"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No, instead, I rescinded into my mind further to escape.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."
my entire body shaking, feel the
that everything would be fine, and yet everything had still gone
was incapable of being helped? Was I actually a monster? "Raven, what are you
"Fine’?”
‘Fine’!?" I repeated, my voice
don’t even have time t o call an ambulance.Goddammit, Kieran! Why
to stop the bleeding but he then grabbed my hands and held them away
are you
"Stop," he ordered.
even
not.How can you say that?
down and look," he said,
I...I’ve killed you...I-I
yelled this time, forcing me to meet
"...I said I’m fine."
I found that the wound
stopped bleeding a while
"W-what...? I don’t understand..."
head around to look at
from a few broken pieces of furniture, the place
No blood in sight.
I had seen it so
mistaking it....How could that all be in
to lift
but it didn’t take long for me to realise what this meant.I threw my arms around him in
that mattered was
That he was safe.
"J-I’m sorry," I cried.
so sorry.I fucked
came up and gently stroked my hair, indulging
with the blanket, his warmth was helping to calm
"You’re fine," he said.
do anything
I did,"
strong enough.Regardless of whether it
after Kieran tried to help me, it was clear that I was still a failure.It didn’t matter if I
never overcome.Somehow, it felt like I would forever
useless at things that should have been natural
screw-up to add
Kieran didn’t seem to like
pulled me away and held my face so
your fault," he
"I mean it."
"But I—."
he instantly cut
breath and repeat
not
opened my mouth to protest but he gave me a look that
me this
not my fault," I finally said in
but he still seemed satisfied by
a small nod in approval,
seen anything like
the slowest, most painful changes I've ever witnessed.But...I don’t know.It’s giving me a
Are you saying
more...something external affecting
piercing? It’d look something like silver." I
good idea for me given
"No."
about diet.Do you drink any teas? Or regularly
again, becoming increasingly more
in thought, visibly trying hard to come up with something else before, finally, he asked one
tell he was reluctant
"..What about medications?"
my body immediately
medications.I had regular medicine I took for anxiety and post- shifting side effects;
By a doctor.
A professional.
a professional...employed by m
wouldn’t have though,
Kieran prompted when
swallowed back the bile in my
"Yes," I answered.
"Yes. I have medication."
you show it
and walked to where I'd left my bag, finding it
shuffling before I
happening so quickly, my fingers were trembling
said, presenting
and swiftly took it from me, starting to inspect the contents
silently watched as he worked, subconsciously
anything that this really would
rarely
"These...these are suppressors,"
shock, slowly
were designed and used in chemical warfare.I llegal now, of
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