Hell and Back

Chapter One

Plop.

Plop.

Drip.

There's slobber running down my face. I turn on my opposite side.

Plop.

Drip.

Drip.

"Stop." I grumble to my dog and I lay flat on my back.

Plop.

Plop.

My eyebrows furrow when I realize I don't have a dog. I open my eyes, and I'm welcomed by the sight of an army of tiny droplets of rain furiously shooting down from the sky like teeny tiny bullets. I jolt awake and quickly look around me. I see trees, and trees... and more trees.

The sinking feeling in my stomach occurs. The one you get when something frightening happens or horrible news strikes your way. Yes, that awful feeling.

I secure my arms around my waist because I'm shivering out in the cold wood and I have no clue as to where I am or why I would have any reason to be here. I search my brain for any recollection of my last memory, but I come up blank. It's hard to think with the rain pounding down as if it has something against me.

"Is anyone there?" I yell out, but my voice is drowned out by the loud thunder that booms overhead. Even if someone could hear me, calling out to them isn't a smart idea on my behalf considering I'm in — what seems to be — the middle of nowhere with no memory of why I'm here or who brought me.

I hear distant footsteps, and strain my ears to the sound. It's getting louder and louder, and the more I listen, I recognize it as the pounding of more than one creature. I turn and start to run in the opposite direction, but it seems like whoever-- or whatever it is has more agility than me.

I turn around just in time to recognize the creatures. My fear washes away completely, and I stare at them from a distance. There can only be one reason as to why I could be here. I face the wolves coming my way, but they don't slow down. The rain must be blinding their vision. My fear has immediately returned and I began to scream as I run for my life. The pounding reaches just behind me, and I'm knocked face-down into the mud as one of them speeds right by me and knocks me off my feet.

I wipe the mud off my face and notice that the rest of the thudding from behind has stopped. The pouring rain washes the excess mud off my face and some parts of my clothing, but brown stains still appear underneath. Great.

The wolves have stopped running and stared at me curiously. "Please, help me," I cry to the wolves. They continue to stare, and one off in the distance growls at me. They're a lot smaller than how I last remembered. "Take me to your Alpha," I demand bravely. I hoped I'd never get to see a werewolf again in my life. I pause by the sound of snickering behind me.

I turn around and see a shirtless boy in my presence. His hair is wet and he looks exhausted with shorts thrown on lousily. I gulp and look at him and the wolves. "Miss," he begins, "those are actual wolves."

His comment makes my eyes widen once again in fear and I turn back to the wolves. Their eyes vary in color, and one of them has piercing yellow eyes that seem glow-in-the-dark. It's hard for me to make out much in the thundering rain. "No worries, they don't bite." The stranger continues to speak to me, but I continue to back up in his direction as I eye the wolves.

"Please, take me home," I whisper in fear that the wolves will attack me at any minute. Their eyes follow me as if I'm a Whopper.

"I was taking them out for a run." He completely ignores my request.