Chapter IV

“For Death holds no hands to take.”

_____

Ceberus felt suspended in time.

Cocooned like an infant, he was in and out of consciousness, there was so much warmth wrapped around him, he felt content and safe.

Ceberus never knew such an experience was obtainable, he wanted to stay forever, to feel such gentle caress from within, he should have known death was kind.

Sometimes he could feel someone’s thoughts invading his peaceful mind. He never minded it though, it was always pleasant, an unspoken conversation that never took place.

He could always feel her, always just her. There was no humming or a sweet melody. There was just a flow of wholeness, oftentimes he could imagine sleeping with somebody their body pressed against him.

Time would pass by in a blur.

Ceberus started to wake up more often. He didn’t like that, he wanted to stay where he was, always trying to fight back, always wanting to sleep a little more.

But as more time passed, slumber would not come and his body would feel restless, bad memories would often come one by one until it was whole. Anger would bloom deep within, he did not like those nightmares, he didn’t want to remember, and when anger turned to rage he would feel her presence soothing him, reassuring him.

And it was a cycle that was getting worse.

He would try to cling to her but she was pushing him, as if gently prying his body off of her. Ceberus could feel that she meant that it was almost time for him to go. He dreaded it.

Such lovely feelings would be missed.

Soon Ceberus would feel a gentle breeze brushing a small part of his skin. This time he was waking up.

...

Ceberus felt groggy.

Blinking he tried to rub his eyes but was unable to move. He looked down and found thick roots and vines wrapped around him. Struggling he tried wiggling his arms off, and ever so slowly the roots and vines started to let him go.

After giving himself time he tried standing up but with feeling such unsteadiness he collapse in his knees, his arms catching his fall. Then Ceberus realized two things. One, he was staring at an old dusty wooden floor, moonlight from the broken ceiling casting him a small spotlight. Two, his left arm was made of wood.

He stretched his estranged arm. It had looked like a dark wooden prosthetic, and yet it had felt like his real arm, flexing his hand he could feel his muscles working, he touched his face. There was no sense of touch in his new arm and yet it was fully functional, he could feel it grasping his face. What was this arm, he questioned?

Small leaves had grown in random parts of his arm, it was as if it was made out of a tree, bark-covered the outer layer of his arm.

He glanced behind him, finally noticing a giant tree, a willow tree.

It’s thick leaves a shower of curtains, covering the broken interior of the cabin he was in. He felt drawn to such a massive tree, it was unlike any other tree he had seen, it was massive, it was as tall as a three-story house.

He felt drawn to it. A magnetic pull urging him towards it. Subconsciously standing up with unsteady feet he went near it, touching its trunk, he could feel it was alive,

‘She’s sleeping.” Ceberus thought.

He knew it was a woman, the tree itself was sleeping, warm and in slumber. He had a feeling he was inside the tree. His instincts told him that he was inside of her not long ago.

He was confused.

Ceberus looked around the run-down cabin, leaves, and dust were everywhere. He noticed the open area as a small kitchen and a living room, small old drawings were pinned amongst the walls, looking behind the tree and opening its curtains of leaves he noticed 3 rooms, the first one was at the end of the small hallway, an old fashion bathroom, it’s a door wide open and dark, to the sides of the hallway he noticed two rooms across from each other, he went inside the left bedroom, the first thing he had noticed was the broken window, stepping forwards to his right was an old bunker bed, to its left was three cabinets, partially opened, clothes were strewn everywhere. He assessed the mess he picked up some old vintage dress, Ceberus assumed it had belonged to two siblings judging by the male clothes as well. Glancing, he went near the nightstand below the window. A smashed photo was laying across, three small figures were standing outside the cabin. He tried to make out the figures but it was blurry, from the weather it had been exposed, and yet he could see the willow tree inside, it hadn’t been as big as now but judging from the photo the cabin had been built around it.

Ceberus heard a wooden creak, he went outside the room slightly glancing at the room across, a dusted, neat bedroom, it had looked unused. Cautiously he went towards the noise from the living room, his eyes subconsciously morphing to its Lycan form, his hands turning into claws, he felt a small predator, it growled. Coming besides the tree he noticed at the far corner a small nest, a female wolf growling at him, three little pups beneath their mother barely minding the scene that had slightly unfolded, their mother bearing its fangs to the Lycan.

He huffed.

Shifting back and ignoring such a small animal.

His hands subconsciously caressing the willow tree as he went outside.

The first thing he saw was a body of water. A river. Separating him and the unknown forest in front of him.

...

Heavy footsteps creaked the floor as Ceberus stood up, he licked Lycan's hands. He had brought his kill inside the cabin to feast, sitting beside the willow tree. He went towards the river to wash off the blood.

It had been months since he stayed in this form, waking up from the awful nightmares, still remembering how helpless he felt as he couldn’t shift. He had woken up roaring and shifted his hands clutching his throat. The trauma of being powerless was almost consuming him and he had thought it was best to stay in his beastly form.

In this form all he could feel was the constant rage and betrayal, it was consuming him.

As the blood slowly washed off from his fur he looked at his left arm, bare from fur yet shifted with sharp barks, it was such a deadly weapon.

Looking back towards the cabin, he had decided to stay, he couldn’t leave even though he had thirsted for blood, drawn towards the tree he was worshiping he had decided to guard it, his animal side always on alert for the tree. He had made his cabin his home, cleaned it as best he could, and even tried repairing the cabin itself as he was afraid it would collapse on the tree and yet Ceberus never once slept on the beds, always sleeping beside the tree.

He had notice something growing on its trunk, a smooth bump that was a size of a person’s face, worrying that it was a parasite he had tried to gently claw it off, but deep green liquid had ooze out, he had gotten scared, afraid of hurting the tree and decided to let it be,

That night he had slept on the roots of the willow. Restless he couldn’t shake the feeling of violence inside of him, his beast growling and twitching, he wanted blood, he glanced back from where he stood pressing his face on the tree as if telling her he would come back, he ran.

He needed to release such anger.

...

Ceberus woke up beside the tree, he didn’t know how he got there, he had blacked out from all the rage and seeing red as he massacred any living thing in front of him, it had been a few days, the animal side of him took over and likely went back to their cabin, he groggily stretched his limbs like a wolf, shaking his fur he went towards the water to wash off the crusted blood. Ceberus came back after cleaning himself the best he could.

He looked towards the tree. Startled at what he saw.

There on the trunk where the smooth bump had formed was a face. A beautiful face.

Her skin matching the dark willow tree, thick green eyelashes that framed her sleeping eyes, elegant nose, her lips thick and luscious. He could see the swirls that resembled wood on her skin, she looked like she was a beautiful mannequin face, carved from the tree.

Mesmerized, he went close to the beautiful face, he touched her cheek with his knuckles, gently caressing her cheek with fascination.

Her lips parting slightly from his touch as she sighed in contentment.

He pulled his hand off of her.

He watched as she half-opened her eyes letting him get a glimpse of greenery within. Smiling she went back to her deep slumber.