Shooting Star

~Visiting Home: Part 5~

The wolf sprinted through the dark woods, her silver fur shining in the somewhat limited light. The dense treetops prevented a lot of sunlight from coming through but allowed enough for well-trained eyes to see. Despite her constant running, SinB never seemed to tire and continued on her way without a break. Some familiar scents caught her attention, alerting the werewolf that she was nearing her destination. 

SinB approached the somewhat small village and shifted back to her human form. The entrance gate in front of her was nothing fancy, just a little wooden gate attached to the fence that surrounded the place. She unlatched the metal fastener and stepped through. The dirt trail before her gradually turned to a stone pathway that led her directly into the town square. 

The werewolves were not as advanced when it came to architecture when compared to other creatures, such as the mermaids. They preferred the basic structures and homes compared to the lavish and extravagant looking buildings. The village resembled that of an old-timey town, with the cobblestone paths and the wooden buildings. The simplicity of her surroundings is one thing SinB missed about her life before she met Sowon and the others. Even though their little camp wasn't fancy, she had traveled with the other five girls to other towns, which were somewhat shocking.

Looking around her, SinB realized how little things have changed in her hometown. The buildings were the same, although slightly more worn, and the overall charm of the quaint town was exactly how she remembered it.

As she walked the path towards her old house, residents would greet her, sometimes stopping her for a small chat. She never spoke for long though as she had three certain people she wanted to see. Despite her eagerness to see her family again, some familiar smells caused her to change directions. Looking behind her, SinB spotted three familiar faces.

"Seulgi! Chungha! Soyeon!" SinB shouted to the group of werewolves conversing in the front of a cafe. She was already running to them when they looked her way and saw her.

"Eunbi!?"  The three barely had time to react as SinB rammed into them, capturing them all in a tight hug. The loud screeching and laughter caused some cafe customers to glance in their direction before turning their attention back to their coffee or dessert. 

"Oh my gosh! How have you been!?"

"It's been so long!"

"We missed you!"

All three began speaking to SinB at once, causing the wolf to laugh as they continued rambling on.

"I'm great! It really has been a while! I missed you guys too!" SinB excitedly yelled her response back. The four chatted for a few minutes before SinB felt the need to leave. As much as SinB wanted to stay and play with her friends, she really wanted to see her parents and brother.

"I gotta run, let's meet up before I leave tonight!" SinB said as she began running off. Her friends' goodbyes gradually faded as she ran towards her old house. Her heart was racing, not because of the continuous running, but because of the excitement when she saw her house ahead of her. She bolted up the steps and violently yanked the wooden door open.

"I'm home!" SinB shouted as she ran into the house, only to be greeted with silence. She pouted and her eyebrows furrowed as she stepped further into the house, making sure to shut the door behind her.

"Hello? Anyone home?" SinB walked slowly into the house, taking time to glance into every doorway. Seeing no one, SinB felt discouraged and dragged herself into the living room. Before she could plop down onto the couch, she was tackled to the floor.

"Eunbi! My baby sister is finally home!" SinB's brother yelled as he rubbed his knuckled into her head, messing up her hair in the process.

"Oh come on! Why did you mess up my hair!?" SinB scolded her brother as she shoved him off of her, which was not easy given the size difference. SinB's parents calmly walked into the living room, laughing quietly at the siblings who were still arguing on the ground.

"Mom! Dad!" SinB dropped the issue quickly as she noticed her parents standing in the doorway. She jumped up and ran over, trapping her parents in a tight hug.

"Where were you guys!? Why didn't you come out when I came in!? I was scared you weren't home!" SinB spoke quickly, not even taking a breath between her questions.

"We heard you were back and someone wanted to surprise his sister," SinB's dad said, gesturing towards her brother when he spoke of him.

"Who told you!? They ruined the surprise!" SinB whined as she stomped one of her feet making the action cuter than she intended.

"That's our secret," SinB's mom said as she chuckled seeing her daughter's scrunched up face.

"Don't do that or you'll get wrinkles like your dad," SinB's mom added as she gently pinched SinB's nose, which did get the young werewolf to smile.

"What wrinkles? Take a good look at this face... Do you see any wrinkles?" Her dad asked as he framed his face with his hands while making one of the most extra facial expression SinB had seen in a while.

"You have wrinkles. Don't be delusional," SinB's brother said as he hit SinB's arm while laughing.

"Dude! You're gonna bruise my perfect skin!" SinB yelled as she jumped on his back and began hitting his head.

"You're too much like your father..." SinB's mom practically sighed out as she watched her oldest child get beat by the youngest.

"Eunbi! Don't let your brother win! Show him who's boss!" SinB's dad cheered the fight on while his wife glared at him harshly. SinB jumped off his back once she felt he had been hit enough. She scurried behind her dad for cover as she saw her brother begin to advance.

"You two should be enjoying each other's presence not fighting. We don't know the next time Eunbi will be back," SinB's mom said in an attempt to stop the next round of wrestling between the siblings.

"Exactly! So Eunbi, come here so I can give you a nice hug," SinB's brother said with a smirk. Before he could get to SinB, their mom whacked the back of his head.

"Ack! What the heck mom!" SinB's brother said as he rubbed the back of his head. SinB stuck her tongue out at her brother before cackling loudly, still hidden behind her dad.

"Don't make me come over there and whack you too," Her mom's threat instantly made SinB quiet down.

"Why don't you two go somewhere?" SinB's dad suggested to SinB and her brother. 

"That sounds like a great idea! That will give me time to prepare lunch, we can meet up for a picnic" The previously stern look on SinB's mom's face switched to a delighted look as she began to plan the picnic lunch.

SinB and her brother decided to go to the park they went to when they were younger. It was nothing special, a simple swing set and a slide were the only manmade things in the area. It was a place where SinB and her brother would go to run around and release all of their extra energy. They sat on the swings, swinging lightly, and talked about everything that had happened in the time SinB had been gone. Their parents showed up about an hour later with all of the supplies for the picnic.

'I missed this...' SinB thought to herself as she watched her family joking around and eating happily. Although she wasn't one to openly admit her feelings, the sentimental smile on her face showed how she felt.

To SinB's disappointment, the picnic seemed to fly by. She had to leave once they finished eating since she wanted to be home to greet the others when they arrived. After she helped pack up the picnic, SinB hugged her parents and brother good-bye.

"Bi, come back sooner next time," SinB's brother whispered in her ear as they hugged. SinB only giggled and nodded her head. Switching to her wolf form, SinB began running. She turned around to glance at her family once more, letting out a short bark as a final good-bye, she began sprinting back to her home.