G H O S T R U N N E R

< S E V E N T E E N >

© Amber Kalkes 2014

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< S E V E N T E E N >

Sam has no idea where he is.

The forest he stands in is odd in every way. The sky above is black, the tree trucks of what look to be birches are black and the grass below is also black yet the whole place is lit up by these small blue flowers. Sam also sees yellow fireflies everywhere seeming to illuminate the place so he can see how vast the place is.

Really it seems endless.

“So she finally bit you did she?”

Sam spins around towards the echoed voice. Where did that come from?

“I am the one who will decide your fate, Samuel.”

Okay...this is getting strange, he thinks looking around for the source of the oddly melodic female voice. Is this some weird twilight zone he’s stepped into? Is this some weird dreamed up world that Arden will wake him up from?

“Who are you? Show yourself.” He demands into the forest making his voice echo back at him.

Suddenly a pair of pitch black eyes comes into his view making him flinch back until he falls back on his ass. Blinking hard a few times he takes the person before him head to toe. It’s obviously a woman, dressed in a silver kimono like dress that is cut low enough to show a v shaped strip of alabaster skin. Her hair is as dark as her eyes and falls to her knees in length in stick straight sections. Her face is heart shaped and seems to glow with its own light.

“Count yourself lucky, Samuel, few meet a goddess and tell the tale.”

“G-Goddess?” He parrots in disbelief.

She smiles widely showing two rows of razor sharp teeth behind full ruby red lips, “Yes, I am the goddess of the moon and all of her children.”

“Her children?”

“The ones given the gift of both human form and of wolf.”

“Gift?” Sam snorts.

Arden told him the myth of how werewolves came to be and he’s not buying this woman’s ‘it’s a gift’ selling strategy. Seeing this woman in action he can see that whole jealousy thing being a reality.

The woman quirks a black straight brow, “Yes, Samuel, a gift to those who I deem worthy to be awarded it. Are you worthy, Samuel?”

Is he? He doesn’t know if he is but he does know that he wants to protect Arden, be enough for her and something she can be proud to stand beside. It seems a bit whipped of him but this is all for his girl, he’ll do anything to worthy of her so in that sense he guesses that yes, he may be worthy of this ‘gift’.

“I am.” He says as confidently as he can.

The woman smiles widely making him shudder as her fangs show up again, “I was right to pick you for my girl. I choose very few to be my special ones and she was the right choice, very few could withstand what she has.”

“Why did you pick me?” He asks, maybe for security. Maybe out of curiosity. He doesn’t know but he’s eager to know what this goddess has to say.

The woman caresses his face softly, “Too broken halves to make a whole, my dear boy. From birth you have been given your destinies and though you have been given the right of choice hardship is always to be expected. Only you were worthy of my girl and only you can keep her in safe keeping for me.”