I come to, not sure where I am for the most part. My hands are bound in front of me, and my legs are folded under me. I look down at the floor in front of me, and I see a strange symbol etched into the dirt covering the dark blue carpet. The symbol looks like claws were taken to the carpet, and then someone covered said claws in various dark paints.
I look up as something moves in the corner of the room. I look at it, and watch as a gray creature with a hunched form limps towards me. It turns its head around, and its black pits for eyes is so terrifying that I scream. My shadows react, swirling around me, protecting me.
But the thing will not be deterred. It advances on me, and reaches out, grabbing ahold of my arm in a vice vicelike grip. I hiss and bare my teeth at it, but the creature isn't deterred by me one bit.
It pulls me towards the door, dragging me along on my hands and knees. I struggle to regain my footing, and the monster laughs at me. We reach the door, and it drags me into a dim room. The smell of blood and fire lingers in the air, and as I look around the dark room, the monster pulls me closer towards the door at the other side of the room.
"Let me go!" I hiss.
The monster laughs again, the sound is like the most insane person you'd ever heard. It sounds completely unhinged. We reach the door, and the creature waves its free arm at the door, causing it to swing open and reveal a bright and sunny day.
Before I can react, I'm thrown out into the sunlight. I stumble and fall on my hands and knees, welts forming on my arm from where the monster was dragging me. I hiss in pain as my sensitive eyes try to adjust to the brightness of the sun.
I turn around and try to run back to the house, but as I reach the door, it slams and locks. I hit it with my shoulder a few times, but it doesn't do anything.
I look around, my skin is burning, my blood is hot, and my shadows are gone, save for my tattoo that randomly appeared on me. I look around, my eyes adjusting to the front yard of a house out in the middle of the woods.
I run around the house, but all the doors are locked and I cannot get in. I grab ahold of a rock, picking it up and throwing it at a window. I'm shocked when it bounces off the window.
"Shit," I mutter.
I turn around and walk to the road, and look both ways, seeing no sign of where to go. So after a moment, I go right. My link with Dylan is dim, as I suppose the distance between us is stifling our psychic power. I need to find a way home. But first, I need shelter and blood. So I head into the woods.
When I finally reach a cave, I sit down and call my shadows to me again and watch them happily swirl around me. I look at the sky, trying to determine how long until dusk. I also am not sure if I can stay awake much longer, but at the same time, I need blood.
And I won't get blood if I'm asleep.
I sit there for a while, and then I hear it. Something moves through the woods, and I stand up, using my shadows to conceal myself from sight. I watch as a deer walks into a patch of sunlight.
The creature does not hear me as I approach, but then it smells me. I am on it before it can run, and the deer lets out a weird yelling sound, surprising me. I wrap my arms around its neck and then bite into its jugular.
I hate deer blood.
But because I am literally blood-starved at the moment, I need to ensure I don't go nuts and kill anyone. I end up draining the deer, and as I walk back to my cave, I sense something through the bond with Dylan.
I blink and look up at the sky again. He is not close, but I know he is thinking of me and looking for me. It makes me feel sad and happy at the same time, and as I sit there, tears fall down my face. I sigh and wipe my tears away with some frustration. Why am I crying?
I take a deep breath and then sigh. I stay in the cave until I finally watch the sun go down. Then, I get up and follow Dylan's distant thoughts. This Imprint is helpful.