Fire And Ice

Chapter 4 - Gone

Natalia's P. O. V

I woke up and immediately checked my surroundings. I was still just a step away from crossing the territory border and it was still before dawn. The pain had lessened to a terrible stinging ache. I checked my watch – three minutes to half past four.

I got up, stretched my sore muscles, picked my duffel up and limped as fast as I could across the border and from the Lightwood pack territory.

I stopped making my way through Lightwood Forest when the pack house was just a spec in the horizon even with my werewolf sight. I climbed a sturdy-looking tree and nestled myself in the branches.

Candy woke up from her pain induced slumber in my mind, 'We need a plan, Nat.'

'I have one.'

'Well then, tell me.', She prodded

'We need to get into the territory around seven thirty am. That's when they usually get up after a drunken night. Once they realise that their maid hasn't picked up after them, they'll either be furious or panicked. Either way, it'll be a distraction. During that time, we'll go to the school and photocopy all of my results then take the originals.' I explained.

If I was going to get a new life, I needed to finish my schooling. I'd asked the school to keep my results and reports because I was sure that the Lightwood pack members would destroy them if they found them in the house.

I wasn't going to run away from a house of horrors only to get a dead end job. I wanted to make something out of myself and the first step towards that was a college degree and I couldn't get that without my results and reports.

The first light of the day was brightening the forest. I checked my watch - six thirty-seven am.

I was almost completely healed. My ribs were only sore and I knew that I could run at my full speed without any problems. With that, it would take me approximately fifteen minutes with my full speed and without stopping.

I used my duffel as a pillow and drifted off to sleep.

**********

'Nat, wake up!!!'

The sound of Candy's voice resonated through my mind and woke me up. My ribs weren't sore anymore. I checked the watch to find that it was thirteen minutes past seven.

I grabbed my duffel and leapt down the tree, landing lightly.

I turned towards the pack house and started running at full speed.

**********

I got to the border and checked my watch - seven twenty-four.

Good enough.

I put my leather gloves on and ran to the school then crept around it until I was at the window of the records and storage room. Luckily, the window was left open so I climbed through it. All the files were ordered on shelves. I scanned the 'N' section. Clark had refused to let me use his last name – not that I'd wanted to, it was the school that'd asked - and nobody had known my mother's so I technically had no family origins.

I found my file and took it to the photocopying machine. I made sure the papers had no dents or overlaps. When I was done, I put the copies back in the file holder and placed it back in its place then found a spare file holder and put the originals in it and placed it in my bag.

I went over to the awards section. All except mine were copies. I had awards from spelling bees, math marathons, cross country races, science fairs, mixed topic quizzes, gymnastic competitions, ballet recitals, hip hop clashes, singing competitions, volleyball matches, netball matches, swimming competitions, archery competitions, karate competitions and taekwondo fights but I never took them back to the pack house because they'd destroy them so I told the school to keep them too. The pack didn't even know I took part in any of those competitions.