Unbidden Awakening

The one where I'm mauled

What seem like million things happen at once. The wolf leaps at me and time slows down. My senses sharpen, bringing the world into sharp focus. My sense of self-preservation kicks in and I'm regretting my vulnerable position right now, too late. I stretch my right hand out and try to grab on to something, anything at all that I can use for a weapon.

The wolf lands on me and all breath vanishes from my lungs. I barely manage to keep my eyes on it. My heart pounds like mad drums and bood rushes to my head.

The wolf lets out a growl, thick pools of saliva falls on my shirt. Faster than my eye can track he bends his head and bites my arm. It's teeth sinking into my skin feels like a thousand sharp needles piercing me. I let out an ear splitting scream. The wolf savagely rips out a chunk of flesh leaving my hand a mangled mess, I can't help the whimper that escapes me. The pain almost makes me black out.

I feel the blood oozing out. It's hot and cold at the same time, like in some twisted way, it's reminding me that if I stay on the floor of this forest, I'm very likely to die. So I thrash and try to dislodge thewolf , but it doesn't budge. Tears stream out the corners of my eyes. I try again to dislodge the wolf, and in response, he swipes at me with his claws once, twice, three times.

I just scream and scream. I can't breathe, the wolf on my chest is too heavy and doesn't make for air to pass. I grit my teeth to distract me from the pain, but, God the pain it's unlike anything I have ever felt. It is  a mix of throbbing and burning pain, that is spreading rapidly all over my body. My tears continue to flow in earnest and the sobs that escape my gritted teeth is all the more pathetic because there is absolutely nothing I can do.

"Please, stop" I beg, sobbing. My body feels like its ablaze, all my neurons are flashing red from the pain, but the wolf only watches me, no sign of the person I bumped into today,just a wolf with red glowing eyes, devoid of any form of humanity or sympathy.

Desperation claws at me. My throat closes up and I am very aware of my blood, my life force leaking out of me. I  know that calling out for help is a lost cause. We are too deep in the woods for any sort of intervention.

The wolf cocks his head at me, watching, what seems like a smile touches his feral face. He is playing with me. Miraculously or by an accident of fate, I don't really care. My hand wraps around what feels like what I'm hoping is a very heavy and durable stick.

So, with me bleeding out and my left hand being all but useless, I heave and using the stick, I take a swing at the wolf. The wood shatters on impact but my stunt does nothing except perhaps annoy the wolf even more.

Pieces of splintered wood rain down on me. My wounds squirt even more blood. My vision goes spotty, and my breathing slows. Vaguely, I realise I'm dying. I cough, and red splatters, staining the wolf in front of me. Blood.

My vision swims, everything hurts. I raise my eyes to the sky, but the ancient trees form a canopy obscuring the daylight showing glimpses blue of sky scattered in random patches

I'm going to die a violent death, and I'll not be found on time for them to identify me maybe the wolf will it me if im tasty enough. I let out a laugh, but it sounds more like gurgling. More blood trickles out of my mouth.

Max's face swims in my vision, his perfect black hair and perfect blue eyes. His smell that always reminded me of the fragrant air before the rain and  his gaze that constantly feels like he knows exactly who I am and every thought that has ever passed through my head. His smile that always made me feel the urge to smile back and made me feel giddy and excited.

I remember our dance, it was less than twenty four hours ago, but right now in my mind, it feels like a life time ago. The way my body slid over his every time he turned me over, my back to his chest. The way everytime he held my hand, my hands seemed to fit perfectly into his like they it was two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly. The way everytime he held me, I felt safe, happy and content all at the same time.

My eyes flutter close. I'm suddenly very tired. The wolf claws me again and I feel the pain, but this time, it feels like it's coming from very far away. The darkness beckons to me, trying to pull me in with seductive hands.

The crushing weight on my chest is suddenly removed. The sound of growling fills the air, but I start sinking into a void, an empty nothingness where I just float. A familiar voice is calling my name but it seems so far away and I'm so, very tired. I don't want to come back.

Then, the voice orders me, it's small and unnoticed but it grows more and more  insistent, bringing me back to consciousness with each second that passes.

My eyes open and a gasp escapes me, all at once, the pain returns. It consumes me, totally. I have no true beginning and no true end. The pain is all that I am. I let out a scream.  My body feels like it's on fire, and everything hurts.

There are so many faces looking down at me. People I don't recognise, people I have never ever seen before. They are all talking, and it sounds like a static radio that's getting louder and louder. It's too much. There's just too much going on. I shut my eyes tightly.

"Calista, open your eyes sweetheart, can you hear me?" voice as familiar to me as my own calls out to me and immediately,  the static clears. I turn my head and see Max. I let out a choked sob of relief. His hands cradle my face with incredible tenderness.

"Max, It hurts" he gently strokes my hair .

"I know love, but you're safe now okay" I look down at my chest, but it's a horrible sight. It's nothing more than mangled skin and blood. I want to cry out but I'm too weak. I close my eyes.

"I need you to keep your eyes open love" I open my eyes again, I want to tell him that I can't do it, but it's too difficult, I can't find the words and I am too tired. My eyes start fluttering close but he calls me again,

"Calista, open your eyes" He orders me this time– in a voice that leaves no room for disagreement, a voice that sounds so wholly other and some part of me, the part of me that gave me the strength to fight a wolf, the part of me that recognises Max as something other obeys. My eyes fly open and I hold his stare. There is no emotion whatsoever reflected on his face, but his eyes, have a panicked look to them, but that's not what rips a soundless gasp from me his eyes were glowing, not red, but gold, stunning vibrant gold.

Someone calls out to him and mumbles something too low for me to hear, but I don't bother with that. I cough and blood start coming out of my mouth again, this time, it's not a trickle, it's a steady stream. Max curses and calls out my name. There is a flurry of movement but my eyes is on Max, he is saying something, over and over again, but I can't hear him. My vision goes spotty and the last thing I see is his golden eyes before everything goes dark.