Hiding

I had never felt so alone in my entire life.

Curled up as tightly as possible, trying to breath as quiet as I could..

I was surprised that I was still alive. I wasn't strong. I wasn't fast - I didn't understand how I managed to find a hiding place in time.

He'd come home, infuriated and drunk, yelling for my mum. Apparently he'd lost his job that day - But my mum wasn't home yet, and that just infuriated him even more.

"I've never liked you, you useless brat. I only behaved, because I liked your mother so much - and your useless dad was dead, so we couldn't send you off to him, now could we?"

I was just staring at him, scared. I always knew he didn't see me as his daughter. But I hadn't realized he didn't want me to live with them. He's always acted civil around me.

I was in shock, seing him like this.

"Say something you little twit"

I didn't know what to do or say, he was so angry, and I was truly scared...

"I.. I.. I.." Stuttering, I tried to figure out what I could say to calm him down.

" I, I, I" he sneered mockingly at me. "What's the matter - speak up! you're always just a quiet shadow, lurking around the house - it's despicable".

"You just hide away with your books, using my money on food, clothes, books - And what do I get in return?"

"Well, no more. I just lost my job, and our savings won't last long - especially not with you hanging around using resources".

I didn't know what he did for a living, but he always had a gun with him to work - And he brought it out from it's holster now.

I stared at him, aiming at me with the gun.

"I'll just get rid of you, you little maggot"

In slowmotion, I saw his finger curl around the trigger, slowly pushing it, until "BANG"...

It was my luck he was so drunk, the bullet whizzed past my ear, and settled in to the wall, right next to my head...

For a second, I just starred at him - and then I started running. Out the backdoor, in to the woods.

Running, running, until I could run no more, and then I threw myself to the ground, frantically looking around for a place to hide.

There, in front of me to the left, was a ledge. I scrambled over to it on my hands and knees, looked down from it and noticed a small dent underneath it covered in brambles. I rolled over the ledge, and forced myself to fit in the small area, covering as much as I could of myself with the brambles and fallen leaves.

I just laid there, trembling - waiting.

I could hear him roaming around in the distance. Drunkenly calling my name, cursing and swearing at me.

And here I was, alone!

I didn't know what to do, didn't know where to turn to for help.

It was cold and dark. I only knew I was in the forrest somewhere, my stepdad roaming around, searching for me - gun in hand.

I concentrated on my breathing, trying to calm myself enough to be able to think.

But for now, all I could do was wait and hide.

......

I don't know how long I hid under that ledge, but eventually I dared to cone out from my hidingplace.

I hadn't heard him for what felt like at least an hour.

I started walking in the direction away from where I last heard him.

It was scary in the forrest at night. There where so many unknown spunds around me. Animals sniffling through the undergrowth, owls howling, bats flying. I was just waiting for something to happen to me. Me getting caught in something, falling or even worse be chased buy a predator.

It felt as if I was surrounded på eyes, just starring at me in the darkness.

I kept walking, until I saw lights through the trees. Walking towards them, I started noticing music playing, a heavy bass reverberating through my bones.

Hiding beneath the trees, I noticed a large clearing with a huge bonfire in the middle. People dancing, talking, kissing, hanging out and having fun...

Slowly I walked towards them, hoping someone would help me, perhaps even give me shelter for the night.

Suddenly the music stopped, and suddenly everyone was staring in my direction.

I heard a low growl, as a group of men separated from the others and ran over to where I was.

They surrounded me, and one of them ran over and grabbed my arms and shaked me violently.

I heard him asking "who are you? How did you find this place?"

I fainted...

.....

As I came to, I noticed a conversation going on in the distance.

"How come none of you noticed her entering our land" a deep voice asked agressively

"We don't know Alpha. She didn't trigger our outer defence systems in any way. She walked right through them, and nothing happened" a nervous male voice answered him

" Have you checked that the barriers are still up, that there are no weak spots?" That deep voice questioned again.

"Yes Alpha - everything appears to be fine. But we are still running the perimeter, to make absolutely certain".

I stirred a little, and instantly all attention was on me again.

Someone approached me, and as I opened my eyes, they were met by a pair of piercing blue ones...

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" He asked me intensely, barely hiding his frustration.

I studied him.

He was tall, lean but muscular. Dark hair, blue eyes, and a mouth that right now was forced in to a snarling expression - but laughing lines suggested he did not always wear a scowl on his face.

I felt small next to him at 5 ft.1, cowering underneath him, barely able to meet his eyes.

Slowly, ai sat up and hugged my legs.

"I'm Bethany" I answered "And I stumbled upon this gathering, while escaping my stepfather who tried to shoot me this evening".

"How old are you?" He asked me in that deep, but beautiful, voice.

"17 sir"

He leaned down, and sniffed me. Then sniffed me again. He seemed confused now - I wondered if I'd run through something stinky in my wild chase through the forest, something that made me smell off?

"What are you?"

The question stunned me. I'm certain I looked utterly confused.

For a moment I hid behind my long dark hair, before looking up at him.

"I really don't know what you mean!"

He studied me for a long moment - not that there was much to see. I'm tiny and skinny, pale skin, long dark hair that I normally hide behind. Green eyes, almost like emeralds, an unusual color and probably what I like the most about my self.

Right now I was wearing a baggy darkgrey sweatshirt, black leggings, and socks now almost completely in shreds from my run through the forrest.

I was covered in dirt, scratches and had probably all sorts of things caught in my hair.

I looked a mess. But at least that would corroborate my story.