It was more of a shriek than a scream. What I saw had caused that shriek to escape from my throat but I wasn't stupid enough to allow myself to scream out loud for the wolves to hear.
Blood was what I saw. There was blood. Everywhere.
No bodies, just...blood?
I tilted my head in confusion and stepped towards the wall where the blood was. I rose up my hand and let my fingers ran over the red colour that was stuck on the wall.
It wasn't blood. But rather...paint. Paint? Red paint?
I frowned at the red paint on the wall and sighed, resting a hand against my chest. I had freaked myself over nothing and that nearly got me exposed. I sighed and leaned against the door again, this time sliding down so I could be in sitting position.
I was tired, weak and I was sure that it was almost midnight. I hadn't had any rest since John and Miguel had disappeared and I was certain that I'd been running from the wolves for hours.
I closed my eyes and let out an exhausted sigh.
I was still sweating. Not only from the running but also from the cramped up store room I was in. Perspiration made my clothes cling to my body like a second skin and I was feeling very uncomfortable but there was nothing I could do.
Wooden boxes upon wooden boxes lay upon each other leaving little space for me to stretch my legs as dust hovered around the small room. My breathing sounded unsteady and hoarse but I tried my best to adjust.
I was stuck here for now and I was going to stay here till morning.
☆~☆~☆
Thud.
I jolted awake when something bumped into the door at my back, startling me and making me rise to my feet. Swiftly, I turned around and faced the door to try and see if whatever was behind the door would collide with it again.
I was wary. I still didn't get enough sleep so my body wasn't working with full-blown energy like it normally would in the morning.
Morning? Is it morning already?
I looked around the room to see if there was a window. I spotted one at the side of the room, fixed high above the wooden boxes. The windowpane was plastic instead of glass but unfortunately it led to the diner itself rather than outside as I would've expected.
I sighed and turned back to face the door, waiting for the bumping sound to come again.
It did, but came with much force than the first time.
Thud.
Something heavy pushed against the door making it creak and groan as it weakened its hold on its hinges.
I took a huge step back when realisation dawned on me that the wolves might've found me already. I whimpered agitatedly and began searching around desperately for something - anything that I could use to defend myself.
I grabbed a metal pole from a corner and held it firmly in my hands. Taking a deep breath, I shifted the short metal pole to one hand and used to other to propel myself towards the window.
Thud.
I could hear the wolves barking ferociously as they used their large weight to force the door down. I hurried to the nearest box and started to climb. I climbed the first box, held the second with my free hand and propped myself on it, repeating the process till I got high enough to reach the window.
Stretching out my hand, I gripped the lock and fumbled with it until it clicked.
Thud.
The door bent a little at that attempt, making the wood split into a thin line. I gasped and quickly tugged at the window but it didn't budge.
"Come on, come on please, come on." I urged the window to open as I pulled hard on it with the strength I had left.
The window dragged against the surface under, making it groan and shriek against the cement.
It took a while but I was able to bring it all the way up. I sighed and threw the metal pole through the space and it made an sharp 'cling' noise as it settled on the floor.
I held the sides of the window and rose my left leg off the box where it was propped on and forced it through the window but I winced and pulled it back swiftly when I realised that there was no way I was going to get through the window that way because of my injured ankle.
I groaned impatiently whilst thinking wildly of another way to get through that window.
Thud.
The door broke further and I could see the snarling of their teeth through the gap that was made in the door.
Forgetting that about the fact that my ankle was twisted, I gripped the top of the window frame with both hands and pulled myself up. I let both legs slide through the window and released my hands to allow my body to fall.
The minute I let go was the minute that the door finally gave up its hold and shattered into bits.
I yelped when my behind landed painfully on a table and it broke under me, making the pain worsen. I rolled off the broken table and straightened myself before I was caught off guard by the wolves without having a chance to defend myself.
I staggered when I got to my feet and bent down to pick up the metal pole that I was going to use as my defence weapon and held it firmly in my hands.
Backing away from the window, I watched the wolves growl, bark and push each other away to get through the space which was obviously too small for their large bodies to fit through.
I gripped the pole tighter in my hands and proceeded to back away when I heard them shuffling away from the window, clearly noticing that there was no way they were going to get past it.
My leg hit the back of a chair and I grimaced before moving it away and fixing my eyes unto the door that led to the kitchen. I knew that any moment from now the door would burst open, revealing the number of wolves that would look like they wanted to tear me apart.
I kept on walking backwards till I saw the door smash away from its original position, flying in various directions.
The wolves didn't hesitate a second before they charged towards me.
I swung the pole fiercely when one attempted to bite my leg. It hit with such force, sending it a few paces back that I was surprised at myself for a millisecond until it rose back to its feet and snarled at me.
The other wolves didn't come closer but rather kept their distance began to form a semicircle around me since I was standing so close to the huge glass windows that led outside. They growled and snarled at me but didn't move an inch towards. It was like they were waiting for a command before they struck.
There were about six of them, but I knew better than to believe that that was the whole pack in this diner.
The wolves in the middle gave way for a larger wolf to pass. I gulped in my fear and my hands shook slightly when I saw its huge black figure and haunting crimson eyes look down on me as it made its way towards me.
I knew exactly who it was partially because of the way power and authority radiated from his wolf body and also because of the way his eyes gazed down upon me like I was some sort of rare meat.
Mine.
My back pressed up against the cool glass as I struggled to keep my stance. Even though it seemed as if I was going to lose this battle, I didn't want to give them that satisfaction of victory. I wasn't going to show any weakness.
Something flicked across his eyes for a moment which caught my attention.
I squinted to see it better and a huge wave of relief washed inside me when I realised that it was the early sun that was gradually rising.
I closed my eyes for a minute and blew out a breath.
Tonight was the last full moon and if I could stall and give enough time for the sun to fully shine, they would all turn back and ran back to the woods before the sun fully hit them and stay in those woods till another full moon rises.
Faith and determination swam inside me when I opened my eyes again. I saw John looking at me with a wicked expression in his eyes but I didn't heed to it.
Cautiously, I held out the pole and began swinging it recklessly at him and the other wolves, forcing them all to move back.
John did move back but just to make fun of me because he knew that the pole I was holding wouldn't do as much damage to him as a tooth pick would do to a gorilla. But he gave me the liberty of having to make a fool out of myself, and that's just what I wanted.
This went on for a few minutes before he got bored and impatient and decided that this little game of mine wasn't worth the wait so he suddenly growled and took a step forward.
But I didn't back down.
I swung it across his face but instead of him hurting, his head rather bent the edge of the metal pole. His head turned sideways at the impact and when he slowly moved his eyes it to face mine, I nearly gasped at the amount of anger that shone from them that seemed to have transformed to a deeper crimson.
I forgot about the look in his eyes and rose the metal pole to hit him again. But before I could move it, John growled again, raised his paw and made it come into contact with my stomach, hurling me towards the glass without warning.
I smashed against the glass and let out a shrill cry when some of the pieces penetrated my arms and neck when I fell backwards onto the broken pieces on the pavement outside.
I couldn't move. Couldn't think. I just lay there with a burning sensation swimming all over my body as pain immediately engulfed me.
My vision became blurry and I didn't struggle against the dizziness that was taking delight in making my body quiver so close to darkness.
I saw John's shady wolf figure saunter towards me but I didn't care anymore.
I had failed to keep the others alive when I promised them that I would ensure their safety. I had failed to keep my promise to Maddison even though she had betrayed me, and Miguel who had been the only person in my life that I had ever cared about since my family neglected me. I had even failed to keep my own self from harm.
Everything I did, clearly wasn't worth it.
I let a tear escape from the corner of my eye and I sighed in defeat. This was it.
John would bite me and I would change. I would not be Phoebe anymore but something far worse, I believed. I couldn't stop this from happening because I was no longer worthy of living this life as a nature photographer.
John towered over me and I watched feebly as he opened his mouth and bent his head to my shoulder.
He was so close, so close to marking me that I felt the blood surge in my veins when his fangs grazed the base of my neck.
But then the sun came up. And that fact, although worthless, gave me hope.
☆~☆~☆