not eaten since his donut on his birthday and some jerky before the cop came, his system was exhausted.

A squirrel had come down from a nearby tree and scampered over, right up on the bench and eyed him. Gabriel felt eyes on him, turning to meet the squirrel’s small eyes.

“Hi,” he said to it. It sniffed the air around him then actually crawled up on his head, making Gabriel giggle when its paws and whiskers tickled his neck. He looked up to see the squirrel look down at him and gave a small squeak reply. Gabriel gave a soft laugh and held his hand out, the squirrel jumping down into his hand and holding his fingers one at a time before turning and sitting in his lap, still looking at him. “You alone too?” the teen asked, the squirrel dropping from his hand and going up the nearby tree where Gabriel’s eyes followed, seeing three other squirrels looking down at him. “Oh. You have a few friends. That’s good.” All three came down and sat on Gabriel’s shoulder and lap until Ted called the teen over. Gabriel looked back at his new friends.

“I gotta go. I’ll bring you guys back something ok?” he said, the squirrels hopping off and scampering back up the tree. He saw that Ted had set up their own table, seeing some bread and sandwich meat he also noticed the hot dog buns and the small grill next to the picnic table. His attention pulled away from the food when Ted spoke.

“Figured we’d just have our own tonight.” He bit his lip, feeling bad.

“You didn’t have to decline his offer..for me..”Gabriel watched a small smile form on the man’s lips as he gave a huffed laugh.

“It’s alright. If you want to meet others you can do so yourself. I don’t want to push you to anything. So you want a dog?” Gabriel at first didn’t know what he meant until he saw the hotdogs on the grill and gave a blush.

“No thanks…” Suddenly he was reminded of Raoul. His stomach knotted and his heart fell to the pit of it. He felt tears in his eyes when he sat down and began to just make himself a sandwich, in the background he heard Ted whistling. It all became more or less background noise. Gabriel was lost again in the deep aspect of his mind. Would Raoul have that sense to find him? Would he have gone after him or just be like everyone else and not bother to find him now that he was lost. Lost. Gabriel felt that way. Defeated, lost, and overcome with depression. But in the darkness that seemed to bury him, something always cheered him up. He glanced up, not yet had the tears rolled when his eyes settled on the back of Ted’s head. The man had seen him. Seen him when he even acted to be invisible. He felt something small crawling up his leg and looked down at his new friends. He gave a smile, all three making their way up to the table. He gave a smile and leaned on his hand, taking a bite of the sandwich he let the squirrels take a bite as well.

Raoul got to the exact spot where Gabriel was dumped and his nose buried itself in the mud where the blood still clung. The ground was damp from the early rain and most of the blood he had smeared on his neck was gone. Frustrated that the rain got rid of most of the scent, he gave a whimpering snarl. When he heard a hawk call from the woods nearby he bounded off to where he heard it. He noticed the hawk high up and circled the tree it was perched on. He gave a yelping cry at the bird.

“Falcon! I ask a favor of your eyes!” he called out, the falcon looking down at the wolf beneath him at the stump of the tree. He jumped off the branch he occupied and came down to the same level with the canine.

“You may ask but know that you must give me something in return.”

“What do you require then brother?” asked the wolf who had given a bow to the bird, receiving one back.

“The rabbits and mice have become sneaky and I haven’t eaten in a while. My talon you see was caught by some wire and I lost it all together. If you could catch me a meal, I will do what you ask.” The wolf gave a nod and a rather toothy grin.

“I will catch you a meal then with haste. It’s important that I find what I’m looking for.” The falcon gave a call and flapped its wings back up on the branch. Raoul ran off in search for a meal for his brother falcon. Finding a scent trail of a rabbit was easy, and it was just catching it that seemed difficult. Raoul would have to cheat. He found where a hole was and then in front of just the trees and small critters around, he morphed himself into a young man. His hair was a dark brown hue with red highlights. His body was tan and completely naked. He lay on the ground and covered his body with leaves. Closing his eyes he waited until the rabbits made their way out since there was no ‘wolf’ anymore and just a pile of leaves. He waited until he heard the soft hops of the family and stayed still till he knew one was close. In a quick flash he morphed and surprised the four that gasped in fright. His jaws slammed down on the one closest and the blood of the brown bunny gushed. The others scattered but he had succeeded in catching a meal. Running straight back where his brother falcon was, he dropped the rabbit’s limp body.

“Brother Falcon, I have brought you a meal!” he howled out to him. The falcon came down and smiled in glee.

“I shall eat my fill and then do what you ask. All I ask in return is for some patience.” Knowing he would have to wait, Raoul laid down before the falcon and watched him eat. The falcon took his time, almost eating the rabbit bare. Ruffling his feathers and cleaning himself, he looked to the wolf who seemed to perk when he finished. “What do you need?” the falcon asked. Instantly Raoul stood, eager to get moving.

“I am looking for a human boy. He had dark shaggy hair and was wearing a brown jacket. He was hurt and possibly dropped close by. Have you seen him?” The falcon thought for a moment, the scene coming back to him slowly.

“Ah yes I did. I stood by him until he began to stir. Rest assure I did not harm him. He was hurt but awoke. I watched him from afar and he began to go east. I followed him a good while until another human in a large metal transporter picked him up.”

“What did the transport look like?”

“It was long, had strange markings on it.” It was the best the falcon could provide and Raoul knew he would ask too much if he continued. He gave a bow to the bird and thanked him, running in the direction Gabriel had gone, towards the east.

After they had eaten and the squirrels had left before Ted even realized they were there, the same teen whom Gabriel saw in the bathroom came walking over. Gabriel was helping with putting the rest of the food away in the cooler, Ted at the truck making some room again in the back of the cabin, leaving Gabriel alone once again. The teen walked over and gave a wave.

“Hey.” Gabriel, blushing a little lifted his hand.

“Hi…”he said his voice soft and a smile at the corner of his lips. Unknown to the teen before him, a snake rested underneath the table. Gabriel glanced down to see the snake and bit his lip. “Umm…one second…” he said, bending down to whisper to the reptile. “I can’t get you a meal, but I can make sure you’re not harmed if you stay near.” The snake’s tongue flicked out but accepted the terms, a short bow of the head to the boy. Gabriel gave a smile, patted its head and stood back up. The other teen, rather curious on what and who Gabriel was talking to, leaned over to see the snake barely. He took two steps back.

“Were you just talking to that snake?” he asked, Gabriel standing and feeling the heat rise to his cheeks.

“Uh…kinda. He’s just looking for a place to rest.” At first, Gabriel thought he’d be shunned, but surprised by the next comment.

“Cool…I’m Sean.” Gabriel saw the hand extend and gave a soft smile, reaching out as they shook briefly. “So, you like music?” he asked, trying to get a conversation going. Gabriel gave a soft shrug.

“Umm, never really had a chance to listen to music.” Sean gave him a warm smile and pulled out a small device.

“Want to?” Gabriel smiled and gave a nod. For the first time in about two years, he had actual human interaction with someone around his own age.