Wolv

15 - Dying of the light

"No kidding." I stood up to leave. Maybe she'll fall back asleep. I almost hoped that she did; I didn't want her following me again.

"Your lip...its..."

"Let it go, Nadie. Go back to sleep."

"No, Humfrey, its different. Its not..right." She squinted her eyes, as if trying to recognize me. I flinched--how could she not know who I was?!? I'm still me, Nadie! I walked to the waters' edge and stooped down, catching my reflection in the waves.

"Oh, my..."

"See? I told you so!" Nadie smiled at me from the canoe, and I stared back down at my face. The scars that had been burned into my lip all my life...were gone. I reached up and ran my finger over where they had once been, feeling nothing.

They were just gone!

I sat down on the granite, staring into the waves. I didn't dare to move; I was afraid that if I looked away, the scars would be there again when I looked back. I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them again. They were still hidden from my sight.

"Wow. That's...different."

"Tell me about it. I hardly recognized you."

I turned around on the rock to face her. "Really? That's the first thing you noticed?" I held up my hands and wiggled my fingers, showing off two rows of of razor-sharp claws, along with the blackened palms of my hands. Nadie stared back at me, and her eyes began to glaze over once again. Her moment of clarity was gone.

"Humfrey...you were bitten, eh?"

"Yes, Nadie."

"By a wolf? A wollllllvvvvvvvv....?" She dragged out the word, and slumped down slowly.

"Yes, Nadie. Go back to sleep. Please."

"I don't wanna go to bed!" She pushed herself up into a squatting position in the middle of her boat, and teetered unsteadily. "I don't wanna miss this! I wanna come with you--" she lost her balance, and tipped out over the side of her canoe, spilling out onto granite 'beach.'

"Ah! Owwww!" she whined, and rolled over, holding her hand to a scrape across her cheek. Tears welled up into her eyes. Dang it, Nadie! I'm running out of time! The sun had already slipped beneath the trees, and the sky was darkening quickly. I still had a quick portage around the rapids to complete, and then I had to paddle my way over to my island.

"Aw, c'mon!" I exclaimed, exasperated, and I scooped her up once more. She curled up in my arms, resting her head on my shoulder, mumbling softly. Ouch...not a good idea!! My shoulders burned in protest under her weight, and I carried her up the beach away from the water, setting her down against a tree. "Please, please stay here. Don't go rolling off into the river!" I stood over her and scolded her, but she just stared back at me blankly. Slowly, she nodded her head in vague understanding.

"Okay. How long do I have to have my time out?"

I laughed softly and dabbed at her bloody cheek, wiping it clean. "Count to one hundred. Then you can go." I seriously doubted she would get past ten before she passed out again. Man, what the heck did they inject her with?!?

She began mumbling numbers to herself quietly. I grabbed my kayak and started off down the trail, retracing my footsteps from two weeks ago.Beside me, the rapids thundered, churning the water into foam.

I felt a pang of guilt for leaving Nadie alone, especially in the state she was in. What if something happens to her? And who the heck leaves someone doped-up on the side of a river bank?!? By now, she could have forgotten about her "time out." She could be rolling through the rapids right now!