Found Family

This story is dedicated to the pack. Each one of you has changed my life in so many ways. 

The story is inspired by a Patreon prompt given by Ish

All rights to the Ishness Characters go to Ish Ishness and Morgan belongs to me (Jenn)

CW: Feelings of loneliness, depression, low self-worth, and struggle to live.

I pace my home for what feels like the millionth time in the few hours between getting home and now. My mind is playing tricks on me again. The rain pelting my windows makes dozens of little noises against the panes of glass. The only sound is the rain and my soft footfalls on the carpet below me. Lightening flashes outside. I stop to count—one, two, three, four, BOOM. The sound of thunder echoes through the endless night. Four miles away, that is what my Mamaw says. The power in the house flickers, once, then twice, and it goes off.

It isn't like I'm not used to this now. A chill runs down my spine as I feel a gaze land on my back. I turned quickly to catch the silhouette of the mysterious man who had followed me for so long.

Get a grip, I tell myself. There is no man, and there is no magical land you will find. This is my life now. Alone. The only friends I have were in the online community I found a year and a half ago. They are your family. No one else cares. I felt the tears well in my eyes again. I was completely alone. I didn't have the support of people in my life. They may be my blood family but they didn't care about me.

I hadn't worried about any of this until earlier today. Mamaw had called to check on me. To make sure that I had what I needed. I lied and told her I was fine. I put on my best happy voice and asked how she was doing. Mamaw was the only one who cared about me. Making sure I had the things I needed at least in real life. I hadn't realized I had stopped pacing until my ass hit the soft cushions of my couch. I knew she meant well, but she didn't need to know how deep into depression I was. How every day is a struggle to live....

I knew I needed to get up and find my candles and flashlights. To do the adulting one does when the power goes out during a storm. With a soft sigh, I force myself up and make myself do what I need to do. My bare feet padding through to the kitchen junk drawer.

Instead of finding myself in my kitchen, my pace quickened to a run. Before I could stop myself I was running out the front door into the pouring rain. I didn't stop, I ran. The woods along my home were calling my name. Maybe, just maybe, if I ran fast enough the fear, the anxiety, and the helplessness would fade away. The wet leaves and fauna under my feet make it hard to find purchase in the mud.

I don't know how long I have been running, I slow to a stop—catching my breath and checking my surroundings. To my right, the expanse of the forest is full of shrubs, trees, and the sound of the creatures that live here. To my left was a tunnel of trees. The branches intertwined with each other like they were beckoned to hold each other.

A movement to my right caught my eye. Is that a deer? I thought to myself. I could only see what looked like white fur, no not fur, that was bone. Terror ran through every fiber of my being. Was I dreaming? I had to be dreaming. I pinched the underside of my arm. Nope, not sleeping. Another movement to my left caught my attention, another half-skeletal form from further away than the deer-like creature stood in the tunnel. Though this presence was almost comforting. Like I knew who it was but I couldn't form a name.

Instead of trying to find my way out of the canopy of trees, I walked toward the tunnel and the soft, loving presence. I may be the girl that is getting screamed at in the horror movie but I had to know who this was. It felt like I had been walking forever through the tunnel of trees. The soft light of fireflies danced through the gaps of the trees. A bright white butterfly flitted through the air with a soft grace and then the name came to me.... Zyggy.