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FIFTY-NINE | WOODLAND
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She Runs with Wolves SIXTY | IMAGINE
I stepped out of the shower, following my normal routine, and my feet sank into the plush bath mat. I turned, without conscious thought, to face the mirror. As I was raising my hand to wipe the condensation away, I stilled.I didn’t want to see the fox again. Seeing it in my own reflection had scared me the most. The one I’d seen in the woods earlier could easily have scampered away; it could have been real. The one in the mirror looked like it was real, though, and that was the problem.I’d never been scared of anything as a human. But, I supposed, I’d never had to deal with anything actually scary before. This was new territory for me – for all of us – and with that in mind I left the bathroom mirror behind, still steamy, still unusable.For the first time since I’d been turned, I was grateful that I couldn’t feel the cold. The dress I’d picked out for tonight was slinky and short, and, though I was going to layer a jacket over the top of it, it would undoubtedly still leave me too c
She Runs with Wolves SIXTY-ONE | COCOON
“What was that all about?” Kathrena hissed, once we were seated in my truck.Kathrena looked stunning, in a simple calf-length green dress that shimmered softly in the dim cabin light. Her black bob was neat, her dark skin was dewy, and she’d slicked eyeliner on in wings that gave her a mysterious cat-eye.I shrugged, my jacket sliding down my shoulder. “He wanted to make amends,” I said, raising my eyebrows. “I think I’ve upset him. We used to spend so much time together, but now, with you, and with Skye, and with school, and all of this research – well, let’s just say that Falmer hasn’t been at the top of my list of priorities.”“That’s understandable,” Kathrena sighed. “I feel like everything has changed this year.” She shifted uncomfortably as we pulled out of the driveway. “I never liked being this way before,
She Runs with Wolves SIXTY-TWO | SENIOR PARTY (PART 1)
The clearing was teeming with people, all of whom were – thankfully – dressed similarly to Kathrena and I. There were a lot of skimpy dresses, full flares and crop tops, all of which were paired with huge, warm coats and boots that looked ready to face off a mountain, rather than attend a high school party.I felt a pang in my chest as I looked around, watching everyone – the humans – interact with one another. Hawthorn was exactly the kind of town I’d imagined settling down in, one day, filled with interesting people and quaint traditions. There were thick bulb lights strung over our heads, wrapped around branches and dangling between trees. They cast golden light through the leaves, which filtered down and dappled the forest floor. There were tables dotted around the woodland, too, covered with red cups and beer cans, some unopened, some empty, and one had been set up for beer pong at the far edge of the clearing, on what appeared to be the flattest bit of ground.There was music pl
She Runs with Wolves SIXTY-THREE | SENIOR PARTY (PART 2)
“You – you what?” I stammered, keeping my voice as quiet as I could over the pounding, rhythmic music. “I don’t understand.”“Don’t lie to me, Ellis,” she hissed, her tearful eyes narrowing. “Grandma Rosie told me. She felt your hand, Ellis, and she told me what you are.”“Wait a minute,” I said, utterly confused, now. “What did your Grandma Rosie say, exactly?”Rowan rolled her eyes at me, though the smudge of mascara beneath her right eye considerably lessened the effect. “That you’re the one who attacked Toby.”“Woah,” I hissed, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her further into the woods. “Rowan, I promise you, I didn’t. I’m your friend, Rowan, and every part of that friendship is real for me. I would never hurt Toby, or you.”&ldqu
She Runs with Wolves SIXTY-FOUR | SENIOR PARTY (PART 3)
My eyes widened, and I span around, gesturing wildly but silently at Skye. He frowned at me, confused, and then I heard a thud.It sounded heavy, meaty, and then: “Alfie?”I launched myself towards Danny, sprinting through the dark, damp foliage as fast as I could. There was something else in the wood, something faster, black on black, a shadow of a shadow, and then there was another, terrible thud.“Danny?” I whispered, trembling. I put my arm out to steady myself – the darkness was too thick, I couldn’t see – and then I screamed.I was leaning on a white birch tree, and, just below my hand, was a tar-like smear that looked like a handprint.Then my eyes adjusted, and, face down in the dirt, were two bodies. Danny, and, I assumed Alfie. My hands flew to my eyes, desperate to shut out the image. I couldn’t deal with another –
She Runs with Wolves SIXTY-FIVE | DREAMSCAPE
Though Aradia was, for all intents and purposes, to the outside world, my mother, I was in the fortunate position of being able to put my own phone number down when the police officer cornered Skye, Rowan, and I as we were leaving the senior party.“You three were the ones that saw it, yes? The ones that called it in?” She’d asked impatiently, one hand on her hip.We’d nodded slowly. I’d struggled to comprehend why they’d ask that. The monster had got away, Danny and Alfie were in an ambulance, and we’d failed. I’d failed.Rowan, seemingly exhausted from finding Kathrena, had shrunk against my side.“I called it in,” Skye said, and I’d never felt acute relief at hearing someone else take charge of a situation before. Sweet, shy Skye had spoken, and, though his voice had wobbled with emotion, he’d stood up straight and looked the
She Runs with Wolves SIXTY-SIX | SAL AND GRIFF
The police station was on the outskirts of town, and was set against the forest in a miserable grey block building, with a faded sign over the electric front doors. It looked like an afterthought in an otherwise beautifully constructed town, and even less fitting than the suburban houses that ringed around the old English centre.It looked like the sort of place that people went into, and never came back out of.I rolled my truck into an empty space – of which there were a surprising number, though it was a Sunday, after all, and Hawthorn, despite the recent attacks, still wasn’t exactly a bustling city with a new crime to report every hour. The drizzle didn’t help the muted grey exterior, and I slunk inside, my hood pulled up over my head to keep the rain off my face and hair. I wondered where Skye’s little car was – I couldn’t see it anywhere, even though his slot had been right before mine.
She Runs with Wolves SIXTY-SEVEN | GREY AND GREEN
I passed Rowan on my way to the car park. She, like Skye, had dark bags under her eyes, and with her pale complexion, and probable hangover, they looked deeper and darker than his had. She smiled at me, a nervous, questioning smile, and I offered her one of the same kind back.We had a lot to talk about before we could be friends – real friends – again. This time, I knew, there would be no lies, and no deceit. Amongst all of the pain, and all of the fear, and all of my regret, I couldn’t help but feel a shock of glee at the thought of having a real friend again. It had been years since I’d been able to be so open with anyone, and part of me – tucked beneath everything I was holding back – there was a glimmer of hope.Falmer had been my only friend for the last four years, and I would be eternally grateful to him for that. But I was changing – I could feel it in myself, with every new day, and every new challenge, every new threat that I faced – and his brand of lazy sarcasm didn’t suit
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