k****e KING UNTAMED

It was a warm afternoon, just after the schoolhouse had let them out. Like every other day, k****e sauntered in the forest as she admired the beauty of nature surrounding her. The cool breeze touched the warmth of her cheeks, and the sun shone with a soft, slightly wavering light between the rustling leaves. She brought a hand up in front of her eyes, squinting as she looked up at the glimmers of sunlight between the leaves. The birds sang above her, and the wind whistled around the tree trunks, disturbing the leaves. Kindle gazed up at the trees as they swayed with the wind, and a tender smile graced her plump lips as she strolled forward. This is what I live for, she thought. She enjoyed her time spent in the forest and called it her very own extracurricular activity. Of course, not many people were fond of this ‘activity. And by many people, she meant her father and her two friends Talia Kim and Nova Leigh Blake. They would always go on about how dangerous it was for her to be out here, and even worse because k****e preferred it at night. But unlike others, the fear of spending a night in the forest wasn’t a trait that k****e possessed. Leaves crushed beneath her boots, and her chest bubbled with nervous excitement as she thought about getting to Shadow River. It was weird. Eight years since she made a habit of taking forest walks and yet, she felt nervous and at the same time, excited about the thought. At times, k****e would dream she was a wolf. Running in the wild under the moonlit trees as the wind blew through her fur. She admired that and often wished it were true. It was a pity it wasn’t the case as she had hoped. The track got steeper, and the rich smell of damp earth wafted through her nostrils. She beamed with excitement as she emerged from the trees and walked up to the edge of the cliff. “There it is.” k****e smiled radiantly. She drew in a deep breath of air and quickly let it out with a content sigh. She always thought that no beauty could compare to the one surrounding her at this moment. She admired the sun that reflected on the river and often wondered what it would be like to swim down there. Is the water warm? Is it gentle? The river flowed so beautifully that k****e declared it illegal. If it could manage such a flawless feat from up here, she wondered what the view would be like from up close. That was another thing about Shadowville. It was a place surrounded by mountains and trees that went on for miles. But what k****e often found weird was how she didn’t know of a way to get down there. This was her dead-end, just a view from above. She went looking for trails that could lead her down there, only to come across more dead ends. Like it was forbidden to cross that river. She was not directionally challenged, the main reason why she never got lost in the woods. Even when she started her forest ventures when she was only ten. She is eighteen now and still, when it came to Shadow River she felt…powerless. Dumb. It was a mystery to her. So much so that she even considered the chances of it being enchanted, which were slim because this is the 21st century and not the setting of a fantasy film. In the end, she gave up trying to get down there. Another mystery was the lack of wild animals in the mountains of Shadowville, but she was never even going to bother with that. Her legs folded underneath her as she sat her butt on the cold soil and dangled her legs over the edge of the cliff. She leaned back on the heels of her palms and bathed in the warm sunlight, and closed her eyes as a light wind blew across her face. The cool wind nipped at her exposed arms, not too harsh but soft enough to let her know this is her safe place, her sanctuary. She loved it up here. And though she was alone, she never really felt alone. She often swore she had a friend within her, she even gave her a name. If she was k****e, her friend was Ember. Em for short. The vibration of her phone in her pocket forced k****e to open her eyes. Unlocking it, she decided to take a picture of the purple, red, and orange hues of the setting sun in the sky. Swiping the screen away, a text from her chat room popped up. *Whatever hole you just crawled into, you better crawl back out. Now!* Talia’s text read and knowing who the message was directed to, a soft chuckle escaped from k****e’s lips. *Don’t be so aggressive, I haven’t forgotten about our training for tonight.* The screen showed Nova typing. *I don’t need to participate in this boring conversation right?* *The entire town knows of your lack of interest when it comes to anything fitness-related, Nova.* k****e shook her head. Talia sent an eye-rolling emoji. *MMA isn’t a sport for the unfit, sit your ass down Nova.* *I am fit enough to model for Vogue… just saying.* Kindle laughed. *Of course, the whole town knows that too.* *Just get your ass back here, Kin.* Tal stressed with a scrunching face emoji. *I’ll be there soon, jeez!* k****e left the chat room and slid the phone into her pocket. The sun was already disappearing behind the horizon, leaving behind a blanket of darkness. It was a full moon tonight and stars unapologetically littered the dark sky. As k****e inhaled and leaned back on the heels of her palms, a loud howl tore through the silence around her. She froze and a cold shiver raced through her as the howl vibrated in her veins. It was so unusual but strangely comforting. Her heart rate picked up as she leaned forward and scanned her surroundings. She was positive that there were no wild animals in this forest. But this howl just proved her wrong. It was so violent and at the same time, so sad. She had a fleeting thought that the howl called to her, and when she came to her senses, quickly shoved that thought to the back of her mind. She stood from the edge of the cliff and took a step back, she felt cold all of a sudden. She was very familiar with the feeling of being watched, and this definitely felt like someone had their eyes locked on her. Like back then. Looking around frantically, k****e’s eyes landed on a dark figure on the other side of Shadow River. The figure stood behind a bush and even in the dark, k****e swore he had to be naked. She adjusted her eyes and when she looked again, the figure was gone. Where it previously stood, stalked a black wolf that was staring right at her. Her heart rate picked up and her breathing elevated. She felt more curious than she felt scared, and that was the thought that terrified her. k****e knew she was reckless and stubborn and often did things she was clearly told not to. Three more wolves appeared from the shadows and this time her logic disregarded her curiosity. With one final look at the wolves that were definitely new to town, she spun on her heels and bolted into the forest.