Running Wild

Chapter 1

Aqua

College passed, as usual, me keeping to myself and listening to every little gossip going around and when I heard my name in a conversation, I walked out of the room or concentrated on something else. I didn't want to rip someone into pieces in front of the class, and I mean literally. Yes, I have anger issues...sometimes, no I can't do anything about it; it's part of who I am...what I am.

It's not like people spoke about me that much, just the random "she's so weird," things that they said. I'm not exactly a talkative person and I prefer keeping to myself and these people think that makes me weird and strange. I don't want to pretend to be someone's friend just to have some company, that's just not the type of person I am. I much rather prefer my own company and feel more at ease within myself. I've never really tried to make friends; I never really felt the need. It was easier this way, no one to lie to, no one to get hurt from me being a monster.

****

"Aqua honey you're home!" Annie's voice exclaimed from upstairs as I walked through the front door. She was home; that was a surprise, I mean she's usually at work late...I walked into her office as she was sat with her laptop out in front of her. Her office wasn't too big, she sat on a leather chair and a simple white desk was sat in the middle of the room, on the right of it was a window and on the left of it was a white bookshelf that was filled with some books and some random ornaments.

"Yeah, but, so are you?" I questioned not in a bad way but just general, she usually worked at these times, and it was strange seeing her home so early. I sat down on the sofa that was in front of the window.

"Yeah, I have a presentation tomorrow and I stayed home to finish it," she answered as she sighed tapping away on her laptop. Annie looked like a typical working woman; her light brown hair was usually in a bun or in a ponytail. She had a kind face and dark brown eyes; she wasn't tall or short. I wished I had brown eyes or even brown hair; the difference made it obvious we weren't related.

"Oh that's cool," I said as I put my head down on the side of the couch and stared at her

"Yeah real cool," she laughed sarcastically turning to me and smiling

"There's dinner in the fridge for whenever you're hungry," she let me know as I got up from the sofa allowing her to continue with her work without any disturbances.

Annie is my 'mum'. You see adopted me when I was 4, I've been with Annie ever since. My parents left me...more like abandoned me when I was only a week's days old...it didn't really bother me anymore. I had spent too much of my childhood obsessing over them, and I had learned that there was no point. I headed into the kitchen and grabbed an apple and made my way up the stairs. I didn't feel like having dinner or anything, an apple would be enough for now. I decided to start my homework since I didn't have anything else to do, why do we get homework in college too.

****

By the time I finished my homework, I was going crazy. My head was pounding, and all my senses had heightened, my palms were getting sweaty and my heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour. Quickly making sure my bedroom door was locked, I walked out onto the balcony. Yes, I had a balcony outside my room. Annie had a good job, and soon after she adopted me she had renovated the house extending it wherever it could be extended from. This overall resulting in me having a balcony. I loved the balcony, it made me happy sitting out here and just feeling the breeze, and fresh air. Just knowing I could step out and into nature relaxed me.

I looked around and used my heightened senses to make sure no one else was around. When I was satisfied that I was alone and no one else would see I jumped off the balcony and shifted just seconds before I hit the ground. I shot off into the forest behind our house. I guess it's a good thing we had it there. It was huge and just amazing...it made me feel at home... I ran and ran until I got bored.

I ran to the river that flowed through the forest. This had to be my favourite spot, stopping I laid down on the slightly damp grass with my head on my paws and my tail to the flowing river. Flowers of half a dozen different colours were blooming all around the clearing; it looked so calm and beautiful. It was the beauty within nature that always entranced me. It always brightened my mood, I loved nature.

Standing up on my four paws, I turned to face the river that seemed to be flowing and calming my senses. I stared at my reflection. Staring back at me were the exact same aqua blue eyes I have as a human with the same tint of sapphire, my eyes always stood out brightly particularly in my wolf form with my pure white fur which was ruffled from running earlier. I continued to stare at myself; staring back at me was the monster within me. My wolf....

****

By the time I got back home the sun was setting, I jumped on my balcony after making sure no one was watching and changed back just before I landed. I smiled, I felt so much better now after the run. Yes, I did still have my clothes on; they don't rip apart like they do in the movies. It's just harder to shift the more clothes you're wearing. Walking into my room, I glanced at the long mirror on my wall and laughed at the random leaves in my hair, I pulled them out. My clothes weren't torn anywhere or weren't dirty (clothes didn't get dirty no matter how muddy you got, and they didn't rip either) yes, I had experimented with it all.

After taking a quick shower I walked down the stairs and made my way into the kitchen, running had allowed me to build myself quite the appetite I grabbed a pack of Chilli Heatwave Doritos and a diet coke and walked into the living room. Annie was upstairs doing work on something she had to show at work tomorrow, I could still hear her typing. I flipped through the channels and finally found a movie on; it was 'mean girls' it had just started, and I was too lazy to find something better, so I decided to continue watching it. By the time it was finished it was past eleven. I sighed getting up, and speeding up the stairs, I used my enhanced abilities but only when people weren't around. I walked over to Annie's office, opening the door slightly. Annie was asleep with her head on the table and her laptop was still on. I walked up to it and saved her work just in case.

I got Annie to her room; she was half asleep, so she didn't protest at all – not that it would matter. I sped into my own room and got dressed in my black shorts and white 'sweet dreams' t-shirt and got into bed. Thoughts flooded into my mind, as usual, all the 'what ifs?' about the day, about life. Is it just me? Or does everyone have this many things on their mind at night? I sighed turning over and groaned at the thought of College tomorrow, I reached under my pillow and pulled out my iPod and listened to music as I drifted to sleep.

****

I woke up to my alarm blaring, it felt like a drum in my head. I groaned as I turned it off. Forcing myself out of bed, I grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a plain black long sleeve shirt and an oversized black hoodie. It was my usual, a pair of skinny jeans or trousers with a top and an oversized hoodie. Nonetheless, I wore skirts and an occasional dress at home as long as no one besides Annie was there. I just didn't feel comfortable I knew how people seemed to objectify woman, and I didn't want to become one of those types of people. I looked myself in the mirror and pulled my hair back into a high ponytail. I put my hood up and walked out the house grabbing an apple on the way.

I listened to music on my iPod as usual and headed to College, as I walked in, I made sure my scent was hidden it was all the time. I could do that; I don't know but I always had a shield up and that was it. It was like an aura around me that always remained. No one could track me or anything. I don't know if anyone else could do that...if there was anyone like me out there. I shook my head, I needed to get thought of anyone else being a monster out of my head.

Making my way over to my locker; I turned my iPod off before a teacher could take it off me and shoved it into my pocket. I grabbed the books I needed and turned to walk to my first-class biology. The class was on the other side of the College, so I slowly made my way over. I felt a bit more conscious of my surroundings today, for some reason my wolf felt really aware of everything, which never really happened.

I suddenly felt someone's gaze on me; someone was watching me? I tied to listen in to anything anyone was saying but no one spoke my name. I had the urge to turn around and face them to see who it was. I took in a breath, taking in the scents around me. A few new scents hit me, they were coming from behind me, there were about five people, but they smelled different from any of the scents I had smelled in the past. It was more of an outdoorsy scent, of wood and bark. However, one scent really stood out, it was of mint leaves and freshwater, they were nowhere near me probably near the field, but someone was watching me. My wolf was going crazy and trying to get me to face it. I was too scared of what I would be faced with. I continued walking to my class, ignoring the protests of my wolf.