- 12 hours ago
Esp El Collar Rojo
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:05my mom called me a liar from the day i was born not because i actually lied but because of
00:10this
00:10thing around my neck the verity choker mom was luna of silver moon pack and she believed one
00:15thing above all lying was the mark of a weak wolf we were her daughters future alpha heirs
00:21weakness was not an option so when my twin sister emma and i were born mom clasped these chokers
00:27around our throats which had witch magic to detect lies green light means truth red light means you
00:33were lying emma's choker always green she could shred mom's ceremonial cloak and blame the cat
00:39and gem would glow a steady green not me green light believed me mom i'm hungry and flash red
00:49light the choker choked tight i shifted on instinct a small white wolf pawing desperately at the gem
00:55around my neck claws scraping against it unable to get it off i'm not lying not lying please but mom's
01:03eyes had already gone cold instant punishment mom's punishment wasn't gentle no food locked in my room
01:09no contact with anyone in the pack the truth necklace doesn't lie stella starve now study later
01:16i'm doing this for your own good after 10 years of this i started believing it too maybe i really
01:22was
01:22born wrong new year's eve everything changed mom was getting ready to take emma to the pack's bonfire
01:28celebration and that's when the pain hit like a knife twisting in my gut i collapsed on the floor
01:34my skeletal frame curling into itself mom please the choker flashed red and choked tight she looked down at
01:43me disgusted in her eyes in your dream stella faking an illness to ruin our night she grabbed emma's hand
01:51and headed for the door i wanted to howl but my wolf was too weak to answer i shifted anyway
01:57forced it
01:58a small white wolf trembling on the floor ribs heaving maybe in this form the pain would hurt less
02:04it didn't i couldn't even hold the shift i slipped back into myself without meaning to
02:09sorry mom i won't lie anymore but the pain got worse way worse the door handle turned for one
02:16second i thought mom's coming back she came back for me hurry up the bonfire is starting emma's waiting
02:23mom i reached out with a shaking hand please something's really wrong i feel like i'm dying
02:30she glanced at my neck the gem was flashing red over and over she crouched down grabbed my chin
02:37stella how long are you gonna keep this up can't you just be honest and stay here and think about
02:43what you've done dad appeared in the doorway honey should we at least leave her some food food she has
02:51a stash of snacks she bought with stolen money she won't starve lock the door when that gem turns green
02:59will talk but but but what it's because you spoil her that she turned out this way look at emma
03:07her gem
03:08has always been green stella is a liar an alpha heiress who can't tell the truth she needs discipline
03:14but my cabinet was empty emma stole that money emma ate those snacks emma just stood there with her
03:22glowing green gem saying not me and mom believed her i tried to defend myself it wasn't me red light
03:31the choker choked tight i tried to shift nothing happened deep inside my wolf barely stirred mom locked
03:39me up for three days with nothing but water and stale bread mom turned to leave emma peeked through the
03:45door made a face at me bye sis we're gonna see the bonfire her gem glowed a steady green so
03:52pretty
03:53the door locked the house went silent i called my wolf nothing came back not even a whisper just me
04:01alone the pain was unbearable but i kept thinking mom's right the gem doesn't lie it's red so i must
04:11be
04:11lying i'm not in pain i'm not in pain i'm not in pain i kept repeating it like a prayer
04:21eventually i almost
04:23believed it the pain dulled or maybe i was just going numb i crawled to my desk i had to
04:30write that
04:31was the rule if the gem glowed red i had to pen a thousand word apology or mom would never
04:38let me out
04:39i am a liar write it down and maybe mom would forgive me maybe she'd even let me out i
04:47opened my
04:47journal pages and pages of apologies i'd written over the years sorry i lied i won't do it again but
04:55this time i wanted to write the truth my vision blurred my hand shook as i wrote mom i really
05:04love
05:04you it really hurts why won't you believe me please believe me just once the moment i finished the
05:13last word the pain vanished just gone i felt light weightless i looked down i was floating and there
05:23slumped over the desk was my body motionless the gem still flashing red around a dead girl's neck
05:30oh i'm dead and then she came out my wolf stepping out of my body like she'd been waiting all
05:38along
05:39small skinny barely holding together she looked up at me and once soft and low in the pack's old
05:49stories they say when a wolf dies young her spirit doesn't cross over alone her wolf walks beside her
05:56until they find the door together i knelt down she pressed her nose into my ghostly palm finally we were
06:04together now but i never learned how to be honest sorry mom i heard laughter mom dad emma coming through
06:12the front door tonight's bonfire was beautiful the best one yet just like our emma perfect in every way
06:22i'd never heard her sound like that when she talked about me i floated toward them my wolf patting
06:28silently at my side moving on instinct i wanted to help them take off their cloaks that's what i always
06:34did mom my arms passed right through her body like wind why is it so cold here is the hearthi
06:42out i stood
06:43there staring at my transparent hands my wolf pressed against my leg and looked up at me with sad eyes
06:49right dead wolves couldn't hug the living shall we go and see stella she hasn't eaten yet still the
06:56good cop i looked at mom hopefully if she found me dead would she be sad would she regret it
07:03she won't
07:05starve she is a werewolf not a human pup this whole fake sick for attention thing is out of control
07:12i laughed
07:13bitterly mom wasn't wrong werewolves heal but i hadn't been able to in a long time last winter the
07:21choker left bruises that stayed for days that hadn't happened before i reached for my wolf she was still
07:27there but the warmth never came she was too hungry just like me mom never noticed she only ever looked
07:37at
07:37my neck for one thing the gem and whether it was red or green mom pushed open my door didn't
07:43even turn
07:44on the light just for a second her eyes flashed gold her wolf might have known mom didn't listen
07:50in the dim glow from the hallway she saw me slumped over my desk i looked like a skeleton hadn't
07:56moved
07:58still putting on an act you're ten years old not five grow up mom i'm not playing i'm dead look
08:07at me touch
08:08me i'm freezing she couldn't hear me she only believed what she wanted to see emma squeezed past
08:15her held up her choker with that smug little grin look my gem is green stella's is still red she's
08:22lying
08:23even in her sleep that's my good girl ignore the liar let her stay there maybe she'll learn how to
08:30be
08:30honest should we at least put her in bed it's freezing put her in bed look at that red gem
08:38still lying come on leave her we have to visit grandma tomorrow the door locked again i floated next to
08:46my
08:46corpse my wolf curled silently at my feet staring at that single point of red light in the darkness
08:53mom if you'd just stepped closer if you just touched my hand you'd know i was ice cold but you
08:59didn't you believed the choker not the daughter you carried for nine months that night a rat crawled
09:06out of my empty cabinet i used to scream whenever i saw rats but now i just floated by the
09:11ceiling
09:11watching it scurry across my dead body the rat bit into my toe i didn't feel anything my wolf charged
09:19at it anyway and passed right through landing on the other side she turned back to look at me confused
09:26lost i pulled her close and buried my face in the fur of her back it's okay you can't feel
09:33it anymore
09:33it'll be over soon she let out one low growl then went still against me finally no more pain for
09:42either
09:42of us the next morning sunlight streamed through the window no warmth reached my body in the kitchen
09:49i could hear mom making breakfast the smell of roasted meat crept under my door my favorite but
09:55mom always said liars don't deserve meat so i only ever got steamed vegetables she was clanging the pots
10:02extra loud on purpose trying to tempt me out trying to make me give in and apologize for things i
10:08never did
10:08in the old days i might have caved i might have confessed to anything for one bite of roasted meat
10:15but i don't need food anymore stella still hasn't come out yet dad asked reading the pack notices
10:22she is so stubborn she can eat or not i don't care
10:28emma walked to my door and made a big show of sniffing the air then she screamed dramatically
10:34mom stella's room smells like poop did she poop in there i floated by the door watching my sister
10:42with a bitter smile my wolf sat beside me ears flat eyes low the hearth was burning hot after just
10:51one
10:51night my body started to rot mom stormed over pounding on the door stella who does that the toilet is
11:00right
11:00there did you sit on the floor to spite me i remembered being six i had food poisoning couldn't
11:08make it to the toilet in time mom didn't help me clean up she made me stand outside pointed at
11:14me
11:14and told the neighbors look at this she's such a mess she can't even use the toilet herself now she
11:21thought i was dirty again leave her let her sit in her own stink but dad stood up frowning that
11:28smells
11:29really bad i should check could it be a dead rat or something my heart if i still had one
11:36leapt dad
11:37please open the door i'm right here just turn the handle and you'll see i'm not moving i waved my
11:45transparent arms frantically my wolf ran straight to my bedroom door willing dad to open it dad's hand
11:53touched the door handle his hand froze one was pounding at the front door a pack elder urgent business
11:59dad's face went pale he grabbed his cloak the border there's an emergency he was already out the
12:05door i froze so close one second away if that knock had come one second later i would have been
12:12found
12:12maybe then i wouldn't have rotted alone that afternoon mom took emma to the pack market the house was empty
12:18except for my corpse when they came back that evening loaded down with food and gifts from the market the
12:23smell had gotten worse mom gagged the second she walked in stella are you trying to turn this place
12:30into a den of inequity she didn't even open my door just grabbed cloth strips and sealed the gap at
12:35the
12:35bottom if you want to stay in there and make disgusting stew zoos don't stink up my house she
12:40patted her hands together satisfied then went to prepare dinner i stared at that sealed door my wolf
12:46pressed her nose against it and whimpered once so that's it i'm worth less than a venison dinner by day
12:51three even the cloth strips couldn't contain the smell mom was arranging fresh wildflowers trying to
12:57cover it up but the stench of death is unmistakable sweet rotten oily she cut a rose stem too hard
13:04a thorn pierced her hand she snapped in her mind i was doing this on purpose not bathing poop on
13:11the
13:11floor hiding dead rats in my room all to piss her off all to defy her authority as luna stella
13:17she grabbed a rolling pin from the kitchen stormed toward my room i'm done with you you disgusting
13:24little brat time you learned what real pain feels like i floated in front of her waving my arms
13:30desperately don't come in mom please please even though she never loved me i didn't want her to see
13:38me like that but she walked right through me ripped the cloth strips off jammed the spare key into the
13:44lock
13:44the door flew open the smell hit her like a wall she stumbled back retching stella what are you doing
13:51she saw me still slumped over the desk back turned not moving to her this was the ultimate rebellion
13:58i'm talking to you she marched over raised the rolling pin but stopped she wanted to see my face
14:05first wanted to see my get up she grabbed the back of my shirt grabbed my skin the moment she
14:11touched me
14:12she froze through the thin fabric her hand didn't feel warm flesh she felt cold hard dead meat the
14:19kind of cold that seeps into your bones what but momentum carried her forward she yanked crash my body
14:26stiff as a board toppled backward taking the chair with it and there was my face blue black eyes bulging
14:33features twisted in agony dried foam and blood crusted around my mouth around my blackened neck
14:39the verity choker hung lifeless the gem dark no red no green just silence my journal slid off the desk
14:47fell open at mom's feet the last page stared up at her mom my stomach really hurts the choker is
14:54wrong
14:54i'm not lying please don't punish me mom screamed not a wolf's howl a raw guttural shriek that tore through
15:03her throat she stumbled backward slammed into the bookshelf a clay pot shattered but she didn't seem
15:09to feel the pain she just stared at me eyes wide unblinking no no no no this is not real
15:19stella get
15:20up stella get up get up i'm not mad anymore stop scaring me her hand reached out trembling to touch
15:29my arm
15:29the second her skin made contact with my corpse she recoiled like she'd been burned that cold was
15:36too real lisa from next door heard the screaming and went straight to the pack healer when she saw
15:42what was in my room she collapsed in the gate within the hour heavy boots on the floorboards the pack
15:48healer and a handful of pack warriors crowding the entrance mom sat on the floor a warrior's hand on
15:55her shoulder she's speaking she's always lying it doesn't lie i'm just teaching her no one responded
16:04they all looked at her like she was a monster the pack healer crouched next to my body he muttered
16:11under his breath severe malnutrition organ failure this puppy has been starved for at least a month he
16:18carefully tried to remove the verity choker but it had fused years of tightening had pressed the
16:24leather deep into the skin of my neck damn it he had to use tools to pry it off even
16:30dead my soul
16:31flinched my wolf lifted her head and long raw desperate the kind of howl that should have shaken
16:40the walls no one heard it no one flinched we were already dead a warrior picked up my journal started
16:47reading his face went from neutral to horrified mom's eyes locked onto that book that's her confession
16:56she admits she lied look she wrote it herself
17:01the warrior pushed her back wrapped the journal in cloth and took it will report it to the council
17:07that's when dad got home he saw the pack healer and the pack warriors crowding the doorway
17:13saw the body wrap being carried out saw the long cord that sealed away my entire life his legs gave
17:21out he collapsed on the doorstep emma stood nearby sobbing in confusion she pointed at the discolored
17:29verity choker on the table why does stella have a black collar and i have a green one see she
17:36held up
17:36her neck the gem blinked its steady green it was grotesque the council elders
17:42arrived before dawn mom straightened when she saw them even now even with my body three days cold
17:49and rotting her luna instincts kicked in she lifted her chin squared her shoulders it didn't work today
17:57they started questioning mom in the living room mom grabbed the verity choker off the table like it was
18:02a lifeline test it that choker proved she was lying red gem means lie i never abused her the choker
18:13told me
18:14i was just educating her the council elders looked at her like she'd lost her mind
18:21the pup shows signs of extreme malnutrition months of starvation
18:26aphelion multiple old injuries consistent with prolonged that's just discipline that's teaching
18:33her to be honest then she did something insane you don't believe me fine i'll wear it
18:44watch it'll be green the leather pressed against her skin cold sticky that was my blood
18:52she took a deep breath tried to calm herself she needed to prove she was innocent needed to
18:58prove her way of raising an alpha heir was right she held up the gem eyes wild listen i'm rachel
19:06i'm stella's mother this is the truth the absolute truth the gem flashed red mom's confident expression
19:15shattered i said truth i am rachel i never abused her i did it for her own good i love
19:28her and suddenly
19:30she remembered me 10 years old gasping as the choker tightened around my throat biting my lip so i
19:38wouldn't make a sound is this what it felt like why is it red i am telling the truth turn
19:45green
19:46you're broken you're setting me up but the gem kept flashing like it was mocking her you're a liar
19:53you're a liar you're a liar enough this is just a bloodstone i've seen it before it changes color with
20:03body heat fear pain anything that makes your heart race temperature rises it burns red that's all it
20:12does no witch magic never was think about your daughter ruptured appendix organ failure the pain
20:21must have been unbearable she was terrified and what did you see a red gem so you punished her more
20:29which made her more scared which made her temperature rise which made the stone turn redder
20:39you are luna you are supposed to protect every wolf in this pack you couldn't even protect your own
20:47daughter you ignored her cries for help you starved your daughter to death mom's world collapsed she sat
20:55there staring at the flashing gem on her own neck and finally understood for 10 years every red light
21:02wasn't because i was lying it was because i was scared scared of her anger scared of being misunderstood
21:11scared of eating food that made me sick i was in pain pain that made my heart race and cold
21:18sweat pour
21:18down my face i was desperate desperate for a hug for her to hold me the way she held emma
21:25every signal
21:26from my frightened heart she had interpreted as proof of my lies no get it off
21:36i'm not lying i'm not she tried to shift fur rippling across her skin bones cracking but the leather
21:44cinched harder around her throat the moment her neck began to change she snapped back into human form
21:51gasping i can't get it off stella take it back i'm sorry it's all my fault this little bit of
22:00choking
22:00and she was already breaking mom i suffered for 10 years the council elders needed evidence for judgment
22:10so they opened my journal in front of my parents february 14th sunny mom put celery on my plate i'm
22:18allergic my throat swells i can't breathe i said i can't eat it but because i was scared of making
22:25her
22:25angry my body ran hot the gem flashed red the choker tightened mom said i was picky lying made me
22:35eat the
22:35whole plate that night i threw up blood my throat felt like it was on fire i shifted to ease
22:42my pain
22:43mom saw it and said i'd snuck berry juice that i was faking the choker tightened for 10 more minutes
22:51mom's hand flew to her mouth she was shaking violently she remembered that she really did think it
22:59was berry juice she didn't even look closely just turned away to read emma a bedtime story that was
23:07blood from a swollen torn throat june 1st pup's day emma shredded mom's ceremonial cloak emma's heart
23:16is always calm her gem stays green i tried to explain but i was scared of being hit my body
23:23ran hot
23:24red gem choker tightened for 10 minutes it hurt so bad but i didn't cry because crying makes your body
23:33run hotter and mom thinks that means you're not sorry so i held my breath pretended it didn't hurt mom
23:41said see she doesn't even blink she's definitely faking it dad couldn't take it anymore this man who had
23:49always put the pack before his own family chose duty over his daughter for 10 years you monster
23:57what did you do that was your daughter you treated her like a stray blood at the corner of her
24:04mouth
24:05not my fault not my fault it's her it's emma emma's gem was always green emma was a good one
24:13if it
24:13wasn't for that green light making me trust her i wouldn't have believed the red light so much
24:19this is emma's thoughts that little princess everyone who protected one of the council elders walked
24:25over gently removed the green verity choker from her neck took out a blade pried the gem loose right
24:32there it rolled onto the table still glowing green steady unchanged the elder picked up the stone
24:40a glowstone that is all your younger daughter's choker was always going to shine green no matter
24:48what she said did or lied about it would never change your so-called verity choker was a fraud
24:58that was her truth for 10 years that was the evidence she used to convict me a common glowstone
25:04that put me in hell while emma lived in paradise so i wasn't a liar i i laughed laughed until
25:12i cried
25:13turns out ghosts could cry too the elder turned to the last page of the journal his voice broke
25:18the handwriting was a mess clearly written while dying mom if i die will the choker stop glowing red
25:26or if it turns green will you hug me then i'm not lying i couldn't heal myself anymore
25:32my stomach hurts so much like knives next life please don't make me wear the choker please i just
25:41want to be a normal pup i want to eat mom's roasted meat mom stared at the broken glowstone on
25:46the table
25:47that truth magic she trusted without question a worthless stone because of that stone she spoiled
25:54emma for 10 years because of that cursed red light she tortured me for 10 years
26:03mom started laughing her voice cracking in every sound worse than crying fake all fake
26:14i killed my most honest pup and i worshipped a liar she'd lost her mind for real this time my
26:23death became
26:24the talk of the entire pack lisa the neighbor who had sent for the pack healer told everyone what she'd
26:30seen every wolf knew by morning luna had starved her own daughter to death monster murderer she doesn't
26:40deserve to be luna stones flew at our door the word killer carved into the wall the council convened
26:48within the day the verdict was swift dad lost his alpha title no wolf would follow him now my grandfather
26:56the former alpha read out the judgment himself he didn't look at his son once dad walked out of the
27:02council hall
27:03and never looked back he took emma and left the pack that same night emma was a bad seed sure
27:10but she
27:11was still his blood before they left emma tried to take her green choker dad stomped on it why the
27:18hell
27:18would you want that piece of trash emma cried as he dragged her away mom got out of the dungeon
27:24the healer
27:25said she had lost her mind the council locked her in the home instead the one that still smelled like
27:30death
27:30her mental state deteriorated fast she refused to take off the red choker she would tighten it herself
27:38whenever the guilt got too heavy she said choking was the only thing that eased it it was her self
27:44-imposed
27:44punishment i floated in the darkness my wolf curled beside me watching her unravel day after day she'd
27:51talked to the empty corner where i used to stand stella i brought you some food no celery today it's
27:58all
27:58roast just how you like it but there was no food there was nothing just her hands cupped around air
28:06she'd pretend to set a plate down her hands shook the gem flashed red she was anxious guilty falling apart
28:14she smiled but her eyes were empty the gem is red mom is lying liars don't deserve food she pulled
28:23the
28:23choker tight with her own hands let it choke her her body convulsed against the cold floor it hurts so
28:29much is this how stella felt i'm sorry mom started reenacting my diary entries i couldn't eat celery
28:39because of my allergy so she forced herself to eat spoiled food until she vomited blood then swallowed it
28:47back down i was locked in isolation so she locked herself in my old room lights off and bowed to
28:54my
28:54portrait until her forehead bled over and over blood on the floor late at night she'd see the red glow
29:03of
29:03the bloodstone reflected on the wall to her it looked like my bloody eyes were watching she kept punishing
29:10herself the wounds healed slower and slower her wolf exhausted by months of self-torture slowly fell
29:18into a deep sleep mom didn't care she scrawled on the back of my journal i'm sorry i was wrong
29:25red means
29:27pain red means love please come back and say it hurts hurts one more time i'll save you i promise
29:34too bad
29:35i'm dead dead wolves can't cry for help eventually the new alpha intervened mom's self-harm had gone too
29:43far she'd nearly choked herself to death with her own hands he ordered her to move to a small hut
29:49at
29:49the far edge of the village locked from the outside someone posted to watch her day and night she was
29:55the strangest woman they'd ever seen nobody knew where she'd found it a frayed red cord tied around her
30:03own neck her homemade choker if anyone tried to remove it she'd snap at them teeth bared
30:09snarling wild-eyed don't touch me stella's watching she'll be angry if you take it every time the guard
30:19called her name and brought her food mom would grab the red cord and pull it tight against her own
30:24throat
30:25convulsing screaming red light red light don't punish punish me i'll eat i'll eat even if the food
30:35was scalding hot she'd gulp it down burning her throat wouldn't spit it out she was reenacting my
30:42final moments living my hell on repeat years later emma grew up without guidance and with a trail of shame
30:49behind her she drifted from pack to pack stealing to survive no one would take her in when she ran
30:57out
30:57of options she remembered mom was still alive she slipped back into the silverman pack under the cover
31:03of night not for love for money hey crazy lady dad's dead give me whatever you've been hiding emma stood
31:13there face hard eyes full of contempt she looked at mom's hollow broken form and spat on the floor
31:21it's disgusting give me what i want or i'll send you to meet your daughter for a moment mom's cloudy
31:29eyes cleared she looked at emma and suddenly remembered that choker that always green glowstone
31:37that decade of deception it's you you lie you're the green light that wasn't there you killed stella
31:46give her back to me give her back to me the last shred of maternal love twisted into something feral
31:54mom lunged grabbed emma by the throat should have died not her you
32:03emma thrashed but couldn't break free from a mad woman's grip the guards rushed in pulled her off
32:09emma stumbled out of the hut terrified they're all insane she bolted into the forest she didn't get far
32:17rogues the kind that haunted the borderlands preying on anyone foolish enough to run through
32:23the trees alone at night emma never saw them coming by the time she did it was too late she
32:31survived
32:31barely both legs shattered beyond repair she'd never walk again meanwhile mom was strapped to her cot
32:39staring at the ceiling tears streaming in her dreams she finally saw me i was 10 again no choker white
32:48dress smiling mom she reached for me crying with joy stella but the moment her hands touched me
32:56i burst into ash no she woke up screaming if she'd been wearing that choker it would have been blood
33:04red eternal torment i stood in the void watching it all mom strapped to her bed emma in a wheelchair
33:12begging on the market dad drunk and dead in some gutter i felt nothing no satisfaction just a flat
33:20dead calm my wolf padded over quietly she didn't howl didn't nudge just pressed her head against my hand
33:28and held it there in the distance a door of light appeared soft steady waiting i looked at my wolf
33:36she looked at me yeah time to leave this life was too bitter nothing worth holding on to i floated
33:44to
33:44mom's hut one final time she looked ancient hair completely white frail as paper she sent something
33:50her cloudy eyes focused on a point in the air right where i stood stella is that you her trembling
33:56hand
33:57reached into the emptiness mom destroyed the choker i don't believe in it anymore come back please i'll
34:03cook for you no salary i'll buy you new dresses not emma tears rolled down her face i looked at
34:09the red
34:10marks on her neck from the frayed cord i i reached out my cold ghostly finger touched her forehead this
34:17was my final mercy sleep mom in sleep there's no pain her eyes fluttered shut she slumped into a deep
34:24dreamless rest a breeze blew through the hut the old journal on her cot flipped open the last page
34:31my dying words stared up at the ceiling but below it in shaky handwriting were new lines written by mom
34:38during a lucid moment next life let me wear the choker let me be the liar punish me however you
34:44want
34:44just don't leave me i stared at those words felt nothing too late repentance means nothing to the dead
34:51mom i don't hate you anymore but i don't love you either let's not meet again i turned away my
34:58wolf
34:58was waiting in the distance the door of light still glowed soft steady patient i looked at my neck the
35:05phantom verity choker still there even in spirit form the nightmare that had changed me for a lifetime
35:11i grabbed it it shattered into nothing i felt weightless free no red light no hunger no lies just freedom
35:19my wolf pressed against my side together we walked toward the light i didn't look back morning came
35:25a guard pushed open the door rachel time to eat no response she walked closer mom's hand clutched the
35:31torn journal a single tear crystallized at the corner of her eye she crouched beside her held two fingers
35:37beneath her nose nothing she was gone passing through the door wasn't violent no spinning no chaos just
35:44warmth like sinking into a spring stream i looked to my side my wolf was gone i didn't panic i
35:51pressed
35:51my hand to my chest and there she was steady warm then i heard her voice not a whimper not
35:57a whine clear
35:58and bright and full of life like the first time we met run i shifted four paws hit the ground
36:04and i ran
36:05through forests that smelled of pine and rain through cold shallow streams that splashed silver around my legs
36:12through meadows i had never seen but somehow knew my white fur caught the light my paws were sure
36:18my lungs were full my body was strong no choker around my throat no red light no hunger the lingering
36:26ache in my soul the phantom pain of 10 years started to fade with every step i ran toward brightness
36:33behind me
36:34old life dissolved like a worn photograph left out in the rain mom's final tear the red glow of the
36:41choker
36:41blood on the journal pages gone i didn't look back that 10 year nightmare was finally truly over
36:49when i opened my eyes again i was tiny wrapped in soft blankets someone was humming
36:57a woman's voice gentle off key but full of love her fingers brushed my cheek the scent of wildflowers
37:05not the cold clinical distance of my old mother not the silence of someone who only touched me to
37:11punish i blinked up at her she had kind eyes a soft smile she cradled me like i was made
37:19of glass
37:20grace is awake honey come quick our daughter just opened her eyes a man appeared tall a little awkward but
37:29his face lit up when he saw me he touched my tiny hand with one finger his voice was deep
37:35warm hey grace
37:38i'm your dad grace not stella no weight no chains no red light just grace a name that meant something
37:48light something cherished this house was small but warm full of light cartoon painting on the walls
37:56flowers by the window sunlight pouring through the windows warm on the floor i realized fast this family
38:04was nothing like the last one they never forced me to do anything there were no chokers no red lights
38:11no punishments for things i hadn't done i grew learned to crawl to talk and when i was three mom
38:19made a
38:20stew with celery the green stalks in the bowl triggered me i flashed back to choking throat swelling vomiting
38:27blood i stumbled backwards shaking tears came without permission mom immediately put down her spoon
38:34crouched pulled me into a hug grace what's wrong you don't like celery i couldn't speak just shook my head
38:43sobbing dad knelt too rubbed my back hey it's okay you don't have to eat it can you tell us
38:50why their eyes
38:51were patient gentle finally i choked out it hurts my throat makes me bleed they didn't say the verity
39:01choker doesn't lie they didn't accuse me of faking they took me to the pack healer immediately turns out
39:08i really do have a celery allergy after that celery never appeared in the house again mom added it to
39:15her market list grace's allergies celery she checked every time she shopped i lay in her arms that night
39:23smelling wild flowers and realized this is what it feels like to be believed love isn't measured by a
39:30stone it's listening even when the story sounds impossible when i was four dad took me to the
39:36pack healer for my first health check there was a blood draw i saw the needle and lost it flashes
39:42of
39:43the choker tightening around my throat flashes of starvation i screamed clung to dad's leg the healer
39:50sighed i couldn't stop shaking don't punish me i'm not lying dad immediately scooped me up sorry she's not
39:59ready we'll come back another time on the walk home dad didn't scold me for being weak he just asked
40:05gently
40:05grace did someone hurt you before i buried my face in his shoulder tears soaking his shirt mom
40:14choker red light i couldn't explain it clearly but he listened nodded it's okay dad's here now no one's
40:25ever hurting you again from then on they took me to the pack healer regularly not for blood draws just
40:32to
40:32talk she has been hurt be patient with her my parents never complained never made me feel like a burden
40:39they bought me a colorful necklace but never forced me to wear it this is just a pretty thing grace
40:44wear it if you want take it off if you don't we'll love you either way slowly i started to
40:51heal i could
40:52say i don't like this without fear i could say i'm scared i could say i want that i didn't
41:00have to worry
41:00about my heart racing being proof of a lie i started sharing my stories with them i cried when
41:06i didn't get a toy i laughed when i got praise i was finally just a pup a normal loved
41:13pup when i
41:15turned seven i started at the pack school there was a girl in my class annie sullivan she looked exactly
41:21like emma same eyes but her hair was shorter and she was timid scared the first time i saw her
41:30my heart clenched
41:31flashbacks emma's smug grin the green light mocking me i stepped back instinctively annie noticed she looked down
41:41voice barely a whisper i'm annie do you want to be friends her tone was so careful so desperate to
41:50please just like i used to be i glanced at her neck she wore a simple choker with green gem
41:57my stomach
41:58turned later i found out annie's mom was straight to this family demanded honesty locked her in her room
42:06without food when she made mistakes one day annie accidentally knocked over the teacher's ink pot
42:11she was trembling too scared to admit it i saw her face red rimmed eyes barely holding back tears
42:19i remembered myself at that desk writing i am a liar over and over i walked over took her hand
42:28annie it's okay accidents happen let's tell the teacher together she won't be mad annie looked at
42:37me shocked but mom says liars are bad wolves being honest isn't about never making mistakes it's about
42:43owning up when you do and even if you tell the truth you shouldn't be punished for it if the
42:49teacher
42:49gets angry i'll stand with you if your mom gets angry come to my house my parents will help i
42:55gave her
42:56the courage i never had she confessed the teacher forgave her told her to be more careful next time
43:02from that day on we have been best friends i brought annie home to meet my parents she saw how
43:08warm they
43:08were how they didn't yell didn't punish little things i told her you don't have to make everyone happy
43:16you're allowed to feel things say things one day annie's mom came to pick her up from school
43:23she saw us together and her face twisted she grabbed annie's hand did you mess up again
43:30is grace covering for you annie immediately looked down silent i stepped in front of her looked at the
43:37mom in the eye ma'am annie didn't do anything wrong she's a good pup you shouldn't always assume the
43:45worst
43:48she's scared of you the mom froze looked at me then at annie's tear-filled eyes her expression softened
43:55that night she called my mom thanked her said i'd opened her eyes over time annie's mom got gentler
44:03what you want to do started listening instead of yelling and annie she blossomed confident happy i watched
44:11her laugh freely one day and felt this warmth in my chest i didn't get saved in my last life
44:17i suffered alone in the dark but this time i could save someone else i could stop another stella from
44:23happening maybe that's the gift my past life gave me the ability to see pain and to heal it when
44:30i was
44:3010 my parents took me to visit grandma there was an old oak tree in her yard its branches spread
44:36wide
44:36casting shade over the whole garden i sat beneath it watching sunlight filter through the leaves my
44:42wolf dozed inside me warm and content then i saw her an old woman white hair hunched over a walking
44:49stick wearing a faded blue dress the second i saw her face i froze she looked exactly like rachel
44:56my old mother grandma noticed me too walked over slowly her eyes were hazy but there was something
45:03familiar in them something heavy what's your name child grace she repeated it softly grace that's a
45:09beautiful name she reached out like she wanted to touch my hair then hesitated pulled back like she
45:15was afraid of disturbing something sacred my mom came over steadied her mom this is our daughter grace
45:21so she was my grandma in this life too over the next few days grandma watched me constantly her expression
45:28was unreadable one morning she brought me a bowl of roasted meat grace eat up this used to be your
45:34favorite i stared at the bowl in my last life i wrote in my dying breath i want to eat
45:39mom's roasted
45:40meat and here was grandma saying those exact words tears blurred my vision this wasn't some distant wish
45:47anymore it was real right in front of me i picked up a piece bit into it tender sweet perfect
45:54grandma smiled
45:55a tired guilty smile that night lying in bed with my wolf curled warm inside my chest i thought about
46:02rachel's last words next life let me wear the choker let me be the liar punish me however you want
46:08just don't leave me i thought about her final tear the torn journal i didn't hate her anymore hating
46:15someone is like locking yourself in the past chewing on pain forever this life's warmth had already washed
46:21away the bitterness i just felt sad sad that she only understood too late real love was never about
46:27stones or punishment we stayed for a month then went back home before i left she held my hand grace
46:34live well be happy her voice was soft but heavy with meaning i nodded you too grandma i watched her
46:40walk
46:41away and i felt nothing no anger no grief the grudges of my past life were like fallen leaves
46:47blown away by the wind i wasn't stella anymore the girl locked in the dark choking on a lie i
46:53was grace
46:54sterling surrounded by love free at 13 i graduated from pack school got into the best academy in the
47:00region my parents took me to the lake for a picnic to celebrate i stood at the edge of the
47:05water wind in
47:06my hair the scent of pine and cold water on my skin i stretched out my arms feeling the freedom
47:13for a
47:13moment i saw her my ghost self floating desperate to hug someone but passing right through grace what
47:21are you thinking dad handed me a drink i smiled just i'm grateful to be alive to be with you
47:27both
47:27mom pulled me into a hug silly girl we're the lucky ones no one said anything we all just shifted
47:34at the
47:35same time like we'd done it a hundred times before we ran together through the trees through the shallow
47:40edge of the lake water spraying silver around our paws eventually i slowed down turned and threw myself
47:48at them we tumbled into the grass together mom nuzzled her head against mine dad licked the top
47:53of my head with lazy affection i pressed into them both and stayed there breathing hard warm all the way
48:01through i looked up at the sky through the canopy of trees i didn't need to prove i wasn't a
48:05liar anymore
48:06i didn't need to fear a red light i could laugh cry speak freely i had parents who loved me
48:13a best
48:13friend a healthy body a bright future this was the life i died wishing for that night i wrote in
48:20my
48:20journal not the blood-stained confessions of my old life this one was full of happiness growth love i
48:28wrote today we ran by the lake mom and dad shifted with me without saying a word we tumbled in
48:34the grass like
48:34pups i thought about my past self that little girl locked in a room choking in the dark desperate
48:41to be loved she'd never believe that i could be this happy mom and dad love me they taught me
48:47that
48:47honesty isn't something you punish out of someone it's something you grow with patience and warmth
48:53annie is my best friend now she laughs freely she speaks without flinching grandma is getting older
49:00but her eyes are warm when she looks at me my wolf grows stronger every day with her beside me
49:06i feel
49:06at ease i don't hate anyone anymore i don't cling to the past those painful memories are like paw prints
49:13in the mud washed away by rain but they taught me to cherish every step forward i know my old
49:19mom sister
49:20and dad got what they deserved and i finally broke free i found real freedom i don't want to see
49:27them
49:27again i don't want to relive that life i just want to be gray simple happy loved the lake was
49:34beautiful
49:34life was beautiful i closed my journal looked out the window moonlight shimmered on the water through
49:40the trees my wolf stirred softly inside my chest warm steady i smiled this life i finally became who i
49:48wanted to be no red light no starvation no lies just love freedom happiness and those scars from my past
49:56they became part of me proof that i had survived proof that darkness no matter how long it lasts cannot
50:02swallow you whole not if you keep moving toward the light the road ahead is long but i will walk
50:08it
50:09with courage with courage with joy toward something even brighter
50:13you
50:14you
50:15you
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