Wolfblood: A way back

Chapter 7: Sanctuary

Maddy's P.O.V

Where am I?

Gasping, strugggling to find breath from the indomitable shock I'm in, how did I get here? What is this place? It looks like a den similar to the one I've been seeing in my visions; only without iron bars and no other Wolfbloods to be with. ( a dark room with one, two, three openings in the walls).

My sense of smell is disturbed by an approaching scent of smoke and burning; it's fire, a Wolfbloods greatest fear (and weakness). Humans must've brought me here, only I can't understand why; my visions showed humans embracing me and treating me as their equal- unless it was all fantasy- like they should.

Heat fills the air, my face becomes singed by the glowing embers of one of the worlds most dangerous weapons. The closer the torch gets the further I drift away; escaping my phobic demise and clinging to my sanity. Until more fire bursts out from behind and my fear is only aggravated, I bury my face into my legs and curl up tight so as not to meet the sight of the wicked flames.

"Being a Wolfblood is a curse isn't it?" A human stands before me.

He gestures the others to lower their torches; no more fire. Extending his hand out, I take it graciously, he helps me to my feet and looks at me with sympathy- fake sympathy, I know it!- and strokes my shoulders with pity.

"I can help cure you. Would you like that?"

"Why would I need to be cured?"

"As a predatory monster you'll never be accepted by humans, they will torment you and harm you."

"Humans and Wolfbloods are no different. There's a beast inside of them too, we're the same."

"Are we?" He says quite cunningly.

Calming myself down he picks up his torch and brings it to meet my face. I struggle to escape but am grabbed by the others from behind me.

"Do we all fear fire?!" He laughs from the sight of me quivering.

*****

It wasn't real, I was dreaming, or seeing the future again. I am awake inside a tent, similar to the ones that the wild pack had but I can't sense any Wolfbloods nearby. At least what happened wasn't real, perhaps it will be real but that all depends.

Covered in a soft warm cover I feel comfortable and safe in this mysterious camp; I only wish I knew who was here and why they brought me.

Someone's coming; a Wolfblood, I can smell her. At least she brought me here, maybe this pack'll be more hospitable than the last. She draws the opening from the tent and peaks her head through to catch me within her sight: she is a little taller than I am, like me she has long brown hair, blue eyes and is dressed in a long dark blue raincoat.

"Did you sleep all right Maddy?"

She knows my name, but how? I've never met her before, has she been following me or something, did the pack send her after me- unlikely, she doesn't seem like a wild Wolfblood- to bring me here?

"How do you know my name?"

"I'm Aleera, my father's friend and I found you lying out on the grass, we brought you here."

"You haven't answered my question."

"Why don't you come outside."

She drifts away from the tent, obvioulsy expecting me to follow her, as much as I can't stand it I follow without any hesitation. Outside the tent lies a campsite; nothing like the wild packs: plastic containers, bottled water and not just meat, fruit, vegetables etc.

"Maddy." Aleera's voice is calling friom behind.

As I turn to face her she is accompanied by a medium height man wearing a long brownish coat and a Fedora black hat. He looks like a fisherman, he's Wolfblood too.

"This is my father, Gerwyn."

"So, this is Maddy Smith." he doesn't seem interested in my presence, but he smiles after having spoken.

"Look, I'm really grateful for you taking me in and all, but could you please give me an answer, how do you know my name?"

Gerwyn and Aleera turn around as a tall figure approaches; I know who he is, a face from my past, one that threatened me and almost killed me to get revenge on another Wolfblood; whose name I can't recall.

The figure is at full glance for me to see; it's him, it's Alric.

"It's been a while has it not girl?"

"A.. All... Alric." Seeing him is like being stalked by the shadow memories of my past.

"What are you doing here?"

"I found Gerwyn and Aleera, they took me in and we've been living together for about a week."

"Alric brought you here, said he knew who you were, in fact he even said that you knew my son, my daughters brother."

"Your son?" I don't have the faintest idea of whom he is referring to.

"You know my brother, don't you Maddy. Rhydian, that's his name." Aleera explains.

"I don't remember anyone called Rhydian." I reply.

Alric looks puzzled, Gerwyn looks at Alric with shock and Aleera glares at me with disbelief; what's their problem?

"You said she knew him." Gerwyn says to Aric.

"She does, she's probably lost her memories, or something."

"What do you remember Maddy?" Aleera looks at me with dependence and trust.

"I was with the wild Wolfbloods, my friend Jana was there. All I can really remember the most is that I ran away and wound up here."

"You've seen Jana?!" Alric is concerned; Jana's his daughter, though he disowned her.

"The pack, being with them must've turned her wild and forced her to lose her memories." Aleera explains.

Alas, I cannot grasp anything that they are saying, though maybe she's right, I must've lost my mind and now I should focus on repairing it.

"There is one other thing I can remember." I say to them.

"What's that?" Gerwyn asks.

"Stoneybridge."

"Stoneybridge?" Aleera is puzzled.

"My home. I must've ran away from it, it's all I know."

"Is my son there?" Gerwyn begs.

"Probably." I reply.

"He will be there, I've seen this 'Stoneybridge' a couple of times, that's definitely where you'll find him."

Alric's words have calmed Gerwyn down.

"That's where we're going then." Aleera orders.

I smiel a little, maybe I'll finally find answers and recover my memory. If it's my home and I have friends there then I can hardly wait to return.

"When will we leave?" I ask.

"Immediately." Gerwyn replies.

Cast:
Aimee Kelly as Maddy Smith

Richard Harrington as Gerwyn

Alric Raglan as Alric

and

Kaya Scodelario as Aleera

Authors Note: As you can see I chose the British actress Kaya Scoselario who plays Teresa in the Maze Runner for the character Aleera (Rhydian's older sister).