Wolf Boy

Chapter three

The old window groaned in protest as I wrenched it open. Immediately I was hit by the bitter sting of the winter wind. Oscar meowed in irritation and made his way over to my warm bed from against the window where he had been previously curled up, to escape the cold that was now seeping into the room through the open window. The drapes floated back from the window softly as a gust of wind blew into the room.

'Sorry.' I muttered to Oscar as I shrugged my yellow raincoat and gumboots on.

I tucked my small black leather sketch book and pencils into my coat pocket before. It had been so long since I'd drawn and I knew it would be the perfect way for me to take my mind off of everything that had happened in the last few days. Since meeting Nathaniel Harper yesterday he had been constantly on my mind and it was driving me insane. Bracing myself against the side of the window and jumping down, landing with a thud in the soft, mossy forest floor. I wiped my hands on my jeans, to rid them of the dust and cobwebs that they had collected as a result of the old window.

Looking out at the familiar forest, I began to make my way into it with ease; it was all so familiar. I turned to the left, following the frozen brook that would bubble and flow in the warmer months. After a while it veered off to the right, curving down through the towering trees that blocked out the faint winter sun, making it appear much later then it was. My gumboots crunched as they walked through dirty ice and snow, leaving behind faint footprints. The bitter air nipped at my nose and lips and I pulled my coat up around the lower half of my face, breathing out hot air into it to warm my frozen face.

The brook began to thin before it dipped under the ice and disappeared, leaving me standing in a small clearing. Perfect, I thought to myself as I looked around. I was surrounded by a ring of towering fir trees. In the centre, a few defiant flowers poked through the thin layer of snow that concealed the ground below.

With numb fingers I withdrew my sketch book and a grey lead pencil from the safety of my coat jacket, leaning against one of the trees in the ring and staring out into the clearing. It was beautiful, and I quickly began capture on paper the image before me. How the light flittered down through the clearing. The way the flowers stood through the snow. The way the trees bordered the image. I stared intently at the page, biting my lip and squinting in concentration as I attempted to recreate the way the snow reflected the light, but I couldn't quite. I took a step forward before looking back up to get another look. I froze.

Standing in the heart of the clearing was a beast like none I had ever seen before. Its eyes locked with mine. They were like golden embers, glowing with hunger. Great, clawed paws, jutting with cracked and serrated claws, tore at the forest floor. Teeth, dripping with saliva, snapped wildly. Its black, matted fur rose, as it hunched further forward.

I stumbled backwards, falling to the ground. My hands scraped frantically at the snow covered ground, desperate to grab a hold of something to give me some leverage. Anything. Its ears flickered, waiting for any sound that might indicate I was about to run, but I wasn't, I was frozen in place.

'Please.' I whispered, desperately holding back sobs. 'Please.'

It gazed at me, looking right into my face; and that was when it leapt.

All breath drained from my body. Digging my fingers tightly into the ground I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the impact, for the feeling of teeth and claws ripping at my flesh; but it didn't come.

Taking in a sharp breath, I pried my eyes open. The place where the beast had stood was now empty. There was no reason for me to be alive, but somehow I was. I didn't understand, but I forced my shaky legs to rise, steading myself against a rough tree trunk. I pushed myself from the tree, taking off into the forest.

Wind and branches whipped against my skin as I tore through the trees, feet hammering into the ground. My heart continued to pound in my ears. My breath was ragged as the chilled air stung my throat. I has spent the majority of my childhood roaming these woodlands, but never in my life had they caused me to feel so much terror.

It was much darker now, and I looked around me desperately trying to find a landmark to indicate where I was, but there was nothing, everything looked the same. For as far as I could see all there was was snow and trees. I hadn't followed the brook and now I was truly lost.

Crunch.

I spun around, heart hammering in my chest, feeling like it would burst through my rib cage. The beast was still out there somewhere, and this realisation caused me to shake. I took off again. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew that I had to get away; away from the wolf.

Suddenly breaking free of the dense needle leafed branches, I stumbled down the forest ridge, sticks and rocks scraping at my skin. The tree line began to thin and I pumped my legs faster. I couldn't feel them anymore, I wouldn't have known I was moving if it hadn't been for the blurred trees moving around me. Fear crawled across my body, a reminder that the wolf could still be lurking around me.

Finally breaking free of the forest I hurled myself onto the ground, sobs erupting from my throat, my body shaking uncontrollably.

'Emilia!'

Nate Harper running towards me was the last thing I saw before I was enveloped into darkness.

That night was the first time I dreamt of him.

The boy across the road.

He appeared in the heart of the gloomy forest. Only small streams of moonlight seeped through the thick branches overhead. I could barely see his face, but I didn't need to to know that it was him. His green eyes shone brightly in the darkness, like two glowing orbs. His hands were clenched firmly by his sides and his lanky torso was hunched slightly.

That's when I saw it; the blood.

It trickled slowly down his arms, dripping onto the snow covered ground. Each drip seemed to ring louder in my ears. Growing and growing until it became unbearable, and I clasped my hands firmly over my ears, screaming out to him.

The dripping grew louder still and the forest began to spin around me until the outlines of the trees began to blend together, in a solid black wall.

Then he was gone, and everything was silent.

Catching my breath, I slowly lowered my arms back down to me sides. The air around me turned frigid and I shivered in the darkness, wrapping my arms firmly around myself.

The silence was broken by a thunderous growl that rippled through the air. My heart drummed loudly in my ears as I dug my nails firmly into my palms, keeping my body completely still. Slowly, out of the darkness emerged a wolf as dark as night. Its fur blended into the darkness and I wouldn't have been able to see it if it weren't for its shining golden eyes and ferociously snapping white teeth. It snarled once more, its eyes locking with mine. I held my breath, keeping my body completely still. It couched back on its hind legs, and before I could comprehend what was happening, it lurched forward.

'No' I screamed, jolting upright in my bed.

My heart hammered in my chest and my breath was coming out in short, sharp gasps.

Moonlight streamed through the large, glass window, casting shadows across the room. The wind outside howled loudly, causing the windowpane to violently shake. Shuddering, I pulled my thick duvet tighter around my body.

I stared out at the forest, and for the first time, the place that held so many joyous memories, caused me to tremble in fear.