Wolf Queen (The Fate of Berrilium)

Chapter 10 - Darkness

Chapter 10 - Darkness

"Do you think it's dead?" I look up at the floppy haired boy. He's only twelve, but he's so tall. Jake. His green eyes turn to find me, and raises a quick eyebrow. I feel myself move forward, my arms and legs shorter. I smile. "Shouldn't you know, you're the werewolf." My smile drops as my heart sinks. Unlike Jake, I haven't shifted yet, the pack still gives me expecting looks. I might not have shifted when I was eight, but maybe I'll shift at 10. I'm almost eleven now, and the shift still hasn't happened. Jake nods, and tilts his head to the side, he then goes low, closer to the unmoving squirrel and sniffs it. His nose scrunches up.

"Yep, defiantly dead." Jake's cute, he's always cute. I feel grateful. I've been wanted to spend time with Jake, but ever since Lorry came to our pack, he's been different. Something stabs me in the chest. Jake rushes to his feet and comes closer to me.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jake grabs my hand, and instantly the pain goes away. I shake my head, and give him a reluctant smile. "We should head back now. I have to go do my wolf training, my wolf is getting stronger." I open my mouth to protest, wanting desperately to have more time with him. I'm hardly seeing my best friend anymore. My heart lightens a bit as I feel his grip on my hand tighten.

My shoulders slump. Jake turns and looks at me, tilting his head in that way I like. "You know, later, after training and stuff, we can watch an old timey movie, and eat popcorn and strawberry milk. I got a new stash of chocolates too." He grins, and I do too.

We move away from the trees and go closer to the pack house, before we can even make it to the porch, Lorry comes running towards Jake. She yanks him away from me and gives him a hug. Jake blushes red and laughs.

"Come on Jakey, we'll be late for training." Her eyes flick my way and she sneers. "Run along. Real Werewolves only." She shoo me away, and grips Jake's hand.

"After training we could go for a run, Alpha Moon said he'll take us and the others who have gotten better in their training." They both move further away, and I watch as Jake intertwines their fingers, and nod. He doesn't look back, and I'm left alone watching their backs. Alone. Always so alone.

The pack house disappears as Jake and Lorry does. The sky that was once blue turns an awful black. The green grass beneath me dries, and wither away. I feel my body turn, and begin walking. My happiness like always dies away, and I am left in only darkness. Alone. Always alone. I walk and I walk and I walk, never finding anyone along the way. It's dark, but strangely, I can see. But there's nothing to see, nothing really. Just darkness. My body jerks to a stop and I stand and stare.

My shorter limbs grow shorter. I'm six. I know this somehow. I'm six and proud of it, knowing that I'm a big girl in a bigger grade.

I look at my mom, her pretty smile directed to me.

"Close those pretty eyes doll. Time for bed. You can play with Jake in the morning. He isn't going anywhere." She tucks the sheet under chin, just the way I like it. I'm lying in a bed, my bed. Pink and pretty.

"But mom! Can't we have another sleep over, Jake and I can't sleep without each other. I'm scared of the dark, and he scares the monsters away." Mom shakes her head. "Sorry honey, not tonight. You two already had a sleep over, and soon you two will be too old to be sleeping in the same bed." I remember faintly, this argument, just as I remember that dead squirrel. Odd. What squirrel?

I grumble, refusing to believe that I'll be too old for anything. "Time for the question of the night love bug, and then its sleep time." Question of the night. Mom and dad, does it every night. I get to ask one question and they must answer it.

I nod sadly, but thought of my question for the night. "Are you afraid of dying?" In school Mrs. Gibson, my English teacher, told us her husband had died, and she wouldn't be returning to school for a very long time. I had never met someone who died, but Mrs. Gibson was so sad. I don't remember being that sad when I learned that my grandpa and grandma had died. I wanted to but I don't remember them.

Mom sighed as she always did when I asked my question. "Well honey. I'm not afraid to die, I mean I don't want to, but when the time comes, I think I'll be ready. Not that the time is very soon. I'll see you all grown up, you and your brother, with children of your own, and then I think I'll leave." She smiles, and instantly I feel weight inside my chest. Liar, a voice whispers. My eyes get blurry. I untuck my hand from beneath the covers, and touch my mom's face, afraid she would disappear if I don't grab ahold of her. Is this the sadness Mrs. Gibson felt? Mom continues to smile while my mouth moves automatically.

"I'm not afraid either mom. We'll grow old and wrinkly together. We'll have gray hair, and dad and Jordan will have gray beards." I giggle and my mom does too.

"Okay, it's really late now sweetheart, time to sleep. I love you so much, my little inquisitive child." Mom leans down and kisses my head. She checks my night light, making sure that its bright enough before walking over to the door. That sad feeling swells inside my chest, and I wish to rub at it, to remove the pain. I watch my mom's back, as she opens the door, wishing that I could yell for her to come back.

My mouth moves, but doesn't release the words I want them too. "Goodnight mommy, love you too." I watch as she turns her head and blows me a kiss, before shutting the door, leaving me alone.

My heart roars inside my chest. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. The word floods my mind. My eyes get heavy and though I fight to keep them open, they close, shutting me in complete darkness, with only a diming night light. As if I had tripped and fallen down a rabbit hole, the darkness swallows me whole.

I lay on my back, as if I had never fell, as if I had always been lying there. My body back to its twenty-two-year-old size. I sit up slowly, not fully comprehending what just happened. I'm in the nothing again. Completely blinded by the darkness. My body feels heavy and tired. Feeling tired and without purpose, I lay back down, and stare at the emptiness.

"Horrible isn't it." Unable to feel startled, I just turn my head to the direction of the voice. Dim light shone off her. She's beautiful. Her long hair tumbled behind her as she lays next to me. She smiles, though its filled with sadness. Slowly I nod my head, answering her question.

"It's too early for you dear, it is very unfair that you must experience this so young. Myself and the others had much more time. Life can be so cruel." Her eyes grew watery as she turns and touches my face. Her sadness was my own, and I feel my own eyes mist up.

"I know it hurts, and it will only get more painful. We suffer so much, it truly is unfair. I wish I had the ability to help you. You are so strong willed. You have overcome so much, but it is still not enough. I can only hope that you do not give up, because the pain you will go through is so excruciating, that you will no longer be willing to feel. My dear, cherish all your moments, because I am afraid you do not have much time left." I watch her as tears roll down her cheeks. I can feel my own leaving its own tracks against.

Her light grows dimmer. And her skin shimmer. "He comes for you, as he came for us all, but you can be his fall just as much as he is yours. You have so little time left young Destiny, but know that you are not at fault. The fault is mines, and I wish I could reverse what I have done, but only you can help yourself." She grows fainter with each word.

"Where will I be going. Why is my time short?" I ask the questions with great effort. My throat too thick to release the words immediately.

Only her lips are fully visible as she leaves me with her final words.

"Into the darkness. For you will die if...." She leaves before finishing. Sobs rake through me. The weight of a thousand rests against my chest. I cry as light leaves me, no longer able to exists in the darkness, feeling too much and too little at the same time. I'm crushed with pain, as I feel something else move close to me. I feel it cover me, resting over me, choking me and seeping into me. Unimaginable pain. I feel it crawl and nest inside my very being. My soul withers in agony.

I can do nothing but scream. Scream and wishthat someone could hear me through the darkness. I go completely still, as myskin is completely saturated. The merging complete, eating away my happinessslowly, leaving only its darkness in its trail._T