Before my eyes had time to register it, one of the smaller pups had changed. He was dark gray and stood a head shorter than his leader. His eyes burned yellow as he growled and barked at me. It wasn’t long after the other one followed suit. Just like they were before, they mirrored each other perfectly. Jonathan smirked and I could see his bones moving under his skin. The cracking of his body was sickening as it changed from a human and took the form of the beast. He somehow grew at least three feet and his fur was jet black. He stood on two legs that didn’t seem like they could hold his massive frame and his teeth shined as he snapped at me, getting closer to my face than I would have liked. His shoulders were massive all the way down to his hands. I was sure that he could crush my head with just the smallest amount of effort.
Change! Dammit change! I screamed at myself internally. It wasn’t until I thought of Cordillia that I began to feel my body burn from within. All I could hear was the sound of my own screams and my bones changing shape as I felt myself grow and the anger intensify. The pain was almost unbearable and I could feel everything that made me human give way to the beast.
Before I had the chance to catch my breath or even look up, I felt my back hit the ground. One of the younger ones was on top me snapping his teeth just inches from my face and I pressed my hand into his throat, holding him at bay as I regained my composure. I knocked him off me and to the ground quickly, standing up faster than I otherwise would have been able to manage.
Before I had the chance to balance myself, I felt the searing pain in my back as the other pup dug his claws into my shoulder and drug them down as he fell. He was still attached as he hit the ground and I howled as he used me to pull himself back up.
He wrapped his claws around my neck and I had him. I grabbed his arm and threw myself backward at the ground landing on top of him. I heard him yelp and the sound of a break as we hit the ground. I stood and made a running leap at the leader. I thought I had him, my claws outstretched but as quick as lightning, he dropped and his foot connected with my stomach sending me flying.
Landing on my side, I felt the pain in my chest as I broke another dammed rib. It would heal, I thought as I stood. But the pain was worse than before. I looked down and noticed that it wasn’t just broken but the bone was sticking out and I winced as I pushed it back in as best I could. Almost instantly, I could feel my body begin to heal as another pup came running at me.
Does this guy ever fight for himself? I thought.
As the pup flew at me, I grabbed him out of the air and threw him into the ground. I pinned his shoulders and as I went to take his head, the only way I could be sure to kill it when I felt its brother land on my back. He clawed and tore at me like a rabid dog as he barked and snarled. I screamed as the pain tore through me and I could feel his claws digging deeper. My senses began to dull as he tore and thrashed at me and I screamed again as the one under me freed his head enough to take a chunk out of my arm. He ripped his mouth to the side and everything went white as the pain seared through me. They were tearing my body apart and I was trapped.
And then, I felt nothing. Nothing at all.
All I could smell was blood and I felt the pressure of their claws, the yank of my skin as they bit and scratched but there was no pain. My vision went dark and suddenly, the tearing stopped. I opened my eyes and saw a mass of shapes blending into one another and I heard yelping and growling from somewhere far away. I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. I felt warmth pooling around me and the smell of blood overpowered everything as I closed my eyes and the world around me stopped.
“Ethan!? Ethan!?”
“Oh God no!”
These were the last things I heard, blood was the last thing I could taste as the world went dark and simply ceased to be.
Chapter Eleven
It’s funny how when you’re awake, time is such a relevant thing. Days, week’s minutes... We count them, we save them, we use them and we regret them. But when our eyes close and were no longer open to the perception of time, it ceases to exist.
This is me unconscious. Asleep, healing, dying... I don’t know. Time has stopped, no one exists anymore and I am alone with my nightmares, where they take hold of me in there torturous grip.
The first thing I notice is the smell of death. Poisoning the air, assaulting me where I stand. As I open my eyes and look around I find myself grateful that death is not what surrounds me. But it doesn’t take long for fear to set in as I scan the unfamiliar forest I find myself stuck in. I start walking slowly without the benefit of light and realize that not even a single cricket is singing and what I thought were live trees are nothing more than dead wood. I scan the area around me and find myself frightened, after all I’ve been through being scared is a funny idea to me. The next thing I notice is that I am not alone.
A familiar shape stands before me and I find myself comforted at its presence. I walk over to him slowly careful not to make a sound, careful not to disturb the strange woods that surround me. Dead as they may be, that’s no reason to make myself known. As I come to recognize the person in front of me I realize that he’s not looking at me at all. Rather staring off into the night, a worried look crosses his face as I reach out to him.
“Robert?” I ask in barely more than a whisper. He turns to me, his eyes full of fear and yet something behind them, something older than the form itself stares back at me calmly.
“Listen.” Is all he says. There’s a long silence between us as I try to hear what he hears. Nothing, just like before not even a cricket dares sing its song.
“I don’t understand,” I whispered as my heart raced and my thoughts stood still. He puts his fingers to his lips and I close my eyes. The night air feels cool against my skin, the smell of death has dissipated enough that I breathe in the scent of pine and life around me. My peace is disturbed only by the sound of a sharp scream from somewhere in the distance.
Before I have time to register what’s happening my legs begin to run, carrying me off into the night, away from my friend, away from my place of comfort. I hear her scream again and my only thought is to find her now, to protect her. Save her. My lungs begin to burn as the icy air fills them over and over faster and faster. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest as I break through the forest and into the light of an unfamiliar clearing.
There’s that smell again, death. This time its stronger, enough to make me sick.
I see a figure standing in the clearing and my body takes over, dragging me against my will toward something I instinctively fear. My legs stop as I near them. A tall man, rugged in style stands before me. He’s dressed from another time, his face unshaven and his eyes a piercing, putrid shade of yellow. His arms are wrapped around her, a knife to her throat as he smiles at me despite her pleas for freedom.
“Let her go!” I roar as a strange sense of confidence washes over me. He chuckles at me and shakes his head as he pulls the knife tighter to her throat making her gasp. I watch as the tears flow down her face, her eyes begging me to help.
“Now why would I want to do that?” He smirks as he stares down at me. I stammer and stumble trying to think of something anything to say.
“Please,” was all I could choke out as the tears began to fall down my face. He laughs cruelly as I sob, shaking his head and sighing.
“No please, don’t lower yourself to this. Look I’ll tell you what, it’s simple. I’ll let her go and all you have to do is stop this nonsense.” I stare at him, confused and frightened as Cordillia shakes her head at me. I wished I knew what was going on, what to say to make this nightmare end. I stood there quiet, unable to think of a simple thing to say. Somehow I knew silence wasn’t my friend in this moment.
“I don’t understand,” I choked out as I stared into his cold eyes. He smirked at me as he gripped her tighter.
“Look around you, boy. This is your fault, all of this. You claim to be different, better than we are but as far as I can tell you’re no different.” There was a long
pause as I did as he said and scanned the clearing slowly.
The smell of death returns to me as I took in the sight of the various hills and valleys of the clearing. In the day light I was sure this place would be more than beautiful. Green and lush filled with something other than fear. As my eyes adjust, I realize that what I thought were hills were body’s scattered here and there. I can smell the blood that surrounds them and the fear of the battle that took place here. .
My stomach starts to turn as his words swim through my head, my fault. All my fault. What happened here? Did I cause this? Oh God please tell me what’s going on, if it is that I really want to know.
I try to speak but the words catch in my throat, making me gag. Making me sick. I hear his cold, cruel laugh again as Cordillia screams out, his blade cutting in to her pale and delicate skin.
“Don’t hurt her!” I scream as a thin line of blood trickles down her neck and pools at her collarbone. He looks up at me almost bewildered.
“Now you care? You didn’t show the same affections to the dead that surround you but this one,” He pauses as he sniffs her hair gruffly “This insignificant girl means so much to you?” Her face twists into a grimace as his face comes close to hers.
A few months ago the only thing I was worried about was making the rent and taking care of my sister. I always said I would do anything to protect her but I never thought that those words would be so true now. I found myself caught in the middle of a Hollywood horror without the benefit of a script or any clue as to what was happening around me. I felt my body shaking, my eyes burning as the tears streamed down my face, I couldn’t lose her. Not now, not like this. And no matter how hard I tried, the beast wouldn’t come. I was weak, helpless as his blade sliced her throat and her body fell to the ground.
“No!” I screamed as his cold, dark laugh pierced the air and I grabbed her, holding her bleeding and dying body close to me.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered as the life left her and darkness surrounded me throwing me once again into the unknown.
My eyes shot open and just as quickly I was taken over by the searing pain of the light that had become unfamiliar to me. “Son of a bitch.” I groaned as I placed my arm over my eyes trying to block it out. The sound of birds chirping outside came in through the open window followed by a cool breeze that swept over me bringing with it the smell of the woods that surrounded us. I lay there quietly and allowed my eyes to adjust to the light as I let the images of my dream swim through my head.
I had no idea what it meant, if it meant anything at all but at least now I knew to be careful. Whether I was psychic or just plain crazy, I decided it wasn’t a bad idea to keep my eyes open from now on. I sat up slowly and braced myself as I waited for the pain to come. To my surprise I felt well. After what I had gone through it was amazing to think that I wasn’t even so much as sore but I wasn’t about to question it. I stood and as I stretched I relished in the feeling of movement happy to be a part of reality again happy to be in a world where the nightmares were at least controllable.
I made my way to the living room, following the sounds of chatter and soft laughter. I didn’t need to see her to recognize the sound of Cordillia’s happy voice. Something out there was making her smile and for that I was glad. I peered around the corner and saw her sitting on the floor with her back to the couch. I was right, she was glowing. A young man about her age sat in front of her, he looked nice enough and by the way she was laughing at everything he said it didn’t take a genius to notice that they had gotten to know each other pretty well while I was out.
I scanned the room and saw two more men I didn’t recognize, the smaller of the two was reading by himself near the open window at the front of the house. The other, a man I was sure just stepped out of the army was staring intently at the fish tank near the back door. It was a little unsettling as I watched him for a few moments and not once did he break his gaze.
I scooted into the living room slowly and quietly. I wasn’t the shy type but I really didn’t know what to say. Turns out, I really didn’t have to say anything. Cordillia’s eyes flashed to me and her face lit up.
“Ethan!” she screamed as she stood from the floor and ran to me throwing her arms around me and squeezing me tight. I held her for what seemed like forever. Everything melted away as I took in the scent of her hair, the feel of her arms. I didn’t want to let her go. Not now, not ever.
“Hey, Cordy, it’s good to see you,” I whispered as she pulled away. She smiled at me as the others started walking over to me.
“You feel alright, man?” the youngest of the group asked me. He was well built for his small frame, his spiked blue and black hair complimented his punk attire nicely. But despite the hard appearance he was going for he was still just a kid with a kind look about him.
“Surprisingly I am,” I answered him. He held his hand out to me and I took it as the others closed in.
“That’s good, I mean we’ve seen some pretty hardcore beatings but man, we weren’t even sure you were gonna survive.” He grinned as he let go of my hand.
“I’m Logan by the way, this is James,” he said pointing to the small one that was reading a moment ago. He waved nervously and shoved his hands into his pockets as he looked over at Logan. “And this is Matt,” he said pointing to the man who was staring at the fish tank a moment ago.
He was tall and not just that, he was muscular as well. He looked like there wasn’t a day in his life he didn’t spend in the gym and I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of wolf a man like that would make.
He shook my hand, nearly crushing it in the process and went back to staring at the fish as Logan and Cordillia led me into the living room.
“Don’t mind him, he’s got a tendency to be rude but it’s nothing personal,” Logan spoke as I sat down on the couch. “Besides,” He chuckled. “we don’t take him along because he’s good with people. He’s a tank if you know what I mean.” He smiled at me.
“So, how long was I out?” I asked only now realizing how thirsty I was. Almost as if she read my mind, Cordillia sat down next to me and handed me a glass of water.
“About two weeks give or take,” Logan said leaning back on his hands.
“Damn,” I muttered as I placed my now empty glass on the floor. I thought for a moment as I stared at my hands. I had so many questions and I didn’t even know where to start.
“We know you don’t know much,” James piped up before closing his book and walking over to us. He took a seat on the floor facing me. His eyes were kind as if he knew what I was going through, what I was thinking. “Whoever turned you…” he trailed off.
“Was an irresponsible son of a bitch that could have gotten a lot of people killed or worse,” I heard Matt bark as he came around the couch and took a seat in a rather large overstuffed leather chair. It was the first thing I heard him say and to be honest the gruffness in his voice didn’t shock me at all.
“What do you mean?” I asked trying not to make eye contact with him. Despite the feeling that we were all friends, I couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by his size. He sighed and shook his head.
“It’s not that we don’t welcome pups or anything like that,” he spoke a little gentler this time. He leaned forward and met my gaze. “It happens but it’s stupid and reckless to change someone and just leave them like that. And in my experience it never ends well.”
“That’s not always true, Matt,” Logan interrupted him.
“Yes it is,” he barked. “We’re in the middle of a war, not to mention the hunger and confusion that comes with something like this. You can’t just change someone and walk away hoping for the best. Ethan here got lucky but it could have been a lot worse and you know that, Logan,” he spoke fiercely turning his gaze to meet the boy’s.
“Sarah wasn’t left on her own, Matt, she made a choice.”
“She made the wrong one!” he barked loudly. Logan stood quickly and James moved back to get out of th
eir way. Even I was pressed against the back of the couch just in case it came to blows.
“No, she didn’t, Matt! She did what she had to do,” he spoke through clenched teeth.
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