Tiger, Tiger

Tiger, Tiger: Chapter 7

Hellloo :)  

I hope you enjoy this :D xx

Btw, Emily Blunt is a little what I imagined Lexy's Mum to look like ;) 

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The week flew quickly by. With each passing day Rose and I spent more and more time together, growing closer and closer. I had never met someone who understood the way I felt so well before. Things were looking up for once.

* * *

The alarms screeching call woke me from a rare full night’s sleep. I groaned and stretched out, letting my arms and shoulders pop. I smacked out at the alarm to stop its droning. For the first time in years I was actually willing to get up for school.

Yawning loudly, I slipped out of bed. I began to make my way into the bathroom when a deliciously familiar smell wafted up from downstairs. It was a sweet, warm scent that made my hungry stomach rumble. Shifters need a lot of food to keep their energy levels up, and I was definitely no exception. I couldn’t resist following the scent so I slipped down into the kitchen.

I peeked around the corner and saw Rose and Mum sitting at the kitchen table, a large stack of pancakes placed before them. Another scent swirled in wisps of steam above some cups on the table: mum’s special spiced coffee. It was the kind of smell that made it feel like Christmas and it’s feeling of warmth had come early.

“Morning,” I greeted them, stepping down and into view, “This all looks very special.”

Mum’s eyes flickered up. “Morning, sweetheart,” she said, her delicate features curving up into a warm smile, “Since Rosie came round I thought I ought to make us something really nice for breakfast.”

I grinned. “Sounds great to me. And you’re up early Rose.”

“I woke up at some ridiculous hour and couldn’t get back to sleep. Mum suggested that I come over and say hello to your mum. I hope you don’t mind,” she explained, blushing.

“No! No! Not at all,” I laughed, “Why would I? I’ll just get changed and be down in two minutes.”

"Ok honey. Don’t be too long or they’ll get cold," Mum said as she turned to Rose and began to ask her how her first day of school had been.

I span on my heel and jogged up the stairs, eager to be ready quickly so I could eat my delicious looking breakfast. Slipping into the shower I flicked on the fuzzy old radio and sung along, feeling in an unusually joyous mood. The warm water wrapped over my skin like a heavenly blanket that I could’ve stayed in all day had there not been something more tempting down stairs.

I threw on a white t-shirt, jeans and converse and dug out an old brown leather jacket from the back of my wardrobe. It was a hand-me-down from mum and I loved wearing it. When it was on I could imagine her young and strong as she led with dad. It still smelt of the forest, faint perfume and wolf – her favourite form. It felt like I had a part of both my parents with me as I pulled my necklace out of its box and looped it around my neck.

I jogged back down the stairs with a smile plastered across my face and my stomach rumbling expectantly. As I reached the bottom I stumbled over my own feet. My throat dried up like a bag of sand had been tipped down it, choking me and knotting my stomach. A screeching scream couldn’t even make it through my lips.

The small kitchen table had been overturned, spraying what it once held across the floor. The plastic polka dot table cover lay crumpled and melted as the shattered coffee cups leaked their scalding contents all over it. The chairs and other furniture lay in the same state, surrounded by the remains of broken plates and crushed pancakes. I spotted a bloody handprint running across the cream kitchen counter door, like something out of a horror film. I sniffed and terror clenched my heart. It was Rose’s blood.