Running with the Wolves

chapter 32: strength in numbers

I'm not paying much attention to their conversation. Instead, I'm looking at the pictures on the wall that adorn Lydia's room.

There's pictures of her with her mom. Some of them were taken when she was a little girl, others are more recent. I see one of her with her dad. I keep scanning the pictures and my eyes land on one that was taken last year. I'm in it. So is Malia, Kira and Lydia. We're at a lacrosse game, the four of us with our arms wrapped around each other with smiles on our faces.

If a stranger were to look at this photo, they'd think we are four teenage girls without a care in the world.

But the truth is we aren't. Maybe in the moment the picture was taken we were, but most of the time, we live in a constant state of worry.

who is coming after us now?

when are our old enemies going to catch up with us?

when will the new ones show up?

will we all make it out alive next time someone decides to wreak havoc on beacon hills?

It's enough to make anyone go crazy. I think I would've if it wasn't for the support of these girls.

I love this picture. I love pictures. They capture a moment and you can always come back to revisit it. Over and over again, even when the moment is gone, even if the people in it have moved on.

I have to start taking pictures again. It's time I start using my Christmas present.

I look at the picture above ours. It's a picture of Lydia and Allison. They are at the mall. They both look so much younger. If I had to guess, I'd say this was taken their sophomore year.

This photo captured a special moment between them, a moment they can't go back to. But Lydia can revisit that moment through the picture, even after Allison's death...

"You miss her don't you?" Lydia asks.

I turn around. "Yeah."

"I do too." she says.

Malia pats the space next to her on the floor. I walk to her and sit next to her.

"How are you holding up?" Malia asks.

"Ok. I mean, I've gained a lot of control over this but not as much as I'd like." I respond.

"It can be frustrating, not knowing everything about you powers. But with time, you'll learn everything about it and you'll be able to control your abilities. Patience is key." Malia says, smiling at the end.

"The more you learn about it, the better you'll be able to control it." Kira adds.

"How were you all able to learn control?" I ask them.

"Through a lot of practice." Malia answers. "And with the help of your brother."

"Meredith helped me. And so did learning about my grandmother." Lydia says. "But I'm still learning as well."

"So am I." Kira adds. "My mom and dad help me, train me, and teach me about Kitsune powers, but there's still a lot left for me to learn."

"I'm scared that what ever this is will spiral out of control and I'll hurt someone. I don't know how, but the thought of it scares me." I admit.

"We've all felt like that at one point." Malia says.

"Yeah, but we have each other. And we always help each other in times of need." Kira says.