Troubled Waters

Chapter 1: Silent Heart

My breath was hushed as I watched her. She moved slowly and cautiously knowing I was watching her yet not sure where I was. A small smile spread across my lips. I was starved and looking for a fun game. It had been quiet a spell since I last ate. Humans were cutting down my forest and hunting in my lands taking away my food little by little, slowly starving me without knowing it. I was an unknown soul here. Always watching, always waiting. Waiting for the day when I would either be killed, or be the killer.

Watching as my prey walked inching her way across the ground, ears high and on the alert. Her black beady eyes scanning the under-growth where I hide, passing over me, and over again. Finally after a long while she deemed it safe and started to graze. My ears twitched, hearing the birds above me hover around their nest, watching me. Though, little did they know I wasn't after them. I had my sights set on the doe in front of me. Holding my dagger I crept closer staying hidden. Freezing only when she lifted her head to look around, again waiting her out, but always watching.

Finally, I felt the right moment in my body. My muscles tensed and I launched myself landing on her back. My dagger raised in the air ready to strike. The wind whistled passed my ear as I threw down my hand, sinking my blade into her gullet, dragging it across cutting her open. She stood for one more moment, then her legs went to water as her body collapsed to the earth. With easy grace and perfection I followed her body down. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face. I swiped it away with the back of my hand and looked up at the sun. Its rays were getting hotter with every new year. The humans were causing so much damage to the earth and I couldn't do anything to stop them. I was only one Neko, standing alone. If any others were out there somewhere they were either hiding or living among the humans.

With a sigh, I moved to the side of my lovely kill and squatted beside her pulling my pouch off my waist string. Inside I had leather rope I had made from my other kills. Moving to her feet I tied them together and wrapped the rope around my wrist and hand. Watching where I stepped I made my way to my cabin. The only home I've had since the attack eight years ago when I was nine. My cabin was about three miles away. I hadn't thought about how far I was going when I was hunting the doe, I was following my stomach more than my brain. Looking up at the sun I realized it was a little pass mid-day. It would take me possibly two and a half to get back. Add on another hour to skin the doe and cut up the meat it would be early evening before I could sit down and eat.

I started walking watching the ground go by my feet in a blur. My black hair kept falling into my eyes, I finally gave up with pushing it all back. When I looked up I saw the beautiful green that the leaves were becoming on the trees around me. My mind went back to when I use to sit on my Pa's lap.

"You have the most stunning eyes Lilian. It's a wonder why no one's come calling for you yet." Pa said smiling down at me. "You can stop someone in their tracks with one look from those green gems of yours."

I never did believe him, but I have never been around anyone to test his words. I've looked in the mirror to look at them but they just seemed green and... dead. No life in them anymore, yet looking at these leaves and how close they were to the same color made me think back. The color was stunning and made me want to stop and just look at it for so long. At least the trees could be admired but me on the other hand? I will never be admired. I hide myself for a reason and I must always remember that reason. I also had to try and find my sister, Missy, if she was still alive. I just hoped that she wasn't living with the humans. If she was she was never welcome to be around me. Not after what those filthy animals did to my Ma, Pa, and my brother.

**

When I finally got home I skinned the doe and cut up some meat for my evening meal. I would get to the rest later. Outside I started a fire inside the fire pit and got a few slices of meat arranged and let them slowly cook over the flame. I lay back in the grass and close my eyes thinking back to when Ma would take me to wild berry bushes to get berries for pie and I'd eat them all up. Her laughter would ring in the air with a smile on her face, tisking at me for snatching the berries from her basket every time. I smiled at the memories. Not one memory I had was bad when I was with my parents and brother. I remember sitting in front of the fire trying to knit for the first time when Pa cried out with joy as Drake took his first steps towards Pa's outstretched hands.

Everything had been so perfect then snatched away from me. I opened my eyes and stared at the clouds. My only question was what had I done to deserve being alone?