Monster

Memories

*Flash* The helpless look of a man with silver eyes. *Flash* A mother's cry of distress. *Flash* The terrified tears of a she-wolf child. *Flash* The sadistic laughter of a red-haired woman. *Flash* A burning house.

I woke up with a jolt, the dried blood pulling at my still raw wounds made me wince. For a moment, I lay where I had fallen asleep, trying to soothe my heartbeat. Then, with a painful sigh, I slowly got up and took an unsteady step towards the small bathroom next to my room. I mechanically opened the water tap to fill the bathtub. Using the shower was out of the question. Just the thought of the water jet hitting my back made me shiver. While the water was running, I took the time to measure the damage. The wounds on my back had been deep. My she-wolf had consumed an enormous amount of power to protect me during my time with Ivana and no longer had the energy to complete the healing process. Some of them still slightly bleeding and every movement was painful. It was going to be a long day and my nightmares only made the fatigue worse. It had been a long time since I had dreamt about the past.

Once my bath was ready, I immersed myself centimeter by centimeter in the hot water while clenching my teeth. My concerned she-wolf was whimpering softly in a corner of my mind. Once my back was completely covered, the blood began to spread in the water, giving it a sickening reddish tint. Trying to relax, I closed my eyes. As soon as my eyelids closed, the ghosts of my dream came back to haunt me. The determined eyes of my father preparing for battle, the distress in my mother's voice asking me to flee into the forest surrounding our cabin. A group of ferocious werewolves rushing towards us, led by a she-wolf with blood-red eyes.

I was very young at that time, maybe five or six years old. Terrified, I took refuge in the nearest bushes, unable to move away from my parents, nor to detach my eyes from the horror that was unfolding before me.

We had always been alone. No pack and no friends to come to our aid, no place to shelter. We were alone, I was alone. I still hadn't met my she-wolf, it shouldn't happen before years. Although, sometimes I felt her presence without being able to really interact with her. Our aggressors had surrounded my parents who had changed. My mother and her beautiful honey-colored fur, and my father with his silver eyes and his pitch-black fur, features that I had inherited from him. Growling and snapping their jaws, they tried to push away the wolves facing them, but there were just too many of them. The she-wolf with bloody eyes turned into a beautiful woman with long red hair. The coldness of her gaze and the jubilation that dripped from her voice was freezing.

"I have finally found you, my love. So that's why you refused me? A shack in the woods and a ratty mate!"

She burst out of laughter and my father charged at her, biting, tearing and killing anyone who got in her way. Suddenly, a yelp of pain from my mother pinned to the ground by one of the she-wolf's minions cut him off and he was quickly restrained by three of our attackers.

" Well, well, you wouldn't want us to execute your dear and tender one, would you? Come back to me and maybe we will let her live."

As my father looked sadly at my mother, determined to do anything to save her from a painful death. A male member of the group came out of our house in his human form, with my doll in his grasp.

"Luna, it seems there's a little girl living here."

The green eyes of the female suddenly turned red, carried away by rage, she was losing control of her wolf.

"Where is she?

- No idea, I searched the whole place, but she's nowhere to be found.

- Search the woods, she can't be far away!"

Five of them went into the woods looking for me. e. Now my parents were struggling furiously. They would never have allowed anyone to even lay a claw on me. Their struggle seemed to amuse Luna greatly. She slowly made her move towards my father and crouched down next to him not paying attention to his efforts to bite her. She whispered something in his ear. I was too far away to be able to hear, but the loud roar that came from him said a lot. The woman stood up and, with a sly smile on her lips, gave the much-feared command.

"Kill them!"

Suddenly something inside me snapped and the impossible happened. I changed. A moment before, I was a frightened little girl hiding in the woods, the next I was a rabid wolf cub who roared towards the horrible woman. Biting, scratching, tearing. A cruel laugh broke out and she grabbed me by the scruff as I struggled on.

" Here is a fierce little she-wolf. I appreciate you saving me some precious time by showing up. Now take a good look, because from now on you belong to me."

Defeated, I returned to my human form. Tears of terror ran down my cheeks as I crossed my father's panicked gaze and my mother's screams of despair petrified me. One final nod from the woman and it was over.

"Burn these dogs and everything that belongs to them."

As I watched all that I had known in my short life go up in smoke, I realized that I had no one left, that I was at the mercy of the world. At that moment a voice echoed in my head.

"You are not alone, we are together.

- Together...

- Always!"

And while my old life vanished into thin air, we made a promise to each other. It would be the last time I would ever shed a tear. My she-wolf and I, bonded forever.