Status: We are what we are; don't need no excuses for the scars from our mothers, and we know what we know 'cause we're made of all the little bones of our fathers.
The Last Wolf
Chapter Nine
Three weeks passed before my mother allowed me to leave the house. I was never alone though. Even on the little tire swing in our backyard, I could feel my parents’ eyes lingering. Suspicion clouded the inside of my house, while paranoia filled me outside of my supposedly safe walls.
After the fourth week, I was swinging on my tire swing in the backyard and listening to the sound of the wind whispering through the crisp summer leaves. My mother walked behind me while I swung; before I realized, I began growling at the woman who raised me. I had to force myself to stop.
“Da-do ya-you want lu-lunch,” she stuttered, holding her hands up in caution.
“I’m not very hungry. I feel kind of…” I trailed off wondering how many days until the moon was full.
“Do you have a fever,” she asked worriedly. She threw caution to the wind as she placed the back of her hand on my forehead. A frown crossed her lips as her brow scrunched. “You are pretty warm.”
“I don’t want to be like this.” I looked at the ground and gripped the rope harder.
“I know, Sweetie,” my mother whispered. “Are the bruises from last time gone yet?”
“The last one turned yellow the other day. I think it’s gone now.”
She hugged me tightly, “Don’t worry, Dahlia, we’ll fix this. I promise.”
I wanted to believe her. She wouldn’t lie to me because mothers don’t lie to their daughters, right? Something in her voice wouldn’t let me believe her words. There was no answer to this curse. I was born a monster, and I have to live with the consequences of that. “How long do I have?”
“What?” She feigned confusion.
I rolled my eyes as I pushed her away, “how much longer before the moon is full this month?”
“I-I don’t know,” he laughed nervously.
“Mom!”
“Two days.”
“Two days?”
“That’s what the news said, Sweetie. Maybe nothing will happen this time.”
I rolled my eyes as I jumped from the swing and walked towards the back door. There’s no use in being outdoors, even if the cramped space of the two-story house starts killing me again. As long as I feel sick, my parents will keep me locked away in my room. “I’m a werewolf, Mom. It’s not like it comes and goes,” I sighed, although I still used the word 'werewolf' sarcastically.
“Dahlia-“
I turned on my heel to face her, “just, please, Mom! You just told me a month ago that you would kill me if I hurt anyone in your town because I'm a wolf! I’m not even your daughter!” I rolled my eyes, “Please, just don’t pretend like nothing is going to happen. We both know how this works.”
She grabbed my arm hard and hung on even though I tried to pull away, “You! You, Dahlia Raven Waters, will always be my daughter. I raised, fed, and clothed you when no one else would. When you were sick, I stayed by your bedside to make sure you survived the night!”
I laughed cruelly, “Just because some teenage girl who couldn’t afford to take care of her baby dropped it off on your doorstep, does not make that child yours.”
Before I realized what happened she backhanded me. My mouth fell open as my hand covered the rising red mark. I growled before turning away from her and marched into the house. “You will never be my real mother,” I hissed over my shoulder.
My sanctuary, the room I occupied in a house of strangers for 16 years, welcomed me with a cool breeze. I opened and stuck my head out of the window and took a deep breath. “I can’t wait to get out of here.”
After the fourth week, I was swinging on my tire swing in the backyard and listening to the sound of the wind whispering through the crisp summer leaves. My mother walked behind me while I swung; before I realized, I began growling at the woman who raised me. I had to force myself to stop.
“Da-do ya-you want lu-lunch,” she stuttered, holding her hands up in caution.
“I’m not very hungry. I feel kind of…” I trailed off wondering how many days until the moon was full.
“Do you have a fever,” she asked worriedly. She threw caution to the wind as she placed the back of her hand on my forehead. A frown crossed her lips as her brow scrunched. “You are pretty warm.”
“I don’t want to be like this.” I looked at the ground and gripped the rope harder.
“I know, Sweetie,” my mother whispered. “Are the bruises from last time gone yet?”
“The last one turned yellow the other day. I think it’s gone now.”
She hugged me tightly, “Don’t worry, Dahlia, we’ll fix this. I promise.”
I wanted to believe her. She wouldn’t lie to me because mothers don’t lie to their daughters, right? Something in her voice wouldn’t let me believe her words. There was no answer to this curse. I was born a monster, and I have to live with the consequences of that. “How long do I have?”
“What?” She feigned confusion.
I rolled my eyes as I pushed her away, “how much longer before the moon is full this month?”
“I-I don’t know,” he laughed nervously.
“Mom!”
“Two days.”
“Two days?”
“That’s what the news said, Sweetie. Maybe nothing will happen this time.”
I rolled my eyes as I jumped from the swing and walked towards the back door. There’s no use in being outdoors, even if the cramped space of the two-story house starts killing me again. As long as I feel sick, my parents will keep me locked away in my room. “I’m a werewolf, Mom. It’s not like it comes and goes,” I sighed, although I still used the word 'werewolf' sarcastically.
“Dahlia-“
I turned on my heel to face her, “just, please, Mom! You just told me a month ago that you would kill me if I hurt anyone in your town because I'm a wolf! I’m not even your daughter!” I rolled my eyes, “Please, just don’t pretend like nothing is going to happen. We both know how this works.”
She grabbed my arm hard and hung on even though I tried to pull away, “You! You, Dahlia Raven Waters, will always be my daughter. I raised, fed, and clothed you when no one else would. When you were sick, I stayed by your bedside to make sure you survived the night!”
I laughed cruelly, “Just because some teenage girl who couldn’t afford to take care of her baby dropped it off on your doorstep, does not make that child yours.”
Before I realized what happened she backhanded me. My mouth fell open as my hand covered the rising red mark. I growled before turning away from her and marched into the house. “You will never be my real mother,” I hissed over my shoulder.
My sanctuary, the room I occupied in a house of strangers for 16 years, welcomed me with a cool breeze. I opened and stuck my head out of the window and took a deep breath. “I can’t wait to get out of here.”
♠ ♠ ♠
I want you guys to know that I keep getting sick. It's like I'll feel better around Wendesday and then all of a sudden I'll get sick on Mondays. I hate that I feel like I'm not doing this story justice when I feel terrible, so if I get sick again next Monday we'll be changing the update day.Also... I am sorry that this chapter is a bit boring. I know, but it's the filler for next week. I promise you guys that the next chapter will be better because it's definitely my favorite chapter of the whole story so far.