Meet me in the Emerald Forest

Chapter 4 Clementine

"Bastian, is that you?" I heard myself call out into the darkness that surrounded me.

Slowly, glowing green eyes crept out of the woods followed by the snow-white wolf they belonged to. He belly crawled towards me before plopping down at my feet. I giggled and sat cross legged on the cool ground. The wolf's head rose just enough to flop onto my lap. I scratched his giant head right between his ears, his favorite spot.

"You look sad, Bastian." I said, looking into his eyes.

It was years ago that Bastian first began to visit me. Logically, I knew he was just my brain's way of coping with the trauma of being nearly mauled by wolves on the same night my parents were murdered. I mean, why else would I dream of the same exact wolf with the same exact green eyes? And I cannot even begin to explain how I know the wolf's name or what he's feeling.

Bastian whimpered and nuzzled closer to me, his eyes seeming to agree with my observation.

"Is it because I'm hurt?" I asked and the wolf whimpered again.

"Am I dead?" I asked curiously and Bastian's head shot up, a devastating howl escaping him.

"Well it's not like I want to be dead, either." I mocked him and he huffed at me in frustration. His head settled back in my lap.

"So, not dead then." I muttered to myself just as I felt consciousness begin to nip at the edge of my dream.

Whoever was responsible for the beeping that was disturbing my sleep was going to die. I pinched my eyes together and mumbled to myself as I tried to go back to sleep. Something warm touched my hand and I flinched before a familiar voice spoke,

"Clem?"

I forced my eyes open, immediately recognizing the voice.

"Danny?" I croaked, blinking rapidly to try and clear my vision.

Daniel was my brother, older than me by three years, with our mother's dirty blonde hair and our father's blue eyes. The blue eyes were the only thing that we had in common in terms of looks and personality. Danny dropped out of school and left home at 16 to pursue his dream of being an artist. Our parents basically disowned him, cutting him off from the trust fund and allowing him to be emancipated. He ran off to New York City shortly after that.

But, when our parents died, Danny was forced to take custody of me when he was only twenty years old. It was only for a few months, until I turned 18 and left for college, but it was still a life altering sacrifice he made for me. He stayed in Virginia and opened up his own private art gallery in D.C.

"Hey there, Clem." Danny smiled and brushed some hair back from my face, "You look like shit." He winked and I rolled my eyes.

"You try getting shot and see how you look." I grumbled, "How long have I been out?"

"About a day. You had to have surgery for your shoulder when you got here. Enough time for me to fly out." Danny shrugged just as the doctor walked in.

He smiled and something about his face looked familiar.

"Hi there, Ms. Reign, I'm Dr. Moreson." I narrowed my eyes on him, he looked familiar, too.

"Do I know you?" I asked, earning a strange look from Danny.

"No, I don't think so." Dr. Moreson cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable,

"All of your scans look good, Ms. Reign. You have a couple of broken bones and a bruised lung from the gunshots to your vest, a mild concussion, and then, of course, the injury to your shoulder. The wound was through and through, no bone damage, but there was damage to the nerves and muscles which is why you needed surgery. You should regain full mobility in 2 or 3 months with some PT." Dr. Moreson said, looking over my chart and smiling at me like he was giving me good news.