Different Worlds

FOUR - BEASTS

Sophie's POV

"If you just wanted a cuddle buddy you could simply ask. You didn't have to make excuses that I would be grumpy if I didn't have proper beauty sleep," Sebastian said immediately when I exited the bathroom. He was still lying on the bed, both arms crossed behind his head, with the familiar smirk on his face.

"Shut it," I spat through clenched teeth, trying to look intimidating.

But apparently it didn't work. It definitely didn't work. He just stood up and walked around me towards the bathroom, laughing.

I couldn't speak to him without turning red. So after a quick breakfast we continued our journey in yet another silence. I noticed Sebastian kept peeking at me from time to time but I just pulled my scarf higher so it covered more of my face. I didn't know what got into me at night. I was used to sharing a bed with people. There were always to many children in orphanage and too little beds. Me and Margaret were sharing one for a few years but I was never clinging to her as I was to Sebastian.

I was so deeply in my thoughts that I didn't even notice we arrived at some escarpment. It was quite deep and definitely not safe to climb down and I would fall right down if it weren't for Sebastian. He grabbed me at the last second for my waist and pulled me back.

"Watch your steps, squirrel. This way," he pointed to the right and started walking again, along the edge.

I wanted to at least thank him but some movement on my right caught my attention. There was forest and as always the place was far more dark than necessary. At first I couldn't see anything but I was pretty sure I heard growling. After a few more seconds I noticed three pairs of glowing amber eyes. Something was definitely there and it was getting closer.

"Sebastian?" I called at him, trying to sound calm.

He turned back to me, he was already relatively far from me. Apparently he didn't notice I was not following him anymore.

"What is it? Another rabbit?" He asked with a smile but I could hear a hint of panic in his voice.

"Too big for a rabbit and definitely not just one." I pointed toward the forest.

As soon as he looked in that direction three big wolves showed up. I wasn't sure if they were wolves, maybe some wild dogs or something but they were huge and they were angry. They circled me quickly and with the steep escarpment behind me I had nowhere to go.

"Soph!" Sebastian sprinted towards me but even when he could get to me past the one wolf who now separated us I wasn't sure what he wanted to do. We had no gun, no knife, nothing to defend us.

I took a few small steps back, terrified, feeling the empty space underneath my heels. And just when one of the beasts leaped forward to grit their teeth to my body, the edge of the slope crumbled and I fell.

"Soph!" Sebastian yelled again from somewhere above me. The last thing I saw was his frightened face. After that I quickly closed my eyes, trying to prepare myself for the worst.

The fall wasn't long, but it was far enough to get hurt. When I hit the ground I heard a harrowing cracking sound. I fell to my feet but they couldn't bear the hard impact and broke down underneath the weight of my body so I ended up lying on my back, hitting my head in the process as well. My eyes almost immediately filled with tears. The paint shooting from my legs to my whole body was almost unbearable but I was alive.

"Sebastian!" I scream at him with panic. He was still up there with the wolves.

I tried to open my eyes but it wasn't easy. Every time I opened them I saw flickering red and blue lights. I could hear someone shouting but I didn't understand a word. I didn't know if it was because of the ringing in my ears or if it was a different language.