"Raven."
Through the darkness I heard a voice, piercing through the haze.
It sounded urgent.
Someone calling out to me.
"Raven, shift back."
Every now and then I would see snippets.
Just stilled images flashing before me, showing pictures of a living room.
Of a broken table.
Of a boy.
It felt somewhat familiar but I couldn’t place it.
"Raven! —Ah, fuck."
..And pain.
So much pain.
The voice continued to call out to me, pleading with m e to do something...but I wasn’t ready.
No, instead, I rescinded into my mind further to escape.
To try and forget what was happening.
...To pretend everything was okay.
And so, I hid from it all, blocking out the images and voices.
Waiting until, finally, things didn’t hurt so badly.
..Until I was sure the pain had stopped.
".Raven," came the voice again.
Only, this time, recognition finally kicked in.
Kieran.
It was Kieran's voice and...and I’d shifted.Changing into the wolf and...—.
Oh...no, no...Instantly, my eyes flew open...and I found myself contained within his arms, wrapped up in a blanket.
He looked down at me with a face showing signs of exhaustion, his breathing heavy.
And I immediately knew something was wrong.
I wasn’t sure how long had passed but I was back to m y normal self, implying it had been at least a few minutes.
But...there was something else too.
Something I’d come to expect from these lapses.
..I could smell the sickly scent of blood.I squirmed out of his grasp, pushing away just enough to get a good look at him...and there it was.
The source of the smell.
A large gash down the front of his chest.
Blood flowing from it...increasingly becoming worse ...pooling on the ground around us.
And, suddenly, it was as if the whole world tilted.
Everywhere I looked there was blood.
Red painted on every surface, on every piece of furniture, on every wall...curtain...and lamp.
And as I frantically looked around, I felt my breathing quicken, my heart starting to race.
...Just what had I done? This was exactly what I had been afraid of and yet I’d let it happen.
I turned back to Kieran, finding his face now so pale, and I quickly moved my hands to his chest to help stop the bleeding.
Hands that were soaked even up along my forearms already.
"I’m so sorry," I whispered.
"I-I didn't mean to do this." I'd told him that this was dangerous and a bad idea.
Why hadn’t he listened to me?
"Raven...it’s okay," he replied.
I looked at him incredulously, as if he were insane for not seeing the amount of blood he had lost.
It was a miracle he was even still able to talk.
"N-no...no it’s not okay," I stammered.
"Nothing about this is okay...You’re going to die because of me."
feel the tears beginning to form in
doing, that everything would be fine, and yet everything had
was incapable of being helped? Was I actually a monster? "Raven, what are you talking
"Fine’?”
I repeated, my voice
bleeding out! I-I don’t even have time t o
the bleeding but he then grabbed my hands
you
"Stop," he ordered.
barely even
can you
and look," he said, cutting me
killed you...I-I
yelled this time, forcing
"...I said I’m fine."
I slowly looked back down at his chest, I found that the wound
already stopped bleeding a
"W-what...? I don’t understand..."
around to look at the room...and found
of furniture, the place seemed
No blood in sight.
seen it so clearly, smelt
no mistaking it....How could that
here," Kieran said, and proceeded to
still confused by what was happening, but it didn’t take long for me to realise what this meant.I threw my arms around
mattered was that he
That he was safe.
"J-I’m sorry," I cried.
so sorry.I fucked
hand came up and gently stroked my hair, indulging my abrupt
the blanket, his warmth was helping
"You’re fine," he said.
didn’t do anything
I did," I
enough.Regardless of whether it was minor,
tried to help me, it was clear that I was still a
that I’d never overcome.Somehow, it
and useless at things
screw-up to add
didn’t seem to like
pulled me away and held my face so I was forced to look at
did was your
"I mean it."
"But I—."
he instantly
a breath and repeat after
was not
my mouth to protest but he
if telling me
I finally
he
approval, he
never seen anything
painful changes I've ever witnessed.But...I don’t know.It’s giving
mean? Are you saying there is actually
wrong with you.But maybe more...something external affecting
Or have anything metallic touching you like a piercing? It’d look something
good idea for me given m y day
"No."
drink any teas? Or regularly deal with
increasingly more confused by the
a moment in thought, visibly trying hard to come up
could tell he was
"..What about medications?"
my body immediately
medications.I had regular medicine I took for anxiety and post- shifting side effects; mostly the pain and nausea.But...that was something I
By a doctor.
A professional.
were a professional...employed
though, right? Because
when
my throat, hoping
"Yes," I answered.
"Yes. I have medication."
show
up and walked to where I'd left my bag,
shuffling before I eventually could locate
everything happening so quickly, my
said,
followed behind and swiftly took it from me, starting to inspect the contents
whole time, I silently watched as he worked, subconsciously pulling the blanket
than anything that this
was rarely ever
"These...these are suppressors,"
slowly looking
used in chemical warfare.I
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!