Part Ten: A Dream?

5.2K 298 28
                                        

Henry

Dead leaves crunched beneath my feet as I trudged my way deeper into the forest. The only thing stopping me from believing this was a dream was how real it felt. The feeling over the rough dead leaves, the small man of pain I'd get when I'd step on a pebble. The chilly whispy wind that blew through my hair. It was tripping me out. I clung to the fluffy collar of the wolf's neck, to which it didn't seem to mind. It was dragging me along to god know where and I was willing to let it drag me into a possible cave full of wolves and get eaten alive.

Do wolves even live in caves? That really wasn't important right now as these could be my last moments alive. Maybe all that bullshit about having no regrets was real and that was the key to eternal happiness. I tried thinking about all my regrets but I had too many. I'm just a regretful boy being lured into the woods by a wolf! Speaking of which, we had come to a halt, right infront of a dark cave entrance. Ha! I knew wolves lived in caves! He tried pushing ahead but I stayed put. I didn't want to go in there! It growled again while snarling so I quickly complied and it let me into the cold entrance. There was another small opening just on the roof of the cave letting small vines in and a beam of moonlight that almost illuminated the entire cave. It wasn't too big and the cave was partially blocked off from a cave in meaning we couldn't go any further. I looked around I noticed various thingd, like a bunch of animal furs piled on the floor, a rack with dead animals hanging from it and a collecting of items all piled next to the fur. From what I could see there was a old toy truck with fading paint, a tiny yellow bucket hat and a shirt. A very small one. Things that look like they belonged to a child. Was someone living here? This was creepier than expected.

It trodded over to the pile of furs and laid down, it's big blue orbs staring at me. I started to back away and it growled again so I, once again, stopped dead in my tracks. If it wanted to kill me it would've mauled me long ago. I stayed there for what felt like hours in the cold and damp cave. My feet were sore from walking bare and cold from the damp ground. I waited until it closed it's eyes and it seemed like it was alseep before trying to back away. It didn't snarl or growl so I continued to walk away until I felt grass instead of stone then I made a run for it. I ran as fast as I could, ignoring the sharp pain I felt in my feet. I didn't remember which way we went and it felt like I was running further and further into the woods. Eventually the burning in my lungs became too much and I had to take a break.

Once I caught my breath I looked around. I couldn't see anything but trees. I was lost. I've read stories of bodies being found in these woods and all of them were hikers who strayed from the paths. This all had to be a dream. There's no way a wolf was intelligent enough to make it's own bed and leave it's prey on a meat drying rack. Wolves eat people! They're not friendly! My thoughts were interrupted by a sharp snap, that came just from behind me. I whipped around. A shadowy figure stood just behind a tree almost startling me. "Hello?" I called out. I would've asked what they were doing out here at a time like this but I could be asked myself the same question.

The figure moved forward and a face paler than he moon appeared. I got the feeling that they weren't going to provide any sort of help so I started to walk away, my eyes never leaving the figure. I couldn't see their eyes but I could tell they were watching me, tracing me every move. Maybe I was paranoid and this was a figment of my imagination but the pure fear that plagued me was enough for me to start running again. The minute I decided so was far enough and turned away there was a sharp whip of air and something warm and sharp pressed against my neck. I started thrashing around, my screams muffled by the searing hot pain coming from my neck. Tears blinded my already blurry vision and I felt my limbs go limp. Something warm and thick trickle down my neck and onto my shoulder, soaking into my clothes. Everything started spinning and a sick feeling sunk into my stomach as black spots tainted my vision. It was only a matter of time before my legs gave in and I fell to the ground.

--

When I woke up I was in Alan's caravan and surrounded by familiar faces. My head was pounding and my vision was blurry. I sat up too quickly and did a sharp intake as the pounding became blinding pain. Jared caught me when I almost tumbled off the bed. "Wh-What happened?" I mumbled, pressing my palm against my warm forehead. They all gave eachother glances. "All I remember was there... there was this wolf and- and it led me into the woods- and there was this person-"

"Henry, you were sleep-walking." Alan cut me off while picking a leaf out of my hair. Sleep walking? I don't have a prior history of sleep walking. "N-No I couldn't have been! I got lost in the woods- it felt so real!" I protested. It couldn't have been a dream like I originally thought. My neck still hurts  like hell! "But my neck.." I mumbled, ghosting my hand over the area that hurt the most. "You wandered into the forest and fell. You must have injured it on a rock." Rita calmly spoke and the others nodded in agreement. A rock? "Who found me?" I asked, only now noticing Lu wasn't in the small caravan. Maybe he was outside? "The mutt." Alan grumbled earning glares from the rest of the bunch. Except Sam who was idly checking out his nails.

I didn't want to sound crazy but I know what I saw. I felt it- hot, blinding pain like I've never experienced. "Where is he? I want to see him." I asked, pushing myself up. "We don't know where he is. He carried you over here than vanished," Clarke explained. I frowned. Why would he just leave? Jared had left then came back with a glass of water and a pill, telling me to take it to help with the pain. I swallowed the pill and the entire glass and waited until everyone left, all of them asking if I needed anything to which I said no. I just wanted some time alone to register everything. I got out of bed and looker into the small mirror, craning my neck to see the mark. To my horror there was a large purple mark. What didn't go unnoticed was the small red marks just visible from the centre. I took a closer look and marveled at the marks. Teeth marks?

A rock did this? Bullshit.

There's A Wolf At My Door | B X B X BWhere stories live. Discover now