Wolf-blood

Being Self-Sufficient

I was picked up by someone and put in the safe room, but I hardly noticed over the pain. It felt like getting stabbed in the stomach. It burned and twisted and... it was the worst pain I had ever been in. The only comfort was the voice. She kept saying things to me like Shh. It's okay. Deep breaths now. It's almost over. I didn't know how long I'd been in there, when suddenly the pain multiplied by ten fold. It spread to my legs and arms and back. It spread to my head and gave the the worst migraine. It was like every part of my body was about to explode. I had stopped screaming because it hurt my head too much and had taken to silent sobbing to let out my pain.

Suddenly, I heard a pop and felt a burst of pain in my fingers. I slowly turned to look at them and saw that they were slowly getting shorter. I screamed and felt a fresh burst of pain in my head. Then I heard Vox. I don't know when I started calling her that but I guess it fit since vox is Latin for voice. Vox said Calm down, I will be out soon and it won't hurt as badly. Just let me come out. Then I relaxed and sucked up the pain and awkwardness of having your bones shrunk and elongated. I squeezed my eyes shut and all at once the burning stabbing was replaced with a dull throb.

I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. I was in a large chamber that looked like a forest. There were trees, bushes, grass, and moss. But still I felt trapped. I thought This isn't right and tried to get up, only to find myself tangled in some clothes. I tried to untangle myself, but couldn't, so I just tore it away with my claws.

Wait, what? Claws? For a second I thought Why do I have claws? And fur? And why can I see so well? My contacts had to have come off. But then Vox took over and said Calm down Indie, you're fine. No, I have to get out! I argued and I ran to the door.

I tried to yell, "Let me out!" but all that came out was a loud bark. I tried to scream in shock but all that came out was a whimper. I started to panic. I scratched the door yelling, "Mommy! Daddy! Please help me!" but still all that came out were barks, howls, and whimpers. Vox whispered in my mind Indie, you have to calm down. Listen to my voice. I am here to help you. Your parents can't help you from out there. You have to be self sufficient for a few days, okay? There are animals in here to eat but we don't have time to hunt now. You are going to change back soon and it will hurt. You have to stay strong for a while longer, okay? I took a deep breath. Okay.

I went over to my tattered clothes. All that survived was my sweatpants and sweatshirt and even those didn't escape without a scratch. I pulled them away and piled the shreds into a small bed. I pulled over a pillow and blanket and settled into my doggie bed. As soon as I laid down my head I realized how tired I was and I immediately fell into a dreamless sleep.

I woke to pain worse than the previous pain, if it is even possible. My bones were elongating and popping out of their sockets. My nose felt like it was being shoved into my skull and I cried out in pain until it hurt my head too much. I tried to stay calm during the change, but it hurt so badly that I was writhing and crying in my little bed. Vox was comforting me the whole time, like she was my mother.

Where was my mother? I had asked her to stay with me but she wasn't here. Had she abandoned me? The pain stopped abruptly just like the previous time but my heart still ached from the realization that my mother had left me. She didn't abandon you, Vox whispered, she gave you the ability to become strong. I don't want to become strong! I shouted back at Vox. You should, because one day your parents won't be there to help you and you have to know how to stand on your own four paws. I sighed. Vox was right. I had to take the punches as they came and fight through them if I wanted to be strong. I was still a bit confused about the whole "we are a family of werewolves" thing and about how it was possible, but I had to prioritize my thinking right now. First step was finding water. I stood up from my bed and walked over to my stash of clothes and pulled them on. I could see now that my sweatshirt was missing most of the bottom half and my sweatpants had scratches all down one leg. I walked out into the woods and found a small pond. I took a huge gulp and moved my little bed next to it. Then I went searching for food. I found some berries and nuts and ate those. I had come across a hare, but I wasn't so desperate as to need to eat raw rabbits.

I had just finished my small feast when I felt a pain in my gut. I quickly took off my clothes and threw them off to the side so as not to ruin them more. The pain passed quicker this time, but it still wasn't quick and it hurt like a mother. Once it passed, I stood up on my paws and all of my thoughts were replaced by instincts. Hunt, eat, drink. Hunger. I can't explain it, but it was like I could tell when to hunt or eat. I was hungry so I crouched and went hunting for a meal. I found the same hare I had seen earlier but no longer felt any remorse for it. I was hungry, so it was my right to kill it. The strange thing was, I was doing it, yet I wasn't. It was my body and my thoughts, but Vox was the one carrying out the moves. She pounced, she bit it's neck, she ate the delicious hare. Afterwards, we were still hungry, so we hunted some more, finding another rabbit and a turkey. When I was full, I went back to my pond and drank some more water before I settled in my bed and went back to sleep.

When I woke up I was changing to a human. The pain drove me to cry out, my hopeful thought that it would get easier squashed. Although it did take less time it still took about 2 hours. When it was over the shock came through. I just killed and ate two rabbits and a turkey raw. And not only that but they tasted good, better than when they were cooked. I grabbed my clothes and pulled them on before I went to grab a drink of water. When I got over there, I bent down to cup my hands and get some water. But when I looked down into the water, what I saw shocked me.

My silky brown hair was matted and tangled and longer, my pale face cut up and smeared with dirt. My muscles were bigger and so were my - erm - assets. I was at least an inch taller than I was before. I looked like a homeless girl who showed an echo of beauty. A ripple disrupted the image and I realized it was my tear. I quickly wiped them away and drank some water.

This process continued for what I'm guessing was days. I would change to a wolf, hunt, then sleep. Then I would change to a human, put on clothes, gather berries and nuts, then sleep. The change had been shortened to taking 10 minutes. One day though, I didn't change back to a wolf. I was scared. I had gotten into the groove of letting Vox (who I had figured out was my wolf and took over when I was in lupine form) take over to hunt and then I would take over to gather. When Vox didn't come out, needless to say I was worried.

But Vox calmed my thoughts by saying, Your first turn is over. If you want me to take over you must force me to the front of your mind. I closed my eyes and focused on Vox's comforting voice and forced it outward. The next thing I knew I was in pain. I was doing it! I could control my wolf! I stood as my wolf and ran around, ecstatic that I had figured it out.

I changed back into my human form by forcing myself to the outside, just like I did with Vox. I put on my clothes and ran to the door. I knocked really loudly and shouted, "Mother! Father! I'm done you can let me out! I figured it out! I can control myself now! Mother! Father!"

The next thing I knew the door was flying open and I was being pulled into a bear hug (or is it wolf hug?) from my father and mother. I was crying and smiling and I didn't even care that I was left alone in a forest room to fend for myself. I was just happy to be in the arms of my parents.