Behind The Alpha Book 7 Graham
Chapter 1

(Chapter song ‘Twin Ghosts' by Christopher Young)

SOMEWHERE…

My black nose sniffs the air. The light snow falls from the clouds. It glitters in the moon of two colors.

Watching the black trees sway in the wind, I close my cat like eyes and I feel my sanctuary.

I look behind me, in the shadows where my charges sleep. Forever sleep until needed or not needed. Their spirits rest after turmoil and anguish.

I smile as I feel their content.

The moon crosses the sky above. I watch its deep blue color move across the globe and let the white take over as it approaches the other half of the forest.

The forest lights up making the soft snow in front of me sparkle.

I lower my nose and continue my patrol of this place. This place that remains in my care and control. It has been since time was still a fleeting thought.

My blue paws step forward as I check on every trunk and bush. The black ravens caw somewhere in the distance.

I close my eyes and feel. My heart adds another. My vision shows the crows circle a patch of open ground. In it, a woman stands. She’s cold and confused. The crows land around her.

‘Don’t be afraid, little one. You may rest now.’ I say to her image. Her ghostly soul blows a breath as the crows guide her into the trees and place her into her eternal slumber. I add her energy to mine and she’s at peace with herself.

This place is a place of lost torment. Confused and righteous, they come to me after they end their stories. In these very trees. Heartbroken on the outside, they travel to this place of solitude and repent. They take the only thing attaching them out there and destroy it, only to replace themselves here.

Most accept their fate. Others may fight because the ideal would be a more angelic destination. I have to deal with these lost ones with a heavy hand. They do not sleep properly if I don’t.

I make them understand that the circumstances of how they arrive are the judgments they face and they cannot leave. Eventually, if they are not called, they fade. Dissolve into the forest to beckon more in. They give their voices to the trees and they call out to the ones weary of life.

On the surface, it may seem horrible, but if they were to do so elsewhere, they would not like where they end up. I am a caretaker of understanding. They may have given up their mortal vessels, but I refuse to let the torture continue. I heal. I bring them peace and eventually, I let them go to be the bringer of my power back to the outside world. I mend the wounds while they lay their tired bones. I remove the sadness and pain that brought them here and wash them anew with a life that can be used again. I fill them with new hope and love.

It's because of my duty, I must hold the rest back. The walls are heavy. Strong and powerful. I keep them solid. Free from penetration.

I am the gatekeeper of this forest. If I wasn’t, the worlds as I know them would cease to exist.

I look up and see the deep blue moon rise again to the right of the sky. It floats, coating the forest in its indigo once again and drowning out the white light that once was there. It will be a few minutes before it crosses and the trees shine once more.

I lick my white lips and trot along the snow.

Being protector of this place does take its toll. By nature, I’m friendly. I wish for interaction, but my destiny doesn’t allow for it so the voices fulfill the loneliness I may feel. I don’t know why I was assigned here. Why this is my job. It just always has been. I assume I created for this purpose, I just don’t know by whom.

Still, I treat my position with honor. I always will. I put my needs aside because the souls in here and out there depend on me. I have no room to be selfish.

Each day, I walk the forest. Settling them in and inspecting the barriers. Like dams, there can be no holes. What leaks through would be a thing of nightmares.

I step over a log and stop. My feel my feet. Vibrations. My tall blue ears twitch. My eyes scan the forest. My blood tingles.

Somethings changed.

I move along the trail and spy the blue on one side and the gold on the other.

My blood tingles even more. Something is definitely wrong.

The rumble in the snow increases and I stop.

A loud crack rings out over the tree tops. I raise my head to the sky. It’s just turning white.

Another crack and my paws take to the path. Running, my paws crunch through the snow. My blue-tipped, white fluffy tail, bobs behind me as I fly through the woods. I dodge around rocks and shrubs. Some voices are heard off in the distance and the crows put them back to rest.

My heart pounds in my chest as I skid to a stop at the edge of a very deep cliff. Snow and rock are pushed off.

My blue eye and gold eye scan the shimmering blue wall which is a far leap away from where I stand.

I whine as I look toward the sky. My eyes fill with concern and my brows stitch up.

“Oh no.” I pant.

At the top a white crack sits. I watch as another snaps and grows larger. Another sound and I whip my head to the right. Sure enough, another such crack begins.

Panic fills me and I close my gold eye while my blue one glows. The blue tip of my tail glows and I watch as the cracks begin to recede.

They are almost healed when three more make loud, booming appearances. The wall shimmers and waves and its opaque being begins to fade. I stop my healing and watch the splits in the veil threaten to take over.

“No.” I squeak. “This can’t be.” I’m breathing heavy as fear fills me.

A loud snap happens behind me. I whip my head in the direction it came from.

“You can’t!” I spin around and run to the other side of the forest. My panting breath clouds in the mystical winter. I leap and fly like I’m light as a feather. The trunks whip by me as my nightmare is suddenly realized.

I skid to a stop at the edge of the cliff on this side of the realm. My heart breaks and tears well as I watch the cracks form one after another in the gold, shimmering barrier.

The forest goes dark and I look up to see the stars become covered in dark clouds. The moon becomes hidden as they drown out the light. Thunder and lightning happen above as the sky turns angry.

“What is happening?” I whine as I scan the wall looking for answers.

I feel a chill run through me and the corner of my eye catches something. I snap my head in its direction just in time to see a dark ghostly image pass from the blue veil to the gold.

I fixate on the spot and moments later, that same image passes back through the barriers and a crack forms.

My eyes narrow as anger fills me. “Trespasser.” I growl.

I run to the blue wall and wait.

Sure enough the image returns.

I spread my legs wide and lower myself in a challenge and my white fur stands on end. “Go back!” I bark.

It floats closer. It seems impervious to my command.

“GO BACK!!” My sharp pointed teeth bare as my black whiskers twitch at this offence.

It continues faster and I prepare to fight. It hits me and I’m pushed to the side as it remains oblivious by my presence. It’s energy is strong.

I get to my paws and chase after it. “Oh no you don’t!”

Just after it left the cliff, I jump at its back. My teeth grab its ghostly shroud and like I’ve just grabbed a comets tail, I’m pulled through the air and into the veil. Gold whooshes by me as time and space become one. My fur whips in the cosmic winds and my legs are dragged behind me as I try to fight the force of the speed the being is traveling at.

I have to close my eyes as the bright light surrounds us both and the sound barrier is broken. My ears flatten to drown out the deafening noise.

Just before I feel like I’m going to be ripped apart, I hit the ground and roll. Stopping on my stomach, I feel sick. My head is spinning and my heart is thumping against my chest.

I open my eyes and have to squint. The light is so bright. My ears perk as I hear not only voices, but other sounds as well. They’re so loud, I have to cover my ears to let them adjust.

“Hey. Are you alright? That was quite the fall.”

I raise my head slowly to a man. A solid man wearing a blue shirt and pants.

“Yes. I think so.” I say quietly and plant my paws in front of me.

My eyes widen when I see them. They are not paws, but fleshy fingers and hands. I start to heave breaths as I get to my knees and look at myself.

No fur or claws. I feel my head and replace no ears. I pull hair to the front. Black hair. I look down at myself and I’m in a body. A woman’s body. “How?” I say quietly. “No…No…No.” I touch myself all over in panic.

“Are you sure you’re alright.” He asks again.

He helps me stand. “I-I don’t know.” I look to where the wall was and its gone. All that remains is green grass and trees surrounded by a mountain wall.

Tears form as my shaking head moves around the space I’m in. My jaw drops as I see the tall buildings, people and cars. “Oh no.” I swallow.

“It’s OK. I can help you. You can trust me. I’m an Enforcer, alright. Let’s get you to the station, get some clothes and figure this out. What’s your name?”

I look at the impossible world I am now trapped in. I can’t be here.

I take in a shaky breath and meet the eyes of the man who wishes to help.

A tear falls for my lost home. Fear takes over as I realize I may never see it again.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” He leans close and puts an arm around me.

“Kita.” I squeak as more tears fall. “Kita Tsume."

He smiles. “Ok. Kita. Don’t worry. We'll help you.”

I try to stay calm and take a deep breath. “Thank you.”

The foreign land that I’m now in overwhelms my heart. How will I ever get back? Who will take my place? Why has this happened?

I want to go home.