Chapter 1

He watched her intently as she moved. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He’d smelt her from a mile away. Her sweet scent called him closer, making him want her even more. It caused him to salivate with a hunger for her. An aching deep down inside of him. But he took his time, it’s all about the game for him. He was the hunter and she the unsuspecting prey.

Amelia Brighton gracefully walked over to the large oak tree at the edge of the clearing and sat down beneath it, next to the stream in the opening of the woods. The sun's rays lit up her face, its heat warmed her soul, ever so slightly easing her heartache.

She didn’t sense the danger that was near, too deep in her own thoughts. For if she had then she’d have run a mile. If only she knew what was lurking within the shadows, watching her every move with wicked eyes and sharp fangs. Already able to taste her satisfying flesh. Biding his time.

“I miss you guys,” she muttered quietly to herself as she crossed her legs and felt the soft green grass beneath her thighs. “Life just isn’t the same without you.” A lone tear broke loose and freely trickled down her cheek. She didn’t make to wipe it away because she knew that there were many more to come. So many more that she’d kept locked up inside.

To the left of her was a Jasmine bush, that reminded her of her mother’s smell. She could almost feel her embrace and she picked off a flower and brought it up to her nose. The honeyed nectar tickled the end of it, eliciting sweet memories of her mother. She could almost see her mother standing in front of her as she closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the Jasmine bush.

A light breeze picked up and blew her long dark hair off of her shoulder as the sunlight made her green eyes shine even brighter. Eyes filled with more tears fighting to break free. Sad eyes holding so much pain and suffering.

“It feels just like yesterday that we were cooking together in the kitchen or going for long walks in the woods. What I wouldn’t give to have you both back. I feel lost and so alone without you guys. Life just doesn’t seem fair. Nothing has meaning anymore.”

It had been five years since the passing of her father and the disappearance of her mother, but Amelia’s heart was yet to heal. The pain was as raw as an open wound.

She could still see the news report as if it were yesterday, remembering every word of how her father was attacked by a wild animal, her mother’s body still missing. Her parents had decided to spend their anniversary with a picnic at the stream, their favorite place. It was then that the rogue wolf found them and attacked her father as he tried to fight the wolf off. He tried to protect her mother as best as he could but failed in his attempts, the beast too strong for him.

Her tears broke down the wall holding them back and unashamedly flowed one by one down her cheeks. She stared into the stream, not recognizing the girl looking back at her. A lost girl without a family. A girl grieving with such pain that it tore her up inside. Each day was a fight to keep her head above water. Her world slowly faded away, but not her memories.

“I’m really struggling without you, Mom. Nothing makes sense anymore. Life just doesn’t feel right without you in it. If only I knew what happened to you or where you are. It nearly killed me to bury an empty casket. It felt wrong knowing that there was still some small chance of hope that you might be alive somewhere. Suffering.” Amelia wiped her tears with the back of her hand as she sniffed. The onslaught of memories was too much for her to bare.

Each memory made her situation a reality. Each memory pulled apart a piece of her heart. Pieces she wasn’t ready to give up yet. Pieces she’d been struggling to keep together.

Amelia reached into her satchel and pulled out her diary. A diary she’d kept ever since losing her parents. A diary that she poured her heart and soul into. A diary that knew all of her secrets and pain.

Dear Diary, time can’t heal my wounds. My mind finds no rest. I keep coming back to the spot where she went missing, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but she’s never here. She hasn’t returned and I doubt that she ever will. If only I knew what happened to her, then I could get closure and find a way to carry on. But life doesn’t seem that simple and I doubt that I’ll ever find the answers I’m looking for. Chat later, A.

Amelia stared out across the stream, watching the water as it easily flowed without a care in the world. The birds sang and the crickets chirped. Life went on as usual for everyone and everything else, except for her.

She ran her fingers through her thick, straight black hair, tucking it neatly behind her ears before leaning back against the huge oak tree. Looking up into the branches, she sent up a prayer to whoever was listening, begging for answers. But none came. Just deafening silence. A silence she knew all too well. No one was listening.

She heard a rustle in the brush nearby and thought it might be a hare or a bird, not paying much attention to it.

She was too deep in thought to even consider being in danger in the very same spot where her father was killed. She felt safe in the woods. Always had. She often found herself wandering down to the huge oak tree to sit and speak with her parents. Finding solace in being close to where their final moments were spent. Somehow feeling closer to them.

A shiver ran through her as the wind picked up, bellowing her yellow sundress. It was almost time for her to leave as the sun was beginning to set. She gathered up her diary and packed it back into her satchel.

She sat downwind from the woods and upon a gust of wind she picked up a musky smell, a smell she didn’t recognize.

She picked up her satchel, ready to go when she sensed a presence. Sensing something close by, the hairs at the back of her neck stood on end. 

A sudden shadow loomed over her. A guttural growl grabbed her attention. 

Almost too afraid to look up, she willed herself to. And as she did so she looked straight into a pair of amber eyes staring back at her. A huge wolf stood before her, drool dripping from its snout.