I face them all, water dripping from my nose and chin, pleading with a resolve I didn't know I had. "Please," I say softly, but it soon becomes more than a word. It grows beyond that, beyond me and anything I could hope to accomplish. I can feel the desperation emanating from that one word, watch the word fade from my ear but grow in its deliverance. And as I watch in amazement, everything seems to come out of the well.
I could see everything, every emotion coming together to form a strange essence that rose higher and higher. It shines with a thousand lights to fight the darkness, a life that embraces the land of the dead.
A smile graces my lips as suddenly the collective dissipates, flying almost at lightning speed to all the edges of the glades. I can see the Shifters becoming visibly brighter, as if they themselves had received a breath of life. Very slowly, they begin to disappear, fading into the depths of the trees.
He sighs and pulls another small fruit from his bag. "Don't make me come get you." Tugging on the fruit's shell, he waves the treat toward my face.Almost robotically, I walk beside him and slide to the ground. "Good girl," he smiles, patting my head. My hand automatically rises to drop his hand, but the warm feeling that accompanies his gesture makes it stop just short of doing so.He starts laughing again. Why is this crazy kid in such a good mood? I've never seen someone laugh so hard in such a short time. "What's up? You decided to be nice to me today?" he teases me, tapping my forehead with his finger. It stings really bad, and I give him the worst glare I can muster."That wasn't the plan," I mutter, reaching for the fruit as my stomach lets out a particularly embarrassing growl that echoes through the cave. My expression turns to anger as he pulls his arm out of my reach."Let me feed you," he
He doesn't answer me, looking out solemnly. I turn, leaning into his embrace. We sit in silence, watching the thunder gradually diminish as the storm gets further and further away. Even though I'm in one of the strangest circumstances I've ever experienced in my life, I don't feel very nervous or scared anymore."Let's rest," Xavier finally says as he gently loosens his grip on me. A strange sense of loss swells in my chest.He quickly grabs the shirts and places them on top of me. "Use this as a pillow." The backpack is pushed into my arms. Within seconds, I'm officially ready for bed."Okay, before you go to sleep," he says slowly, "solemnly swear that you are not going to try to murder me in my sleep and run away."I stare at him without blinking in response. This is probably the most viable option for me if I intend to get out of this whole mess. But something tells me that not only do I not have
My eyes open quickly and I inspect my surroundings. The shirts from the previous night are strewn about the cave, the fire nothing but cold ashes. From what I can tell, the sky is still full of low fog and thick mist, the rain having retreated far to the horizon. I can't really see the sun, if there even is one in this world, only the gray darkness.With a grace I didn't know I had, I slowly stood up and made my way to the mass of clothes at my side, careful not to shake the rope that bound my ankle. Shivers ran down my body and I shivered as the wind brushed my neck. My clothes are still pretty wet, but not as soaked as last night. I take my long flowing shirt and spin it around, shaking off the excess water, and tie it around my waist like a makeshift skirt. There's no way I'm putting on these soaked pants, especially with this stupid rope to ruin things.Xavier stirs in his sleep, scaring me with the disturbance of his breathing. I inwardly beg him not to wake up. Preferably never.
Instantly regretting the action after a brief recognition of the pain in Xavier's features, I turn around to face out and immediately begin to run. My stomach roars with need, but I don't want to turn around and retrieve the fruit. If I turn around, I could lose it all in his eyes. I could feel that same indescribable desire that drives me crazy.Somehow, I just know that something about him is different. Different from the rest of my stalkers in this desperate world, different from my past memories and present emotions. It's a hard thing for me to describe, quite honestly, because I can't even begin to understand it myself. In this case, the word "different" must take on a myriad of implications and interpretations to reflect the chaos that is erupting in my own heart. I feel hatred, yet I feel an undeniable attraction. I want to slap him and stroke his cheek. But for the other people I've met here... nothing bothers me.I think maybe what I'm so afraid of is the intensity of my feel
"Yeah, these are the only living bushes we've found here," Yi said thoughtfully, "they only seem to grow around water sources.""Yeah, Ray said something about that. I wonder if these are plants that are simply attracted to water, or if there's some other reason for their location." I walk over to the plant, examining the roots and stems."Even though this is a forest, it's really the only part we've seen so far that looks truly alive," Ray comments, his feet gripping the gray grass as he approaches. "Isn't it weird that everything looks so gray here, like we just walked into a picture book? Even these stems and leaves on the plant have a grayish tint.I have to admit that Ray is right. The veins of the leaves are a deep gray, as if the very essence of this world is contained within them. Touching the leaves with my hand, I wince as a sharp edge slices through my skin. "What the fuck?" I mutter as the bright red pulses from my brand new wound on my thumb. It's throbbing, leading me to
"What next?" asks Ray, looking around at all our faces. We look back, as unaware as he is. There is silence between us, and not even the sounds of insects or birds can be heard. I fidget nervously in my seat on the dark gray rock."We need to find Wes and Jake," Xavier finally says with an authoritative tone, "I'm sure they're around here somewhere.""So far, everyone has been found within the same ten mile radius. Maybe scouting the rest of this area will prove fruitful," Danae said calculatingly, staring at a notebook in her hand. "We still have a lot we haven't covered.""I say we look for water," I said sharply. "There is only so much food near this tiny little pond, no matter how full the fruit is. And if on this trip we find Wes and Jake, so much the better. If we don't, we can always go back and look for them with a significantly higher chance of survival on both sides." I can see Yi and Griffin nodding after my suggestion. Xavier just looks at me with displeasure."I think Mon
We trekked for endless days and short nights. It seems at first that every step leads to deliverance, but when I lose that hope towards the evenings, it seems that we are only getting further away from our goals. We try to rest, but I am too anxious. So far we have seen nothing and no one except the Shifters.Even them I see only once or twice, and only at a glance, as if they were trying to hide us. It's strangely disconcerting to see the Shifters running from us, as if we were the bad guys in all of this. I guess from their perspective, we can be.To try to pass the time by walking and running, I've been practicing making weapons. After many experiments, I realized that weapons will not hurt tangible people, but will affect the world around us. I was afraid to try it before, but now I realize that it is necessary both for our survival and for an even higher purpose that none of us realize yet. Already I have a feeling in my heart that we are meant to travel to the water, because the
I have no thoughts. I feel a feeling - probably - but it's too hard for me to describe, extending beyond words and expressions.Xavier is kissing me, and I never thought it would be such a pleasant day.... good.Good is a pretty overused term, used to explain tons of different emotions and placed in many contexts, but in this case the word should be considered as a simple placeholder for a reality so indefinable that I wish it would last forever. Something so strange and beautiful loses its impact through communication, which is true for many things, and can only be delivered through experience.It's almost like the time I was a little girl and my parents took me to the beach for the first and last time in my life. I remember standing there, my feet sinking into the pure white sand, marveling at the magnificence that surrounded me. I could feel the hint of salt on my tongue, the wind caressing my little body. The sun cast its glow over me, making me feel like an angel bathed in holy l
I don't even know when I woke up, but it feels like someone just flipped the switch and freed me from the state I was in. Because the last thing I remember is falling into the pit of death and now I'm sitting in a patch of grass, staring up at the terribly blue sky.Blue sky. It's bright today. Almost too bright for the...Wait. Is it?I feel the grass on my fingertips, the soft rustling breeze tickling my nose. Am I really back in the real world?I jump to my feet, looking around in the forest, hoping to spot another human being. Anyone who can confirm that this is my new reality. I hope... the one I want to see the most.Yes, this is the real world.I shudder, looking both ways in a frantic attempt to find the source of the whisper. It is the same voice that has followed me in my dreams and throughout my quest. "Who are you?" I called. "Show yourself!"Nothing happens at first, then something around me changes in a flash. The air be
"He's still Ray. Trust me. He's just...slightly different. And a lot older than you think. But I have to destroy this jewel and crown to fulfill the prophecy, and Ray said he had to be cast into the chasm of eternal darkness that surrounds us. The Shifters aren't all bad either. You've seen the ones hidden in the forest.Xavier surveys his surroundings, his gaze cold and calculating. "So, what happens to us? You throw it away, the red stone is destroyed...""Well, the Shifters will be able to pass judgment. Werewolves will cease to exist as we know them. I still don't know what that means. Xavier's face crinkles as I speak the words of fate, and his hands leave the crown to wrap around my body."Are you saying that you were essentially going to leave me forever without giving me a chance to say goodbye? After everything I said to you last night? He asks fervently, his breath incredibly close to my ear. I find myself trembling under the threat of indecision.
Murmurs of judgment.The winds howl in the night, but I am not afraid. I am stronger than anything this world has to offer. She gives me strength... and hope.I lean against a tree, bereft of all my energy. Breaths are a commonplace for my species, but I need them... to keep my identity. To exist rather than fade away into the endless haze.There is no blood here. There are no tears or anger, no happiness or laughter. We are only shells, but we still have hope to live. She must come soon, or I will collapse into the emptiness of this world.I know she will send me on my way to deliverance.My eyes flutter and I wake up to the roar of the wind. I wonder why I'm not shaking, then I quickly recognize the warmth of the man right next to me. It's so nice here. I could stay here... forever...I want to say I'm sorry, but I can't form the words.I mean you don't have to do it, but I can't form the words.Be
Ray begins to speak, weaving a story about how the Shifters dragged him into a dungeon and kept him there, feeding him sparingly. I turn away from his story, paying attention only to the werewolves. They look so strong and determined, but beaten and bruised as this world takes its toll. Not a smile is to be found as the pack listens to Ray, and I realize that true joy is long gone. There is relief - that Ray is okay and back in the pack - but also distrust and suspicion. When did we fall apart at the seams, collapsing into the darkness of our fate?Frightened by my own thoughts, my hand unconsciously wraps around Xavier's arm in an attempt to forget. Having the bandage wrapped around our problems and the singularity of predestined purpose so that I don't have to look at it anymore.Probably puzzled by my movement, Xavier gives me a quick glance. His hair grows longer, cascading over his eyes and down his neck. I feel the urge to push it aside, but I hold back as he tur
I stare at the man before me, my fingers tightening on the crown until my fingertips turn white. My knees buckle as a weight as strong as an avalanche hits my shoulders. I can't tell the reality of it, but right now it doesn't seem to matter. In my delirium, I try to form his name with my lips.The man yells something and starts to run towards me. I feel my body slip as the rocky bottom turns into an eternal void. The weight drags me into the abyss, burying my vision in the darkness. I don't have time to think or even breathe, but my descent seems to happen in slow motion, my arms flailing without command or control. And all the while I'm looking through a camera lens, helpless as a glass wall separates me from my body and reality.Until arms encircle my shoulders, taking me up into an unfathomable heat. The familiar smell disarms me and my eyes blink as I begin to realize what's happening. He has returned. He has found me.I had almost forgotten his face and to
"And now fate says I have to try to kill you... and I can't!" He whispers desperately, slowly tilting his head forward and resting in my lap. "Because you deserve to live, just like the Shifters deserve to be sent back until the day of reckoning. They have waited too long."He looks up at me and his eyes flicker between green and red, involuntarily reflecting his will. "Ray...please tell me what will happen if I fulfill the prophecy."There is silence for a minute as he collects himself. Looking at me, he stands up firmly from his position. "The werewolves, the Shifters, and this world will cease to exist as you know it. The Shifters will be able to move on to judgment and will no longer wreak havoc on the outside world. The werewolves... will be without purpose. You will live. I'm sure you will... because you are tangible, unlike the rest of this world."What are you saying?!" I cry, standing up too. I walk over to him and grab his arms. "You're tangible too. Y
It was hard to go back to my realm. When I did, I went straight to my huge crystal ball to see the Earth and learn more about it. I became obsessed, and for hours I scoured the ends of the Earth for any kind of new curiosity that might strike. But at the same time, I did it with a lot of guilt. Because I knew the prophecy. I knew the wishes of fate. And when the framework is laid out, all you can do is build on it and look down, wishing and hoping for the impossible."I knew, but I was watching, watching the world, watching the Shifters swell with sadness, love, pain and fear. Many more went to join the others, drawn by the sweet promises offered by the Earth. As this progressed, I noticed that the Shifters on Earth had changed. They were becoming wild, dissatisfied with the taste of a certain feeling but wanted it all. Those who stayed in our realm began to be more satisfied with their portions than those who left, staying full for longer periods of time. The Shifters on Ear
"This castle is ancient anyway," Ray says, completely ignoring my question. Looking straight ahead, he walks toward a pair of doors and then stops.I almost ask him why he's being so evasive, but the sight before my eyes prevents me from doing so. Speechless, I examine the narrow hallway, with gold-encrusted stone walls and floors covered with a luxurious blood-red carpet. At the end of the hallway is a magnificent set of doors, engraved with many strange designs."What is this..." I murmur in wonder, staring at the carpet and shaking my foot in it. My feet seem to sink into its luxurious depths as I imagine myself falling on it and flying off."This is the most sacred area of the castle. Everything in this world comes from this room." He grabs the handles but keeps them closed, turning to me."How could this-""You'll see. Just take a look. Ray smiles, his eyes softening as we look at each other. He continues to stare at me for a moment, I almost
The crackling of a fire is the first thing I notice when my eyes open. The faint aroma of cinnamon wafts through the room, though tainted by a heavy premonition that I can't quite shake, though I can't quite remember why this mysterious feeling exists.I blink once, twice, trying to consolidate the swirl of colors into something more closely resembling solid objects. Just to convince myself that I'm not crazy, I bang my head against the floor, then roll awkwardly onto my back."Ouch, that must have hurt," a small, muffled laugh erupts as my vision fixes on long strands of brown hair hanging around my face. Still a little dazed, I let my hand brush the hair, then finally a firm chin, tracing her jaw and neck. As if just realizing my actions, I dropped my arm and my mouth opened as I finally registered who the person was that was leaning precariously over me."Ray?" I asked, my hand reflexively moving up to touch his cheek."After passing out when I saw mys