———————————————————— 🎧: AURORA - Runaway ————————————————————

Honestly, I hated everything about this. From my mother, who always lived with a chronic cough, finally being hospitalized, To me becoming a useless burden with nowhere else to go, To the fact that some random uncle showed up and I had no choice but to follow him. All of it.

My mother had cut ties with her family. I never asked why. She had so many scars all over her body that it wasn't hard to guess. She probably grew up being treated like less than human. That's why I always hated her side of the family. My father's side wasn't any better. Why would I be happy to see relatives from the man who divorced her? My mother's face would stiffen whenever relatives were mentioned. Yet, even she would occasionally smile when talking to this uncle on the phone. He was the only one from that side who stayed in touch. She always said they were the only ones who relied on each other growing up. Of course, that didn't mean I liked the guy.

As I sat in the passenger seat of the dust-stained truck, my foot hit something. Looking down, I saw a heavy bag... smelling of raw blood. The uncle didn't say a word the whole drive, just played music. It was all old songs. Aside from the fact that the destination was western Montana, I knew nothing.

The scenery outside began to change. Fir trees started to tower over us, and the wind coming through the cracked window bit at the tip of my nose. They say autumn wind is cold, but this felt different from the Arizona breeze. Looking at the back seat, I saw a pile of supplies: bottled water, tarps, and—animal traps. I remembered what my mother used to say. That her brother owned a massive estate in western Montana. I remembered her smiling, saying he was a hunter and asking if that wasn't cool. I just rubbed my cold nose. ...I had a feeling I knew what was in the bag under my feet. I had to travel while stepping on a hunk of meat. It felt disgusting.

I thought we had arrived when we got out of the car, but he said we had to walk into the forest. For three kilometers. I had no choice but to grumble and follow. Leaves crushed under my feet.

Just as my legs were about to give out, we reached a cabin surrounded by layers of menacing barbed wire and fences. I asked if it was actually safe, but my uncle just went inside without answering. Inside, there were guns hanging on the walls. Even things like bear spray. There was even a bunker.

'…Mom. I think I came to the wrong place.' Unfortunately, I should have realized that a little sooner.

But who could have known? That right before getting mauled by a bear, I'd be saved by a werewolf. Though, rather than being saved, it felt more like the bear was just a higher priority target than me. I didn't even know werewolves actually existed. Is it normal for every private estate in America to have one werewolf? There's no way.

...So, it just means I'm incredibly unlucky.