Stronger

Stronger

Chapter 1

On the balls of my feet, I stalk through the woods. The leaves don't crunch under them, the twigs don't snap. A trail isn't left for anyone to follow. The small buck in front of me should feed my family for at least today, which is if Dad does not eat the whole thing at first sight. His fur looks soft, like baby's blanket, but his small curved horns on the top of his delicate head look so sharp. His eyes dart from side to side. He is scared, but not of me. He senses a presence, my presence, watching over him with greed. And waiting. He bends down to the stream in front of him and sticks his tongue to lap the water with and his eyes close at the taste of the fresh water bubbling from the small stream. He looks so fragile, yet so fierce. His neck looks so exposed.

I bend into a pouncing stance, straitening my legs, and shift my weight to the left so I don't crush him; my family hates a crushed dinner.  I close my eyes, and ready myself to kill this silent beauty, then I jump. I grab his neck, swinging by body to the front of him, and break his neck, killing him instantly. I let go of the poor animal, and drag him to the bush I first came upon the little buck at, there lies a trash bag and my clothing. I shift human once more and change into my clothing in 3 seconds flat. With my back to the little steam, I put the deer into the black bag and tie him to a tree. I turn in a swivel to go check my snares.

My family didn't feed me so I catch rabbits to eat and use for other things, like winter gloves, or spoons, my family gives me nothing but 2 outfits a year, and a room. The rest I get on my own. As I walk to my snares, I feel as if I'm being watched. I look ahead into the dark trees. Two yellow orbs open up the forest surrounding my, I put myself on guard, suspended fills the silent air. At this sight, I turn and run back to the deer, not making a single sound on the leaves, and find the bag that held the deer inside, ripped open, and the deer gone. All that is left is a leg. I grab the leg, and stare at it with hope, then all my hope leaves me, and by shoulders sag into an all too familiar position, I'm not going to find another deer here, which was the first I have seen in years. Dad doesn't like rabbit. To gamey, he said last time, then he would take me outside and whip me, so not to cover the wood floor with my own blood. My body starts to shake, and I fall to the forest floor, no twigs break at my weight. Dad says I am of no weight, so thin that death doesn't see me as I float by him. Yet, he says I am fat, so fat that disease can't fill me. Then once again he would whip me. Shaken by my thoughts, i slowly stand, and I jerk my shoulders back where they belong.

"I am not a sob story," I tell myself as i walk back to the bush slowly, "I am a survivor, and I will survive."

I go to my snares, and see I have caught 4 rabbits, 4 rabbits might be enough to not have a beating tonight, but I doubt it. One things for sure, no dinner for me. I grab the rabbits, and yet again fell like I'm being watched. I turn left and right, then back, and in the darkness, I see the two yellow eyes. They disappear once more, and a man in a suit walks out from behind the tree. He is tall, has combed back blond hair, and the same yellow eyes as the one I saw before. He radiates power. At the sight of this man, I straighten my back and dip my head in submission. He only chuckles.

"I'm sorry about the deer, girl, but he kept running from me, and when you caught it, I lost control to my hunger and ate it. I left a little for you, but I see you already have the rabbits. Smart, always have a backup plan." He says in an upbeat tone.  If I don't get back soon, my beating will be worse. I nod to him, and turn to leave. My silent feet not making a single leaf crumble under the weight. The man starts to follow me and soon in right by my side. I only know this because his steps are heavy and punch the ground hard, kicking up leaf pieces and crunching small twigs.

No wonder he couldn't catch the deer, his feet are not silent, he doesn't hunt much, lucky man.

I do not look up, nor look towards the man in the suit, and just keep walking. I finally reach the pack house, and he stays in the woods, I slow climb the stairs on the porch, and enter the house. When they see me, they all start to yell.

"WHERE IS THE FOOD?!?"

"You expect us to eat RABBITS?!?"

"THAT IS IT!?!"

My father grabs my shirt and the whip that was on the counter, and pulls me outside. He kicks my knees, and swings the whip back, then pulls it forward, landing it on my spine, I whimper, but do not let the tears roll down my face and onto the bloody grass. He does it 9 more times before kicking me on the ribs. I curl up into a ball and stay still, the blood sticking my shirt to my back.

"You" he spits out "are a disgrace" and he strides back inside. I start to get back up, but father truly hit me hard tonight. I must get in there to cook the rabbits, maybe I will only have five more beatings tonight, if it tastes good. I get on my knees and kneel for a while. I look around, to the woods, and yet again, I see those yellow eyes. He steps up to me and hands me a card with his address on it, and his packs name and everything else.

"I'm so sorry, I did this to you." He says. I shake my head back and forth.

"No, I get this every night no matter what, i did this not you. i am the disgrace, not you," I grit out of my teeth, then cough out a bit of gooey blood onto the grass, feeling around on my rib, trying to find a crack.he shakes his head in disgust.

"When you get tired of this" he points toward the house "come to me, I will let you in my pack" and with that he disappears into the woods again. I sigh, if only I could.

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Dear gorgeous people,

I want you to know, this book is probably one of the worst books i have written. but then again it is my first book. i promise they get better the newer they get, like for example Shadow Rider is better than this book, and Don't Look at Me is better than Shadow Rider. This has been your warning, i wrote this book over 2 years ago, and my writing style along with grammar and spelling have drastically changed. You may read on if you would like.

just a little public service announcement.

good luck :)

Love

Queen Tink