Annebeth's Dilemma

Annebeth

You wish to hear my story? But why mine, I have no special story. Yes, Abezethibou, I’ll tell them, I know how you like to hear me retell your horror. Okay, I’ll even tell them how I felt, and a little before that, but you may not like it much. Okay, okay, I’ll begin.

My life was not like you may think, many expect that Abezethibou chose me from a prominent and wealthy family. If this is what you thought, you would be dead wrong. When I was young, my father died, he was a great dad from what I remember. So it was just my mom, my sister and me left. She was not a great mom, in fact she was terrible. She hit me and belittled me. My only escape from her was to go explore the real world. I made friends with everyone and helped them out in return for a little money or food, since my mom didn’t feed us. I gave all my food to my little sister, trying to keep her alive. I took her everywhere with me to keep her away from our mother. We slept our nights on a cold wood floor, which splintered into our paws and made us bleed more than once. When I was seven, I found a dance studio. I asked them how I could join them, and learn ballet. So we worked out a deal, they would teach me for a few years and I would pay them back with lessons to the younger kids when I was older. I’m not sure how I convinced them though. I also had found a few different martial arts centers and used the same deal to join them, plus paying them as much as I could here and there. I taught my sister ballet and martial arts and toghtether we felt strong.

One night, when my sister was eleven, she got into a fight with our mom. She started using her training and hurt my mom. She left and came back with a knife. I tried to stop her as she began to stab my sister, before turning to me and slashing me across the face and stomach. I collapsed to the floor bleeding as I watched our mother stab her daughter to death. I passed out on the floor still hearing her screams. When I woke, I had to clean everything up and pretend nothing had happened. I cried and cried on my floor before I even remembered about my cuts. I stayed home for a few days. Soon, a few days without my sister tuyrned into years. Every night I heard her screams, and I always dreamed about my mother turning on me and sending me to the dark abyss she sent my sister. When I was fifteen, I was teaching ballet and martial arts classes and working part time as a cashier, all the while holding a fake smile. I began noticing a shadow, someone lurking in the there shadows. It wasn’t always there, but everytime I looked, it was gone. I was worried, but calmed, if whoever was stalking me came out and killed me, I’d be able to see my sister again.

No, I would at least fight, I didn’t want to die, not then and not today. When my time comes, and it will come, but it is not now.

I was walking home after a long day of teaching and working. I was passing by an alleyway when I noticed the shadow pet stalking me. It was dark and I was alone, so I turned down the alley. I walked quickly to make it through the alley, when I felt something in the alley with me, and then I heard him.

“What’s a kitten like you doing out here in our neighborhood?”

“The roughest neighborhood is not the kind of place a beauty like you should be.” Another spoke, I could only see their shadows, but I knew there was four of them. My breathing slowed, a calm exterior, while my heart raced, an anxious interior. This was one of the gangs that ruled my neighborhood. The leader slunk out of the shadows in front of me, he let out a hot, smelly breath over me. His wolf face, scarred by the fights he’d fought, and one gold tooth to show his stolen wealth. He spoke again,

“Why don’t you pay us to leave you alone tonight?” I felt a fifth presence watching us.

“I have no money, I have nothing, please just let me go.” I pleaded, the night cold with injustice.

“We can’t do that unless you pay us, and since you have no money, you’ll pay with your life.” He leaped forward and attacked. I ducked and the other three began to fight me. I held my ground, using my training to hold them back. I kicked and bit like mad, I was not dying there as my mother had predicted.

You will die in a dark alley, but they’ll take more than just your money.

I couldn’t let her be right, but I was tiring and my fear was becoming noticeable, fuelling the wolves. A dark furred one punched me in the head while a paler one scratched me across my forelegs, cutting deep. I bled onto the pavement as I went down.The wolves kept kicking and biting while I lay defenseless. As I began trying to make peace with my maker, one wolf was dragged into the shadows and began screaming. Blood rained out from where he had been taken. Suddenly, another was pulled to his demise. The last two wolves looked at each other, frightened, forgetting about me. The next wolf was dragged off, but he was silent a little longer. Suddenly, he was screaming before he smashed into the pavement beside me. I freaked out as I saw my sister laying beside me. She mouthed something to me. Love him, he’s your hero. Then I was dragged back into reality, staring at a dead wolf. I heard the last one, the leader, backing off and turing to flee. He was stopped in his tracks by a large canine. This brown canid bared his fangs through his thick and scarred fur.

“I don’t think so, you’re not leaving without your consequences.” He growled before lunging and ripping his throat out. I watched as he bled out while still very much alive. The dark hero of mine approached and just stared down at my battered and broken body. I saw his red eyes easing into a menacing purple as my eyes closed. I thought it was my time to go, so I wispered through dry lips, and fading voice,

“Thank you.” My vision faded and I remeber him only staring as I left my conciousness behind.

I woke with a start, laying on my bedroom floor, covered in my tattered blanket. At first, I thought it was just a bad dream, but then I saw the cuts. My blood had been cleaned away and one paw was in a sling, likely broken the night before before the red eyed dog had saved me. I eased my way to the kitchen to see if there was something to eat. Lo and behold, to my great shock, there was a single apple on the tabble with a note. I went and looked it over. It held the letter A in a not so fancy scrawl, completly unlike my mother. I decided to eat the apple, since it seemed that my saviour had brought me home and fixed me up. And now, they were feeding me. How nice. I thought to myself as I ate quietly.

I left the house and went to find my friends after my paw had healed, and my injuries were not noticeable. I found them, and they had a plan.

“Annebeth, its great to see you, Jane and the boys have an idea.” Seth said to me when I came into his house. Jane sat on the couch with our friends, Lou, Cash, and Tabs. Cash shook out his silver fur and looked at me with his sparkling blue eyes. Cash would flirt with me and I liked him enough not to get upset, in contrast, Tabs would always get a slap when he tried that.

“So Annie, you up for some fun with us?” Cash asked me, “Jane and the guys are in.”

“What are we thinking Cash?” I asked while I sat down.

“We are going to a concert in Slash’s Snake Pit.” Cash answered.

“Which show?”

“Tonight,” Seth began, “We are going to see Pheonix Flight opening for the Diablos.”

“We have no money, so we aren’t going in the front doors.” Jane purred.

“You want to sneak in? What if we get caught?” I gasped.

“We get kicked out, and go home,“Tabs said flatly, “Or we don’t get caught.” Lou sat up and started giving Jane a massage, since of course they were dating. He spoke,

“So, Betts? Are you coming?” Every cat in the room waited for my answer.

I thought about it before I evaluated my answer. I told them straight.

“When do we leave?” My friends cheered and we hung out until after supper, then we started walking to Slash’s Snake Pit. The Snake Pit was on the other side of town, and I had no intention of going home that night.

We walked and talked until we made it to the Snake Pit. It was early night when we made it to the brightly lit building. Slash had his large rottweiler guarding the door. But my group of friends and I are cats, so getting in would be easy. Pets were handing their tickets to the Rottie and being let inside the Snake Pit. We walked past the group and down the street until we made it to the alleyway and down it we dissapeared. We ran stealthily down to the back door of the Snake Pit. We had our plan, and so we followed it like the Bible. We hid in the alley and waited for it. We waited maybe five minutes before one of Slash’s employees came out for a smoke. I, being the stealtiest and smallest, raced forward as the door swung closed. I slipped through before the employee noticed me. Once inside I stood up and began walking through the back hallways until I found my way into the Pit where the conceert was held. Pheonix Flight was already playing. So I turned around and went back to the back door. All I needed was to find the concert and wait for the employee to come back inside. When I made it back to the door, the employee was returning, the door slipping closed. I caught it and watched my friends whisk inside. We slipped down the halls as I led them to the Snake Pit. The music from Pheonix Flight blared out across the mosh of Pets in the the Pit. The Snake Pit is exacly as it sounds, a large pit encirceld by a metal fence with some spaces for pets to descend. A large stage was set at the far end of the Pit. Strobe lights and smoke filled the room as Pets listened and danced. Cash came back from slipping down the hall carriying a six pack of beer. He handed one to each of us.

“Cheers!” He said while we echoed. Lou snuck back into the backrooms and snuck lots of beers back for us. We hammered back beer after beer listening to the sets of Pheonix Flight before the Diablos took the stage. The Diablos were a set of triplets, dark brown and scarred dingos singing about a place called Hell.

Sitting next to Cash, I drank another can of beer. As he drank we chatted, and flirted a little.

“So, are you happy you joined us?” He asked.

“Very, it’s even better since you’re here.” I slurred a little. I was tipsy and feeling like doing something stupid. Doing something regrettable, although I’d never regret it.

“Aw, you’re just adorable Annie, I love spending time with you.” He replied.

“I love being with you, Cash, you’re definitley more than just my best friend.” My cheeks felt hot as I admitted this. He leaned closer to me as we listend to a song. I closed my eyes as Cash kissed me long and hard. When he pulled away, we gazed into each other’s eyes. I definitley did something stupid, but I didn’t regret it.

Jane came over and dragged me away to go dance with her. We danced the night away in a hot room, thick with other Pets. I was drunk enough that I didn’t notice I wasn’t dancing with my brown furred friend anymore. Before me was a brown dingo looking me up and down hungrily. Jane was nowhere to be seen in the crowded pit. I recognized him as a member of the band, still singing the vocals for the set. I felt like doing more stupid things. I gave him a sly, tipsy smile, and tried dancing sexily. I didn’t know what he wanted with me, but I was ready for anything. He gave me a smirk and began dancing with me. He placed his paws on my hips and began swaying them from side to side while I continued my dancing. We danced while he sung with his band mates, who’d all entered the pit to sing around the Pets.

Once the Diablos set had ended, the other two removed their instruments and mics. While the one dancing with me led me out of the pit and through the back. He led me into a set room for the bands.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He turned and asked me, his voice rough and cold.

“Yes, I’m sure.” I replied. His eyes were a menacing purple and I remembered back to that night in the alley. Was he the canid who saved me? He pushed me up against the wall, his voice scarier this time.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” I replied again, so he spun me from the wall and laid me onto the couch and asked me once again, his eyes terrifying me as his rough voice rubbed like ice through my ears.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” I replied again.

“You’re gonna regret this.” He threatened me, his voice menacing.

“I won’t regret this.” I stated the truth to him. With that, he used magic. Something I’d never seen before, which scared me. Everything went black and silent.