×Anastasia×Griffin returned from the bathroom twenty minutes later, his pants were fixed and he looked a little bit disheveled. I'd made some tea for myself, and prepared a quick and easy pasta. It was Ryan's favorite. My brother could eat pasta every day for the rest of his life and never get bored of it. So yes, there was something wrong with him.The memory of my brother brought me a bittersweet smile. I have three siblings. Ryan, Exclipsa, and Marion.They were all older than me but we treated each other like the best of pals. Exclipsa was by far my favorite sister, but I loved Marion just as much. She had a more empathetic personality. And sometimes minded her own business. Something you won't see enough if you ever heard stories of my siblings. People don't like Exclipsa. She went through boyfriends every week like she was on a shoe sale. And Ryan. Ryan never told anyone that he was gay. He seemed to think that he would be insulted for it, and Gastillos don't like to give pe
×Anastasia×It's been- what? Six years? Since I last played volleyball. I know I'm a bit rusty, and I need to push forward. Remember all that I used to know. My feet kicked at the floor, the squeaky bounce in my shoe made me giggle. Alexis glued herself to my side. Throughout the week, she has been very very nice to me. She stuck like glue, refusing to even leave my side for a second. Unless, of course, when I had to use the bathroom and to sleep. Though she slept in my room twice. I haven't done anything to Nona. I was waiting. There was something my brother taught me. If someone pisses you off, you need to make them pay. And he wasn't talking baby version, like replacing their hand sanitizer with something disgusting. No he was talking about adding deadly dust to someone's inhaler. Critical revenge. The type that made people suffer. Alexis is hurt. And it's all Nona's fault. That bitch is going get it. You fuck with me and my family, you better be ready for me to fuck right bac
×Anastasia×"The girl, you're uh- looking for- wait, are you wearing makeup?" I blink my eyes, they almost hurt. What did he just ask me? Am I wearing what?"On my neck, yes. But I didn't put on my face. I figured I'm going to sweat. The one on my neck is liquid proof, and it took alot of time."Griffin sinks his teeth into his bottom lip. "How the fuck do you remain beautiful without any makeup? I thought that was the secret to beauty."I laughed hard, my stomach cramped up in the process. There is nothing that can beat a speechless Griffin. "Dude, girls look gorgeous without make-up too. Sometimes it's a mask to shield our flaws. Others times it's a shield that makes us feel confident, I can't explain it to you. And most times than not, it just looks great on us so we want to have it on.But thank you. I'm glad you think I'm pretty without makeup."For the first time, Griffin blushes. He looks away from me, a half ass frown on his face. I made him blush. Ah!"Whatever. I was going
×Griffin×Anastasia has been acting weird. By that I mean she showed up to my house last night, but then ran off without saying a word. I wonder if she thought I was sleeping. Then she called but hung up the second I picked up. So instead of dealing with that, or trying to understand why she was acting that way. I let Dell go find her in the morning. I'm skipping school today anyways. He'll go in my place. Dad and I had a fight. I want nothing more than to go back into the safe space of my memories and forget the hate he gives me. ×Dell×Griffin is hurt, but he refuses to admit it. It's my job to protect him, I promised his mother. So that means talking to talon first before I go to my flower. When Griffin was a kid, he would huddled up in his head all the time, trying so desperately to forget his father existed. I was there of course. I will always be there. We're platonic mates.I reached for the drawer, and popped two of the pills into my mouth to keep my bloody rage at bay. Trut
×Anastasia×I made through the weekend without twitching or giving into the discomfort that raked through my body. And Griffin, he's been absent in my life. I'd text him and he would respond once in a while. Every two hours with like one word. I think something happened but I'm too scared to ask him. Sure we kissed. And it was a spitfire of a kiss but Griffin gets angsty whenever I ask him. Something personal so I refuse too. He wants to help me find my family's killer but then what? We just go back to being strangers after that?The mixed messages are messing with my head. I like Griffin. I can admit that. I like Dell, maybe more. Though it's somehow equal. But Griffin is giving me the cold shoulder. He's a mystery. First, I'm learning that his father would kill him. And now, I think may have done something else wrong.Because he's been avoiding my eyes. On purpose. He'd accidentally lock eyes with me and then look away. I don't get it. I haven't done anything wrong recently. I
×Anastasia×I was in a maze, I knew that because I was walking for hours and I kept hitting dead ends after dead ends. Just fucking great. Isn't that wonderful? I can't escape. I'm so done with this. I want answers. I want to know who took my parents, but I have been offered something that most people beg for. A second chance at life. I can't squander it. I can't spend it trying to find something-That might never be found. And who's to say what happens if I do succeed. Will the sheriff's department lock them up? No, no, I don't fucking think so. They'll spin the blame somehow on me.Because I made some poor choices three years ago.Yeah, that past me was a real bitch. I get that but I don't deserve this. There are thousands of bitches in this world, why am I suffering this much?'It's because you're alone.' Cecil responds. I groaned, she had a very good point. I am alone. I don't even want to count Dell. He's wonderful, but he can't protect me from things like this. I was at school,
×Anastasia×My sweater pushes up my arms, and the heavy pour of the rain hits my skin time and time again. Giving a cold contrast to the burning heat surging through me. I am not well. Dell had to heal me on his own since he didn't trust the doctors not to murder me. And I wouldn't even trust them. I'd rather go to a witch doctor out of town. They're expensive but worth it. They'll save me the stress of having to worry about some nurse that has a grudge against my parents, sneaking into my room and injecting me with malaria. Or an STD. I've been staring at the roses for a good minute since I returned home. I didn't go to school, Dell promised he would return to go with me. It's fucking ridiculous how the principal tried to get rid of me. She really formed a lie in front of my face, and tried to convince me. What a bitch. She texted me this morning after my return. I've been out of school for onky two days, and those days have been fine. Alexis was worried, and strangely, so was Ava
×Anastasia×Fuck. Fuck. I can't recognize the voice. How did they get into my house? I was in no position to fight. My skin wet with water, my chest ached. I'm still healing. I went into a cursed forest for fuck sakes. Can't I get a break?I pulled at my charm bracelet, Dell said he would always come to my rescue but he seemed like Griffin was going through something because of how annoyed Dell looked and why he couldn't stay after receiving a text. I signed, whoever this Intruder is, I'll have to handle them on my own. I tugged my bracelet one more time for good measure, before forcing my body to rise and patting myself dry with the towel. I dropped it and tapped around for the clothes I'd brought in. I found only something soft. My robe. I pulled it on, then proceeded to search for something I could use as a weapon.'I can defend you. We'll need to shift.'We can't. That lady told me it's risky to shift at this point of healing. It's a dangerous idea. I won't add to my problems.
×Third Person's pov×Griffin's uncle, much to Anastasia's dismay, gave her no further explanation to the Bombshell he had dropped. Instead he began to laugh, laugh hysterically like there was something funny. His shoulders rolled, his back arched and her eyebrows met.Her body was suddenly let free, and she felt dizzy and unsteady on her feet. But before she could ask anymore questions, he charged after her. Foot barreling through the floor. Anastasia's heart pounded in her chest as she faced off against the man who had caused her so much pain, her mate's sinister uncle. The memories of her parents' murder flooded her mind, giving her strength and determination to protect herself and those she loved.With every fiber of her being, Anastasia fought back, her body moving with a grace and power she never knew she possessed. Her movements were fueled by a fierce mix of anger, vengeance, and a desperate need to survive. The air crackled with the intensity of their clash as their weapons
×Anastasia×With me being left here, there's only one thing to do. 'Break out!'Sneak out, girl. Sneak. I'm not leaving yet. I reached for the key I'd been hiding for only god knows how long, I stopped counting after I snatched it out of the masked man's robe. I picked at the locks with it until I found the right angle and it opened up. A sigh of relief left me. I hid the key under my robe, and tiptoed out of the cage..The floors aren't squeaky, but the stairs are. So if I'm going to do this, I'll need to do it fast. Vanessa has been gone for a half hour now, and I've contacted Dell and Griffin to come save her from the clutches of that psycho Max. I was very gentle with the wooden steps but they still made their very loud creek. Leaving me with no choice but to hurry it up and just run up the rest of the way. The front door was locked and I wanted to face palm. I'd forgotten that the door to this basement area was usually locked once the masked people had left. Or arrived. Which
×Alexis×I was thrown into some sort of arena made of clay, and dusty bricks. Not the most hygienic place to be in but I'm not exactly worried about catching something when my life is on the line. My mother threw off her robe, she wore only her leggings and tight tank top. Two of the mask people approached her. They offered her a wrap of bandages that she used to cover her knuckles..I can't fight. I never knew my mother could fight. So this isn't the best situation for me to be in. Why did I mention fighting for my life? Right, I didn't want to be some pawn for her and her madness anymore.That doesn't seem like it's worth anything right now. Well, I better hurry up and do something before I get my ass handed to me in seconds flat."Mom, don't do this.""Don't do what? Ugh, I didn't want a failure for a child. So why are you pleading? You won't change my mind so get your fist up, and fight for your fucking life." She threw the first swing and I barely got out of the way before my
×Vanessa×"Max, don't do this." I pleaded as she strapped my arms to the circle she had drawn on the floor of this empty room. The only thing the room had was a statue of the town's leader. Grim. The madman who cursed out bloody town. Anastasia was right when she said this cult went back for years. Because something was never right from day one. Especially for my generation. Ninety percent of us have been unable to find out wolves, some can't shift and others lose the ability to shift. Something was wrong but we thought it was normal because that's how things are in this pack. Whenever something strange happens, everyone looks the other way. We were already dealing with fucked up shit whose to say this isn't one of the natural side effects of being cursed. If we looked deeper we might have seen the dying students. We may have been able to stop this. I looked left, then my neck turned the other way as Max tied on the last leather strap to my right arm. "Max, please, I begging." She
×Vanessa×Seeing Alexis being dragged out like an animal about to be slaughtered made the weight in my heart sink to the very bottom. This is madness. They can't do this. Her mother cannot do this to her. Yeah, I'm aware of what she tried to do but she's still a teen. This ….. this sort of death isn't right. Where is Griffin? He has a demon, he can save her. Why isn't he here? Oh right. He's handling his father's problem. Anastasia said that. Or did she say he's handling his father being a problem, I'm not even sure anymore this place is trying to make me mad, that's the only explanation I have for the twitching way I've been feeling. I rubbed my arm, and moved a way from the bars as Alexis continued to scream holy hell at her mother. She bit one of the men, and he grunted. "Should we sedate her? No, there's no need. Just drag her to the location and throw her in there. I will handle it from there."Turns out I'm not the only one with a psycho mother. And what are the odds of being
×Alexis× Griffin never came back, Anastasia was plotting something and Vanessa is actually a tough cookie. I'm all alone here. Those two have each other, I have no one. Because I chose to…. I wish I'd taken a different route. Anastasia forgave me so many times and I tried to get her killed. I wouldn't forgive me either. I've been having these thoughts for days, I'm tired of the self loathing. There isn't a word I haven't called myself. Every bad word I can think of, I've thrown it at myself. I fucking suck. I got up this morning feeling the same way. My shower was done in silence while I listened to Anastasia and Vanessa flash their friendships around. They were talking almost in code. If I closed my eyes, I can pretend like they've included me into the topic. It's said, yes, it's pathetic, I agree. But I'm lonely. I need to converse with someone. Anastasia is not interested in talking to me, again, I don't blame her. Vanessa won't talk to me because she's too busy with Ana.
×Griffin×This week only gets worse and worse, but not for me. I actually don't feel anything. I stopped feeling things after the first day. My mother was hung up like an animal. The contents of her stomach were removed. Most of her organs were stored in front of her. I hate alot of things, I really hate alot, but nothing had been able to cut close to seeing my mother that way. Not even my father. And he had hurt me bad. I'm supposed to be this badass who doesn't feel anything but isn't that a lie. I couldn't keep my face straight when I saw my mom in that position. To the best of my knowledge she was buried.I doubt my father even knows about the horrific way these people have hung her body to a wall. Right below a shrine. I wonder if they're praying to my dead mother's body, or if she was placed there as a sacrifice to whatever this cult serves. The door opens again, and I kicked the plate they offered me. I don't need food or water. Dell can keep me alive even after I'm dead. He'
×Anastasia×I think we've been here for weeks, but I can't be too sure. Everything is weird. They're feeding us, and treating us like we're at a two star motel. No one was actually doing anything. Griffin had secluded himself to the back of his cell, but he wasn't feeling any sadness. He was just curious. And I could feel it. Dell told me as well. Alexis was…. To be honest I haven't given her much thought. While my bunk mate, Vanessa was in a weird state. She was in between happiness that she could walk and sadness that her mother had been the reason for the depression she had felt after she thought her chances of walking were zero to none. Can I just gloat about being right? I called it years ago that her mother was a bitch but everyone who didn't know said it was a classic Gastillo trying to start a fight. NOW WHO'S RIGHT YOU SELF POMPOUS FUCKERS!It's me.Okay, now that I'm done with that little gloating moment, we can try to focus on getting some answers. It seems like they'r
×Vanessa× I awoke to soft sounds of my mother tapping her knuckles against my door, I wondered why she was up this early. She usually woke up my six am on the dot. Not wanting her to know that I was awake, I stayed still and force my body to go back to being limp. She knocked again, this time her voice followed through. "Vanessa, sweetie, are you awake?" She called. Her voice was louder than her knocking. She twisted the door knob, and I quickly closed my eyes lids. She knocked one more time. "Vanessa, are you awake honey?" Her voice still sounded like it was far away and I took sustenance in that. She hadn't entered my room just yet and that was perfectly fine by me. Her footsteps were loud, like she was trying hard to see if I was awake. Or maybe she wanted me to wake up. Whichever one, I remained quiet and continued to fake sleeping. I learnt this from Anastasia. She and I would pretend whenever we had sleepovers just to mess with her mother. It only lasted a year before her