The further the Clause family got from the village square the loud music faded. Soon they could only hear their breathing and the snapping of twigs under the sole of their feet. Aurora hugged herself as she exhaled a fleeting misty cloud. Her cheeks were a deep shade of pink. Her teeth chattered together as she caressed her arm. She pulled her wool coat tighter around her body. She felt as if she would die of hypothermia due to the cold weather condition. They were months away from winter thus she could only imagine how cold winter would be that year.
Up ahead she spotted a dirt path leading through the dark woods. It was a shortcut to their household. Her feet began to ache and she felt as if they would fail her any moment.
"Can we take the short cut papa?" She asked her dad."No, we stick to the straight route Aurora." Came his reply. "It's a full moon neither of us knows what awaits in those woods."
She rolled her blue orbs in irritation. She was disappointed in her dad for letting the elders of their village brainwash them into thinking forest creatures exist. What was even more puzzling to the little girl, no one knew for sure what the creature was. It could have been a mountain lion, a fox, or some kind of wild animal. The entire village lived in fear for over centuries. Aurora pushed her burning legs to move faster but they felt as if they didn't belong to her. They felt numb and lifeless. She walked until her feet gave out and she fell forward kicking the air outside of her lungs."Aurora!" Her mom startled voice filled the night echoing into the distance of the forest. "I'm so tired." Her eyes filled with tears but she never cried. Her dad picked her up in his arms. She rested her head against the man's shoulder. She peeked down at her older sister who threw icy glares in her direction. She smiled down at her knowing how much she would be boiling with rage. Their one-story board household came into view. It was almost midnight when the family got home. The house was dimly lit. They warmed themselves by the fireplace before they decided to put the children to sleep. But the girls sleep subsided when they spotted their grandmother. Though Aurora knew her Grandmother was on a mission to convince them both of forest monsters. She still enjoyed her grandmother's stories. She could always travel places without leaving the comfort of her bed."Aurora darling." Her grandmother lifted her chin to take a look at her beautiful eyes. Her grandmother had to admit she had the most captivating blue orbs that could bring joy and mend a broken heart. She idolized the little girl as if she was the most precious jewel in the world. Indeed she was outstanding amongst every other six-year-old child in their village. She had a different mindset and she portrayed the values of a feminist. Her grandmother was astounded by her granddaughter's braveness. She lacked the necessities to be as brave and smart as the little girl thus she admired her instead."There is absolutely nothing your old grandma can say to change the concrete hard mind of yours." She chuckled caressing the young girl's cheek. "But what I can tell the both of you is that this forest monster is not a myth."
She sat on the bed and pulled both girls to her viewpoint. Violet smiled eagerly awaiting her grandmother's spooky story. While Aurora rolled her blue orbs and groaned in annoyance. The woman smiled down at both her loving grandchildren before resuming the story."It all started a century ago when a plague struck the land. Man's heart was bitter and void. They were as hard as stones and they became greedy. Among us lived witches."
"Wait a minute," Aurora said laughing hysterically. "First there are forest creatures now you are telling me witches do exist. No offense but I think you read too many fairy tales."
Violet glared over at her sister. "Maybe if you should just keep your opinions to yourself. I know for a fact that these creatures are real and so will you, one day."
Aurora snorted but she never replied to her sister knowing the girl would blabber on and on about the forest creatures.
"As I was saying they were greedy. But I'm not certain when the forest monsters came about. It's like they were always there. These monsters were the root of all evil. We thought the humans were corrupt but instead, it was these wild animals. They brutally slaughtered humans because they are blood-thirsty beasts. They always feel the urge to kill."
Aurora became interested in what her grandmother said. She didn't believe her stories but was instead interested in what the beast was. She surprised herself when she asked. "Grandma what was the beast."
"This might sound blizzard but the beast can shape shift into a human at daytime and a ferocious beast at night that craves the human flesh. The beast might live among us without our awareness.""Grandma what was the name of the forest monsters," Violet asked eagerly her eyes danced with sinister interest in the beast." It was a werewolf."
Aurora almost chokes on her spit. But she kept her mouth shut not wanting to offend her grandmother. She knew the entire village believed in the mythology. But seeing her entire family was obsessed with a creature that probably didn't exist pained her heart. Not only was she a child but she was smart and observant. Her grandmother clasped her hands shut tightly and ground her teeth together. She emitted off an aura the little girl didn't know. But she knew it was nothing good but instead anger, hatred, and frustration. But why was her grandmother angry?She rested her head on the woman's shoulder. Aurora could feel her grandma's tense muscles loosened.
"The witches gave a few chosen humans the ability to hunt these creatures down and kill them. It will soon be your responsibility to carry on the legacy."
Aurora's eyes flew open. "What legacy."
"We are werewolf hunters darling it's our responsibility to maintain the balance of this village.""What are you saying, Grandma." Her mind was comprehensive. She didn't quite understand what Ellis was trying to say. "You kill these creatures and you expect us to follow in your footstep. What if they were wild animals that probably felt threatened."
"It's only a matter of time Aurora before you will take everything I said to you into consideration. These monsters are real and they are dangerous. They won't hesitate to rip your throat out."
The clauses household was completely silent. Aurora stared at the sealing that night unable to sleep. She thought pensively about what her grandmother had said earlier. None of it didn't make much sense. But the thought of her grandmother slaughtering an innocent animal made her sick to her stomach.She took what the woman said into deep consideration. But even the thought of seeing a deadly half beast and half human sounded hilarious. But her grandmother was dead serious about training the two girls. However Violet was fragile and sensitive. She wasn't the perfect match for the task. Aurora on the other hand was rough and lacked the necessities of a female.Over the years she was bent and groomed into the cold-hearted monster her grandmother wanted. They planned to turn her into a killing machine. But unlike them, she was smart and intelligent. She knew they were up to no good.She had the techni
~•10 Year's later•~She placed her hands on her knees panting and gasping for air with her tongue darted out. Her feet felt as if it was being pricked by billions of tiny needles and she sweats profusely. She peeked up at the small building which was a distance from where she stood. She could hardly distinguish its distinct features. The building seemed like the size of a dollhouse but as she got closer the bigger the building appeared."Come on Aurora you can do this." She said to herself. She inhaled a fresh breath of air before she resumed her walking. She knew her employer would have her head for arriving at work late. Besides she couldn't argue with the man he was her employer after all. She had to keep her smart mouth shut and take all the insults he would hurl at her.By the time she burst through the front door, she was greeted by a grumpy old man. He resembled that of a pig with his red face and chubby body. Aurora was disgusted by the s
Aurora released a breath she was holding when the boy departed. She felt at ease when the sound of his carriage faded until there was complete silence.She picked up the crumpled flower from the countertop and stashed it into her apron pocket. Her employer was a stingy man and he would happily deduct the cost of a single flower from her wages. She looked around frantically for him but the man was strangely out of sight.She continued to work by fertilizing and pruning the flowers garden. It was a lot of work for a female but Aurora knew the only reason she got the job was that no male would want to work in a low-ranking job. And the man paid a very low wage. The girl could hardly pay for her mother's medication and provide food at the same time. But she had to do what she thought was necessary. She wiped the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead with her handkerchief.She plastered a fake smile across her lips when the bell dangled s
Aurora had no choice but to oblige to her employer's orders. She had her sick mother at home waiting to receive medication. If she were to lose the job she would not be able to purchase the necessary medication for Ella's illness. Ella was diagnosed with an unknown illness that caused her body to expel a black slimy fluid whenever she coughs. They were told by the doctor that her mother's condition was becoming worst as the days went by and it could not be cured. Aurora wasn't sure what was causing her mother's illness and her mother pretended not to know either but she knew better than to believe her silly lies. She was placed on a bunch of medications for all possible illnesses that she might have. The medications weren't cheap and they never seemed to help either. Ella couldn't afford the medications thus Aurora took on her mother's responsibility. Those were the least of the families list of problems. Their home was in a bad condition. The house was no lon
Aurora felt bad for raising her voice but she could not bear to hear her mother blame herself for their current living situation when she knew her father was fully responsible for the struggles they endured. She was angry at the man for walking out of their lives even though she wasn't aware of the reason behind his doings. But her mother was a loving and caring mother and wife, she didn't deserve the treatment in which she received from the man. In Aurora's eyes, the man was a superficial ungrateful, and selfish person.It pricked her heart to know Ella wouldn't be around long enough to see her succeed. She looked down at her frail figure and her blue depts welled with tears. Her once vibrant eyes were distant and her sun-kissed skin was as pale as a ghost. Her jet black silky hair was grey and her lips were dried and stripping. She was beyond recognition.She tucked Ella into bed after giving her the final dose of the medication. Ell
"Yes, your Majesty." The guard bowed his head in front of the prestigious man towering over him. "You requested to see me.""Did you manage to track down the rouge?" His powerful voice thundered throughout the room."N-no your majesty." The man stumbled over his words. "Before we could corner the animal we lost clear sight of it, your majesty."The other guards trembled under their armor in fear of the powerful being standing in front of them. In their eyes, he was a heartless and brutal monster. He didn't care about the well-being of his guards or anyone around him. He wasn't afraid to cut down anyone standing in his way. Even those closest to him. The man was cruel to an extent that even if a child crossed his path they would also face his wrath. The King was feared throughout the kingdom far and wide. No one was brave enough to cross his path. Until a rogue decided to perform the task that even his worst enemies were scared to say and
Her eyes never closed that night she kept them glued to the ceiling. The following morning she felt as if they didn't belong to her. They were swollen and dark circles were outlined underneath. But her eyes were the least of her problems. Her mood was down, she was no longer vibrant or happy. She fought hard to get out of bed. She felt like someone stabbed her multiple times with a bread knife in her stomach. She was famished and her stomach felt like it was infested with tiny insects."Aurora!" Came her mother's weak voice. "There is a package outside for you darling."Her sluggish eyes grew wider and anger invaded her body. She Sprang off the bed and rushed to the other room where her mother and sister awaited her presence. But her headache intensified and she slumped to the floor holding her throbbing head."Aurora!" Ella ran to aid her sick daughter. Her blue orbs welled with tears when she noticed how exhausted Aurora looked. She was overwhelmed by guilt an
"It's going to rain today." Ella looked up at the dark angry clouds that began to form in the sky. "I think you should take a day off, Aurora." Aurora wrapped the cloak over her mother's shoulder and shrugged knowing her mother's suggestion was not effective. Her employer was stingy and selfish and he would happily deduct a huge sum of money from her small wage and as a punishment the man would force her to work overtime. Ella pinched the bridge of her nose and said. "You work too hard darling. I'm sure your employer won't mind if you do take the day off." "It's clear you don't know what my employer is like, mother." Aurora clenched her fist as images of what her boss tried to do the previous day flashed in front of her vision. "He's an old friend of mine, Aurora. I'm sure he wouldn't mind you skipping a day." She crossed her arms and peered at her daughter intensely. "Is something the matter with you?" She swallowed a lump t