Welcome to Gaia! ::

Not much to say really. My mother died giving birth to me, and my father died soon after. I was always told he died in an accident, but I later learned the truth, he commited suicide. Guess he couldn't live without my mother, so he hung himself in their bedroom.

I spent most of my life in the local orphanage. Didn't have many friends, all the other kids avoided me. Someone had spread a rumor that I was a demon of some kind and had eaten my way out of my mother's stomach. So outside of the occasional attempt to banish me, the kids pretty much avoided me. And because the kids avoided me, so did most of the adults. They didn't want a kid who didn't play with others.

I found my solace in music and books. Books that took my mind to far off places that can exist only in one's imagination. Or books that taught me things about the world I had never even imagined. It didn't matter to me. My mind soaked up every word on every page that my eyes roamed over. I even taught myself how to play the piano through reading a book. I used to love sitting inside, poking away at the musical keys as the other kids played outside.

When I came of age, I was taken on as an apprentice by the local librarian and moved out of the orphanage. That was the happiest day of my life! All those books under one roof, and one day I'd be charged with watching over all of them. It was like Heaven for me. I even made some friends while working/training there, ten to be exact. And two of them are even here in Namiah.

On my twentieth birthday, my apprenticeship ended. My mentor retired and I was placed in charge of the library. For two years I had my dream job. I got to take care of books and was able to read ones I was never able to get my hands on before. But then, it happened...

The Incident

Fear, a powerful emotion that would take complete control of someone’s faculties if they allowed it to. It would strip away everything, everything except your need to flee. Fear was what consumed me as I ran through the dark woods; the only light coming from the full moon that was high in the star filled sky. I couldn’t feel the sting of the branches that ripped through my clothes and into my skin. Nor could I feel my exhausted legs beginning to burn, or the pounding of my heart in my chest. I could not feel those things because the fear had numbed me. Those were all pains that caught up with me later, along with others. The only things that my mind could comprehend in the state that it was were what direction my home was in, and that the creature chasing me would never stop. For it was hungry, and wanted me as its next meal.

They had told me to stay out of the woods at dark tonight, that something was out there. But I didn’t listen. I foolishly believed, as most young people do, that I would be fine. That nothing bad would ever happen to me. I was so STUPID! And I payed for it.

I weaved through the trees and ducked low hanging branches, not once did I slow down or stop to take a breather. Every second counted, and I knew it. To stop or slow down would result in my death. But fate was not on my side that night, if it was ever on my side. My fleeing was halted when my foot got caught in a tree root, causing me to stumble. I managed to right myself again by grabbing onto a tree branch. I managed to catch myself before I injured my trapped foot, small grace of luck in a dark time.

I scanned the area, to afraid to lower my eyes. It was out there; watching me. Watching for the moment that I would lower my guard. Then it would pounce. I hadn’t planned on giving it that chance.

After wiggling my foot around for a while, which wasted preciouse time, I managed to free myself. I remember my heart nearly bursting with relief when I pushed away from the tree. Only to nearly stop when sound the I had been fearing reached my ears. The sound of soft growling.

Slowly I had turned to face the beast that had been hunting me. Time had seemed to slow for me then. My heart beat was like a drum being beat in my head. I vaguely recall wondering who would take care of the library when I was gone. Or that might have been a figment of my imagination. I don’t know. What I do know, is that I’ll never forget the face of the predator that had hunted me that night

It was massive in size, with claws sharp enough to easily peel skin from bones. It had rangy silver fur that was stained by the blood of some poor creature that it must have caught while chasing me. It watched me with its yellow eyes as drool dripped from its blood stained canines. As I stared into the beast’s eyes, I remember one word slipping from my mouth.

“Werewolf!”

A howl escaped the werewolf’s mouth that sent shivers of fear dacning up my spine, then it pounced. Instinct was the only thing that saved me then, for as the beast sailed toward me through the air, I dived to the side. I heard a loud crack as the werewolf crashed head first into a tree and then fell to the ground stunned. I suppose that the scene would’ve been comical if it had been under different circumstances. Like something you’d see in a cartoon...

Anyways, back to what happened. I wasn’t going to stick around to see how long my hunter stayed down. I clambered onto unsteady legs, and continued my trek towards the home, towards safety.

With each step I pushed myself to move faster and faster, until I was running as fast as my legs could carry me. It wasn’t long before I spotted a glint of light, and then another. Soon there were tons of them piercing through the darkness. To me they were like shining beacons of hope that chased away the fear that surrounded my heart. I was home, and I was safe. Such foolish thoughts those were. Just because there’s a light shining, it doesn’t mean that what lurks in the dark still can’t get you.

There was no warning when it attacked next, just pain as the werewolf tackled me from behind and dug its claws into my side. I’ll never forget the feeling of the beasts claws cutting into the flesh. Despite the pain, I couldn’t help but feel as if this monster was mocking me. As though it was saying, ’Puny little creature, you thought you could escape? You should’ve known from the moment I laid eyes on you that your fate was sealed. I would never let you go.’

I thought that was the end for me. The werewolf seemed to sensed that its prey had given up, it let out what sounded like a satisfied growl to my ears before it bit down into my right should. And then I did the only thing I could, I threw my head back and screamed into the night...

The Aftermath

Next memory I have is of awakening in a stone cell, and being in excruciating pain. It felt like I was being burned from the inside. I wanted to pat or roll, anything to get the burning to stop. But I couldn't move, I was shackled down to the bed.

Some people came in, they wouldn't come anywhere near me. Their lips were moving, but I couldn't hear what they were saying over the roar in my ears. I didn't need to hear them though to know what they were saying. I could see it in their eyes. The fear and disgust. I had been infected, and was now the same thing that had hunted him.

I withdrew into myself. I was like a puppet that they could make do what ever they wanted, and unable to move myself. Things went by in a blur as they manipulated my strings. I was dragged from cell to cell, court room to court room. They didn't know what to do with me. Some said that I should be locked away and left to live the rest of my days. Others said that I should be executed. That it would be to dangerous to let me live.

I didn't care what they did with me. At the time, the only thing that mattered to me were dark blues eyes. The dark blue eyes blue eyes that belonged to Tai, brother to one of my few close friends and high ranking homicide detective. He saved me.

I don't know how I know that. He never told me. In fact he never spoke a single word to me during all the chaos that my life had become. He always just watched me with those dark eyes of his. But I knew...

When my judgment came in, I finally snapped out of my stupor. I was to be executed, one silver bullet to the head.

I didn't want to die...

Tai's the one who brought me my last meal. And sat with me as I ate. We didn't talk. I wanted to plead for him to do something to save me, but couldn't find the words. When I finished, he took my tray and then did something that surprised me. He unlocked my shackles. It was my first time unshackled since the whole mess began. And then he left with out a word.

I figured that being unshackled didn't do me much good. I was still stuck in my cell. But then I felt something inside me clawing up to the surface as I paced my cell something dark and feral. When they arrived to take me to my execution, it took over and I was plunged into darkness.

When I came to again, I was no longer in my cell. I was somewhere in the woods. And my hands were covered in dried blood. I didn't know what to do, my terrified mind couldn't think. So I ran.