Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal

JANE’S POV

Running ….. running.. running!

I can’t turn back, I’m scared… too scared to look back.

It’s coming behind me in a massive speed…… I once turned and saw it’s red eyes and I couldn’t look at it twice.

I’m tired but I must go on if I want to stay alive….. I must continue running.

“Jane, run! Keep running !” she yells from behind me. I increased my pace, running faster than before…. I can’t get caught.

“ Run don’t look back!” he urged me.

I heard a thud but didn’t look back….

The heavy footstep stops, but not for long… it continues again. I’m panting and running out of breath but that didn’t stop me … I must get out of here.

“ Julie!” I heard his panicked cry. I stopped running abruptly and turn back… my eyes grew wide, my mouthy hanged open as I couldn’t process what’s happening.

“ Julie” he cried again.. and reality of what’s happening dawn on me. It has finally caught up with them….. she laid on the ground with it mighty form over her…. Barring its teeth at her……. ready to devour her.

“He tries to fight it off but obviously isn’t strong enough”….… it pushed him away with its snout.

It already clenched it teeth on her neck tearing it…. I can’t just watch I must help.

I step forward but unfortunately its neck snapped towards my direction….. I halt frighteningly.

“ No!” A scream leaves my mouth.

It takes a step towards me… my heart beating fast but he suddenly steps in front of it…. Not flinching away from its glaring red eyes.

He pushes it back and grunts.

“ Jane, run!” he said before it tackles him and land him on the ground……

it teeth positioned on his neck.

“NO!”

-

My eyes snaps open and I quickly sat up….Panting heavily.

My head aches and my hands move to my forehead… wiping off the beads of sweat.

I reached for the table lamp and turn it on…. I reached for the glass of water and pills on the night stand…. I stared at it and sighed deeply.

“ Don’t go into the woods…. It’s dangerous!"

“ There are vicious beats lurking around the woods!”

“ Always stay in the house and don’t come out at night!”

Had I listened to these words and….

Had I been obedient…. I wouldn’t be having this nightmares.

The door burst open and my siblings came in…… Tonia and Anthony they are actually twins…. rushes in.

“Though we all call Anthony, Tony.”

Tony rushed straight to my bedside but Tonia flips the lights on before coming to me. Tonia wipes off sweat on my forehead… Tony holds my right hand in his.

“ Jane, are you alright?” Tonia asked.

“ Had another night mare?” Tony asked immediately after Tonia.

I simply nod to answer both their questions.

Tony and Tonia exchange looks and Tony sighed. “ Thankfully, we are moving today!” Tonia said.

I raised my head at once with a surprise expression on.

“ Moving?! When did that happen?!

Why am I just finding out about it just now?!”

I studied their expression as I questioned them….. Tony is avoiding my gaze but Tonia kept a straight face on.

Tony turns on the alarm clock on my nightstand and gasped dramatically.

“ it’s 05:00am…..” he claps his hands and stands up.” Jane start packing, let’s move!”

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply… I don’t have time for his jokes now.

I drop the pills I was holding and crossed my arms across my chest… a scorn on my face…. I can imagine my brows knit together.

“ No!” I said looking at Tonia…. His straight face still on.

Tony laughs lightly. “ Come on Jane.

Don’t be stubborn now, we’re doing this for your own good” he explained to me. “ No!” I said again.

“ But……’

“ No buts, Tony. I’m not moving!”

They both know I don’t like when we move…. I always have problem adapting to a new environment. “ Jane don’t be like that….. now that mom and dad are…….”

“Stop!” I cut him off.

I don’t like it when they mention our parents….. I can’t get over what happened yet, even if it has been three years now.

“ We’ve moved more than twenty times, when are we going to stop moving?” I asked.

“ we’re only trying to find a quiet place for you, somewhere that won’t trigger your night mares” Tony explained.

I scoffed…. Excuse!. That the only thing they say every time they want us to move.

He points towards my window…. Wait, did I forget to lock my window before going to bed?

“ Look your window is just facing those woods…. Who knows if that’s the reason for your night mares” he said.

I turn my gaze from the window to Tonia…. She’s exceptionally quiet.

Well, I don’t need to tell you about their personalities now….. you can clearly tell that Tony is the simple and approachable one among them .

Tonia is strict with me… no, she’s strict with me and Tony…. But a bit lenient with Tony.

“ I still don’t want to move, Tony” I said staring pointedly at Tonia, as if she was actually the one I’m talking to.

“ And truly she is the one I’m talking to… I was directing that comment to her while looking at Tony.

“ But Jane…..” Tonia bangs on my night stand and stands up, she stares at me sternly. “ We are moving today and final!” I flinched back and grab Tony’s arm.

“ To..Tonia calm down let’s talk to her calmly she will understand.”

“ Well you’ve been trying to talk to her calmly, did she understand?” She scolds Tony instead. She turns to me.

“ Start packing up…. We’re moving by 8am!” she leaves my room immediately.

Tony sighs and sits on my bed, his hands on my left check, caressing it softly.

“ Don’t worry, Jane you will adapt sooner than you expect” he said.

“Lie!”

“ True! I’ll take you round town when we get there…. And who knows, you might make a whole lots of friends!.”

I rolled my eyes I know exactly what he is trying to do, I know what he meant by that.

“ I’ll show you all the beautiful scenery and ….’ Just tell me you want me to accompany you to your job hunting I interrupt him.

He smiles brightly and winks at me.

“ you’re truly my sister…. You know me too well”.

I shake my head. I wish i can be this free to everyone…

I wish I can make any friends and talk about anything and everything with my friends.

“ Jane, Jane, Jane!” he snaps his fingers across my face. I blink a few times.

“ What?”

“ What were you thinking?”,

“Nothing”

He chuckles and shakes his head “ you were obviously thinking something”

“ it’s nothing … but I really don’t want to move, I’m tired of been a new student every time!”

“ You’ll be fine”

Just when I was solely accepting this place we were, moving again.

” I’m in my senior year, don’t you think all this frequent migrating will affect my education?”

"Nope! you’re smart!”

“ Try talking Tonia off….”

“No, Jane. You can’t continue having all these night mares, It needs to stop”

I huffed and rested my head on the headboard.

“ Don’t worry, I promise you… this will be the last time we move”

I rolled my eyes he told me the same thing , last time we moved here and here we are moving again now.

"Don’t roll your eyes at me, missy or I will pluck them out for you!”

“ Whatever!”

There’s a long pause….. none of us saying anything not even a word. Where are we going this time around?”

“ New York.’

I hummed. Who knows where we will go next, maybe California. “ And I believe we will stay there for, a very long time” he said

“ You sound so sure?”

“ Yeah… the agent guaranteed Tonia and I that the house we’re moving in isn’t near the woods so, I don’t think you will have a any night mares.

I don’t know why, but I suddenly released a long sigh of relief.

“ I know so” he said.

His phone suddenly beeps, he reaches for it from his PJs pocket.

A small frown first appear on his forehead before a bright smile took over.

“ Jane start packing… we are leaving by 8am!” he said and rushes towards the door.

“ Wait, where are you rushing off to?” I asked.

“ oh, I got a text from Becky” Becky ?! who’s that?! I asked myself mentally with a confused frown.

He seem to notice my confused expression and smiles.

“ Becky, my girlfriend!” he winks at me.

I groan his one week girlfriend. I forgot to tell u guys … Tony is a player almost every girl in Paris is his girlfriend.

“ so….. I’m going baby!” he didn’t even wait for my reply before dashing out.

My eyes meets my alarm clock.. it’s already 5:59am, almost to 6:00am.

I climb down from my bed and head towards my closet….. I pulled out my suitcase and opens it.

Seems I have no choice … I better start packing, I threw my hair in a messy bun and get to work.

Two hours later………..

I look around my empty room, I am long done packing my luggage’s have already been moved out and put in the truck.

I flung my backpack onto my shoulder and head for the door, just then I heard Tonia’s voice from outside from outside.

“Jane! Come on!”

She really can’t wait to leave this place, they say we’re moving for my good… but why do I have the nagging feeling at the back of my mind that we’re actually running away from something.

Like we’re always on the run, whatever!

“ Tony go in there and pull that lady out!” Tonia growl at Tony. “

I’m out! I’m out! I said immediately I step out, I shut the door in a loud bang.

I walked towards Tonia’s old Toyota Camry, the one our dad left her.

I made myself comfortable in the back seat and pulled out a book from my bag.

Tonia and Tony got in, Tonia started the car and follows behind the truck moving our loads!

After a few moment of silence, Tonia and Tony began to talk in hushed voices, I know they don’t want me to know or hear their conversation.

I yawned and opened my eyes, I frown.

When the heck did I fall asleep? ‘

You’re awake!” Tonia said from the driver’s seat.

Hold on, driver’s seat we’re still on the road?!

“ Are we not there yet?” I asked.

“ No “ they both replied.

My eyes shut involuntarily…tall trees…woods, they cause me night mares.

“ Two red eyes!

My head turn away and I faced the front, I don’t want to look back.

I need to get that picture outta my mind.

“Jane are you okay?” Tonia asked me.

“ Are you sure? Or you want the car to stop for while?” my eyes widen. Stop the car?! In the woods?!

“ No!” I said too loudly.

“ Are you sure you’re okay?” Tony said.

“ You can tell us anything” Tony said.

I think I saw something in the woods!

“There’s nothing in the woods, Jane... your mind must be playing tricks on you” he said .

“ Yeah… maybe you’re still thinking about the nightmare”

I reached for my phone and ear buds in my backpack and begin to go through my playlist.

I just hope moving to New York will help stop my nightmares.