First Shift

Ch. 9

I shoved my note books into my backpack. "You're going to ruin you notebooks," Gwynn said. I glared at her as I stood up and swung my bag onto my shoulders. "She's just grumpy because of tomorrow," Samantha said. The last class of the day was over and I was nervous as could be. Yes I would miss hanging out with Gwynn and Samantha but I was more worried about the change.

"I am not grumpy" I replied. I walked down the hall followed by Samantha and Gwynn. It was Thursday and school just ended and for once in my life I wish school hadn't ended yet. "You are grumpy and all tense," Samantha said. As much as I hated to admitted it she was right. I was so tense my muscles felt strained but knowing that didn't help me relax neither did knowing that tomorrow was my 16th birthday. I didn't like that it was affecting me so much and nothing even happened yet just the knowledge of tomorrow was freaking me out.

"I'm fine," I argued pointlessly through clenched teeth. No matter how much I denied it even a stranger could tell I was as stressed out as could be. "Whatever helps you sleep at night," Samantha told me. She had a light smile on her face but I could see she was worried. It was in her eyes and her sent. I looked at Gwynn, she hadn't said much the last few days and tidy I don't think she even said ten whole sentences to me which was weird seeing as normally she never shut up.

We stepped outside just as the busses were getting ready to leave. Without warning Gwynn launched herself at me and wrapped me up in a tight hug. "See you tomorrow," she said. Just as quickly as she grabbed me she let go and than she was gone. We stared after her for a minute before Samantha turned her attention back to me. "Bye," Samantha said and gave me a quick tight hug before she to disappeared.

I stood outside on the sidewalk of the school and just stared at the buses. I didn't feel like moving at least not yet. So long as I just stayed here nothing would change.

"The buses are starting to leave," Ember said. She was standing behind my right elbow. I hadn't even noticed her approach me, I wonder how long I had been standing here? Silently I moved towards the bus presumably Ember was behind me, I didn't glance back to check. In a way I still felt as though I was in some kind of stupor cut off from the world around me. I was slightly dizzy and everything around me seemed out of focus. Words were formless sounds, colors were dulled, even the scents in the air seemed less potent.

I found my normal seat and sat in silence for the entire ride, if anyone tried to speak to me I never noticed. Soon the bus was pulling over to the side of the road at our normal stop and everyone started streaming out.

The woods seemed eerily quiet, I couldn't hear a single animal, not the melodic singing of the birds or the scurrying footsteps of the small woodland creatures. It was as if the animals were all hiding from some unnameable terror.

I crossed over the border into pack land and everything went dark.

I wasn't sure how long the world around me was black, I don't think I really cared. There was something familiar about it and I wasn't even trying to resist the Darkness. It completely engulfed me and everything that I was. 'Weak' a voice sounded out of nowhere and echoed in my head. I gazed at my surroundings when I heard the voice but I couldn't see anyone in the darkness. "Hello!" I called out. Noting but the sound of my own voice answered me and I fell into the stupor caused by the darkness.

'Stupid weakling can't even protect herself from a old and fading spell' the voice sounded again. The voice seemed to be more of a growl that ripped at the sides of my head when it spoke.

"Who are you?" I asked. 'Useless child,' the voice responded. I stood up in the dark and glared in a random direction. Whatever was going on was starting to piss me off. 'Are you just going to stay here and waste away?' The voice asked me. "I would gladly leave. Do you know the way out?" 'Yes,' it said.

I waited but the voice said nothing more. "How?" I called into the darkness after a few more minutes. 'You must free me from my chains,' the voice said. "Where are you?" I asked "I can't see anything,"

Chains? What was going on here? Who belonged to by the voice?

'I am locked in foreign chains that separate me from you,' the voice told me. "You're not making any sense," I called out. A growl ripped out into the darkness and pain ran through my body and I blacked out in the darkness.

When. I came to there was a shadow like black wolf in front of me wrapped in chains. The chains were rusted in certain spots and they looked so old I thought they were about to crumble to dust. The wolf leaned forward but stopped abruptly because of the chains.

'Finally' the wolf said.

I backed away from the chained creature as fast as I could and after a couple of feet I lost sight of the wolf. I could still make out the chains clearly however.

'Weak' the wolf said again. My temper started to rise and I stepped closer to the wolf. 'Such a child...a useless child' the wolf said. "You don't even know me. You have no right-" the wolf cut me off. 'Know you? I am part of you. I am your soul. I am keep a part from you because you are weak.' The wolf told me.

"How am I weak? What would you have me do?" I asked. 'It is simple you are weak because you cant accept me. I am kept in chains because of you. And all I would have you do is free me.' The wolf said.

"Free you? How?" I asked. 'Remember you past and I will be set free. You will also than leave this darkness.' The wolf said

"How am I suppose to just remember? I've been trying for years?" I asked.

The wolf stayed silent and just looked at me with desolate eyes.

The wolf refused to speak again no matter what I asked or said. It just stood there in utter silence.

Finally I stood dejected in front of the wolf. "I don't know what I have to do to remember," I told the wolf. "I am sorry I don't know how to free you." I halfheartedly grabbed one of the chains and yanked it. Rust fell onto the ground or in the wolf's fur. I yanked harder on the chain and without warning it snapped and sent me flying.

I was on my back staring into the nothingness when the wolf stepped over me. Very lightly she liked my face. I reached up and buried a hand in the scruff of her neck.

The shadowy ness had left her and I could now see she wasn't all black. All four of her paws were whit as was her face. Under the black coat on her back I could make out some white if I moved aside the black fur. It reminded me of the night sky and the moon.

The wolf's fur was soft but after I touched her pictures began to flash through my mind. It was like a movie on fast forward. Just as the last memory fell away so did the darkness.

"Kye?"