Chapter 6 – After the Howl
The darkness was not complete.
There was light.
Soft.
Warm.
Controlled.
---
Terry opened his eyes.
Slow.
Heavy.
---
High ceiling.
White.
Too clean.
---
It wasn't his house.
---
He tried to move.
Pain.
All over his body.
---
He breathed.
More conscious.
---
And then he felt it.
---
Heat.
---
He turned his head slightly.
---
Eliza.
On his right.
Asleep… but not entirely.
Her hand on him.
As if she hadn't let go at any moment.
---
On his left—
Paulina.
Relaxed.
But alert.
---
And at the foot of the bed—
Lin Mei.
Lying down.
Motionless.
Slow breathing.
Still affected.
---
She wasn't awake.
---
Silence.
---
—…what…?
Terry's voice came out broken.
---
—Where am I…?
---
Eliza opened her eyes.
Immediately.
---
Paulina too.
---
—In the mansion —Eliza replied.
Simple.
---
Terry tried to sit up.
Mistake.
The pain pinned him down again.
---
—Don't move —said Paulina—. You took more than your body can process.
---
The half-open door showed the sofa.
---
Mateo.
Iván.
Battered.
Bandaged.
Awake.
---
—Hey! —said Mateo, sitting up—. You're still alive.
---
Iván exhaled.
—I thought you wouldn't wake up.
---
Terry looked at them.
Confused.
---
—What happened…?
---
Brief silence.
---
Mateo scratched his head.
—That idiot… Sebastián… came back with more people.
---
Iván nodded.
—They caught us off guard.
---
—After that… —Mateo frowned— …everything got blurry.
---
—Yeah… —added Iván—. I remember noise… screams…
---
Pause.
---
—And then nothing.
---
Terry squeezed his eyes shut for a second.
---
It wasn't enough.
---
He felt… more.
---
But he couldn't see it.
---
He turned his gaze back to the girls.
---
Lin Mei didn't move.
She was still out.
---
Eliza and Paulina exchanged a glance.
Quick.
Invisible to anyone not paying attention.
---
—That's all that happened —said Eliza.
Her tone was steady.
Too steady.
---
Paulina shrugged.
—A mess… but it's over.
---
Silence.
---
Something didn't fit.
---
Terry felt it.
---
Not in his head.
---
In his body.
---
As if something had happened…
and his mind refused to remember it.
---
He breathed deeper.
---
And for an instant—
---
A sound.
---
An echo.
---
Distant.
---
A howl.
---
He opened his eyes.
---
But he said nothing.
---
Because something inside him understood one thing:
---
If he asked…
they wouldn't tell him the truth.
---
Eliza leaned in slightly.
—
—Rest.
—
It wasn't a suggestion.
—
It was control.
—
Paulina smiled slightly.
—
—When you're better… we'll talk.
—
Another promise.
Another half‑truth.
—
And in the bed, surrounded by warmth that wasn't comfort…
—
Terry understood something.
—
He wasn't safe.
—
He was just…
closer to the center.
---
The first to move was Mateo.
He sat up slowly.
Rubbed his jaw.
—…Okay… —he murmured—. Definitely not a dream.
Iván let out a dry laugh.
—I wish it had been.
—
Terry was still in bed.
Looking at everyone.
Waiting for an answer no one wanted to give.
—
Eliza spoke.
—The police arrived.
Simple.
Paulina continued.
—They took most of them.
—
—The police? —Mateo repeated—. Who called them?
—
Silence.
Eliza didn't answer.
—
—We brought you here —said Paulina—. To my house.
—
Terry looked around again.
The room.
The ceiling.
The space.
Mansion.
Nothing fit.
—
—And… my clothes? —he asked finally.
Paulina looked down.
—Yours… didn't survive.
—
Terry lowered his gaze.
Pajamas.
—We put something temporary on you —added Paulina—. It's my father's.
—
Silence.
Mateo let out a laugh.
—Dude… you look expensive.
Iván nodded.
—Yeah… like you're important or something.
—
Terry didn't answer.
Because something inside him…
knew that wasn't a lie either.
—
Eliza stepped closer.
—We need to go out.
—
—Go out? —Iván raised an eyebrow—. After all that?
—
—You can't go to school like this —said Paulina—. Neither can he… or you guys.
Mateo looked at his torn shirt.
—Good point.
—
—We're going shopping —added Eliza.
It wasn't a suggestion.
It was a plan.
—
Lin Mei, from the corner, spoke for the first time since waking up.
—I'm going too.
Her tone was firm.
But her eyes…
Weren't on the clothes.
They were on Terry.
Jealous.
But restrained.
Because even she knew:
She couldn't fall behind.
—
—Fine —said Paulina—. Then everyone.
---
The Dining Room
When they came down…
The guys froze.
Not from fear.
From impact.
The table was enormous.
Too much.
Polished wood.
Perfect shine.
And on top of it…
Food.
Too much food.
Fresh fruit.
Bread.
Meats.
Juices.
Coffee.
Everything arranged.
Everything perfect.
—
Mateo blinked.
—…Is this real?
—
Iván walked slowly around the table.
—I think so.
He sat down.
Carefully.
As if something might break.
Nothing broke.
—
—Dude… —he said quietly— …if this is a dream, don't wake me up.
—
Mateo was already serving himself.
—Okay… whatever happens… this was worth it.
—
Lin Mei sat down too.
Closer to Terry than necessary.
Eliza didn't separate from him.
Not for a second.
Paulina watched them.
Analyzing.
Measuring.
—
Terry sat down.
And for an instant…
Everything seemed normal.
Laughter.
Food.
Awkward conversations.
Mateo talking with his mouth full.
Iván trying to act elegant… and failing.
—
—This is better than my house —said Mateo—. And I have a microwave at home.
—
—Shut up —Iván replied—. You're making us look bad.
—
Laughter.
But underneath…
Something didn't fit.
Because everyone knew it.
What happened last night…
hadn't been left behind.
And even though no one said it…
the table wasn't the only thing that was big.
The problem was too.
---
The Mall
The mall wasn't a mall.
It was something else.
---
Glass ceiling.
Floors that reflected light like mirrors.
Stores… too clean.
---
No noise.
No chaos.
---
There was money.
---
Mateo stared upward.
—…This isn't normal.
---
Iván walked slower.
—Dude… everything here costs more than my life.
---
Lin Mei said nothing.
She just watched.
---
Eliza walked as if she'd been there a thousand times before.
---
Paulina…
Wasn't smiling.
---
But her eyes were.
---
It wasn't childish excitement.
---
It was recognition.
---
—Let's get coffee —said Mateo—. I need to process this.
---
—Me too —added Iván.
---
The girls didn't argue.
---
Terry did.
---
—No… I'm… going to look at clothes.
---
Brief silence.
---
Eliza looked at him.
---
Paulina too.
---
—Then go in there —said Paulina, pointing at a sports store—. You need something that doesn't look… borrowed.
---
Terry lowered his gaze.
---
He didn't argue.
---
He went in.
---
Inside
The change was immediate.
---
Cold.
---
Not from temperature.
---
From atmosphere.
---
An employee looked at him.
Up and down.
---
T-shirt and pants.
Baggy clothes.
Poor fit.
---
He didn't belong.
---
Another turned around.
---
And another.
---
Three.
Four.
---
And in the back—
Guards.
---
Terry felt it.
---
It wasn't imagination.
---
It was judgment.
---
He approached a shelf.
Clean clothes.
Perfect.
Too expensive to even think about touching.
---
He reached out.
Hesitated.
---
But he took it.
---
—Excuse me… —he said—. Can I see this size?
---
Silence.
---
The employee didn't smile.
---
—That line is exclusive.
---
Pause.
---
—It's not for… everyone.
---
He didn't say "for you."
---
He didn't need to.
---
Behind him, one of the guards took a step forward.
---
Terry swallowed.
---
He wasn't in danger.
---
But he wasn't welcome either.
---
—I just want to try it on —he said, quieter.
---
The employee tilted his head slightly.
—
—Maybe you should try another store.
—
Another step behind him.
—
Closer.
—
More pressure.
—
And for a second—
Terry felt himself again…
—
small.
—
Like before.
—
Like always.
---
Outside
Paulina hadn't gone for coffee.
—
She had stayed.
—
Watching.
—
Her eyes weren't on the store.
—
They were on him.
—
And on how they looked at him.
—
Silence.
—
Slow.
—
Cold.
—
—Interesting… —she murmured.
—
There was no anger.
Not yet.
—
But something inside her…
—
was settling into place.
—
Because she didn't mind them looking at him like that.
—
What bothered her…
—
was that they dared.