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My parents and I were on our way home from a day of shopping in my father's Lexus. It was my fourth
birthday. It was sunny and warm. The weather had been perfect all day. We were all laughing and playing silly games as we always did when we drove somewhere. . “Claire, can you tell me what you can smell” my
mother asked. This was a game she loved to play. I sniffed the air as the wind came blowing through the open windows. “I can smell the water”, I answered, excited because I knew that we were getting close to home. She smiled at me Asher fiery red hair blew along with the wind. “OK, what else” she asked. I sniffed again “I smell a deer, and the flowers in the meadow” I answered as i was smelling the air once more to see if there was anything else. She laughed at me "You do have a great nose there" she said as I sniffed the air some more. I froze as I looked at my mother scared. “What’s wrong Claire” she asked as i watched her as she was now sniffing the air to find out what I smelled. “Mommy I don’t like the smell. It stinks. I want to go home now” I said as I began to cry because the smell, for some reason, scared me more than it stunk. “Claire honey I don’t smell anything” she
answered as she sniffed again and tried to comfort me. My father was now driving faster as he sniffed for something that was out of place. “We will be back in our territory in just a few more minutes, Claire. Honey, can you try to reach Casey” he asked my mother. My mother turned around and looked at him. I watched as her beautiful face turn white as a ghost when she looked at him. She looked back at me and said "Just close your eyes, and remember we love you" as I saw tears falling down her cheek. I closed my eyes as tight as I could as I listened to her sing.
Suddenly, there was a huge bang that sent our car spinning. Then another bang and we were now spinning in the opposite direction. I screamed out as my head hit the window when the car slammed into something on my side. We were being tossed around like a ball. I felt something warm running down my face. “Blood. You are hurt” a voice said in my head. “MOMMY! DADDY” I screamed as the car began to flip. "HOLD ON CLAIRE" My father yelled as we flipped.
When I opened my eyes, my head was hurting really badly. I heard glass breaking and the sound of the car
being ripped apart. My mother and father were covered in blood and not moving. I could hear footsteps and
the bad smell that I had smelled was now very strong. “Close your eyes Claire, and no matter what, don’t
open them” the voice in my head told me. I closed my eyes tightly listening to the voice. “Whatever you do, keep your eyes closed and don’t move a muscle” the voice instructed, as it now began to sing me the song my mother was singing to me before now and when I was scared or had a bad dream. I lay there perfectly still and waited.
I listened to the soft voice singing, but it could not disguise the sound of more metal tearing and voices of men
talking. “Make sure they are all dead” a voice called out. I felt myself jump. “Be still Claire”, the voice commanded. I tried my best until I heard my mother scream out along with my father. I opened my eyes to see them being dragged from the car by something. They were hurt and those guys were hurting them more. My mother stared back towards where I was as I heard my door being
ripped open."NO! LEAVE HER ALONE" I heard my parents scream. “CLAIRE CLOSE YOUR EYES NOW” the voice yelled at me. I closed them tightly. “Lay still like a dead deer. Try not to breathe “ the voice said quietly. I felt someone climb into the back seat where I was. I was to scared to move, let alone breathe. “She is dead sir”, the voice said sitting beside me now.
I heard my parents scream out for me. I wanted them to know I was ok, but the voice tod me that I couldn't.
“OK. Finish those two” the voice called out. “I’m so sorry Claire” the voice whispered as I felt a hand pat
my foot as he got out of the car, leaving me inside. I heard the car door close. I was still, not daring to move as I listened to my parents scream out in pain. And then there was a silence. Then I heard a howling. I knew those howls. It was the pack. They were coming. I heard the ones outside of the car take off running. They had better run if they knew what was good for them. I opened my eyes excited to see the pack coming to save us, but the only thing I could see was my parents' heads sitting in the front of the car. I screamed out and everything went black.