Adeline stared blankly at the walls of room she was kept in,her mind a jumble of fragmented memories.Eighteen years of her life and it felt like like a lifetime of pain and suffering. Her parents faces haunted her,their words haunting her,their words echoing in her mind like a mantra of self loathing.
"You're worthless
You're not one of us
You're flawed"
She had always been treated differently by her parents. She remembered her 18th birthday approached,the pressure mounted. In their world, you're considered blessed by the Goddess if you transform into a werewolf by 18. If not you're a "Defective " a freak. And that's when the true nightmare began.
A year had passed and her parents disappointments turned to anger. They believed that her not being able to transform into a werewolf was a curse, a sign of shame and weakness. They took out their frustration on beating and abusing her, convinced that she was somehow defective. Her sibling Elara ,who she is a year older than was always the favoured one,with her transforming at her 18th birthday. She became even more pampered and loved by their parents. Elara never hesitated to remind Adeline of her shortcomings.
"Hey,ade".Elara would sneer, her voice dripping with venom. "You're such a waste of space"
The insult stung, but Adeline had learned had to hide her pain behind a mask of humor." Hey, atleast I'm not as dull as you," she retort earning a scowl from Elara.
But the pain and humiliation became her reality. She learned that to dissociate Her self from her body, to escape the tournament by retreating into her mind. But even that wasn't enough to shield her from the darkness that lurked within.
Even after two years had passed, Adeline had not showed any progress of transforming into a werewolf . Her parents, fueled by desperation and superstition, started to believe that she was a defective, and her presence will bring humiliation to their family and the pack . They talked about reporting her to Alpha Evans of being rid of her once and for all.
Red moon festival was approaching a time when the veil between the worlds was at It's thinnest . Her parents believed that her presence would attract bad luck to them , that she will bring chaos and destruction to their people. And so they decided to take matters into their own hands.
She remember the night they dragged her out of the house, The full moon hanging low in the sky. They took her to the edge of the forest, their eyes wild with fear and anger. She thought that was the end for her.
But faith Had other plans. Alpha Evans guards arrived, taking her into custody to meet the alpha. A chance to prove her worth,they said. A chance to show that she wasn't a defective.
Adaline swallowed heart, the memories still raw and painful. She had wondered what she could possibly say to prove her worth to the alpha when she didn't even know if she had any worth to prove? She forced a wry Smile on her lips." Well at least I'll get a decent meal out of this," She muttered to herself.
She stood there, she couldn't help, but wonder what Lay ahead. Would she find a way to prove herself,or would she succumb to the darkness that had haunted her for so long? Only time would tell.