Meeting In The Middle

Disbelief

"You might not be human?" I eyed him, uncertain I even wanted to hear the answer. He scratched his head, distressed. I look out the foggy window, pulling my sweater closer to my body for warmth. Caleb reaches over with a quick movement of his hand and turns on the air conditioning.

Immediately the car warms up, my body relaxing under the heat.

"You look just about as human as everybody else." I confirmed quietly. The chills from Dylan still lingered in the depths of my heart and I shiver.

"Some things that were said to be myths and legends may exist." Caleb started, his voice fading. The windows fogged up, preventing view of the outside.

"What do you mean?" I inquire, looking at him. He had his hands twisted in front of him, his eyes glassy as they stare out into the darkness. "Have you ever noticed Alex's red hair changing shades, or the way our eyes can change colour?"

I remember Dylan's range of eye colours and nod, biting my lip. It changed three shades already. When the navy orbs blue stared at me dead in the eye, I felt like I could reach into his soul which was full of igniting blue fire. I wouldn't forget those eyes anytime soon, they would still haunt my nightmares and pierce me where it hurt the most. It was unnatural how his eyes keep changing hues.

"In the history of wolves, it was said that the wolves had alliances with each other." Caleb starts, sitting forward in his seat. "The wolf population divided into smaller groups, usually consisting of twelve wolves. We call this a pack." He explains. I didn't see how this was relevant.

"We're werewolves so our leader -" I cut him off.
"Okay so where did this werewolf stuff come from?" I muttered, staring at him like he's gone mad. He seemed amused as he took in my reaction.  I glare at him.

"This isn't funny." I cross my arms. He laughs and grins at Lucian as he hops in the car. The blast of cold air hit me and I shiver into the seat, trying to bury my body into it. Caleb was just playing with me, I decided. There was no way from hell and back that werewolves could exist. I could hear Lucian and Caleb murmuring to each other in the front seat but i couldn't make sense of their rapid words. My brain wasn't warmed up enough, I wasn't thinking right. The light dimmed and I doze off, the light fading into the darkness.

The trees were bare and clouds lined the dark sky. It was a quiet summer night, however beastly snarling sounds and snaps come from the twisted thicket. A pale green dress floated around my ankles as I walked over the dusty forest floor. My hair was in wavy locks and my eyes, bright green skimmed the forest in a new perspective.

Suddenly I knew every single piece of grass by heart, every flower with a song. The birds were my friends and I was one of them. It felt like home. I was suddenly stopped in my tracks by a huge shaking wolf. His beautiful, rich auburn hair was tousled by the wind, his bright silver eyes shining in the dark. I was vaguely familiar of those eyes. I wasn't afraid of it and neither was it of me. We just stood staring at each other peacefully, no tension between us. I reach out to touch it but it takes a step back and runs into the woods, silver eyes giving me one last glance.

I wake up, my head pounding. I was in the car, with a soft blue blanket over my body. I shifted in the seat and stretch myself. Caleb and Lucian weren't in the car but the door was unlocked. We weren't at my house anymore. I look out the window, squinting as the sun hits my eye. The car was parked in front of a forest, a wildlife park reserve. My mind was still clouded and confused by the dream I had. The wolf. Why did it run away from me?

I shake my head and laugh it off. That was just another one of my crazy dreams that happened overnight because Caleb told me some bedtime story about werewolves. Caleb just happened to be the last eye that I saw that night. I shudder as I step out of the car. The wind caressed my cheek as I shut the car door, letting the feeling of peace and calmness take over me. My senses felt sharper than they were before. Maybe it was just because I was never near the suburbs and the natural part of Earth. Now that I was, I'm beginning to feel drawn to it, like it was calling my name. I follow a trail into the woods, my ears and eyes open to any slight movement.

A chipmunk scatters across the forest floor.
A robin flutters from tree to tree.
The group of ants rushing into their ant hill.
A soft sound of water rushing downstream.
The smell of deer.

I follow my nose, as strange as it seems and I end up behind a giant oak tree, with a view of the river below it. A herd of three deer feasted at the bank of the river, drinking the sweet water and tasting the green grass, covered with beautiful autumn leaves. I watch them silently, their graceful bodies poised as if ready for a photo anytime. I reach for my phone in my back pocket but it was empty.

Shit. I left it in the car.

I groan and try hard to contain my frustration. It was such a beautiful scenery, I couldn't take my eyes off them. I felt like I could paint a picture this instant. At that moment, they looked up from the grass and their ears perked up, eyes wide. They sensed danger. I took a step back, hoping I wasn't ruining their happy moment but it wasn't me. It was someone on the far side of the stream, two people actually. One with auburn hair and one shiny Platinum. I prayed to god it wasn't who I thought it was. Caleb and Lucian ran towards them, so fast they were a blur. I hold my breath and lean into the tree so I have a clear view of what was happening.

The deer still couldn't respond to this quick attack. Caleb and Lucian were halfway across the river and I could see the deer starting to gallop away into safety. They weren't fast enough, they couldn't compare to the speed of the boys. Not boys. Wolves.

I blind rapidly and watch the two wolves run towards the deer. They were Caleb and Lucian seconds ago. I rub my eyes and stare, hard. Nope still wolves. I watch in horror as the wolves start to gain on the deer. I slide down the leafy slope and yell their names as loud as I could. They stopped immediately, their heads snapping at me instantly. I was too stunned to move. They were more enormous than what I've seen from the top of the slope. They were at least 4 times the size of a huge dog, double the size of a bear. I stand there, paralyzed by the fear. As they watch me, wide golden and silver eyes, the deer disappear into the trees. I remain still, half scared and half confused. I swear it was Caleb and Lucian. Caleb's silver eyes watched mine, the shiny orbs piercing me. I had a sudden wave of déjà-vu. It was definitely Caleb. I could tell. I didn't know what to do, standing in the open with two extremely large wolves. I suddenly regret claiming that werewolves don't exist.

Maybe they do.