Fire

V-Losing Hope

I ran until the burning of my chest told me to stop, and my ankle gave out. Night had set hours ago. I looked uo to the sky, and the moon was at it's waxing gibbous phase. Just a few days away from a full moon. I deaded for what was to come. I shouldn;t be out here. I needed to find a place— a town, ir just anywhere to hide, but I continued walking as the stars led me a way out.

I looked up at the sky, and made sister that to my left the sun had set. I need to go north.

"Remember, if you find yourself lost. Go north. I'll find you there."

I remembered those words like if he told me yesterday. Dad, did you know that I wasn't yours?

꧁꧂

Walking during the day, and find a place to rest at night. For eleven days I had been following this routine. I haven't seen any life, just a few squirrels I was able to catch as susstanance. I had become desperate and the squirrels weren't enough. I was hungry, cold, tired, and all above: scared.

I shivered adn hugged myself tighter to harness warmth, but it was useless as I shivered throughout the night and my empty stomach cried out for food. I had sustained myself with drinking water by melty snow. The small fire I had miserably try to keep alive had died. I looked down at my hands which had become discolored from the cold. Purple and blue decorated my body from falling multiple times.

I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep, but sleep never came.

"She's so pathetic!"

"She should just kill her off!"

"She deserves much more pain than this!"

"It's her fault everyone is dead!"

"She won't survive a day out there!"

"She killed Jony," Anika's voice whispered in my ear.

I awoke in a cold sweat. I breathed in and out as I tried to control the fear in my heart. It was just a nightmare. But how could it be a nightmare when it really happened?

I stood up and looked up at the sky. Rays of sunlight peeked through the pine trees.

I started walking, north. I desperately walked as I tried to fight the weakness in my bones and hoping that I might someone, but I began to lose hope. I'm going to die out here and find my frozen body.

I stopped walking as I dropped to my knees. Exhaustion had taken a toll on me and the emptiness in my stomach had become to painful to bear. I wiped my tears when I heard rustling about eight feet away form me. I struggled to stand up. I looked around at the snow covered scene and tried to find the source of the noise. Everything was quiet. Too quiet.

"Hello?" I croaked out. My throat hurt after breathing in the cold and not using it in what felt like forever.

Nothing.

"Maybe it was a small animal," I whispered to myself.

Then I heard it. I turned around slowly adn screamed bloody murder when it was a gigantic wolf! I didn't move and even if I tried, I was paralyzed by fear. I guess Luna Abigail changed her mind adn sent one of her warriors to finish me off.

"Did she sent you to kill me!" I screamed at the unnatural-large wolf.

The wold stopped its growling and cocked his head. His bright yellow eyes scrunched in confusion. He circled around me, growling as he sniffed me.

"What do you want? Kill me already!" I yelled at the wolf.

The wolf opened their mouth and howled. I stumbled back in fear at the strength of his howl.

"You're calling the others," I gulped.

I blinked and the sound of breaking echoed. Specifically, bone breaking.

"Hey," the wolf-now-person said, "Don't look," he paused, "unless you want to."

I turned away and within seconds I could hear to feet shuffling towards me.

"Can I borrow you jacket?" he asked.

"N-No!" I shrieked. I was freezing and he wanted to 'borrow" my jacket?

The naked stranger muttered curses and sighed.

I glanced back but he wasn't there. I looked around, trying find him. "Who are you?" I questioned.

"I can ask you the same," he said from behind. I turned, but again, he wasn't there. A suddenly felt dizzy and started seeing stars. I blinked and he was there, right in front of me—in a blink of a eye. I couldn't see his features. Everything was blurry.

"Hey, hey, girl. Are you feeling okay?" he asked, but I didn't answer me as I closed my eyes again and everything went dark.

꧁꧂

I opened my eyes and I was met with darkness. I sat up and blinked a few times. I looked around but I couldn't see a thing. My heart pounded with anxiety. I walked and let my hands guide me to a door. I tried opening, but it wouldn't budge.

"Hello!" I yelled but coughed and wheezed mid-word. I shivered and called out again. I slid down the door and held my knees to my chest adn cried. I was cold, hungry, and scared for my life. I didn't know where I was and who brought me to a dark dungeon. What if they take me back? I was surely done for.

The door opened and I looked up to find myself alone with a tall man with a strong build. He had curly short-length black hair and his face looked angular and rough with the single light illuminating the room. He set a tray towards me.

"Eat. You seem like you need it," he spoke.

I looked at him closely as his voice rang an alarm somewhere in my brain. "You," I muttered.

"Yes me," he rose a perfect dark brow with a hint of humor, "what about it?"

I looked down at the bowl of broth with vegetables. "You save me," I bowed my head in gratitude, "thank you."

He cleared his throat. "You are welcome," he replied.

I took a spoonful of the broth. "Can I asked where am I?'

"We're an hour away from Grande Prairie," he answered, "Alberta," he clarified.

My eyes widened and breathed. "Canada?"