I've always hated my mother. Though I hate to admit it she's always been a good mother to me well until now. After that whole goo thing got sorted she started doing what she called "sanity training" no matter how much I showed that I was indeed sane.

  I think that's because there's no such thing as sanity training I bet she doesn't even think I'm mad. All she has been forcing me to do is maid work. One time she had me curtsy in front of her and call her mistress, she's trying to break my spirit I don't know why but I won't let her win

  Today she's having me balance books on my head for balance? We're out in the courtyard doing this "come on all you have to do is walk to me without falling" she says that like it's easy these books are heavy and these heels don't help.

  So of course I fall over myself. "Oh no no no you feel again" she hit me with that riding crop hurt every time she hit me I think it's leaving a mark. "Now apologize for your failure" "I'm sorry mother" she hit me again! "No a proper apology" I get up on my knees and bow to her and say "I'm sorry mistress" "there you go now get up and do it again and get that unkind look off your face" no I won't mother because I don't want to do this.

  As I get up to go get the books all over the ground I hear a voice say "hey Cathy!" I groaned when I heard that and when I turned around it was just as I expected. It was Charles with the same doe like eyes and boyish face but he looks like he isn't as nervous around me, but he still radiations an air of unconfidence.

  He insists on calling me Cathy instead of my given no matter how many times I tell him to stop. "So Cathy how are you" I'm picking up books off the ground what do you think "oh Charles I'm fine" I finish picking up the books and stand up "you could always call me chuck" "of course Charles" I put the books on my head and walk forward.

  I get closer than last time but I still fall. Gah my mother scoffed she hit me a few times with the riding crop I heard Charles faintly say "no stop" maybe you could help me instead of whimpering like a dog in the corner. Mother stopped and said "that's enough for today wash up when you get inside you look filthy" oh I wonder why.

  My sister Libby came out of the castle right after mother entered as if she was hiding. She came out wearing that same stupid flower Charles's brother gave her or how she calls him her "lover" disgusting how she lets her mind be dominated by a man.

  Libby comes toward Charles and asks "hello Charles has Everard given you a message to me?" "Oh yes he told me to say on the day the lavenderd bloom my we be together soul and all" she gets all giddy and red in the face well until she finally notices me she bends down to touch me but I pull away from her hand "oh Catherine it's horrible what's she's doing to you." She seems worried but was she worried when she was hiding in the castle or talking about that boy.

  "Yeah Cathy why do you let her do that to you?" Now that set me off. "Let her! Says the boy who sits there everyday he comes and let this happen your supposed to be a man you know but no you act more like a puppy to scared to do anything. Why do you even come every day? It's a four hour ride from here to your home land. Is it to watch me suffer? Or do you come every day hoping this time everythings changed?" I yelled at Charles

  The air in the atmosphere gets cold. Charles's face looks stunned and he just looking blankly.

  "Y-you should wash up supper will be soon" Libby said to me as she left. She seemed hurt as she left, I wasn't even talking about her though?

  I get up and head in I go up to the wash room there's no servants I haven't had servants serve me since the incident. Mother told them not to but I think there glad they don't have to touch me.

  I get undressed and I start washing myself and I think about my life. Why is it I'm here washing myself like a peasant and nobody blinks an eye like it's normal I don't deserve this treatment I have never done anything horrible! So why me? I never found an answer to that question.

  I got out got dressed and headed down stairs for supper. They were at the table eating there food well mother was looks like Libby didn't have much of an appetite. Heck I don't but I know that if I don't eat now I won't be able to eat anything else. God this sucks!

  Mother finished eating and she declared "Catherine wash these plates" no no no that's it you can beat me humiliate me but I will not do housework like a common maid! "No I will not mother!" She looked shocked then that soon turned to anger "you are my daughter. And you will respect my authority!" "I am not a maid!" With that I stomped up to my room.

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  When I got there I locked the door. Oh why couldn't I have been born in a richer family that respected me. Instead I'm stuck with this weak pathetic family who wants to trample all over me! I look out to the courtyard and I see Charles still standing there like a statue but before I could even think about it I heard a loud howling nearby.

  I wonder what it could be? Suddenly I heard a loud crashing at my door and a yelling that I can recognize as my mothers. I'd rather face the howling then her. I open the window and climb on the tilted roof but as I look down at the ground it seems I got cold feet I couldn't jump down I couldn't move my legs I would have moved back towards my window but the slick roof made another choice. I slipped and feel towards the ground I probably would have died if it wasn't for Charles.

  He went running for me and he caught me in a way with his body, I fell on him. When I looked up surprised I was alive I saw my mother's very angry face. So I did what any girl would have I took off running into the woods. Not the best idea I've ever had but at least I wasn't alone. Charles came running after saying something to the effect of "Cathy... Catherine wait!". Surprised he can stand after I landed on him but I didn't have time to really think about because at the same time I realized I was lost.

  The loud howling intensifys. It feels like I'm in the heart of the forest it's a bit scary like somebody was watching me but maybe that was Charles he caught up to me when he did he said "Catherine why did you run into the forest!?" "I-I don't know but..." I stop talking as the howling stopped my hairs stood on there ends "we need to go now!!" Before any of us could move there was a twig snap followed by low growling all around us they had us trapped and they pressed forward slowly. As they grow close the light reveals them. They were wolves but there eyes and mouths were leaking a black blood. Maybe they were diseased?

  One of them —presumably the pack leader— stopped in front of me and pounced bearing teeth but before it could bite Charles stepped in front of me it bit into his arm Charles cried in pain as it tore his flesh with its fangs. The rest of the wolves looked ready to pounce on me next but before that can happen a arrow rang through the air and struck one of them in the head. Then many other came with it till one was left. It looked at me it's eyes and mouths still leaking that black blood bearded it's teeth as it went in for an attack but a man wielding an axe took care of it. He was followed by three more people.

  "Are you alright?" The man who saved me asked "yes I am but what about Charles!" "The boy? We can save him. Just stay here." Two of the men of the group begin to pick up Charles "what? You can't leave me here in the forest alone! What if another one of those creatures comes for me!" His face remained grizzled until one of the members of his group comes and whispers in his ear "she's right we can't just leave a little girl alone in a forest." The man that welded the axe sighed and said "ok but you need to go home before night fall." It was late afternoon so the sun hung low.

  They turned and walked deeper into the forest and I followed. After a couple of minutes walking we arrived at a camp there were people walking around they all had scrappy clothing and the was no one younger than 15 there. They took Charles into a tent and a man started examining him. After a while the man started to wrap his arm in something. "What are you doing?" I ask him he looks up and responds with "I'm wrapping his it makes it heal faster" an odd method but I'm not in a position to argue.

  After he was done I asked him "when will he be healed?" "He'll wake up soon and his arm will be healed In about a month or less though he is infected" "infected?" With that the man who saved me and Charles tapped me "we need to talk." He said. We walked outside and he started to speak "you see everyone in this makeshift village has been bitten by one of those creatures. We are all infected." "What do you mean infected?" "When your bit it changes you into a ferrell beast under the moonlight." "A beast?" "Yes a very danger-" he stopped in the middle of his sentence and stared at the sunset.

  Everyone else came out there tents they looked solomon. "No no you need to leave now!" Said the man who saved me "I can't leave yet Charles hasn't woken up!" "You can't take him with you anyways he's infected!" "I'm not leaving without him!" "This isn't the time to argue just run!" He grunted out before falling to the floor. With moon light peaking through the clouds they all start to. Change their finger nails grow into claws followed by their fingers elongating along with the hair on their bodies grow to resemble fur soon after their mouth snaps and break as they grew the teeth in their jaws sharping. Their eyes began to lose the humanity and compassion that was once there. There transformation complete they growled and roared as they started searching for the next prey which happened to be me. Instead of coming slowly like the wolves they rushed me I thought I was dead I closed my eyes to shield me from seeing my own death. But I didn't hear the tearing of My flesh instead I heard whimpering and slashing. I opened my eyes and before me I saw a tall beautiful man so beautiful I thought he was a girl at first with long white hair and pale skin his eyes a piercing red welding a sliver sword as he defended me against the wolf men. He said "are you save o' mother of death?"

  To Be Continued