“Nicole, are you leaving soon?”Mother asked her from the couch. She didn't look up once from the piece of red velvet which was keeping her preoccupied.

Nicole could barely hold in the excitement bubbling in the pit of her stomach every time she saw that piece of cloth. She was going to be turning 18 in just 2 months and Mother hadn't bothered hiding what she was going to give her for her birthday. A brand new red cloak just for her, and this one is actually made out of velvet. She doesn't really know what it feels like since Mother refused to let her get close to it, but from the looks of it, she knew she was going to love it! Oh, how she wish it was her birthday already.

“Yes Mother,” Nicole said, sneaking glances at her soon-to-be birthday present from the dining table as she placed a bowl of cherry tomatoes into her basket. She had already packed a few eggs, a jar of strawberry jam they made, and half a loaf of bread for Grandmother. “I'm leaving now!”

Her frequent visits to Grandmother's house over the past ten years has made her the woods a part of her. She never feels fear when she's in the woods. She believed that after so many years, it would protect her.

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she bent down to pick several daises growing on the side of the path. They're grown to become her favourite after the number of happy memories she was reminded by them.

A sudden rustle in the bushes in front of her pulled her attention away from the wildflowers. She looked up only to catch a glimpse of glowing eyes watching her before it quickly disappeared. She felt chills run down her spine and hugged herself, rubbing her arms for comfort. It's all in my head.

She quickly stood, tucking the flowers away in her basket and continued on her way to Grandmother's. As much as she told herself it was just her imagination, she couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When she saw Grandmother's frail frame laying deathly pale on the bed, Nicole almost dropped the basket from her hands. She quickly placed down the basket and rushed to her side. “Grandma! Are you alright? What happened?”

Her face seemed to have aged years. The wrinkles on her face were now defined and her hair was fading toward the shade of grey. Her eyes which used to shine with enthusiasm were now replaced by tied dull orbs.

It seemed to take all the energy in her just to open her eyes slightly to see her granddaughter and whisper, “Nicole.”

“Wait, I'll grab you some water!” Nicole quickly poured Grandmother a cup of water from the kettle but there wasn't enough water to even fill half the cup. After handing her Grandmother the cup of water, she went out to the well outside of the house and filled a pail with water. Bringing it back into the house, she wet a towel for her grandmother first before pouring the rest of the water in a pot under the chimney. She easily started a small fire under it and left it to boil. The water wasn't necessarily dirty but it was always better to boil it before drinking.

Returning to Grandmother's side, she began to wipe away the sweat from Grandmother's face gently. “It's probably the flu that's been going around. Sorry I didn't visit sooner, or else I would've known you were sick and came over to take care of you earlier.”

“It's okay,” Grandmother breathed, reaching up weakly to hold onto Nicole's hands. “I'll be fine.”

“Is there anything you want to eat? I'll try to make it for you for tomorrow!” Nicole offered. She's gotten a lot better at cooking over the years after watching Mother. “How about your favourite rabbit soup?”

Her Grandmother simply nodded and smiled gently. Nicole didn't say another word and left her to rest. She stayed for the next few hours doing chores around the house. She emptied the food she brought onto the table, leaving them there in case Grandmother got hungry. She made sure to fill several pails of water and placed them inside the house in case Grandmother felt thirsty or wanted to wash up, even if Nicole doubted she would have the energy to do so.

Peeking out the window, she realized the sun has already began to set and it was best to head home. She gave Grandmother a kiss on the forehead and wished for her to get better before leaving with her empty basket.

The next morning she got up extra early to hunt a rabbit for Grandmother's rabbit stew. However, she wasn't earlier than her mother who had already gotten dressed and was in the kitchen. “Why are you up so early, Nicole?”

“I want to make rabbit stew for Grandmother,” she said, putting her knife holder around her waist.

“Alright, I want you to be extra careful though. The neighbour said they heard some wolves last night,” Mother frowned.

“Don't worry, Mother. I'm sure wolves only come out around night time,” Nicole laughed softly as she tied her cape around her neck. “I'm going now.”

She went down her porch and grabbed the animal trap and the empty potato sack laying along the side before heading off into the woods.

She walked down the path for a short while before entering the trees. She walked around, pushing away the branches in her way and taking careful steps not to trip over anything. After a short while of walking, she found a small empty area and set the trap in the middle with several bits of lettuce and carrots underneath.

She waited away in the bushes, never taking her eyes off the trap. Time always seemed to pass by more slowly when you aren't doing anything but Nicole has learned to be more patient over the many years of doing this. After what felt like forever, a grey rabbit finally appeared.

Nicole watched as the rabbit's ears twitched, listening for any danger. She held her breath, scared that any small movement might scare the rabbit away. After a minute the rabbit finally went for the bait, knocking over the stick and causing the trap to close over it.

Nicole jumped up from her position and quickly went over. These rodents tended to be quick and could easily just hop out of your grasp if you're careless. She was extra careful when taking off the cage and grabbing the rabbit by its ears. She took the sack hanging from her skirt and put the animal inside before tying a knot at the top.

Nicole never enjoyed the actual killing of the animal but she knew she had no choice. Her mother had made her learn when she was twelve, thinking that it was a good age for her to start learning how to do adult things. When she brings it home, she would slit its throat; a nice clean cut to end its life quickly. It was also her job to skin the animal cleanly; getting as little blood as possible on it.

She looked at the animal squirming inside the potato sack and frowned. Poor thing. Sorry but my Grandma is sick.

As she treaded through the woods, her eyes caught a patch of light brown fur among the dark floor. Nicole got excited at the sight of seeing the fur and was curious as to what furry animal she came across. She approached it slowly, having no intentions of harming it.

Nicole gasped, taking several steps back from the motionless animal. A dead deer laid in front of her; its neck ripped open and a large portion of the meat around its stomach is gone, revealing its ribs. The tongue of the animal hung out and its eyes are wide open, frozen in fear.

The neighbour said they heard some wolves last night.

She felt the hair on the back of her neck rise, an uncomfortable feeling of being stalked, rose from the pit of her stomach. She quickly turned and ran as fast as she could, still alert to make that she was running in the right direction and not deeper into the woods. Even when she hit the path, she didn't stop running until she reached home and got into the house, slamming the door shut behind her.

Safe, she told herself, leaning against the door and trying to catch her breath.

“Nicole? What's wrong with you? What happened?” Nicole looked up and saw Mother staring at her with both confusion and fear.

She swallowed to wet her dry throat before answering, “Nothing. I didn't want to keep Grandma waiting.”

The rabbit in the bag writhed in the bag she was holding, reminding her that it was still very much alive. And it was her job to kill it, and skin it.

“M-mother?” she stuttered.

“Yes, Nicole?” Mother asked, approaching her cautiously.

She held up the bag, “C-could you do this? I'm not feeling so well.”

Her mother's expression softened into a smile, taking the bag from her hands. “Of course, dear. Go sit down and have some water. You look pale. It's probably from staying out in the heat for so long. It's quite humid today.”

Nicole nodded to all the excuses her mother had just made for her.

It was better than telling her mother about what she had seen. It would only confirm that the wolves were around and that the woods were no longer safe. If she did that, Mother would not allow her out of the house and no one would be able to go and take care of Grandma. She was old enough to take care of herself.

And what were the chances that she was going to be the one attacked, right? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Sorry for the late update. I'm really busy with summer school and I haven't been in the mood to write these past while. It's hard to want to write about Nicole when KARA isn't even promoting much in Korea. I'll try to update soon though!