When Dominick and I got home my father ‘was asleep’ or, he was doing drugs with Carol, or passed out on alcohol, or some sort of drug. The door was locked, and I had nowhere to go, I dreaded going to Peggy for help. She always asked why I wasn’t like Bailey.

“Come on, let’s go to the Ravine” Dominick said. I didn’t know if I could take it with my head ace, but I slowly nodded, a pulse of pain stroking my spinal cord as I did so. We walked down the Tear Trail, the trail that led to the wall. The wall was basically a single cliff face, tall and proud. We turned up the side into the woods; we called it Runaway’s Lane. We ran away on a daily basis. I looked at the long scar down his fore arm and whispered,

“your cut is better…” his gaze forward hardened, his blonde hair falling in front of his deep green eyes, eyes the color you think of when you think of toxic, and venom.

“Yeah? So? He’s just goanna cut me again.” Dominick snapped, and I shrunk back whimpering. His father was very abusive, his mother, my aunt Danni had accidentally set the house in Phoenix on fire, and Dominick, Bailey, and Jerry were taken and Bailey and Jerry are with Peggy, and Poor Dominick is with his father. His father was almost as abusive as my own…

“There’s Torment tunnel!” I said quietly, fear that my head would explode in pain again, “The Opening to the Raining Ravine.”

We ducked though the small tunnel, Dominick’s hair brushed the low ceiling in front of me, and then, he disappeared into a green curtain. When I went through after him, I was soaked through my coat, my frizzy hair plastered to my face. I grinned, I forgot all about my pain. I was in mine and Dominick’s kingdom. We were free here, no scars, no blood, no drugs. No Jerry, no Bill. Best of all? When we were there we could never die.

“Are you the wolf who howls to the Moon?” Dominick breathed.

“Only as Darkness falls.” I replied.

We took off into the undergrowth, the water from the last Moon Monsoon dripping on us; the Raining Ravine was earning the keep of its name. I ran to the top of one of the rocks and let out a play snarl,

“Can’t get me Nicky!”

“Oh you Wait Anny!” that name made me so angry… that I got him instead, I leaped off the rock, hitting him hard, my little 40-45 pound 8 year old body knocked him over, and we rolled down the hill, I was digging my fingers into his shoulder, one arm around his neck, and we were giggling it ended up with him pinning me with a knee on my chest.

“Dominick? Can you teach me to fight?”

“Little Tiger, why would I do that?”

“So Daddy can’t hurt me anymore.”

Dominick’s emerald crystalline gaze softened,

“Sure thing Kiddo.”

When I woke up for school, to my alarm blaring, I rolled out from under my bed and got dressed, I ran my brush through my matted hair, and looked at myself in the mirror. I saw a scrawny bruised 8 year old looking back at me. I noted the hallow cheeks, the empty crystal blue eyes, full of sadness, the dark attire, the black tee shirt, under the black sweater, black jeans, and a pair of black tennis. I put on the black baseball cap I took from my mother’s room the day after she died, and stashed it in my back pack. I went and brushed my teeth, and then there was a knock at the door, the door cracked and my fathers tired angry voice sounded,

“What the hell do you want Nicky?”

“Good morning sir, I come to pick up Ariana.” Dominick’s clear voice retorted.

“Why? This early?” Jerry’s voice was very confused.

“School?” Dominick snapped, my father always forgot.

“Coming Nicky!” I skipped out of the bathroom, Dominick scowled,

“Don’t call me that.”

“Kay Dominick.” He took out a brush and gently unsnarled my hair the rest of the way, he watched my father, walking back to his room muttering, and the smell of pot rolling of his skin, and clouding his breath.

“So, Dominick, when are you goanna teach me to fight?”

“As soon as you promise, only defend yourself at school… don’t use it on Jerry.”

“What?” I cried out angrily

“If you hurt him… he’ll hurt you… then me.”

“Oh… ok. I swear on the ashes and the moon.” I promised.

He smiled and suddenly in a flurry of motion, I was thrown on the ground.

“Wha!” I cried out, his knee was on my chest and a palm on my forehead.

“Whoa…. When do I learn that!?” I breathed

He chuckled, “When you learn to BLOCK.” he smiled, his green eyes dancing with laughter.

He brought his hand up and I jumped out of the way and his hand swiped the air.

“Nice Anny… you’ll get better soon… but let’s catch the bus.” Dominick said.

The bell rung, and I sprang up in a grasshopper pose my eyes wild, I heard giggling, and Garrett put a hand on my shoulder,

“Its O.K, Lark, it’s just the recess bell.”

A kid passed me,

“Awww… are the Ghosties tormenting Ghost Girl?” then the chant was taken up,

“Ghost Girl Ghost Girl, Take your Ghostly Friends Away and Allow Us To Play Today!” the boy who started it snickered, and I snarled, curling my hand into a fist, and I hit him in the face, feeling a satisfying spurt of blood. I saw Mis.HopFrog coming; we called her Miss Froggy, because she looked like a frog. Garrett grabbed my hand making me wince, and called,

“Ariana! Come on, Hurry! I ran with him and we dived into a Milkweed cluster, we disturbed a large flock of butterflies. My hand hurt, bad. A soft voice spoke,

“Are You the Wolf Who Howls To The Moon?”

“Only As the Dark Night Falls…” I whispered back. Dominick poked his head into the cluster, and said,

“Get Garrett in a blindfold, we’ll take him to the Ravine.”

I pulled out a silk strip,

“Whoa… wait till were almost there guys.” Garrett growled.

We walked into the forest and to my house; dad was ‘at work’ we grabbed some food, and some blankets, and a tarp.

“Garrett we’ll go to your place, and leave a not telling your mom that you’re at Dominick’s place, for the night.” He didn’t protest… he was our friend he was used to this.

I Groaned and looked out the 4x6 window of the loft, my brother was sitting next to me. He was 3 and just learning to talk.

“Ornin Na!” He chirped, his hair shimmering, the exact same color as my own. He eyes are chocolate brown. It had been 21/2 years since I had seen Dominick and/or Garrett… for the first year or so, it felt like I lost my right leg, I was still a good fighter, but I was losing it. My life had been constant depression since my mother had died… all except when I was with Dominick and Garrett.

“Morning Jay!” I called happily, the only thing showing my sadness, was my crystalline blue eyes. He cooed, and I got my sneakers on and slipped into a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt, and brushed my hair, hitting my head a couple times on the low ceiling on my way.

“Happy valentine’s day grandma!” I ran down the stairs, and my grandmother, Carrie Irene was sitting in the chair downstairs, the kitchen and living room basically the same room, a small outcropping being the bathroom. I was 9. You see… soon after mine, Garrett and Dominick’s little escapade, I was attacked by a Javelinah, or a wild boar. My leg broke in a compound fracture, and I wasn’t at school the next day. Because I was at the hospital. I was taken from Jerry, as well as Jay, and now we live in a small one bedroom A-Frame, where I’m able to roam freely, and fish, and I’m happy. This place feels like home, while with Jerry, I felt alone, unwanted.

We were in the car, on our way to the library for a Valentines party, as soon as we got there I ran and grabbed a handful of chocolate.

“Hey! Put that back!” a small girl, maybe an inch shorter than me was behind me.

“Make me.” I spat back at her, my hostility flaring up. Dominick ad taught me my temper.

She shrank back, “I-I want some too.”

“Ok,” I handed her some chocolate, “My names Ariana, aka Ana.”

“Ok, I’m Ella.” I smiled at the girl, she was blonde, and had almost the same shade of blue eyes as me.

“Hey, Ella, want to go outside?”

“Yeah, it’s boring in here.”

We ran outside and I collided into a short maybe 7 year old kid,

“Hey! Watch it!” I snapped.

“Eh, Ana, that’s my brother.” Ella corrected.

“Teach him to watch where he walks.” I hiss. The little boy whimpered and I looked at him.

“What’s your name.” I growled.

“E-Ely.” The boy spluttered.

“Well, Ely… Watch it!” I was sort of enjoying the terror in his eyes.

Ella and I became best friends for 3 years before I got to see her again. I was in 6h grade and I walked around in town and bumped into some one.

“Hey! Watch-“I cut off, I saw a girl same blonde hair, blue eye except now with braces. “Ella!”


“Ana!” Ella returned and we hugged crying.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you Ella!” I cried.

“Yeah, and guess what?” she said excitedly, “I’m enrolling in your school!”

I grinned and hugged her. “I got to go, ill see u on Monday?”

“Yeah for sure. “

Ella and I had all our supplies for 7th grade. We walked in, and I hugged my boyfriend. Dillon Kemp. I smiled at him and she looked at me.

“Goodbye Ana were through.” He said coldly. I backed away, and started to cry. Ella hugged me, and we sat down, I wiped my eyes.

“What a glorious omen for the beginning of Jr. High.” I whimpered.

“It’s ok…” Ella comforted, “He’s not worth it. Tell ya what tomorrow, we will get together, make you look the best we can, and come to school… he will be begging for you back.” She smiled.

“I don’t want to that…. But I will make him sorry….” I stammered. Neither of us knew how to do that. But at lunch I sat next to Jeremiah, and I flirted… and Dillon stared with pure anger. I smiled and waved at him and gave Ella a high five. Over the next few days, I spent more time with Jeremiah. We became good friends before he asked me out one day and I said yes, so we were together. One day we were hanging out with Ella, and he asked me to look at him and I did, and he surprised me with a kiss. It was sloppy and not very good, but it was my first kiss and I was surprised, I blushed and stared at him for a moment, then Ella coughed,

“Lets ohm... Go skating now?” she stuttered.

“Ohm… yeah….” I looked down blushing. Three weeks after that Jeremiah broke up with me. I was hurt but I moved on. For a while it was only me and Ella. We did just fine, but then we met Perry Little. He was kind. We both really liked him, but only one of us could have him, and that turned out neither of us would. Over that summer, Perry Little pushed me down and I was scared, but Ella came up and hit him in the back of the head. He fell off me and I ran to Ella house, she was right on my heels. We ran inside and locked the doors. We were so scared it wasn’t even funny at all. Soon after, school started, Ella turned 14, and I was still only 13. We started our second, and last year in Jr high. We were the top dogs there. We weren’t teased anymore, and we were more respected by the 7th graders. It was funny, the year before, the 8th graders complained because we weren’t afraid of them. But this year the 7th graders were terrified we were fine with that. I don’t have to worry about being hurt any more… I have Ella, and my new family down here in Colorado, I have my friends in Cripple Creek where I have my new life. I’m safe.

-For 6 years now Ella and I have been best friends. We are in the same graduating class, we graduate together in 2015. Dominick committed suicide a year ago; I still live will my grandmother and little brother. Ella and I are 14, my little brother is 8. Dominick would be 16, and Garrett would be 15.-