Glowy Hair

That morning, I walked in the forest for hours on end, stepping on the dried leaves and twigs. Every few minutes I would see something I wanted to show my mum or dad and then realize that I no longer had them. It was lonely and scared, but I kept on walking. 

Throughout that day, I saw all sorts of creatures and animals, but for some reason, they stuck by me. A squirrel followed me the farthest, going along with me for hours on end. He would jump in the trees while we walked, and when he sensed danger, he would come to a stop. At night I would light a fire under the trees to ward away the animals that would come near me. 

He stayed with me for a few days, finding me the best fruits, and then he disappeared suddenly.

When I got to a place I felt comfortable in, I stopped my journey. It was close to a river and had a lot of trees,  for shade, and a little abandoned cave I could stay in at night. There were fruit bushes and all the herbs I needed to continue my witchcraft practice, and I said a silent prayer of thanks to the moon goddess. 

I dug two shallow graves with my hand in the earth and planted a fee of my seeds to represent my parents. When the trees grew I would carve their names over them. I also placed a slab of stone over the mounds of the earth so I could identify where they were planted. 

I lit a sage bundle and an incense stick and went around the cave with them, every single day to ward off evil spirits, and I lived off fruit and the water from the river. It was quiet, but I enjoyed it, because at least I was safe and nobody was going to ask me about shifting into a wolf or accuse me of being a witch. I was in pain, and I mourned my parents, day and night, 

Sometimes I would have dreams and vividly see them, have my mother reassure me that it wasn't my fault, but I could not get over it. First I was a witch amidst a pack of wolves, and I couldn't even shift. Then we hear a prophecy, and apparently, my presence in the pack was bad luck and made the two packs fight, basically caused all this. 

I would play back the memories of that night over and over again, wondering what it was that made me turn my mother back into that danger. 

I spent many days dwelling on the things that had happened in Mystic Shadow pack. Why did Alpha Khal reject me? And what was all that talk about mates when I had not felt anything?

There were many questions heavy on my mind, but I kept it together, only thinking about those things at night. 

During the day, I planted many of my seeds, turning my little cave area into a home for myself. Just before the sunsets, I would take walks and help some wounded animals, take in some fresh air. 

It had been a full cycle when it happened the first time. The moon was out and full, and I thanked the moon goddess for sustenance. Fireflies were dancing in the air and it seemed too magical to be inside, so I took a walk towards the river to get a drink, and perhaps to catch a fish or two to eat. 

When I got there, and I caught my reflection in the river, I was startled. 

I had always had long, flowy locks of hair, but the hair was hard to manage, so since my journey began, I had been wearing it in pigtails, only taking it out when I wanted to wash it. 

That night, as the fireflies flew and the owls hooted a song, my hair was glowing, like the fireflies were in it.  

My hair was shiny regularly, but the glow from it now could light up my way. I quickly took a splash of water from the river to rinse my face. Perhaps I had made a mistake and was seeing things differently. 

When nothing changed and my hair stayed glowing, I let out a little laugh. 

If only my mum could see me this once.

I couldn't sleep because for the first time in ages, my cave felt suffocating - too small. So I stayed awake and witnessed the second odd thing in that day. 

As the sun came back up, my hair went back to being brown, and I noticed it had grown a little bit. I prayed to the moon goddess to thank her for the gift and went about my daily life. 

I met different spirits and creatures; little spirits that wanted to be set free from their mortal life, animals with wounded souls and bodies, and even a few lone wolves who were hurt from a fight and needed help. 

I always helped them heal whatever was broken, gave them a drink of water and sent them on their way. What I hoped was that in time, they would give back to the forest as I had given to them, and a few did, thanking me for my services and paying me in whatever they had. A few gave me knives and trinkets, while many merely thanked me and went on their way. 

Time had passed by very quickly, and the days seemed to blur together, each one an adventure. The trees I had planted for my mother and father had grown tall and strong, and I used the knife I had been given by Elise to carve their names into its bark. 

Sometimes when I had a quiet day and saw something that reminded me of my home, I thought about the Mystic Shadow pack. 

I wondered how they were doing, and if they could one day see that what happened was out of my control. 

I liked to burn some wood bark as incense, and they all smelled so alike to home that sometimes I found myself praying for Elise, Moira, the children and all the elders. I hoped they were all doing well. I understood where they were coming from, and I forgave them for the way I had been treated. 

Khal though? Nothing of the sort. I hated him with all my being, and since I was no longer part of his pack, he wasn't my Alpha. Or my mate. I didn't want anything to do with him, and I was glad to be far from him. 

He ruined my life.