Chapter 5. Pairs

The city of Portico was bustling as a bee. People came and went about their businesses and the air around the city was stuffy from all the mechanical pollution of companies and industries. Than the canteens and restaurants, the police department of Portico was much more populated.

"Hey, Ronnie!" He hadn't stepped more than a foot into shift when he heard someone call his name already. Court Ronald, a detective who's been in service for 5 years, looked up towards his partner, Jamie Francis. 

"What's with all the people and noise?" Ronald asked.

"Oh don't mind them,they're just here to make their hair... Duty calls of course, idiot" Francis greeted in his usual sarcastic tone as he approached Ronald with a file in hand. Ronald just smiled bitterly, wondering how he ever came across Jamie. Why was he even allowed in the police department?

"See that dude over there?..." He pointed at an old man who sat with a lost gaze in the corner of the department. 

"He's come to report some odd cases about humans turning into wolves and killing peeps in the deep wilderness." Francis gave the file into Ronald's hands. 

"But that's way off our jurisdiction. " Ronald protested. There were more than enough cases in the city to handle, not to speak of the wilderness. 

"Tell that to the boss and... the Sherriff." Jamie stated and poked Ronald in the chest with a finger. Jamie walked past him and headed out of the PD. Taking the cue, Ronald followed behind him.

"He wants us to look into it, and he's calling in the guilds from fantasy world" Jamie stated a while after.

"What?! Those lunatics?" 

"I have a feeling you're not gonna be good friends with the agents." Jamie pursed his lips. " Come on, we got a job to do" he turned to clasp Ronald on the shoulder in encouragement.

"Hah!" Ronald held his waist and sighed exasperatedly before moving to follow behind Jamie towards the parking lot.

As they proceeded, Ronald thought it necessary to rapidly rake through the file in his hands. Apparently, several cases of wolves in the city attacking people have been reported as well and it was attached as a lead to the current case they were to handle.

"This is gonna be a bloody one..." 

***

In Darren's cabin

"How are you feeling now?" Darren asked with a friendly smile that wasn't too far from a doctor's.

Kyley looked over the cup of water she held to her mouth and replied shortly " Feeling better now. Thank you" her voice sounded mildly gentle now compared to her previously dry tone.

"Mm" Darren nodded affirmatively and continued to observe the room after wards, as though he was a stranger in his own house.

Kyley saw this and was quite skeptical but decided to not say anything. He couldn't have brought her to someone else's house after all. Could he? That reminded her as well;

"Wh-where am I?" Kyley asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh uhm, we're deep in the dark woods. This is where I live. Heh." Darrel tried to make it not sound as awkward as it seemed.

"I live here. All alone, obviously. And I brought you back after finding you lying unconscious in the woods..." Try as much as he could, he realized the more he spoke, the weirder things became "...May I ask how you got there?" Darren quicky switched the topic before he would weird her out.

"Uhm. Long story, never mind." Kyley had never really had a free conversation with anyone as this. However, she was cautious enough not to speak too much about herself, not especially about her background as she still wasn't certain of the identity of the person who had supposedly saved her. He could have done so out of kindness, or a profitable business.

"Mm" Darren nodded and continued to observe the room once again. It seemed a nervous habit of his. This time, he hummed a tune and tapped his fingers on his knees in rhythm.

"I'm Darren, by the way. Heh." he finally realized that they haven't properly introduced each other.

Kyley stared at him for a while and just nodded her head before resolving back into her thoughts. She needed to gain knowledge of her surrounding as fast as she could. She felt like she was missing something out but she didn't really give much thought to it.

"You do remember your name, don't you?" Darren asked with a raised brow, scared that Kyley might have lost her memory.

Kyley as if struck by lightning suddenly jolted and stared innocently at Darren before slowly saying. "K-kyley, your-" She actually bit her tongue almost saying out loud something that she shouldn't. " I'm K-Kyley" she managed to finish, but her heart still pounded in despair as to her sudden reaction. Had she been so used that it had become a subconscious action for her?

Darren was surprised as to how startled she reacted just now. It seemed like she was going to say something more besides her name.

"I'm sorry if I had caused you any trouble, I meant no-"

"No, no, it's just... A thing of the past " Darren meant to apologize but Kyley cut her off before he could. Her tone was more like a depressed one towards the end of her statement.

Darren could tell from her facial expression that she spoke from a hurting experience. He didn't know how to react to the situation so he just let the natural take reign. Silence.

"Grrr!" Not until Kyley's grumbling stomach made it's protest in the silence. Kyley looked up and though she shouldn't be, she couldn't help but look away in embarrassment seeing the amused smile on Darren's face. 

"Ahem! I guess it truly is almost time for lunch. I'll go make something" Darren cleared his throat and announced as though it was the most righteous call. Kyley just hid her head away the more he spoke and reached to scratch her scalps gently with a finger timidly. She kept looking away until the sound of the door opening and closing behind Darren's clicking boot-sole sound that faded farther and farther away.

Kyley then raised her gaze once again to see if there was anyone in the room. Somehow, she could still feel the presence of Darren in the room.

"Haah!" She exhaled deeply when she confirmed her doubts and soon after she fell into deep thought. Her gaze latched unto the water in the mug in her hands as her mind rummaged around aimlessly. She felt peaceful for a reason at the moment and she felt finally, and for once in her life, at peace.