Ocean Eyes

Chapter Seventeen

"There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved."

~George Sand~

It was an out-of-body experience. I was in the lab I remembered from a decade ago, everything looking the same. I was looking at the scientists and my much younger body which was passed out on a cot, while I stood invisible in the corner. I felt like throwing up.

First of all, how was this possible? How could someone trigger images in my head? It shouldn’t have been possible.

“She’s different than them all,” one of the ladies stated. Her voice was familiar. I couldn’t think why.

“Yes, I can tell from our tests,” the second one commented. I remembered her. Polly. This-won’t-hurt-a-bit Polly.

“Did you get a blood sample?” the brown-haired woman who I could not name asked, pushing her thick glasses farther up her nose.

“Yes,” Polly said, holding up the package of my blood. I started heaving. That was a lot of blood.

“It’s time we get rid of the sick race once and for all.”

“I agree.”

There was a groan from where my eight-year-old body lay, tangled in sheets stained with crimson. My younger form sat up, blinking. I sucked in a sharp breath as her eyes seemed to meet mine, but I knew that was impossible. She couldn’t see me.

“Ah, our prized test subject awakens,” Brown-Hair smiled. It didn’t meet her eyes.

“Get away from me!” Younger June snapped, jolting out of the bed and backing herself into a corner. My clothes were bloody rags hanging off me, my face a mess of cuts and bruises. This memory I hadn’t remembered before now. Was that the purpose?

“Don’t be afraid, June,” Polly soothed sadistically. She was holding up a syringe now, the needle dripping with a liquid. “This won’t hurt a bit.”

Like hell it wouldn’t.

“No!” Young June screeched, and darted from the room. I was amazed for a moment at my ability to carry on. It looked like I had gone through a war.

“Go after her!” Brown-Hair hissed, and Polly ran from the room. Brown-Hair, satisfied she was alone, began injecting a serum into the sample of my blood. I wanted to know what it was but as I was closing in on the label I was bounced to a different vision.

Polly was chasing after me through the woods. She had assembled a team of five other scientists to chase me. I was in wolf form, and a pang of sadness hit me at the sight. I forgot how beautiful my wolf was. A reddish brown coat streaking in the moonlight. My right paw was black. My eyes shone as bright amber.

“She does not leave the enclosed area!” Polly shouted, spit flying from her mouth. “Someone turn on the electric fence!”

I watched Young June, wishing I could tell her to quit running because she was headed straight for a trap, but it would be futile. So all I could do was watch as she hit the wire and was electrocuted.

There was a gut-wrenching howl as Young June, forced to shift back from the pain, lay on the ground naked and bleeding, writhing from the electricity arcing through her.

This was too much. These memories I had long forgotten . . . Now I remembered why I had wanted to.

“Bind her,” Polly ordered. I dug my nails into my palms as I looked on, the scientists cuffing Young June’s hands and feet together. She was forced to stand. Brown-Hair appeared out of nowhere, hands clasped behind her back as she came to a stop in front of my younger form.

“So you see,” she began in an emotionless voice. “You cannot escape.”

Young June growled and lashed out, sinking her canines into Brown-Hair’s forearm, right into a vein. Blood spurted out and she clutched her arm, cursing as she whirled around.

“Stick her in the Chamber!” she ordered. “But not before you punish her. She is to learn not to step out of her place.”

I cringed as a scientist armed with a stun gun zapped Young June with it, and the pain was raw and fresh in my own mind as she crumpled to the ground. It was some of the worst minutes of my life, waiting for the fiery pain to go away. When it did I was given two minutes to recover before he did it again. That was my first punishment.

If I acted out again, they would only get worse.

***

I surfaced from the nightmares with something wet moving over my face.

I jerked awake, breathing hard, recalling where I was. I was on sand, and I heard the sound of waves. That’s right. I was in Miami, curled up on the sand. And a wolf was licking my face.

Wait, what?

I sat up, scooting back away from the wolf. It was the same magnificent black wolf from before, its blue eyes staring at me with . . . Concern? Impossible.

I sniffed and realized I had been crying. The wolf whimpered and stepped forward, its pink tongue protruding and lapping at my cheeks to get rid of the tears. I smiled, despite everything. The wolf’s presence made me feel a little better.

“Hey, baby,” I whispered, crossing my legs as I brushed the sand out of my hair. “Memories suck. You’re so lucky you’re not human.”

The wolf let out a low grunt, circling around me before lying down and resting its head in my lap. I buried my fingers in its silky coat, caressing it softly.

“It was horrible,” I began, not at all uncomfortable with sharing my deepest, darkest secrets with an animal. “I hoped to never experience those feelings again, but here I am. But you wouldn’t know, right? You’re just an animal.”

He purred, nuzzling my leg with his damp snout.

“Sometimes I wish I could be a wolf,” I whispered. “So free, the world at your disposal. Maybe that’s a little exaggerated but it’s not far from the truth. You’re very fortunate, wolfie.”

The wolf growled and then stood, looking towards the woods.

“What is it?” I asked, glancing that way also.

He yipped, ears flattening, and snarled. His sharp canines were exposed and strangely I was not afraid.

No, even stranger . . .

I felt safe.

“Wait!” I called, when the wolf bounded into the woods. I didn’t want it to go. Its company was welcoming.

I didn’t have the will to move or go back home. School was no doubt over as the sun was beginning to set, which led me to wonder how long I had been lying in the sand here.

And then suddenly a different smell hit me, filling my senses and driving me wild like only one smell could. It was . . .

Spicy.

*****

hmm . . . am i updating too fast? No, i don't think there is such thing. I'm just excited and I love the responses for this story! Also, sorry this one is short, but I'm cranking chapters out like nobodies business, so I'll udpate again in a couple of days! So thanks for reading and don't forget to vote and comment! I LOVE hearing from YOU! :D