Chapter 3

My Forever Man 3

What Just Happened?

                I remembered the nights events clearly. I remember the car crashing, the noise from the impact. The way it felt to fly out of my seat, the sensation of flying. I don’t remember any pain. With a crash like that were was the pain. I should be in pain. Even good pain meds would still leave me with some pain. I know my eyes are closed. I must be sleeping. I felt warm and cozy, and I was laying on my side curled in a ball of comfort. I bet I’m in a hospital, I thought to myself. We must have been rescued from the accident. I slowly gave a stretch. I extended my arms up and legs out straight and gave my body a big stretch. I felt my back pop in pleasure. My muscles felt fine, great actually. I waited for pain to hit me. I’m sure I was hurt. I flew out of the car, I’m sure of it. I reached to pull the blanket up higher on my body so I could continue to sleep. But There wasn’t a blanket, just my clothes. What? I’m sure I was cozy and warm under a blanket. I moved my other hand from where it rested under my head and rolled to my back.

                I reached my arms to the side of me, what is this? My fingers felt around me, and it felt warm, slightly moist and like grass, was I laying on grass. I slowly opened my eyes. It was bright out; very bright the sun stung my eyes and I closed them immediately. I rubbed my eyes with the backs of my hands and tried to open them slowly again. This time I used my hand to shield my eyes from the brightness. Turning my head to the side my other hand fingered the soft grass. Why am I laying on grass? I rolled back to my side and tried to sit up. Propping myself on my elbow I looked at my surroundings. Sitting up fully I took it all in. Tall trees, very wide and tall trees. They looked like pine trees maybe oak and birch. I’m not a tree expert. But this looked like a forest. I was in a flat soft area of grass, surrounded by small bushes ferns and flowers, they were dotted among the tall verity of trees.

                It must have been mid-day. It was very warm and humid. I tugged off my coat. The grass felt cool on my fingers, and I unconsciously rubbed my fingers through the grass. Where the hell was I. Ohio was cold and snowing. Even the closest wooded area would have snow on the ground. I knew we crashed. I know it was winter and cold. So why was I in a forest where it was warm. I felt no pain. After a crash like that I should have had a few broken bones and head trauma. I’m sure I flew through the windshield.

                Son of a bitch I thought to myself. I’m dead. This must be heaven. I died and went to heaven. How else could you explain what happened. I started to laugh hysterically. My voice echoed through the forest. I’m dead and my heaven was a warm forest. At least it’s not a beach. I hate the beach. I had the sudden thought of my friends, the driver. What happened to them, did they live? I hopped they were ok. I didn’t want them to die. It was my birthday, and it would be my fault if they died with me. I don’t know how long I sat there on the warm ground, but I did. I’m dead I felt no need to move. Where were the angels, shouldn’t I be talking to Saint Peter, having my deeds judged? I was alone. All I could hear were the sounds of birds and insects, and the wind gently blowing through the trees.

                I decided to stay where I was. If Saint Peter wanted me, he could come find me. Why would they send someone who died to the middle of the woods? There should be a guide or signs to follow. I wasn’t even mad that I died. At least it’s warm and beautiful here. I just hopped my friends made it.

                Time passed. I don’t know how much but the sun was moving, it might have been late mid-day. I had moved over to one of the trees to sit up against some time ago. I picked wildflowers and made myself a crown of purple and yellow. I went to heaven in the clothes from last night, I still had my coat with me, I had on my boots and my red glittery shirt. I didn’t have my purse or my cellphone. Maybe they were lost from the crash. Or maybe you only went to heaven with the clothes on your back. I suddenly felt bad for anyone who died naked. I hoped they didn’t stay that way and Saint Peter gave them heavenly robes, or something. I was getting bored. I hoped I wouldn’t be alone forever, then I might be in hell, there was no way I could spend eternity alone, even if it was in this beautiful forest.

                The sun was setting, and it was getting cooler out. I hoped it didn’t get too cold. I put my coat back on and leaned into the tree more. I stayed out of the wind using the tree as a shield. I was getting hungry and thirsty. I thought those feeling would leave when you were dead. Maybe I had to still eat and drink in heaven. I figured if that’s the case and Saint Peters didn’t show up to guide me to where I’m supposed to be by morning I would start walking and try to find something to drink and eat. Throughout the day I had seen bird and a few squirrels. Even some bugs. I just figured heaven was detailed down to the moss on the stones.

                Once darkness fell, I was getting worried. Maybe this wasn’t heaven, and I was in purgatory. It was so dark that the only thing that gave light was the moon which was full. But the treetops were thick enough to block out most of the moon light. I was starving and so thirsty now. Every so often my stomach grumbled from emptiness. My lips were chapped from lack of water. I couldn’t see so it wasn’t safe to move while it was so dark. I pulled my coat tighter around me and tried to get some sleep. It wasn’t too cool out. I wasn’t going to freeze, thank the lord for that anyways.

                I jolted awake when I heard a wolfs howl. It sounded like it was far away, but it was close enough to scare me. Do wolves attack in heaven or purgatory? What if it was hell and this was my torment? To be killed and eaten by wolves every night to be repeated over and over. Just like Prometheus. Zeus punished him because he stole fire and gave it to humans, his punishment was to be chained to a rock and everyday an eagle came to eat his liver. What if my torment was to be alone in the woods to be eaten my wolves? I shivered at the thought of that. There was another howl that broke my morbid thoughts. Then another, wait were they communicating? It sounds like there were several wolves. I couldn’t see there was no way I could run, I would trip. I guarantee I would trip, the blonds in movies always met their end when they ran. They always ended up tripping and getting caught and killed. Nope I was safer doing what they didn’t do in movies.

I was staying right here next to this tree. I froze in place, If I didn’t move, they couldn’t see me. Right? No, I was getting my facts mixed up. Wolves don’t hunt by movement they hunt by sight and smell. I think. My best bet was to stay still until the sun came up.

                Time passed, slow but I had no way to tell how much time passed. The moon was covered by the trees and clouds. I couldn’t sleep, the howls were getting closer and circling around me. Dawn was getting closer. I could make out the outlines of the trees and I could see the faint gold glow in the distance. I think I dozed off for a little bit, but I was again jolted awake when I could hear feet or paws making pitter-patting sounds on the soft earth. Twigs and fallen leaves cracked here and there. They were close. I opened my eyes slowly and not ten feet away stood a large very large black wolf. He just sat there looking at me. I heard a noise off to my right, there was a brown wolf on that side. I just knew there would be one to my left. Sure, enough I turned that way and another brown wolf stood there. None moved so neither did I. Several minutes passed. I think they were accessing me. Maybe they weren’t here to eat me. Maybe they are smarter than regular wolves. A hybrid? I did the first thing I could think of. I asked the black wolf a question.

“Are you Saint Peter? Here to collect my soul?” I asked. The wolf cocked his head to the side in a cute puppy dog movement. The two wolves to my sides made a laughing snickering noise. Were wolves capable of making such noise? The black wolf just kept staring at me. The three of them took to sitting on their hunches, this went on for probably ten minutes. By now the sun was up enough for me to see all of them clearly. Steam started to rise from the ground, the sun was warming up the moisture from the night leaving a low fog hovering just over the ground. We seemed to be in a standoff.

“What do you want?” I questioned the big black wolf. I asked him because he was the largest. That meant he must have been in charge. Laws of the forest 101.

“Look if you’re going to eat me, just do it already.” I yelled at him. That wolf rolled his eyes. I can’t believe I saw a wolf roll his eyes. He stood up and calmly walked away. But the other two were still at my sides, just sitting there. The black wolf trotted behind a few trees and seemed to disappear. After a few minutes a good-looking man appeared in nothing but gray sweatpants. I was suddenly reminded of all those Tic-Toc videos of men in gray sweatpants, with the V-lines. I started to blush at the sight. He had jet black curly locks and the bluest eyes I have ever seen. He just stood there with a smirk on his face. I couldn’t help but smile back at him. I’ve never seen a man look so yummy, and he was. But I wasn’t scared. Why wasn’t I scared? I should have been because he was super sus appearing out of nowhere like that.

“You’re a werewolf. I must have died, and now I’m in hell.” I nodded as I deadpanned.

“I can assure you that you are very much alive, and this is not hell. But why are you on my territory?” He asked me. I sat there with my mouth hanging open. The two wolves on the sides of me moved closer and I jumped in my spot at their sudden movement.

“Nope, I died. I must have died in that car accident last night, and now I’m in hell or purgatory or somewhere else. And there is no way that you can be real. Werewolves only exist in fiction books.” I told him. He took several steps closer to me. I was able to see him more clearly, his body screamed power, his muscles were large and rippled. He had the darkest black eye lashes I have ever seen on a man. He looked like a world champion body builder but sexy and not gross with steroid induced muscles. He got close enough to crouch down in front of me. He was at my level now. He smelled so good; like cedar and testosterone.

“Who are you? And where did you come from?” he asked me in a stern tone and masculine voice.

“My name is Emma. I’m from Ohio.” I told him looking him straight in the eyes and smiling politely, like I was at a job interview. He raised his eyebrow at me and then looked at each one of his wolf friends.

“Look I don’t understand what’s going on but last night I was in a car accident a bad one. I must have died. How else would you explain me being here? I don’t even know where here is.” I said to him in frustration. Waving my arms around as an exaggerated example.

“You are in Strophan. That’s the name of my territory. I have never heard of Ohio, and I don’t know what this car thing is.” He said, narrowing his eyes. And I was now puzzled. Where the hell is Strophan. “You are not a werewolf. What are you, some type of fairy, or witch?” he asked me. I couldn’t help it, but I started to laugh. I laughed so hard tears dripped from my eyes.

“You’re kidding, right?” I asked him sarcastically rolling my own eyes. He shook his head. My mouth closed and I stopped laughing and started to cry for real.

“You say I’m not dead and I’m not in hell, but in a world I’ve never heard of? And you think I’m a witch or a fairy? But I’m just a human.” I said stuttering with tears pouring out of my eyes.

“There are no Humans here anymore.” He said. “My name is Delmor, King Delmor and this is my land, and you are now my prisoner.”

“Prisoner? Are you going to kill me? I don’t want