Shift

The Nightmare

The wolf crept toward her, it's lips curled back, teeth dripping, a low growling coming from its throat. The golden-green eyes seared through her, mocked her, paralyzed her. It leaped. She threw her arm up to cover her face, the knife gripped in her other hand. She swung the blade around into the beast's side, stabbing it once, twice, three times, screaming all the while. But its jaws continued to snap. She was on her back, the wolf hovering over her, its teeth gnashing. Searing pain washed through her body as the sharp teeth pierced her shoulder. Something snapped. Blood sprayed the wolf's face. Her vocal cords shredded with the scream. The wolf stared down, her blood dripping from its face, and onto hers. She tried to fight back.

"Scarlet!" she heard in the distance.

She screamed louder.

"Wake up!" said Nat. He knelt by Scarlet's bed, shaking her gently. "Scarlet, open your eyes."

Finally, she tore herself out of the nightmare and sat upright. She was panting, sweating, and her throat was sore. Nat caught her shoulders and she leaned against his arm.

"I—" She tried to speak.

"It's okay," Nat said. He perched on the edge of the bed and helped her stop trembling, his hands on her arms. "It was just a bad dream."

Scarlet tried to catch her breath, but the image of the wolf was still there, in her mind, the eyes glowing down at her.

"It had these eyes," Scarlet said.

"Most animals do, darling," said Nat.

"They were green," she said, "but they were gold. How can green be gold?"

Nat couldn't help but smile, turning away momentarily to hide, Scarlet assumed, a laugh. "Hey, it's okay. Relax, look at me."

His eyes, like storm clouds, locked onto hers, and she felt a calm wash over her. A deep sigh escaped her mouth.

"You're okay," Nat said. His voice was soft, and Scarlet couldn't help but believe every word that he said was true. "You're safe here, with me. I'll protect you."

Scarlet fell forward into Nat, and he wrapped his arms around her as she cried. Her eyes closed, her face pressed against his chest, she tried to catch her breath.

She didn't see Adrian hovering in the doorway, a scowl on his tired face. She didn't see Nat look to him with a sly, devious grin. All she saw was the memory of the wolf's eyes, and of Penny's hair soaked a deeper red with her own blood.