Angstober Day 3

Instructions

Day 3: “Of course it's you.” Luanne sat with her knees tucked close to her chest and her head bowed low. The familiar feeling of her room’s wooden door pressed against her back made her feel… well, she wasn’t sure. She sat there every time something like this happened, so it carried a lot of comfort that was carefully entwined with triggering memories. Her ears pressed against her head as her tail bushed out. It had been a few months now. She still couldn’t handle it. “Me?” She could hear herself whispering in the starlight. They were on the very hill where they’d snuck off to after their first dance and had their first kiss. “Your choice would be… *me*?” “Yes.” He’d answered without a moment's hesitation. That bright irreplaceable smile he’d worn while he’d knelt… It hurt so much to remember. “Yes, of *course* it’s you, Luanne.” That night had been breathtaking. Not perfect, but it hadn’t *needed* to be. He’d done and planned everything himself, he’d done it in their spot, he got her favorite flower, and he’d hand-crafted the ring. Everything came from *him*. Luanne pulled up her head and stared at the ring. It sat in an almost lonely way on her dresser. Her eyes widened at the sight of it. The silver base, the almost blue diamond fragment, and the cold but comforting touch it had when she wore it. … The feeling of his hand on her’s when he’d slid it onto her finger that night… The blood roared in her ears as she glared. The rational thoughts were overtaken by the irrational, and terrible memories flooded in. She dropped her head down and shut her eyes tight. She harshly grabbed the top of her head, unaware of the blood slowly making its way down her face as her nails turned to claws. “...Men will always disappoint. I’m sorry, but it’s true.” Apo’s voice rang in her ears as she remembered their last conversation together. Oh, how terribly true that was turning out to be. Caleb, Krow’s horrible ex, that she’d given the chance to hurt her little sister. Krow’s father, who had only earned custody over Krow from a rigged court case, then proceeded to treat it like a pet. … *Him*... There was too much to say about him. And… and Lukas… ‘No. No, no, no, don’t think about him,’ She thought desperately. Fur had begun growing around her wrists and neck. “I-... I’m a monster…” A small, small voice echoed. “No, you’re not,” Another voice, five years older than the first, comforted the other. “You’re beautiful, Luanne. Ears, tail, and all.” And, of course, trailing that memory… “LUKAS!” Her hands fell to her sides as they slowly shifted. “Lukas, don’t- don’t let them take me! PLEASE!” 5-year-old her sobbed for her brother – her only comfort in that house – to save her, the same way he had thousands of times before. “... Lukas?” That one whisper, followed by silence, finally did it. For the first time in 15 years? Luanne snapped. She didn’t know how long she’d been lying on the floor. As the red ebbed away from her vision, she looked around. Her room was completely trashed – her dresser had been thrown to the ground, most everything was spewed across the floor, long claw marks traced the walls, and several things had been broken. Two things caught her eye. One was the ring. The diamond fragment had shattered into pieces, and the silver handle was bent every way possible. It was completely destroyed. The other was a broken picture frame next to her bedside table. While the frame was unrecognizable, the picture was perfectly intact. Carefully, she removed it from the shattered glass. It had two people on it: Her, a red-haired gray wolf hybrid with deep sea blue eyes, and… And Owen, a curly-brown-haired human with scars everywhere and dark chocolate eyes. In the picture, she’d stolen his classic cream and orange hoodie and was promptly wearing it. In response, he’d grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her in the air. The two could have laughed for hours while they twirled around. However, it had only taken Owen a minute to get motion sickness. The picture was happy. The memory was not. “Yes, of course it’s you,” She muttered. “Of course, you take up every inch of my thoughts now that I know I shouldn’t have you.” In one swift movement, she ripped the picture in half.