Perfect

I.

I - Animal

Feeling rather melancholy due to the dreary and strangely sinister atmosphere encircling our car, I looked out of the window to my left as we drove slowly down the isolated dirt road, the dense fog clouding most of our vision and looming over the vast, open countryside. A small, stone wall blocked us in, preventing our escape from it's empty encasement, while the temperature seemed to drop and drop the closer to our destination we got, so much so that a sudden shiver ran down my spine, making me cold to the core. Feeling the sudden jerk of the car as the route took us down a gentle cascade, I couldn't help but doubt my dad's judgement of 'the perfect town'. Where is he even taking me? I know what this place is supposed to be: a perfect place, everyone is perfect, nobody falls out, no family problems. I turned to look at my brother; a 17 year old whose been through a lot in his life, probably to much for someone his age. The only reason I accepted my dad's proposal to moving was for my brother, in hopes that the people here will be a little bit more accepting of him. In the old town, all he would get was constant stares and people whispering about him behind their hands. Brushing his messing, curly blonde locks out of his face, I straightened his fluffy blanket and made sure it covered him properly: I really didn't want him to be cold when he woke up. Leaning my head against the seat belt, my heavy eyelids began to close as I thought about what I wished for us in the new town, the perfect town..

'Not again, I can't be caught, never again.'
Racing around the deserted alley corner, I continued to run for my life, hoping, praying for this to end. I paused for a breath and turned around to check if it was still following me, and around the corner appeared a deep black fur-covered head, a malevolent glare and a murderous, glinting grin. It slinked towards me, alert and sinuous, like a wild feline closing in on it's prey. 
'Please no.'
I spun on my heel, dashing off once more into the night. Continuing through the maze of the shadowy back-streets, the deafening roar of the behemoth echoed into the night. I skid to a halt. Silence fell once more. A dead end.

Waking up to my brother's calling and shaking, I opened my eyes to see a bright sun's rays beaming in my face, the complete opposite of the countryside we were travelling through beforehand. Our house was pastel blue in colour, and there was a beautiful garden blooming with flowers donning a myriad of vibrant colours, herbs of all different types and trees with different fruit and coloured blossoms in the front of it. I rubbed my eyes then opened the car door with a satisfying click, pushing it and stepping out. Looking around, the sight was very different to back home; clean streets; kids playing with each other; parents in the garden mowing the lawn and watering the flowers; girls playing Double Dutch; boys playing football on the pitch in the large park just down the street. It was like a fairytale. It was truly, all in all, the perfect town, just like father said. No one was unhappy and alone, everyone smiling and greeted each other like they'd known each other for years (they might of, it's not like I would know). Jealousy struck my brain like a lightning bolt to a metal pole, it wasn't fair that all these kids get to grow up in such a happy home like this, when I had to grow up with a broken family from the beginning. Getting over my initial thoughts, I tread lightly across the dirt path, through the abundant greenery at my feet, avoiding all the leaves and flower heads that I could. Safe to say, this is not what I was expecting when dad described this place. My brother followed close behind me, and my father behind that, both admiring the breathtaking scenery of this place. As we passed, the people who looked at us only greeted us with a smile, though it did seem kind of forced, especially when looking at my brother.
'At least they aren't openly rude, I guess.'

I watched, hidden behind the corner of the dark, dingy alleyway I call home. The new family. How naive. They're just like the rest, foolish and hopeful. Hoping for a new, perfect home, which they think they'll find here. I wish, I wasn't stuck like this, in hiding, waiting for a chance to run for my life. I wish I knew more about the enemy, I wish I wasn't so in the dark - ha, how ironic - about everything that's going on. I wish I could tell everyone the truth. To be honest, that's what I wished when all this started, when they came and took over, tried to change everything, ruin everything that she worked to establish in this pathetic excuse of perfect. But we all know that wishes don't come true.

"Hey look! That park looks awesome! Want to go to the park with me Natalie?" Damien asked kindly, and in a quick response, I smiled and began walking down the road towards the busy park.
I heard him say a quick goodbye to dad then race down the stone pavement to catch up to me, his frilly black skirt swaying in the cool breeze and large baggy jumper making it harder for him to run. I sped up a bit, now jogging away from him.
"Hey wait up!" He shouted to me, getting kind of out of breath.
"You need to catch me first!" I shouted back, speeding up as he did. He glares at me and began running, trying to catch up, while I turn around and begin running backwards while sticking my tongue out at him. He does it back and I turn back around.
Not soon after I reach the park, before him obviously, and wait for him near an alleyway.
"Hurry up slowpoke!" He just frowns in reply and I chuckle to myself. He's still so far away. I stand there for a little bit, waiting patiently, when I hear something rustling behind me. Slowly spinning around, I look into the inky blackness of the alley, searching for a figure of a person or animal. I called into the shadowy silence, asking if anyone was there. The absence of a reply caused me to put down my guard and look back at my brother, who was still catching up, though he was a lot closer now. When he was almost at the part gate, I heard it again, a rustling, and a whisper.
"Come here..."
Now on edge, I quickly turn, the world around me slowing and fading out. Staring at me from the alleyway was a pair of yellow, slitted, snake like eyes glaring at me, accompanied with a low, rumbling growl.
"Run."
My eyes widened, fear taking over my now shaking body. Everything went silent and dark, all I could see was those glowing eyes, and that piercing stare.
"Hey Natalie! You in there?"
I zoned back in to my brother shaking me by my shoulder's, trying to get my attention.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm ok, what happened?"
He looked at me, concern lacing his delicate features.
"You were staring over there at nothing for like 6 minutes. Did you see something?"
He turned around to get another look, when I grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look at me.
"No!" I shouted, a bit too loudly. Some people in the park, both adults and children, stopped what they were doing to look at what was happening. I looking around sheepishly before looking back at my brother, who had his head tilted slightly in confusion.
"I mean, uh, I'm sure it was just an animal or something! Everything's fine, I promise."
He just nodded slowly, not quite believing me.
'Yeah, right; just an animal.' I thought to myself, sparing a glance at the alleyway.
My brother ran off, going straight to the roundabout.
"Come on Natalie! I need someone to push me!"
I looked over at him waving to me from the park. Smiling, I decided to forget it ever happened and went over to push Damien.

I looked at him as he laughed, smiling with him. 'This place isn't so bad.' I thought running quickly, dragging the roundabout with me, then jumping in.