Stranger Yet

Chapter 3: Supernatural Happenings

It felt like it had been hours since she had collapsed, but she knew, without knowing how, that it had only been a few moments. Her heart was sitting somewhere in her stomach.

Something had changed.

She didn't feel wrong, but she didn't feel right either.

She allowed herself to just lie on the ground with her eyes closed for a minute, preparing herself for the shock she knew she would get, and then she let her eyes flutter open. She looked around herself, first up at the treetops, and then slowly, down at the grass and pine needles beneath her body, connecting with her body. Only, it was not the body she knew anymore.

The human girl with curly black hair, green eyes, and long legs was nowhere to be seen. In her place was a huge black wolf. Something adjusted inside of her, and then she felt a weight lift from her shoulders that she hadn't known she had been bearing.

I am home!

She didn't know what any of this meant, she didn't know why she felt so good, and she didn't know what she was going to do about it later, but for the first time in months, she felt sure this was exactly how she was meant to be.

Jumping up with joy, her wolf raced around in circles, pouncing here and there. She felt hungry. She felt hungry for fresh meat, but she also felt hungry for a run (a long run, where she could stretch out her muscles), and hungry for adventure. Just as she was comprehending her own needs, she caught it; a mouth-watering scent.

She darted in the direction of the intoxicating aroma. Her mouth continued to water uncontrollably. She could hear it moving nearby. She could almost taste it by the smell alone.

And then she finally saw it; A doe, standing beside a creek, lapping water into its mouth. She moved slowly towards it, attempting to be stealthy. She hadn't been quiet enough. The doe lifted its head suddenly, but before it could bolt, Ayra pounced from her hiding spot behind it, and latched onto its neck, tackling it to the ground. The deer fell hard, its legs kicking around frantically. Ayra let go for a split second to readjust, before sinking her teeth in firmly. It cried out, a quiet plea. She finished the task with a yank of her head, tearing out the throat of the doe, ending its woeful noises. She savored the iron filled and wild taste on her tongue. Nothing had ever tasted so good.

After eating as much of the game as she could, she moved down the creek a few miles, and decided to lay down at the base of a large tree, close to the water's edge. She licked herself clean and allowed herself to fall asleep. By the time she got up it was afternoon. She hadn't felt well-rested in years. She ran for some time, moving farther away from the edge of the forest, about 20 miles in, before she reached a house that looked eerily familiar.

Something was off about this place. She looked around, her senses perked up, and her shackles raised. The house was small. It was a simple one story that used to be white, but had faded to a worn out, dusty grey. The roof had caved in at the end that had once contained the dining room and kitchen.

She continued to advance towards the house, cautiously. She reached the doorway and stuck her large, black head through the crack in the door. It was barely hanging onto the wall, but she was able to nuzzle her way through. Inside she looked around and her heart rate picked up.

It was the house from her dreams. It was torn to shred, but the couch was still there. Cushions were missing and mice had eaten through the corners, but she wasn't concerned with the couch so much as what she was sure she would find behind it. she walked in further and went around it uncertainly. Just as she expected, Ayra found a cubby. A flash of her dream assaulted her minds eye. she took a step back allowing her eyes to flick across the room frantically.