Sam found himself waking up in a strange place. He stood up and shook off his clothes. His hands came back wet. Water? Okay.
He lifted his head and looked at his surroundings. He was surrounded by hundreds of trees. The sun sparkled through the leaves and the sound of running water played music in the background. Along the ground was glorious rows of bushes and beautiful patches of blooming flowers. So, forest? he thought to himself. Great.
Finally, he let his gaze settle on the piece that most drew his attention. There was a path straight ahead. And it was his only way out.
He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. Perfect.
Beginning to walk down the path, he had to move many branches that would've otherwise hit him in the face. As he continued his what felt like endless journey, he heard the rustling of leaves and the crunching of sticks underfoot.
Then, breathing.
Heavy breathing.
Right behind him.
Slowly, he turned around to find himself staring eye to eye with a black panther.
Her coat was gloriously glossy, her body was as long as he was tall, and she was pure lean muscle. Her paws were about the size of one of his own, easy. But what really startled him was her eyes. The were and electric blue, and they looked at him as if they could truly see. As if they were... human.
He reached out to touch her, but she turned away and ran.
"Wait!" He cried,out before following her. Branches and wind whipped by. Fruit fell at his feet and rocks threatened to trip,him. Yet he did not stumble.
He finally caught up to where he'd seen her last. He squated down to study the dirt. There were tracks.
He followed them into a clearing that was the most beautiful place he'd ever seen.
Trees were perfectly arranged with the flowers an d bushel. All of which bore fruit or bloom. On the inner most part of the clearing was a meadow-like area. Grassy with flowers. Sam looked around and saw the sun setting. He sighed and turned.
In the dead center of all this nature was the panther lying on a rock. When their eyes met, they stared for a moment. Finally, the panther stirred. She stood, walked in circles, then sat back down. But she wasn't all she seemed to be. Sam watched as she slowly changed.
The fur along her body began to recede, as did the length of her limbs. He watched as her body slowly reshaped itself until a woman stood where the panther once was.
She wore a lacey see-through black dress. It revealed skin but not enough to show the world what this woman was made of. She had thick, wavy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Her limbs were delicate, and yet muscular at the same time. Her legs stretched out to a length of pure beauty. Her newfound hands displayed what looked to be the claws of a beast.
She stared across the clearing at him before getting up to approach. But Sam couldn't move. He just wouldn't and he didn't know why.
When she arrived at her destination,she placed one lethal hand to his chest, feeling the beat of his heart against her palm. She looked into his eyes and he met her gaze with an effort at the same intensity.
The woman was crying now as she took his face into her hands.
"Please," she said. "Please come save us."
Then, she pulled him down and kissed him.
