The Werewolf Hunter

The Nightmare

-Andrew Peterson-

She was running through the forest. The trees passing on either side of her, fear pushing her legs to go faster. Then her face was meeting the ground, a yelp leaving her mouth. She'd tripped on something. Looking up, the scenario had changed. Her eyes met sunshine and the yard outside the pack house. She stood to meet the smiling face of her father. He was teaching her how to fight. Their first day of training when she was eight years old.

Then she had a bow in her hands, arrow strung to her back. "I did it!" She threw her hands in the air. Her father lifting her into his arms with a shout of joy. His excitement about her natural skill with the bow was obvious. But he'd scared away all the other prey in the area. She'd have to wait till tomorrow to try again.

Then she was sitting at the kitchen counter. Her seventh birthday was today. She was waiting for her mother to come back; her father had left a while ago to pick up her cake from the store. There was a sound of glass breaking in the living room. "Mommy?" She called, jumping down from the stool she was perched on.

"Honey!" Her mother yelled back to her. "Remember that secret hiding spot I showed you?" Her mother's voice sounded pained. "You need to go there, now!"

Andrew followed the sound of her mother's voice, ignoring the warning. A thump was heard upstairs and her own paced quickened. The sounds leading her to her mother's room. She pushed the door open quietly to find a wolf pinning her mother to the ground. His jaw around her neck and then a clamp down. Andrew didn't see the blood, her father had pushed her out of the way, killing the wolf. That was when her training started, six months later.

Then it was her father. The arrow shooting past her again to the wolf behind her. There were no other wolves this time as she ran for him. She could save him this time and he'd have never died. But Jake already had his jaw clamped around his neck. She blinked and suddenly it was her, being held down below him. His teeth digging into the skin around her neck. A screaming boiling into her throat. But then she heard her name.

"Andrew." The sound was urgent, her whole body being shaken. "Wake up. Andrew." Her name again. Her eyes opening to find Jake's hands on her shoulders, trying to shake her back to reality.

"Jake?" Se croaked out, her voice shaking. She hoped it was really him and not her imagination.

"It's me. I'm here." He sighed in relief and she turned to face him, her sweaty body even warmer next to his own. He pulled her into his arms and she sighed in relief.

"I need a shower." She mumbled, before pulling away from him. A look of sadness crossed his face, before settling into unreadable. "I'll be right back." She stepped out of bed and headed for the connected bath. She showered off quickly before returning to the room in a towel.

Before letting her towel fall she slipped on a pair of underwear and then a white tank top. When she turned to Jake his eyes were wide. "Never seen a girl naked before?" She teased as his eyes roamed her, before coming up to meet her own gaze.

She took note that he was not wearing a shirt himself. "Yeah..." He sounded breathless, clearing his throat, "I mean...no I've seen girls naked. Just never any girls quite as beautiful as you." A flush covered her cheeks and he smirked.

She should hate him. Should kick him out but for the first time in days she felt peace. She wanted it to last for just a little bit longer before returning to reality. "I'm going to get fresh sheets." She went for the door, stepping into the dark hallway. The closet near her bedroom was full of sheets and she pulled out some that matched the dark grey sheets she already had. Once back in the room she shooed Jake off the bed to pull the sweaty sheets off and replace them with the clean ones.