Pain.
That was the first thing Dani felt as her body slowly woke itself up, and a loud groan left her mouth as her eyes fluttered open, only to be closed again as they were immediately met with a bright light.
"Okay, ow," she mumbled.
"Dani?!"
"Ellie?!"
The sound of four voices so close together caused the girl to wince as she kept her eyes closed.
"No," she groaned. "The light...I don't want to be blinded like the mice."
Mikey snorted before tingles shot up Dani's arm as he squeezed her hand while saying, "Dans, open your eyes, you goof."
The girl huffed before slowly doing as told, and the world around her was blurry for a moment before it focused on the worried yet amused face of her boyfriend. A small smile curved on her lips as she raised her hand to give him a finger wave.
"Hi," she said in a slightly raspy voice before coughing as she suddenly realized her throat had felt like it was on fire.
"Oh! Here you go, sweetie," Michelle said as she placed a cup of water in front of her daughter and held a straw up to her mouth.
Dani's eyes widened as she immediately coughed the water back up after taking a sip, which caused everyone to scramble to help her, apart from Frankie, who was being carried in their father's arms.
"Oh God...that is so embarrassing," she grumbled as Mikey wiped her mouth. "And of course you'd be the one to wipe my mouth for me."
"Never thought I'd be so happy to hear your whining," he said and met her gaze with a small smirk. "Hi there, sleepyhead. We missed you."
Dani's cheeks heated up as Mikey kissed the corner of her mouth and sat back down in his chair.
"Are you okay, Ellie?" Frankie asked as David had sat them down in a chair.
Dani turned her head to her brother with a small smile as she said, "Yeah...I'm good, bud."
"Good," Frankie said with a smile before it dropped into a pout. "Now, why are you in the big doctor's place again?"
Amusement flashed over Dani's features at the words her brother had used to describe the hospital.
David nodded in agreement. "Good question, bub," he said before giving his daughter a pointed look. "Why are you in the hospital again, Dani?"
All amusement left Dani's face to be replaced by guilt as her hands had suddenly become a topic of interest for her eyes.
"I'm uh...I'm going to go tell my mom and John you're alright," Mikey said as he got up from his seat and kissed Dani's cheek before leaving the room.
"Um," Dani mumbled as she began to fiddle with her fingers.
"Um is not an answer, Daniella Janine," Michelle said, and she grimaced at the woman's usage of her full name.
Her eyes went up to the ceiling before she sighed and looked back down. "If I show you guys this...Will you promise me you won't get mad at me?" she asked while turning her head to her parents.
David immediately raised an eyebrow as Michelle narrowed her eyes.
"Be mad at what, Daniella?" she asked, causing the girl to sigh again. "Little girl, if you sigh one more time.."
"Mitch," David said while placing a hand over hers, which caused her to breathe out as she sat back in her chair.
"What's wrong, Ellie?" Frankie asked with worried eyes.
A saddened look crossed Dani's features before she winced as she sat up on the bed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys about this sooner...but I swear I was going to once I figured out exactly how it happened.."
Before anyone could ask anything, Dani turned herself to the side and lifted the right side of her gown.
"Oh my God," Michelle said as she brought a hand up to her mouth.
"Dani...When did this-... How did this-... What?!" David stammered as his eyes stayed glued to the mark.
"The big bad wolfman," Frankie said, which caused Dani to meet his tearful gaze. "He did it! I...I told you I saw him, Ellie!!"
"What?!" Michelle asked while turning her head to Frankie. "You what?!"
"I saw him, Momma," Frankie said with a sniff. "I saw him in the closet."
"Why didn't you tell us, bubs?" David asked while holding the boy close.
"He did..." the couple averted their attention at the sound of their daughter's voice, "He told me last night...before this appeared."
A scowl formed on Dani's lips as her eyes looked down at the ugly mark on her stomach.
"Why won't he leave you alone?! Why won't he leave us alone, Daddy?!" Frankie asked her before turning to their father.
Tears formed in Dani's eyes as Frankie buried his head into David's shoulder and began to cry. "Shh, shh, shh. It's okay, bub," the man murmured while rubbing the boy's back.
He then looked up at them and said, "I'm going to take him outside," before he got up and left the room.
Michelle sighed and wiped her eyes. "Side effects from your medicine," she mumbled and shook her head with a short laugh. "I should've known better than to take your word for it."
The hurt was immediate on Dani's features as she said, "Mom-"
"Daniella, don't you dare," Michelle's voice cracked as she looked up at her daughter with more tears in her eyes, "This is the third time this year that you have ended up in the hospital, and the second time it's a result of you not telling any damn body what was going on!!"
Tears formed in Dani's eyes as she looked down at her hands in shame.
"What happened to you, huh?" she asked. "What happened to us?"
"I'm so sorry, Momma," Dani said with a sob. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry."
Michelle's features saddened as she got up from her seat to wrap the girl in her arms as she sat on the bed. "Shh, Dani baby. I just wish you'd learn to tell us the truth about things, honey," she said while rubbing her back.
"I can't lose you, Momma," Dani said and shook her head. "I can't. He said he'd hurt you if I did, and I couldn't risk it. I'm sorry."
"Dani baby, that man is dead," Michelle said as she pulled back to face her. "He's gone. He can't hurt us anymore, honey."
"Then how did he do this to me?!" Dani asked while showing the mark again. "Dead people can't just magically hurt the living, Mom. How do you expect me to believe that he's gone when he's been everywhere around me since he supposedly died?!"
A beat went by as Michelle took in her daughter's words before she closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't know," she said. "But I'm sure as hell going to figure it out."
✧
An uncomfortable frown sat on Dani's lips as she readjusted the pillows behind her back.
The hospital staff never did get better mattresses for the patients.
Dr.S had come in minutes after her little conversation with her mother, so the woman took that as her cue to go after her husband and son. After further examination, Henry's claw mark was stitched up and cleaned to avoid any possible infections. Despite what had happened to get her there in the first place, Dani's vitals had apparently appeared to be normal. So legally, Dr.S could only keep her there overnight to keep a close eye on them and release her the next day. Whatever it was, she was sure it had everything to do with Henry.
"Daniella Janine!!"
Dani's head turned towards the door to see her best friend with an angered look on her features as she stepped into the room.
"Hey, G," the girl said with a sheepish smile.
Greta scoffed and folded her arms as she said, "Mind telling me why I got a call from Mikey saying you were in the hospital because you passed the hell out?!"
"I..uh," Dani shook her head as she found herself at a loss for words.
"What the hell is going on with you, Dani?! And why don't I know anything about it?!" Greta asked as her angered look slowly changed into one of hurt.
"I thought we were sisters...We're supposed to tell each other everything," she then said as she walked over to the chair beside Dani's bed.
A saddened look crossed Dani's features as she said, "Greta, I..." she sighed and shook her head again, "I'm sorry."
Greta examined her friend before her features fell in sadness as she said, "But you're still not going to tell me what's going on, right? Because somehow everyone else gets to know but me?"
Dani's silence caused the blonde to scoff again and shake her head. "Unbelievable," she muttered. "I don't even know who you are anymore."
Tears formed in Dani's eyes as she said, "Greta, I'm sorry, I just...I can't tell you. It would be way too dangerous for you to know and with Hans-"
"Don't you dare try to use my brother to justify your secrets, Dani," Greta cut the girl off with a hard glare that caused her to break even more.
"You don't get to tell me what's dangerous for me to know about you. You are my sister. What about that do you not understand?! You mean just as much to me as Hans does!! Even Mikey!! But here you both are keeping things from me -you again- like I don't even matter!!"
Dani shook her head again and said, "Greta, that's not true!!"
"Then prove it, Dani!!" Greta said as she got up from the chair. "Prove to me that I mean just as much to you as you do to me!! Because I'm having a tough time believing it right now!!"
"It's Henry."
The girls turned their heads to see Mikey as he stood at the doorway with his arms crossed, though his gaze was set on his girlfriend, who narrowed her eyes in return.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.
He narrowed his eyes back. "Telling her the truth, Dani. Like she wanted," he said while walking into the room.
"It wasn't your truth to tell!!" Dani immediately shouted back.
"Okay, hold the hell up!!" Greta said as she held her arms out while looking between them. "What do you mean it's Henry?! Henry is dead."
Mikey studied the blonde for a moment before he laughed dryly as he shook his head and looked back to his girlfriend as he said, "So you haven't told her about the dreams either, have you?"
Greta turned to Dani with an eyebrow raised. "What dreams?"
Dani glared at her boyfriend before sighing through her nostrils. "Do you remember when you and Frankie woke me up that time in the hospital?" she asked as she turned back to Greta, who nodded slowly. "Well...I was dreaming about Henry...and it's only been getting worse since I got back home."
Greta scoffed and folded her arms. "And you didn't think to tell me? To tell anyone?"
Dani closed her eyes in shame and bowed her head as she said, "I did...I told everyone but you..."
"And now you have a claw mark on your stomach that's making you sick, and yet you still managed to keep everyone in the dark about it until it was almost too late," Mikey said with a shake of his head.
"You know what, Mikey?" Dani said as she lifted her head back up to look at him. "I didn't tell you. You're right. I didn't. I was wrong about that, and I'm sorry. But what the hell else do you expect me to do when the person I thought was dead suddenly shows up in my dreams and kills the people I love most right in front of me?!"
Mikey's angered look immediately fell at her words.
"What the hell do you expect me to do when I start hearing him in my head and seeing visions of him in the damn hospital where I'm getting treated for something he caused?! What do you expect me to do when I want to tell you with every fiber of my being, but I can't because he threatens to hurt you, and I'm too afraid of him to go against his word?! What do you expect me to do, Mikey?! Because even though you may know what's happening now, that does nothing to calm my fear that everything I dreamed about will happen, and I won't be able to stop it because no one knows how to stop him!!"
Tears ran down Dani's face as she shook her head and said, "So I'm sorry, okay?! I'm sorry to all of you for keeping things away from you, but I'm not going to sit here and let you make me regret it because I'd rather die all over again if it meant I got to keep you all safe by keeping you in the dark!!"
By the time she'd finished, tears had fallen from both Mikey and Greta's eyes, but before either of the two could say anything, Dani gasped out in pain as her hand flew to her side.
"Dani?!" they called out at the same time as they instantly rushed over to her.
"What's wrong, babe?! What is it?!" Mikey asked as he sat on the bed to bring her into his arms.
"The mark...it's...it's burning!!" Dani said before crying out as another flash of pain erupted in her side.
"I'm going to go get Dr.S, okay?!" Greta said before leaving the room after Dani nodded while squeezing Mikey's hand.
"Mikey, it hurts," she said with a sob.
"It's going to be okay, baby. Just hold on, okay?" Mikey reassured her and kissed the side of her head in comfort.
His eyes then widened as he pulled her gown back to see that her stitches had been ripped.
"Oh my God," he mumbled.
"Mikey," Dani cried and squeezed his hand again. "Please make it stop...It hurts, make it stop!!"
Tears formed in Mikey's eyes as he kissed her head again and said, "Look at me, baby," she turned her head to him with another sob, "Do you know where we are right now?"
Dani's eyebrows furrowed in question as she tried her hardest to ignore the pain in her side.
"We're flying...high up in the sky," Mikey said while rubbing her cheek. "No one can get us because we're invincible...Do you know who we are?"
A small smile formed on Dani's lips as she said, "We're...We're super-"
Mikey's eyes widened along with Dani's as she started to gasp and he said, "Dani?!"
"I...I can't breathe!!" she exclaimed as her lungs worked helplessly to receive the oxygen they desperately needed.
"Dani?!.. Dani!!" was the last thing Dani heard him say before her vision turned completely white, and Mikey watched in horror as her body began to shake in his arms while her eyes had turned unnaturally white.
"Oh my God...Dr. S!! SOMEBODY!! PLEASE HELP!!" he shouted while standing up from the bed in shock.
As if on cue, Greta came back into the room with Dr.S and a couple of nurses followed by Dani's family, who were already on their way back to her room, and Greta gasped in shock before covering her mouth with widened eyes at the sight of her best friend on the bed.
"Everyone, stay back!!" Dr.S instructed as he rushed over to Dani's side, but Mikey refused to listen as he fought his way through nurses to stay beside his girlfriend. "Get her on her side!!"
"Oh my God, my baby!!" Michelle exclaimed as her hand flew up to her chest.
Frankie's eyes immediately teared up at the sight of his sister as he tried to run to her, only to be stopped by his mother, who had picked him up. "No, Momma!! No, Momma, no!! I want Ellie!!" he shouted as he fought in her arms, which caused her to shush him as she placed a hand up to his head to hide him from the sight.
"Let go of me!!" Mikey yelled as David tried to pull him away. "Let me go!! Dani!! No, let me go!!"
"Mikey, listen to me!! They're going to do everything they can to help her, alright?! She's going to be okay! You have to believe that!!" David said into the boy's ear, though his eyes held nothing but fear and worry for his daughter.
Everyone in the room suddenly stilled as Dani's body had stopped shaking, and Mikey physically relaxed in David's hold at the sight before his eyes widened along with everyone else as her body began to levitate off the bed.
"Dear God," Dr.S mumbled as all of them stared at her in horror.
Everyone's hands went up to their ears as Dani let out an ear-piercing scream with her eyes wide open before she dropped down to the bed unconscious.
"What the hell was that," David whispered before raising his voice. "What the hell was that?!"
Dr.S stared at Dani's unconscious body in worry as he said, "I believe this is a job more fit for my brother.."
Mikey and Greta looked up at Dr.S as David and Michelle shared a fearful look for their daughter.
✧
"My beautiful Little Red..."
Henry's gaze remained on Dani's as he tilted her chin up with his thumb and index finger.
"How unfortunate that you continue to underestimate me," he said while rubbing her jaw. "Have you not learned your lesson by now?"
"Why am I just now remembering who you are?... Remembering what you are?" Dani asked as she examined his features.
The dimples in his cheeks made themselves known as Henry's pink, plump lips curved into a small smirk. His deep blonde curls sat perfectly atop of his head, and she had the sickest urge to run her fingers through them. If he were anyone else...she wouldn't deny how attractive he was.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were checking me out, Little Red," Henry said as his eyes twinkled with mischief, and for once, Dani wasn't haunted by their color.
Realizing her thoughts and what he had just said, heat flooded through her cheeks as she pushed him away while muttering, "Gross."
Laughter filled her ears as Henry barely stepped away with a broad smile on his face.
"And there she is. My sassy little beauty."
Dani scoffed and folded her arms. "What the hell is going on? Why are you still here? Why won't you leave me alone?" she asked before lifting her shirt. "And why the hell is this here?!"
Henry rolled his eyes in annoyance and mumbled, "And of course you had to ruin everything."
Out of instinct, Dani flinched as his hand found hers before surprise took over her features as he carefully pulled her shirt back down.
"You will know these things when I wish to tell you, Little Red," he said with a small smirk.
"How are you...How are you human?" Dani asked with a frown. "I thought you were just a wolf. How is this possible?"
Henry's eyebrows furrowed in genuine curiosity as he tilted his head and asked, "You've never heard of me before ten years ago?"
Dani raised an eyebrow. "Was I supposed to?"
"Would've been pretty helpful if you had," Henry said with a shrug.
Dani scoffed and said, "What difference would it have made? You'd still be known to me as the man who murdered my grandmother."
Her tough demeanor slightly fell as Henry's eyes darkened, and he clenched his jaw as he said, "I did what I had to do, Little Red."
"Did what you had to-...Are you insane?!" she asked in disbelief.
Henry narrowed his eyes.
"My grandma was my best friend! The one other person who meant the world to me besides my mom, and you took her away from me for no reason!!"
Shock covered his features as she took a step forward.
"I haven't done shit to you, and yet you decided to make my entire life a living Hell!! Why do you hate me so much, Henry?! Why?!"
"Maybe that's just who I am, Little Red," he said while taking a step forward.
"A villainous monster," she gasped as he pressed his hand against the wall, trapping her in between them, "There are no reasons for why I do what I do. I simply just do them."
"I don't believe you," she said with a shake of her head. "No one is just born evil, Henry."
A low growl emitted from Henry's throat as his eyes flashed brighter in color before they returned to normal. "There is darkness in all of us, Little Red. I've just chosen to let mine shine brighter than the good."
"But why?" she asked, and in a surprisingly soft tone. "What's the point? Aren't you tired of being alone? Don't you want to have peace?"
"There is no peace for people like me," he said in a low tone.
Despite the harshness in his voice, Dani's tone remained soft as she asked, "Who made you this way?... Who hurt you enough to turn you into the man you are right now? Because I'm having a very hard time believing you were just born with darkness in your heart."
Henry's eyes softened for a split second before his hardened demeanor returned. "I owe you no explanation for who I am. If you can't accept that I'm pure evil, that's your problem," he said and turned around to walk away.
"I've seen it, you know," he paused in his step at the sound of her voice, "It was the final day of the trial when they announced how long your sentence would be. I could see it in your eyes that you were afraid."
His body immediately tensed up at the word.
"Monsters aren't afraid of anything. They have no weaknesses," Dani continued to say. "But you obviously do, and that's what makes you different. So no, I don't fully think that you're a monster. And no, I don't believe that there is only darkness in your heart."
"You don't even know me," Henry said in a hardened tone as he slowly turned around to face her. "So how could you possibly believe that?"
"Because you said it yourself that you had feelings for me...I've seen it with my own eyes. No one who's purely evil would ever put in the effort to have real love in their lives."
Henry tilted his head with an unreadable emotion in his eyes. "Ah yes," he said. "My feelings for you."
A strange feeling emerged in Dani's gut as he began to take slow steps towards her.
"Those same feelings you so bravely used against me."
Her body tensed as she was quickly reminded of that night at the barn and mumbled, "I...I.."
Henry's eyebrows raised with slight amusement. "Wolf got your tongue, Little Red?" he asked as he stood in front of her.
"I did have romantic feelings for you, that I will admit, but I will never make that same mistake again," Dani's gaze fell to the floor before she was forced to look into his eyes as he tilted her chin up, "Love is a fool's game, Little Red. And it is one I no longer wish to play. So as I said before, there is no purity in my soul. I simply do things for the fun of doing them."
"I'm sorry for what I did to you, okay? I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry," Dani found herself saying as he still held her chin between his fingers.
Henry narrowed his eyes as he examined her features before he let go of her chin with a scoff. "You expect me to believe that? When just a few nights ago, you were declaring war with me?"
Dani looked at him in shock, which caused him to raise an eyebrow.
"Yes, I can hear your thoughts, Little Red. Especially when they're about me," he answered the unasked question.
"H...How-"
"Is that possible?" he cut her off with a smirk. "This is my game now, my little beauty. Which means we play by my rules."
Tears formed in Dani's eyes as she said, "Please...If you want me, you can take me, but just please don't hurt my family."
A mocking pout formed on Henry's lips as he tilted his head and asked, "And where would the fun be in that, hm?"
"Henry, please!! Please, I don't want to lose anyone-"
"And I didn't want to lose my life," he cut her off with a shrug. "But here we are."
Dani's features hardened into a glare as she looked him in the eyes and said, "I hate you!! Why don't you just go rot in Hell where you belong?!"
A loud gasp left her mouth as Henry's hand wrapped around her throat and lifted her off the ground. Her fingers clawed desperately at his to relieve any of the horrible pressure he had placed on her as she stared at him with wide, tearful eyes.
"Let's make one thing clear, Little Red," Henry said through gritted teeth. "I don't care what your feelings for me are anymore. I've had my heart broken one time too many, and I'd be damned if I had it broken again by the likes of you. So you can plead all you want to for your pathetic little friends and family, but it will do you no good. I will come out on top. And I will be taking down any of those who dare try to stand in my way. Do you understand?"
A broken sob slipped past Dani's lips as Henry growled and slammed her against the wall.
"Do you understand me, Little Red?" he asked again.
"Yes," she cried. "Yes, I...I understand."
Tears rolled down Dani's cheeks as Henry's lips curved up into a smirk. "Excellent," he said. "Now, wake up."
As soon as her body dropped down to the floor, her head started to spin as the world around her turned completely white.