Freya
I poked the steak, not feeling hungry.
"You've seemed so distant ever since you've returned from school," grand aunt Zira said as she studied me from across the table.
"I'm okay," I said.
"I'm going upstairs to do my homework," I told her, not having the appetite to eat anything.
She nodded.
Again, I lied; I never got any homework. I just felt the need to be alone.
I closed the door of my room and went to sit beside the window, leering into the forest.
I didn't understand why he was so mad at me when I had done nothing wrong.
Hot tears formed in my eyes, rolling down my cheeks, remembering that for many years my mom had wrongly blamed me for Dad leaving her.
What if he, too, mistakenly vented his anger out on me as well?
I feel as if I was born with a curse—bad luck for taking someone else's blame. I was starting to believe it.
I heard a knock on the door.
"I'm coming." I quickly wiped away my tears.
I opened the door.
"Your grand aunt and I are going to a friend's house just for some pots of flowers. Would you like to come?"
"I also have to study; I have a pop quiz early tomorrow." I kept on lying.
"Okay, we promise not to take too long."
I nodded.
As I was closing the door, Grandma stopped me.
"I forgot to ask you something. How are you and Dolly getting along?" she asked.
I remembered Dolly told me that her relative and mine were close friends.
"Good," I answered.
"Great, your grandaunt and I will be back shortly."
I again nodded and closed the door. I felt bad lying to her.
I went back over to the window. Within a few minutes, I heard the car start, driving off.
My eyes motioned to the lighter, feeling the urge to burn myself. I hastily went over to it and grabbed it.
I sat on the ground before my bed and pulled up my long sleeves. My left wrist had too many burns, and I didn't want to burn my next wrist. I couldn't risk anyone finding out I was hurting myself. I pulled down my sleeves and pulled up my blouse, revealing my lower abdomen. I lit the lighter. My face was red with pain as I burned myself.
The lighter fell from my hand with a sound that came from downstairs. I immediately pulled down my blouse and stood up. Wasn't I alone?
I opened the door and exited my room to find out.
"Zira," I called, walking down the stairs.
I assumed she had decided to stay, not wanting to leave me alone.
"Zira," I kept calling, checking each section of the home downstairs.
I heard no one. Lastly, I checked the kitchen before heading back upstairs. I jumped as I heard the loud sound again. Grandma and Zoey had left the kitchen back door open. The wind kept blowing against it. I rushed over to lock it and went back to my room, now knowing it was the sound I heard.
I was so eager to resume what I was doing that I didn't bother to close my door. I pulled up my blouse and started to burn another section of my lower abdomen. The lighter fell from my hand in pain. As I was about to take up the lighter, I felt a strange feeling that I wasn't alone. My head spun toward the door, and my body stiffened in fear. A wolf was in the house. He was standing right at my door.
It was the first wolf I saw. I knew it was him, not because of his light black and gray fur but because of his eyes. He had a look that was so strong, it was hard to forget.
What does one do when a wolf attacks? I didn't know. The books I've read about men shifting to wolves were pure romances. I wished at that moment I had read non-fiction about a real wolf, occasionally.
My window was opened, and I glanced back. I could quickly escape, close the window, and wait until he returns to the forest.
Its sharp white teeth grinned as it growled at me.
My heart pounded hard in my chest, and my breathing became heavy. I slowly pushed myself along the floor as it crept upon me.
The wolf suddenly paused, and I noticed its eye on my lower abdomen. I pulled down my blouse, hiding the burns.
I kept pushing myself backward, closer to the open window, seeing that the wolf was just standing there as if he no longer wished to attack me.
The thought of wanting to end it all and no longer feel pain soon invaded my mind. It was not the first. I'm afraid to take my own life, but now I have help.
Tears flooded my eyes.
My back rested on the walls of the window, no longer desiring to escape.
"Kill me," I told the beast. My voice shivered in pain.
He just looked at me. He no longer shows signs of aggressiveness.
I crawled on my hands and knees to it. With each step I took, it went backwards.
"Kill me before they return!" I pleaded.
I rested on my knees, and my eyes closed as I saw it charging toward me, preparing for my death. Disappointedly, my eyes opened when I felt it run past me. It jumped right through my window.
My dad abandoned me, my mom doesn't want me around, and now not even the wolf sees me as food. I break down in tears. I rushed over to the window, and I saw it running into the forest.
"Why doesn't anyone want me? What is wrong with me?" I cried out.
He halted and turned to look at me as if he pity me.
I climbed through the window, eager to end it all; the pain was too much.
My lips shivered, and my entire body saw how far I would fall. My bones would be broken. I would never survive this fall; that's what I wanted.
I closed my eyes and leaped from the window. I could feel the speed of gravity pulling me down and the air encircling me.
My eyes suddenly opened, I felt someone catching me, and I found myself in Jurius's arms. My head rested on his bare chest as we both gazed into each other's eyes. His body was as warm and comfortable as I remembered. It instantly made me forget all my pain.
"How?" My lips slowly parted. I was curious to know how he'd gotten here and why he was here.
My head turned from his as I heard Grandma and Zira returning. Jurius put me down, as I did. By the time I turned to look back at him, he was gone.
"How did you move so fast?" I was surprised.