The Pack

•Chapter 9•

•Theadora Sanford•

"Birds flyin' high, you know how I feel.

Sun in the sky, you know how I feel.

Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel.

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me.

Yeah, it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me,

ooooooooh...
And I'm feelin' good."

I slowly opened my eyes and let the tunes of my alarm clock absorb my mind. It was one of my favorite songs. I closed my eyes and continued, "Fish in the sea, you know how I feel." my voice was drowsy and quiet. I slowly got out of bed, "River runnin' free, you know how I feel!"

I ran into the bathroom and began to brush my teeth while attempting to sing, "Blossom on the tree, you know how I feel.
It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me, and I'm feelin' good!" I rinsed out my mouth and wet one of my cloths. I wiped my face clean and sang louder, " Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don't you know, Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean." I wiped on my deodorant and took off my night gown.

"Sleep in peace when day is done: that's what I mean, and this old world is a new world and a bold world for me..." I put on my dress and grabbed my hairbrush. I ran it through my tangled locks. " Stars when you shine, you know how I feel. Scent of the pine, you know how I feel!"

I began using my brush as a microphone, "Yeah, freedom is mine, and I know how I feel... It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me!"

I snapped my fingers, "Adooba bobba hiddledum dum a mana me mana me nee na! Hiddley hey hum! Ohhhhh yeah!" I attempted to imitate her scat.

"And I'm feelin'... gooooood." I ended on a strong note as I put on my flats and stopped my alarm clock before it could play the song again.

Cat was watching me closely on my bed. He loved it when I sang. He began to purr and meow as if applauding me. "Thank you, good sir." I giggled taking a bow for him. I hopped on the bed and he crawled on my stomach. He began to lick my cheek making me laugh. "Cat, I have to go work." I told him and he stopped licking my face. He meowed and hopped back down from my bed.

Something occurred to me, and I instantly ran to Cat/Josh's room. It was empty. Uh oh. Where was Josh? I began to grow worried. What if something bad happened to him? The worst things I could possibly imagine filled my brain and I was scared. Josh was okay. Don't worry about him. He's going to come back..... Right? Even if he doesn't, so what? You don't have real friends, Thea. It's just acting. I closed my eyes and just accepted it. I grew attached to people quick. Maybe because of my lack of relationships with anyone. The last person I could trust was Mama, and she left me, too. It was only a matter of time before Josh did as well.

I closed my eyes. Cat's low meow was my reminder of my work. I got out of bed and dashed down the hallway. Riley and I switched duties for a while. I would be doing laundry, and pool duty. I didn't understand the pool duty. In fact, I had no idea what a pool was. I decided to get laundry duty over with, because it was morning and everyone was usually too drowsy to even be upset, and I heard that the laundry room hardly had anyone there most of the time. I gathered all the clothes and ventured to the laundry room. My stomach was growling as I separated the clothes in lights, darks, colors, and other. The loads were small since there was a laundry collection no less than 3 days ago.

"Haven't you heard?" Mabel, one of the owners of the laundromat questioned another worker, April.

"Heard...?" April dragged.

"Future Alpha Jake is searching for our Future Luna."

"Anyone in particular you've seen him with?"

I automatically strained my ears to hear their conversation. "I believe it to be Alpha Xavier's daughter, Erin. Or, maybe..." Mabel searched the room and spotted me. I looked away and turned on the machines as they roared to life and began to wash the clothes. "Ahem," she smoothed out her dress. Mabel leaned down and whispered in April's ear, "The pack whore." it took a lot to be able to hear her. I had to become really silent because I didn't have the enhanced werewolf abilities like the others due to the fact that I lost connection to my wolf.

April's eyes shot up to mine, but I pretend like I didn't hear or see anything. Everyone knew I was mute around others. I only spoke to my superiors only because I was forced, and some servants from time to time. Besides that, no one really cared about me or anything I had to say.

I closed my eyes and rushed out of the room. I was glad I didn't have to return until an hour or so to put the clothes in the dryer. I decided to begin my pool cleaning to pass time by instead of being in my room.

I had to walk all the way to the back door of the pack house in order to reach the pool. It was a part of the house I'd never seen. It was one of the small meal kitchens for normal days. The door to the pool was a sliding screen. It took me a while to get it open it. I had never used such technology before. I stared at the big ovular-shaped... Well, pool. There was a smaller part with steam coming from it on the other side. I tilted my head. What contraption is this?

2 girls with towels wrapped around themselves and bathing suits walked right past me. Why were they wet? I slowly crept to the "pool." was it dangerous? It looked like a layer of glass. Maybe so. Yet, it was moving and it looked almost like water. I put my finger to it. Indeed, it was water.

I looked around to see if anyone was watching. What was the point of having a big hole filled with water? How was I to clean the pool anyway? I bent down and stared at my reflection on the water. It looked clean enough to me.

I felt something strong against my back, and before I knew it, I was tumbling into the water. My first instinct was to scream, so right before I hit the water, a strangled cry escaped my lips. I continued screaming even as I was inside the water. I didn't know what to do, or how to get out. I was gently floating to the ground. I kicked my legs and hands, trying to grasp onto anything but it didn't help. Water began to fill my lungs the more I struggled.

Is this it? Is this death? Funny thing, I didn't know water could kill. Then again, anything could.

I saw a figure in the water coming towards me. I struggled more as the person grabbed onto my waist and held me tightly. I kicked and screamed, but the person wouldn't let go. Suddenly, I felt as if I were floating. I began to rise towards the surface. Just as I broke free, everything became blurry and my eyes began to sting. I was placed on a solid ground and I felt my chest pump up and down a number of times. Coldness took over my lips afterwards, then the pumping would begin once again the same amount of times, then the air being blown into me.

I sat up as I felt the urge to puke, and I spat out water. I coughed it all out as the person rubbed my back. "Thea," he said once I finished. I blinked at the person until he became clear. "are you alright?"

"Jake?"

•••

I finished delivering the clothes to their rightful owners and returned back to my room. My first experience with the pool was frightening. Jake made sure I was okay after saving me and let me finish working as long as he had an eye on me. At least I learned how to clean a pool. Too bad I didn't learn how to "swim"- as they call it.

I folded the last shirt for the 10th floor of the pack house and put it with the other shirts on the tenth floor. It was past 8:00 which meant that clothes that hadn't been delivered were to be delivered in the morning. The other maids would take care of it in the morning. I checked the shirt's tag just to make sure none of them was incorrect. Each clothing had the floor number and room number either stamped or written on the tag so that the maids knew where to deliver them whenever we finished cleaning.

I stretched my arms and back and decided to head off. I finished all of my chores for the day. I began my journey downstairs when a really awful scent filled my nose. I nearly choked as I covered my nose. The smell was familiar, but putrid. I opened the door to my room and the scent hit me full force. I looked over at the lump in Cat's room. Cat ran up to me and then to the window. He needed air just like I did. I opened it for him and let him out before I walked back to Cat's small room. I pulled back the curtain and gasped.

It was Josh! But he was covered in blood.