Phoenix: rise from death. **COMPLETED**

#7 outsider

after escaping the underworld I had no place to go. where do you go when you are supposed to be dead? I just wandered around no man's land until I stumbled on the out skirts of the rogue town. I sat there on the edge of the town for a while watching them. hearing a snap behind me I turned abruptly. there stood Scott. he smiled at me as he sat beside me. "I feel like I don't belong any where anymore. like I live on the outside of everything."

"after you," I could feel his reservation in talking about my death. "after you died. a lot of us were no longer really a part of that world anymore. being a part of the pack seemed like it was costing us our souls and most of us felt lost." he took in a deep breath. I could hear the suffering in every ragged breath he took. "we knew we couldn't let Christopher and his followers have the only thing that kept us human. you don't have to live outside of everyone anymore. you could join us."

I sat there for a bit before answering him. it sounded nice in theory. being able to live in a pack that actually functioned. "I died in a pack that was supposed to love me. I had a mate that could only love himself. I have things I have to do before I can live again. things that requires no one to know I'm alive. maybe, when I'm done I will come back." he looked at me his eyes filled with sadness. I could see the pitty on his face. I didn't need pity. I needed justice.

"your revenge could take the life you want away."

"and is this living? barely surviving? living on the fringes one step from deaths door? revenge is all I have left." Scott never stopped gazing at the make shift town in front of him. I watched him as a small smile crossed his lips.

"it's better than giving our souls to the devil." I couldn't argue with that. I gave myself to that same devil once and it cost me my life. making him pay for all the pain and suffering he had done would be the cherry on top of a sundae. there was no doubt in my mind he deserved death amd what was coming to him. I just needed to make sure I didn't lose myself when I did it. it was a fine line I was balancing.

Christopher forced me to live as an outsider and I chose to let him. I believed in our mate bond and then I was afraid to walk away. he would have hunted me down and tortured me. I'm not sure I ever would have been able to be free of that monster. he wouldn't have hunted me out of love. he was incapable of love, no, he would have let his narcissistic pride get in the way. I was his possession. nothing but a toy that he took down from the shelf when he needed to play. I was no longer going to be his toy. that day I died I was reborn. I was reduced to ashes then from those ashes a new Angel rose. I spread my wings and I plan to fly high. no longer will I be a slave to a man. no, I will rise up and demand the respect I should have had before and Christopher, he will pay. I will torment him until he thinks he is going crazy. driving him to madness will make him easier to kill. it was just a sweet part of what I had to do. "Scott, you all need running water here. it would be easier to hunt animals if you all had fresh water."

"and how do you suppose we get that here in the no man's lands?"

"divert some of it. the animals they follow the water source as well. I have to go. remember no telling anyone." I needed to do some recon on the pack. staying close to the river was my best bet to keep my scent from being noticed. I needed to be hidden for a while longer to implement my plan. in order to get close enough to Christopher to kill him I needed as much knowledge as possible. he was a smart man and I knew from first hand experience he was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

I made it to the pack territory in no time. I waded through the river not letting my feet touch the land. it was not an easy trekk. the river was rocky and I had to do it with my shoes in hand. I was close to the small cave by the waterfall and I knew I needed to get up there. I was just hoping that no one had discovered my secret spot there. when I was alive I had hidden ama amounts of canned foods other necessary things. I used to do it in the hopes I would get away. I was relying on my clothes stashed there now. I needed these items more than ever now. reconciling in my head that I needed to make a break for the cave now I swam towards the falls. the entrance was just behind them made a long time before me from nature. it woukd hide my acent and give me shelter. Christopher wouldn't even know I was on his land. I reached the rocky side and began pulling myself up trying to reach for any ledge to place my hands and feet. by the time ivmade it up and fell exhausted to the ledge my body was screaming at me. my muscles would definitely not like me tomorrow. I forced myself up and slid behind the waterfall and into the cave entrance. it was exactly how I left it. time had not touched it. I sat down on folded up blankets resting a moment before I shuffled through the clothes I had brought. I needed one particular dress that I had stashed here. I wasn't even sure he thought of me but I knew for sure he would soon. I would never let him forget all the suffering he put me through. there it was in the backpack I had stashed here so many years ago. I pulled it out and touched the soft smooth silk. it took me back to that day where so many promises were made. my life changed that day. it was the beginning of my end.