The Silver Wolf

Chapter 1 ~ The Beginning

It was the start of the last week of summer vacation. The beginning of the end, I suppose.

My friend, Annika, invited me to a sleepover. She told me only a few of our friends, as well as me, were invited, since she knew I wasn't a big fan of people. It was going to be the second to last day of vacation.

I immediately told her I would check with my parents for permission, since we were only thirteen. I hurried home and told my parents about the invitation and they approved.

Grinning, I grabbed my tablet and pulled up my email, since I still didn't have a phone. I scanned my inbox for new messages but saw none. I made a new email telling Annika that I would be able to go. It wasn't long before I got a response.

"Ok. My parents and I will pick you up around 8 on Saturday." I read her response. Email was basically texting for us. I quickly told her I understood.

I grabbed my old, worn out, black and blue backpack that held all of my drawing paper, notebooks full of unfinished stories, books and pencil off of my bed. I slipped on my favorite blue jacket and slung my bag over one shoulder before sprinting to the door.

I told my parents I was going to my 'secret lair' in the woods right next to our house.

"Be back by seven, sweetie!" my dad yelled from the couch.

I paused and walked over to my father. I pecked him on the cheek and he gave me a hug. I grabbed my tablet and the book I was reading (and almost done with) from the table in front of him.

My parents didn't really mind me doing things. I'd say I'm pretty free for my age.

Then again, most kids most kids hadn't been through and experienced what I did when I was younger.

I had practically been raised in the woods by my older brother and some family dogs after my parents mysteriously disappeared. When I was five, my brother and our dogs, the only family I had left, disappeared into the woods, too. He left shortly after finishing building a tree house for shelter. About a month later, an old hunter found me in the tree house. I was sick but alive, since I had water and I had been taught wilderness skills at a young age. Hungry, yet not starved, for my brother had left me some food to keep me alive before I was found. I could also gather some food, but not much, especially when I wasn't sure if it was poisonous.

I had thought I was going to die when that hunter found me. Yet, I didn't. I don't really know how I survived a month on my own in the wild at five years of age, but I did.
After I was found, I was cared for by the hunter and his wife, who also left me. Just like my direct family had. But, unlike my first family, they didn't choose to leave me. They stayed with me until they couldn't anymore for they were old and weak. They cared for me until the first of the new year. By then, I was six.

Most kids didn't have to go through all that pain and losing everyone they loved and foster care and adoption. And, while I was in foster care, it was so hard to find someone who wanted me. I wasn't a super cute kid. I was sometimes even called 'feral' and 'wild'. Like I was some sort of animal. Not a human child.

But, since I did go through so much, my parents knew I was strong enough to be alone in the woods. Even woods that they knew could be dangerous.

While the hunter and his wife cared for me, they gave me the name Minka. It meant 'strong willed warrior' and they thought it seemed like an appropriate name for a kid they had found in the woods. I had kept the name since the hunter's wife first called me it.

It's the only name I remembered...

I don't know if I even had a name before.

Well, despite my rough past, the present and future are what's important.

Slipping my tablet and book into the front pocket of my bag, I headed back towards the door.

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" I shouted to them, opening the door.

"Bye Mink!" my father responded, his eyes glued to the television.

"Bye my little Mink! We're having lasagna for dinner!" my mom yelled from the kitchen.

"Yum, I love lasagna," I said grinning as I stepped out the door.

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Well, I'm actually uploading to this story. Wow. So, I don't think this is that great, and at the very beginning I was cringing. Younger me maybe wasn't the best at writing. I changed some of the wording so it sounds a bit better than it originally was. The main character is kind of based off of me. Especially all the blue. I love the color blue and black, so that's why she had the blue jacket and bag. Yeah. And that's why she has 'notebooks full of unfinished stories', because I start writing something, then start writing something else.

Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you like it. Comment what you think, but please nothing rude. I know this isn't great, but constructive criticism is fine. This won't be like all of the werewolf stories that they find a mate and blah blah blah.

Also, I actually added a chapter title. Thoughts? It isn't something I usually do, and I don't know if I should continue adding titles or not.

-Glorypup