The Hybrid

{When Night Falls } chapter 20

The first thing I felt when I woke up was the need to vomit.

And so that was exactly what I did.

I rolled over to my side and coughed out the fresh contents of water that was trapped in my lungs. With my face pressed firmly against an uneven surface, I reached my hands to my throat as squeaking noises erupted. The lungs in my chest burned from the mixture of being filled with an unwanted substance and the lack of oxygen. My nostrils flared and closed rhymitcally, yet air refused to pass through them. I struggled to grasp for oxygen for what felt like hours, but must have only been a few minutes.

As my breathing gradually became more and more stable I attempted to rise from the ground, but the throbbing in my head prevented me. I returned to the floor in seconds as my vision swayed. Wincing, I squeezed my eyes shut and curled my toes into the hard surface.

I made multiple attempts to stand up, but it was to no avail. My limbs folded onto themselves and turned to jello. My breaths heaved from my mouth and eyes drooped downward. It felt as if I had just sprinted up an entire mountain. I layed there listening to the steady stream. Its gentle sloshing and tranquil movements soothed me until I could not hear it any longer. The corners of my lips feebly lifted for a moment until I succumbed to darkness.

It had finally found its tranquility.

          •••

Wack!

A slight stinging sensation lingers on my skin as I glare at the tiny bugs swarming around me. With each little critter individually flapping their wings, they created a monstrous sound that made the corners of my eyes twitch and stung my sensitive ears. Taking a large stick in my right hand, I trudged forward.

Small droplets of water clung to the ends of the dress that suctioned itself onto my legs. My eyes, which I assumed were red, burned from the water that would occasionally slip into them. Mud smeared across my legs and feet with an extremely distinctive smell of rotten eggs that penetrated my nostrils.

I have never wanted to take a shower so badly in my life. Clutching my stomach, I leaned forward and winced as low growling sounds erupted.

I trudged further into the forest with no exact destination point in mind. Everything around me appeared the same.

Green. Green. Green.

Green trees. Green bushes.

Oh and my apologies, I forgot.

Brown.

I hadn't stumbled upon a stream or any body of water like where I had woken up, again. My body was slightly soar here and there, but fortunately it wasn't something I couldn't handle. The throbbing in my head was tolerable at the moment too, but I knew when I stopped the pain would skyrocket.

My surroundings were ones that were unfamiliar to me. That was both a blessing and a curse. I knew I couldn't be anywhere remotely near Summit Pack, but I also didn't know where I was headed. I could very well stumble upon another pack's land which I only hoped I wouldn't.

I tried to reach out to my wolf, but she was unresponsive. I would tell myself that it was most likely due to the overexertion of our body, but I knew deep down that that was only an excuse I would use to not feel guilty. She was missing him.

Thin, shadowy, stripes lay stretched on the ground as a glowing sun began to rest for a nap. Its yellow, orange, golden light illuminated through the unmoving black trees and the drowsy forest, hitting me right in the face. I raised my hands up shielding myself from its intensity, but in a matter of seconds rested them by my sides. I shut my eyes and allowed myself to relish in the slight warmth that sizzled against my damp skin, melting away the clingy water that struggled to hang on my face. All was forgotten now. The bugs, the hunger, the pain, the discomfort.