Deadly Grace

Chapter Three

As the sun began to peek over the horizon I sat up in my bed and stretched out all my muscles. The sky was a rainbow of pastel pinks, purples, oranges and yellows outside the window next to my bed. I yawned and shuffled over to my closet. I hit the play button on the stereo over by the far side of the room and began the hunt for something to wear while "Can't Shake You" blasted throughout my house. While singing along to the music, I rifled through my dresser and pulled out a lilac baby doll dress. Happy with my findings I set off towards the bathroom for a shower to wake me up.

Half an hour later I was dressed ready to face the day. I walked down the stairs and fixed myself a very large breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms and spinach on top of English muffins, alongside a cup of hot coffee. I loved my little kitchen. All the appliances were stainless steel while the countertop was black granite and the cupboards were white. Once the food was cooked I sat down at one of the bar stools and dug in. Once I finished eating I put the dishes into the sink and padded out to the back porch.

The sky was now clear and blue, but a dark cloud hung in the air over the northern horizon. It would probably rain later tonight but I would be fine till then as long as I got home before dark. The trees were bright green, almost as if beckoning me to come and run through their forest. I kicked off my socks and slipped off my dress, putting it all inside the back door on the lounge chair. I would be quite a strange sight to a passer-by. Some weird ass chick standing naked on her back porch. I laughed at the thought. Not that it was something I needed to worry about. No one came this far into the woods.

I stepped off the wooden decking and onto the dirt to start stretching all my muscles. As I felt the soft earth under my bare feet, my body quivered with anticipation for the run ahead. I hadn't gone running in over two weeks and I missed it badly. I took a deep breath and leant over as my bones began to crack and break. I grit my teeth against the pain and looked down to see small tufts of pure white fur sprouting all over my body. Soon the fur was everywhere, and my bones reset themselves as my body completed its transformation. I was now a white wolf about 5 feet tall.

Once the pain faded to its usual dulled ache I shot off into the forest, winding through brush and dodging trees as I went. The next thing I knew I was running through the forest at full speed, loving the way the wind felt against my fur. My paws pounded against the moss-covered dirt of the forest floor, taking me away from my house and my job and my troubled past. It was just me and the forest. I was quite small and nimble compared to male wolves, which often worked to my advantage because it made me faster and more agile than them, but I was big enough to defend myself from other females. With a start, I realised I hadn't interacted with another wolf in over 10 years. I shook off the thought and picked up my speed, pushing my body to its limit. I wasn't running in any particular direction, just glad to be away from the rest of the world and the problems it held. I took a deep breath and cleared my mind, becoming fully immersed in the wonder and beauty of the forest. The colours and sounds made my heart soar. You could find pure life here. This lush paradise was untainted by human influence.

After what seemed like hours I came to a stream. Large rocks littered its bed as the clear water ran over them easily. The bank was covered in moss and ferns were scattered along its length. A pleasurable pain of exertion was spread throughout my muscles. They moaned and groaned as I walked down to the water for a small drink. My fur shone with sweat and my breath made small clouds in the chilly air. I slid into the stream, taking a mini bath in the cool clear water. The water was deeper than it looked and engulfed my entire body easily. I dipped my head under the surface and saw very small frightened fish scrambling to swim away from me. I smirked and waded towards the edge, clambering up onto the bank and shaking the remaining water droplets from my coat. I padded over to a circle of grass in the sunlight that was a bright green colour and soft, like cotton wool. I lay down and sighed, happy to rest awhile. I put my head on my paws and soon found myself drifting off to sleep with the sound of the brook as my lullaby.