Lost Amongst Many

Chapter 6

When Jerome insisted I follow, Rob took matters into his own hands, pulling a hole in the chicken wire fence.

He waved me out, and yelled at me. "Go! Don't leave him waiting! I'll follow in a sec."

I bolted after Jerome's disappearing figure. He dashed off trees like I do, and skidded to a stop outside a meadow. My meadow.

"What is it, Jerome? Why did you bring me home?"

He snuffed the ground, gingerly using his claws to shove me forward into the clearing. I heard a pressured string be pulled, and Jerome dragged me back in an instant. A big, sharp black arrow sprouted from the ground where I had been standing mere seconds before.

"They have taken your family. Just as they took mine. Preston, you have no choice but to remain with me and the boys at the castle. You cannot return here. It will end in your death, Preston."

Despite his warning, I streamed home. Inside the cove, nothing looked different. Outside, I realized what had happened. In front of me, in a flattened patch of tall grass, my mother lay dead in a pool of her own blood. Her throat was cut, and her eyes were lifeless.

An arrow pierced the dirt at my feet, and it startled me. I jumped back, and ran back to Jerome in the trees.

Jerome whisked me up into the treetops, and led me over the canopy easily. He did not seem as easily swayed by wind as I. Jerome would glance back a few times to make sure I was okay, but overall let me walk on my own.

Jerome led me to a separate clearing- one I had never been in.

"This is my home, Preston"

I felt sad. It was not a clearing like I had thought. It was a jagged scar of ash. It had been burned to the ground. There were bones littering the forest floor, and several, if not dozens, of bacca skulls and remains of bacca-made structures.

Jerome showed no emotion in his face, but I knew from his eyes that he had not expected this destruction and death. He had expected home. Or some remainder of home at least.

"They- they are all gone. There were only a few packs, and we were the main pack. I will have to find a second pack."

"Jerome, give it a rest. It is nearly dark and I am still punished. I am probably already in trouble for leaving. I do not need to be in more trouble. Nor do you."

He sighed heavily, but lifted me and carried me back to the castle. Upon returning, Jerome tossed me- literally- through the gates. He shuddered and stepped over the border. Bones shifted and cracked again, and he shrank in size. He growled and realized he was still punished. Mitch had yet to release him from the cage.

Speaking of, Mitch walked over to us, and dragged Jerome by his tags and collar inside. I was taken in by the human, and found Mitch locking the door to the cage with Jerome inside. He shook his head, and his tags jingled. I do not think I mentioned it, but in his human form, Jerome has a dog collar- a thing that Rob claimed is a 'choker necklace' whatever that is. Although, it has an ID tag and a rabies shot tag, so I am not sure that it is a necklace.

Jerome curled up in the corner on his blankets and fell asleep with a huff. I sat awake for a while longer. Near midnight, in the dead silence, I heard a voice and the shuffling of footsteps. I sat forward, confused. 'Who is up at this hour? Besides me, that is.'

Appearing from a separate hallway, the King came into my vision. He looked pale, but angry. I watched as he sat in front of me- on the floor. His eyes were sleepy, but he was awake enough to be terrifying.

He moved his wrist, and I glanced down- my heart skipping an entire beat and my breath seizing. In his hand was a knife- a dagger, to be more specific. It was stainless steel, a very modern, close-combat weapon. But why did he have it, and why now?

Beige with could react or move, he threw the cage door open, and drove the dagger into my ribcage.

~~+~~+~~+~~+~~+~~+~~
-A/N-
Hahahahahahahahahaha cliffhanger. This one won't last very long. The chapters are short and easy to write. But it still counts as a cliffhanger. Love you guys!
~Percabeth1Jackson