A Forest Away (dnf)

Three

  The final bell rung and everyone made their way out the door. I go to put all my textbooks back in my locker and started heading home. I will say I like walking through the forest when I leave to go to school or come back home.

There's no noise besides nice songs of the birds that soared through the sky. I could always hear a river in the distance but I never really got the chance to go and check it out due to my dad basically locking me in the house to do my school work.

I can't even go and look at it now because my dad wants me home at a certain time so he knows that I won't go anywhere beforehand. I was about to make it home when I noticed something shiny on the ground. I went up to it then crouched down to picked it up which turned out to be a necklace.

I look at it once more and saw the charm of the piece of jewelry. It was a howling wolf Hm I wonder how this got here. I shoved it in my pocket and continued home. I take my keys out of my bag then get inside and like always there is my dad on the couch waiting for me.

"Took you long enough, go do your homework", He announced A simple hello or welcome home would have been nice "Yes father", I obeyed and head to my room. I place my bag down next to my desk then pulled out my laptop and started typing.

*Nick's POV*
I got home then started up my computer to play some Valorant. Once it turned on I went to see if any of my friends were on Oh He's on I clicked the phone icon then waited for him to answer.

"Hey Nick", He said "Sup Clay" "What's wrong you sound down?", He asked which caused me to sigh "Clay I thought you said you would make him stop", He immediately knew what I meant "I know I know, but he just won't stop" "I mean you did stop him the second time but why not the first?", I asked "I did, it might have looked like I didn't but I did", I sighed once more.

"Why are you even friends with that guy in the first place?", I asked "I already told you Nick his dad and my dad are like friends and his dad expects us to be buddies" "So?", I remarked. "His dad is just weird, I think because he just wants Aiden to have friends and since I'm his only one he's got, he's stuck to me like glue and if I do stop being friends with him he will go cry about it to his dad", He explained

I can only imagine what it must be like to have Aiden follow you around like a lost puppy "And his dad will tell mine to go and befriend him again so I can't do nothing about it" "But wouldn't your dad understand?" "He does but I forgot to mention that his dad is like my dad's boss, so he's afraid to get him mad even with the stupidest things and scared that he'll get fired because of it, the job pays well so my dad doesn't want to lose that", Clay explained.

"Oh", I say "Yeahh so I'm kinda stuck with him" "Well do you want play some Valorant?", I asked "Sure", He replied.

I met Clay online just like Geroge but only I met Clay first, he's a really good friend. He's like Brother to me and he would always have my back no matter what and I do too.

*Clay's POV*
"He's behind you!", I yell into the mic "Aw dude, could you have warned me sooner", Nick whined. "Sorry, but anyway I'm gonna go to the bathroom I'll be right back", I say as I excuse myself.

"Alright", Nick replied. I take off my headset and head to the bathroom. While I was washing my hands I reached a hand out to my neck so I could fiddle with my necklace because it was one of the ways for me to feel comfort.

But when I touched my neck I felt nothing but my own skin, I freeze. I feel around my neck but nothing's there. No no no you can't be serious!  I felt my breath start to quicken. I reached in my pockets to see if maybe I took it off even though when I knew deep down I would never take off my necklace. Nothing, they were empty.

I look around the floor, nothing. I ran out of the bathroom and looked into the hall, nothing. I sprint into my room, nothing. I'm breathing heavily now and I'm unable to control it. I start running around my room to see if maybe, just maybe I must have dropped it but nothing.

I could hear my dad shouting now to stop running around but his voice was muffled. I must find it ! it has to be here somewhere! But again nothing, I ripped the sheets off my bed, nothing I can hardly breathe now. I turned to my computer and put on my headset.

"NICK I LOST IT!", I yelled "OW DUDE", Nick whines in pain. "I have headphones on!" "NICK I LOST IT I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS", I tell while rambling with my words "Hey hey calm down take a minute and breath", He says softly.

I then focused on my breathing for a second which kinda helped. "There you go, now what did you lose that caused you to freak out like this?", He asked in a calm yet confused tone."I lose my necklace I can't find it", I say slight raising my voice.

"I looked everywhere but I can't find it" "Relax dude it's just a necklace I'm sure it will-", Just a necklace? I felt so taken back from the comment that I felt my blood start to boil. "NO NICK ! you don't understand it's not just a necklace, my mom gave me that necklace before...before..she left."

The memory is blurry but something happened at my old home that caused me and my dad to leave, I don't remember what was attacking us but.. My mother voluttered to stand guard while me and my dad made our escape.

I begged her not to...I can still hear her voice within the memory. "Mama please don't go!", I begged with tears running down my face. "I won't let you!", I shouted as I clinging on to her." Oh my sweet baby", She said in a soft tone. She held my small face as she whipped my tears.

"Everything's going to be okay, here I want you to have this", She took her hands off my face and back up slightly and took off her necklace. I held my hands out.

"So you can remember me by", She said as she placed it in my hands she then brought me into warm hug "I love you always my little duckling", She whispered planting a soft kiss on my nose.

"Please don't go mama", I begged once more. She got up and began to run to the danger. "Mama please don't go! I need you! Don't leave me!", I yelled as my voice was giving out. My dad picked me up and we left.. I haven't seen her since. I was only six years old.

I cried day after day. I cried for weeks, months and even a few years, as I grew older I would always ask my dad when or if she will come back. But all he did was bring me into a warm embrace. After days of asking I eventually stopped.

I started to finally heal after those all horrible months of just crying myself to sleep, being scared awake from my nightmares of that same day.

All I wanted was just for my mom to just come home. As I got older the more I healed and it didn't bother me as much but now here I am having a panic attack in my own room while on a call with Nick because I lost the only thing left of my mother.

Her soft voice still echoes in my head "I love you always my little duckling" "Clay!", Nick yells as his voice snaps me out of my thoughts "Yeah?", I replied. "Geez I thought you died", Nick commented.

"I'm- I'm gonna go look for it some more", I say. "Alright, I'm sorry about what I said.. I'm sure it will turn up", Nick says."I hope so, Bye Nick" "Bye man"

I end the call which then brought me back to my senses. I started to panic again but I knew I had to look for it. I took my headset off in one motion and bolted out of my room. I headed downstairs to the kitchen which had a glass sliding door that leads to the backyard and the forest.

"Clay what in god's name are you doing?!", My dad yells. But I was already out the door "Clay, where are you doing!", Sorry dad but I have to find it. I jumped the fence that separated my backyard and the forest. I jumped off a small cliff and landed on all of my fours and continued the run.

I haven't done this in a while. I've almost forgotten how good the wind felt as it ran into my fur and just the freedom I felt, having to feel of the dirt in between my paws, I've almost forgotten how it felt like being a wolf.
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