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❝It feels... it feels like there's a hole in my chest... very hollow and painful❞
la push, washington july 12, 2007
FOLLOWING THE days after the departure of Josiah and Liam, the Quileute tribe had felt a missing piece in their small pack that they had never felt before. But no one felt like a hole had been punched through their chest like Leah Clearwater did.
The Clearwater girl had never felt so miserable than she did once Josiah had left La Push. Paul Lahote was one of the few people in the pack who knew the feeling Leah felt since his imprint, Rachel, often left him to leave back to New York for college. However, he had never had Rachel leave him for more than a couple of weeks ― Leah had to suffer through nine months.
Currently, the young girl found herself laying face up, staring at her ceiling, a frown on her face. Her mind couldn't help but wander to Josiah and what he might be doing now since he was in Iraq. She didn't want to think of the worst, but her mind decided against that idea.
Not wanting to drown with her thoughts of bad things happening to Josiah, Leah decided to make her way downstairs. Her mother was not home due to spending her time over at Chief Swan's house. Although she was happy for her mother in finding someone that made her happy after the passing of her dad, she still couldn't help but feel lonely.
She had patrol later in the day with Sam, which she dreaded. Although the pack tried to hide it, she was able to see how depressed they all became whenever she or Paul went on patrol and had to see and feel what kind of state they were both in.
All she wanted to do was lay down and sleep, hoping that by the time she woke up nine months had gone by.
Leah finished making herself a sandwich and took small bites. She didn't feel all that hungry, but she didn't want to start worrying her mother because she wasn't eating.
The front door of the house opened and in walked her younger brother, Seth. He sent her a small smile and went straight for the fridge, grabbed a water bottle and chugged it.
"The pack is going to the beach, wanna to come?"
Without looking at him, Leah answered, "No."
Seth frowned, watching the empty look overtake his sister's features, "Okay... well if you change your mind... that's where we'll be."
Nodding, Leah finished her sandwich and walked back to her room to get new clothes before making her way to the bathroom to take a shower.
The soft winds felt nice against Leah's fur as she ran alongside Sam. Without saying much to each other, Leah and Sam patrolled the south side of their tribe. On occasion, the thought of Josiah would invade the Clearwater girl's mind which she desperately tried to block out.
'It's okay to miss him Leah, he is your imprint after all.'
Leah wanted to ignore him, but she couldn't help but ask, 'Will it get any easier?'
Sam's black wolf stood besides her, glancing down to meet her eyes, 'No... imprints can't be away from each other for so long without feeling pain. He will feel it too.'
'It feels... it feels like there's a hole in my chest... very hollow and painful.'
She could feel Sam's sympathy towards her. And she hated it.
'You will need to meet with the elders to know what the other side effects are in being separated from your imprint for such a long period of time.' Sam grunted besides her and began walking besides the treaty line ― Leah following after him.
'Wasn't Jared separated from Norae for a couple of months as well?' Leah asked, sniffing around for any signs of leeches.
'It was only for two months. Not that long. He only had to go through the first phase of the symptoms, which is what you're experiencing now.'
Surprisingly Leah wasn't afraid what the symptoms would be for her but instead worried if Josiah would feel any more symptoms. 'Will Josiah go through those symptoms as well?'
'No, he will only feel an ache on his chest. It's worse for you since you are a shifter. He is not.' Leah felt relieved that Josiah would not be in as much pain as she would be.
Both Leah and Sam continued on throughout the night on their patrol in silence. After finishing, Sam sent her straight home to try and get some sleep; even though he knew it would be difficult for the female shifter.
Walking inside her house, Leah was met with silence. Indicating that her mother and Seth were already in bed.
That night in bed, Leah's dreams were flooded with horrible nightmares which included the various different ways in which Josiah did not come back home to her.
