Feral

☽ v.

song: Prisoner, by The Weeknd (aka loml). the cutie in the photo is Carolina Sanchez, who I have chosen to portray Eleanor. I swear this is the last change in the cast! anyways, read on... enjoy (;

FIVE
l u r k

"GRANDMOTHER?" Eleanor began hesitantly two weeks later at their quiet, mellow dinner.

She had been transfixed by her encounter with Jack, and had desperately been avoiding the subject at home, but she had reached a standstill.

She yearned to know more, curiosity burning through every fiber of her being.

"Yes, Ellie?" Her grandmother spoke, looking up curiously at her while slowly chewing broccoli with distaste.

"Tell me the legend of the werewolves again. Please." She bit her lip, anxious to hear her answer.

"There's not nearly enough time for that, dearie. Maybe another night. After all, it's a long drive back to your school tomorrow." Eleanor's grandma stared at her strangely, wondering why she felt the need to ask such a question.

"Oh... well, perhaps a summary would suffice?" Eleanor pressed, determined to get some answers.

The man of the woods consumed her every thought, her every action. The motions she went through during her day always lead back to him.

Their brief interactions were enough to make her slowly lose her mind, one day at a time.

All she could focus on was the tug at her chest, the very thing that made her toss and turn at night.

Was he the cause?

Was it merely her mind playing their terrible tricks on her again, making her overthink every damn thing she did?

Or was the darkness rearing its ugly head at her?

"When did you become so interested in these stories? I only told you so you would become a more imaginative little girl, and have something to think about before drifting into sleep. You had such a strategical mind, I wanted to give you something to question," Grandmother said amusedly, with an underlying tone of suspicion.

"I was wondering the same thing. You never believed in the fairytales when we were younger, so why now?" Evan joined the conversation for the first time that night.

"In our literature class, we were analyzing fairytales and myths and their meanings. I don't know... they're just a fun subject to contemplate." She lied through her teeth and looked down at her plate, stabbing her mashed potato with her fork.

She did enjoy explanations, choosing not to dwell on what if. She had a preference for focusing on what was, instead.

However, in an instance such as this one, she was not quite sure there was any type of information that could truly justify all she had seen, paranoia doing nothing to reassure her.

What'd that mean for the rest of the mythological beings that she had grown up believing were imaginary?

Witches, mermaids, vampires, sirens...

If werewolves of all things were real, then there was an innate possibility that everything she had ever been told was a lie.

"We can talk more tomorrow, Eleanor. You should get some rest, you've been acting strange lately. You could use a good night's sleep before you leave." Her grandmother said in concern, unaware of the accuracy her words held.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Goodnight guys, I love you." Eleanor smiled weakly, putting her dinner plate in the dishwasher.

She began her ascent up the narrow staircase, entering her room with a sigh.

She soaked in the bathtub for a short time, before getting out and putting on her robe.

She began to brush her teeth, then stared into the mirror, cringing at the dark purple bags underneath her eyes, which drooped with exhaustion.

She had always struggled with bouts of insomnia, and it only seemed to have worsened over the months.

She had a feeling that tonight would be harder than the rest, considering she actually had someplace to be now that her Christmas break had ended.

She splashed cold water on her face, slapping her cheeks so hard they burned.

She stiffened, feeling the presence of another.

After brushing it off as nothing more than a hallucination, she continued to wash her face, closing her eyes.

She slowly stared into the mirror again, sensing a flash behind her. She wanted to scream, but was too petrified to make a sound.

There was another reflection in her mirror, towering over her with deep animosity.

Jack was covered from head to toe with blood, shaking ferociously.

The dark substance trickled from his mouth, and he caught it with his tongue, grinning so hard she could see the red stained on his otherwise white teeth.

"What a lovely home you have. Perhaps too modern for my taste, but I suppose it will do, my sweet Red."

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Cliffhanger again? Hahaha oops... I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, it was somewhat of a filler. hopefully the content made up for the length.

So, happy New Years! I'm almost a month late, but January is sorta a trial month lmao.

Resolution: update more (;

'til next time, Karena <3