Paranormalcy Alternate Ending/ Prequel

Chapter 5

As it turns out Reth doesn't go easy on me. The whole time we are wondering around the field I can feel his eyes burning into the back of my head. It takes all of my concentration not to look back at him. There isn't time for arguing now.

"So where is this wolf you came to find?" He asks after a moment.

"I don't know." I admit.

"Well then," He laughs, "What do you expect to find while walking around here? Let us go back to the center and have someone else who has the time walk around looking for it. Are you not cold in this weather?"

I shiver involuntarily, but still manage to shake my head. He's right about one thing, the wolf hasn't shown up and the weather is getting worse. At this time of year the nights are cold even when the days are hot, and it is getting colder than my sweater can handle.

But there is no way in hell I am backing out of this before I prove to Reth that I am capable of handling things on my own.

We walk across the field to the treeline and back several times before the moon is high in the sky. It is just as I am almost ready to admit defeat that I notice something moving on the horizon.

It comes out of the woods on all fours, but I notice that it is bigger than any animal that I have seen. Almost bigger than a bear. Reth sees it too, and moves closer to me, ready to pull me through the faerie door if it notices us.

I don't give him the chance. Using the longer grass to my advantage I duck down and start moving towards the large tree near the center of the field. The way the thing is moving, slowly while sniffing the ground, we should meet around the same time.

Reth stays close behind me, fuming without making a noise. My heart is pounding wildly in my chest, and I tighten my grip around Tasey. 

Somehow we manage to make it to the tree first, and I lean against it while I watch the wolf grow closer. Reth stands behind me, his hand brushing my back. I try my best to ignore him.

When the wolf gets closer and I can see the grey of its fur, it stops and raises its head to the sky. After a moment I realize it is sniffing. Reth stiffens.

Then it turns its large yellow eyes on us, its teeth pulled back in a snarl.

"We should go now." Reth whispers, his hand closing around mine.

I yank my hand free just in time to see the wolf throwing itself at us. My feet act on the instinct that Raquel and the teachers have taught me and I launch myself out of the way in time. I don't know what happened to Reth after that, but I was in a ready position and ready to go.

The wolf howls and my ears ring, but I don't let it distract me.

When it rushes me again I hit it with Tasey, and I feel the jolt go through it like a wave. It hits the ground with a thump, but it doesn't stay down for long. Raquel had told me that the longer I help the button in the skin the more effect it would have, and I must not have held it long enough because in no time it is up again, and angrier than ever.

It snarls and runs at me again, and I try again to hit it with Tasey. But it gets around me, and I feel something slam against my chest, throwing me back. I hit the ground hard, and my cheek burns. When I look up, Reth is standing over me, his back to me.

But I can still see his face, and what I see terrifies me. There is absolute murderous rage in his eyes as he moves his lips. Suddenly the tree behind the wolf moves, reaching out with long roots and grasping the wolf by the legs.

It howls, a terrified noise that rings in my ears. I can't look away as the roots draw the wolf in and begin to pull it underneath the tree. Screams ring out as it disappears under the mass of roots and branches, a scream that sounds human.