The warmth from the flames was escalating; my hands were slick with sweat. I glanced down to see tiny burns forming on my skin.
A searing pain jolted me; it felt as if my hands were on fire from within. “Help...someone, please!” I cried out. But no one seemed to hear me. I continued to call for help. “Help ME!”
I snapped my eyes open and sat up abruptly in bed. My breath was coming in short gasps, and I tried to steady it.
“I’m okay. Just a terrible nightmare.”
“I dreamt about someone who knew me and said she’d come back for me. I don’t know, Nealie. I felt my hands burning and then my entire body…”
I attempted to explain, but the words got stuck in my throat.
I didn’t respond to her because I had a feeling it wasn’t just a dream.
I was almost certain that this woman had manipulated it. But how could she have done that? The only person I knew who could do that was my sister.
If my suspicions were right, it meant that this woman was undoubtedly a powerful witch.
“Let’s go for a run.”
“I don’t want to go back to sleep. I just need to get out of here. Don’t worry. Dawn will break in less than an hour,” Nealie finally agreed.
I slipped into black leggings, a long white shirt, and black sneakers. I walked until I reached the edge of a small forest about two miles from the hotel. I closed my eyes and let Nealie take control.
I felt my human bones shattering. I bit back a scream. No matter how many times I transformed, the process was always painful. It was impossible to get used to the agony of breaking bones.
Once I was in my wolf form, Nealie stretched, shook herself off, and began to run.
The dense forest was filled with ferns and wildflowers. The scent of spring was soothing, and with my wolf in control, I felt liberated and wild.
After a few minutes of running, I noticed the first rays of the sun trying to pierce through the towering trees. The rustling of branches caught my attention. I paused for a few seconds to see what it was.
A brown rabbit hopped into view. We stalked it silently, careful not to startle it. In a swift attack, I pounced on it, pinning it to the ground with my front paws and biting its neck.
After my meal, I lay down amidst the plants and flowers that grew abundantly in the field.
The beauty of the nature around me, the chirping of the birds, and the scent of the morning dew brought a sense of peace.
I decided to head back later to the spot where I’d left my clothes, change back, and return to the hotel for a shower.
When I finished dressing in the clothes I had left under a tree at the entrance of the woods, I noticed a pair of eyes watching me.
I turned to my right, and a werewolf with a light-orange coat and white spots held my gaze for a few more seconds before disappearing into the forest.
For a moment, I was on edge, but I managed to relax a bit when I saw the werewolf move in a different direction. Still, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being watched.
