unknown

This is a story about a girl named Hanna, she is on the run from a group of people looking to kill her. she moves to a small town to hide and make her not normal life seem more so, but she's a shifter

Prologue

          Pain-- pain and fear, that is what I felt when I first shifted. It tore threw me like a lightning bolt, turning my vision blurry. I can hear my mother has a  panicked voice calling to me “Hanna, hunny just breathe". I can feel her hands on my face, as another wave of pain envelopes me, my muscles bunching, stretching, and changing.  “Think of something to shift into, a bird, a wolf --- something", my mother instructed. So around the pain I thought of the wolf, Smokey grey fur, sharp teeth and nails.
            "Embrace the change, don’t fight it Hanna”, my mother whispered to me. I try to breathe through clenched teeth, “I’m trying, im scared mom." The pain all stopped, but only for a few seconds, then it came back at full force. “Is it going to be this bad all the time?" I complained. I looked at my mother, her sad face looking down at me as if she wishes she could take this away.  "No, the first time is always the worst." With a heavy sigh, I lay my cheek on the cool linoleum floor.
             I can feel my muscles bunching, changing shape into the wolf; feel the fur ripple all over my body. I took a quick glance at my hands and seen paws with long sharp nails slowly form, my jaw ached and I can feel it lengthen into a muzzle with sharp teeth. The change was almost finished, and to my relief the pain slowly ebbed away. "When the change is finished I will change and I will take you out side”, my mother said.
 

The change was finally over, and I slowly; ungracefully climbed to my feet. I shook my body off and took a shaky step, then another. When I felt like I was stable, I turn to my mother and nodded. She shifted, so easily I was envious, and she shook her peppered coat and trotted to me. "Follow close behind me; you may get disoriented when you get outside. You senses will be sharper now." I heard her words in my head, which I guessed is how we will be communicating.
             She trotted to the door and pawed at the handle, which clicked and crept open. She poked her head out the door and sniffed. The coast must have been clear, because she turned and nodded her head at me, then took off. I gave chase a little stumbly at first, then I got the hang of it. The forest was so bright with the snow covering everything; the air smells crisp and fresh. I could hear all the little animals run out of our way.
             After about 3 miles, my mother slowed down to a brisk walk so I could catch up. "How do you feel?" She asked. "I feel amazing and free." I took in our surroundings, pine trees grew in clusters, white with snow. The sky was pink and purple; cloudless, the temperature nipped at my nose.  My mother turned around and started back for the house; I followed reluctantly, wanting to just run free.
              When we get home, she told me to imagine my human self. The feeling after changing back into my human form was that of waking up after sleeping in a small place; I stretch and flexed my joints. "That was allot easier then shifting into the wolf." I said to my to mom. She smiled; now back into her human form. She turned away, picked up my clothes, and then I realize that I am naked and she is not. “Why am I naked and you have clothes on?” I ask her.  As if just noticing, she says, “Oh, I’m sorry hunny, you could imagine clothes on you and they will materialize on you.” I give her annoyed look, “well that’d been good to know”, she laughs under her breath.
               My mother goes into the kitchen and puts some water on the stove. "Would you like some tea hunny? It might help you relax a little, and then you should take a warm bath to sooth those muscles."

The teapot whistled and I went to the cupboard and pulled out two cups. She poured the water over tea bags, and slid the cup to me. "Well I’m going to take that bath and go to sleep, I’m pretty tired." My mother looked at me questionably, "are you sure you don’t have any questions about the change?" I make a thinking face at her, “I guess you can tell me the basics."
      She gives a sigh, as if she has allot to say, then starts. "Well, you can change anytime you feel the need to; you just have to have a detailed thought on what it is you’re shifting to. Your still yourself under the body of the animal, but also the animal is part of you. We are a secret race, there is not many of us left, but usually you can smell them; unless they choose to hide it, our kind is very secretive. You must be careful were you are shift, if the wrong people catch on to what you are, you will be arrested and killed." She looked at me to see if I was paying attention. There was slight fear in my eyes but other than that, I held up to the news on my new secret life.
          I heave out a sigh and stand, “ok, well I’m going to bathe and go to sleep”, I needed to be alone to absorb a new feeling. I lean over and give her a kiss on the cheek. “I love you mom, see you in the morning."  She kisses my cheek and gives me a tight hug, “I love you too hunny."

 I go to my bathroom and turn on the bath, pour some lavender bubble bath into it; after it is full, I turn off the water and slip into its warmth. My mom was right; it did help soothe my sore muscles. After finishing my tea, I started to drift off, so I decided it was time to get out and go to sleep. It was still a little early; the sun has just gone fully over the horizon. I dry and brush my hair and my teeth. I look in the mirror and take in what I see; dark brown hair, a face that is not ugly but not gorgeous like a model; just pretty and average, deep green eyes surrounded by slightly tan skin. With a sigh, I turn off the light and crawl into bed.

           I lay there looking at the ceiling waiting to fall asleep; my mind just will not shut off. So I will the thoughts    away and close my eyes. Eventually I fall asleep, only to be woken by a loud crash and a growling sound.

 

Panic coursed through my veins, and I quietly crept to my bedroom door. I ease it open as quietly as I can, and look around, I did not see anyone so I crept towards the kitchen. Then I heard a low whimpering noise and turned to see my mother lying in her wolf form in a puddle of blood. I rushed over to her, inspect the wound. She had a knife lodged into her rib cage.
           "Mom, what happened?" I asked her frantically, not sure what to do. I ran to the sink and grab a towel, when I come back she is in her human form. I dabbed at the wound, not wanting to pull the knife out yet. She looked at me with sad eyes and said, “Someone knew about us, I don’t know how but you are in danger; you have to leave here;  run to town, you will be safe there�"you can blend in. I have a small safe under my bed take it; the key is taped to the bottom of the lamp, there is money and new forms of identity in it." She talks so fast, I am so confused. Why is she acting as if she will not heal, shifters heal faster that humans. "Why aren’t you healing mom", I squeaked out around my sobbing. She heaves a breath and shakily says, “The knife was silver; silver will weaken us. There was some kind of poison on the blade, which is going into my organs shutting them down; I’m too weak to push the poison out." She closes her eyes.
          I curl up next to her; knowing I cannot do anything to save her, and listen to her breathing. She wraps her arm around me;" I love you my darling, live freely, find a mate, and have little family." I snort a laugh and turn to her. "I love you to mom; forever�" I will find the people who did this to you." She looks concerned. “Don’t live your life with hate my love, it is too short." With that being her last words, she dies; in my arms, all I can do is scream and sob out my sorrow.

 When I am all out of tears, I get up off the floor reluctantly, and stare at the open front door; there is a blood trail leading outside and drips over snow and footprints. I let out a growl and picture my grey wolf and sift, taking off in the same direction of my mother's murderer.

             I find him about thirty feet out, dead from what I can see is a wound to the throat; mom really did get him good, I think. I look at the man; he was middle aged, like my mother. He had on a uniform so it seemed; black from head to toe, and a red 12 on his chest pocket. He was from a special agency, whose job is to make my kind a myth.
          I shifted, checking his pockets for some kind of idea to where he came from, I found an ID card; with what I am, guessing is his name on it; William Sharpe, his picture, and the name agency 12 on it. Which I am guessing who sent him.

        I have not been in town much, only to get food and other supplies; we just stayed in the forest where we will not bring attention to ourselves. Therefore, this is going to be tricky, but I will avenge my mother.
        I stand there staring at the man, trying to make a plan. I grab his jacket and put it on, then turn back to my house. My plan is to make a fire to burn the bodies, I cannot call the police; they would have to run an autopsy and mother always avoided doctors so we do not expose our kind. Then pack a duffel bag with clothes and important belongings, grab the money my mother told me about, which should be enough for everything I would need to survive. Then I will go to the next town and find leads for where to look, and find the people trying to kill my race.
         After burning the bodies I go back inside, it is too late to do anything tonight, so I take a quick shower and lay down in my mother’s bed. I curl up in her sent and cry. She was my only friend, only family, now she is gone. I cry until I cannot make tears anymore and just fall asleep.

Author's Note

this is the prologue before 8 chapters. i want to know what you think.

Reviews

[Elaine]

Well since you alerady mentioned that it's still in the process of being edited I won't bother pointing out the grammatical mistakes, though there are quite a few if you didn't already know.

I'm not one for first person narrative but this one was written well. I usually stay away from them because prose is never that great, but you have a good balance of internal thoughts and prose. Keep up the good work!

[hollylynn]

thank you that means alot, at least i know im doing it ok so far.