Chapter 1

I sat under the big oak tree next to my family's home, I could hear my parents inside arguing over my father's drinking, an argument which I'm sure will end up dragging me into it some way or another. Sighing, I looked up at the full moon and wished I could touch it and hold it in my arms, she in all honesty was my friend, I told my secrets to her and shared my most inner thoughts and she would just look down at me with her calm glow and I would feel happy.

"Oh Luna," I said to the moon, I know that if the kids in school heard me name the moon I would be the laughing stock for the rest of my school year, my parents already thought me strange enough as is and resented me.

"Luna, I don't know what to do anymore. My parents are at it again and all I really want is to have a normal family. I honestly don't know how long I can keep the thoughts away any longer, I'm scared. I wish you could speak to me and tell me what to do or send me a sign that everything will be ok. I feel so lonely and frightened, I feel that one day my mother and father will go too far in their arguing and I will be receiving the blunt of their anger." I felt a tear trickle down my cheeks, the moon becoming blurry as more followed them, my voice cracked as I spoke.

"I wish there was some way to end it all, to make everyone happy and end the pain without it being so painful." I lowered my head and whipped the tears away from my eyes as I stood up.

"I best go back in, they will only get even more angrier if I don't show up," I said to the moon once more and headed back into the house.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" My mother shouted at my father. "I FUCKING HATE YOUR GUTS!"

"SAME HERE YOU BITCH! I WISH I HAD NEVER MARRIED YOU!" My father shouted back, I tried to sneak past them to my room but that was not happening.

"Forest!" Both of my parents said now turning on me. I could see the red in my father’s eyes and the huge hand mark on my mother's face and fear gripped me.

"Get over here now," my father said in a stern tone, I shook my head, I didn't want to go near him or my mother when they were like this.

"GET OVER HERE NOW!" My father screamed which startled me and I tried to run away but he gripped my arm in an iron hold and the pain that went up my arm was unbearable, his nails dug into my skin causing the puncture wounds to bleed, I could even feel my arm go numb as his hand cut off the circulation in it. With a rough tug he pulled me over to him and my mother who took turns beating me with a belt and a wooden spoon.

"DON'T YOU EVER SAY NO TO ME AGAIN!" My father screamed as his leather belt whipped me across my bear arms, neck and face.

"YOU'RE THE WORST DAUGHTER EVER!" My mother screamed as she whacked my knuckles and knees and wherever she could with the wooden spoon. I tried to protect my bare skin the best I could but the beating only continued on until they were both out of breath and I was bleeding from my arms and face and anywhere else they had hit me. Leaving me curled up on the kitchen floor with tears streaming down my cheeks and my blood dripping out of the wounds they inflicted on me I knew I had to get out of here.

Slowly climbing to my knees, I gasped in pain, the bruises were already forming and dried blood now caked my bare skin where they had once been bleeding, the dry tears on my cheeks made it feel like plaster was covering my face. Slowly climbing to my feet I made my way to my room, closing the door behind me and locking it, I looked around my bare room. There wasn't much in here but a bunch of piled up dirty clothes that I had to use for a bed with an old tattered blanket which didn't keep me warm at all and a stained pillow that smelled like cat pee. Heading to my closet I picked out the only clean pair of clothes I had which were too big and baggy on me as they had once been my father's work clothes that he no longer needed. Ripping off my bloody clothes I put the clean ones on and tied the back of my shirt up so it clung somewhat better to me, the pants were practically a lost cause until I tied some rope around them to use for a belt, the old shoes of my mother which had holes in it were soon slipped on over my bare and bruised feet. Heading to the bathroom as quietly as I could, I quickly cleaned my wounds and left the house, I didn't bother with anything else, I had no possessions but the clothes that were on my back and bruises and cuts to remind me of the place I had once called home.

Heading to the woods, I didn't care where I was going, I just knew I had to get away even if it killed me. Looking up at the moon, I said.

"See Luna? I knew it was bound to happen. Now I need your help to find me a suitable home to call my own. I can't go back there, I would be killed if I ever returned for running away." I watched the silent moon for a few minutes before stumbling on an abandoned cave, or a cave that I hoped was abandoned. Heading inside, I quickly found my way deeper into the cave using the walls to guide me until I found a nice cool spot. Soon scrounging up some moss I could fine, I settled myself down and tried to close my eyes, for once, I could sleep soundly without my father sneaking into my room in the middle of the night and doing his 'things' to me while my mother slept in the next room.

 

**********

I ran through the woods after my nightly hunt, my black paws carrying me swiftly through the underbrush where my black pelt helped me blend in to the darkness around me. The only light tonight was that of the full moon, the soft glow was enough to make it seem like daylight to my wolf's eyes. As I ran through the underbrush to my cave I picked up a scent which stopped me in my tracks. Putting my nose to the ground I picked up the scent of a human who smelled hurt. What is a human doing out here in the woods and at this time of night too? I wondered. Following the trail, the smell was heading right to my cave. Slowly following the strange human scent, I peered into my cave and noticed a sleeping form on a bed made of moss, the gentle rising and falling of her chest showered she was still alive, plus she was shivering from time to time. What is a human girl doing out in the woods? I wondered. Padding up to investigate more, I noticed lots of bruises covered any bare skin along with cuts that occasionally oozed out blood while others were caked with dry blood. The girl’s lips were split and her knuckles beat red. Something defiantly bad happened to her, poor thing, she's freezing. I thought to myself and quickly fazed back to my human form. Quickly heading back to where I stored extra blankets from my house, I laid one over the shivering form and sat by the wall waiting for her to wake up.

Chapter 2

The singing of the birds echoed in my ears, the little light that did fall on my closed eye lids told me it was morning. At first I dreaded waking up, thinking I was back at the house and my mother or father would come storming in screaming at me to get up and drag me out by my hair to do the house chores, I no longer could go to school or everyone was sure to know what was happening and my father drilled it in my head that if I told anyone and they were taken away, when they got out they would find me and kill me. Groaning slightly as I tried to wet my parched throat, I cracked open one eye slowly, walls and a floor of stone greeted my one open eye and for a second I forgot how I had gotten here but then all memories of last night flashed through my mind. Slowly stretching my arms and legs I held back a scream as my sore muscles and aching arms and legs moved from the beatings of last night and days before that, I also noticed that I had somehow come in possession of a blanket over me, how that happened I did not know but I was sure grateful for it, the air was cold and all I wanted was some nice warmth. Slowly sitting up, I noticed a boy fast asleep laying up against one of the cave walls, his dark black bangs hung over his eyes slightly as the rest of his hair was a bit past his ears, he had on a black T-shirt with black shorts. Gothic much? I thought soon noticing the piercing on his lip. Then it dawned on me, here I was in a cave with a boy and I looked like a total mess, not like anyone would care anyway. People always told me I was ugly and my taste in clothing would look better on a homeless person then it would on me, plus, not many guys even talk to me and any girl I come into contact with either dubs me their enemy or totally ignores me all together.

Sighing, I undid the blanket that I had wrapped around myself sometime during the night and dropped it next to the boy who jumped awake startled. Looking up at me, he had the bluest eyes and I found myself taken aback. After minutes of us staring at one another I snapped out of it and said.

"Uh...thanks for the blanket. I uh..Should be heading home, my parents will worry if I'm not back." I turned around and started to leave the cave when he called out to me, his voice as smooth as honey.

"Wait!" I stopped and turned around to face him.

"Yes?" I asked, I had hoped he would let me leave without a word but clearly not.

"What were you doing out in the woods so late last night?" He asked me, his eyes giving me a quizzical look.

"I uh...I was just walking around, I needed to get out and I guess I just fell asleep here," I lied, hoping he hadn't noticed any of my cuts or bruises.

"If that's the case, then why do you have all those bruises and cuts on you?" My hopes slumped at thinking he didn't.

"I fell, they're nothing really. I should really be going back, my dad doesn't like me talking to boys let alone being outside of the house, and my mom would surely have the cops called on me for being missing," and before he could say another word, I ran back to the house, I didn't want to go back but fear about what would happen gave way to my sense of wanting to get away, I just hoped they hadn't noticed I was gone yet.

Reaching the front door, I heard movement in the house and my father hiss at my mother.

"She's gone, where did she go wretch?" I cowered a bit, they had noticed and I was now in for a beating of a lifetime and what's worse, this time I don't think I will make it out with just bruising and cuts.

"I don't know," my mother hissed back. "She was supposed to clean the house today."

"When I find that bitch, I'm going to make her pay for running away," my father spat. I whimpered and backed away, quickly heading back to the trees. I couldn't go back home, I was surely going to get more than a beating and I couldn't go back to the cave either because that boy would surely know something was up, I was torn between decisions and had nowhere else to go.

Finally I reached the deeper part of the woods and slumped down next to a huge pine tree, laying my head on my knees and wrapping my arms around them I let the tears finally come once more, I wished my grandmother was here, she was the only one who was nice to me and cared for me, she protected me from my mother and father and I could always find refuge with her when my parents were at it or my father came home when I was home alone drunk and raped me. I imagined her warm arms wrapping me up in a hug and her favorite perfume smell stuck in my nose, a light flowery scent that had a calm feeling to it. I remembered her soft voice as she murmured condolences to me and tried to make me not care so much, that she was here and she would never leave me, yet she had. Cancer had claimed her life and the beatings came worse as my parents blamed her death on me, nothing was ever the same since then, I was alone in the world with two abusive parents and a school of peers who would like nothing more than to bring me down even more. Every doctor I went to diagnosed me with severe depression and gave my parents the medicine to help me but they only smashed it up into powder and sold it to druggies for money so they could go out and buy more alcohol leaving me with those painful thoughts that only offered a smooth release from this world. A small smile came to my face as I thought about death, I knew my grandmother was on the other side and seeing her would make everything all the more better, I would once more have the only person in the world I loved back in my life, I would be safe and taken away from this abusive world, I would finally be free. Then a thought occurred to me, I could end it all, all it would take was a step off of the bridge in town and landing on the pavement, the bridge was high enough that impact to the ground was sure death in itself, I could end it all and I could go see my grandmother, I could finally be free.

Whipping the tears from my eyes, I stretched out my cramped legs, standing up, I whipped the dirt off of my pants and headed to town, I knew my plan was full proof, I just had to make it happen fast enough that no one could stop me.

"Where do you think you're going?" That smooth, honey silk voice came from behind me and I spun around in shock.

"Nowhere, I was just heading to town for my mother, she wanted something from the store," I lied again. The boy crossed his arms across his chest and gave me the don't-thin-you-can-fool-me look.

"If that was true, why are you once more back in the woods and so far from town? Someone on an errand run to town won't be out here." Damn, I was caught red handed.

"I wanted to take a stroll before going into town," I lied again. The boy just stared at me.

"Tell me what is really going on, and I want the truth. I can smell your lies on you." I sighed.

"Ok...the truth is I-" then I recalled what he said and blurted out. "Hey! How could you smell anything on me? What are you? Part dog?" This I realized caught the boy off guard and I felt a smirk threaten to pop on my lips.

"No, it was just a figure of speech. You're face gives your lies away," he quickly said and I knew he was covering something up.

"Well, if you won't tell me then I won't tell you why I'm really out here," I said with a humph and crossed my own arms, the movement made me wince in pain some but I was determined to not let it show on my face.

I heard an exasperated sigh and looked at the boy once more.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," he said and I could sense the air of defeat on him.

"Try me," I challenged more.

"I'm...a werewolf," he whispered out the last part.

*************

I shuttered when I finally told her my secret, I didn't know what she thought of me now, hell, with me being able to find her she probably already thought of me as a creepy stalker but there was something about her that I needed to protect, wanted to protect. I shyly looked up at her from under my eyelashes and seen her starring at me with a blank expression and doubt of her believing me pushed down my confidence. I knew revealing my secret to her would probably ruin the both of us, but there was just something about her my wolf took a liking too, something many generations of pack members had called 'the mating call' but I had never expected it would be with a female human. After a moment of silence, I decided to break the tension between us by holding out my hand.

"My name's Matt, what's yours?" I finally asked. I watched as she snapped out of it and took my hand.

"Forest," she said giving me a firm hand shake but I could feel her body trembling slightly.

"Please don't fear me," I said finally pulling my hand away, "I won't hurt you."

"Believe me, I've been through worse fear than encountering a werewolf," she said and I was surprised she was so calm about it.

"You mean you believe me?" I asked shocked.

"Quite frankly, I don't know what to believe. But hell, I'm open for anything at the moment," she said shrugging her shoulders and I noticed a slight wince on her face as she did so.

"Is something wrong? Are you hurt?" I asked worriedly.

"It's nothing, just a little bruising from my inability to not run into things," she said half heartedly. I could tell she was lying again.

"All right, so now back to our deal. I told you about me, now tell me about you. Why are you out here? And why were you in the woods last night?" I watched as she put her guard back up and looked me over before saying.

"I told you why. I wanted a walk and as for why I'm out here its the same thing as for why I was in the woods last night. Besides, what does it matter to you anyway?"

"It matters because the woods aren’t safe. You're lucky it was me who found you and not another werewolf, had another found you would be dead," I said, letting a hint of a growl creep into my voice.

I was amazed that she didn't flinch, most humans would when confronted by a predator but she just stood her ground.

"I can take care of myself thank you. I'm not afraid of some creatures that go bump in the night," she hissed through her teeth, once more crossing her arms across her chest. I sighed again, this was one stubborn human.

"Come on, let's get you back home," I said and noticed she tensed up when I reached for her.

"Don't touch me," she said with a hint of fear in her voice.

"What's wrong? It's not like I will hurt you," I said but I could smell the fear rising on her now.

"Just don't touch me. And I don't want to go home, there's nothing to do there anyways, I'm going to stay out here," and with that she sat down on the ground and crossed her legs.

"Why don't you want to go home? Is something wrong there?" I asked sitting down next to her and frowned a bit when she moved slightly away.

"No, I just don't feel like going home, that's all." I looked at her more closely, I could just see slight trembling from her body. Sitting down next to her, I waited for a few minutes before asking.

"Are you in danger at your house?" I knew instantly my question caught her off guard by how fast her head whipped towards me.

"No, why?" She asked with a guarded tone in her voice.

"Well, its all the bruising you have, no one who isn't in trouble has that much bruising." I felt bad for her when her head bowed and she closed her eyes, instantly I regretted asking my question.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 21.04.2014

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