My head was killing me. That was the first thing that I noticed when I woke up, a throbbing headache that made me want to die.

I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position and started to gently massage my temples and tried to take a few calming breaths to try and ease this pain.

I blinked my eyes open a few times, taking a few seconds to adjust to the light around me. I wasn't in Mr. Thomas' living room anymore that was sure. I was in what looked like an undone, basement. The ground was freezing cold, and the whole room smelled damp and mouldy.

I used the wall that I was leaning against to help me stand up and took a few shaky steps forward, each one making me feel like my legs would break underneath me at any moment.

There were a few cardboard boxes scattered across the floor, all covering in generous amounts of dust and looked like they had survived a flood, but just barely.

There was a half-finished wooden staircase in the far left corner of the room that looked like my only way out. I was still wearing the clothes that I remembered putting on earlier, but now they were all astray and slightly ripped in some places.

I made sure to look out for any stray nails on the floor, not sure what to expect. I wasn't even sure if today was still Sunday, or if I was even near Midnight Creek.

Midnight Creek! The pack, Xavier! I can mind link him to come and get me!

I tried as hard as I could to push a message to Xaiver, but for some reason, I couldn't break down the barrier in my mind to do so. I couldn't seem to mind-link anyone in the pack, it was like I was just yelling into the void.

Luckily, the door at the top of the stairs was unlocked and I was able to push it open and step through.

I honestly have no idea what to expect, but walking into a half-burned-down house wasn't on my mind at all.

All of the walls were black, and the wallpaper was completely peeled off in some spots. The floorboards were torn-up in some parts and the wooden beams were showing through.

I took extra care in where I steeped, being careful not to put too much weight on one spot.

It didn't look like anyone had lived here for years, so why was I here? Was this like Mr. Davis all over again? Was Andrew going to pop up from the broken floor and say that this was all part of the plan all along? Because I really don't know how my life leads to werewolf and crazy, old white guys.

I almost jumped when I saw my reflection in the cracked mirror above the mantle in the living room. My hair was still pulled back into the ponytail I did, but now it was all frizzy and there was pieces amess. My lip was busted open and covered in dry blood, and my right cheek was coloured purple from some bruises I don't remember getting.

My eyes looked slightly bloodshot, and there was some fresh blood still flowing from my temple. Is it bad that I can I've looked worse?

As I was examining my various injuries in the broken mirror, I noticed something behind me.

It was a picture hanging on the blackened wall among all the ruin.

But it didn't belong. This picture looked new and shiny. Like someone had just hung it up. It wasn't covered in any dust or greasy fingerprints, and the glass wasn't cracked at all either.

Despite the perfect picture frame, the picture itself inside was sunbleached and half-burned just like the house. But despite the faded colours, I could still make out the happy, smiling faces staring back at me.

A big, happy family.

A mother and father were standing at the very back of the photo, one of his arms slung around her shoulder and the other was resting on the little boy in front of him. The dad and son looked near-identical, both of them had the same rosy cheeks, and blonde, neatly trimmed hair.

The moon was cradling a small, pink blanket in her arms, and I could just barely make out the chubby hand that was reaching out from it. The mother was beautiful. She had shoulder-length dark-brown, straight hair that made her green eyes stand out even more than they already did.

The way that the sun was shining down on all four of them made them look like a picture-perfect family out of a storybook. They all looked so happy and full of life.

But something about all of them looked so eerily familiar.

I felt a shiver go down my spine when it all clicked. This was Mr. Thomas' family. I saw a similar picture at his house.

That means, if that's his family photo, then this must be his family house.

As quickly as I could, which sadly was barely father than a snail, I made my way to the front door and ripped it open. I had to leave. I had to leave now and find a phone.

The front door was unlocked and I hobbled down the two small steps and out into the front yard.

I kept moving as fast as I could away from the house, but something in my gut was telling me that this was wrong. This was too easy.

Why would Mr. Thomas bring me to his burnt-down childhood home and just leave me here? It wasn't adding up.

My voice felt beyond raw and scratchy when I yelled out for help like I had swallowed a bunch of sandpaper.

All around me were more burned down, and broken houses. Some of them were just piles of dirt with planks of wood — none of them were homes anymore.

The ground under me was raw dirt with random patches of tall grass here and there. There was no sign of any one else, and honestly I don't know if I was thankful for that right now or not.

"Hello! Is anyone here? Can anyone here me? Hello!?" I tried again, pushed down the pain and putting in all my energy to this. To leaving.

Nothing. Not even the sound of wind blowing through the tree-tops. Just nothing. It was like I was on a different planet and I was the only one here. I was all alone.

There was a sign sticking up in the middle of a pile of dirt that had a simple message starched into it.

—

Hi loves!

Sorry for the delay on this

Chapter, I was busy with finals

Prep, but now I only have

One more to go till break!

I'm also working on some

Other stories that I don't know

If I'll ever publish, but I just

Keep getting inspired and wanting

To write, you know?

Anyways!

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Reading all your comments make my day ❤️

Love, G ❤️