Chasing Tails (Original)

7. Team Ollie

Julie woke up, choking on a startled scream. Her body yelled at her in protest and she flinched, gripping her stomach in pain. Her brothers shot up immediately and came to her side, looking over her and brushing her hair out of her face. She was panting and she was sweating but the first thing they noticed was her crying. Zach held her in a gentle hug while Andy went to get some water and some painkillers for her. Both of them soothed her with sweet words like they've done the past year.

"Are you feeling better?" Andy asked when she had stopped crying and calmed down. She sighed, rubbing her face and drinking the last of the water.

"I just want this to stop." She whispered, her voice cracking.

"Maybe it can," Zach said. "Maybe some exercise will help you sleep better?" His suggestion wasn't too far off. Julie knew from health class that exercise did help you sleep better – if you did plenty of it. She just wasn't sure if it could help her.

"Why don't you go for a run for a little while? When you get back, you can take a nice relaxing bath and then go to bed." Andy said. "No one will hurt you that way and Dad won't be back until late tonight so you won't have to worry." She nodded her head, agreeing to at least try. They helped her stand and she walked on her own back to her own bedroom. She changed into some sweatpants and a sweatshirt before pulling on some old sneakers and grabbing her IPod. Her brothers walked her down the stairs and out the front door, telling her to stay away from certain areas and to make sure to be back before nightfall. She said goodbye to them, plugged in her earphones and took off.

The cold wind rushed through her hair, turning her hot, sweaty body into a chilly, wet one. She started off slow, her body still waking up from its delusional nightmare and went with the beat of the music. Her mind drifted off into deep thoughts – remembering flashbacks of her dreams.

They started out with her running on all fours. Her eyes could see far ahead of her and her nose could pick up the scent of everything she passed by. She could hear her wolf panting in freedom but also in a rushed pattern, racing on urgently through the trees. She could feel the wind against her fur and the earth beneath her paws. They always started out so sweetly.

Then the howl was heard and a large brown wolf with blood red eyes would appear and knock her over. She would look up at him, whimpering from her weakened state below him and then he would bite her hard. Her body felt a pain she remembered all too clearly. It was like being ripped apart by invisible mauling hands. She felt something inside of her stretch and she'd let out an ear piercing scream but it wasn't done there.

She'd feel as if someone had just pulled her apart and then sewed her back together again. Every stitch, she felt the needle push and break through her skin before pulling a piece of her together. It went on for what seemed like hours before she'd finally wake up – the image of her red wolf lying dead on the dirt in front of her, tattooed permanently.

Julie found herself running faster as she thought of this dream. She didn't even remember where she was going or how she got to where she was at. Her sight had blurred, the memories of her dream being the only thing she saw, and now she was lost in a place she didn't know all too well. She looked ahead and found a line of cars sitting in front of a three story house. Her eyes focused in on it as she ran closer, not remembering seeing a house like this before. Then she stopped, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. When she looked up, she caught sight of Dresden and his beta Jack looking dangerously on her. She took a moment, catching her breath and then turned running back the way she came.

After every encounter with him so far, she was going to do everything she could to avoid him.

~****~