UNCLAIMED MATE

••Diane•• The night I killed someone, I thought that was the worst thing that would ever happen to me, but I was wrong. If I had known what was waiting for me in the forest that night, I would have let them keep hitting me. I would have stayed on that ground, taken every slap, every insult, every kick, and still not moved, but I didn’t know. I didn’t understand anything then, not about myself, not about what I was becoming, and definitely not about the kind of life I had been born into. All I knew was that I was tired. Tired of waking up every morning in a house that never felt like home, tired of pretending I didn’t care, and most of all, tired of being the girl everyone thought they could break. After my parents died, everything changed. People said I was lucky to be alive, that surviving the accident was some kind of miracle, but it never felt like one. A miracle shouldn’t leave you with nothing. A miracle shouldn’t take everything and give you a life that feels like punishment. I moved in with my aunt after that. She was the only family I had left, at least on paper. In reality, I was just someone she tolerated, someone who existed in her house but never really belonged there. She didn’t hate me, not exactly. It would have been easier if she had done it, at least then I would understand it. Instead, she just didn’t care. And somehow, that felt worse. Before my mom died, she used to say things I didn’t fully understand. Things that sounded strange at the time but now kept replaying in my head more than they should. “Keep it under control, Diane,” she would tell me sometimes, her voice serious in a way that didn’t match the moment. “At least until you can stand on your own.” Back then, I thought she meant my emotions. My anger. My sadness. I thought she was just trying to make me stronger. Now… I wasn’t so sure, because recently, things had started to change. My senses felt sharper. My body felt stronger, and sometimes, when I got too angry or too scared, something inside me stirred in a way I couldn’t explain. Even my scent, something I had never paid attention to before, felt different, stronger somehow, like it was becoming something else entirely. I didn’t understand it, but I was starting to feel it. School was no better than home. If anything, it was worse, because at least at home I could stay quiet and invisible. At school, people made sure I knew exactly where I stood. At the bottom. I had learned to keep my head down, to avoid trouble as much as I could, but some people didn’t need a reason. For them, I was the reason. And Tasha… she never missed an opportunity. “Look who finally decided to show up,” her voice rang out in front of me as I walked into the restroom, already knowing what was coming next. There she stood with her gang of girls, applying make-up to her face in front of the mirror. The two other girls behind her giggled, as they saw my face. I wanted to turn around, but my legs were stuck. I didn’t respond to them. Experience had taught me that silence sometimes made things end faster. Sometimes. Then, I mustered the courage to turn back, and leave the restroom before they pounced on me as usual. A sharp shove from behind proved that today wasn’t one of those days. I stumbled forward slightly before catching myself, my grip tightening on my bag as I exhaled slowly, trying to keep whatever reaction they wanted from me locked inside. “Didn’t you hear me?” Tasha said, stepping in front of me now, her friends spreading out behind her like this was some kind of performance. I lifted my eyes just enough to meet hers, saying nothing. That only seemed to amuse her. “I really don’t get you,” she continued, tilting her head as she looked at me. “You keep coming to school every day like things are going to change.” They won’t, I thought, but I didn’t say it. Tasha moved her steps towards me, and pushed me to the floor. Her friends stood there, laughing and watching like this is some show. “You don't try to walk out when I'm talking to you.” Tasha pulled my hair. I felt like screaming, but I remembered no one was coming to my aid, and I just let the tears trickle down my cheeks. Just then, the door flung open. They paused and looked at who it is. “What a coincidence!” One of the girls said. “Your puppy is here,” said the other. “Leave her alone.” That voice was the only thing that made me breathe a little easier. Selene! She stepped forward, placing herself beside me, close enough that I could feel the quiet strength in her presence. She wasn’t loud or aggressive, but there was something about her that made people hesitate. Something unshaken. She had been the only person who talked to me when I first came here, the only one who didn’t look at me like I was something strange or unwanted. Over time, she became more than that. She became my friend. My only friend. My only family, if I was being honest. Tasha let out a small laugh, her eyes shifting between us. “Of course. Your shadow is here.” Selene didn’t react to that. She just stood there, calm as always. “Back off, Tasha,” she said quietly. For a brief moment, there was silence. Then Tasha’s expression hardened. “Or what?” Selene didn’t answer. Then Tasha left my hair and now went towards Selene who is standing in front of the closed door. “What will you do b***h?” Tasha challenged her. Selene stood her ground, “I don't want anything with you, just let Diane go.” “You have quite some boldness there to talk back at me.” Tasha laughed. Diane walked out of her front, and went to where I was on the floor. She stretched her hands to me, “Let's get out of here.” And maybe that was what pushed things too far. The slap came out of nowhere. The sound echoed louder than it should have, sharp and sudden, snapping something inside me before I could even process it. Selene’s head turned with the impact, her body swaying slightly, but she didn’t fall. My chest tightened instantly. Tasha just sent a slap across her face, then she and the girls attacked Selene. “Don't do that, leave her alone.” I began crying more when I was sitting on the floor, but they didn't even pay any attention to me. I began feeling this sudden surge of anger, my body was boiling with fury. I couldn't even control it, as I saw them beating Selene. Then I stood up without thinking. “No,” I said, stepping forward, my voice shaking in a way I couldn’t control. “Don’t touch her.” Tasha looked at me like she couldn’t believe I had spoken. Then she smiled. “I see your tongue is now loose free dog,” she smirked. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t even remember deciding to move. All I knew was that Selene was hurt… and something inside me couldn’t accept it. My heart was racing, my body tense, and that strange feeling I had been noticing lately suddenly came rushing back, stronger than ever before. Tasha reached out again, probably to push me aside. She didn’t get the chance, before I shoved her to the side. That was all it was supposed to be. Just a shove, enough to get her away from us, but the moment my hand made contact, something else took over. Something stronger than me. Her body flew back with a force I didn’t understand. It wasn't a fall, but a violent, uncontrollable throw. Her head hit the wall behind her with a sickening c***k. The sound froze everything. . She slid down slowly, leaving a trail of red behind her, and then she stopped moving. The other girls and Selen gasped. “Oh no!” Selene voice came out. The silence that followed was worse than anything I had ever felt, because this time… I knew. I didn’t just push her away, I had killed her. I killed Tasha.