(Credit to, calisto_undead , kora , soccerpatriot , infinite_neeanu , KittyCatGamer98 , Jbooks77 , my good friend Haylei,  xWeepingWillowx  and Thank you for helping me write this! Oh, and my editor and bestie and Bone_Fable for editing this! Love you girls!)

Katria

I say goodbye to my friends as I open the door to my house, where my mother is standing in the hallway wearing a worn down look on her face. Instantly I can tell something is off. Yet, I brush it off and head past her into the dining room. I place my bag on the large oak table in the middle of the room.

"Katria, we need to talk," she says in a calm, yet wavering, voice.

"Can't," I say as I head to the staircase, "I'm swamped with homework."

"Katria," she says again in a more firm voice. "Please?"

I sigh and turn to face her, "What is it?"

An unknown man comes up behind her and places his hand on her shoulder, instantly putting me into fight mode. My mother notices this and instantly gives me a look to stop, that she knows this man and that he's a friend.

"Kat, this is my new boyfriend, Roger." she says in a timid voice, "I hope you both get along."

I instinctively clench my fists by my side when she says, Boyfriend. He looks at me, almost in a condescending way, as if he's trying to say an eighteen-year-old can't do too much damage.

"Boyfriend?" I ask her in a disbelieving tone. "When were you gonna tell me this?"

"Katria, please!" My mother shushes me, "Not so loudly!"

"Mom!"

"Katria, you have to view this from my side! You need to get over it, your father and I are divorced!"

"Mother! We're talking about my father here!" I respond angrily. "How would you like it if your mother told you to get over your father?"

I can tell that my mother is starting to get worked up. "This isn't about my parents, Katria, this is about our now and current lives!" Her voice is steadily rising. "Your father's in the past, you need to leave him there and move on!"

"You see?" I cry. "This is what I hate about you! You always do this, always thinking about yourself and never about us. You made dad let go of me when that was what neither of us wanted! You just wanted Charlotte and I to yourself!"

"It was for the best-"

"No! That wasn't what we wanted, Mom!" I cut in, silencing the room. A tense moment passes. "I wish I'd stayed with him rather than ever letting myself go along with you,"

My mother's new boyfriend uses the ensuing offended silence as an opportunity to speak. "Look, I know I'm not your father, and I never will be. But I can promise you one thing: I will take care of you all. Your mother, you, and even little Charlotte,"

Mother smiles and leans into him, making my fists tighten further. "He'll take care of us better than your father did,"

My anger explodes. "That's it! I've had it with you and your selfishness! I've had it with you and making decisions for us! Only what's good for you. I'm done! I'm leaving! And I'm taking Charlotte with me!" I turn on a heel and storm out of the room, ignoring my mother's calls of protest.

As I turn the corner into the hallway, I spot Charlotte standing there, having been nervously listening. She doesn't resist as I grab her wrist. "Come on. We're leaving."

She wipes her stressed tears on the back of my hand as I lead her to my room. "W-why were you arguing?" she hiccups. "What's going o-on?"

I pull out my bag and start shoving clothes in by the handful. "Mom went and decided to change our lives all on her own again."

Charlotte watches as I move about my room, grabbing the things I need. "But, why are we leaving? Won't that make Mama sad?"

"Probably not." I shove the last things I remember I need into my bag and close it. "It's what she gets though for ignoring us all this time."

"But, I don't want to make Mama sad." Charlotte protests as she follows me into her room. "I want us to be happy."

I pull out Charlotte's bag and begin to fill it. "Only Mom isn't happy with us all being together. The only way we'll be happy is without her making all the decisions for us. When Mom's making all the decisions, she's only choosing what will make her happy instead of what makes us happy." I give the now-full bag to her and pile a few more toys into her arms.

"But, I don't want to leave Mama all alone." Charlotte makes a final stand in her doorway after I take a few steps out of her room.

I look back at her. "She's not all alone. She has her boyfriend to keep her company,"

Charlotte stares at me for a few more seconds, lip quivering, before giving in and following me silently to the car. I throw our bags into the trunk and climb into the driver's seat. I'm about to turn the ignition when Charlotte suddenly shrieks from the back seat. "Wait! Butter Bean! We can't leave him!"

I place my hand on my chest to steady my pounding heartbeat. I know she won't leave without him, so I respond, "Okay, let's go get him."

I follow Charlotte back into the house to grab her cat. She finds him under her bed as I grab his food and bowls. Mom is pleading with the both of us to stop. I ignore her and push Charlotte to the door faster. With her cat's necessities, Charlotte seems satisfied. We leave again without saying goodbye. I add the supplies to the trunk as she climbs into the backseat with Butter Bean in her arms. She unconsciously strokes his fur as she watches the house disappear from view as we drive away.

~ ~ ~

I've been driving for a while now, and all I can think about is my mother and her new boyfriend. How could she do this to us? Gone and gotten herself a new boyfriend, and for what? To make herself feel better about herself? To make herself feel less lonely? She had us, for crying out loud! Were we not enough for her? We just walked out, and she didn't even stop us. Does she even actually care about us? Does she just enjoy making people's lives worse or someth-

"Hey, Kat?" a shy voice from the backseat asks. "Where are we going?"

My thoughts freeze. Where are we going? I'd been so busy fuming that I hadn't even considered our destination. For all I know, I've been driving in circles this entire time. "Uhh. . ." I start lamely. I rake my brain for some place we could possibly go. My mind lands on a person, and I know immediately that that's where we're going to go.

"We're going to find Dad," I reply. I begin to slow down and actually look to see if I recognise any of our surroundings.

I can hear Charlotte scoot forward in her seat. "What's he like?" she asks.

"Well," I start, "I was 8 when I left him. But he was the best dad ever. Kind, and generous. Fun and caring. We always would go into the woods and play. Mom would always be upset since I came home dirty, but dad told her it was fine. We would go camping all the time in our backyard and play pretend. We had so much fun and adventures. You were still safe in mom, so you missed out on the fun."

"He sounds nice. Really nice. I can't wait to meet him!" Charlotte exclaims.

I can't help but smile.

"You will love him. I know I do. And I always have."I think to myself.

Charlotte falls silent as the sun sinks behind the clouds, casting a pinkish glow on the sky and clouds. I sigh, and try to remind myself that this is for the best. My mother was never a good one, and we will be better off without her. Perhaps one day she'll come to her senses and realize how badly she hurt me and Char.

But where is Father's house? I ask myself, straining my memory. I remember when I was rummaging around in the attic at home, I found Mom's secrets about Dad. They were letters and photos of us as we were growing up. He built a new home in a town that was called Vramont. Or at least I think it was called that. I remember seeing a photo of his newly built house, but that must have been years ago. As we continued to drive past the dark woods, memories of a better time flooded my mind.

I remember dashing through the woods, chasing my father, while leaping over stones and sticks, and climbing the tallest trees we could find. I could practically hear my dad calling, "Kaaatriaa! Climb down now! Dinner is ready!"

A sad smile pushed itself onto my face. I cherish those moments. If only Char could experience that, too, I thought, She deserves a chance to be free.

I pass by a small, wooden sign that says, Vramont: turn right. I follow the directions and take a sharp right turn down Moonshadow Lane. The dark pine woods and scattering of cozy cabins all hit me like a brick of nestalgia. After about another five minutes of bumpy driving, I stop in front of a particularly cozy-looking cabin and smile.

I climb out of the car and open the rear door. "Char." I say softly, gently nudging her small shoulder. "We're here. C'mon, now."

Charlotte rubs her eyes and wearily climbs out of the car. We walk down the driveway and right up to the house. I took a deep breath, and knock three times.

After about five seconds, the door was pull open and a shocked yet very familiar face stands in the doorway.

"Katria?"

My light grip on Charlotte releases and I throw my arms around my father.

"Daddy..." I whisper.

I feel his arms hold me tight. His hand goes to my head and I bury my face into him as the smell of pine and smoke is so familiar and homey. He lets me go and places my face in his hands while I stare into the silver eyes glossed with tears. He laughs a little bit which makes me laugh and triggers my tears.

"You're so big," he says and kisses my forehead.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am dad," I say and laugh.

I hug him again and he holds me tightly.

"And you must be...Little Charlotte," Dad says and lets me go.

He picks up Charlotte and twirls her. She giggles and throws her arms around him.

"You're so big and beautiful too!" Dad says.

He sets her down and plants a big kiss on her cheek.

"Come on inside!" He exclaims. I'm relieved to see him excited. I don't know what I expected, but I was beyond worried he wouldn't be accepting. I guess my mother had begun to rub off on me.

I rub the bottom of my sneakers on the welcome mat. "Don't bother." said Dad. "It's already messy as hell in here."

'Messy as hell' isn't quite accurate. The house is like a black hole that I'm sure to get lost in. The counters are one with the grime that matches the soot on my dad's fingers that now share a spot on my cheek. I wipe off the mechanic shit as when he looks away.

"Nice house," I say. I hide a little smirk, trying to find my way around the floor. I find the counter and boost myself on its surface.

"It's... messy. That's for sure. I apologize. But it's just the workings of something cool. I'm fixing up this new automotive in the back if you want to take a look."

I almost laugh, but I didn't have the heart. Automotive. Glad to know he's in the right century. As messy as the house is, I'm relieved that it's... not clean. I've lived in a clean house. The house that had floors that would scream at me if I trail dirt in. And now I'm in the house of dirt. It's a nice change.

"Car, Dad. Car. And sure, we'd love to see it."

"Well, actually it's not a car." he said, diving right into conversation like he hadn't been gone my whole life. "It's one of those old carriage engine things. The ones that were so weak the farted oil every two pumps but were the most popular purchase of their time."

This is when I laugh. "Those are my favorite," I say. And I actually mean it. When I was really little, Papa, my grandfather, used to hoist me up on his lap and show me pictures clouded in the inky black and white image front, and my favorite was always of the automotives of the time. The most innovative projects of their time.

The garage, as expected, is similarly messy to the rest of the house, but seemingly more organized. I guess he just needed a cleaner working space, and his extras he kept inside the house... on the floor.

"You really have a lot of time on your hands," I say, suddenly intrigued. My favorite place may be the woods, but easily I'm fascinated somehow. Maybe not by the product itself, but the nostalgia it brings.

Charlotte releases my hand and runs over to the car. "How'd ya do it, Daddy?" She asks with a giggle. "It's real cool!" All of a sudden my sister had all the energy in the world.

"Thank you," he says. My dad wears a proud smile and places his hands on his hips, wiping even more oil and grease onto his clothing.

"It sure could use a... makeover." I say, attempting to find the right words. "And maybe a little bit of loosening. I'm worried if you were to actually drive it, there would be no more woods. You'd kill all the squirrels before I'd get to them."

"Katria!" Charlotte seems stunned. "We talked about you hunting. The animals are friends, remember?"

I ran over to my sister and hoisted her onto my shoulders. "Without the damn animals you wouldn't be alive."

"But it's not fair." I pull her down and set her on the floor, landing on her legs straight up like a cat landing on all fours.

"Are you tired?" Instantly, the energy drains from my sister's eyes. She sat on the floor and finally allowed her head to droop. Instead of answering verbally, all she does was nod.

This time, Dad picks her up and without a word we leave the garage. I sniff the nostalgia the room brings one more time and close the door. "I set her down and she just left," my dad says with a slightly nervous laugh.

"She sort of puts herself to bed," I say. My hands move right to my pockets, signaling that I don't know what to do. I'd rather not start a conversation, so instead I find a spot on the couch, which is probably the cleanest part of the house, and is positioned in front of an old school television.

My dad sits on the other end of the couch and turns on the tv without saying anything. The screen blares to life, and the only noise in the room for a good twenty minutes is the sound of the faded people on the screen. Previously, everything was fine, but now an awkward tension dominates the air more and more with every breath.

"Dad...? Can I...talk to you?" I ask, trying to not let my voice waver.

Dad reaches the remote and turns it off. "What is it, Katria?"

"I...I uh...um...," I stutter. I rub the back of my neck nervously and avoid looking at him. I don't know why my nerves are acting up. He's just my dad. Sure, I haven't seen us in ages, but he still is my dad.

"What is it? Something wrong? You can tell me anything," he asks and faces me.

I look at him and see the same loving face as always. His soft silver eyes look into mine. He gently places his hand on my thigh. I place mine on top of his and take a deep breath.

"Why didn't you fight?" I ask and look at him.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"Fight for me. For Charlotte. Why didn't you want us? Didn't you love me then? I loved you," I say. "Once we left, mother didn't love us! I had to take care of her all alone! It was so hard.. I needed you. So why didn't you fight for us?"

He takes my hand and holds it. With a sigh, he says, "I know you were young. I know you didn't want me to leave and neither did I. It was better for you both, at least what I thought. I wanted more than anything to have you stay with me. I never knew that... It wouldn't be for the better. The thought of you both having to be here with me all alone out here without, well, anything, I thought it would be best if your mother took you both."

"It.. I see your point. It was so hard...I missed you. So much," I say.

Dad engulfs me in a hug. I gladly accept and take the comfort. I feel safe in his arms. Like nothing will harm me. It's been too long that I've felt this way. So long...

"So, how is your mother?" he asks and keeps me safe in his arms.

"She.. has a new boyfriend.. She's trying to change us. That's why we're here. We can't.. Forget you.. Move on and act like he is our dad, when you are. And you always will be. No matter what," I say.

"Of course I will. But, maybe this.. We'll have to talk about it. I don't think your mother wants to live without you both. She's probably worried sick."

"Heh, like she'd be worried about anything about her and her boyfriend," I say.

"Now Katria, you know that isn't true. She still loves you very much. And she would at least like to know you are both safe," he says and looks at me with seriousness in his silver eyes.

I sigh, shutting down my bitter heart. "You're right, Dad. I'm sorry.. Maybe.. I," I mumble.

"We can come to some sort of agreement with her, Katria. Just not tonight," Dad says and plants a kiss on my forehead.

"Okay," I say.

"Charlotte is in the only spare room at the moment. The others are a bit cluttered. I'm sorry," he explains and starts to get up.

"Don't worry Dad. I've slept on many other things. A couch is fine for a night," I say and give him another hug.

Dad goes to the closet in the hall and returns with sheets and blankets. I lay down and Dad covers me with the blankets. He plants one last soft kiss on my temple and turns off the lights.

"Goodnight, Katria," he says.

"Goodnight, Daddy," I say.

I hear his footsteps going up the stairs and a door open and close. The bed in his room creaks and I listen to the other sounds of the house. The clock. The creeks of the beds. The gentle winds outside. The familiarity of it all slowly lulls me to sleep.

~ ~ ~

I'm running in a forest. Glancing behind me as I go, I shriek as I see the flashing of a golden pelt beneath the moonlight zipping between the trees. Joyous laughter bubbles up in my chest as he gets closer and closer to me with every stride.

The treeline breaks as I enter a clearing. I glance back again only to see the large golden figure leap at me, his bright blue eyes open wide with excitement and his tongue lolling. An exhilarated scream escapes my throat as I go down in preparation for impact. But before he reaches me, a wave of flames roll over me, obscuring my vision.

I'm suddenly standing in my old room, the wooden walls and furniture engulfed in flame. Its tendrils reach out to me, searing my skin with their blazing tongues. Fear seeps through me, and I find myself panickingly calling out for my parents. I can hear their yells coming from somewhere, but the roar of the flames make it impossible to distinguish from where.

The roof is crumbling. The walls crack and groan under the weight they can no longer support. I scream and cover my head to protect myself.

And then, suddenly, a whoosh. The door bursts open, and an embodiment of the flame charges at me, bringing with him a breath of fresh air. He grabs me by the collar of my nightgown, and before I know it, we're out the window and falling. The last thing I see are his bright blue eyes staring at me as the house behind us collapses.

I sit up abruptly, the old blanket that dad had draped over me getting tangled around my legs as I feel my chest heaving up and down. My arms feel hot and prickly, like they are burning. I rub my hands up and down along my scars as I try to soothe the burning pain. It is quickly fading, but the fleeting memories of my dream aren't. The forest. The wolf. The fire. It all plays through my head like a tape being rewinded as I'm forced to watch it over and over again.

I pull the blanket back, swinging my scarred, but no longer burning legs over the side of the couch. In the darkness I stumble through the clutter of my father's house as I make my way to the kitchen. I open various cabinets in search of a glass to get some water, cringing when they occasionally let out a creaky sound. After a minute of looking, I find the cabinet with some glasses in it. I grab one, closing the cupboard door gently.

As the door is swinging shut, I see a blurred glint of gold and white rush past the window. Curious, I head to the window. I look out, but see nothing. Then, a shapeless form flys past the window again. It intrigues me, and I stay there staring out of the window. A third time it goes past, but this time instead of running, it walks slowly, stopping directly outside of the window and looking at me. His piercing blue eyes stare into mine and I gasp, setting the glass down on the messy countertop. I rush outside, careful to stay quiet so I don't wake Char and dad.

I reach the wolf, his golden brown fur shining in the bright moonlight. I grin, running up to him and wrapping my arms around him. He squirms out of my tight embrace, beckoning me to follow him into the massive forest behind us. I hesitate, scanning over the dark trees as my mind conjures up scary images of what could be lurking in there.

He looks at me, and his dazzling blue eyes seem to be telling me to trust him. I nod and run after him as he bolts into the cluster of trees.

The moon is full and bright so I see bits of the forest. I follow him to a spot under a big willow tree, the willow tree from my childhood. I pull him into my arms and I run my fingers through his soft fur and he rests his big head on mine. I hold him tightly and rub his soft fur.

"I missed you so much, boy," I say softly.

I hear a low rumble deep in his throat. His long tongue licks my face. I can't help but laugh a little bit. He licks my face and I can't help but laugh harder.

"Enough, boy! I know you missed me. I did too," I exclaim.

He gets off me and rests his head on his paw. He looks up at me with big blue eyes and wags his big puffy tail around.

I laugh to myself and pet him. He rolls over and faces his stomach to me.

"You're more of a dog than a wolf, boy," I say.

He yips a little bit and licks my arm that pets him.

I gasp as I hear a howl in the distance. The wolf rolls over and stands towards the sound. A low growl is in his throat, then a small howl comes from his muzzle. It's loud, yet soothing. His tail wags as he waits for an answer.

"What is it boy? Do you have to go? I understand..." I say and start to stand up.

I get pulled by my pant leg and turn to see the wolf's mouth secured tight to them. His eyes are longing. Almost as if to say, 'Don't go. Please stay. I just had you back to me,'

I pet his head and he releases me. "I'll stay, but only a bit longer. It's late, and I have to go home," I say.

He starts to walk towards the woods again. He tilts his head as his tail wags. I look at the way we came across the woods. I look back at him. He comes to me and bends down.

"You want me to get on?" I ask.

He lowers completely to the ground. I carefully climb on top of him and awkwardly step over him with stretched legs to make the width of the beast, then lowering myself on his back. I grip the scuff of his neck and he stands up. I gasp when he does, nearly falling off of the beast. He mumbles a growl then takes off.

I watch the forest pass like a blur. The mountains, the trees, the bushes, it all comes back to me. How much I missed this place. I missed my home. This is where I belong. I never want to leave. The wolf looks up at me and I see a hit of some happiness in his eyes. As if he has human emotions. Like..he is a human. He runs faster and climbs over rocks and up cliffs. I look out and see the whole forest. He looks up at me and I smile at him, rubbing his ears.

Another howl is closer this time and I feel him stiffen and the growl rumble through him. His howl is loud and deep. The howl comes back and the wolf starts back down the cliff as I hear the sounds of the forest and I missed everything about this place. I lay down on him and wrap my arms around his neck, his loud heart beating calms me.

Before I know it, I feel the soft tall grass brush against my legs. I look up and see we are already back to the meadow. He lays down on the ground and I get off of him. He rubs his head on me and I pet him.

"I guess you have to go back," I say, petting his head.

He whimpers and whines, licking my hand and nuzzling it.

I crouch down and look him in the eyes. I pet behind his ears and rest my head on his.

"Don't worry, boy. I'll come back. I know this meadow. You found me so I'm here, okay? Now, you go on home," I say and plant a kiss on his large head.

I stand up and start to walk away. I run my hand through the grass and glance back just at the edge of the meadow. I see him sitting patiently. His eyes are big and sad like any dog is when their human leaves. My heart tells me to stay, yet my mind says no. I turn back and keep walking.

I keep hearing rustling in the bushes and can't help but smile.

"He really doesn't want me to leave," I think to myself.

I keep walking and ignore the rustling. I stop in my tracks as I hear branches snap.

I hear a snarl and slowly turn around but my soul leaves my body at the sight of a wolf almost two times larger than my wolf stands there. His muzzle reveals his large teeth bared and his stance in attack with his yellow eyes that burn into my body. He lets out a ferocious bark and he charges me and I run. I can feel my heart beating a million miles per hour and I've never been so scared yet I don't dare look back but I can hear the thumping upon the forest floor. I look for high ground and jump over boulders and stumps of trees. I step funny and the ground approaches my face rather quickly but I don't have time to react and push up from the ground and take off running.

Fire burns from my foot and I must have sprained it at least. The fall must have slowed me more than I thought. I feel something graze my back. Turning to look is a bad idea. Claws sink into my back and pin me down. I cry out and feel my head impact the ground. I hear heaving breaths and a low growl. Wet drops of saliva hit my face. His flaring muzzle presses against me.

I try to fight off him. Use my elbow to nudge his body. Kick him. Slap him. That only makes him more angry. His claws dig deeper and I feel the cool air hits my back and I shiver as more blood flows. His muzzle trails my body. I look around and try to use my peripheral vision to find a way to get out of this. I don't want to die. I can't die. Charlotte needs me. I spot a rock and slowly and sneakily reach for it. I feel his muzzle going lower and lower on my body. I know the beast will catch on if I'm not quick. I move under the grip and slam the rock into his head. He growls loudly and I take my chance to run again.

My back slows me down and I don't dare stop now. I look back and don't see the beast. I think I finally made it when I hit my head on a big branch. I fall down and my head spirals. I can't see anything very well. My vision is ringing in my ears and I can feel my nose bleeding. I see a blurry figure of a big creature. It must be the wolf coming to finish his feast. As the darkness fades to black, I see a blur of blonde and blue eyes.