Blind & Broken

Chapter Five

I want to say I made it through the forest with no mishaps or near death experiences, but that would be lying. Not only did I accidentally hug multiple trees, I was slapped in the face several times by branches, leaves, and random bushes. At one point, I tripped over something, rolled down a steep slope at an incredibly high rate of speed and landed with a huge splash into some sort of water source. Based on the temperature and the force strength of the current swirling around me, I'd say it was probably a stream a couple feet deep and a couple meters wide. But I'm just guessing.

By the time I make it out of the trees — or at least I think I'm out, it's hard to be sure — I probably look as if I walked through a tornado and came out completely homeless. Which I guess in my own way I did, and I am technically homeless now.

I'm a runaway.

Wow. That just hit me really hard. I sit down on the slightly soft, but lumpy ground and slowly roll to my back. I gaze at nothing, like usual, but my eyes are facing straight forward. If I could see, I'd probably be staring right up at the sky.

Now what? I ask myself. I've made it through the woods and out of the territory (I felt the Pack Bonds break when I crossed the marked line).  Someone ought to have noticed I'm gone by now.

That's not gonna sit well. With both my mate and my family. Oh my gosh, Flicker. I think, She is going to FREAK! I sigh and close my eyes, keeping my thoughts as calm as possible. No, she'll be fine. I tell myself, I need to let go of the pack completely, even if it hurts. Flicker will move on. They all will.

I probably have been lying on the ground like that for several minutes before the thought of my pack finding me there hit and I finally pick myself off the ground. I brush myself off the best I can without being able to see what I'm covered in, and I start walking. I have no clue what direction I'm headed or what I'm going to come across, but I don't care. At this point, if I end up dead on this "expedition" or whatever I should call it, that would be a whole lot better than never having left at all.

I walk many feet before I nearly run into a tree again and I realize I'm back in the woods. I groan out loud and press forward at a slower pace, navigating the best I can around the massive trees.

Based on the slope of the ground I can feel beneath my feet, I know I'm in the Rocky Mountains that are near my territory. And I'm heading down one of the lesser steeped peaks.

Please don't let me be attacked by some animal! I pray in my head.

Plink! A droplet of water hits my nose. I scrunch my face and tilt my head up, only to be hit with several more drops. Ah great! I think sarcastically, Rain. Just what I need right now!

Just when I finish that thought, it starts to pour. Hard. In a matter of seconds I'm drenched through my clothes all the way to the bone. I wrap one arm around myself with the other stretched slightly out in front of me in case I run into something.

I walk and I walk and I walk. After probably several miles, the rain still hasn't let up and it's getting colder. I regret not bringing a bag of extra clothes. That was stupid of me.

My legs become increasingly shaky and I can hear the sound of my teeth chatter echoing off the forest trees. I take three more steps and then I collapse, folding in on myself and praying I could just shift to protect myself.

Stupid runt.

I squeeze my eyes shut.

Stupid blind runt.

A tear leaks out.

Stupid, stunted, blind runt.

I cry out in pain; both mental and physical. I'd bet money that my hands are blue or purple right now. And my toes are on fire they're so cold.

This is it. I think. Hypothermia is going to kill me all because I was selfish and stupid and got my feelings hurt like an over dramatic toddler. A shiver racks my frail body and I tuck my hands in between my thighs and my chest, trying to keep them warm. But it isn't long before I pass out.

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"Son, you were supposed to be hunting for Grouse and Turkeys! Not whatever this is!"

"Dad, it's a person! A girl, I think. Scout sniffed her out; she was huddled pretty far into the woods and look, her face has a sickly blue hint to it."

I'm woken by the sound of voices nearly yelling at each other. I try to open my eyes, but I'm so cold my eyelids don't budge. Suddenly the feeling of a slobbery tongue is wiped on my face and I can hear what sounds like a wolf sniffing me.

"Down, Scout! Leave her alone." The higher voice of the two says. It sounds like a boy, probably my age or a little older. He's the one carrying me, I can tell. The sound of his talking comes from a few inches above my face.

"Is she alive?" Footsteps pound the ground for a second and the deeper voice is suddenly much closer to me and the boy.

"I-I think so, but her skin is ice cold and her breathing seems shallow. I can barely feel it every once in a while."

"Here, bring her to this." Rustling sounds echoed briefly and lightly and then I was being bounced a little until something soft was beneath me. I barely have time to take a breath before the weight of blankets hit me like a truck. Within a few minutes I can feel the warmth seeping back into my skin. But it isn't much.

C'mon, you're a wolf! I growl at myself. Work with me here!

I can hear hushed whisper coming from the two people, but I can't make out what they are saying. I caught "wet," "storm," "freezing," and "come from?". After a couple minutes I can open my eyes. Not that it did anything, but it's a sign my body is warming up.

"Oh, you're awake!" The boy exclaims, raising his voice from the whispering talk with who I assume is his dad.

I blink slowly and flick my eyes around and I move my ears slightly, picking up on my surroundings. (Although, the eyes were mostly for show). I can tell I am in a clearing and that the sun is out, but since the season is heading towards winter, it doesn't help the cold much. But I could definitely feel the UV rays on my skin compared to the nothing I feel with clouds.

"Who are you?" The boy asks, and I move my eyes in the general direction I think he's in.

"Inso." I try to say, but it comes out all twisted and weird.

"Um, what?"

"Jeremy, don't be rude. It's obvious she has hypothermia. Her speech is slurring, give it some time."

Jermey sighs and I jump when a loud crackle echoes around the clearing. It's soon followed by a wave of heat that feels amazing.

"There, I got a fire going, hopefully that helps." The dad says. "Why don't you help me start tearing down the camp while she warms up so we can take her to a hospital or something to see what's going on."

Wait, hospital? No no no, I'm a werewolf, human machinery doesn't understand! "No!" I cry out instinctively. "No Hossilal." I try to tell them.

"I think that was 'Hospital.'" The dad says. "Okay, no Hospital, but you have to tell us what happened to you, okay? Once you warm up a little."

I don't respond for several moments and I move my tongue around in my mouth to try and regain feeling of it enough to speak properly. Surprisingly, neither of them walk off; they just wait.

"I-I," I try, but there's only one way to get my message across clearly with little words: "Please help me."