Chapter One - Unedited

You know the feeling you get when you know something terrible is going to happen? When you know that your life is ending? Okay, I'm just exaggerating, but I had this bad feeling that something was going to happen. I just didn't know what and when.

I knew I was different, I'd seen how people look at me. I thought it would change when I got to college, but heck, even dogs didn't like me. It was always a mystery why; maybe it was because I always kept to myself, or maybe because my eyes changed color because of my mood, or maybe because I had the sharpest hearing. I just didn't know what it is about me.

I had one friend, the old man next door, Mr Matthews. It all started one day when I came back from school in seventh grade and found that I dropped the key on my way home. I'd set outside my house talking to myself. No, I was scolding myself for being careless. Mr Matthews had called me into his home and offered me some lunch and listened to me rant endlessly about my school dilemmas. From then, he has been nothing but good to me.

As for boyfriends, I had none. I'd tried a few relationships, but they never worked out because it didn't really take me one week to get bored and eventually I stopped trying. You see, I was a hopeless case.

"Eleanor dinner is ready!" Mom yelled from downstairs, louder than necessary. I rolled off the bed and stumbled into my bathroom.

Looking in the mirror, I winced when I took in my appearance. My brown hair was sticking in different directions, my green eyes were bloodshot and my slightly tan skin was pale, I looked like a ghost, a hideous ghost.

"Eleanor!" Mom yelled again, pulling me out of my misery. I didn't understand why she was always yelling, I'm sure I was able of hearing her even if she whispered all the way from downstairs. My hearing capabilities were phenomenal.

I splashed some water onto my face and used my hand to comb my messy hair and went downstairs.

My house was nothing fancy, yes my parents always had good-paying jobs, but my father always believed that all we needed is each other, not some big house. I wasn't complaining; I loved this house. Walking into the kitchen, I found mom stirring the pot.

"I thought dinner was ready," I said to her. She turned her head to glare at me.

"Stop talking and set up the table," she ordered, and I did just that, taking plates to our dining room where I found dad patiently waiting for his food.

"Hey dad." I greeted him. My father was in his 40s and had a stable job as a geologist. Honestly, there was nothing stable about his job. He was always miles away, digging up something, somewhere.

"Hey kid, how is it going?" he asked.

"Its alright." I told him.

Both my parents didn't look like me, honestly the only similarities were my dad's dark brown hair, otherwise I looked nothing like them. Dad's eyes were gray, moms were blue, and she had blond hair, none of which I had. It didn't bother me much, what was important is that they loved me.

After helping mom set the table, we sat down and said grace before we started eating. It was the usual dinner; we talked about work, college and everything in between. Dad even asked when I was getting myself a boyfriend, mom even went further suggesting that I was gay.

"Really mom?" I groaned, dropping my folk.

"I haven't seen you with anyone before, so I just assumed you know..." she argued.

"And there is nothing wrong with that, we will love you anyway." Dad interjected. Oh God.

"I'm straight," I said, glaring at both of them. I had nothing against gay people or being gay, I just wasn't one.

"Oh, honey, you kn-" mom was cut by a loud pounding coming from the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Dad asked mom, but she declined.

He asked me and I declined as well; I wasn't expecting anyone unless Mr Matthews had come and visit, which I doubt. That man never left his house, ever. The pounding at the door sounded again and my father stood up, looking pretty fad up.

When he got to the kitchen, sounds of the door opening were heard and right there I swear my breath got caught in my throat. I didn't see the people at the door, but I wished my father had never opened that door.

"Is this the William's residence?" A rough voice asked.

"Yes. Can I help you, gentlemen?" My father asked them.

"We are looking for Eleanor." There was a brief pause.

"Why?"

"We've been looking for her for quite some time," the voice explained. My heart was slamming furiously in my chest to a point I thought it was going to just jump right out. Mom stood up and went into the kitchen, mentioning for me to stay put.

"What do you want with our daughter?" Mom asked. She didn't even bother to greet them.

"Is she here or not?" The impersonal voice asked.

"I just ask-" I heard the clicking of the gun and knew what had cut the words out of her mouth.

"Now listen to me and listen carefully. You will tell me where she is and stop asking me questions." The voice said again.

"Sh-she is out on a sleepover with a friend." My dad stuttered.

Even if I wanted to run, the only way was through the front door. Just then, there came a noise of something falling upstairs and shuttering. It must have been the small chandelier in my parent's bathroom, the one that mom begged dad to fix because it was hanging loose and right that moment I thanked God that my father didn't fix it because if he did the men at the door wouldn't have been distracted by anything. I heard footstep climbing up the stairs and took my chances. Mom got to the dining room before I can even stand up.

"Go hide in Mr Matthew's house before they come hurry," she said in a hushed tone, her eyes wild with fear.

I quickly stood up and ran to the kitchen. Unfortunately, it was the same time two men dressed like CIA agents came paddling down our stairs. They made a run for it when they saw me, and my mom screamed for me to run. Not even thinking twice I dashed outside and ran to the forest, which was probably not a good idea but I didn't care because right that moment I heard gunshots and my mother's voice died all together and deep in my heart I knew, I will never see my parents again.

I could hear dry fallen leaves cracking as I ran on top of them in the forest, the men's footsteps could be heard as well, they were hot on my tail and getting closer.

I was amazed by how fast I could run, sometimes it felt like I was flying. As I continued running, dodging the trees, I wondered how deep this forest was. I've never been this deep into the forest before. Sure I've wondered along but never this deep.

There was a point where I felt like I should just stop and let them take me with them, but my feet didn't stop, I just kept on running. As I kept running, I heard gunshots and the sound of bullets whistling past me. I ducked my head low and kept on running.

"Don't shoot, you idiot, he wants her alive." I heard one of them say to the other.

I couldn't understand why anyone would kill for me. To me, it made little sense. I was never in trouble and there was nothing special about me. Well, except for my hearing abilities, which I don't classify as special, there was nothing special about me.

I detected movement on my right side and picked up the speed. Expecting to see one man running beside me. I looked to my right to see how close they were, but my eyes fell on an enormous wolf. My fear doubled, I must be deeper into the forest and now the wolves have come to get me for crossing their territory. Two other wolves appeared in front of me, causing me to stop abundantly.

I turned to run back, but I saw the men gaining up on me but something stopped me and I was aware of the tranquilizer that was now on my arm but that was not it. Three wolves appeared out of nowhere and started tearing the men who were chasing me into pieces. Their screams filled the air as I fell into the world of darkness.

My eyes flattered open, I waited to be hit by the bright light that usually hits me when I get up, but nothing came. That's when I realized that I was not in my room; unless my mom painted my room white while I was sleeping, but I highly doubt it.

Yesterday's events slapped me in the face, and my breath caught in my throat. Where the hell was I?

My hands started shaking as I got out of bed and made my way to the door, but I couldn't make it any further, my legs were too weak to carry me. As I lay there, on the floor crying, images of my parents flooded through my mind. I could see my mom's warm smile comforting me, but that only made me cry harder.

I recalled seeing the men being eaten by wolves, but what really happened after that?

The door cracked open reviling a middle-aged woman who held a tray of food and had a warm smile on her face, but the smile fell off when she saw me on the floor.

"Oh, my! What happened to you, miss?" She asked, helping me up to the bed.

"What am I doing here?" I asked her, my voice sounding foreign to me.

"Don't be afraid you are with your family now." Family. The word echoed in my head as I accepted the water she handed me with shaking hands.

"Oh my, I keep forgetting that you know little about your family. Ugh, silly me. Why don't you have some breakfast and come downstairs so you can meet the rest?" She put the tray next to me.

"I'm Maria" she Introduced herself when she realized I would say nothing. She gave me a small smile before she left the room, leaving me wracking my brain for ways to escape this place.

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