Shifters - Animal

- 20 -

<<<<< >>>>>

I was running, once again in my familiar dream knowing what was going to happen but unable to make my body do anything different. "Run Jay RUN!" I heard my mother's now-familiar voice scream followed by, "listen to your mother Jay, we'll be alright Kay look after him!" my father comforted. I ran, accompanied by Kay's wolf identical to mine, when I reached the clearing Kay was gone, "Kay!" I shouted, no reply. I heard the growl behind me and started to run - only to be caught by my leg wriggling to get free. "Kay! Help!" I was suddenly released and I limped away as fast as possible not looking back. I reached a road and collapsed, the last thing I heard was someone's familiar voice calling to me...

I awoke, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat. "Shh, you're fine it was a dream," Rhys assured me.

"I know, I know," I snuggled closer to him,

"Ew! No, go shower I don't want your sweat all over me!" Rhys ordered

"Hmpf, fine" I grumbled, reluctantly leaving our cosy nest of a bed and trudging towards the bathroom.

After my shower, we got ready for the day and made our way down to breakfast. I was more distracted than normal throughout breakfast and the morning's lessons. I seemed to keep getting caught up on my dream from the night before and how it had changed slightly. I had never gotten away before so this was a shock.

"What's the answer to question 4b, Jay?" my Biology teacher asked,

"Um, I- I don't know, sorry sir," I apologised for not paying attention,

"It's fine," he said before carrying on the lesson and approaching me whilst everyone else was busy, "are you okay Jay? You look quite pale, do you want to go to the nurse's office, you're obviously finding it hard to concentrate," he asked politely.

"Um, okay," I answered standing up, grabbing my stuff before leaving.

I arrived at the nurse's 'office', which was actually a small tent near the main tent, and went inside. I explained my situation and she took me into one of the examination rooms and began, well, examining.

"Ok dear, I can't see anything physically wrong, you're not ill or anything simple like that. When did you last shift?" she asked

"Uh, um two-three months ago, I've tried since but I just can't," I explained solemnly

"That's probably the issue then, without shifting regularly, your inner wild animal starts being affected, it can affect your moods and things like not being able to focus are common," she informed, "I would recommend you and your friends go on walks or something in the woods as often as possible, maybe even if they shift, it might simulate as close as you're going to get to actually shifting,"

"Okay, I'll try that, thanks," I acknowledged leaving the office and heading straight to Rhys and I's tent, lying down and instantly dozing off.

<<<<< >>>>>

"Jay?" Matt's voice woke me from my slumber,

"Mhm," I groaned

"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk? The nurse informed me of your situation, I don't know why I didn't think of that before."

"Ok, are you gonna shift? or stay as you are?" I mumbled

"I can shift if you want," he suggested, I nodded, "Okay, I'll be outside"

I got ready again and headed out of the tent, greeted by Matt's cheetah.

"Let's go," was all I said before we wandered off into the woods.

Around half an hour later, we were deep in the woods and I stopped and sat down massaging my head. The aching feeling had returned. It had been around two weeks since my last headache and I wasn't 'due' another for a while. Matt shifted back almost instantly and sat next to me.

"You okay?" Matt worried voice asked,

"Yup, you do realise that I can just be tired I'm not always ill..." I responded lying through my teeth.

"Okay, okay just checking," he defended, "wanna head back?"

"Mhm," We started walking back to camp, Matt shifting into his cheetah not too long after. We walked for around ten more minutes the dull aching growing worse and worse by the second. About ten minutes after the pain started, I sank down against a tree holding my head and trying to collect myself. I just got to the point when I could just about bear the pain when a shooting pain started in my left leg.

"Argh," I groaned clutching my leg. Matt looked back worriedly and came running towards me still in cheetah form. He nuzzled my head trying to comfort me. The shooting pain grew worse my headache long forgotten. Matt lifted up my jean leg and looked surprised at what he saw. I stood up and tried to limp away, just as I was about to fall Matt caught me and supported my left side so I could hobble back to camp.

Fifteen gruelling minutes later we finally arrived and Matt took me back to my tent reluctantly after I'd refused going to the hospital. Overall we were gone for just over an hour but it felt like much longer.

Once I was settled Matt left to go and consult the Nurse. Around ten minutes later Rhys arrived.

"Hey Jay," he greeted giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek,

"Hi," I responded weakly, the pain still overwhelming.

"What's wrong? Headache? no. What happened?" he asked worriedly

"Nothing, it's fine, I slipped and hurt my leg that's all," I smiled

"Hm, I don't really believe that but okay, you can trust me with anything you know," he replied sincerely.

"I know," I answered, "Uh, can you lift up my jean leg? I can't reach it right now," 

"Uh sure, this one?" he asked gesturing towards my left leg, 

"Yeah, Matt seemed surprised when he saw it and I couldn't reach to have a look," I winced when I felt the jean leg being pulled up, although it didn't pain me more than before surprisingly.

"You sure it was that leg?" he asked

"Yeah... why?"

"There's nothing there,"

<<<<< >>>>>

A/N

Sorry for another short one, I have to revise for my welsh aural exam which is in 2 days😑🙄

I really don't like this chapter but I don't have the focus to rewrite it right now. I'll do it another time when I have the motivation.

Hope you enjoyed it.

- J

988 words