Ensnare

Chapter 9

The next morning made me feel like I was living on repeat. Untangle myself, fly through getting ready, burst out the door.                

                The more I thought about it, the more I began to think that the whole wolf ordeal had been a bad dream. I had nothing to prove that it had actually happened. Only Linda showed signs that something had happened over the weekend. Maybe it had nothing to do with wolves. I could have been jogging and hit my head and dreamt the whole thing while lying on the forest floor for two days. It was more likely than werewolves. Heck, anything was more likely than werewolves.

                After Leah dropped me off after Wednesday’s exam, Linda was waiting for me to come in again. This time I stood directly in her line of vision and met her eyes. I needed to know if she was Ok.

                “Lindy, what’s going on?”

                “You know what’s going on. I warned your mother to stay away from them. We don’t belong with those type.”

                “What are you talking about, Aunt Linda?”

                “But no, she never listened. And neither did you. I told you to stay inside. But you didn’t, did you?”

                “I only went for a jog, Aunt Linda. Why are you talking about mom?”

                “That’s not all you did.”

                I narrowed my eyebrows at her.

                “Your filthy kind killed my sister!”

                My vision was becoming clouded. I was beyond mad. Rage bubbled through me. My own Aunt was accusing me of killing my mother?

                “Take that back!”

                Linda looked at me, suddenly I realized I wasn’t in the same spot I’d been standing. I was crouched on top of the kitchen table, staring down at Linda.

                “You move like them now. You didn’t used to.”

                I leapt down from the table. I had no recollection of getting there.

                “Be ready to finish what you start, Linda. What did you just say about my mother?”

                “That’s enough,” She hissed and spun around. She walked from the room heatedly; leaving me crouched on the hardwood floor of the dining room.

                Suddenly the wolf thing didn’t seem so much of a dream. I’d been told I couldn’t control my instinct. That had without a doubt been uncapped rage. Not a speck of control in me. I ran my tongue over my teeth. My canines felt sharper.

                I stood back up and gave my head a shake. I had exams to deal with. This was not something I could handle right now. I ran back up to my room and slammed the door behind me. The whole house shook with the impact.

                I had to get a grip on myself. If I couldn’t control my anger, Linda was in danger. I didn’t want her to get hurt. I squeezed my eyes shut and leaned against the door. A single hot tear forced its way out. I opened my eyes and with one quick movement, swept it off of my cheek.

                Still in a fury, I dumped my school books onto the bed and roughly shoved the subjects I’d already been tested on aside. Math exam was tomorrow. I’d better get studying for that one. I threw open the front cover and shuffled through the pages, telling myself to calm down. I bowed my head over the book and began to work through complicated questions.