The Taking

Chapter 5

A drop of liquid falls on my cheek and jolts me awake. The first thing I recognize is I'm extremely cold. Every inch of my body was covered in a blanket of cold air and when my brain registered the feeling my body began to furiously shiver. When I looked around I saw trees, trees and more trees. I was seriously getting sick and tired of being surrounded by trees. The back of my head ached and I could sense the bump forming there. When did I bump my head? 

Beneath me, I feel dirt sticking to my clothes, rubbing against my skin and fusing in my hair. 

How did I sleep through the whole night?

What happened to me—I can't even remember. Was I dreaming still? . Being in the middle of the forest-lying here, I pray this is all some horrible nightmare. I recalled memories of the night a guy interned my room and when I was carried out the house. That was all a dream right? I must still be dreaming then if I'm in the middle of the forest all alone. 

Lucid dreaming--that's what they called it when you are conscious of being asleep. If this really was a dream, my kidnapper was nowhere to be seen. I don't know whether to be thankful, or afraid that he could come out and hurt me. For all I care, I hope he ran off a cliff.

Something rushed behind me. I turned around and paused stunned. "Oh boy."

five feet away, a big black wolf sat staring at me. It's long pink wet tongue hanging out its mouth and both rows of sharp teeth point in my direction. It was staring at me. It's blue eyes were so beautiful I could clearly se the pigmentation from the distance between us. They were so expressive and human-like that for a moment, I thought he was going to speak to me.

Wolves talking? What am I thinking? 

It shifted letting me see it's entire length. It was freaking humongous. Like the size of a full-grown tiger, which could possibly break me like a tiny twig. Once it has me dead it will use my femur as its toothpick. 

Remember this is a dream. I reminded myself. Then why was I cold and shivering?

While I'm lost in thought, the monster takes a step closer. In an instant I hold myself up using my elbows. With my feet and arms, I crawl back in an attempt to inch away from the wild animal. 

"Easy there fluffy."I say to it. 

Like a person, it growls at the nickname I gave it and I jolt back in fear. His bark has me whimpering like a baby and tears fall down my cheeks. That's when it clicked. This is real. Oh god, how did I get myself into this mess?! Did I really get carried out of the house by a senile lunatic that wonders into people's rooms in the middle of the night? He left me here. To die? "I don't want to die yet." I start crying. "I want to go home! Please don't! Don't come near me!" I yell at the animal as if it could understand me. 

The animal starts walking in slow circles around me. From the side, I can clearly see the dog is male. Great.

"You're going to eat me? I don't taste that great...not that I've tried." I can't believe I'm talking to a dog.

It barks and growls low. Its muzzle wrinkles as it shows me it sharp pearly white teeth. It won't be clean once he bites me. 

I stumble back a little and wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand. "This is all that man's fault. I'm out here freezing in the cold I'll probably die before you bite a chunk off my ass!" Now I''m the delusional one. This town has finally effected me. 

Did it just roll its eyes? Can dogs roll their eyes? It walks towards the forest and pauses, looking back and gestures me to follow. Perhaps I hit my head harder than I thought. It wanted me to follow it. My sanity is dwindling by the minute and for a split second I think maybe I already died.