the girl who cried wolf|Wattys 2015

the girl who cried wolf: three

Note// so ive decided on my curent cast that will be the face to the characters in my story. you can see them in the side profile ! throughout the story, there will be more characters added. if you have someone youd love to see, message me and id be happy to write them in because i dont have all the wolves planned out exactly. anyhoo, i hope you enjoy this chapter. please comment ! thanks for your inspiration xx

three: please stop staring at me

I rarely could recall my dreams. No matter what when I woke up, the dream would slip away from me and I would find it completely hard to even recollect what it'd been about. But there was something so vivid about the movie that played behind my eyes after I blacked out. I was in the forest, a forest I'd recognized instantly as the one that acted as my backyard. It was dark and cold; the weather penetrating though the gown I wore. It was as if everything was just like it'd been six years ago, except I was older. The moon was high in the sky and full, shining so bright against the white snow, creating this lit path into the darkness of the trees.

Something inside of me told me to go the opposite direction; I wanted to go anywhere but into the darkness - but I couldn't make my feet listen to my brain. I walked into the darkness, further in and it was then I became aware of a smell - the same smell from earlier of burning wood and cinnamon. It mingled in the air which was filled with the aroma of damp earth. The hairs on my arm lifted as goose bumps rose along my skin.

Then I heard it: a howl. I was sure that it was off in the distance, since I could see nothing and yet the sound was so loud in my ears as though it were being made in my head. The air around me sounded crisp and sharp, whooshing almost at the force of something running. In the distance I could hear the sound of branches snapping and the ground beneath my feet seemed to shake with the force of thudding. There was something coming closer and it wasn't alone.

Suddenly springing through the air like bullets were wolves, a pack of them and coming straight for me. Fear expressed itself at the back of my neck which instantly began to sweat and somewhere along the line I forgot to release the sharp intake of air, now lodged in my chest. I closed my eyes; my scream became lost in the sound of their growls. I couldn't run and so I prepared for the attack, the minute I would be pounced on. But I wasn't. the air whipped up around me as the wolves ran past me quickly. The howl that once rang in my head replaced by voices.

That way!

Quickly, come on!

Come on !

Lucy come on !

The sound of my name made my head snap. Looking over my shoulder I watched as the wolves ran off, in hunt and pursuit of something, all on a mission except for one. Larger than a bear with a sterling grey coat was a wolf waiting. His eyes were familiar, a riveting royal blue. I knew those eyes. Those weren't the eyes of a stranger. I could feel my face drain with recognition as I was stuck in the locked gaze, struggling to maintain a normal breathing pattern. I'd never felt such a powerful stare in all my life.

Tipping its head back, the wolf howled and there was no doubt in my mind that it called to me, as clear as the voice in my head. Strangely, I let my head tip back, my eyes staring into the bright moon; it was liberating somehow to feel the howl course from within my abdomen, through my chest and straight out my mouth.

If it wasn't obvious enough, I didn't like attention. For the fifth grade class play I practically begged my teacher to help make the costumes because I couldn't stand the idea of standing as a tree in front of all those people. I didn't have any lines, but the very idea of being in the limelight made me nervous. So, waking up to find several pair of eyes on me was a bit . . . discomforting. I recognized a student from my English class, Marcus Lanter, nurse Ida, and of course those gorgeous blue orbs of Mason's. I could feel as my face flushed red and instantly I wanted to be back in dreamland, safe.

Away from the bemused looks of Marcus and Ida and . . . the smirk that Mason seemed to try to hide.

"H-how do you feel Lucy dear?" Nurse Ida asked finally.

"My head hurts a bit," I said as I tried and failed to sit up. There was a slight pounding in my right temple. "What happened?"

"You blacked out," Marcus answered with a slight chuckle. "Hit your head pretty hard on the table. There was blood." I squirmed and bit back the urge to vomit.

"How'd I get here?"

"I carried you."

There was something about Mason's voice that made my stomach twist and turn into tight knots. I had to look away and focus on the chart of the food pyramid.

"Yeah, he's major strong," Marcus commented. I tried to imagine Mason scooping me into his arms as if I weighed no more than a few pounds. The trip from the English wing to the nurse's office was at least six minutes; he didn't look tired or strained. In fact he looked cool and collected.

"How long was I out for?"

"About seven to eight minutes." I furrowed my brow at that, groaning at the stinging sensation. The dream felt like hours, I felt like I'd slept for hours in fact.

"Yeah, then you woke up howling." Shooting a stare in Marcus' direction, I begged for him to clear up a few things and hoped what he said was a joke.

Mason ducked his head and snickered while Nurse Ida looked left and right, her cheeks red and jiggling some. She'd often reminded me of a hen, because of her size - a mother hen in fact due to her loving nature.

"Howl?" I repeated with a shriek, sitting up quickly. The vertigo that hit gave sight to three Masons - all frowning as if in concern. My hand reached up to press against a band aid. Right, I hit my head. I winced internally at the slight raised skin. I knew that the side of my face would be all shades of purple and blue.

"I howled?" I repeated in embarrassment.

"I better get you some ice, that's swelling quickly," Nurse Ida said. She looked at the two boys. "I can get a pass to send you two back to class."

"Actually Mrs. Crowe thought it best I stay with Lucy." Mason spoke up, his eyes landing on mine briefly before turning away.

"There's no need, I'll be sending Lucy home." Her hand pressed against Mason's shoulder and I was positive that we all saw the way his am flexed and instantly tensed up. "Don't worry Mr. Dubois, she's in good hands." It took a few minutes before Mason relaxed and offered a smile.

Nurse Ida was the first to go, followed by Marcus, and Mason last. Mason who looked back at me and in a volume I was sure only I could hear spoke to me.

"Some birthday huh?"

It took a moment for it all to catch up with me. And the shock still clung to my frame. While I was thrown off by how Mason knew it was my birthday, I knew he was right. This was the worse birthday I'd ever had.