The Howling Of The Hollow Heart
There is a thin line between love and hate; but does love conquer all? Perhaps every story does not have a happy ending...
Disclaimer: All recognisable settings, characters and places belong to their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer, who wrote the Twilight Saga.
"Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it," -Buddha
[†] Prologue [†]
I grimaced as a firm shoulder bashed against my fragile one. I turned to my brother, who gave me a weak smile of encouragement.
Honestly, I didn't understand why we chose to attend high school. Mother had given us the option of home schooling; however often she nagged us about it, we knew she was much too weak for that.
With an inaudible sigh, I continued the trek to my locker.
Taunts and laughter grew louder with each step until I finally reached the dreaded thing.
The combination lock was rusty and my locker door was open, all my books on the floor. Students laughed and pointed as I picked them up, wincing each time I bent my elbow slightly too far to the left. The inside of my locker was spray painted with obscenities and the occasional 'loser!' and 'freak' which I didn't even bother to wipe away this time.
That'd just give them the satisfaction of doing it again.
I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against the cold metal once I heard the sound of three pairs of feet heading in my direction.
Knowing the trio, there would be three identical sleazy smirks plastered across their ever so perfect faces.
"Oh look who escaped from the freak circus,"
Sniggers could be heard from our audience.
Too tired to fight back, I shut the locker door and attempted to walk away, when a warm, sweaty hand enclosed around my arm.
The metallic taste of my own blood filled my mouth as I bit down on my bottom lip so I would not give him the satisfaction of wincing in pain.
I took a deep breath in before turning around to face my friend.
Note the sarcasm?
"Where do you think you're going? Why, it's rude to not return a greeting."
My jaw clenched and my knuckles turned white as I clenched my fists.
Yet I remained silent.
Tutting, Nathaniel released my arm as if he'd been burned, before turning and walking away with a smug expression.
"Yes, walk away like the little bìtch you are," I mumbled.
My brother sighed before gently taking my hand and pulling me into the restroom.
"Adonia, Adonia..." he sighed, twisting my wrist slightly so he could observe my knuckles.
"Brother Bear, I don't like it here. I want to move," I said as firmly as I could.
His coffee brown orbs met with mine, seeing the honesty and sadness in my eyes. With a small smile, he stroked my hair before pulling me into his embrace. Exhaling a short, shaky breath, I wrapped my arms around my brother's waist.
I felt safe as I breathed in his woodsy scent, mentally smiling to myself.
And then his arms were gone, leaving the cold to seep through my clothes again.
"Adonia, mother is calling us," he said, eyes wide and shoulders tense.
My eyes widened before I grabbed his hand and set off through the hallways, careful to maintain a human speed.
The shouts of my teachers were drowned out by my mother's pleads for help.
Adonia, Xavier, please!
Forgetting the human pace, I flew through the double doors and sped past the tree line and into the forest.
Adonia! Xavier!
Unable to run any faster, I huffed and welcomed the feeling of my bones cracking and shifting before I was on all fours and pacing through the trees with inhumane speed. The pain in my shoulder and elbow was a faint memory, preparing to taunt me the minute my adrenaline was gone.
For the first time, I ignored the amazing feeling of the wind against my fur as I leapt over the river only a mile north of our home.
Adonia!
My mother's whimpers tore at my heart, hollowing it out like a spoon in a cereal bowl.
Breathing in short pants, I could sense my brother lagging behind but did not bother waiting for him. My mind was set on one thing: mother.
I tore down the front door, letting out a loud growl before pouncing up the stairs.
My mother's frail body slumped and became limp and lifeless.
I let out a furious growl which shook the foundations of the house, shattering the windows as I met the gaze of a pair of two empty, crimson eyes.
The blond leech even had the nerve to smile at me.
The cold bastard dropped my mother's body and stalked toward me.
Letting out another growl of pure wrath, I showcased my razor-sharp teeth with a feral sneer.
One paw in front of the other, I advanced on the idiot.
With no mercy, I pounced on the vampire, digging my claws into his shoulders before pulling him limb from limb – starting from his toes, of course – enjoying his blood curdling screeches of pain.
No mercy, no mercy, I repeated in my head before snapping his neck and pulling his head from the remains of his body.
Once he was definitely dead – this time, for good – I let out a deafening roar of sadness before collapsing.
My brother had shifted back and sat in the corner of the room, cradling my mother's dead body as his tears soaked her now useless clothing.
I met his saddened gaze before shifting back and crawling over to them.
Tears trailed down my cheeks, leaving only trails of wetness behind as evidence of my weakness.
"M-mother," my brother choked out, his voice hoarse and dry, "told me that she wanted us to go to Seattle. She said something about Sue Clearwater..."
My jaw clenched before I looked up at him.
"Then we shall."
