Invisible string | Harlan Briggs

Chapter 002

Aurora had been on the road for hours, the hum of her car's engine blending with the steady thrum of her pulse. The world outside her window had shifted with the setting sun, the orange light casting long shadows across the horizon. The air had a smoky tang to it, the fires ravaging the forests a reminder that chaos was never far behind. She could smell it now, the distant burn of nature turning to ash. But it wasn't the fire she was focused on; it was the pull—the relentless tug deep within her chest, dragging her forward. She'd felt it for days now, this invisible force that drove her from town to town, from highway to highway, with no real destination in mind. It was instinct, raw and primal, and she couldn't explain it, but she had learned long ago to listen to it.

Her hand reached for the radio, cranking up the volume to drown out the constant hum of her own thoughts. The upbeat rhythm of Luke Bryan's "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)" blasted through the speakers, momentarily distracting her from the underlying unease that never quite left. She knew better than to question the pull, though her logical mind screamed at her to turn around, to go back to safety, to let it all go. But Aurora had learned that running from destiny only made it chase harder. She had no choice but to follow, even if she didn't know what she was running toward.

The miles passed by, the scenery blurring, the air growing thicker as the smoke swirled into the cabin of the car. The faint scent of burning wood was becoming overpowering. It wasn't until she saw the first glow of flames on the horizon that she realized how close she had come to the heart of the fire. Fire trucks whizzed past her in the opposite direction, their sirens blaring as they tried to outpace the inferno. But the flames, still growing, made a mockery of their efforts. The closer she got, the more intense the pull became, gnawing at her chest with an urgency that almost hurt. It was almost as if she had to be here.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the sight of chaos ahead caught her eye. What had seemed like a traffic jam was in fact a scene of pandemonium. Cars were abandoned, some with the keys still in the ignition, others left behind in hasty retreat. People were everywhere—shouting, running, some tripping over their own feet as they fled in blind panic. Aurora didn't join the fray. She didn't panic. She never panicked. Instead, she held herself steady, her gaze moving through the chaos like a wolf threading through a herd of panicked deer.

Her heart didn't race in fear; it quickened with the intensity of the pull. Something—someone—was waiting for her. She could feel it. She didn't need to see it to know it was true.

And then, it happened. A surge of animals—deer, bears, rabbits, raccoons—all came bolting from the fire, their terror palpable as they scrambled in every direction. The scene was utter madness, but Aurora moved with purpose, her boots clicking against the pavement as she dodged bodies and animals alike.

Any creature that came too close to her veered off almost instinctively, as if they recognized something primal within her. Her eyes flickered a faint gold, a warning, a shift that made the animals give her space. She was no stranger to this. The power of her wolf blood was always present, but here, now, it seemed to pulse stronger than ever. It felt almost electric.

She moved on, pulling herself through the frenzied crowd, as the pull in her chest surged, guiding her to the nearest motel. The place was shabby, tucked between the backwoods and the dim lights of a gas station. It didn't matter. The bed could have been a cot, the room could have been a dump, and it wouldn't have made a difference. What mattered was what was calling her. She felt it deep within, a part of her waking up that she'd long suppressed.

The room was a quiet escape from the madness outside, the air conditioner's hum offering little relief from the intensity of her thoughts. She dropped her bag on the floor and walked to the mirror, her eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. The golden hue of her wolf's eyes stared back at her, unsettling and familiar. There had been no signs of danger, no immediate threats, but still, the gnawing sensation in her chest didn't ease. It wasn't just her wolf calling to her—it was something more. Something her soul recognized but couldn't explain.