Surprises are better than knowing what awaits us in the future. It was at this moment I realized how much I despised knowing it all. How much I hated that it was not just me who knew but my family did too.“You are leaving the territory this very moment young lady!”, there was a finality in pappy’s tone.“But pappy I cannot keep running.”, I somehow managed to answer despite knowing this will only make him angry.“Did I say your opinion is required here? I have already made arrangements and Oliver will go with you.”, he was about to walk away when grandma stopped him.“Don’t you think she is safer here with all of us?”, she asked looking at him with concern.“What do you mean? Oliver can take care of his sister like us all.”, pappy argued.“I don’t doubt Oliver’s skill, but Leon is powerful because he has no connection with his human. We cannot put Oliver in such grave danger even for his sister. Werewolves hunt in packs and only a pack can fight with them.”, grandma’s words made sens
Destiny has an annoying habit of poking her nose everywhere. And it felt like she was playing with my life like it was some sort of a kid’s board game- all for entertainment. Having Caleb in town was not enough of a surprise that now he was my roommate.“You can go in now!”, Headmaster Collin’s secretary said.“Thank you!”, I barged into the room.Gothic! That is what that room screamed. Who has a gothic aesthetic for their office? Paintings from all supernatural movies covered one side of the wall. There was a huge portrait of someone who was almost the exact replica of Mr. Collins but the background had a fence, a creepy full moon, and bats. I could guess maybe it was his grandfather. The chairs were designed in the shapes of hands, fangs, and a wolf while I saw the man sitting on a castle. A chair that looked like a CASTLE!“Uhm…Hello again Headmaster Collins!”, I finally spoke up. This spooky interior was still very distracting.“Oh! Miss Hayley. Please sit down.”, he said pointin
One thing I learned about life at an early age was, having no expectations is tough but having expectations is deadly. Expectations as simple as a happy life and a live-breathing family are also enough to break you.Staring at the water in front of me, I was immersed in my own thoughts and the ripples in the lake made me wonder, how good it might feel if there were no feelings at all. To live an expectation-free life and also a life free of this constant anxiety asking the same question again and again- what does the future hone on hold for us?“What are you doing here?”, Ethan walked out of the building gates and took a seat beside me.“Did you talk to Mr. Collins?”, I asked.“Yes, they will move my stuff after dinner.”, he replied.“That’s good then. You are the only member of the pack I can trust.”, I smiled at him.“Did you meet all the other people sharing the apartment?”, Ethan asked.“I guess, I know Caleb, obviously, and I just met Lily the new friend he has made, and then it’
Hurt, a word we often feel but seldom use. Is it okay? To not talk about it and let it burn your heart down, wear out your body and still put on a smile while you are surrounded by those who hurt you. Is revenge an answer? Hurting back and watching them scream and beg for mercy. To be like them, to be like Leon. Will that ever be the answer? “What are you scribbling?”, Ethan walked outside the gates and asked. “Nothing.”, I closed my diary and wiped my tears with the sleeve of my t-shirt. “Show me!”, he said and snatched the diary out of my hands. “There was a time when I was sure, you don’t exist. And even if you do walk this earth, Just a speck of dust in this storm, How am I supposed to even find you? And then rushed in these thoughts, Are you looking for me with all you got? Or have you already given up and settled with the next best thing you saw? Do you love her like you were meant to love me? Or are you also staring out of the window, And unknowingly admiring the sa
It is a new day and the beginning of the new term for our senior year. After a long break, none of us felt like going to school and start with the monotonous routine. I watch my two best friends and flatmates walk from one room to other, half asleep.“What exactly are you two doing?”, I finally ask.“Looking for school goodies!”, Anna replies.“Why are you packing so many band-aids and ointments?”, I ask watching her keep a whole packet of band-aids in her bag.“It is the beginning of the school year! Corridors will be empty. And you my friend are going to hurt yourself banging into lockers and falling off the stairs.”, Anna mocks.“Hey! I won’t.”, I defend my past record of being clumsy.“Well! You didn’t win the tag of ‘The School’s Queen of Clumsiness’ for nothing.”, Arya intervenes pointing at the sash hanging proudly on my almirah.
I watch Caleb as he parked his car next to Anna’s. There is a different aura around him. His right-hand man Arnold steps out of the car and screens the crowd. Yes, he screens the crowd! You must do this when you leave a trail of lovesick exes behind you, who put on a very dramatic show every year to wish you a happy birthday! Once Arnold is done checking he asks Caleb to step out. And the school’s prince finally puts his feet on the school ground for the first time on his birthday.“Here comes the birthday boy!”, I announce and turn around to leave for class.“Why do you hate him so much?”, Anna asks following me.“I don’t have one, but three reasons to hate him.”, I roll my eyes annoyed.“We would love to know!”, Arya says and wraps her hand around mine.“First, he is arrogant and doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Second, he is nothing but good looks which mak
I walked inside the classroom to attend the last period and I heard the same annoying snickers and met a few shocked faces as well. Since the time I was pushed into the locker by Caleb, people were coming to my classes to just look at me. I felt like a showpiece kept on a show window for viewers to enjoy the sight of. One thing that surprisingly Arya noticed was that all these people were from the area where the Adolf family lives.“Is there something on my face?”, I asked for the hundredth time.“No! you need to just stay a little calm. People will forget what happened very soon.”, Anna said. I nodded and ignoring the distracting stares I focused on the laws of motion.“Are you sure you wish to go there alone?”, Arya asked as I walked out of the school gates.“He doesn’t live in a shady place. It is just the woods, and don’t you remember when mom and dad were alive, I used to go to their house every d
Memories are the most beautiful and the scariest things we hold onto in life. I watched her walk down the stairs with the same evil smirk and tons of flashbacks started playing like a movie in front of my eyes. Her red dress and face caked with make-up, perfectly showed her dominance. Scarlett Adolf’s life was nothing but a huge lie. A lie only a few people were aware of and unfortunately, I am one of those few people.“I never thought I’ll ever get to see you again!”, her voice laced with disgust made me shiver. I could feel all the scars burn again. The scars my clothes were hiding for years!“Have you gone mute?”, she asked now standing right in front of me.“I am not here to see you!”, I said in a brave voice.“But you are standing in front of me right now. It will be great to have a little chat, wouldn’t it?”, she said faking a smile.“A chat with you? What about a no for
Hurt, a word we often feel but seldom use. Is it okay? To not talk about it and let it burn your heart down, wear out your body and still put on a smile while you are surrounded by those who hurt you. Is revenge an answer? Hurting back and watching them scream and beg for mercy. To be like them, to be like Leon. Will that ever be the answer? “What are you scribbling?”, Ethan walked outside the gates and asked. “Nothing.”, I closed my diary and wiped my tears with the sleeve of my t-shirt. “Show me!”, he said and snatched the diary out of my hands. “There was a time when I was sure, you don’t exist. And even if you do walk this earth, Just a speck of dust in this storm, How am I supposed to even find you? And then rushed in these thoughts, Are you looking for me with all you got? Or have you already given up and settled with the next best thing you saw? Do you love her like you were meant to love me? Or are you also staring out of the window, And unknowingly admiring the sa
One thing I learned about life at an early age was, having no expectations is tough but having expectations is deadly. Expectations as simple as a happy life and a live-breathing family are also enough to break you.Staring at the water in front of me, I was immersed in my own thoughts and the ripples in the lake made me wonder, how good it might feel if there were no feelings at all. To live an expectation-free life and also a life free of this constant anxiety asking the same question again and again- what does the future hone on hold for us?“What are you doing here?”, Ethan walked out of the building gates and took a seat beside me.“Did you talk to Mr. Collins?”, I asked.“Yes, they will move my stuff after dinner.”, he replied.“That’s good then. You are the only member of the pack I can trust.”, I smiled at him.“Did you meet all the other people sharing the apartment?”, Ethan asked.“I guess, I know Caleb, obviously, and I just met Lily the new friend he has made, and then it’
Destiny has an annoying habit of poking her nose everywhere. And it felt like she was playing with my life like it was some sort of a kid’s board game- all for entertainment. Having Caleb in town was not enough of a surprise that now he was my roommate.“You can go in now!”, Headmaster Collin’s secretary said.“Thank you!”, I barged into the room.Gothic! That is what that room screamed. Who has a gothic aesthetic for their office? Paintings from all supernatural movies covered one side of the wall. There was a huge portrait of someone who was almost the exact replica of Mr. Collins but the background had a fence, a creepy full moon, and bats. I could guess maybe it was his grandfather. The chairs were designed in the shapes of hands, fangs, and a wolf while I saw the man sitting on a castle. A chair that looked like a CASTLE!“Uhm…Hello again Headmaster Collins!”, I finally spoke up. This spooky interior was still very distracting.“Oh! Miss Hayley. Please sit down.”, he said pointin
Surprises are better than knowing what awaits us in the future. It was at this moment I realized how much I despised knowing it all. How much I hated that it was not just me who knew but my family did too.“You are leaving the territory this very moment young lady!”, there was a finality in pappy’s tone.“But pappy I cannot keep running.”, I somehow managed to answer despite knowing this will only make him angry.“Did I say your opinion is required here? I have already made arrangements and Oliver will go with you.”, he was about to walk away when grandma stopped him.“Don’t you think she is safer here with all of us?”, she asked looking at him with concern.“What do you mean? Oliver can take care of his sister like us all.”, pappy argued.“I don’t doubt Oliver’s skill, but Leon is powerful because he has no connection with his human. We cannot put Oliver in such grave danger even for his sister. Werewolves hunt in packs and only a pack can fight with them.”, grandma’s words made sens
Life is full of ups and downs, but when we are optimistic, we find a way to sail through the storms. But what if we are tired? What if we are stuck in that storm alone? What if there was no point in sailing through? What if we start enjoying battling the storm?It's been one whole year of me staying here at the hunter’s den as people call it. People here are my family now and my grandparents and my brother are now convinced that I can kill a werewolf if one attacks me. And maybe that is why I was allowed to come to the bar in the city tonight to celebrate Mason’s birthday.Neon lights were covering the floor, walls, and roof with a dark aura, and a mysterious stench in the air. I walked inside the bar with my friends laughing and having fun as if they were used to such places. Well, they were. I was the one on house arrest for 6 months. Then they allowed me to walk in the streets for one hour and today finally I got my old life back.“Are you excited about starting school next week?”,
I ran down the stairs ignoring pappy’s calls, as my main motive was to save myself from my brother’s tickle attack. Getting engulfed in his bear hug and then sprawling on the floor laughing like a maniac while also begging him to stop was not my idea of a first impression. People were already staring at us, but this stare could turn into a glare the moment my brother would initiate what he calls the attack of a tickle bean!“Stop you two!”, a voice interrupted our little game of chase. A feminine voice, I had missed all this while and a voice Oliver knew by heart.“Grandma!”, I squealed as I saw her lean, small figure standing beside a door. Her hair was grey with just two or three black strands standing out. Unlike other grandmas, she never had a hunched back, and her eyes were still perfectly fine which explains the absence of spectacles.“My darling!”, she replied with equal enthusiasm and hugged me tightly. I felt warm and safe and at home, a feeling I longed for.“Are you okay?”,
We landed in London an hour back, and all I could see were trees, everywhere. I had heard a lot about London’s beauty but never did anyone mentioned these abundant forests.“Where are we going?”, I asked.“To the hunter’s paradise.”, pappy answered.“Hunter’s what?”, I asked confused.“It’s a place where all the hunters live.”, Oliver answered.“You were living here all this while?”, I asked.“Not exactly, but I did visit a lot.”, he said without looking at me. The forest had his complete attention.“Are there werewolves here too?”, I couldn’t help but let all the questions out.“Yes, there are. But the areas are divided. We cannot enter their territory and they are not allowed to enter ours.”, pappy answered. I nodded.I saw Oliver staring at a tree near the far end of the forest. He was not star
Fear! To people, it is just a word, but to some, it is more! I always felt the fear of losing people, but this was the first time I was afraid to know them. I was afraid to keep them for an eternity. I was petrified to be bound to their story, to be a part of their destiny. Love has no boundaries, and no love can dwell within boundaries. The love that might have taken birth inside my heart for Caleb, was lost in the boundaries of Leon. And now in the place of that love, fear was born. I was afraid to be his mate, to be the one moon goddess picked for him.I saw the trees move past me as Ethan drove the car towards my apartment. The silence was peaceful, our minds were not. I couldn’t help but feel the fear. My life had turned upside down and not only did I lose my best friend, but I also lost a piece of me somewhere in that dungeon. And maybe I found a lost piece too. A missing piece. I found something familiar.“Wait!”, I literally scre
I had no idea if it was day or night outside. I was surrounded by darkness and the almost diminishing light of the lanterns. No one came inside to give us food or water and Uncle Zach never told me where he got the food from. I looked at his sleeping form, and I could find a little resemblance to mom. I wondered what he looks like when he is not in transition? It led to another thought and then other till I finally pondered, can he even change into his human form completely? I’ll ask him once he wakes up! After what felt like an hour, I finally heard the gates open. My sense of time was also missing. I had no idea how fast or slow time was passing. Just like me Uncle Zach also sat up straight. He sniffed the air. “It’s your mate. I am going inside. Don’t tell him we talked. Stay safe Haley.”, he whispered and vanished into the darkness of his cage. I gulped in fear as I heard footsteps coming toward me. What is he here for now? “Haley?”, there was a s