Chapter 1

 Olivia's POV

Bang! Bang! Bang!

We heard a sound at the front door. Mum and I looked at each other before we turned to my younger brother Oliver who looked scared. 

“Are you expecting anyone mom?” I asked.

"It's late, who could it be?" Mum asked confused

She turned to me and shook her head in a way that says that she wasn’t expecting anyone. Abruptly, the door opened, and Oliver and I ran to mum and held her hands. We heard someone step into the room and the footstep kept getting louder, I closed my eyes and squeezed my mum's hand tighter, burying my face into her gown, suddenly, the footstep stopped and there was silence in the room. 

"Who's there?" Mom asked

Mom’s body trembled, and I knew instantly that she was crying. I turned to see what was going on only to find dad standing right in front of us, I felt so relieved because of OMG! I thought it was a robber who had come to attack us tonight. Quickly ran to my dad and embraced him and Oliver followed. I felt very happy seeing my dad who was long gone for two years. It's been a long yet his warm embrace felt good.

Mum stood still with tears rolling down her cheeks, I didn’t understand why she was crying. One could tell from the look on her face that she was not happy to see him. I thought she would run to my dad and embrace him like we did but instead, she ran to her room and my dad followed her calling out her name but getting no response.

 "What could be the problem, why was she crying and why did she run to her room?"These questions kept repeating in my head. 

Oliver and I waited patiently in the living room. They were taking too long so I decided to eavesdrop on their conversation and overheard them arguing about something, I couldn’t hear what they were saying. As I got close to the door, I could see mum pointing at dad, 

“Go back to where you are coming from, we don't need you anymore,” she told him.

And this time, I could hear them loud and clear.

“NO” escaped my mouth, mum looked at me. I saw anger and pain in her eyes. 

"Get out of here" she shouted furiously at me.

But I continued...

"Dad just returned and you are sending him away?" I asked with tears in my eyes

"Go downstairs" she shouted again

I trembled at her e. Mum never shouted at me like that before but I stood my ground not wanting to live until I got my answer.

"No" you have to tell me what is going on mum!!! I said with tears in my eyes.

"Why are you asking dad to live?" I asked as tears rolled down her cheeks turned to me and asked

"Do you want to know why?"

I answered “yes”.

She then turned to dad and looked at him in a manner of disgust. Then dad apologetically looked at me, I didn‘t understand why, I could see through his eyes that something was wrong somewhere.

"Please go downstairs I need to talk to your mother." He said and turned back to mum

”No, I‘m not living until I know what‘s going on." I said to him

“Your dad left us for another woman ”  mum shouted.

There was silence in the room, everything seemed to be still. The words kept echoing in my head and they pierced through my heart like a sword. My heart ached that I could barely breathe, I was shocked. I couldn‘t believe what I just heard. So I glared at my dad hoping he would say it is not true but to my greatest disappointment, just by mere looking at him, I could tell that mum was right. At that moment the pain in my heart turned to anger and hatred for dad.

“Why?” I asked 

"Are we not enough for you, how could you do this to us?" I asked with tears in my eyes

Dad just stood there and didn‘t say anything. My heart was boiling in anger and was about to explode when mom tried to calm me down.

“Don‘t touch me mum” I pushed her away.

"I asked you repeatedly about dad and you ignored me," I said to her

"You knew about this and you didn’t think of letting me know, So much for not keeping secrets," I added

When I was much younger mum made me promise never to keep any secret from her, she also promised not to keep anything from me.

"What would you have me do, you were so little?" Mum said

"I couldn't tell because it would have gotten to you because of the love you had for your dad. I didn't want you to grow up with anger. I wouldn't like that for my daughter " mum said

I ran out of the room and found Oliver sitting in the living room. Couldn‘t take in all the pain at once so I ran out of the house into the woods. I kept on running until I fell and got injured. When I tried standing up, the pain was too much so I made my way to the nearest tree and leaned back against the tree.

 Looked at the wounds, it was really bad so I closed my eyes trying to relax but all I could remember was that my dad left us for someone else, that he cheated on my mum. 

"How could he do that, to think I saw him as my mentor," I thought to myself as tears rolled down my eyes

Suddenly, I heard footsteps, turned, and looked around but couldn‘t see anyone. I remembered my mum telling me about ware wolves who feast on humans. The thought of that made me scared. 

“Who‘s there?”   I asked

“Show yourself, I‘m not scared of you,” I said with fear showing all over me, and with the sound of my voice, one could tell that I was terrified.

    “Really?” A voice echoed

It sounded like a young boy. I looked around but still didn’t see anyone. I was really scared but at the same time tried to act brave.

Then I saw someone walking toward me, I couldn‘t see his face because it was dark. My heart raced hard, I thought he was going to hurt him. I tried to run but couldn‘t because I was badly injured. So I fell to the ground trying to move. 

 Looking back, I didn’t see anyone there, It felt like I had seen a ghost.

Maybe it's my mind playing tricks on me. But the voice sounded clear as if someone was there. Turned to find someone standing in front of me shivers ran through my body as I lifted my head to see his face. I couldn't see his face because it was dark. I tried to get away from him but couldn't because of the injury. 

He bent closer to me, I was so terrified that I shut my eyes hoping to get killed by him. I was scared because I didn’t want to die, I had so many things to tell my dad and mum. Suddenly I felt an arm around my waist and another beneath my thighs and as I opened my eyes, to my greatest surprise it was the strange boy. He lifted me from the ground. Though I was scared, wondered how he could be that strong to lift me with such ease. 

As he carried me, I could perceive the fragrance that came from his body. He smelled like lavender. I remember dad planting them in our garden and they smelled great. OMG, what is wrong with me, I don't even know who he is. He dropped me to the ground and asked me to lean against the tree. It's not like I have any choice but to do what he says so leaned against the tree.

"Close your eyes," he said in a very soft tone.

" Why," I asked curiously

He looked at me and then sighed

"Okay if you don't want to it's ok but it's gonna hurt a little." He said

I didn't understand what he meant by that. He brought out a little container and opened it. It had an ointment inside it but it smelled really bad. 

"I will close my eyes if I were you". He warned

Immediately I felt a sharp pain and I let out a shout.

"Keep quiet so they won't hear you". He said as he placed his hand on my lips. 

I wonder who he was talking about but was interrupted by another pain and this time it was more painful so I shut my eyes and placed my hands on my mouth to stop myself from screaming out loud.

"It's done", he said 

As weird as it already is, the pain disappeared and I felt relieved though the wound was still there. He stood up and turned his back and walked away.

Hey! stop! I called out

 "Could you at least tell me your name!" I asked

He stops on hearing this,

"It's not important, your parents will be here soon, I have to go," he said and continued walking

I heard my parents calling out to me, I quickly stood up, and then it hit me that I had injured myself. I looked at the injury it was all gone. I wondered what it was he applied to my wounds but one thing I know for sure was that it helped me and yes, it smelled really bad. 

Mum and dad finally found me and we went home without saying a word to each other. 

When we got home, I went straight to my room. I lay down on my bed thinking about what happened in the woods, I wondered who he was and why he helped me but then the thought of what happened between my parents flashed through my mind, and I could feel the anger boiling in my heart. I closed my eyes praying that the pain would go away.