Hollow's Grove (The Preliminary Version)

Chapter Twenty Three: The Mistress' Scheme

"Well, I see that we have somehow managed to escape, again." Mary and I were on the floor of the mistresses' office. She was glaring down at the both of us. In her hands she held a pistol. Behind us the guards blocked the doorway. There was no way for us to get away. Inside my mind the wolf was desperately trying to break free. "Now, answer me this," the mistress said, a grin spreading across her face. "How long does it take for you to fully turn?'

I felt a pit develop within my stomach, Marcus had heard our conversation. Mary looked over at me, her eyes wide with fear. "Well?" The mistress asked me, "How long boy?" I shook my head, "I will not speak." She shrugged, "Fine be that way," she snapped her fingers, "Guards, bring the girl up to me." I watched in horror as the guards came up to us and grabbed Mary. "Toby," Mary began to scream as she was brought up to the mistress.

The mistress chuckled cruelly, "Well now, this is fine isn't it, looks as if the werewolf will have a good meal." I glared up at the woman, she was sick if she thought that I would ever harm Mary. "You bi- "Ah, not another word young man," she said, wagging her finger at me. I growled, if anything this woman was going to be the first person to find herself at my mercy. She looked over at the guards who held Mary, "Tie her up." She commanded.

Mary was crying away as she was bound. I gave a low snarl at the mistress and the guards, how could they do something so inhuman? "You'll never get away with this." I growled. That caused the mistress to laugh. "My dear boy, how wrong you are." Suddenly an excoriating pain shot through me. I gave a yelp, grabbing at the bite mark on my left arm, the transformation was coming. The mistress saw me grab at my arm, and smirked.

"I shall leave now, guards, stay here and watch them." With that she left the room, slamming the door behind her. The guards glanced at the two of us, me writhing upon the ground fighting to keep my humanity, and Mary screaming bloody murder. "Tobias!" Mary shrieked hysterically as she watched me roll around in agony. The wolf within howled and snapped its jaws. It was trying to break through. Pierce through my humanity and take over.

"Get out of here!" I screamed at the guards, they only laughed and shook their heads. "Nice try kid," they chuckled. I gave another yelp, the pain was getting worse. "Mary! Try to untie yourself and make a run for it!" I yelled, my voice cracking. Suddenly I realized in terror that I was losing, the wolf was disarming me as I cried out. Crack, my upper body began to contort. My face began to stretch outwards. My canines elongated into sharp fangs.

The guards began to notice this, and I could see the fear wash over them. My hair became fine fur, covering me entirely. My torso began to twist into the lower body of a wolf. My tail bone stretched into a long tail. "Get out of here!" My voice beginning to waver from human to animal, I felt a wave of relief wash over me when I saw that Mary had been able to escape her bindings. She was racing for the door, her face twisted with horror.

The guards were frozen to their spots watching as I shifted forms. Suddenly the wolf unhinged itself from the chains within my mind, and I felt myself get pushed back, just as the last of the humanity left me, I could hear the screams begin...