After Solitude

Chapter 8

Crackling exits the phone until it cuts out.

"Dang it!" I yell out.

Stupid phone.

The bushes rustle again, making my bones almost jump out of my body. A guttural growl escapes the greenery.

Taking a few steps back, I try to make my exit.

What I once thought was a harmless bunny, jumps out from the other side of the bush and stalks in my direction.

A grey, snarling beast stands on four legs before me. It's hair is wild but fluffy, teeth are white, but long.

"H-Hey pu-ppy." I hiccup.

My leg moves to continue stepping back, but the beast growls at my movements, freezing me in place.

Please don't eat me.

The beast stalks forward, sniffing my clothes.

"See, I'm not harm to you puppy. Please, don't hurt me." I reach out to pet it, to maybe show it I'm friendly.

It's teeth pops through every layer of skin on my arm as he chomps his jaws around it.

A high pitched scream litters the forest, causing the crickets to silence.

The beast thrashes my arm, throwing me to the dirt. Stinging pain filters through my arm.

He had to of hit bone.

Before I have time to process, the beast is thrown off of me. I hear a thud then a faint whimper as the rustling behind me gets even closer.

Poppy? Did you find me?

The beast yelps in pain as something cracks next to me.

"Zoey? Fuck! She's bleeding. Wyatt, get out of here!" I hear Jett's voice.

No! No. No, they're going to eat me.

I try to scramble away until my back hits a rock. I look behind me and realize, it is in fact, not a rock. It's a bloody Nik, with pitch black eyes and a bright red ring where his iris' usually are.

"Zoey, let us help you. You're bleeding and in shock." Nik backs away, giving me my much needed space.

My head begins to spin as sweat pours from my forehead.

"No! You're going to eat me!" I yell with tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Baby," Jett says, "don't you think we would've already started munching down on you if that were the case?"

That would make sense...

"You're trying to trick me!" I yelp as a burn settles in my broken skin and cool drops of blood drip off.

"Will you give me a chance to prove we're not tricking you? Please, love, let us help." Nik begs.

Nik begging is something I don't think he's used to in the slightest.

Before I can answer, Nik takes out an object that he slips on his finger.

I watch as he cuts into his hand with the small sharp object he slipped on his finger. Dark reddish brown liquid pools in the palm of his hand as he lays it over my mangled arm.

Hepatitis!

Scooting my butt against the dirt, Jett's hand stops my back.

"Stay still, baby. Watch." He says softly.