Gaze (✔)

Chapter Ten: Outsider

“It doesn’t matter.” Sam grunted in response. “You’re not going to change.”

She rolled her eyes. “You always say that, Sam, but you know we will.” She replied. “You did, after all.”

He glared at her, venom in his tone. “I’m nothing like you two, don’t you see? You’re not as strong as I was at thirteen, and you can’t heal like me. You’re human, Clara.”

Rage built up in her mind, squashing the slight fear at his words. She couldn’t believe it, no, it wasn’t true! She would turn just like the other children, just like her older brother and just like her mother. And then maybe they could be a family again.

 -

Sam was right.

He was always right, in the end. He had the upper hand, the knowledge that everyone else was too slow to collect. Oh, but she wanted to punch the smirk off of his face when he realised this. He was visibly in a better mood after their birthday, grinning as if there was some secret only he was privy to.

A month after the date it was supposed to happen, and he was becoming impatient. When he thought the twins and his father weren’t around, he had arguments with their mother. Clara had only picked up a few things, but none of it sounded good.

Her worries were grimly confirmed one day as she listened in to a conversation between her mother and Mr Marshall, a man who also seemed to scorn the twins and their father. It was like they were something alien, vermin that had to be exterminated.

She had become very good at listening in. She could move with absolute silence, and hide anywhere. It came in handy when she needed information. Unless those she was listening to were cautious of eavesdroppers, she was a ghost.

“Their time is up, Sandra.” Mr Marshall stated with a cold voice. “One human was difficult enough, but three…I’m running out of excuses for you.”

There was silence for a moment – not hesitation, but consideration. “I know,” her mother replied without emotion. “Sending them away is my only option.”

Mr Marshall sounded incredulous. “Send them away? Is that what you think this pack wants?”

For once, Sandra sounded caught off guard. Her usually calm demeanour had changed to one of surprise. “You can’t possibly mean…”

“They want blood. We were attacked by hunters last week, and it’s only made their hatred grow. This way we can appease them and you can earn some respect back.” Marshall stated calmly.

The girl recoiled in horror, her breath caught. They wanted to kill them.

“But Sam – he turned! He is one of them, and treated as so.” Sandra said quickly, defending her favourite son. Of course, the girl thought bitterly. Anything for Sam.

“Samuel shall not be harmed, of course, but Adam and the other two will be taken care of.”

“Adam, of course, do what you will to him, but the children, is that a good idea?” her mother asked. “Sam won’t react too kindly to that.”

Mr Marshall chuckled lightly at this, as if the murder of fourteen-year-olds was nothing to him. “We both know that he won’t care in the slightest. I’ve heard the things he says about his siblings. It doesn’t matter. They’ll be dead by next week.”

Horrified, the girl slunk back down the hallway and stumbled into her room, closing the door tightly behind her. She shook with fear, terrified to meet her fate.

Clara didn’t realise that her eyes were filling with tears as she faced her mother. She was shaking slightly, fury consuming her every thought. In front of her was the woman who stood by idly and let them ruin her life. And of course she had married an Alpha – no doubt the man who had taken over after Marshall.

It didn’t take long for Sandra to recognise her only daughter, but by then she had leapt forward, ignoring the burning pain from her leg, and swung her fist at her mother with the rage she’d held in for five years.

_________

Thought I would post this one early, because it's short and I'm in a good mood :) Despite the vending machine that stole my money today.

So lots of things quietly revealed in this chapter, see if you can sift them out. Hopefully Clara's past is becoming clearer and clearer. Yeesh, though, I feel like this story has more flashbacks than Lost! :P These are probably the last.

I hope you liked it, and tell me what you think! Expected, unexpected? Sam is a new character who may or may not make an appearence in present day later on :)