Once The Rain Had Ceased

The forest was my home. It was like anytime I was away from it, the trees seemed to call at me. The rustle of the leaves againts one another, the way the light speared the creek and showed you where the fish were, this is my home. And yet, they  thought that they could just come in and start ruining it?! I have been here for over seventy years and I plan to stay here for many more decades to come...

My name is Elu of the Valley Creek Pack. I am High Beta of my pack, not because I am bigger or stronger, but because I am cunning and quick. I have killed others of my kind for the Wolf world is strict and if you put a single paw over the line... You will be severly punished. This is no story of love and happiness. Many people die and there will be violence; keep reading if you must, but the tale of how I turned into a Howler is not simple and it was not easy. 

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had just finished eating breakfast; It was a Friday. My birthday to be correct. and my parents still were not around. I can still remember what I had to eat: I had leftover Italian from the night before and it was cold and soggy. I still ate it though, because I liked it and the only other thing in the house was energy bars. My clothes were not really suited for normal Russian weather, just my old denim cut-offs and a grey t-shirt on. I wasnt wearing shoes because the soles of my feet had hardened and almost nothing could get through the tough skin there. The air was cold and my breath was coming out in little puffs. I knew I was supposed to go to school today but I couldnt bring myself to care. I knew I didn't belong there.The other children had made that certainly clear. They had died their hair unnatural colours while I kept mine the scruffy blonde it was.The girls were skinny and flatchested but I was robust and curvy. I needed to be. No skinny twig would last long in the woods; my favourite class was Biology. I was good at it; excellents in fact. I was learning at a level that most grade ten high school students wouldnt even think about reaching.

I had let my mind wander, when I reached the forest, it closing in on me. I knew that Luke would be upset that I'm skipping school and not telling him about it; Luke Hawthorne. He was like a brother to me and I loved him. Loved him like my own flesh and blood. He was the one that took me in on my first day at my new school. I was in the library, reading a novel on werewolves and he just walked up and said: "Mind if I join you?" there was no malice in his voice, he had truly wanted to sit with me. "Okay, as long as I can keep reading." that was what I said. I didn't trust him at first; was he teasing me? Why was he wanting to sit with me? Was he secretly trying to make me trust him so he can turn around and kick me? I didn't know, but everyday he was there waiting for me. I'd pick up a book and start reading and he would talk about his day and his family and his life. He had been at the school forever and his parents were never home. He loved the woods and lives right in the middle of one. He would just sit there chatting to me and he was truly happy. It practically oozed off him. Then when the bell went he would say: "Bye Elu, I had a real nice time chatting with you" and he would give me a grin that I only ever saw. I started talking back to him after a few weeks. he had asked me "So what do you do outside of school?" I raised an eyebrow. My voice had sounded gruff. " Yeah. I read and stuff. I also go camping by myself a lot... You?" He laughed and told me he did the exact same thing. We got on really well and-

 SNAP.

I froze. I was sitting still on a log which fell across my creek. I knew there was wolves here, I had seen a few myself but i wasn't scared, wolves don't attack humans. atleast, wolves which are not rabid and crave human meat.. STOP IT BRAIN! there are no rabid animals here! You're just trying to scare me and humans don't taste good any way.. I shook my head, as if to clear it. The time was about 4 'O clock in the afternoon. My knife hand shook, I didnt even realize I had taken my knife out of its sheath. I was turning around slowly, crouching low and slowing moving towards the bank when I heard the howls.They sounded far away and it sounded like their was a lot of them. But I knew better. Wolves cut off their howls half way through and start new ones so it sounds like their was double the amount of them there actually was. And they also put their muzzles to the ground so other Predators dont know where the packs cubs are; I stood straight, my thoughts jumbled. It's okay. I thought, Im safe. 

I was so terribly wrong.

A gutteral snarl ran through the air and burst my ear drums. I flung my arms in the air as I turned and shot through the weeds, trying to make it away from the thing that's hot breath was right on my neck. My feet were pounding across the dirt and mud as I ran. I didnt see anything, just blurry streaks of colour. The only thought on my mind was getting away. Getting away and never leaving my room again. I twisted and vaulted over a fallen Tree, landing heavily on my knees. I saw the top of the moster's head over the log. It is a wolf.  I thought numbly. Its going to get me and i'm going to die. I should just lay here and wait for it to get me. But I got up and slid and scrambled in the mud. The wolf was clearly on my trail. I whipped my head around and saw, just for a fleeting second, that it held a malicious grin.

Its eyes, which I once thought were beautiful and intelligent were now filled with hate and the promise of death. A high pitched keening sound filled the air and I realized that it was me. The earth came rushing up to meet me and I threw my arms in front of me. My Hands and arms suffered serious looking wounds, but I had no time to fully inspect them.

I have to run away from the jaws of the monster.

 

So. That was the first part of my book :) I hope you all liked it and i'll write more of it soon.

Feedback is entirely welcome, so dont be shy...