Part of the Pack (Book 1 in the 'part of' series)

Chapter 7 Returning and Turning (Rewrite!)

Heh- thank you guys for being patient with me and reading past the cringe which is chapter seven! This is a re-write and a much needed uh plea to save myself from the comments of those who suffered immensely through that chapter....SO JUST CONSIDER THIS THE REPLACEMENT FOR THAT! -the reason i'm not completely replacing it is that ...i'm not sure if i mention the bear again...-IT MAY NOT SEEM TOO DIFFERENT AT FIRST BUT TRUST ME, IT IS

Chapter 7 Returning and turning

It had been two years since I saw that pair of eyes in the forest.

I am still in University at the moment. I'm in the middle of doing my sandwich year. I didn't go abroad or anything. I took a year out of university when my mother took ill, she's still not fully recovered. I used my time to help out around the house; I looked after mam and Harlow whilst dad was at work, and I was still able to get some studying done.

Harlow liked to hear my tales of what happened in the forest, no matter how many times mother told him I was joking, I made sure to tell him that it was real. Mother joked that I should give up on my dreams and take up creative writing. I knew that I would never give up on my dreams.

I wanted to see what animals were like in their natural habitat, I wanted to experience the wonder and the magic that I felt two years ago when I was surrounded by those wolves. I was back on track and I knew what I had to do in order to get there.

I was able to do some volunteer work and I got some part time jobs. I volunteered at wildlife charities and I worked at zoos, which inspired me even more. Harlow loved it, he managed to get in for a discount and he liked to look at the cute little animals, like rabbits and guinea pigs. Harlow wasn't too much younger then me, but he did act like a child at times. He said he wanted to be just like his big brother, usually that was when he was trying to butter me up.

At the moment, I was in the middle of the woods once again. I had to do a project where we had to go somewhere and look at the animals and other wildlife which were there. I knew that I should've learnt my lesson from last time I was here. I didn't know what insanity took over my mind when I decided to come here. But I had to do my project somewhere, I had a pleasant week or so last time I was here.

The first night was the same as it was two years ago; I set up camp and I got enough firewood to last me until morning. It was calm and peaceful. I missed the peace of the woods even though I only experienced it for a short amount of time. I had brought better equipment with me this time, I actually knew how to use a compass and I managed to pick up better food.

The next morning, I had to go and collect some more firewood. It was too warm for my liking as it was in the middle of April. That also meant that I didn't have long to do my assignment, as I had been pretty busy lately, or procrastinating as I tried to not tell myself. I had gotten into the nasty habit last year, when my important exams were rushing towards me, a fact I didn't want to face.

I had to focus on this trip, nothing could distract me from what I had to do here. I had already written about a page and a half about the forest the night before, and I was determined to make more.

I got curious, I wanted to see if the scenery had changed at all since I was last here. So I followed the path. I used the excuse that it was still helping me with my university work. A path would be much safer and I would be able to see the nature which surrounded me much easier. At least, that's what I told myself. The very fact that I was trying to convince myself should have been enough of a warning bell.

I didn't plan to stray from the path. I managed to make it quite far along the path before the surroundings became too familiar to me. I had to know if the trap was still there. So I followed the footsteps which were engraved in my memory. It hasn't changed much in two years. Plants had grown and one or two trees had fallen. Yet the path was still the same.