The Story Of Toralei Stripe.
Thunder rushed across the angry skies as rain beat to the ground, chilling anything in its path. Most beings would have sought shelter during a storm like this however one lone figure sat huddled under a large oak, its worn clothing clinging to its skin.
Why does everyone either hurt me or run from me? Its not like I am going to hurt anyone. The young teen, a were-cat with the markings of an orange tabby thought as she sat there, knees pulled to her chest in a fruitless attempt to fight against the bitter winds.
As she sat there the tears that she had been trying to hold in began to lightly fall, mingling with the rain that washed over her orange fur.
'why don't anyone want to adopt me?...Why aren't I good enough?' shewondered, her ears flattening against her hair as the sobs began to wreck her body. Her memories of being abandoned with her siblings who had been adopted only a few weeks after haunting her mind.
'what's wrong with me?...is it like the human's say?...Am I really a freak?'
the young girl was so caught up in her own thoughts that her sensitive hearing did not pick up the sound of hooves rushing toward her, that was until her tail almost got stepped on under the blue and purple horses feet.
"Oew! Watch where you're going!" she hissed, jumping up and moving away from the beast once she saw the rider stop right in front of her.
"what are you doing out here this late?" a kind female voice asked as the orange werecat glared at her.
"what's it to you?" she snapped, about to walk off until the rider asked the dreaded question "does your parents know you're out here?"
the tabby's ears drooped at this and tears began to spill from her jade eyes.
"don't have any." she admitted, bracing herself for any harsh comeback.
However the woman only smiled sympathetically and asked
"would you like to come with me? I have plenty of room at my house...you can stay there as long as you like."
'why do I have to get my hopes up...she only wants me to stay off the streets...she wont care about me.'' the were-cat thought then said out loud
"Who are you? I don't tag along with just anyone."
The woman smiled slightly at the girl's spunk and retorted "sorry. My name is Grace Bloodgood."
The orange were-cat glared nervously up at the tall woman and sighed before retorting
"my name's Toralei...Toralei stripe."
'at lease she might not call me a freak or anything of that nature...like those humans...' the young girl thought sadly, still hurt from events from earlier that day.
"lets get out of the rain Toralei." Grace suggested, motioning toward the red eyed horse however the feline shied back.
"I'd rather walk thank you." she retorted, slightly uncomfortable about the horse.
"it would be faster but suit yourself." the woman replied as she climbed back on the horse and began to ride at a trot, one that Toralei could easily keep up with.
As the young girl followed she couldn't help but feel a sense of doom wash over her.
'why am I so eager to trust her? It'll just be like all the times before...I'll get my hopes up and then she'll just either run me off or start treating me like garbage.' she wondered bitterly asshe paused in her tracks.
'she can't be human because no normal person would ride a horse like that...heck I wouldn't ride a horse like that!' she pondered with a slight smile, for the first time in ages.
"you coming?" Grace asked gently over her shoulder, snapping Toralei out of her thoughts.
"Sorry." Toralei whispered, quickly catching up though the dark haired woman only smiled and retorted
"its alright...I'm just concerned that if we stay out any longer in this weather one of us will become sick."
'does she really care about my health or just hers? But maybe she is just really nice...maybe this time it will be different...maybe...maybe I finally will have a home.' Toralei wondered as her thoughts rushed back to her childhood:
She was abandoned along with her brother and sisters when she was only a year old, the youngest of the liter, it was a cold, rainy fall night she recalled and the only warmth she had was the oldest of the litter who was already able to hold her human-like form easily. However that little piece of comfort was taken from her only a few short days later when her siblings were adopted, though the couple left her.
Toralei didn't even notice that they were now standing in front of a large house until she felt a soft hand on her shoulder and heard the woman say "well this is it."
Toralei shuddered a bit from the slight touch, instinct kicking in as she turned her eyes up on the ancient looking mansion.
'why would someone want a house this big?' Toralei wondered as she followed the woman toward the doors.
"Uhm..." she began, hesitating at the door "I'll wait out here until I dry out." she continued, not wanting to track the water and mud into the house.
"go on in...it'll be alright." Grace stated softly as she gently pressing her hand into the small of the girls back, leading her toward the now opened door.
'why...why does she care so much? She don't know me...she don't know what all I have done...would she still let me stay here if she knew?' Toralei thought with a whimper, causing Grace to pause.
"did I hurt you?" she asked apologetically as she removed her hand.
"No...its just...why are you doing this?" the orange haired were-cat asked softly, her tail flicking nervously. She was almost afraid to hear the answer but she wanted to know.
Grace looked down at her and smiled sympathetically as she answered softly "I'm not the kind of person who would just leave a little girl alone in middle of the woods."
Toralei smiled slightly as she glanced around the warm room, surprised on how lavish things was. She was afraid to even walk, not wanting to get anything dirty.
"here...go get warm...I'll try to find something for you to wear." Grace suggested as she handed her a large towel.
"thanks." Toralei managed to whisper, the word sounding strange coming from her lips.
As she wrapped the towel around herself she knelt onto the floor, being careful still to not touch anything.
'I hope this time is different...I hope I don't have to leave.' she thought as a stray tear made its way down her cheek, though she defiantly brushed it away.
She was just tired of everything: tired of crying, tired of having to run, tired of being alone.
A roar of thunder caused the young monster to jump from her thoughts.
"here...go into the other room and change...before you get sick." the woman whispered and the young girl took the bundle of clothing and followed the woman's directions toward the bathroom and quickly changed the soppy clothing for the dry ones that she had been given.
Once she was simi-dry the teen walked back into the large living room, though still unsure of what to do.
"would you like something to eat?" Grace asked softly and the young girl nodded, not sure of how to react.
"go ahead and take a seat...this is your home now." the woman stated and the tabby sighed.
'home...' she thought bitterly, she had learned to hate the word.
After a few minutes later a delicious scent filled the air and Toralei's stomach began to growl.
'great I was already hungry I didn't need this.' she thought with a small hiss. Embarrassed even though she hadn't eaten in days.
"Come on, foods done." the woman's voice called and the young teen began to follow her savior's voice.
"go ahead and eat..though I would suggest you take it slow. I doubt you would want to get sick." Grace stated and Toralei rolled her eyes.
"I'm not stupid." Toralei muttered and the dark haired woman rolled her eyes.
"I wasn't saying that you were." she replied softly, though by instinct Toralei flinched back.
The rest of the meal went by silently, both unsure of what to say.
'I should say something...I mean...she's being so nice.' Toralei pondered then managed to nervously say
"thanks...a lot for your help."
This took Grace Bloodgood aback, the girl seemed almost at ease a few minutes ago but now she seemed to sink back into the fear.
"Toralei...Can I ask you one question?" Grace asked softly as she and the teen walked back toward the living room area.
"yeah..." the barely fourteen year old whispered in reply slightly nervous.
"why were you out there all alone? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to I just want to know why someone would leave a child out in this weather?"
'I have an option? If she wanted to know why didn't she just order me to tell her?'
"I don't really know...my mom and dad just ditched me and my five siblings when we where really young...I can hardly remember them at all. All I can remember is that my oldest sister use to watch out for me when the rest of my siblings ignored me...but they were adopted..." the orange tabby answered softly, tears suddenly springing into her jade eyes.
'why did they leave us...wasn't I good enough for their foster family?' that very thought was the end of her willpower not to cry.
Grace watched the child collapse onto the couch, covering her face with her hands. Slowly the woman wrapped her arm around the distraught teen who curled against her and buried her face in the woman's shirt.
"Why?" she mewed, all the emotions she was never able to express rushing out.
"I don't know Toralei...but you're alright now...your not going to be alone again...I promise you that." Bloodgood whispered soothingly.
Toralei shuddered at the promise, would the woman keep it? She continued to cry for a few minutes, finding herself unable to stop.
"Do...do you mean that?" she whimpered, wanting to trust the women desperately but finding it hard to.
"I would not say it if I didn't." Grace replied, still rubbing soothing circles into the young girls back.
The girl couldn't help but relax, for the first time in years she felt safe.
After a while the girl pulled away and whispered
"Sorry."
'I shouldn't have curled against her like that...I hardly know her and besides that she probably don't want cat hair all over her.'
"why would you be apologizing? You haven't done anything wrong." the older of the two stated, concerned once more.
'yes I have...maybe...I shouldn't be here...but I don't want to be out there still either.'
"Toralei..." Grace began after a few minutes when the younger ghoul had been silent and once the fourteen year old had looked up she continued.
"You did nothing...understand? You can be yourself here with me. I don't know what you have faced out there but I assure you it will not happen here." The headmistress stated gently.
'why do I want to trust her? I just met her...but...no one else has ever treated me this way.' she thought just as the woman ran a soft hand through her hair, causing her to want to lean into the touch.
"Yes ma'am." Toralei muttered, still afraid to be non-formal.
"I promise you Toralei...I will not hurt you." the woman repeated.
Toralei only nodded and leaned against the woman once more, though this time timidly. However the woman only continued to rub the young were-cat's back, wondering how she could help her become more relaxed.