The Castle of Dreams

Chapter 3 - Through the Woods

 Wiley always liked to be the first to wake up on the weekly sleepovers, mainly because he liked acting like an alarm clock that howls. But this morning when he woke up something was not right. When he woke up, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Then, Wiley looked around and jumped to his feet. He was not in Rebecca's bedroom anymore, and the others were nowhere to be seen. Everywhere Wiley looked, all he could see were trees.
How could he be in a forest when he knew for a fact he fell asleep in Rebecca's bedroom?? Wiley turned around in a circle to look around the forest once more, but he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. Wiley groaned as he put his hands out in front of him to push himself up. He froze in place. Covered in black hair with freakishly long black nails, were his hands. Wiley pushed himself into a sitting position and stared at his hands, then he cautiously looked down at his feet which was also covered in black hair. "What is happening?" Wiley wondered aloud feeling his face. Something was seriously wrong. Not only were his hands and feet covered in hair, but so was the rest of his body, minus his face. He had ears on top of his head pointed like a dogs, He was covered in hair, He had whiskers sprouting from his cheeks. It was almost like Wiley had become a Wolf. A wolf? Wait, if he had become a wolf did that mean his friends had become someone or something else as well? Wiley pulled himself to his feet once more. This time, He was determined to find the others. He could never forgive himself if something happened to them. Wiley racked his brain trying to remember which wolf Peyton had named him for. Was it the wolf from The Little Red Riding Hood story or The Boy Who Cried Wolf story?? Wiley couldn't remember at all, all he knew was he was the wolf. For all he knew he could be the wolf from both stories, although he would never eat his friends. Wiley leaned against a tree taking deep breaths. What was happening to him? Where was he? Where were his friends? Why is he half wolf? These were the questions that ran through his head. He let his head rest against the trunk of the tree wishing he wasn't alone, wishing someone was with him, so he didn't have to figure this all out himself. When he opened his eyes he saw a flash of red in the corner of his vision. Immediately, Wiley broke into a grin and ran towards the flash of red. He reached her in seconds, thanks to his new wolf speed. "Rebecca! Oh thank goodness!" Wiley exclaimed. Only when Rebecca didn't answer him did Wiley realize she was fast asleep. Wiley knelt down and shook her awake. "Rebecca, wake up!" He said softly. Rebecca groaned and slowly opened her eyes. "What time is it?" Rebecca looked over at her friend and screamed. Jumping to her feet and backing up against a tree she held out her hands in front of her. "Wh-How do you know my name? Wh-where am I?" She demanded. Wiley stared at her, confused. Why was she afraid of him? Then it hit him. He wasn't himself, he was a wolf. Rebecca was absolutely terrified of Wolves for reasons Wiley would probably never understand. "It's me, Wiley. I swear, I'm not gonna hurt you, Red. As for where you are..I have no clue. Some forest." Wiley said pushing himself to his feet. Rebecca relaxed a little but she didn't move, her back still pressed against the tree. "How are we in a forest? And why on earth are you a real wolf?" She asked. Wiley shrugged his shoulders and picked up a basket, full of nothing but a small first aid kit and a small pouch probably full of money, that was laying right next to where Rebecca had been asleep moments before. "I don't know, why are you wearing a red cape?" He asked back, tossing her the basket. Rebecca caught it without even thinking about it and looked down at her clothes. Sure enough, she was wearing a red cape and a slightly poofy dress that came down to her knees. Her long black hair was braided in two down her back, she wore small black flats and held the basket. She wasn't just named after Little Red Riding Hood anymore she was Little Red Riding Hood. "What is happening? Where are the others?" Rebecca said finally stepping away from the tree and taking a few steps closer to her friend. Wiley looked around the forest once more. Meeting Rebecca's eyes he said, "Maybe, we should start looking for the others. I mean we're obviously not dreaming, because there's no way we're having the exact same dream, and if anyone can figuring out what is happening it's Baylee."
Rebecca nodded her head and immediately wished she hadn't. A searing pain shook it's way through her skull. She found herself on her knees head in her hands. Wiley rushed to her side. "Rebecca! What's happening? Are you alright??" He demanded, cautiously putting his clawed, furry hand on her back. When the pain subsided, Rebecca looked up from her hands, but something was wrong. Everything was blurry. With a shaking palm, she reached up and removed her rectangular brown glasses. Suddenly, everything was clear again. Just as a test Rebecca raised them back up to her face. Blurry. "Red?" Wiley asked sounding very concerned. Rebecca folded her glasses and gently set them in her basket. "I can see, Wiley. It's blurry with my glasses." She said, pulling herself to her feet, extending a hand to Wiley to pull him up as well. Wiley stared at her. "What? Why? You haven't been able to see clearly since I met you." He said. Rebecca gave Wiley a small smile. "I know. But as of right now I can see, so let's use that and you're keen wolf sense to see if we can find the others." She said. Wiley nodded gesturing for Rebecca to lead the way. He couldn't believe this. Rebecca had always been squinting even with her extremely thick glasses, from the age of five all the way to fifteen. Why now could she suddenly see perfectly? Nothing was making sense any more. Hopefully, they could find the others soon and just go home. Wiley came back to his senses when he heard Rebecca calling his name. "Wiley! Are you coming?" She yelled. Wiley nodded and caught up to her. He offered her his elbow. "Shall we?" He asked. Rebecca looped her arm through his and giggled. "We shall." She said, and together they skipped off through the forest hoping to find one of their other friends soon.