Parallel Worlds

Chapter One: The Prophecy  It was a stormy night. Trees were falling, leaves rustling, the wind blowing fiercely, and cracks appearing in the strong cave. Everyone rushed to protect their shelter and seek safety as the rain transformed day into sudden night. Everywhere was dark, and thunder cracked in the sky. Everyone was worried; such a storm hadn't occurred in years, with only mild rain and sunshine before. Stella and Jack struggled to find a pathway to a cave near the forest where she could deliver her child. They were returning from the city, where they had gone to enjoy the scenery of the human world, when Stella fell into labor. “I love the human world," Stella would always say, and Jack would always agree. Despite the enmity between werewolves and humans, they both had a fondness for the human world, learning to control their anger and manage their instincts around humans. This helped them fit into the human world better than other werewolves. “I can't do this anymore," Stella complained as they both sought shelter from the heavy rain, their bodies completely wet and shivering. “We're almost there, honey," Jack tried to comfort her as he wrapped his arms around her. She, a human turned wolf with blonde hair, which set her apart from the rest of the female werewolves, earned her nickname: Bony. "I see a cave ahead, let's head there,” Jack said, pointing towards the dark bush with his sharp eyes. He had always seen things from afar better than Stella because of his emerald eyes. They made their way to the cave, where he laid Stella on the bare floor near a small rock. He then looked for rocks and ignited a fire to keep Stella warm, as she was already shivering. Jack helped Stella lay down, and she had a free birth while they watched the rain grow heavier, Jack standing by her side. "Jack,” she squealed, holding onto him tightly. He didn't mind; instead, he helped her, knowing what it took them to finally have a baby after two years together. She finally gave birth to a baby boy who let out a small cry as she held him in her palms. His cries filled the room, and Jack leaped for joy and relief. He turned to his wife and, in an almost broken voice, told her they had a beautiful boy. "Oh yes, he’s cute," Stella replied to her husband with a broad smile on her face, holding him in her arms. She felt his fragile fingers and watched him let out his beautiful smile. She couldn't believe how tiny and vulnerable newborns can be which further added to her excitement. “Welcome, Everest," she said with a broad smile, looking into his emerald eyes just like his father. “What? Have we decided on a name?" Jack chuckled as he looked into his wife's eyes, and she smiled back. He knew how expectant she had been of the boy, and he was happy too. “Yes, I already did that," Stella replied, still not looking away from his pretty eyes. “We have been expecting you," Jack said, turning to hold his little hands and staring at his pretty eyes. The boy let out a small cute smile, making them even happier. Soon after, a mark miraculously appeared on his wrist with the inscription of ‘E’ written in italics. The mark was a tradition from Jack's clan to signify their identity, typically consisting of the first letters of their names. Jack had his on his chest with the letter ‘J’. “Look, the mark," Stella squealed as she held his fragile hands and stared into Jack's emerald eyes. “He's our child," Jack emphasized happily as Stella smiled back at him. “Yes," Stella replied, smiling, and then she almost fainted. “Are you okay?" Jack asked, concerned, as he reached Everest. “I'm just tired," she managed to say. “It's okay, the storm will be over soon. I just hope it didn't destroy our home," Jack replied, wondering why the storm was so heavy, but he couldn't fathom the answer. “We have our little baby now, that's enough joy," he said as he turned to Stella, who was fast asleep. “What a good day it was,” He added as he caressed Stella's face. ~ “He looks so pretty with his curly hair," Audrey, the youngest of the pack and Stella's favorite, said as she looked into his eyes. “Of course, he's your little brother,” Stella replied, holding Audrey's little cheeks. She had always seen Audrey as her child and treated her as one, despite her parents still being alive. “Yay!" Audrey screamed in excitement, jumping around to tell everyone she now had a baby brother. Stella watched her with joy; her childish acts amused her every time. Jack returned home with sticks to repair the storm damage. Everyone else was busy either packing leaves or gathering the stone cracks. The storm had affected most of their homes when they returned in the morning. They all wondered why the storm was so heavy but couldn't find the answer. Suddenly, a woman approached the clan, recognized as Zeal, the witch. She was known for giving prophecies to newborns, hereby earning her the name. No one knew how she found out about newborns, but she always showed up within the first three days. She had with her a messy bag and her crooked stick, aiding her walking. She was known to be the oldest werewolf to have lived over 200 years. “He caused all this!" she shouted furiously as she approached Stella's cave, fear evident in her voice. “What did you say?" Stella asked fiercely, as though expecting her. “The storm last night, that boy caused it," she repeated fiercely, causing everyone to gather around, scared. “That's a lie, my child has nothing to do with that!" Stella replied bravely, watching as the woman looked disturbed. “He's a doom child. Nothing good will ever come out of him. He's born to lead, but he will destroy things. Things that can't be recovered,” the woman declared, her eyes filled with fierceness, addressing the rest of the clan. "This is just the beginning," she declared, pointing her stick around. “That's a lie," Stella replied, defending her child. “Everyone knows you're the doom of this land; I won't let you utter another bad word in the name of prophecy over my child. Please leave at once," Stella shouted fiercely, her gold eyes turning darkened with anger. “I will leave, but mark my words. Zeal never lies," the woman said, leaving. Stella returned to her cave, wishing Jack had been there with her to confront Zeal, but he had gone to gather more wood. Everywhere seemed quiet after Zeal’s visit. Stella knew deep down that Zeal never lies, but she couldn't admit it because it's her child. She had made a prophecy that came true years later and everyone could testify to that. Jack came back a few moments later and noticed the somber atmosphere. “Oh, my child," Stella said sadly, looking at Everest as he cooed softly.