Gage

Chapter One - Nightmares

The smell of death clung to the walls of my cellar. Dried blood peeled off the wall as I dragged a piece of white chalk on it. Yet another day has passed and I'm still here.

I looked at the various chalk marks on the cellar wall. It's been exactly one year and two weeks since I have first arrived here. I haven't decided if I should give up hope.

I saw a rat scurry across the slimy stone floor, and I instantly envied it. I stared at my bonds made out of rope as I had many times before. Though I didn't look at them with resentment, but I didn't look at them with joy either. I was stuck in between.

I deserved this. I had to of had. As I ran my finger over my bruised and irritated hand, I realized I wasn't scared to get more scars. They used all types of tortuous methods on me. Some I decided to lock away deep in my head.

It was my 15th birthday a couple of days ago, and they gave me a birthday present. It wasn't a real one of course, it was a different form of misery. I have stoped crying about a month ago, I couldn't keep on wasting my bodily fluids on something so pathetic as crying. I was getting less and less water these days.

I heard a pair of familiar foot steps walk down the corridor where my cellar was held. The metal door of my cell swung open and light streamed in the dank room.

"I missed hearing your precious screams. Did you miss me?" He questioned as he smiled. He dragged a whip in one hand and a machete in the other.

The bruises and gashes on my body burned as if they weren't ready for what was to come. Other than my cuts, my body stayed completely calm.

I was ready.

And at that moment I had realized I had given up hope a while ago.

Here we go.

I opened my eyes and I sat up on my bed. Parched I reached for the glass of water I had put on my nightstand. I greedily drank the cold water and once I was finished I found myself wanting more.

I heard my feet patter down the hallway and towards the kitchen. My parents sat at the island speaking in low voices.

"Isn't it a bit late to be chatting still?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

"Naomi!" My mom exclaimed nervously. She got up and hugged me, making sure to kiss my forehead and cheeks.

My parents have been treating me like their rare porcelain doll ever since I got back.

I awkwardly patted her back and stepped away from her. I walked around her and headed for the fridge. Once I filled my glass I turned around closing the fridge door with my foot.

"Are you guys going to answer my question or should I just go back to bed?"

"Honey your father and I have been talking and we think you should see a therapist." She said letting the silence fill the air.

"Mom we're werewolves we are stronger than the humans, both mentally and physically." I said swishing the water in my glass. "Besides, what actions have I been doing that leads you to believe that I need a therapist anyway?"

"That's the thing. You haven't been doing anything. You haven't been crying, yelling, or snapping at anyone. I'm worried -- we are worried that you may holding in your feelings and we don't want you to go through whatever you're going through by yourself." My mom said slowly.

"So how was I before then? Before I was taken I mean." I asked. I was genuinely intrigued and I honestly didn't remember.

"You always had some type of emotion on your face, whether if it was disgust or if it was just simply happiness." My mother said looking up at the ceiling. I'm assuming she was remembering. Something I didn't like to do often. She had a ghost of a smile on her face and I tilted my head slightly in wonder.

"You were full of life, you ranged from bouncing off the walls to falling asleep standing up." She said chuckling. "You didn't try so hard to be normal."

"Mom it's been two years and NOW you decide to make me go to a therapist?" I asked looking at her chocolate brown eyes.

"We aren't making you do anything you don't want to." She said with a calm voice.

"But yet you forced me to keep on living with you and dad?"

"That was different we missed so much of your teenage years we didn't want to miss anything else. Plus we were worried about you." She counteracted every single one of my arguments. She was good like that.

"Why are you speaking for dad?" I asked playing with my kinky black curls.

On cue he cleared his voice and said, "Your mother speaks for me because we feel the same."

"Hey look, I'm not fighting with you guys on this. But just keep in mind I'm 20 years old now, I have been gone from that place for 2 years now. I just can't make sense of why your choosing to make me go to a therapist at this moment." I asked looking at their eyes, searching for an answer. "Anyways I wouldn't have time to go to a therapist, I have a photoshoot gig remember? We'll put this conversation on pause for now, yeah?"

"Uh, sure honey just sleep on it." My mother said with an unsure expression on her face.

I had already left the kitchen with my glass of water. I listened to the sound of my feet tap on the wooden floors.

I entered my room and took a deep breath. I was itching for a run and that's exactly what I did.

As I swayed my hips towards my balcony I took my curls out of its bun. As it bounced on my shoulders I realized that my hair didn't match my mood everyday.

I kept to myself and like my mother said I tried to act "normal". But of course my bouncy curly black hair drew attention wherever I went.

I jumped off my balcony and changed midair. Landing on paws I took off running to the woods near my house. Loving how the wind ran through my silver fur.

As I sprinted through the forest I came across a clearing. I saw the full moons light spill over the field. The sight calmed me down despite what I have been through.

Seeing the moon made me think about mates. Which was weird, I had stared at that rock for a good amount of times and the thought of having a mate never crossed my mind.

I hope I never fine him. I don't want to.

Not that I won't think he's hot or anything but I just don't want him to destroy the walls that I have built to keep myself from going crazy.

"Pathetic piece of shit!" He said as he cracked the whip on my back.

Flashbacks are a bitch. When they start replaying that's when I changed what I was doing at the moment.

So I trotted back calmly to my house, trying to keep my heart rate the same. I focused on the leaves, trees, and the air around me. Anything that could distract me from my own head.

Once I ended back in my bed now changed into my human form, I stared up at the ceiling.

I sighed.

Act normal Naomi, act normal. Two years ago nothing happened. Pretend everything is as it's supposed to be and go to bed. If you can't do it for yourself than do it for your family.

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A/N
And there it is. The first chapter. Comment and vote.

Duces 👋🏾👌🏾