(Kida)

Five more times it happened that week. Against a wall, out in the woods, on the floor and in my own room. Each time I remained still and silent. Hiding in my room once more, I rearranged the little possessions I did own. It was something trivial, but it occupied my time and mind. As I shuffled around my room, I tripped over something hefty and landed on my mattress. I was clumsy at times. Sitting on the mattress, I looked at what I had tripped over this time. It was my backpack. It had been packed and unpacked numerous times over the years, from the times I spent wanting to run away and then when I found myself resisting to those ideas. It remained packed since the last thoughts I had of disappearing in the night. I found myself losing my thoughts to that idea again; running through the woods in any direction as long as it took me away from here.
Knock. Knock.
I jumped where I sat. “Who is it?” I spoke, my voice quavering.
The door creaked open and a head poked through the gap. “Get up.” It was Delta Ryan. “We’re off hunting.”
I tilted my head. It was unusual for them to invite... demand me to come hunting. I was slow, clumsy and utterly useless. “You know I can’t help.” Dropping my head, I avoided his stares.
His feet appeared before my eyes right before his hands gripped my upper arms and dragged me up onto my feet. “I couldn’t care. You’re holding me up, now come on.” He spun me round on the spot and pushed me out of my room and all the way to one of the many doors which led to outside.
Still confused as to why they had brought me along, I did as I was told in order to save myself from any beatings or punches which I would otherwise receive. The stares bored down into my skin as I tagged along. The party consisted of Ryan, a couple other Deltas and a handful of Gammas. Deltas and Gammas usually formed hunting parties and were the main fighters of the pack. All my current company had used me at least once in the last year. All my nerves were on edge.

We headed in an easterly direction, along a well-known game trail. Deer, wild boar, bears and other large animals used the embedded tracks in the ground. Twigs broke underfoot and dried leaves crumpled where we trod. It seemed ages until we came across any other form of animal. Half the party had changed to their wolf forms, the rest remained human but not to keep me company by any means. Our leader, Delta Adam, stopped mid-step and the rest of us stopped too. Ryan stood next to me; he had hardly left my side since dragging me from my room.
“You stay here,” he mouthed. “Keep your eyes open.” He pointed at me and then to a boulder. As instructed, I crouched down onto one knee as the others circled the glen we had approached.
I watched as the party split three ways. Two headed in a northern circle, another two headed south; Adam and Ryan crouched down (both as wolves now) in the shady patch we had stopped. I waited, nearly holding my breath. I still could not gather why I was here, and I guess I should have asked whilst we made the trek. Too late now, I just had to sit here and keep my eyes open, what for still evaded me. Still, I waited with hesitant breaths. Watching Adam and Ryan remain crouched side by side, watching the deer in the glen. They seemed to be crouched for longer than I would have thought. After all, deer aren’t exactly a big difficulty for six wolves and the herd was only ten strong, with one stag and a few foals.

That was when the growling started, although no wolves appeared in the glen. Both Ryan and Adam pricked their ears sharply towards the growls on the northern side of the glen. They both sprang forward, leaping about twenty feet from where they had crouched down. Of course the deer leapt from where they stood and headed in all directions away from the two wolves. I froze where I knelt, trying to decipher what was happening. From the south side, the other two dashed across the glen to head to the growling. I turned my head to point my own ears towards the same direction; the growling had now become snarls and barks. The more I listened, the more I could distinguish various tones. There were deeper tones and higher tones as if of a female. The violence would have been heard even further than where I sat which would mean more wolves will be on the way.

Still I remained where I had been told to stay. My body began to recoil away from the sounds, I could feel my muscles twitching to move but I was scared. Time passed, the violence became louder and was now so muddled in tones, it was hard to determine how many wolves were in the fray but I was certain it must have been some trespassers which started it all. Shaking my head, I found some focus and began to think again. I could get away. No one knew where I was, apart from Ryan and Adam and both would now be enthralled in the fight deep in the woods. The noises were still loud but from a change in tone, they seemed to be moving deeper into the trees. I shuffled back along the ground, wedging myself between the boulder and a large bush. I wanted to run, I wanted to get away, but I was scared. I shouldn’t be scared. I have always wanted to get away, but the thought of my freedom also overwhelmed my mind. I had never had an opportunity like this and that may be what made me hesitant. A loud growl made my decision for me... it was much closer than I had liked...
I ran.
I ran and ran and ran. Not knowing how far I had gone or exactly where I was going. I ran. I ran until my legs began to ache but kept going. I tripped a few times, overgrown roots mostly being the cause. The last trip is what halted my progress. I landed awkward on my side and hit my hip on a rock. The pain shot down my leg and rendered me to the ground. Whether I screamed or not I don’t remember, I must have blacked out or hit my head.