Eclipsed Star

Chapter Twenty-eight

JAKE POV

My hands shook at my sides as tears stained my cheeks. The concealment of trees eased my nerves; they felt like protection as I pressed my back against a pine-tree trunk. With my head in my hands, I slid down the trunk's rough bark and sat amongst the dying red pine needles.

The last two days had been overwhelming, ridiculous and not to mention just right out crazy. I felt like I had passed out and reawaken in some kind of nightmare that I couldn't wake up from. I had woken in the land of our legends and my mind wouldn't stop replaying everything that had happened. With my eyes closed as I leaned over my legs, I could see everything so clearly, like I'd just watched a movie and the scenes were playing themselves over and over again inside my mind, etched there forever.

***

I awoke to the feeling of water falling on my face. When I opened my eyes, it was dark-I could see the moon trying to break free from behind the clouds as the rain continued. My body ached like someone had taken a baseball bat to me. I felt bruised and broken. My senses were heightened:

My vision was stronger-I could see through the night. I could smell the fresh scent of rain mixed with the forest, pine-tree scent along with the sea. There were noises all around me: scampering and scattering of little forest animals; flapping of night birds; pattering of rain hitting the trees and ground around me.

My ears felt like they flicked against my skull as something moved beside me. Without lifting or moving my head, a white-gray wolf with yellow eyes walked into my view. My heart jumped seeing him as I scuttled to sit up.

'What the hell?' My thoughts screamed, seeing large russet paws before me. I knew when I had awoken that I didn't feel right. I had hoped it had been from whatever made me pass out, but now I felt as though I was delusional or something-maybe I hadn't left the hospital and this was some kind of bad dream from a medication they had administered into me.

'Jake,' I heard inside my head. I looked up at the wolf standing in front of me and shook my head.

Now I was hearing Mason's voice in my head. The wolf dropped his head in a non-threatening manner, but it didn't help the rising pace of my heart.

'Jake, relax, it's just me. It's Mason.' An image flashed through my mind the first time we had met, when he sat beside me. I remembered, of course I did, but it didn't make any sense. Mason was human.

'No, no, no... what the fuck is going on! Wake me up, wake me up'! I scrambled to my feet and stumbled as I bolted in the opposite direction of the large wolf.

'Jake! Stop!'

But I didn't. I didn't know how to stop and the further I got away, the safer I felt. All I knew was that  

I was scared beyond belief, and confused. My paws or feet or whatever they were, slammed down against the softness of the earth. I ran faster than I ever had before. I could feel grass, stones, the earth lifting under my feet and fly out from under me, I ran so hard and fast. But as I ran, everything blurred past me. I dodged past trees and logs, over rocks and hills, like I was made to do it, and even know I was scared shitless, I felt free. I barely took notice of what was in front of me or what I passed. I just ran, until something large black rushed past me. It snarled and leapt onto my path, which just so happen to be the water of First Beach.

'Jacob stop!' Sam's voice roared through my thoughts and I slammed on whatever I had to call brakes. After seeing the large paws instead of my hands, I was sure I looked like a puppy with its heels down, ripping up the hallway runner before hitting its new owner in the leg. Thankfully I jerked to a stop before hitting the large black wolf.