Shadow Girl

Chapter Seven

"Alex. Alex? Alex! Get up!" That was all I heard. 

"What? Do you even know what time it is?" I asked the figure. 

"I know, it's really early, I'm sorry, but this is important! Please you've got to follow me and let me show you!" 

That was when I realized it was Alisha. "H-how did you get in here?" I said, looking at my digital clock. It was 3:00am. I cringed at the sight of the time. 

"The back door wasn't locked."

"Oh! That's weird."

"Yeah, but the important thing is I'm here. Now, get up and come with me." 

I yawned and rose from my bed. "Okay," Alisha took off running towards the back door and I struggled to keep up with her. I wondered what was wrong as I chased her. A few yards away from the back door, Alisha stopped dead in her tracks. I guessed we were at the right place. 

"Umm could you please tell me what's going on?" I asked again. Alisha pointed at a dark figure curled up into a ball. "Shadow?" 

The wolf didn't move from its spot. 

"She's hurt." Alisha said, trying not to cry, herself. 

I slowly nodded and stared ahead of me for a few moments more, unable to process what was happening. "H-h-ow--" I swallowed back tears. There was a large gash in Shadow's side. "How did this happen?" I finally managed to say. 

"I don't know, but she has teeth marks on her, too."

I shook my head again. This was not happening. I must have been dreaming a terrible nightmare. I would wake up soon and this would be all over. Wake up, wake up, wake up! I tried everything. This hadn't been a dream. It was real. Tears rolled down my face and I turned away, not wanting Alisha to see me. 

Alisha too began to cry. We leaned next to each other for comfort on a large tree. I couldn't take it. I didn't want to. I wish I could disappear. Escape. Forget that this ever happened. But it's real. And I know it. 

"Alex, it's okay to cry," Alisha choked through tears. "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. But I do. I cried in front of you, causing more pain and burden for you. Forgive me."

"Forgive you? Alex, I'm here for you and I always will be. Why do you think such things?"

"Simple. Because it's true. You only cried because you saw me cry," I faked a smile. 

"That's because I really care about you! I'm your best friend and so is Katy."

Then she hugged me and I hugged her back, tears still shedding. "What will we do about Shadow? There's got to be something we can do." I said, hopeful that we might save her. 

"Can we call the vet to come over here? Like a large wild animal specialist?" 

I took my mint green and gray-cased phone out of my pocket and dialed the vet's number. The other line picked up. "Hello, could one of your doctors come to the woods in the back of my house? I have an animal back here that is severely injured..." I gave them my address and hung up. "They said they'd send someone over."

"K," was all Alisha said.