Stained

Catch

***
I ran through the forest at top speed. My back felt better, now that I'd been running for a little while. But, my stomach was a whole different matter.
I continually checked behind me to see if he was following.
He might be playing with me again
OK, time to do something other than run. I'd been running too long, I needed a plan in case he found me again.
I looked around for some kind of weapon. All I came up with was a stick. At least, it was a big stick. (Not the stick on a man, for you dirty folk)
I whacked it against a few trees to see if it would hold against him.
The first two broke, then the last one lasted through all the trees I whacked it against.
I continued my journey, walking until I finally found a building. It looked like an old century school. I cautiously scouted the perimeter.
As I looked up at the gigantic building, I saw movement in one of the many windows.
It was a ghost-like figure, moving as if it didn't take steps. I watched it put its hand on the window, then slowly point at me. I assumed it to be a man, from his wide shoulders.
He beckoned me towards him.
I shuddered. He gave off a strange, bad feeling. As if I would fall down, down, down, and never come back up, if I got close to him.
But, I needed food, and clothes, and......I needed to feel safe.
I stared at him for a few seconds, then stepped closer.
He nodded and crooked a finger at me. I looked around one last time, and headed into the building.
***
Once I got inside, I gasped in awe. The place was huge. I guessed I was in the lobby because there were a few old couches and a desk.
To the right, there was a staircase. The figure was at the top, waving me towards him. "Come, please hurry."
I jogged to the stairs and followed him up them. Turns out, he was a ghost. He moved like a cat, silent and fast.
He led me to a room that looked like the music room. It had all sorts of instruments, brass, string, percussion.
I shook myself and shivered. It was extremely cold up here. I looked at the man standing in front of me.
He beckoned me closer to a window he was standing by. I cautiously stepped closer.
What if he pushes you out?
He doesn't seem like he'd do that.
I looked into his eyes. They showed sincerity. He wanted to help me.
He beckoned me again, and when I came, pointed out the window.
"Look there."
I realized it was the window I had originally seen him in. He was pointing at a figure hunched over and limping towards the building. I realized it was him.
I gasped and backed away from the window.
"I-it's him. M-my captor." I stuttered.
He nodded.
"I know. I'm here to help. My name is Aiden."
He touched my shoulder, and I shivered.
"You're freezing cold."
He chuckled. "I know. It comes with being a poltergeist."
"Y-you're a poltergeist?"
"Of sorts, yes. I have...special abilities, unlike most poltergeists."
"Like what?"
"Well, for one, I can appear to anyone. I can touch people. I can walk. I am real. And lots of others."
"And, you won't harm me?"
"No. I am here to help you escape him." He pointed at the man outside. "He is to be punished for what he's done. Too many girls have had to go through this same thing. As well as some boys."
"Were you one?"
He lowered his head in shame.
"Yes. It's been such a long time."
I realized what he meant. He was wearing a tunic, encrusted with dirt and old blood.
"What happened to you?"
"He chased me down after I ran, just like you, then he raped me and stabbed me a couple times. After he was finished, he dumped my body in here while they were constructing it."
"That's horrible."
"Not as much as what will happen if he gets his hands on you."
"What do I do?"
"Run out there, get his attention, but act like you just saw him, come back in here, and get him up here somehow. Make it seem believable."
"I can do that."
"Okay. Good luck." He said that, then pushed a knife into my hand and disappeared.
Goosebumps spread along my flesh as warm air rushed to surround me.
I rubbed my arms, looked out the window to make sure he was still there, then headed downstairs.
***
I opened the door silently, and peeked out. He was limping, not as badly as I thought, towards us still.
I took a deep breath, and made a show in opening the door loud enough for him to hear.
I pretended to start walking out, then see him as he looked at me. A disturbing smile spread across his lips. He stood to his full height and ran at me.
I shut the door as fast as I could and ran up the stairs. He came in a few seconds later. I was turning onto the next flight of stairs when he called me.
"Oh, Jess."
I let out a yelp and hauled ass up the stairs. He followed, taunting me.
"Don't run, it'll only take all your energy away before I can even do anything to you."
I wiped away the tears that were flowing from my eyes. I wasn't crying for show, I was crying because, if this didn't work, he'd do to me what he did to that poltergeist.
"Can you hear me?"
Huh?
"It's me, Aiden."
How are you in my head—?
"No time. Right now, get to the music room."
The place where we met?
Yeah, I remember.
I ran to the music room, Aiden opened the door and closed and locked it behind me.
"You can't hide in there forever, Jess. At some point, you'll come out. And I'll be waiting."
I sobbed into my hands as his footsteps retreated.
"It's ok." Aiden reassured me.
"What is he?"
"What do you mean?"
"He's faster than any person I've ever met, he's older than any person, too. What is he, because he's obviously not human."
He sighed and stepped back.
"He's a werewolf. And, no, not like the ones you see in horror movies."
"A-a werewolf?"
"Yes. And, we'll leave it at that for now. I can't bare to tell you the rest. You wouldn't be able to handle it. Not in this state."
I nodded. He waited a few more seconds before asking,
"Are you ready?"
I sniffled one last time and nodded.
"W-we need to finish this."
"Okay. Hang on, I'll check for him." He stepped through the door and came back a few seconds later.
"He's wandering the halls, searching for a vending machine. Good luck, this place is old."
I laughed and he smiled.
"Okay, so here's the deal, I have to leave you to scout ahead, but I'll drop a few hints here and there."
"O-okay..."
He turned and hugged me, enveloping me in cold.
"You can do this."
"I know I can. "
He let go, unlocked the door, and disappeared. I took a breath and stepped out.
"Go right."
I went right, trying to be as quiet as possible.
What's the plan?
"All we need to focus on is getting you out of here. But, there's one problem–down the stairs."
I stepped down the stairs carefully.
Uh, oh. What is that?
"I can't leave this place."
So that whole 'if you're a poltergeist and you get buried somewhere, then you can't leave is true?
"Sadly, yes."
Well, hell. What will I do without you?
"Hopefully, survive. Turn right."
I went right.
Ha, I'll try.
"Nice sense of humor, dark, vicious. Uh, oh. He's coming and this is my stop."
How far is he?
"You've got time to go. He's walking. He saw the open door, and has a creepy smile on his face."
Better get going. Thank you, and goodbye, Aiden.
"Goodbye."
I stepped out into the cold night.
***
The wet grass soaked through my shoes. I got into the forest and hid behind the trees. I watched as he stepped out, took a deep breath, and looked around.
I held my breath as he headed the other way, then blew it out, and turned to run away. Snap!
I looked down at the snapped twig beneath my foot.
Shit!
I looked in his direction. His head was facing me, his eyes locked onto mine. He heard me.
I looked at the window, Aiden was frantically pointing to the woods.
"Get out of here!" He mouthed.
I ran back the way I came, his footfalls not far behind me.
I held my hand against my mouth to muffle the sobs escaping from it.
He got close enough to jump, grab my heels, and pull me down. I landed face first onto the ground as he scrambled on top of me.
Tears flowed freely down my cheeks. He wiped them away.
"Save your tears for when you really need them. Because what I'm gonna do to you will give you a reason to cry."
I sniffled and pushed him off. He started walking away. Obviously, he hadn't learned his lesson. I pulled out the knife, opening it carefully, so as to not make any sound.
I pulled it up, and plunged it into his hamstring, hilt deep.
He let out a roar and swung me to the side. I hit a tree, my head whacking against the trunk. I slumped in a heap on the cold dirt floor of the forest.
It took me a little bit to return to my senses. When I did, he was holding the back of his leg, trying to pull the knife out slowly.
I quietly stood and started walking away.
"Where ya goin', princess?"
I stopped, then bolted towards the school again. He laughed.
"I love it when they run!"
His heavy footsteps sounded behind me as he limped as best he could after me. Considering he was limping, I obviously outran him, but not by much. I got to the door, pulling it open, when he tugged me back.
I hit the ground. He scrunched the front of my shirt up in his hand, and pulled me after him.
I struggled to claw his hands off, but he held fast. He dug his fingers into my throat. I gasped, but air refused to come to my lungs.
"P-please, stop."
"Why?" The venom in his voice made me shrink back.
"Be....cause......I need.....to breathe."
"Why should I even let you live? Not only did you run off, but you stabbed me in the thigh. That. Hurt."
"I-I'm...sorry."
He chuckled, a merciless one that said Quit lying to me, I know you only want to live.
"Why should I let you live?" He repeated and pushed down harder.
I choked out, "I don't know, maybe you shouldn't, but I don't want my life to end for your enjoyment."
He barked a laugh. "Don't tempt me." He released my throat and got off me. I gasped, sucked in cold night air, and choked on it. He stood there and watched me as I wiped my mouth and got up.
"I don't know what to do with you. I can't rely on you to follow me; I know you'll try something. I can't leave you alone in a room, you'll break out and run away. You're just a world of trouble, aren't you?"
I gave him a sly smile. "I try."
He reached out and snatched up my shirt, bringing me closer.
"Don't get smart with me."
He let go and pushed me back. I lost my footing, and fell on my butt. He snickered as he watched me get up, then wipe my butt.
"...What should I do with you?"
"Hopefully, not anything I'll regret."
The corners of his lips curled upwards.
"Oh right, I still have that.... Nevermind."
I gulped. He still remembered the thing that he was gonna do to make me cry.
"Don't look like that. It's not that bad."
I snapped out of it and scowled at him. He stepped towards me, I stepped back. He went right, I went left. Every move towards me, I moved away.
"Why are you moving away?'
"Because, I intend to stay away from the man who nearly killed me and will most likely try to again."
"Oh, but I won't try to kill you anymore."
"Somehow, I find that hard to believe."
"That's because it wasn't true."
He ran at me, full force and wrapped his arms around me. I struggled to get away, kicking and clawing and spitting out swear words.
"If you won't listen without reasoning," he said and pushed me to the ground, holding my hands above my head and sitting on my legs, "I'll just have to be unreasonable."
He pulled out the knife, lifted my shirt, and pointed at the mark he left. The paint or whatever he used was faded a bit, leaving a charcoal color behind. He pushed the knife into my stomach. I muffled a scream.
He carved the same mark, but with the knife. When he was finished, the mark was bleeding profoundly.
He held a hand on it to stop the bleeding as I sucked in big breaths.
"W-why would you d-do that?"
"Maybe that'll get it through your head."
I breathed slowly trying to calm down. He pushed down on the wound, making me gasp and squirm under him.
"No more running away, and stabbing me in the leg, and talking to...the air. Am I clear?"
He pushed on the wound some more.
I gasped. "Yes.....yes."
"Yes, what?"
He pushed down harder.
"Yes, you're clear. Crystal clear."
"Good." He pulled his hand off, covered in my blood, and tore a strip of cloth off my shirt to bandage my stomach.
He got up, and started walking, then a few feet away, he took off his clothes, aside from shorts and a halter, and dropped onto all fours. His back arched at an impossible angle, his bones snapped at odd angles. Coarse, black fur sprouted through his shirt. He let out a groan, as his back muscles shifted. I looked away and almost wretched.
When I looked back, I stared into huge, green wolf eyes.
***