Thea & The Wolf

Chapter One

Thea

Growing up in foster care should have made me immune to terrible things but I guess life doesn't line up so neatly because here I was, panic creeping up my spine and clogging my throat.

I had officially turned 18 and aged out of the system leaving me jobless, homeless, and more than anything broke. The only thing to my name being a handful of clothes, a frayed backpack and one crumpled twenty dollar bill.

I couldn't survive on my own, I had used my abandonment as an excuse to hide from the world and now I didn't know how to function in it. Wiping away the tears that escape my eyes I gather my things off the bleak sidewalk, I would have to find shelter.

The New Orleans women's shelter is a shabby building that sits in a sketchy part of town. Swinging open the door, I'm led to a lobby that screams more detention center than shelter. I can feel the eyes of other women and kids assessing me it makes my skin crawl to have so many eyes on me. Ducking my head down I run up to the older woman at the front desk and swallow my anxiety.

"Excuse me is there anything available tonight?" I tried to sound assertive but it comes out like a whisper.

She barely looks at me before dismissing me with a frown.

"I'm sorry sweetie you have to be here a lot earlier to get a room most nights."

"B-but I"

She cut me off abruptly "I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do."

Tucking my head down I mumble out a thank you and stumble out of the building in a fog. It was nearing one in the morning and I had no place go, the last of my money wouldn't even get me a room for the night.

Couturie Forest, a nature preserve I'd always loved, was nearby it was well lit and comforting so, I let my feet take me there.

~~~~~~

This forest was always peaceful.

Being able to see the green of the trees and a star dotted sky made me feel like I was experience the world without mans interruption.

With no direction in mind I wander the paths and let nature calm my racing heart. When my eyes start to feel heavy I start dragging my feet and smacking my cheeks. There was no way I could sleep outside, anyone could grab me. If I stayed awake at least I could see someone coming.

Snap, I turn my head towards the sound of breaking twigs, listening carefully, snap, snap, something was out here with me.

Walking faster I turn around heading back to the streets when a high pitch voice cackles behind me,

"MINE, MINE, MINE!"

Then softer the voice calls,

"Come back pretty girl come back, so pretty so young don't be afraid."

I felt the tears streaming down my face as my thoughts raced faster than my legs. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did I come to the park at night. I was stupid to think anything would go right for me, I was stupid for wandering off alone and now all my stupidity was going to get me killed.

I could hear the man laughing somewhere behind me as I tried to see past my tears and keep running. suddenly, I was suddenly ripped back my scalp screams in pain as the man grips my hair and slams me into the dirt.

The smell of musty leaves and dank Earth fill my nostrils but all this is  secondary to the fear pulsing through me.

Scrambling, I'm desperate to break his hold but the cold press of a sharp knife stops my struggles.