The Secrets of The Soul Wanderer (In

Chapter 8

I felt the yew berry touch my lip until I dropped it right out of my hand. I looked up and saw a large red deer stag, it was at least three metres away from me. I held my breath and stayed incredibly still, time froze around me. The stag looked at me, there was a sense of beauty in its brown eyes. I slowly got up keeping my gaze averted and walked towards the school in a crouching position. When I reached the schools premises, I gave a big sigh and tried to stand upright. Snapping my back upright I walked back to my dorm,
My mind raced with relief and exhaustion, my brain overanalysed, 'maybe that stag was meant to stop you, from taking your life.'

Whatever it was, fate or coincidence. I was grateful, I hated Gab for replacing me, but I didn't see him as my creator. He could tell me he was God and I wouldn't care because, my version of God is different from the normal depiction. Suddenly I stopped just outside the building to my flat, running to the side of the building, I was hiding from one of the girls.
I heard voices, it was Zoe's and a boy of whom I never heard before.
Eavesdropping was my new thing I guessed, I focussed onto their conversation.

"Thanks for the lettuce and ket man, how many do I give her?" Zoe asked casually, I wasn't surprised she was a druggie. Then the man answered, "give her only one syringe, I miss you so much babe. If only I was young again to join you here, and beat up that fucking Claire bitch!" His voice sounded affluent but strained, I could tell he smoked for most of his life. A part of me felt a twang of fear, this guy was dangerous.
Knowing that I couldn't look around the corner to see his face, I had to know what he looked like, my brain told me 'stay where you are, they will go soon.' 

Meanwhile my heart was telling me, 'maybe this ability is to protect you. Best to use it for this sorta shit huh?'
Normally I obeyed my brain but I instead I followed my heart.
The sky was a deep blue almost navy as the tiny slither of sunlight set in the western horizon. I very quietly laid down on my stomach, I was wearing all black. The grass was dry and short, I closed my eyes and gently inhaled, just like that I felt myself slip out I saw myself well hidden and I flew near Zoe and the drug dealer, I decided to spook them.

I never really got why Zoe really hated me, she got Isabelle and former lacky Frankie to pick on me. Why? I admit that I was used to being a bullys play-thing. Courage and confidence was something I lacked, but as I floated near them, I felt a pull like two opposite poles on a magnet. It came from Zoe's head and before I could think, before I could do anything I was dragged into her mind.

Zoe's mind was a dirty and grimy street, I saw delapitated buildings with everything screaming despair and death. I saw random people with faces covered in pencil-like scribbles and old TV style static, I remembered this from the old analogue TVs my parents raised me on. The people were distant from me but I suddenly realised everything was greyscale, from the smoky sky to the cracked cobblestones of the street.

It dawned on me that these people were how she saw those in the real life, a worthless husk and nothing more.
I heard a shrill siren noise, the townspeople all covered their ears and begged for it to stop. Not one building was intact, rubble littered the pavements. The siren sound stopped and I heard a howl, a wolf howl. Beyond the foggy outstretched street, I saw the canid it was the only thing that truly scared me.
The wolf didn't see me but in the corner of my eye, I saw a person that ran for their life. I chased after the person through the rubble ridden streets, but behind me I saw the predator chase me. I was in a nightmare, I ran faster and found the person.
We ended up in a dead end, this person looked like Zoe but had a kinder face and was covered in bite wounds and bruises.
This Zoe was the real Zoe's soul and this wolf was a living metaphor of hatred.
She panicked and tried to climb the still standing brick wall. I stood in front of her, the wolf was in snarling at me. It looked bigger with its hackles raised, teeth bared and ears upright. My mind felt heavy, I had to protect Zoe from this creature. Suddenly the wolf barked words, english words in Isabelles voice, "move aside! I enjoy my prey scared."

Within a second it pounced and in complete defense I punched it, the wolf whined I saw it try and stand up. I felt the pressure of Zoe's soul embrace me, I checked myself being kicked out, the last thing I saw was Zoe's soul mouth the words 'thank you.'
I awoke from the dew ridden grass and saw flashes of red and blue on the walls, I got up with difficulty and immediately vomitted.
I groggily got up, my legs felt stiff and like they weren't mine. I saw what the flashing lights were and I knew from that moment. Whatever I did in Zoe's mind actually helped.

There was an ambulance and a police car, the whole school gathered round to see a terrified Zoe. I slowly walked closer to see that she was on a stretcher, but what I didn't see was the sheet on the tarmac. My face froze, I knew that was the drug dealers body. Did I cause Zoe to attack him?
I saw Frankie, she smiled saying "oh Claire thank god you're ok, this man died from an overdose and scared Zoe shitless."
My dread subsided for a moment, I felt the adrenaline slowly leave me, I was about to collapse until I felt two hands grab me. I knew it was Gab, I was carried in his arms.
I shut my eyes, sleep was what I yearned for, questions would come at a later time.