Half and Half

Prologue

The girl looked down at the newly wet page and brushed a lock of curly red hair behind her ear. With the same hand she wiped a tear from her cheek. The girl drew a deep breath as she tried to block the names and jeers that stung her ears, from coming over her shoulder.

She looked up as the teacher walked into the classroom and glared at the girls sitting behind her. The girls cringed back and returned to their places still muttering the names. The girl looked up at the tall teacher and smiled. She didn’t smile back. She tried to concentrate on the History lesson, but all she could think about was getting home, for the summer holiday.

After what seemed like years the bell rang and the teacher dismissed them. She swept all her things in her arms as she ran out the block before anyone could notice. She turned out of school and towards the forest. She sprinted into the forest and stopped to look at the golden leaves.

Somewhere near by a wolf howled. She looked up and thought. It was odd. She’d never heard that there where wolves in this forest ever before. She shook the thought from her head and kept walking admiring the flowers and the trees. But, the wolfs howl still echoed through her head driving her mind to it every time she tried to think of something else.

She sighed, she was safe here. She had always been safe here. In the forest. In her forest! But she kept at a speedy pace and placed her feet cautiously. And at every crack of a stick or a whistle in the trees, she would jump as though electrocuted every time.

She suddenly heard the bush near her rustle. She looked up fear sketched in her eyes. Her breathing became ragged and harsh, as though she’d been running a marathon. She looked around at the bush and the clearing to the left. She felt a huge wait on her back and her legs buckled from under her. A scream escaped her mouth as something sharp sink into her shoulder and a warm liquid ran down her arms. She bit back another scream of pain, she tried to twist to see her attacker, but only got half way. She saw her books scattered around where she had fallen. One of them had pierced her side and the wound way gushing with blood. Sickness fell over her as she grimaced and turned fully.

That was when her nightmares came a reality. It was not her imagination running free. It was the real thing.

She looked into the stone eyes of the wolf. It was russet almost exactly the colour as her hair. She tried to crawl away but the weight of the wolf pushed her body into the soft soil. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, and then all went silent. Final pain exploded in her face and all was black.