Lone Werewolf

Tears

"I was born in a thunderstorm
I grew up overnight
I played alone
I'm playing on my own" - Sia, Alive

I survived.

I stood on my tiptoes, little nose pressed up against the dirty glass of my attic window, unaware of the smudge of dirt settling on my nose. I was wasn't​ tall enough yet to see as clearly as I wanted. Up ahead, way up high in the sky, a firework exploded. It burst full of light and I squealed with a mixture of fear and excitement.

I didn't really like loud noises, but the lights were too pretty to be scared of.

I wondered just how pretty they would look close up, where all the pack were, although I knew I couldn't go down there. It would make Alpha angry and Alpha was very scary when he was angry.

***

I hated Christmas. I hated it so much....I always went hungry on Christmas. I lay on my side on the lumpy mattress in the attic, too weak to move much, although I didn't want to anyway because it hurt my beaten body too much. I could hear the clatter of knives and forks downstairs, making my little stomach grumble as I clutched it with scrawny arms.

I was so hungry I was in agony.

I had tried to snatch some food yesterday morning, but Alpha found out and he was very angry. My body still hurt from the battering it took, even thinking about it made me shake with fear. His message was clear, 'only family is allowed on Christmas'. Laughter drifted up and I squeezed my eyes shut.

I wish I had a family.

**

Alpha grabbed me by the hair and dragged me up the stairs, my legs tripping over themselves in our haste. I yelped and his fingers tightened their grip. My hair was really long, like Rapunzel (they had sneered) - I don't like that name anymore. The scary man wheeled me into the bathroom and pulled me down before violently turning on the tap to fill up the bath. I cowered away from him, trying to avoid his painful hands. He growled and whipped around, dealing with me before shoving me into the bath.

I slipped on the bottom and crashed with a splash. This only angered him more as he slammed the cupboard door open and grabbed the head lice shampoo, my eyes following his movements closely, anticipating when he would lash out. I tried not to shiver – the water was freezing. He gripped my hair in his tight fist before brutally shoving my head under the icy water, I shrieked, my voice bubbling out in the water as the air escaped me. He released me sputtering and gasping, fighting for the stolen air, burning tired lungs. He reached to the side and picked up a pair of scissors, making my eyes widen in fear before he began hacking at my hair. It had never been cut before and I didn't like what he was doing. I whimpered as locks and locks fell around me, but didn't try to stop him.

I couldn't.

I stayed silent even as I felt the scissors nick the back of my neck painfully, already shaking uncontrollably, which only made it harder for the Alpha. Once he seemed satisfied he squirted shampoo into his hands before forcefully washing my hair with it. The shampoo stung my eyes and I let out a cry.

He grumbled before shoving me forcefully under the freezing water again. I couldn't breathe as he held my under, panic gripping me in its tight grasp, my head swimming dizzily. I tried to grab at the sides of the bath but kept my fingers kept slipping.

At last he relented his hold and proceeded to wash the rest of my short hair. The harsh water made me shiver and goose bumps patterned my flesh. Alpha repeated the process again before standing up with a huff. I wrapped fragile arms around myself, trying to hide from his gaze and chase away the cold.