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