Dear God, it's me again...

Everything has changed and I hope you can still hear me from this dark place of the world. It's only been a week since that night my pack leader surrendered me to this...human family. So far I have been segregated over at the Gatlin children's house. The first 3 nights I couldn't help but cry so much Lord. The 4 boys that live there, Malachai, Ian, Michael, & Burtran have tried to comfort me but I can't accept that from them. Malachai tried to kill me and my friends Lord, I know it's important to understand our enemies but this is all too much. I see the way he looks at me, he tries to be harsh on me like the others but his eyes remain soft and his heart beats faster when he looks at me. Most of the time he stays out of my way not by threat but because I know he is attracted to me. It is sick, Lord. The only other Gatlin kid's, Rachel, absolutely despises me. I thought being the only other girl close by would try and be my friend too, but she has tried to hit me twice already. Says to me how I'm a demon from hell and how she can't wait until they all get to slaughter me. Malachai and the other boys try to hush her up, but she only stops when Malachai tells her to. She likes him, I know this all stems from her jealousy. I cannot trust her God. At least the other boys avoid eye contact with me and leave me be to my cleaning duties.

The only thing that's keeping me here Lord is Caz and the Aussies. Yesterday Caz came back to check on the Aussies posting here and told us about what our council is up to. My parents are being held under house arrest for my impudence. It's bad enough they know I'm being held here as punishment, but why would they hold them too, Lord? I couldn't help but sink to my knees and start crying out there in the dirt dropping all the wet laundry I had to hang. I don't want my parents to be put to death because of me. Caz & Jordan were only spared death because Chiquita has other plans for them that they don't even know yet... I'm afraid of what that entails...what punishment is worse than death? I can't help but think it has to do with Rothman's deal here. At least I heard Germs is alive and still recovering. Caz gifted me one of his new beetles in a vial with a message:

"Please keep strong Qianna, we love you."

Please God grant me the strength to this promise, I'm tired of crying...

I know the families here are disturbed by mine & the Aussies' presence. I've kept human form while the others stay as birds in the trees. It's safer this way I think. They can't point them out and potentially harm them. There have been incidents though with some of the men in the family taunting my friends to come out of the woods. waving guns around. But they never are tempted. I know they are only here like me, by high command. And even if they do, they wouldn't have much of a fight. We just need to wait it out until our time is up...

The Hewitts, the Sawyers, & the Slaughters. As far as I know, haven't been around much as a family. Malachai did tell me how the Sawyers and Slaughters were supposed to leave after that night but because of what happened chose to stay. Possibly out of fear of what would happen if they attempted to leave. It seems Chiquita made them question their freedom or safety even now that they're under surveillance and ownership of the Texas pack council. I heard many fighting amongst them, especially at night. Mostly all of them yelling about Rothman's deal with Vilmer, Darla, & W.E. Accusing them our making a deal with the Devil. Whatever, I hope they stay scared...

That's all I can think about so far, Lord. These past few days have just been survival. It's only now can I feel like I can have a conversation with you in this prayer God. I hope after all this time of freezing up, of mentally clocking out, you're still able to hear me...Amen.

Qianna stood up next to her bed after her prayer was done. Everyone else was asleep which she preferred while she prayed. She didn't want to be so vulnerable in front of any of them during her private prayers. It was late and Qianna mustered up the courage to venture outside to look for one of the Aussies to talk to. Ever Since Caz's visit yesterday, she was anxious to be around her kind as much as possible.

Stepping out of the house quietly Qianna began to talk into the clusters of trees that swayed near the property. She could smell their scents; Brutus, Julibee, Freddie, Sissy, Beatrice, & Katerina. She remembered the injuries they endured that the doctor had to also fix, however, Qianna knew they did so far away from the house. The thing she was grateful for about being a shifter was how they could heal faster than the average human. Suffice it to say they were hanging in there and didn't have a hard time shifting.

Looking around Qianna chirped out a greeting which they chirped back. In the sky above, she could make out the silhouettes of 3 birds on branches swooping down below to where Qianna stood. Transforming before her were Sissy, Julibee, & Beatrice.

"Everything okay?" Beatrice twanged out, shifting her weight to her uninjured leg.

Qianna nodded, already slightly tearing up, "Just needed someone to talk to around here, I feel like I'm going fucking crazy... how's the wounds doing?"

Beatrice snorted with a shrug, "Out here in the bush with family has been amazing. Julibee is alive after being thrown through a fucking window, picking out heaps of glass shards from all over er body was a lot of fun. Sissy head got split open but nothing but a couple of staples to the dome can't solve."

Qianna laughed softly before Juilbee rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Shoulda died instead the way those cunts in that house kept eyeing me. Seems like stupid bogans can be everywhere. Guess we really haven't left down under..."

Sissy sighed while giving her sister Julibee a slight hug, "Don't say that now, you know the rest of them would be dead if you died. I know you lot would do the same if they killed me off."

Qianna's eyes shifted towards the ground now, "When do you think they'll let us go? I just want to go home, I miss everyone..." She started to cry as the girls began to soothe their friend.

"Now, now don't worry," Sissy said smiling, "I'm sure it can't be long. It felt long for us to be in Mexico waiting around the word for us to cross over here when it was only 6 months...It'll go by faster than you notice, you'll see."

"It's normal to feel this way," Beatrice assured, " Maybe whenever Chiquita comes back to check in she'll probably let us all go, we just have to wait."

Qianna nodded, at first she lost hope that she would ever leave this place, but the girls were right. It would just take time and she knew she would just have to keep faith now more than ever. Walking off now after her friends shifted back to their posts in the trees above, she wondered about the swamps nearby the property and decided to venture. Qianna figured if things came to things, it would be best to get a layout of the areas around the property - just in case.

Coming into view just far behind the back of the house was a shed, Qianna listened in and noticed nobody else was around or inside. Opening the wooden door carefully she took a look around and noted it was an old tool shed. Realizing these most likely belonged to the man whose face was bound in a leather mask as an old chainsaw lay on the only counter. taking a closer look at the counter were small drawers. Opening them she peeked into one that had many pens & pencils, there she found a small bible tucked away.

Almost at her knees, Qianna begins to cry again. Flipping through the pages, she opens up a familiar passage, and softly whispers to herself, "Joshua 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Being caught up in this moment, the same day she shared a prayer with her God for the first time in days, Qianna couldn't believe she found a bible in a place like this. Suddenly her nose snapped her back in reality. The old Sheriff Hoyt & the giant leather-faced man were walking towards the shed. Sitting on the floor now Qianna figured it didn't matter what they had to say or do. She quietly accepted whatever harm would come her way.

Hoyt walked with his nephew towards the shed after scolding him about not taking care of the tools he had. Hoyt noticed many of the knives were getting dull and went to the shed away from the house to see if any of them could be salvaged. "Now we either fixed the blade scraps here or-"

Opening the shed door, Hoyt was surprised to see the little Blonde girl sitting in the shed. He never saw her too far out on the property and immediately thought she was up to no good. "Now what in the hell you got planned being in here?" He barked. Qianna quickly stood up, "Just needed to get away from Rachel for a minute. I was about to head back."

Hoyt then noticed Qianna was holding a book in her hand, stepping forward with an angry look on his face, he snatched the book out of her hands and realized it was a bible.

"Now what a demon like you knows anything about the Bible?" He asked sternly.

Sighing while wiping the tears from her cheeks, Qianna replies, "Not much at least nothing that my clan won't like."

Confused now, Hoyt demanded back, "Just what do you mean by that?"

Before she could answer to him, a shot could be heard in the night.