From scratch ✔️

34. Back to where it all begun

"Well hello there, Rose! Long time no see!"

That voice. I hoped I would never hear that voice again in my life. A shudder went through my spine, my mind was instantly flooded with the memories of that  night. The night when I lost so many things, but that led me here, to the place I found happiness, even if for just a little while. 

He was here. Conner Mathews was here. The nightmare. The bastard that had raped me and had mutilated me. He was here, standing behind me. Right now. 

"What, little Rose suddenly lost her voice? Oh, I'm so happy that I leave you speechless!" he taunted me. God, how I hate that he uses my middle name to taunt me... I slowly turned around and yes, there he was, in all his naked disgustingness, covered in dirt and blood, his blond hair disheveled, eyes crazy, sadistic smile on his face. 

"Missed me?" he winked.

"In your dreams." I answered bravely and squared my shoulders, chin high in the air in false bravery, but my dignity was all I had left. 

"Aw, you've wounded me..." he pressed his hand to the heart and laughed. 

"What do you want?" I asked him in what I hoped was a firm voice.

"Oh, you see, little Rose, I discovered that you have something of mine..." he said pointing at my stomach. "And we can't have that!"

"What do you want with my baby?" I asked quite stunned.

"There's the thing, I want nothing to do with it. If you only told me, that you are carrying that bastard child, I would have given you some money for an abortion, but no! You had to run away and grow this abomination in you!" his features twisted in disgust, some spit flew out of his mouth, his eyes turned even more crazy. My hands automatically went to protect my stomach. 

"You are not getting anywhere near my baby!" I shouted angrily. I was ready to protect Hope with all I had. 

"What will you do? Hit me with a crutch?" he laughed at me, but after a second his laugh died. "This disgrace has to go! And you are going to go with it." He stated firmly and started moving my way. That's when I remembered, that I had a gun. It's time to put that hard work to use.  My silent resolution fuelled my strength and as quickly as I could I reached for the gun and made two shots. One had hit Conner in the thing and he fell to his knees with a startled cry. Another one missed. Well, at least I had hit him once. But then he jerked my way and startled me so that the gun dropped from my hands and I realised that it was time to flee. Maybe outside I would meet someone to protect me. So as fast as I could and using the wall as an added support I made a run. I heard shuffling behind me and Conners grunts, but decided not to pay any mind to it. I needed to move to save my baby. 

I have absolutely no idea how I managed to get out of the house, but the landscape outside made me stumble for a second - the yard where we had the BBQ was all covered in blood and bodies of wolfs. I had no idea how to separate the rogues from the pack fighters, but I really hoped, that none on the good men had suffered or worse, died. A lot of wolf's were still fighting, but no one seemed to pay any attention to me, so I continued my journey to only god knows where. Or in this case, the Moon Goddess, since well, you know. 

And it turned out that the Moon Goddess had a wicked sense of humour, because a couple of minutes later I found myself struggling through the woods again. And Connor was chasing me. Again. Only this time I was in a huge disadvantage. My feet hurt, my back hurt, my thigh was killing me, but I pushed myself harder and harder. I heard the crunching of the grass behind me, but it was already dark and I couldn't see that clear. What I could do was hear him, and he was playing with me. Taunting with me. I quickly understood, that he wasn't trying to catch me, he was playing with me like a cat with a mouse before killing me.

"Oh, Rose, silver bullets? Really?" he spoke somewhere to my right. "I have to admit, that is clever!" I continued moving despite him being so close.

"But in truth, even though it hurts like a bitch, it can't really stop me, I'm pretty fast even with one normal leg!" now he sounded somewhere from my left.

"You know what? I have an idea!" he spoke in a singing voice, sounding like a child in front of a Christmas tree. "Lets play a game!" he clapped his hands excitedly, while I continued moving further into the woods. 

"Let's pretend I'm not a werewolf and that we are equals!" now he was from my right again. My hard breathing sounded harsh, it was near impossible to move in the dark, but I continued in a state of near hysteria. 

"Although we are clearly not equals, but you know what? I'll give you a head start! I will stay right here and count to twenty, and then I will go looking for you! Like hide and seek!" Now he sounded just like a maniac he was. 

"Oh, and by the way! I've got your gun, so you better hurry, or I might accidentally shoot you!" He laughed again, that wicked sound bringing bile up in my throat. I was doomed. I realised that, but I still pushed myself while he started his deadly countdown.

"Twenty... Nineteen... Eighteen..." his voice was getting further and further away from me, I must be making some progress, or so I hoped.

"Seventeen... Sixsteen... Fifteen..." I rounded a big tree and my foot suddenly got caught up in some roots, but luckily I managed to stay upright. 5 more steps till the next tree. 

"Fourteen... Thirteen... Twelve..." one more tree, then another 4 steps. A chocked sob escaped my mouth, but I did my best to hold it in. My whole body was on fire, it seemed to hurt from everywhere, the fear was paralysing, but I pushed and pushed and pushed...

"Eleven... Ten... Nine..." One more step, then another one... There is really no point in running, because even if I hide, he will find me, he will smell me, and that's a fucking unfair disadvantage. If only I hadn't given up on the brewing, if only I managed to whip some potion to do to me the same as my mother for the army of my enemies. If only...

"Do you want me to count slower? Nah, stability is the key to success! Eight... Seven... Six..."

Tears were streaming down my face clouding my vision, but I didn't really care, it was so dark, that I wouldn't be able to see more either way. The moon was still low, it didn't really help, because it was hidden behind the trees. Everything was against me. My mouth was open wide now, trying to gulp as much air as it was possible and squish the desperation. Unsuccessfully. 

"Five... Four... Three..."

Another big tree. Then a small one. Maybe I could hide behind the next big one?

"Two... One..."

Oh no, oh no...

"Ready or not, here I come!"

And then I was in a movie again. I turned around as fast as I could and raised my crutch in the air to defend myself, to use it like a baseball bat. I saw him right away, he wasn't as far as I hoped he would be, and he was mowing in my direction with purposeful strides. His injured leg (oh the irony, he injured mine, I returned the favour) was oozing blood, and he was limping badly, but the crazy glint in his eyes never faltered. He stopped a couple of meters in front of me and raised the gun.

"You know what? I think I will try shooting. Imagine that, I have never held a gun in my life! That should be exhilarating, right?

And then he pulled the trigger. Sharp pain exploded in my left shoulder and and the force of the blow sent me falling backwards. While I was falling an extreme surge of pain gripped my stomach and I screamed with all I had. I have never felt a pain more horrible then the one in my belly. It was so intense, that my eyes rolled and I saw while lights fulling every centimetre of my sight. The last thing I remember was landing on something really soft, like a cloud and then...nothing. I was gone.