Shifter

Autumn

Like all Shifters, my brother and I live in secret amongst the humans. If they were to find out about us, we would be killed.

The crisp Autumn air of northern Ireland blew through the trees, blowing leaves to the ground. A pure white wolf stood by a river. She looked around the area before lowering her head to drink from the cold running water.

As she drank, she heard the snapping of twigs from behind a tree. She lifted her head and looked around the trees. A male human on the other side of the river caught her eye. The human held a camera in his hand. The boy stood there, absolutely mesmerized by the majestic animal that stood on the opposite side of the river.

They both just stood there, staring at each other. The wolf backed up a few steps before turning and quickly taking off. The boy held up his hand, reaching toward the wolf. "Hey!" He called out.

The wolf stood on top of a rock. She looked back at the boy who called. Only a few more seconds went by before she jumped off the rock and ran off into the woods. The boy stood there, not knowing what to do. He looked at the picture he had captured of the angelic creature.

The wolf continued running through the woods, weaving between the trees. The leaves flew up from beneath her paws. She came to the edge of the woods where a cottage sat. The wolf shifted into a human girl with short blond hair and blue eyes. She stood there the wind blowing through her hair. She walked over to the cottage and quietly entered it, closing the door behind her.

The youbg lass sighed and looked around the cottage. The grandfather clock in the living room ticked rhythmically. She walked into the kitchen and pulled out some milk from the fridge and poured herself a glass. The girl leaned against the counter and drank the milk from the cup.

A young man with platinum blonde hair stood in the archway of the kitchen. He scolded her with narrow green eyes. His arms were crossed over his chest. "Where have ye been, Aisling?" He asked.

Aisling finished her glass of milk and walked over to the sink. She didn't say anything to him. She knew that her brother hated it when she snuck out to the woods just to run around as a wolf.

"Come on now, Aisling. Spill." He pressured.

Aisling sighed. "I went out to the woods for a little while. I needed to shift and run around for a bit."

The tall male put his head in his palm and shook it. "Eejit..." He mutter. "Do ye realize what would have happened if a human saw you? What would have happened if they followed you here?"

Aisling turned and glared at him. "I can't stay cooped up in the house all the damn time, Rohan! I need to be free! The only way I can do that is if I go out on my own and feel the breeze in the air, the ground under my feet, and hear the noises and smell the scents of the forest! I can't do all that inside!" She said.

Rohan was silent. He stood their staring at his younger sister. He sighed and looked away. "Go to your room. I'll call ye out when dinner is ready." He said. Aisling growled. She walked away with her hands balled into fists. She slammed her bedroom door and flopped down on the bed.

Once she had gone to her room, Rohan walked over to the cooker and started to make dinner. He didn't like to keep Aisling inside, but it was the only way to protect her from humans. If she isn't careful they could take her and he would never see his sweet baby sister again.