Second Nature

Chapter 1: The Beginning

    It was my sixteenth birthday and I was hanging out with my friend Emily. 

    "Happy birthday Belle! I got you a present." I take the present that Emily is holding out in front of me. The present is wrapped with beautiful turquoise and silver wrapping paper. When I open up the small box, there's a magnificent heart-shaped locket inside. 

    I look up at Emily with a huge grin, as I gave Emily a hug I told her joyfully, "Thank you so much Emily! I love it!" 

    Emily hugged me back and responded with, "You're welcome Belle. Here let me help you put it on." I lift up my hair so she can put the necklace around my neck. 

    "Thanks Emily." I say with a smile.

    I heard my phone ring, so I picked up my phone to see who was calling me. I looked at the screen and it was my mom. I picked up and said, "Hey mom, is everything okay?" When my mom responded her voice was full of worry and was shaky. 

    "You need to come home now! You can't be outside right now. It's dangerous for you to be outside today."

    I then told my mom, "Okay, I'll be home in 10 minutes," and hung up the phone. 

    "Emily, I have to go home. My mom said that I can't be outside right now, because it's dangerous for me. Whatever that means. I'll see you later Emily." I said as I gave her a hug.

    "Okay, I'll see you later Belle. I hope you have an amazing birthday." Emily responded.

    I start walking home, and a minute later I noticed that a red van was following me. I picked up the pace a little, and the van sped up. I took out my phone and texted my mom,

    'Mom there's this red van that's following me. It's been following me for the past two minutes. I don't know what to do. I can't try to run, because the van will quickly catch up to me.'            

    I walked while I was waiting for my mother's response. I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking, and I tripped over my own feet and fell. As soon as I hit the ground I heard doors open from the van and feet hit the ground. I got up as fast as I could and started running. I heard the footsteps from behind me. I could tell that there were at least three people. I heard the footsteps getting closer and closer to me. I found a nearby forest and headed in that direction.

    I ran into the forest and weaved in between trees. Every so often I would look behind me to see if they were still behind me. I couldn't see them, so I ran to the closest tree and climbed up it. I was sitting on one of the higher up branches when my mom texted me back.

    'There is a tracking device in the bracelet that you are wearing, so I'll be able to find you. Don't let them get to you first. Do whatever it takes to make sure they don't hurt you. I'll see you soon.'

    I put my phone back in my pocket, in the distance I could hear the the three people yelling. It sounded like they are all men. Once they come into view, I got a closer look at their faces, I took a picture of them and send it to my mom.  

    Mom these are the guys who where in the red van.'  

    Not even a minute later my mom responds and the tone of the text seems worried.

    'Those guys are bad news. If they catch you, there's no telling what they will do to you. I'm almost there. I'm only a minute away. Be as quiet as possible, and don't move. Put your feet on the branch that you are sitting on, so you're feet won't be dangling from the branch.' 

    I do as my mom says and put my feet on the branch. I sit as still as possible, and wait for my mom to get there.

    A minute later, my mom is running towards the three men. The three men quickly turn around, and turn into grizzly bears. I think to myself, 'How is that even possible!? Maybe I'm daydreaming.' I rub my eyes but the three men are still grizzly bears. Then I look at where my mom was standing but now instead of my mom being there, there's a timber wolf. There is no way a timber wolf can take on three grizzly bears. I start climbing down the tree as quiet as possible. The timber wolf, my mom, looks at me really quick, and then keeps watching the three grizzly bears. I get to the ground and I look down at my feet, only they aren't feet anymore, they're paws! 

    I can't believe that I have paws! When my mom looked at me again, I saw my reflection in her eyes. I saw that I too was a timber wolf. My mom started running towards me, so I started running in the same direction as her. We ran as fast as we could out of the forest. We quickly find the car, she changed back into a human and gets in the car. I don't know how I changed back to a human, but I did and I got into the car with her. We drove off, and I looked back the three men were just finally getting out of the forest when we turned the corner. I can finally breathe, I looked at my mom with a questioning look.

    "Mom, who were those guys? Why were they following me? How did they turn into grizzly bears? How did you turn into a timber wolf? How did I turn into a timber wo-!?" My mom cuts me off before I can ask any more questions.

    "Belle, I get that you have a lot of questions, but can they at least wait until we get home?"

    I sighed, "I guess my questions can wait. Can we go get some ice cream?" 

    My mom looks at me and smiles, "Sure birthday girl." I had completely forgotten that it was indeed, my birthday because of everything that had happened that day.