Unexpected

I look up to the sky and see its cloudy, dark and gloomy. Geez, I'm almost home, no rain please. I hurry back home... the orphanage, but its home... without being drenched thankfully. The house isn't as full as the beginning of the year. The children got adopted and now there are just 6 of us left. I'm the oldest and I've stayed the longest.

Miss Humphrey looks up from her book as I walk in and smiles. "You lucky child, the rain waited for your arrival."

I pull off my jacket and boots. I roll my eyes at her. "The rain waits for no one."

"For you my dear child, the rain will wait. Gloomy and dark, it waits." I just stared at her, I wasn't surprised. Some days she acted coocoo.

Just then two little humans barrel into me and I fall against the wall. Suppressing a curse, I push them off and glare.

"What was that for you rugrats!"

They giggled and run off. One of these days, I will freeze them in one place.

"Happy thoughts Kara." Miss Humphrey says as she stands up. Sometimes it feels like she can read my mind.

"Yeah yeah." I mumble, climbing the stairs to my room.

It was pretty dry. I've lived here all my life and still can't form an attachment to my room. No pictures, no sleepover, no memories. It's like somewhere deep down in me, I know this is not where I belong. Sure I'm an orphan but still, it's like I'm expecting something.

It became worse recently. I've been unsettled, I can feel something coming. I just don't know what.

"You are back." A girl walks into my room and sits on the bed.

I roll my eyes. "Feel free to walk in anyhow you like."

"Would you open up if I knock?" May asks as she pokes around my knapsack.

I ignore her and change my trousers, they'd gotten muddy from walking through puddles. Adjusting my beanie, I walk out of the room with the girl trailing behind. She came to the orphanage a year and a half ago. For some reason, she took a liking to me when the other kids know to stay away .... well except for the little ones. I was soft around them.

"You should really lose this murder aura of yours, you'll make friends that way." May says as we sit by the table for dinner.

I ignore her and start eating. The table was lively as everyone talked about their day. When dinner was over, I cleared the table and began washing the plates.

"Something is coming." I say to Miss Humphrey when I feel her behind me.

Miss Humphrey has raised me ever since I could remember. She accepted my personality and never tried to change me. I don't know my story, I never wanted to but now I do.

"Have you been taking your tea?" She asked as she joined me in cleaning.

I stop to look at her. "Yes I have."

Lie. She was hiding something from me. The tea was to make me forget something, to keep me from asking questions. It took the dreams away but now the dreams are back. I stopped taking the tea three months ago.

"Good good. Now go to bed." She hugs me and nudges me towards the stairs.

I nod and walk to my room. It's a full moon and for some reason I don't know, I'm drawn to it. I sit by the window and look out.

I began to notice things when I turned 16. I'd missed my weekly tea and started becoming agitated. I began to write in a diary explaining how I felt. How I could hear things, how my eyesight became sharper at night, how I became stronger. I told miss Humphrey how I felt but I didn't tell her about the diary. For some reason, I forgot about it all.

Till I found the diary. I stopped the tea again and the agitation came back. I didn't tell miss Humphrey but she noticed and the tea again. This time I didn't take it regularly and she didn't notice.

Four months ago, I got in a fight. I broke a boy's nose and he swore I froze his legs. The fight was a little blurry for me but miss Humphrey stared at me with fear when word came to her. She tried to make me drink the tea but ended up taking it herself. She forgot. She forgot about everything then.

....

The hawk came, it always came to her at night. This time it came bruised and on the verge of death. She grabbed her blankets and cushioned the bird. Her heart  was beating fast as she pulled out her first aid box with her back to the bird.

"There isn't much... much time Kara." A voice wheezes behind her, making her jump. Turning hurriedly, she braced the fight.

Where the hawk had been was a man... an old man and he was pale.

"You do not have time to be afraid child, there is no time. They are coming." He spoke, his voice hoarse.

He pulled out a scroll and wrapped her hands around it.

"The time has come. She cannot protect you anymore. There is no time to warn her. You have to run, I cannot go with you but I assure you, you are not alone. The shadow watches. You will run and never look back. Do not trust anyone." He coughed out blood and moved around the room.

She was frozen on a spot, her eyes trailing him. He threw things into her knapsack and came to stand before her.

"Kara Cahill of the Northern Clan, I have fulfilled my mission and cannot protect you anymore. You will trust no one except the Griffin of Loyalty. You will remember all that I have taught you and you will accept your destiny."  Without noticing, he had walked her to the window.

"Protect your pack; show no fear; lead your companions; survive each day; howl to a new tomorrow; explore the unknown; demonstrate no weakness; never back down!"

And he pushed her out of the window.