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But nothing came for me.
There was silence.
A small gurgle caught my ear.
Not silence.
Without thinking, I rushed forward. I wasn’t expecting to find the kitchen in the state I found it in. Blood everywhere. Demolished coffee table. Pieces of wood on the floor. Traces of blood on the mustard walls.
But my focus was on the body at the center of it all.
My mother.
The gurgling came from her mouth. She tried to suck in a breath, but there was blood. There was too much blood.
When I reached her side, I dropped to my knees. I scanned her frame, looking for the wound. I wanted to place my hands over it, to stop the bleeding in any way that I could even though, deep down, I knew it was too late. She had lost too much blood.
“Foolish…girl.” Her words were garbled, like she was speaking underwater. “ I told you…”
“I couldn’t leave you,” I said.
She swallowed. “You must,” she said. “I’m dying. You know it as well as I do. You are lucky the monster didn’t recognize your presence or you would be in ribbon.”
She coughed once, twice. Particles of blood spewed everywhere.
“We need to get you to a doctor,” I said, trying to stand up.
My mother grabbed my wrist, her grip surprisingly strong for someone who had lost as much blood as she had.
“No. I will die on my own terms. It is too late for me. But you…” Another cough before she locked eyes with me. “Find Cormac Grey. Follow…follow the stream. It’ll take you…take you in whichever direction you choose. The stream, yes? Follow the stream. Find his academy of shifters. He will have a place for you. He will…he will teach…” She burst into more coughs.
“ I don’t know where –“ A sob cut me off. My own.
I couldn’t fathom leaving my mother behind, especially not in this state.
“Go. It could come back. You didn’t listen to me before but you will now. It is my dying wish. Go find Cormac Grey. Get to the Bloodmoon Academy. And learn who you are so this never happens again.”
Freya
Iwalked for at least a half a day, up until the sun was directly overhead. At that point, my steps began to slow and my eyes drooped. It was difficult to carry on now that the adrenaline that coursed through my system waned. I needed someplace to rest, but I didn’t see where I could do so safely. At least it was the daytime. At least I had escaped running into any dangerous animals that only seemed to come out at night.
I hated leaving my mother, but I had to respect her dying wish. I couldn’t ignore that.
After the light left my mother‘s eyes, I got up and started scanning the kitchen for any food and water I could take with me. Every movement I made felt like an insult to my mother’s memory. How could I be so uncaring, so callous, to leave her wretched body lying on the floor with blood and splinters and glass surrounding her while all I thought about was feeding myself?
Dying wish, I reminded myself.Survival.
Because I would survive and I would avenge her death.
It was a silly thought for someone like me. I had no means of doing such a thing. No strength. I didn’t even carry a weapon on my person. But I would find out who killed her and I would make them pay. I promised myself that.
I continued through the forest, following trails of lightning bugs and the sound of crickets. Birds usually feasted on the bugs, and if birds were around, I could follow them out of here. They typically didn’t stay within the confines of the forest, especially during the winter. Which meant if any birds remained, I might have a chance at getting out of here.
The sound of running water caught my attention.
Ofcourse.
The stream.
