Crescent Moon: Aloura Cullen

Chapter 12

  I can feel the cold moist dirt as my large paws hit the ground with such momentum and force. The cool wind gliding through my thick white fur as I quickly and swiftly run through the tall trees. Even though I was running so fast, I can see every detail on everything I passed. The leaves that swayed back and forth on the tall swamp red maple trees, the black pine snake slithering to it's prey, the molted brown and white patterns on the barred owl as it fly's from tree to tree in search of food.

I could hear everything as well. Like the carpenter ants I passed about 10 yards back, still steady at work. The towns people as they start noticing the smoke coming from the inferno that was once my home, as they rush to put out the flames. I can still smell the smoke as I try to push past the horrible smell of death.

Then I smell an almost familiar sent as I easily jump over the large fallen tree in my path. As I get closer and closer, I instantly recognize the scent, Alice. Wherever she is, she's hurt and bad.

  It takes almost a day but I finally reach the edge of the forest behind the large building Al's sent was coming from. The night sky grows darker as it starts to rain and lightning cuts through the thick clouds. I steady my breathing and concentrate on my human like body then faze back into it.

  The leftover scraps of clothing that clung to my wolf form fall to the ground and I'm glad to see the hand made bracelet Al gave me made it, but is laterally hanging together by a thread, then a cold chain hits my right foot. That's when I realize what the beautiful silver object was.

  I almost fall to my knees and cry when I hold the engraved and treasured locket my mother and father gave me. I open it to see a photo of mother, father, Alice and I. All of us with such beautiful smiles as I sit in a chair with mother and father holding eachother behind us and Al by my side as we hug eachother. The tears start forming as I read the engraved words on the other side there aren't enough stars in the sky to show how much we love you.

  I want so badly to fall to the ground and cry, but I can't waste anymore time, Al's already been in there too long. I take the bracelet and locket and hold them tight in my hand. I make my way across the large green field, my bare skin radiant in the moonlight as I head for the back door, I easily open it and quickly find something to wear. The only thing I see are these white gowns so I just toss one on and make my way up the stairs and down a long hallway. It's difficult to focus on Al's scent instead of all the screaming and yelling coming from all the different rooms in this place.

  I soon pass a young man who was hitting his head on a wall then suddenly stops when I walk by. He grabs my hand and I see everything. Every thought and memory this young man has had is now being played in my head.

  The only reason he's here is because his step father convinced his mother he was sick because he and their neighbors son fell in love. They sent him here to be "fixed" and the doctors performed awful experiments on him by frying his brain so bad he can't even remember himself or the boy he once loved.

  Even if I wanted to help him, it was too late. The person he was is gone, and the empty shell they made is all that's left. Before I can help him to his room he stops and in a weak voice says, "run" then turns and walks back to the wall. The matter of finding my sister is even more imperative.

"You must be new, I wasn't aware we were letting colored patients in now, well we can't cure that. Its ok child come along and we'll get your medicine." a middle aged women in a nurses uniform says to me.

"Oh what did we say about jewelry child, now be a good thing and give them to me." she says.

"Stay away from me, your not getting these." I tell her as I take a step back and bump into the large man dressed in all white like from the vision Al and I had.