The Hollow Awakens

Chapter 1 Anya's Blood My head hit the wall, and the tray I was holding fell to the floor, breaking the glass. A loud ringing noise filled my ears, making everything else fade away as my vision blurred. Who? My mind was racing, but nothing made sense.A voice whispered in my ear, "Hello, mutt," and then a hand tightened around my throat and slammed me back down. The impact took the air out of my lungs. I didn't need to see them to know it was Dmitri and Mikhail. My brothers from my stepfamily. Not that they would ever agree to that title. They didn't care about me at all. When he finally let me go, my chest hurt and I gasped for air. I fell to the floor and took a shaky breath, ignoring the pain in my arms where glass shards had cut into my skin. I tried to get away by crawling. I knew it usually made things worse, but waiting and standing still felt like giving up.And where do you think you're headed? Mikhail's voice got closer. He grabbed my hair and pushed my head down into the glass that was broken. As the tiny pieces dug deeper into my skin, pain shot through my scalp and face. They laughed like it was a game, and I screamed. I screamed again, hoping that someone would hear me. Nobody did. They didn't do it. I didn't even know why I kept going. Mikhail let me go and stepped back. I groaned and pushed against the floor, trying to get up. My body shook and my tears made it hard to see. I bit down on the sounds that were about to come out, but I couldn't keep them in.Dmitri looked at his brother and said, "You know what?" in a tone that was almost playful. "Why don't we train her?" He looked down at me. "Because she likes to walk around so much." Mikhail smiled. "I like that thought." Fear settled deep in my heart. I already knew how this would turn out. Dmitri grabbed my hair again and pulled me across the ground to the training field. Every step felt like my hair was being pulled out. I tried to move with him to ease the pain, but it didn't help much. I begged. I didn't even know why anymore. It didn't make any difference. The more I talked, the more he held on, so I made myself be quiet as we got to the grounds. He pushed me forward. I hit the ground hard and quickly got on my knees, head down, and body shaking.What should we do today? Dmitri said, as if he was bored. I looked around. People's faces looked back at me some were amused, some were cold, and some didn't care. None of them felt sorry for them. A long time ago, I had given up hope.Mikhail smiled and said, "Let's have her race the dogs again." Dmitri agreed. "Perfect." My heart sank. A warrior came to get them, and I felt a wave of fear. I remembered the last time too well. I was 8 years old. Running through the dark, with my lungs on fire and my heart racing. I somehow got home alive. That same fear came back as the dogs got closer. I crawled forward and begged again, even though everything. Mikhail kicked me out of the way. "Don't act like that, Anya. "We're just helping you get stronger," he said, but he didn't mean it. "I'll even give you a head start." I didn't wait. I got up and ran. It hurt to take every step. My legs were shaky and my body was weak. I fell a few times, but I kept going until I got to the woods. Chains rattled and dogs barked behind me, ready to go. People laughed after me. After that, the chains stopped making noise. The barking got louder. I pushed through the trees, and the branches tore at my skin and the thorns dug deep as I forced my way through. I kept looking back, getting more and more scared, but I couldn't see them. I could only hear them getting closer. After that, I stopped. A cliff. I almost fell over, but I caught myself just in time. My heart was racing as I stepped back. They were there when I turned around. I turned around and saw death. Death is in front of me. The dogs got closer and growled softly. I begged them. It was useless. They lunged. I screamed and covered my face, ready for the end The forest echoed with a roar. Then nothing. I slowly brought my hands down. The dogs had stopped and were sitting a few steps away with their ears pinned back. I stood up shakily and turned."Alpha Viktor Sokolov," I said, bowing even though my body hurt and shook. He nodded slightly, and his eyes were cold as he looked me over. His face showed that he was very disgusted. I didn't hold it against him. I knew what I looked like: blood on my clothes, ripped clothes, and barely being able to stand.He yelled, "Come on," and the dogs did right away."Me too," he said, not even looking at me. I walked behind him, making sure to stay away from the animals. As we walked back, one thought kept coming back to me: I would be dead if he hadn't been there. I thanked the Lunnaya Boginya in my head. Everyone looked busy all of a sudden when we got back.You're back, Viktor! How was your run? Dmitri was next to Mikhail when he asked,Viktor didn't answer the question. Instead, he said, "Put the dogs away." Then he looked at me for a moment. "Get inside." I didn't think twice. I went inside and picked up the broken glass from earlier, even though it hurt. I took my time getting home after I was done, avoiding anyone I might see. When I walked in, I could hear people talking in the kitchen. It had to be my mother because Dmitri and Mikhail weren't there. I tried to get by without making a sound.Hannah, dear? "Is that you?" I stopped moving. She stepped outside, and as soon as she saw me, her face changed.She pulled me into her arms and asked, "What happened?" I couldn't keep it in any longer. She cried as she held me close. She was one of the few who cared."Let's clean you up," she said in a soft voice. I was glad that she didn't ask me any questions. She cleaned my wounds very carefully, taking out each piece of glass one at a time. It hurt, but I had learned to deal with it."Do you want to tell me what happened?" she asked softly. I didn't say anything."It's okay," she said with a sigh. "There's food in the kitchen." "Please clean up and come eat." I nodded. Then the phone rang.She said, "I'll be back," and walked to the door. I was about to go to my room when I heard her voice again.Wow, Luna, what a surprise.