Finding Her

The Beginning of the End.

Haley's Pov

It wasn't Matt's words that made my blood run cold. It was the laughter. The evil, wicked, disgustingly familiar laughter.

"Well you've got one thing right," says Sean. "It's true. You can't run...but as for the waiting part...I'm not really a patient kind of guy."

His lurking figure is suddenly very prominent in the darkness. He steps out of the trees, and into the road.

"Get in the car. Damn it, Haley get in the car." Chris fumbles with the door handle, and then roughly attempts to shove me in. I wish I could say that I resisted, that I refused. But I didn't. Common sense took over, and I crawled into the car next to a crying Caitlin. I bit back my fear as I held her in my arms. "It's okay. We're all fine." I tried to comfort Caitlin without showing fear, but the horror in my voice betrayed me. I watch as Matt turns to me and screams in a whisper. "Drive fucking Drive." He shifts into wolf form and his fur ristles as he pulls back his gums to reveal flashing jagged teeth. A horrible noise escapes his throat.

Chris pleads with me. "Go, Haley. We'll be fine. We took him on once already. Go."

I nod, and as much as it hurts me to leave, I don't think I'd be able to watch this. "I love you." I cry. "No." Chris says in a firm voice. "This isn't a goodye, alright? Go to my house. Rosie's with my mom. Go be with your sister and wait."

As I turn on the ignition, the tears are rolling down my face and my body racks with sobs. "I'm sorry." I whisper, "I'm sorry."

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Chris Pov

Watching Haley leave broke my heart. I hated it, but I knew that it was for the best. I'd rather imagine her sad with Rosie at my house, than to have her watch through a window shield as I were to be killed.

"Matt." I look over at my brother.

He growls, as if to say "I'm fighting, there's nothing that can stop me."

I look at Sean's silhouette, and shift into my wolf form. This is it.

He grows closer, and I shiver as an evil grin spreads across his face. He's obviously recovered from Matt's nauseating powers earlier. I still wondered how Matt was able to overpower him, but now was not the time to wonder.

Sean shifts. And he towers over us. Big, jet-black, and bristling with anger, Sean takes one final step. I'm afraid for Matt. I know his energy is still sapped from earlier. I hope that maybe at least he will be able to survive.

The tension between the three of us grows thick. We're all waiting for somebody to make the first move. The minutes feel like hours, and time slows. Unable to control himself, Matt leaps onto Sean. I bark a warning as Sean lets out a terrifying roar. As they jump at each other I nervously circle around Sean, trying to find a weak spot. His bare back is open to me, and I pounce on him. I grab his neck in my teeth and pull. I'm shaking, and Matt is underneath Sean, losing his side of the battle. I taste the blood, and Sean screams. It's the most terrifying noise I've ever heard.

Matt is on his side, struggling to stand up. As he falls to his knees again and again, I come face to face with Sean. Obviously, he's realized that two against one is a lost battle for him in a physical fight. But he doesn't need physical.

Sitting on his haunches, he tilts his head back and howls. The sharp excruciating pain probes through my brain and body. Everything is failing me. My knees buckle, my head swims, and my brain feels like it's exploding. Through the pain, I try to find Matt. He lays across from me. Still. Motionless. Breathing hard. My eyes roll into the back of my head.

This is it. I think,

this is what dying feels like.

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