Damsons
#1 of The Forest of the Decadent
When a questionably legal exploit turns sour, Lucan, Ali and Nolan must make their escape into a secluded and supposedly empty forest. What they find will change their lives, if they can escape with exactly that intact. New tensions will rise between the three teenagers and old memories will resurface as they evade age old forces whose power is beyond comprehension.'The Forest of the Decadent' is a science fiction Thriller set is a dystopian world much like our own, except that the dominate species of the planet are sentient, walking and talking wolves.
Any comments or feedback are hugely appreciated, and thanks for stopping by to read part one of (hopefully) many!
The grassy hills gently meandered into the horizon. A low mist hung in the air, hugging the contours of the landscape like a softly woven blanket. It was nearly night time, the orange sun sat balanced on a ledge of grimy clouds. Its hue spread along the sky. Bright lights, obscured slightly by the moisture in the air, glowed dimly from the harbour miles away. An old tree stood atop the sloped field in the distance. Its shadow was stretched long by the low sun and was so imposing it looked nearly tangible. As the wind blew, the leaves on the ground stirred lazily and the rest rustled impatiently; waiting for their time to fall. It was not long until winter now, it was already harvest time. He could hear the sea behind him. Waves smashed against the sharp rocks and ice that surrounded the entire harbour.
The countryside was awesomely beautiful, he tried to remember that, but he could never really appreciate it. He had looked upon it every day of life; its charm had already been lost to him after less than two decades. He rotated his head slightly and saw that along the side of a luscious pasture, the last of the season's grass was being cut and bailed. As it often is with farmers, it was not until the last available moment that this vital task was being completed. Somethings never changed. Lucan stared at the bails; they were content to avoid the necessity of gravity and to stay put despite the incline of the field they resided on. Stubbornly obedient to their creators, or so it would seem. Losing interest, he swept his eyes across to his left, glazing over the familiar gravel path way and the low, dry stone walls in front of him. The cattle to left his side were gentle despite their gargantuan size. They stared at him through the wooden gate, silently curious. They were accustomed to company beyond their own species. He thought it ironic that these traits were considered normal and natural for wild animals. It was stranger still that they were preferable and that those who were not completely brain dead were often considered to be too lively. In reality their docile ways were as artificial and engineered as the collapsed metal and glass structure that lay to his forward right. The Office Building as it was called, not that anyone knew what an office was anyway. Whatever it had been, it was now little more than a reminder of the past. Movement to his immediate right shoved back his nostalgic observationalism, in favour of reality. His friend was beckoning.
"Lucan", called a hushed female voice. "Lucan hurry up already. We'll be finished by the time you get started."
Lucan jumped the low wall that separated the gravel pathway and the field Ali was in. He dislodged the bleached and worn bag from his shoulders and strode over to the damson bushes. The nearest one bobbed hastily as its fruit was harvested. She called him over, close enough to whisper, and indicated a tree to her right as his target. It was well endowed with their juicy prize. She turned back to the branch clutched in her left paw as he moved behind her. Ali's fur was perfect white in colour. Her face was defined by a light blue band that ran across her eyes as if she was wearing a mask. The same colour tipped the fur on the end of her tail and ran along the top of her shoulders. Many of her aqaintances described her as stunning and she was constantly being hounded by some wolf or another. She took no notice. Lucan found that all the more alluring, though he'd never dare admit it. As he stepped over to the indicated vegetation, another voice carried through the bushes.
"We need to be finished as soon as possible, I think he might have caught on this year." Nolan said evenly.
He snapped his head back towards to his objective. Damsons were a sought after delicacy, and one that the three teenagers felt no guilt in stealing. Their owner only came out of his dwellling every so often and so was unlikely to notice that the bushes had been thinned out until closer inspection. Nolan took care to take hold of a bushel lightly. He then continued to twist and then pull at such an angle so that the branch moved as little as possible. The snapping of branches was quieter than his breathing. The tall wolf repeated this process, working like a machine, taking large handfuls each time. Nolan, or Nol' for short, was nearly invisible as late in the day as it was. His fur was overly brown blurring into jet black in some places. His paws and ears looked like they had been dipped in tar before being attached to his body. His athletic build stood tall on digitigrade legs. Nolan was usually well humoured as well as a natural born leader. He and Lucan had been best friends for at least half of their existence.
Lucan was working worked quickly to make up for lost time. His tendency to lose focus and drift off was one that often made him oblivious to his surroundings. Grabbing a bushel with each hand, he swung his arms up and down at speed. It wasn't long before it looked like a localised hurricane had formed under the damson bush he was situated at. The crimson wolf looked over to his tall friend; Nolan was frowning at Lucan, his sculpted face was drawn tight across his skull. Ali and Lucan chuckled in the face of Nolan's seriousness. The dark furred wolf lighted his mood, the creases in his brow disappeared.
"Very funny, but I don't want to be caught okay? We probably shouldn't stay for much longer. My bag's nearly at full."
Lucan considered mocking his friend's serious demeanour but he decided against it, and agreed with Nolan. Ali also decided to save her jokes for later. It would only mature them; they would be more of a comfort and less of a distraction when they were back home safe. She had no way of knowing it, but that would to be a long time coming. It would have been wise to speak there and then. In the quiet field, alone with the long grass and the old, stone walls.
Suddenly, a bright light lit up their worlds.