Craving Blood

3 Movement

I'm shaken awake by the bus driver. "Ma'am this is the last stop, you must get off here if you don't want to go back to Columbus." I sit up and gather my bags. The sign over the bus door says, 'Indianapolis'.

I get off the bus and look around. I'm at the edge of town. There is a bus station across the street and a hotel next to it. In the east I see trees and a few small gas stations. I head toward town and find a diner   after 20 minutes of walking.

I order food and eat slowly. A few locals stare and the rest mumble to themselves. Once I finish I pay and leave. One local stares at me the entire time and follows me out.

I lead him to the hotel at the edge of town and turn to him, "Why are you following me?"

He looks me in the eye, "Your getting close to other territories and you smell like a rogue. But you seem young and new to the area so you can pass. Don't start anything you can't finish." He turns back to town and leaves.

Shocked, I continue in to the hotel and I get a room for the night. I settle into the bed and try to call home. No response. I try my parents' cells and May's cell too. No one answers. A deep pit of sadness begins to take root in my heart.

I lay down and try to sleep but memories of my family keeps me awake. I remember the day the cops showed up at the house about Chris. He had died in a car wreck. He was the only one killed but there was 4 other people who were hurt.

He was supposed to be heading home from work for Thanksgiving. A drunk driver and an 18 wheeler wrecked right in front of his car and he along with the car was completely destroyed. That night Thanksgiving dinner went to the shelter and we mourned. Christmas we didn't open any presents and Dad drank.

Suddenly I feel tears running down my face. I wipe them away and try to clear my mind. For hours, I just lay there unable to sleep. Finally I fall asleep from exhaustion.

When I wake the sun shines from the window. I get up and get dressed. I brush my hair in the mirror. My long, dirty blonde hair rolls down my back. The waves remind me of the ocean. My face in stained from crying in my sleep. My sky blue eyes look sunken and dulled. I look bad and you can tell that I carry stress on my shoulders.

I put my hair in a pony tail. I grab my bag and leave the hotel. Remembering my encounter from the day before, I head to the forest. Maybe if I provoke a pack then I'll get answers.

Once I'm deep enough in the forest, I strip and fold my clothes into my bag. I shift. The wind blows through my fur. I take a deep breath. There are rabbit a few miles downwind. I can also smell a wolf a ways to the south. I'm travelling west so I won't worry that pack with my presence.

I pick up my bag with my teeth and start the trip ahead with a run. The wind feels good against my fur and my inner wolf joins me in rejoicing for the freedom. For 4 hour I run non-stop. But as I near another loud nosy city, my wolf shies away and buries inside of me.

I find a high way up ahead so I avoid it by turning south. After a moment I find another highway blocking me. Sighing I turn back till I find a place to shift. After shifting and getting dressed I go back to the south eastern highway. I walk beside it till I enter the city.

Going inside a Starbucks I sniff the air. There’s definitely a wolf here. But who it is a mystery to me. I approach the counter and ask what town this it.

The older lady serving a table behind me answers, "Sweetie, you’re in Decatur, Illinois. Where are you headed, miss?"

I nodd and respond. "North Dakota. I got family up there and I'm traveling by bus. But the last bus driver kicked me off without any idea of where I was."