Haunted

by Sammantha Lewis

  "Not a sound." He growled. I needed to get out of this. Therefore, I did what any logical girl would do. I pretended to enjoy it. I let out a moan as he fondled my breast. In return, I felt the knife loosen against my throat. I continued to do this until he had placed the knife on the ground. What a stupid move that was. I felt sick, but I needed to get out of this alive. As much as I wanted to bolt, up and run... It still was not safe. He had moved both hands to my breast, and now was my chance. I arched against him as if I was enjoying it. Then I slowly slid my leg up between his legs. I slowly slipped my arm from under him and curled my fingers around the knife. I took a deep breath and slammed my leg against his crouch. He groaned and rolled off me to grip his crotch. As soon as he was off me, I leapt up and yanked my dress up. He went to reach for the knife, but found it curled between my fingers. I turned to run, but before I could, He grabbed my ankle. As I felt myself falling, I stabilized myself and kicked the tow of my boot against his jaw. He yield in pain and released me to grip his jaw.

  I ran out of the alley and headed towards the woods. It was my best bet. I knew it better when he did, and I could hide from him quickly. I looked over my shoulder to see him on the cell phone looked after me. He was not chasing me! However, who he was calling I did not know- and I currently did not care. I was not going to stay in Port Angeles- it was not safe any longer. Terrence had snapped and I would never put killing past him. My plan was to hope on a bus to God-Knows-Where, and if they tried to drag me back, I will confess about everything. I will make it to where they will be the ones leaving.

  I came to a stop when I realized where I was. I was too far deep in the forest to where the light of the sun was barley seen. However, I recognized this place. I taped my heel on the ground and recognized the sound of solid ground. I knelt down and brushed away the layer of dried leaves to see the familiar Celtic design that was etched into the stone. I brushed it away further to reveal the first tip of the star. I then knew exactly where I was. I was at the platform of the "door of Gabriel"

  "What are you doing here little one?" I pivoted around to see Mr. Robert Pine. However, like most of the people in my life- he was also dead. His hair was dark, his eyes were tired, and he wore his wedding day tuxedo. He did not die on his wedding day. No, his spirit was happiest at that moment so when he was "separated" from this world his soul reverted to that moment.

  "I-" I stammered at him unable to form word.

  "You're running from something. Aren't you?" His eyes darkened when he said this. I felt my shoulders stiffen and hung my head to look at my feet. I did not want to admit I was running. I knew that I was brought to Washington for a reason; however, I was not ready to admit I belonged here. Yet somehow being in this exact spot reminded me of my true potential. I then looked up at him and in a meek voice said,

  "Not exactly... more like to somewhere. Although it might pointless- I don't think God himself wants me to leave this place."

  "What do mean?" He said suddenly.

  "I want to leave Washington- I want to go far away, but I don't think I can. If I were to leave, no one would be here to help you move on. What if me leaving would cause the door to close forever? Wouldn't that mean all of you who never crossed over would be stuck here until when?" Of course, there was more to it than that, however at this exact moment- that was my concern. Not Jericho, not Terrance, nor Taylor. No, right now my concern was for those whose life had ended much to quickly and I was their only way to find the Paradise they were promised. The lost souls who no longer wanted to remain on the earth- they were my concern.

  "Avery, let me explain something. If you are meant to be here, you will realize that. If not then you will be able to leave without feeling guilty." I glided over the thought for a second or two. Perhaps that is true, however in some ways I would never be able to know if I was meant to be anywhere unless I tried leaving.

  "Mr. Pine..."

  "Hmm..."

  "I have to ask... why you stay. Why don't you cross over?"

  "Because I have Ruby, our children and their children to look after. My presence helps then not to grieve. Have you ever felt grief, Avery? It is a terrible and paralyzing feeling. When one feels grief in is a gaping hole in your hole that continues to grow as the amount of departed loved ones increase. It is true that you can move on from it; however, it creeps up on you and washes over you. Sometimes to the point where you no longer want to live. I do not want that for my family. If remaining on this earth helps them to not feel that... then so be it." He said with a cold tone. He face was contorted into a pained expression as water filled the brims of his eyes. For a man of his age, there are painful memories he harbors, and like us all, those memories tend to show their ugly faces.

  "I can't say that I've ever felt that sir." I told him honestly. His dead eyes bore into me and sent chills down my spine.

  "Then pray to your maker that you don't." His head suddenly snapped and looked behind him. He then slowly turned to look back at me. In that, instant I was petrified with fear. The expression he wore was so alarmed, terrified, fearful, worried, simply scared. That was all he was at that moment- pure fear. However, for a spirit, there is not much to fear. He began moving forward-

  "Avery, we'll talk about this another time, but right now you need to run." Suddenly he reached out his hand and without even making contact with me; I was propelled backwards about three meters. My back collided with a tree, yet the pain quickly faded. I looked up at Mr. Pine suddenly in shock and confusion.

  "What? Why-"And then I felt it. I felt another presence rushing towards us at impeccable speeds. I could since the aura of the entity. This entity was lethal with an intention to kill. Whether or not it had the intention to harm me directly was unknown, however if it came across me I highly doubt I will remain unharmed.

  "Go!" He shouted at me. Without another word, I began to run with this newfound burst of energy.

  I did not dare to look behind me. I felt if I did that I would see something far more terrifying then the things I had seen in any nightmare. I could feel the creature chasing after me. I did not know what or who it was.

  I did my best to keep my balance as I ran. The forest trees rushed by me in a wave of blurred colors.

  Thousands of thoughts and scenarios rushed through my mind a mile a minute.

  I had concise red summoning the door of Gabriel and hiding in the “limbo" until I felt it was safe to emerge. However turning back now would be a suicide mission because whatever was behind me were becoming closer and closer by the second and I knew very well that our running this newfound entity was impossible.

  I found myself suddenly skidding to a stop, mud and leaves flung up around me and coated my legs. My hair clung to my face and formed a wet and uncomfortable curtain. That was when I saw it, the mangy Mexican Gray wolf that haunted my every dream. The ironic thing was that I had been thinking I would see something worse than any nightmare, but in truth, I was seeing my nightmare. The wolf's black eyes bore into me, as I stood there frozen with the rain pouring down on me. The wolf lowered its ears at me and bared its teeth. I gasped and started running in the opposite direction. That was completely foolish of me. I wanted to smack myself! I should have known! Those repetitively dreams were visions planted into my subconscious. However whether or not I made it out alive... well that part was up to me. I honestly had no idea. Some times that very wolf would tear me to shreds, and other times I would barely make it out alive.

  Of course with my luck I was too busy scolding myself to not notice the wolf closing in on me like a wounded shrew. I just stand there debating whether to run. I have heard that you should never run from a predatorily animal. However, under the circumstance I do not think matters anymore. I was dead anyway. I was dead if the wolf catches me, and I was dead if I made it out alive.

  "Run to the left." My eyes widened at the haunting voice. I have heard it before. Yet at the time, I have not. Yet I knew one thing. I need to trust it.

  My legs
took control and sprinted as fast as they could. I could feel my heart running just as fast as my legs. Tears were beginning to make their way down my face. From the fear, the stress, and the raw emotions that were over flowing. I was dead. I was going to die. That was the only thing in my mind.

  The tip of my boot caught on a branch and sent me tumbling down a slope. As I barreled down the hill at unknown speeds, I could feel the cold and wet textures of the mud stick to my skin. My body ached and I wanted it to end. It felt like I had tumbled for hours although in reality I know that it has only been seconds. I finally came to a stop as I groggily stood up. I was battered and coated in blotches of mud with clusters of leaves and twigs clung to my hair. My head was spinning and I saw things threw a kaleidoscope lens.

  The one thing I did see though was the same mangy Mexican wolf staring down at me from the top of the hill.

  The wolf lifted its paw and began to make its way towards me However before it even reached the slope, a golden blur collided with the wolf and sent it tumbling down the slope. I sprinted away from the wolf as I saw it barreling down the hill just as I had.

  I turned to look at the wolf and saw that the sand colored blur was another, much larger wolf. I do not know why I did not take this opportunity to run. I felt like I needed to stay here. The two wolves leaped up off each other and began to slowly circle each other. As they snarled and growled at each other saliva dripped from their snouts and the fur on their backs were on end.

  The Mexican gray wolf lunged at the larger one. However before the wolf even got a chance the large wolf swiped it out of the way. The Mexican wolf fell to the ground and let out a whimper. The larger wolf walked up to it and shoved it roughly while growling and snarling at it. The smaller wolf leaped up on its feet and scampered away with a heavy limp.

  As soon as it left I felt, my fears disappear. The other thing I felt was my abilities disappear as the sandy wolf walked towards me. I noticed that its left paw was bleeding heavily and I could not help but feel bad for it. Despite this, I still backed away from it and hid myself behind a tree. Even though that wolf helped me, it might have been fighting off the other wolf because it was claiming it is pray. Therefore, I did not want to take a chance.

  That was when I heard it. The terrible sound of bones snapping and pain full groans. After it had stopped, I then heard heavy breathing. My curiosity had gotten the best of me and I poked my head out from behind the try.

  I was in shock at what I saw. I saw a man laying face down on the ground breathing heavily. A part of me told me exactly who it was but I did not want to believe it.

  I stayed like that for what seemed like hours. I simply curled up behind a tree as he laid there. I listened closely to his breathing to make sure he was okay. At one point, I had heard him get up and walk away for a bit, but I did not move from my spot behind the tree. I simply sat there drowning in my thoughts.

  I heard heavy footsteps approach my hiding place behind the tree, but I did not move. I saw a shadow descend over me. I slowly looked up to see Jericho staring down at me. His face was hard with regret. He extended his hand to me and I timidly took it.

  "Are you okay?" He asked me. His eyes rested on my neck, and my finger unconsiously traced over the thin cut Terrance had left earlier.

  "Yeah... yeah I'm fine.

  "You weren't supposed to find out this way.” He said in a sad tone.

  I shook my head at him.

  "...Werewolves?" I said to myself more than anyone did.

  "No... This has to be some hallucination that is being inflicted by a spirit- I've h-had those before you know..." My eyes wandered up to look at him.

  "It's not. I am a Werewolf, Avery so are all our friends- except for Ash. I need you to accept me." He said in a stern voice. I snapped my head up and looked him.

  "Why?" I snapped at him.

  "What?" He said with a gob smacked look on his face.

  "Why would I? May, I remind you that you left me out on a curb. I know it may not seem like much, but it is to me. You did the one thing I feared- and in some ways expecting. You forgot about me... right when I was beginning to trust you. Then what happened? I almost was raped because I was walking in the rain alone! Do you know what that was like?" I ranted as I wrapped my arms around myself and leaned up against the tree for support. My eyes stayed focused on the ground in front of me as I refused to look him in the eyes.

  "You were almost raped?" He said in an angry tone. I shook my head at him and pressed my fingertips to my temples.

  "The sad thing is that is somewhere far in the back my head. Right now, I am focusing on the fact you just turned into a fucking wolf. Explain that one to me. Explain to me what you are, and how the hell I got dragged into this." I let my words spew out in a heap of frustration. I turned to look Jericho in the eyes and say him flinch when he saw the hurt in my eyes.

  "Explain that to me right now... or I'll walk away." I said as I pushed myself off the tree and began to walk away. I kept waiting and waiting for his response but by the time, he finally spoke up... It was almost a whisper.

  "I know... and I'm sorry." I heard him say quietly. He then looked up at me and took a deep breath.

  "I'm a wolf. I am next in line for the alpha title. We have a large pack of about over 300. We live together in a cluster up in the mountains. This includes Tyler and Allen as well as my entire family. Maverick is the son of a Beta from the neighboring pack, which is why there is tension between us. He wants my territory so to take it from me; he has been trying to start a war between the two packs. The thing is- Wait I should have told you this first...” He paused, closed his eyes, and exhaled. He then opened his eyes and continued.

  "Werewolves have mates. It is your other half. Another 'you' you feel the same thing, you love them deeply, to you they're perfection, and you would give you last breath to see them happy.-" I began to grow antsy as a question gnawed at my mind. Before I knew it, I had asked it.

  "Do you have one?"

  "Yeah, I do. I do have a mate, and I love her endlessly." I felt my heart sink in my chest and I averted my eyes.

  "...oh. I-I see. Um well I guess I'll just-" I said as I turned to walk away however, I stopped when I heard him speak again.

  “Avery you’re my mate. That is what I needed to tell you before I continue. Maverick is trying to use you against me. You are my weakest link. I did not mean to drag you in between any of this, but I did. For that, I am sorry. “I looked at him in disbelief. I was unsure of what to feel. Should I feel happy?

  "But I'm Human." I said as my mind hazed over with confusion.

  "Not exactly. When did you start developing you abilities? When you were around 13? Maybe early then that, I am I right? You are human, but not fully. You started to change right when I had my first shift, so that way you would be allowed to be my mate. So yes, it is true that wolves cannot mate with humans. However, Avery, Crawford, you’re not human." I flinched at the truth of his words. I did start to change around when I was 13. What scared me was that he knew this.

  "Sorry... just trying to wrap my brain around this. Therefore, this means evry single creatures is real... and I am one of them. I guess I should just through away the idea of ever being normal." I shook my head as if I was trying to shake an idea out of it.

  "You don't need to be normal." He said to me in one breath. I just stared him as if he had hit me. My body begun to shake and I could feel my emotions began to over flow as I stood there silently.

  “That’s all I've ever wanted. Just a normal life with a happy family that loves me and takes care of me. I wanted friends that I can call at any hour of the night, and have sleepovers with as we gossip about other girls. I wanted to be surprised for once, or even get an F on a test. I never got that! I do not know what loves feels like. I mean- all my life I have been shoved into a corner, and all I could ever do was watch other people live the way I wish I could. Then there's you-" As I listened to my own voice it scared me. It truly did. I had st
arted out in a gentle and calm tone however, it quickly grew and sounded like I was on the brink of tears as every pent up emotion I had ever carried over flowed. I felt bad for him. He stood saying he loves me and all I did was expose every feeling I possess to him. Yet he took it. He took in my emotions and troubles willingly. When I had cut myself off I then took a deep breath as an attempt to straighten my emotions. Then I continued.

  "You just appear out of nowhere and just literally barge into my life. And you made me happy. It was just for a moment but you made me happy. It was as if you flipped some type of switch and my abilities were gone! Just completely gone! So just for a second I was normal... The one thing I've always wanted." I said the last part in a whisper and I felt my emotions settle down. I knew that if they continued to grow, I could end up exploding the whole forest. As I looked at him, I knew that there was one last thing he deserved to know.

  "I mean for years you didn't even look at me! Now you are just declaring your love for me and telling me we are meant to be? I am sorry but that is not possible. It is - just... strange. It has to strange even for me. I do not love you- not yet anyway. I wouldn't even know if I did." When I said my finale word, I felt at peace. I felt like I had said everything he needed to hear and that there was nothing more. As I looked up at him from across the way, I knew that now it was his turn.

  "But the thing is I do love you and I don't need you to love me back right now. All I need is for you to trust me.” I stood in awe at him when he finished. It took me a whole novella to convey my feelings, and yet he did it in two simple sentences.

  I found myself remembering something that seemed like eons ago. That single moment in my bedroom, when Angela had told me I need to trust Jericho. At the time I did not understand what she meant, but know I realize that she knew his secret long before me. She was right.