Chapter Twelve: The Beast within
Soon it was time to go to bed, I pulled her into my bedroom. I pinned her to the wall, I felt my body grow cold, meaning the bear is coming out, fur and all. "Sarah. I don't want to scare you away. But there is something you need to know." I said, my voice was sounding drunk. I regained control over the bear but he still came out.
[Sarah's Pov]
"Sarah. I don't want to scare you away. But there is something you need to know." Derek said after he pinned me to the door. He slurred his words, like he was drunk, but he didn't drink. He let me go and hair began to sprout along his face, his bone structure changed. He fell from his standing position and there, in Derek's room, was a large brown bear.
If I run I'm dead, if I stay I'm even more dead. This door wouldn't hold a brown bear, maybe for, like, three seconds. Those three seconds are all I need, I was a great runner in my girl scout days. I reached for the door knob and he growled. My heart pumped and adrenaline rushed through my veins as I pulled the door open, slipped through and closed the door quickly. I ran down stairs and there stood the rest of the family. I heard Derek or the bear open the door and run down the hall and to the stairs. My heart pounded in ears as I turned and ran, out the kitchen door and out and around the house. "Sarah!" I heard Amanda yell, they were following me. I didn't think, I never think about this. He changed into a bear. A BEAR! Humans don't do that, these people aren't human! I couldn't feel my limbs as they were being torn by branches, I heard crashing behind me as my legs fell through and I landed head first into a pond and I scrambled to get to my feet, Barrett, Xavier, Amanda, Ellison, Franny, and Derek were all there, watching me. Franny went to me but I flinched as she hugged me. "We won't hurt you!" She said and clenched and unclenched her hands, wanting to be picked up. I shook violently but I calmed down as Franny hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her and watched them with frightened eyes. I have grown to love these people... but their not even human! I'm very liberal but... this is pushing my limits. Derek stepped near Franny and I but I let go of Franny and scrambled back. "Sarah, we're not going to hurt you." Amanda said but I went deeper into the cold water and I couldn't stop shaking. "Sarah, get out of that water before you die of hypothermia." Xavier said and Barrett walked up, I held my hand out to stop him, "no. No, no, no, no... this isn't real! None of this is! I'll wake up back in my home town, mum making flapjacks, dad reading the paper, this isn't real! It can't be!" I said, my voice rose before I cleared my throat and shook my head, "is that the only reasonable explanation?" Ellison asked, "no! I'm only hoping I've not gone crazy!" I said, my lips began to get numb, I couldn't feel my fingers and anything from the waist down. "Sarah. Please get out of the water and we'll talk this over." Derek said. I had trouble focusing, my vision began to get blurry. My hand slipped and I went under for a split second. I was pulled out and I felt burning fingers hold me tight. "Don't worry Sarah, I've got you. I've got you."
The voices faded out and when I woke up it was morning. "Ah! She lives!" Lydia joked, I looked over to her, she was smiling and holding a tray of food. I wasn't that hungry, "I'd ask what happened but I remember clearly..." I said and pulled the blanket back and saw that I was in my pyjamas. "Don't worry, that was Ellison and Amanda." "With all due respects Mrs. Winters, I wouldn't have given a Damn if it was the queen of England who saw me naked." I said standing up before my knees locked and I fell back down. "What's with the formalities all of a sudden Sarah? I've told you to call me Lydia." She said and I watched her, my look had "seriously?" written all over it. She sighed and sat down beside me. "I know how your feeling. Your doing better than I did." I raised my eyebrow to signal her to go on. "When Xavier told me, we were approaching our wedding anniversary and with Barrett on the way I was scared of what would happen. So I ran back to my mother and told her that I needed a vacation away from Xavier. I spent nearly three months away from him, just thinking. I realized that I loved him and that it didn't matter who or what he was. And if you love my son in the way I think you do, then you'll accept him for him. Not now, but soon." I sighed, "your idea sounds nice... except one flaw with me is that I don't have a mom to run back to." I said and she patted my hand, "you'll find your way. Derek must truly trust and love you if he'd risk you running away so early in your relationship. The quickest it took anyone was Amanda at nearly seven months. Not even a week of knowing you." She said and I felt sad all of a sudden. He thought that I'd be level headed about this? This is something that he thought I could handle? "Alright. Eat your breakfast. And I must warn you..." She said and tried to face me, "Xavier is ready to tackle you into a hug. He gets emotional sometimes. He'll try and comfort you." She said and left I sighed and looked outside, the most beautiful sunrise was outside. With mauve streaks, magenta, fiery orange, and pink, everywhere. I took my camera and opened the window and took several photos. I leaned closer and moved a bit so I could get the perfect photo. "What are you doing?" I heard behind me, I ignored them for the time being, this is too beautiful to pass up. "Sarah, I asked you what you were doing." I smiled and took Derek's hand and pulled him over to the window, "look at it." I said, engulfed in the rapturous feeling of this beautiful painting. "It's beautiful... good to see you can handle to touch me after what happened last night." He said and I stopped and looked at my camera, I was playing with it before I walked away and set it down. Questions buzzed around my head.
[Derek's Pov]
"If you need some time away I completely understand." I said and she shook her head, she bit her lip and looked down to the floorboards. "Really, your not scared of what I am?" I asked and she shook her head again, "Sarah, please speak to me, I can't-" "I signed on for a year, a year is what you specified." She said and I shook my head, "that was just to get you near me, the contract is void because it's cheap and dirty trick because you were drunk. You didn't even remember it." I said, playing the good guy card. "Either way, I really don't have anywhere to go. My uncle already planned the funeral, I..." "visit home for as long as you need, do anything you need to do Sarah. Just as long as you come back to me, I don't care." I said and sat down on her bed. She watched me for a second before running a hand through her hair and leaning down to meet my eyes. She didn't say anything, just looked me in the eyes and touched my cheek. "Thank you." She whispered and kissed my cheek. Well, at least she can bring herself to still touch me. "I'll get you an airline ticket back home. I'll get someone to drive you back to the apartment so you can get packed." I said before I left, "I'm sorry." She said and I nodded, "so am I."
