Erin Sullivan Narrative

I walked upstairs face red, hands trembling, and body aching. I didn’t even think I could make it up the first couple steps before collapsing into a heap.Before I reached the last glossy maple wood step I heard the sound of little paws and nails scraping, slowly, softly, and sadly through the house. This sound made my heart ache.

She returned to our bed and laid down on the edge. “I know what you are thinking.”

Whether one would like to admit it or not, change is a difficult and not to mention uncomfortable experience which we all must endure at one point in our lives. A concept that everyone must understand is that change does not occur immediately, for it happens overtime. It is necessary for time to pass in order for a change to occur, be it days, weeks, months, or even years. The main character, who is also the narrator of “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves”, realizing that “things felt less foreign in the dark” (Russell 225), knows that she will be subject to change very soon. The author makes it evident to readers that the narrator is in a brand new environment as the story begins. This strange short story about girls raised by

Evelyn, dressed in a hibiscus pink dress, moved like her knees were just hinges, wobbling before falling on her mud-stained bottom. With eyes twinkling full of determination, she rolled to her stomach to get up again. Heel-to-toe her feet moved, arms stretched out to the side, face full of concentration. Slowly, with a little wobble, she took her first step. Then she splendidly took another step, and then another step. Before Charlene could realise it, Evelyn just successfully walked her first steps.

My name is Erica Carter and I am 24 years old. I live in Dover, Delaware with my husband who is stationed at the Air Force base here. I am originally from Elizabethtown, Kentucky and we hope to be returning soon. I'm working on hopefully becoming a Vet Tech and applying this year for the program. I have 3 fur-children who are my whole world. My dog, Bird and my two cats Oliver, and Binx. I hope everyone has a great semester.

Olivia nodded and sat on the bed. She sprung up as darts of pain shot up from her backside.

She paced along the cold, stone floor of the confinement of her tower, her long hair trailing behind her. She could hear someone climbing up the side of the outside wall and she had no idea who it was. Fearful, she walked over to the small window and gazed out. The figure several hundred feet below her was clad in all black, with wild, curly hair flying around the head that was too big for its slender body. It climbed much faster than possible for any normal human, making the girl realize that it wasn’t human at all.

Then his hands morphed into enormous paws with long, gnarled claws, and his pupils became dark slits. His clothing was gone and he was on all fours, covered in fur. My forehead prickled with cold sweat as I watched him hunker down, ready to pounce. He flashed his razor-sharp fangs in a twisted grin and lunged at me. I held out the wand and gold flickers shot out. Then a burst of sparks sent him flying through the air. He landed on the floor with a thwack and rolled around, wailing like a wounded water buffalo. A rat scurried out of a hole in the floor toward

"What the hell is this?" he asked. "What did you let me do to myself?"

upright in bed, gasping for breath. Looking around, she made out the shape of a lantern on her

Recognizing the sadness in her voice, he looked up at her, “What’s up Riles?” His eyes are softer than they have been in week and his hand is reaching across the bed for hers, burning circles into the skin of her hand with his thumb.

Under the rising sun in Grant Park, I bent down into a calf stretch, reminding me once again I’d forgotten to put underwear on. I’d gotten to bed just a few hours earlier after spending a night out with Mia at a new club, Z’s, only to wake up after falling from my bed onto the floor, terror seizing my breath while blood rushed through my ears and my heart galloped out of my chest. It’d taken a few heart-stopping minutes to realize it’d only been a nightmare. I couldn’t remember much other than the primal fear of being chased by a beast with a desire to rip out my throat as I screamed for my life, and then relief at being saved by a man in black. It’d left me unsettled enough I couldn’t go back to sleep, so here I was. At six in the morning. Apparently trying to run off my dream.

It was dark in her nightmare. And it was cold. Her entire body was numb and her breathing was slow. As she breathed, she could see the white frost escape her lips and disperse into the blank nothing. The wind slashed at her face, clawed at her arms. A faint growling sound emerged in the distance. She attempted to stand, pushing up on her hands. A jolting pain made its way up her body, causing her to howl and fall back towards the ground, slamming her chin onto the rough surface. She had no escape, forcing her to wait for the creature to find her.

Ellen and I were growing up and along with getting older, came more responsibility and even some independence. By now, our mother trusted us to walk to town unaccompanied to pick up a few groceries, happy to do so, we carried our willow shopping basket, money in one hand and a grocery list in the other, with a note to give to the store clerk who would gather the required items for us. We felt so grown up as we walked to the Abtsweg together, not in a group as we did when we walked to school with our friends, but just the two of us; my sister and I, wearing matching brown coats and perfectly starched bows in our hair. When we returned home and proudly handed Mom the basket filled with all the correct items, she praised us endlessly and when Ted’s parents phoned, boasted about our accomplishment. They too, were pleased and realized that Ellen and I were growing up.

A slender figure appeared in the moonlight. She wore black leather pants that conformed to her legs, showing skinny, but strong legs. An equally hugging black top clung to her upper body. Cherry red nails shinned in the white light as she moved her hands to whisk back her long, silky black hair. Next to her sat a creature that barely looked human. Bald and wrinkly, this man squatted near her with a flashing smile on his face. Big, bold brown eye looked up and cowarded at the sight of a massive man. Kai