A Chance

Chapter 18

Caleb kept back at the edge of the ruins as Keyan led me forward through what remained. My heart was thumping in my chest so hard that it threatened to burst out. The place was so still, charred remains of homes littered around us. My eyes settled on a mass coming up in front of us. I let go of Keyan's hand walking a little faster. Feeling as though I was being called forward by something. Soon I found myself stood inside the burnt out remains standing over what looked like an armchair missing all its stuffing. "Touch it," I heard an unfamiliar yet familiar voice in my head so I reached out and touched the burned chair.

Screaming all around me. Heat and crackling. The house was now whole again but in its final moments of being whole. Smoke surrounded me but I could breath fine. I ran to the window to see everything engulfed in flames. Turning back I saw my mother and father. My father held my mother and said "she's safe." Then they both burst outside and changed into their wolf forms. They began fighting other wolves and helping others to get away. I ran outside too to see they were surrounded. I screamed desperately to warn them but they couldn't hear me. As the other wolves pounced towards my parents I ran forward to them.

The flames were gone, I was shaking down on my hands and knees. I looked up to see Keyan staring at me a worried expression on his face. A force deep inside me was screaming to get out, clawing at the service. I crumbled on the ground and screamed, it hurt so much. It was like a burning sensation all over my body. I could hear Keyan's voice but couldn't make out what he was saying.
My body began to grow bigger, stronger and fur all over me. My wolf's voice now stronger yelled "run!" And I listened suddenly finding myself galloping away from Keyan and Caleb. The snow tumbled thicker and thicker as I ran. My new body so big I could barely coordinate my limbs, but she was helping me. "Danger!" She screamed as I tripped over my front paws and tumbled down a slope to the edge of the river. I picked myself up and looked into the calm water. I was pure white except for the mud on my paws.
I began running again with no idea where I was really going. Soon though I was running through a blizzard and becoming exhausted. I slowed down to a walk before finally stopping and laying down in the freshly fallen snow. My fur vanished and I grew smaller finally ending up naked and in my human body in the freezing snow.
For a moment I simply sat there exhausted and spaced out, then panic crept in. I didn't have a clue where I was, I was naked and without my clothes I would most definitely freeze to death. I clambered to my feet and wrapped my arms round my body. My feet were going numb already as I desperately looked around for a sign of familiarity but couldn't see anything but pine trees and snow.
"Keyan!" I screamed hoping some way somehow he'd hear me calling. Slowly I began walking the direction I'd come still shouting all the way "keyan!"
Eventually when my whole body had gone numb I reached the river. To my relief Keyan in his wolf form had followed what scent he could. He galloped towards me and curled his form round mine. Howling loudly he summoned Caleb who was carrying both bags in his jaw. He padded over dropping them in front of us. I quickly with shaky limbs pulled on the warm fluffy trousers, socks, top, coat and boots. Keyan bent down and Caleb nuzzled me to get on top of Keyan. I slipped some gloves on then grasped Keyan's fur before he trotted back to his own territory.