Drawing Blood

Chapter Fifteen

Darkness engulfed me, the forest swallowing me whole. One by one, the stars were extinguished, the path in front of me becoming hidden before my very eyes. Wills voice was a distant memory, carried off by the wind as I drew further away from him. All logic had left me, and I could think of nothing else but catching the intruder. I was focused, determined to know who had uncovered my secret; my feet hitting the ground as I pushed through the bracken.

I knew I was running out of chances to turn back, but I didn't care. I was possessed, chasing a phantom who was faster than I was, who knew the place better than I did, and who wasn't running out of breath.

I kept my eyes glued on the mysterious entity, pursuing them as they weaved in and out of the trees, copying their movements, watching where they landed. I mimicked their footsteps carefully. I could not afford to make any mistakes. I could not afford to cut myself. If I was to get hurt, then it would mean trouble. Not only did I have blood that could cure a werewolf, but it was also rare, and it was unlikely any hospital would stock it in a huge supply.

I kept up with them, coming to a clearing up ahead. I sped through it, grateful the sky had lit up the track, before it dissolved again into darkness. I had to hand it to whomever it was, they were like lightning. They turned right, and I saw something fall from their pocket. Leaving it where it was, I bolted after them, driven by sheer stubbornness. They were tall - taller than anyone I knew - and athletic; navigating their way effortlessly, ducking and diving through the undergrowth. Their stride was greater than mine, and they seemed to have a sixth sense, a knack for knowing where to go, an inbuilt compass giving them directions on how to escape. I knew they would have to come to a stop soon. No one had any idea how deep this place could go, and no one could be that quick, and have that much stamina.

"Get back here you coward!" I screamed at them, my lungs raw with cold. "Show yourself!"

They swerved left, and I steered after them, slipping in my haste; my trainers not suitable for the muddy terrain. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were heading towards the Kendall's old farm. It had been empty since Dan had been killed there; left to become derelict. As far as I knew, no-one had bought the place, and no-one even wanted to. It had quickly turned into a folklore, an urban legend that teenagers spoke about over camp fires and sleep-outs, a living reminder that people can go crazy and kill each other when they had been isolated for too long. No one wanted to live in a place like that.

Slipping again, I managed to steady myself, gaining my balance to carry on. The path was all but gone now; the trees, once thin, becoming thicker. Their density made it hard for me to squeeze through them, and I wondered how my assailant had managed it. I was being sucked in by them, their branches enveloping me in an sinister embrace; my clothes snagging on them, and tearing. Despite it all, it only made me want it more. I sped up, working my limbs harder, my heart banging away like a drum inside my chest, threatening to burst free from my ribcage. Their sense of direction impeccable. They were hungry for escape, and I was unable to close the distance between us.

I found myself galloping over thick, lumpy roots in my quest to catch them; my movements clumsy and inept. I landed in deep ditches, clambering out of them quickly to start again; banging into trees that were as hard as brick walls, my shoulders connecting roughly with twisted trunks. My body was on fire, my brain too full of endorphins to register the pain. My legs carried me further than I thought possible. Deeper and deeper, black shadows and nothingness pressed in all around me. I was suffocating without realising, drowning in the depths of my own curiosity. My instincts had taken me this far, but they hadn't prepared me for what would happen next. As I let the note slip from my hand, to fall to the ground, the realisation of what was occurring suddenly dawned on me. I had been here before, been in this clearing before, had been going around in circles and trapped like prey. I had been herded into this place, and now I needed to fight for my survival.