lost and found

Blueberry pie

After running all through the day, Lani, who was draining out fast, came across a slow stream in a clearing. The clear water glistened a golden hue, as the last rays of sunlight washed over it. Lani stopped by the side of the water and placed Juniper's cloth bag on the ground before she went to take a long, needed drink of the cold refreshing water. As she was lapping up the water, she felt her human start to awaken inside her mind. "where are we?" Juniper's groggy voice called out to her. "I don't know, but I do know that we are very far from that awful place, I think we are safe now," Lani answered. " I hope you got some good rest, I have drained myself completely, and since this was our first shift, I think I might have overdone it, I need to rest now," she told Juniper as she collapsed into the soft dirt that lined the stream.

Juniper prepared herself for the shift back into her human form. To her surprise, the shift back was a lot faster and much less painful. Juniper pulled her clothes and shoes from her bag and redressed herself. Her stomach suddenly let out such a low, deep growl that if she didn't feel it, she would have thought it came from a wild beast nearby. She chose an apple from her bag and a bottle of water. She was starving but she didn't know how long she would be hiking before she would be able to find herself any more food. So she would only eat one apple and drink only a few sips of her water to make her small supply last a little longer. She found a fallen log nearby to sit on as she ate, giving herself a few moments to get rid of the groggy feeling she was left with after such a long sleep.

Juniper smiled inwardly towards her wolf, as she felt Lani relax in her mind and drift off into sleep. She was grateful to the furry other half of herself. She made a promise that someday she would do something amazing for Lani to thank her for helping her get free. As she sat there, enjoying the last rays of sunshine, the sweet taste of her apple, and the sounds of the stream calmly running past her, nature all around her, gave her the very first feeling of freedom she ever had. She sat just long enough to finish her apple and take a few sips of her water. When she finished, she closed her water bottle and put it back into her bag, tossing the apple core into the stream.

She walked a little way down the stream before finding a place where the water thinned out enough for her to cross over without getting her shoes or feet wet. Once on the other side of the river, she made her way back into the forest. Although she was not as much in fear of being caught as she was when she had first left the dark moon's territory, the worry was still in her mind. And so she hiked her way through the trees at a quick pace, but not so fast that she was exerting too much energy at one time. As the night grew darker she could hear the sounds of creatures she had never heard before. Most young girls lost in the woods would have found the strange noises and the darkness to be scary and intimidating, but Juniper found comfort in both. She welcomed the darkness and sounds of nature as just more proof that she was free from the Hell she had escaped from.

Walking for what felt like hours, Juniper started to wonder if she would ever find her way through the woods. Where would she end up? What would she do once she got there? She was so lost in her thoughts about starting over with her newfound freedom, that she almost missed the scent of blueberry pie wafting through the air. Juniper followed the scent to a small cabin. A dim light could be seen glowing through a set of deep red curtains. The windows, though small, were decorated with lovely little flower beds. The slight light coming from inside the window gave the small white flowers a pinkish tint. Moss and vines grew all around the old weather-tarnished logs, showing how old the little cabin was. A chimney made of cobblestone billowing out a thin rope of smoke before fading off into the cool twilight air. The smell of blueberry pie grew stronger as Juniper made her way closer to the cabin.

The delicious smell was now strong enough to wake Juniper's wolf. Like Juniper, Lani was very hungry, she was mentally drooling, wishing for even just a taste of the sweet scent that teased their nose. Although both sides of her were starving, neither human nor wolf had the courage to knock on a stranger's door, in the middle of the forest, in the dead of night. Deciding to wait until at least the morning came to bother whoever might be inside the cozy little cottage. Juniper found herself a bit of shelter under a large thick pine tree. The old dried pine needles that came to rest on the ground under the tree's large canopy, gave Juniper a slightly softer place to rest. With her heart full of hope and a very empty stomach, Juniper chose to eat a banana from her cloth bag, and finish the bottle of water she had started drinking with her apple that morning. Not filled by any means, but with the pains of hunger easing up just a bit, Juniper curled herself up, leaning on the base of the tree. Her wolf, still tired from her long run after that first shift, and Juniper drifted off into a deep sleep.

"JADE!" She heard someone shouting, "Jade, where are you?! Please come out from wherever you're hiding!" It sounded like a boy, a small boy. It sounded as if he was crying. His voice sounded so familiar to her. But who is he? Who is Jade? "Please!" the voice called out, sounding so heartbroken and scared.

Juniper wondered where the voice was coming from. She looked all around the woods where she was standing, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pinpoint the direction from which the boy's cries came. It sounded as if it was all around her, but nowhere at the same time. The sound of crying echoing through the trees, landing on her eardrums, tugged on her heartstrings so intensely, it made her feel like she too had lost someone. Someone who was precious to her. Someone who she needed to find! But who? She couldn't remember where she came from. Who she was before the Darkmoon pack found her and took her in to train her to be their personal slave. So she didn't understand why she would be feeling as though she was missing someone.

As the air around her grew a bit warmer, and the sounds of nature waking up started its morning song, Juniper woke up finding herself under the same tree she had fallen asleep under. Her sad dream left a shiver in her spine. However, sitting up more, she discovered that she was covered in a soft gray blanket. A yellow container with a rubber lid was left by her side, along with a large thermos. She assumed it was some kind of drink. She rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes, yawned, and stretched a bit before reaching for what she hoped might be some of that blueberry pie she had smelled the night before.

Upon picking up the container, Juniper spotted a small piece of paper folded up on the pine-needle covered floor. She picked up the paper and read the words printed in delicate handwriting.

"I was startled to find a young lady under my pine tree while taking my dog for his early morning walk. We tried to wake you up. Duke even licked your face, but you must have been so tired, you didn't even stir. As an old woman, I couldn't carry you into my home by myself. So I did the only thing I could think of to let you know that I am here for you when you wake up, if you choose to knock on my door. If not, please take the blanket along with you. You seem to need it more than we do.

Signed Elenora

A warm feeling washed over Juniper as she finished reading the kind words of the sweet old lady. She opened the container to find not only a slice of blueberry pie wrapped up in plastic, but also a baggie full of cut-up pieces of cheese, dried-out meat chunks, raisins, and some nuts. She was grateful for every bite of food she took from the container. The pie tasted just as amazing as it had smelled the night before. When she opened the Thermos, she expected to find water or maybe coffee. Instead, she was pleased to see it filled to the brim with a heavy brown soup broth. The soup was still a little warm as she drank back the rich savory flavor. It had been a long time since Juniper had filled her stomach. It didn't take much food to fill her up as she wasn't used to eating much. For the first time ever, she could remember, Juniper felt what it was like to be full.

She took her time with her food before collecting herself from under the tree and brushing herself off. Giving herself a bit more privacy, a little deeper in the woods away from the cabin, to empty her bladder. Then, with her cloth bag in hand, now filled to the brim with the rest of the fruits and water that she took from her packhouse as well as the container and thermos she found this morning, in one hand, and the blanket draped over her shoulders, Juniper made her way back to the small cottage. In the front of the cottage, she found a cute cobblestone path that matched the stones used to make the chimney. The path led to a small blueish-gray door with an arched top. A small round window was centered towards the top of the door. The window was decorated with a stained glass image of two red birds sitting in such a way that it formed a heart shape with their bodies. The window, although a bit worn and tarnished from age, gave off the feeling of a fairy tale.

Juniper stood at the old woman's door for a few moments admiring the details in the beautifully crafted stained-glass window, almost lost in a daze. When, suddenly, the door swung open and startled her. Causing her to jump back a bit, and drop the bag she was carrying. The old woman couldn't help but let out a small giggle before apologizing to the young girl and standing aside for Juniper to come in. Juniper picked up her cloth bag and made her way past the old woman into the small cottage.

At 5'4" Juniper wasn't tall at all. But compared to the old woman, she felt like a giant. Even Duke, Elenora's dog, made the old woman seem tiny. Elenora gave off a very earthy vibe. The clothes she wore, if standing outside of her home, she would blend in easily. Shades of dark browns and greens. Her hair must have been on the longer side, as the braid in it was wrapped up in a bun that seemed almost as big as her head. A small golden necklace was draped on her chest, carrying two small birds with a heart-shaped ruby in the center. But what stood out most to Juniper, was the large pointed ears that stuck out a bit on either side of the woman's soft delicate face, and her large shiny silver eyes that looked like pools of mercury. Juniper knew for sure that this woman was no human! She didn't know what she was, as she had never seen another like her in all her life.

Elenora invited her to sit on her small couch while she put on a pot of water for tea, then joined her young guest in the living room. The two ladies sat and chatted for a while. Juniper found it easy to talk to the old woman but didn't allow herself to get too much into details about all she had gone through, to spare the old woman from having to hear such an awful story. Elenora didn't seem to mind so much about hearing the short, not-so-detailed story that had led to her finding Juniper under a pine tree outside of her home. She was just glad to have company after spending so much time alone.

Juniper learned quite a lot about the old lady that day. Elenora had plenty of stories to tell and enjoyed sharing them. Juniper was just happy to hear from another person who wasn't just telling her what to do, bullying her, or yelling at her. Juniper sat with Elenora all that day, drank tea, listened to her stories of days past, and helped cook a nice dinner that they shared together. When the sky soon turned dark again, Juniper knew that she had to go. Elenora told her she was welcome to stay the night, but Juniper knew that would only put the little old woman in danger if her pack ever found her. Juniper promised Elenora that she would come back and visit again someday. Elenora drew up a cute map for Juniper, with colorful flowers and specific types of trees to follow as landmarks. Wanting to help Juniper, not only find her way to the closest town but so that she could always find her way back to the cottage. After letting Elenora refill the container and thermos to take with her, the two ladies bid each other goodbye, as Juniper took off into the night again. To continue her journey to finding where she belongs.