Awakening

Chapter 11

Rose didn't know how much time had passed since she went over the cliff. She was in a daze as she slowly wandered through the streets of the town North of where she had woken up, although she wasn't sure if this was because she was so weak or because her mind couldn't seem to be processing what she was seeing. The always snowy town was still there, but it looked nothing like it had when she was there the last time. House upon house lined the sidewalk, surrounded by snow covered lawns and white fences. Giant machines with people inside moved around, roaring as they did. She felt like she was dreaming. A strange, terrifying dream.

She slowly, and painfully, made her way towards the town center. Her wounds were getting worse and she could barely feel her fingers and feet anymore. The adrenaline rush of before had worn off soon after she had gotten off the mountain. The smell of freshly baked goods wafted into the air surrounding her. Her stomach grumbled loudly and she made her way towards the smell. The town center that was usually used for town meetings, was now surrounded by glass shop windows. Inside people were happily chatting away, drinking and eating. As she longingly stared at the warm picture inside, people started to look at her strangely. She realized what she must look like. Skin and bones framed by baggy, dirty clothes, hair standing in all directions, all bloodied and bruised. They must think her a beggar or a lunatic, maybe a criminal.

She longed for a piece of bread or something warm to drink. A sinking feeling went through her body. She realized that she had no money, no friends, no family. Her heart dropped. How would she ever survive in this apparently whole new world? She couldn't go hunting, her body was too weak. Not to mention she didn't even know if there was still a forest nearby or how much people knew about lycans. She noticed that more and more people were starting to stare at her and instinctively she started walking along. She couldn't attract any unwanted attention. But then her foot caught on a loose brick and she fell down, colliding hard with another body. She looked up and saw that it was an older woman. Rose thought she must be in her sixties. With the little strength she had left she stood up, the world started to spin.

She struggled to catch her breath. "I... I apologize. I must ha... Must have lost my... footing."

The woman, plump with graying dark hair, stood up and dusted herself off. She looked at the girl in front of her and her eyes filled with pity. The poor thing was desperately underweight, her clothes were battered and dirty, but what she noticed most was the absolute terror and desperation in her eyes. She smiled at her. "It is quite alright, darling. Not the first time I've taken a tumble."

Rose nodded, glad that the woman wasn't making a scene. "If you...will excuse me..." She turned to walk away, but a soft warm hand caught hers.

"Wait just a second. Are you alright?" the woman asked, her voice full of concern.

Rose's smile faltered a bit, but she forced it back. "Yes, I am... just a little...tired."

"You poor girl. Do you have anywhere to stay?"

Rose knew she was supposed to lie, but she was so tired that she just shook her head.

The woman's eyes grew big. "A pretty little thing like you, out in the cold? No, that will not do. Come on, I have an extra room and some warm soup waiting at home." With this she slowly started pulling Rose along.

Rose tried to protest, but the woman was having none of it.

"I cannot...let you take me in... You hardly even... know me."

The woman rolled her eyes. "We'll figure that out later. How about we focus on getting you warmed up first?"

Rose didn't have the energy to argue anymore. Instead she just let the woman drag her down town to a quaint, little house on the edge of town. It didn't look like much from the outside, but once they stepped inside a warmth enveloped her body. They stepped into a small foyer, containing coat hangers. Shoes lined the wall. From there they walked into the living room. Two mismatched couches with lots of cushions stood against the wall and the fireplace was already roaring. The smell of some sort of vegetable soup hung in the air.