Bound Trilogy: Budding: A Supernatural Story (WLW)

Chapter Four

Imogen opened her hazy eyes as she smelled fire. She scanned what was right in front of her and tried to push herself up, but couldn't quite get her hands in the right position. Her head felt fuzzy, yet it felt like it may be more from... I'm hanging upside down...?

She heard the children crying from behind herself and, against cut and bloody hands that felt like they were falling apart, she pulled herself around far enough to try and see them. The glass beneath her hands cracked against the ceiling of the vehicle and dug into her skin like little thorns, making her cry out. Imogen finally managed to pull herself around far enough to see the children and a jolt ran throughout her body. They were all huddled against the far, right-side back door and were screaming at something making awful gnawing sounds from beside them. The SUV was rattling around and something was desperately trying to get in. Imogen hazily turned her head just as a demon-like, giant animal snarled at her window.

"St-Stay...back kids...! Bett...?" Still rather dazed, Imogen turned toward her aunt who was still unconscious and fumbled with her seatbelt before falling down. Suddenly sober upon seeing her aunt dangling upside down with a line of blood dripping from her head, she gasped as she reached out for her. "Aunt Bett! Wake up!"

Her aunt still didn't wake, but made sounds like she was in limbo somewhere between sleep and consciousness. The monster outside growled something furious and Imogen leapt into action. She scrambled into the back seat toward the children and turned her back to them, spreading her arms over them as they hid behind her, clinging to her jacket. What was there to do?

If they broke out of the SUV, the beast would be on them in a second. If they stayed where they were, out in the middle of nowhere, it would eventually get inside and rip them apart. It was already tearing up the door. She could hear its claws carving it up from outside in maddened, frantic attacks.

It was like the animal had gone totally insane. Imogen tried to get a better look and saw foam dripping from its mouth. Not good. Out in the middle of nowhere without a single car passing by, nor an intersecting road for quite a ways for that matter, if they got scratched they could fall ill so quickly. She had to get the children to safety.

The beast's head crashed past the broken glass with a crazed growl and Imogen pushed back against the children, shielding them as she turned her face away. She barely avoided its sharp canines. God... Its breath! It was the most foul thing she had ever smelled.

She peeked out of the corner of her eye and saw fangs and a long snout. Another wolf?

The wolf pulled back from the window and winced as its snout grazed some of the glass and cut him. Unlike most wolves, and perhaps even foxes, the cut remained open and unhealed. Imogen watched him rub his snout into the dirt and blow air through his huge nostrils, sending it scattering about in the wind. She fixed her gaze on his teeth and shuddered. If that thing got a hold on one of them, they wouldn't have to worry about falling ill. They'd be dead. Torn apart.

Through the now empty window, she could see another truck sitting several yards away and deduced it must have been what crashed into them.

"Stay back kids!" She pulled her jacket hood off and pushed her damp, reddened hair aside as a plan came to mind. Imogen glanced at the compartment box in the front seat and prayed Bett still kept the flare and first aid kit there. Perhaps she'd get lucky and there may be a tire iron inside. She turned back towards the children. "And when I tell you to run through that window, do it!"

"No!" They yelled and clung to her more fiercely.

"Listen!" Imogen tried to calm her nerves and brushed her fingers along their arms and trembling, tear soaked cheeks. Her hands trembled just as much as the children and she hurriedly hid them in fear of them noticing. They all looked at her like she'd grown a third head and she shivered as the beast outside whined. "You... You all have to go when I say so! We don't have time to debate this and you will do as I say! Do you hear me?"

They timidly nodded and she crouched down and hugged them. Imogen studied them and took in their small faces for a moment, knowing full well there was a high chance she would never see them again. After a few seconds longer, she swiftly pushed them toward the window behind them and waited for them to run upon her command. She turned around and the wolf was watching her, crouching low as growls wriggled its lips. With one last look at the children, she got ready.

"Now!"

Imogen scrambled to the front seat as the children whimpered on their way through the window. Once in the front, she grabbed the flare from the compartment box and lit it. The wolf turned his attention from the children back to her, just like she wanted.

She kicked the remaining glass from the passenger window and crawled through it, holding the flare out toward the beast as it leered at her. Imogen turned herself so that she was between the wolf and the children and with a loud gulp, threw the flare toward the other vehicle she hoped whoever lay inside would wake up with the light shining on them. She may be dead before they ever got over to her, or before they were able to call for emergency help, but she had to try to lead the beast away from the children at all costs.

The wolf followed the flame and when it illuminated the truck that hit them, it revealed no one was inside. There was no blood. Nothing. It was like the truck had been empty when it hit them. That was impossible, though. Right...?

With the wolf's back turned toward her, Imogen turned around and ran for her life. She spotted the children hiding behind a clump of greenery and if it was that easy for her to find them, there was no way the wolf would miss them. So, she ran in the opposite direction. There were some trees up ahead, some bushes and tall grass, but nothing more. Nothing wherein she could barricade herself. Was this really how she was going to die?

Imogen stopped when she heard a snarl from behind herself and spun around with a gasp as she squeezed her hands into fists. She felt blood drip from them to the grass below, but never tore her eyes from the beast ahead. It was already there. He stood nearly an entire torso taller than her five foot three, and then ducked down, readying himself for the attack. His body was more scrawny than she'd expected with how aggressively he'd attacked the SUV, but the ire in his eyes told her of his true ferocity. Encompassing her with a wave of eerie foreboding, paralyzing her in place.

She wasn't getting away. She wouldn't ever accomplish anything new. She wouldn't start a new life tomorrow. Her life would end in tragedy and--

Another wolf emerged from the grass behind Imogen and jumped in front of her. Its fur was such a glossy black Imogen could have sworn she saw herself reflected in it along with the sun's light overhead. Its silken hairs tussled in the breeze as it crouched down between herself and the beast and Imogen was momentarily stunned at the vast difference between the two beasts.

The sleek wolf nudged her back toward the tall grass with its massive body and she lost her footing, grabbing at its mane instinctively. It growled at her like it was annoyed as its eyes ran over her body. The wolf cocked its head to the side and blinked a few times. It shook its head as if trying to get rid of something buried within, lifting its head after several seconds. It peered at Imogen, full of curiosity as its head tilted again, but was distracted by a growl from beyond them both. The black wolf barred its teeth at the maddened beast, dropped its chest to the ground, then attacked.