Chapter 20: Chapter 20

The rumbling of the sky could not conceal the panic and fear in Aurora's voice as she called out her mother's name. Her mother was alive but unconscious. It seems the illness is back.

But isn't she taking her medication? The rumbling sound became more fierce.

It seems it wants to rain this morning. She checked her mother's temperature again. It seems to be rising rapidly. She was at loss on what to do.

She dashed to the kitchen to collect water and a towel. She dampened it before placing it on her mother's forehead. She opened the drawer to check if there are any medicine available.

Aurora was relieved when she saw her mother's medication. She sat her up gently so she could force the drugs into her mouth. Even after administering the drugs, her mother remains unconscious.

"Rora, what is wrong with mama?"Maya asked as she rubbed her eyes. Aurora must have woken her up due to the noise.

Maya stared at their mother who was looking very pale. Why was her mother looking sick? Maya thought as tears threatened to fall from the little girl's eyes.

"Maya, momma is fine. She's just sick. She will be fine soon", Aurora said when she saw her sister was about to cry.

"Really? Momma is gonna be fine?"Maya asked as she blinked her round eyes to stop those tears from falling.

"Yes, really so don't cry, you're a strong girl. Now, run along and take your bath. You need to go to school", Aurora tried to act brave.

After Maya left the room, Aurora bent down to check on her mother's temperature again. It was getting better much to her relief.

It seems her mother's health was getting worse by the day. What would she do? They had no money. There are several expenses. She hadn't paid the rental for more than two months now.

She sat down in frustration.

Maya came back from the bathroom outside and got ready for school. Aurora couldn't leave her mother alone so she went to her neighbor next door, Jason, to seek help.

"Jason, could you please send my little sister to school? My mom isn't feeling too well. Pretty please", she begged.

"You don't need to plead. I will surely help you. You know how much I adore you", Jason said as he drew closer to her.

"Jason, please just help me with my sister. She's getting late", Aurora smiled at him while she held back her fist from striking his face.

If not that her needing his help, she would have beat him up already but what to do? Aurora can't call Craig to help her. She knows he must still be traumatized after what happened yesterday. She decided to give him some space.

"Sure but you owe me one, darling", he said as he smiled showing his tobacco-stained teeth.

Arrrgghh! Aurora wishes she could just snap his head off. But she kept her cool and smiled back at him.

She went into the house and held Mara's hands as they both walked towards Jason.

"I don't like him, Rora. He looks scary", Maya said clinging to her sister.

"Don't worry, Maya. He won't bite you. He will just drop you off at school, okay? I will come to carry you when you close", Aurora pets her sister.

When Aurora got closer to Jason, she gave a fake smile as she hands Maya to him

"Go on, Maya. I will see you later", Aurora said as she kissed her sister's cheek and gave Jason a grateful nod.

Aurora watched as they left before going into the house. When she got to her mother's room, she saw her trying to get up from the bed.

"Mother, you are awake? Hold on let me get you water to drink", Aurora said happily as she poured a glass of water for her mother who drank it all up.

"You scared me, mom. Don't ever do this to me, please", Aurora said as she embraced her mother tightly as tears streamed down her eyes.

"Am sorry, Rora. I didn't mean to scare you", her mother said wiping Aurora's tears.

"It's okay, mom. As long as you are fine"

"Where's Maya?", Her mother asked.

"I pleaded to Jason to take her to school. They just left. I promise to go bring her back", Aurora replied.

"Okay. Why don't you go and freshen up? I will go and prepare something for us to eat", she said trying to stand up.

"No, mother. Sit here, I will go prepare something. You are not strong enough", Aurora stopped her.

"Okay, dear".

Aurora quickly rushed to the kitchen to prepare a simple pot of soup because of her mother's fragile health. She added some herbs she got from Mrs. Avery, a renowned herbal doctor. Mrs. Avery gave her the herbs when she saw her mother's condition the last time they visited her. Mrs. Avery is her mother's close friend in high school.

Aurora took a close look at the herbs. She was very certain her mom never used it. No wonder she suddenly reverts to her health conditions again. She will definitely lecture her mother later.

She carried the bowl of soup and some fruits with her and placed it on the small table. Her mother was obviously feeling much better because some color had added to her pale face.

She had been like this since Aurora's father died. She would be very strict with her mother now. She can't afford to lose her only parent.

"Mother, here is your soup. Drink all of it and also eat some fruits too", she said sitting down beside her mother.

"Rora, you can go freshen up. I will finish the food", her mother said.

"No, mom. I will watch you eat before I will go freshen up", Aurora refused.

Her mother sighed. Aurora could be very stubborn sometimes.

"Mother, what happened to the herbs Mrs. Avery gave you?", Aurora asked looking at her mother's eyes.

"Rora, I know you are worried about me but I have already told you that I will be fine. Let's just go back to your father's Pack. I will be fine there", her mother said.

"Mom, you are avoiding my question. What has my father's pack have to do with your health?", Aurora asked suppressing her growing anger.

She hates when her mother talks about the so-called pack. Where were they when her father died? Why can't they protect their own kind? They let him die! She doesn't want to hear anything about them.

"Rora, listen to me. Let's go back to the pack, please", she pleaded.

"Why mother? Aren't we okay here? Mom, why are you insisting we go back to the pack?", Aurora asked her mother who refused to say anything more.

"Mother, I will never go to that Pack… ever. I am not among their people. I am Aurora, not a werewolf and never a werewolf. I am just me, mother", Aurora said as she stood up.

"Aurora! You can never change who you are. Think about what happened to your friend yesterday. He looked terrified. What if he tells on us? We will be used as an experiment. We are in danger, Rora", her mother tried to convince her.

"Craig would never spill our secret. He never will. I trust him", Aurora tried to convince herself.

"You can't trust a human. Not all humans. They are mostly selfish", her mother advised.

"I trust Craig, mom, he will never betray me. I am going to freshen up. And mom, please don't mention going to that place again…unless you want to lose your daughter", she said as she stormed out of her mother's room.

"Someday, you will definitely beg me to take you there. This is not your home, Rora", her mother muttered within herself.

Aurora was so angry that she stormed out of the house. She decided to take fresh air so she can relax her mind and emotions. She walked to a creek close to Craig's apartment. The creek was quiet with no people around.

She sat down at a rock close to the river bank looking at the water. The water was so calm. She wonders if her life would ever be this calm.

She missed her father so much that she burst into tears. For the first time after her father's death, she cried.

Aurora vents all her anger at the water as she throws pebbles upon pebbles into the calm water.

She continued crying for more than thirty minutes.

"Why can't my life be calm and free of dramas for once? Why can't I have peace? I miss you, Daddy… I miss you so much. I can't bear this burden alone", she screamed.

Aurora wished her close friend was around. She wished to talk to someone. She wished she could talk to Craig.

But she understood he would want some time alone but she really wished to talk to someone.

She wiped her tears and as she turned around, she saw a familiar figure sitting at the extreme of the creek. He looked worn-out and…worried.

"Craig?", Aurora whispered as she walked towards him.

She missed him so much.