Darkest Destiny

4. Damn, Giant Wolf

Jessie on the side.

*

I stiffen as my heart starts to thump inside my chesy. I clench my fists to stop the fearful shaking that has started. 

I shouldn't be afraid. I have faced worse that a rabid dog or whatever it is that is behind me. I sigh, letting out a chuckle as I do. Why should I be afraid of a dog? What's the worse it can do? Kill me? Probably. But, I wouldn't feel the pain after long, so...  

I sigh, letting out another shaky laugh. What was I afraid of? I was only afraid of my mother, and that's how I would like it to stay. Nothing else frightens me, so why should a pesky dog frighten me?

I take another step towards where I think I came from, but only stiffen again when another growl rings through the small clearing.  

I feel something walk up behind me, something that doesn't feel like a dog at all.  

I turn around, and come face to face with an abnormally huge wolf. It has messy red fur- actually red- with a black streak starting on the right side of its muzzle, leading up its face and over the top of its right ear, and all the way down it's huge body. Its eyes are a bright hazel colour, almost green actually. It seems to have an intelligent look about it, even though it is baring its razor sharp teeth at me. Over all, it's so big that my head only comes up to its throat.

"Whoa..." My voice comes out frightened as I stumble backwards, trying to put some space between me and the wolf. "How many steroids did you take?" I ask it, trying to lighten the mood. My heart continues to pound away in my chest, so loud I'm sure all the people in China can hear it. 

The wolf starts to cough out a snarling sound, which I soon realise to actually be laughter. Is this damned creature laughing at me? 

Do wolves even laugh? 

Why is it acting like a human would? It's a freaking oversized wolf! 

"Ok, Mr. Dog-on-steroids. I'm just gonna... back away slowly... I'm backing away slowly now..." I say as gently as I possibly can, stumbling backwards.  

As it cocks its head at me, its ear's pricked high, I can feel panic starting to rise up in me. Its eyes gleam, two green irises in a sea or red fur.  

A frightened, dragged out noise comes out of my mouth quietly as I turn and bolt for it. I shove through the wet ferns and bushes, ignoring the pricks and cuts I get from anything spiky.  

I hear an irritated growl from behind me, which makes me whimper in fright.  

I know I said I shouldn't be afraid of anything other than my mother, but this wolf is freaking huge. How did it grow so big? Why is it even in the forest? Wolves aren't native to Australia, and don't they live in the snow? It only snows in a few certain parts of Australia, and then it only snows in winter and the end of autumn. 

The sound of pounding paws behind me pushes me forwards as I run blindly through the forest. I don't know if I am going to the right way anymore, honestly I just want to crawl into bed and die. 

My breath starts to come out in short huffs, and every time I breathe in my chest constricts painfully. My eyes blur with unwanted tears as I scramble over another fallen log, this one not even half the size of the one I was sheltered under.  Adrenaline races through my veins.

At least my ankle got better when I was hunkering down for the storm. I completely forgot that I fell over and twisted it. At least it's better now, now it doesn't hurt even the slightest bit at all. 

The next thing I know I'm stumbling to a sudden stop as I trip over something. I land flat on my face, and hear the satisfied growl of the wolf from very close behind me. 

I curse steadily in my head, screaming profanities at myself mercilessly. Why did I ever come out here again? Oh yeah, I needed fresh air... Damn it! Why is my life so difficult? 

I groan as I scramble up, scraping my hands against the muddy ground painfully as I do. Why would a wolf eat me? I'm a toothpick, I have no meat! Isn't there a juicy rabbit around? Would a rabbit be big enough so a wolf that big? No, not even an entire horse would be. That thing is a giant. 

Overhead, the dark clouds crackle with soft rounds of thunder, and flash with silent lightning. It would have been mesmerising, if I weren't running away from a humongous bloody wolf who wants to eat me. 

A growl comes from behind me, before I feel something really warm tackle me and roll me onto my back. I scream, and fidget under its body. It practically suffocates me under it. 

The wolf growls at me, frowning and tilting one of its ears and giving me a look that looks a lot like confusion.  

I whimper, and try to sink into the muddy ground that rubs against my back painfully. There is a twig that is poking into the small of my back, which for your information is really, really uncomfortable. I fidget, but only end up arching my back into the damned wolf. 

"Get off me you bloody great oaf!" I scream, trying to squirm out from under it.  

The wolf makes that half choking half snarling noise again, and I realise it's laughing at me. Why is it laughing at me? Why is it acting like a human would act?  

Tears pop up behind my eyes as its huge body presses down on me. My breathing starts to come out in sharper puffs, and I make a frightened noise in the back of my throat. 

Again, the red wolf gives me a confused look. I try to push it off of me. It doesn't budge. It growls at me, and I stiffen. I blink rapidly, trying to force away the tears. Unfortunately, they stay but they don't leave my eyes. 

The wolf growls at me, as if it were asking me a question. 

I scream. Loudly. Everything goes blurry.

"Noah, get off her! She doesn't know!"

There's a growl. Was that Grayson's voice? Where is he? Confusion makes the air thick, and guilt makes it heavy.

The wolf understands. That's what I feel. Something isn't right here. I haven't blacked out, everything just seems fuzzy all of a sudden. Mind-Link. That word keeps coming back to me.

Noah is confused. I don't know a Noah.

Too dangerous... "It's too dangerous for her to know." Grayson's voice echoes around my head, getting louder, as if he were getting closer. "Leave her alone."

Rogue. Noah thought I was a rogue, whatever that is. I can't hear his voice, if he even has one, but that's what I know. There's another growl, before everything snaps back into place.

Another wolf stalks out of the forest, directly behind the red one. its fur is a rich brown colour, while it's chest and underbelly are lighter. streaks of silver coarse through the strands. This wolf's fur isn't a solid colour, unlike the red one.

The red wolf growls, circling me like I'm it's prey. It's to close to make me feel comfortable. The brown wolf doesn't move. Standing up, I bolt away as fast as I can, praying it won't follow. I just need to get home.

I need to put my thoughts back together. It feels like they've been shattered as easily as glass. Into thousands of tiny, tiny pieces.

I don't like this feeling.