Metamorphosis
Chapter One--Raid!
I am Beast. I belong to Master.
When he calls, I come. When he commands, I obey. When he rages, I cower at his feet. By his word I live; by his word I die. So I stay to the shadows, sleeping in the pen with Master’s dogs and fighting them for the scraps that fall from Master’s table. Sometimes I win. Most times I don’t. Then long nights follow. Cold nights, when the wind pierces the wood.
Tonight Master’s dogs curl up together in the corner away from the wind. I try to join them, but the Others growl and snap. I go away to the pen’s other side and wrap my fur around me. It is long, but only covers my head and the extra coat Master gave me is full of holes. The Others’ fur covers all of them. This is one reason why I am Beast, not an Other.
Light comes after a long time, but it is cold light, angry light. My insides hurt. I curl into a tighter ball, but the hurt does not go away. Maybe some of Master’s pack will come and he will call me to do the things only I can do. Then he will laugh, I will have food, and the hurt will go away for a little while.
The house door opens—it creaks—and Master’s Mate calls. “Warrior, Mongrel, Huntress, Arrow.”
The Others immediately rise, yapping and jumping against the pen’s boards.
Mate does not call me, but I uncurl anyway. Pressing my forepaws into the dirt, I swing the rest of me forward, my useless hind leg dragging behind. I am not as quick as the Others, but they have four good legs, and I have only three.
Without looking at me, Mate tosses bones to the Others. Her mouth is thin. I wait by the boards, face to ground. I do not know why I wait. A thin mouth says Mate is displeased and my insides always hurt more when Mate is displeased. Day will be cold and long.
“Beast, come.”
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