Falling Rain

    My chains clink together as I shift my weight on the dirt floor. I try to be as quiet as I can, not wanting the guards to hear me moving around. The last time I made noise I was beaten within an inch of my life. I truly thought I was going to die that day. The only reason I didn’t was because of my wolf healing powers. I haven’t shifted yet, my wolf has been dormant for years, too weak to come forward.     When I was twelve I was kidnapped, my family killed for all I know. I’ve been down here for seven years, I count each day on the wall with a little tick. I don’t think I will ever escape this dark dingy room. My parents were the Alpha and Luna of the Riverrun pack, a small pack on the northern borderlands. I don’t remember much about that day, other than a man who said he knew my mommy and she asked him to get me. Next thing I knew I was knocked out and woke up in this room.      I fought for weeks, months even before I realized I was never leaving this room. There was no use in fighting, no point in struggling anymore. I just lay there and cried for what felt like months. That’s when my wolf came to me, her name is Ember. She protects me, even if she can’t physically be here for me. She has saved my life more than once, her healing powers are strong, but not strong enough to be able to completely heal me when the beatings come around.      One day, he came. He said that I was his now, and nobody was ever going to come for me. I remember staring at him in fear, I looked towards the door, ready to make a run for it. He smiled at me evilly.  “Try it and see what happens” He sneered at me. I lowered my gaze to the ground, my new home. I don’t even have a bed, just a tattered blanket on the dirt floor. In the corner of the room is a bucket, it gets changed once a week. I get a small bowl of oatmeal and a glass of water once a day. If I’m good they will give me juice once a week and sometimes even a small piece of meat.      I have been down here so long I’ve forgotten what the sun feels like on my skin, I wish I could feel it one more time.. My cell door opens, I push my body against the wall in fear.  “Food” The man says as he places my meal on the floor along with my glass of water. I wait for him to leave and relock the cell door before I crawl over to the bowl. I eat it slowly before placing it by the door, moving back to my corner. My fingers hover on the stone wall, feeling the coarseness and cold hardness of it.  Another day goes by, the same as the last. He came to see me today, which I wish he hadn't.  “You stink. Do you not use the water to wash yourself anymore?” He scowls at me.  “It’s not enough…” I whisper in a small voice.  His foot comes in contact with my stomach, making me cry out a small strangled scream. “What did you say?” He roars at me Don’t anger him anymore then you already have Ember tells me I’m not strong enough after the last beating to be able to heal you if he gets too angry. He can’t keep his temper under control... “I wouldn't have anything to drink if I used it to clean” I whimper, staring at the ground. I try to be submissive but he thinks I am sass talking back to him. “Mhmm… not enough.. Well let’s take care of that now shall we?”  “Bring her to the torture room, fill the rain barrel” He turns and leaves, leaving the cell door open.      I push myself further into the wall as two guards come over to me and pull me to my feet by the chains. I’m dragged down the narrow hallway. A door opens and a new wider hallway with bright lights comes before me. I pinch my eyes closed, having not seen light for so long it hurts. My head is pounding already. I’m tossed to the ground in a large room, I try to scramble to the corner but He stands on my chains preventing me from getting away.      He comes over to me, pulling me by the hair, dragging me over to a barrel. He lifts my body up off the ground and shoves me forward. I see water before my face is shoved into it. I try to fight it, grasping at whatever I can, trying to pull my face out of the water but He pushes me forward, deeper into the water. I gasp for air, filling my lungs with water.  This is how we die I tell Ember, I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough I’m the one who's sorry. I can no longer heal you, I’m too weak. I think I’m dying…. We are dying.  I feel my head becoming light, my eyes close, my limbs stop fighting. Everything just becomes sort of relaxing.  I wake up in my cell, back in the darkness. My home. I feel the familiar ground around me and fall asleep, thinking about my safe place.  “Do you have a nice swim?” He says in the darkness.      I shiver at the sound of his voice, my body instinctively curling into a ball. He comes closer to me, smashing his fist into me, it hits my ribs, I can hear them cracking. He kicked me in the back, making me scream at the top of my lungs, this blow makes every other hit he’s ever done feel like childs play. Nothing compares to this pain. “I asked you a question, you little b***h” His fist comes down like a thunderstorm on my body. I try not to scream as he puts fresh bruises on my body but I can’t help it. After the seventh punch I let out a blood curdling scream out.  “I can’t hear you!” He grabs me by the hair and punches me in the throat. I gasp for air, which makes no difference, I cannot breathe. He throws me back to the ground, his foot presses on the side of my face,  “You will respect me. You will speak when I talk to you. You will Obey me!” He snaps at me. “Do you understand me Little b***h?”  “Y-Yes!” I manage to say “Good girl” He releases me and walks out of the cell, locking it behind him. I watch as he walks down the hallway, the little bit of light that always comes with him disappears.  I finally have some peace and quiet, I stare at the ceiling.  Ember? Are you there?  Ember?  Please don’t leave me..  I pray for her to come back to me for days with no response. My body is not healing anymore, the pain is unbearable. Mason     Something wakes me up early. I can’t put my finger on it but something in my gut flips. Dad is sitting at the table eating breakfast, he smiles at me when he sees me  “Mason.. What are you doing up so early? There’s no training today” He asks while taking a sip of his coffee.  I sit down beside him, “I woke up with an upset stomach”   “Maybe a run would help?” He offers  “Wanna race?”  “You're on.. First one to the lake and back?”  I nod and smile at him, making my way out the back door.      We shift into our wolves, Storm stands a foot taller than me. Striker is excited to have a decent race for once, most of the wolves in our pack don’t give him any kind of challenge.      We run into the woods, side by side, Storm pushes forward a bit, Striker isn’t having any of that, he launches forward, jumping over fallen trees. Striker makes it to the lake first, spinning around and launching back towards the forest. I can feel Strom hot on my heels. I look back and don’t see him behind me anymore. Suddenly he is jumping over me, clearing a six foot distance in front of me. I push Striker to run faster but he can’t keep up with Storm. We get back to the house, shifting back to our human forms.  “Still got it” Dad smiles teasingly at me.  “You cheat” I laugh  “What are you two doing out here so early?” Mom asks coming out of the back door. She walks over to dad hugging him and kisses him. I pull on a pair of sweatpants from a basket sitting by the back door. Tossing a pair of them to dad, he slides them on. “You stink” She chuckles. “Feeling any better?” Dad asks me  “I guess so.. I’m going to go shower”  “Don’t forget, your brothers want to train with you today” Mom says as she starts walking back inside.  “Right, Dad, did you still need me to go with you to the outskirts?”  “Nah, it’s been pushed off for a few days. Have fun with the twins.. Maybe I’ll come by later” He says as he chases after mom.  I go shower and get dressed. By the time I get back downstairs my younger brothers are sitting at the table waiting for me.  “Are you ready to go?” I ask them, they bounce in their seats with excitement.  “I’m so pumped to train with you!” Chase says as he fists pumps the air.  “Me too. I’m gonna kick some serious ass!” Jason smiles  “Language” Mom says as she enters the kitchen  “Sorry mom,” Jason sighs.  “Alright guys let's go” I say as I usher them outside.  “Mason, make sure they stay out of trouble!” Mom calls after me.  “Ma, I’m not a miracle worker”  I walk them to the training yard and they line up with the other wolves.  “Alright, You know the drill. 200 push ups, 100 sit ups and 6 laps” I announce to the group.  “What? Why so many?” Jason asks  “You are the ones who wanted to train with the big boys” “But we didn’t think you’d be so hard on us” Chase pouts  “Fine, you can do 25 of each and 2 laps instead.. But one day you will have to do all this stuff without complaining” I rolls my eyes at them They high-five each other and start their warmup.  I watch as the group finishes their warm up, waiting for new instructions.  “Time to spar, break off into partners.. Jason and Chase with me”  We move to our sparing area and I show the boys a few basic moves. They set out to practice for a few hours.  “Alright, that's enough for today” I dismiss the group, my brothers look exhausted. Maybe they will be too tired to drive mom crazy for the rest of the day.  I walk them back to the house, they collapse on the couch.  “Wow, you really wore them out..” Mom says with a bright smile.  “Your welcome.. They are really a handful” I laugh “Oh, you just noticed? Alright boys upstairs, into the shower you stink”  The twins groan and head up to their rooms to shower.  Mason, we have an issue, meet me outside Dad mindlinks me  I say goodbye to mom and head outside.  Dad is standing with six other pack members, “We have to get this dealt with quickly.. They are wreaking havoc for the neighboring packs.”  “What’s going on?” I ask joining the group “There's a pack about four hours away, right on the edge of our lands, they have been causing trouble for the packs near them. Raiding and killing whenever they please. They have been named rogues. We have been asked to take care of it as the nearby packs are not strong enough to deal with them anymore. They have prioritized keeping their women and children safe”  “Alright, how many men are we bringing?” I ask as I survey six men who are already here.  “I was thinking one hundred, should be more than enough. Reports say they only have about sixty-five or so. It should be a total wipe out” Dad says, Nathan the packs Gamma and Kayden the Beta come over to us.  “What are we doing with survivors and those who surrender?” I ask, bringing everyone's attention over to my dad, waiting for his answer.  “We will provide sanctuary for any prisoners and survivors. Those who surrender will have to go into the guard to prove their allegiance. Any questions?”  Everyone nods in agreement, we shift and start the journey to the pack.