The Thing in the Woods [Phayu x Rain] (Love in the Air)

Chapter 3

His body was stretching, changing. It felt like his bones were moving to accommodate something he was not.

He was scared, afraid of what was happening.

Soon, though, the feeling receded to the back of his mind. It wasn’t important anymore. All he could think about was the sweet smell of fear coming from the undergrowth. It smelt ripe.

He held his body low to the ground, following his instincts to hunt. The smell got thicker, almost thick enough to taste.

Like a shadow, he rushed through the night.

There! Behind that treetrunk, something was moving.

He watched from the shadows, waiting to leap.

Sharp teeth glinted in the dim light as he pounced, burying his teeth deep into the flesh.

A gurgled cry echoed through the night.

The taste was heady. So sweet.

“Stop!”

Another smell joined the metallic one rushing from his prey.

It was familiar.

“Pack!” It said.

“Must keep safe,” something deep within desperately screamed.

Blood ran down his chin, and he pinned the intruder with his eyes.

“Remember.”

“Pack!”

“Come back.”

“Home.”

Just as his mind acknowledged the connection, a howl ripped through the forest.

“Pack!” he thought and turned to rush to the sound.

“No! Stay! I need you to STAY!”

It was too late.

~

Rain got woken up by the sun filtering through the curtains. An incredibly persistent sunbeam kept tickling his nose.

Alright, alright. He’d get up.

Rain sat on his bed and looked around his room with a sigh. He missed his old life in Bangkok.

The new school was great, and Sky had immediately become his go-to person. Rain would even go as far as to call him his friend. They had just… clicked.

Still, Rain missed his friends back home. They had been his security blanket in a way. Now that everything felt new, he craved a place where he belonged.

Rain sighed. There was no use in continuing down that rabbit hole. He and his family lived here now, and even though the last days had felt like somebody had pulled the carpet out from under his feet, Rain was his mother’s son. He could do this!

Alright. Rain needed a blank slate if he wanted a fighting chance to feel at home in his room.

He decided that the best action plan would be to completely redecorate, starting by painting the walls.

Sure, he absolutely loved the blue color they were, but the fact was that Rain hadn’t chosen it. He felt that even the simple act of choosing which paint to use for his walls could make a big difference in how he thought about his new room, maybe even the house.

It was worth giving it a shot.

How hard could it possibly be to put some paint on the walls?