Lost and Found

chapter 3

 I get to the foster house and make my way inside quickly. Its still pretty early so everyone should be out. I run to the bedroom grab my duffle bag and back pack  full of clothes. I stop for a second and look around the room, felling a twinge of sadness.  I didn't have any really good memories here, but I definitely don't have bad ones. I have been here for almost a year,  I got to see other kids come and go. Sara and I don't really get along, she has a family that she says she is gonna go back to. Once her dad is out of prison and her mom gets sober. Sure kid. Whatever you say. I would feel bad for her naivety if she wasn't such an arrogant b***h.  She really likes to throw it in our that we have no where to go. News flash, neither do you! Not that I have ever said that to her. I haven't been in her shoes. I have always known I didn't have a family,  I have come to terms with the fact that I would be in the system until I aged out. I didn't have to go through the disappointment, like I have seen other kids go through. I also haven't had the hope that they did either.  We all have our own struggles, most of us have and we deal with it by being mean to others. I get it, so I try not to be too hard on her, but god she gets on my nerves. 

    Becca though, we aren't quite friends but we still had respect for each other. She came in about 6 months ago and I could see how damaged she was. Her walls were tall and strong, sometimes I would think me and her could be friends. She had a darkness in her that I saw in myself, but she had something deeper. Somethings had happened to her that she couldn't get over and it was impossible to get close to her. Not that I really tried very hard. We all have our own s**t to deal with, a part of me is sad for the friendship we never had. I will probably never see her again, unless she happens to be another foster werewolf and she didn't know about it. I chuckle to myself at how ridiculous that would be. 

    I decide to leave a note, just keep it simple telling them I wish the best for them and good luck. I take one final look around before I leave.  I head towards the city bus, while I'm waiting at the bus stop trying to figure out the best way for me to travel.  I have been working and I was saving up a little for when I did leave. I don't want to blow all my money on a flight,  I don't even know if they will take me in or if they will tell me to kick rocks. So I decide taking the train and bus is my best bet . It will take 33hrs but I will save some of  my money. 

    I feel like I want to call Erin but I don't even know what to say to her. "Hey this might sound strange but it turns out I'm a werewolf and I'm gonna travel over a thousand miles to a pack of werewolves that might kill because they think I'm a rouge or the might take me in and I might find my parents." yea. makes sense. I decide to keep it vague, her and Devon have been really good friends and I hope after I figure this out I can see them again. 

    "Hey girl I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I'm gonna take off for a little while. I feel like I need to figure some s**t out. The social worker came and gave me some info and I'm gonna see if I can track down where I came from. I love you I will text you when I can, idk if I will have this phone for long."

 I reread the text a dozen times before I finally hit send. Its just enough of the truth mixed with a lie that she might believe me and will hopefully understand. The bus finally arrives and I grab a seat near the back. On the way to the train station I look out the window. As I pass by my job I see an all black Chevy Nova sitting out front. "Oh well. good riddance." I think to myself. Ten minutes later I get a text.

    "Were the fuk r u??"-Javi

 Feeling a little hostile I see. I am not even gonna bother, he's now just another piece of my past. I block his number before I can get any threatening texts or calls, I mean he cant even use the correct "Where". What was I even thinking, I laugh to myself. 

 After a short bus ride I get to the Amtrak station, buy my ticket, find my train and settle in for the Journey. I keep my head down and stay in crowded cars to be safe. The trip goes by smoothly, I end up chatting with a mother and son for a little bit, he's a little younger then me, looks a little like a pale string bean with dark red hair, freckles and an acne prone face. Poor kid,  that should clear up in a few years I think to myself.  We reach our destination and climb off the train. I say goodbye and the mom slides a $100 dollar bill in my hand.

    "Its not much, but I hope it helps you on your journey." she says with a sad smile. 

 I am so surprised by her kindness I feel speechless. "Thank you, you don't have too...its ok." I stutter trying to get it out.

    "Its fine honey. I wish I could do more. If you need a place to stay or anything here is my number and address." She hands me her card, gives me a hug and heads out towards the doors. I am so taken aback by her, I just stand there for a moment. Kindness is not something I am used too. I am brought back to reality when a heavy set man nearly knocks me to the ground and he shuffles by me. 

    "Get out of the way, standing in the middle of the walk way like that." he shakes his head and keeps walking. Yep those are the people I expect to encounter, I chuckle a little, that's what I'm used to. 

 I am not sure why but I feel lighter here. As I make my way out of the train station I am in awe of the view. Immediately I can see the mountains rising to meet the sky, with snow capped tips. "I could get used to this" I think to myself. 

     "You might get too, if the pack lets us stay this could be our home." Amaris says with hope in her voice. 

 Yea maybe. We still have a little ways to go before we can get to the pack grounds. I suggest we get a lyft to somewhere close. Amaris agrees but tells me we shouldn't take the car all the way to the border, we don't need and additional human attention. I agree and I use google maps to locate a house a good distance away. 

    The lyft pulls up to the address I gave him, and he looks a little unsure. 

    "Are you sure this is the right address? It doesn't look like anyone lives there."

 I look up at the house and I agree. The photo on google maps must be pretty old because the once pale blue house with white trim now looks abandoned and lifeless with its washed out gray tones. The house looks like the kind of place kids tell urban legends about. 

 I just shrug "yea its been awhile since I've been here. Its cool, I got it from here. " I lie smoothly.  He doesn't seem to fully believe me but he doesn't have much choice, either leave me alone or risk looking like a creep following me. He just shakes his head a little as he drives away.  I wait until his car is out of sight before I start the trek to the pack borders. 

    Its a few miles down the road and I listen to music on my phone as I'm walking. I like being outdoors and the walk is great. I feel so at peace with everything that I forget for a moment that I am a newly discovered werewolf walking to her potential death. I am so lost in my own world I don't realize when I reach the border and that I have crossed over. 

 I hear a growl from the tree line near by and I stop, dead in my tracks. 

 "Oh s**t oh s**t oh s**t. Amaris what do I do?" 

    "Relax, drop your bags, and get down on your knees very slowly, try to control your breathing. Get on all fours and don't make eye contact. Why didn't you stop before the border? I told you not to cross. 

    "I don't know I wasn't thinking, I thought I still had longer to go." I try to control my breathing as I get down on the ground. I am on all four's waiting when I see a pare of bare feet in front of me.

    "What are you doing here rouge? do you know whose land you stand on."

    "I am looking for the black moon pack. Is this it?" I say. I thought he was gonna be a wolf but its just a man, a wolf, kind of scary, but a man, that I can handle. I lift my head looking up and up and up until I finally meet his eyes. I have to crane my neck pretty hard to see his face, so I push my self up so I'm on my knees. I get to his face, he is fine, he is a little older, but I can appreciate it.  Not usually my type with his shaggy blonde hair, dark gray eyes the color of a brewing storm. He is only wearing a pair of basketball shorts and damn that v cut alone could cut cut glass.  I am so distracted that I didn't hear his response. 

    "Hmm...I'm sorry what was that?" I ask. He looks pissed at having to repeat himself, which to me makes him a little sexier. 

    "What is your business here rouge? If I have to repeat myself again I will just rip out your throat to save me the time." Well that got my attention. I am wondering if he would really do that when Amaris pops in,     "Yea and without a second thought. Rules are different here, you need to take him seriously."  I take a breath. 

    "This might sound strange, and I don't even know how to explain really, but I think I belong here. I am supposed to be here for some reason." I rush to get the words out before he decides I am taking too long and kills me right there.  

 He laughs, but its not a funny kind of laugh. Its more like the laugh you hear in a scary movie when the serial killer is toying with his victims, right before he deals the final blow. A humorless laugh, that makes me feel uneasy.  Then I feel it, he moved so fast I barely had time to register, when he hits me in the head and everything goes black.