It was nighttime when I next opened my eyes. The forest around me was alive with all kinds of sounds and movement.

I dug my fingernails into the ground and felt the dirt gather under my nails.

I remembered being on the road when some headlights turned on… and a spike of fear running up my spine, and then—just—pain.

I sat up and felt around my body for injuries.

Nothing.

I stood up cautiously and scanned the surrounding woods. They didn't look familiar.

Either the person that hit me wit their car had left me for dead in the woods, or I've been abducted. I hated both these scenarios, but seeing as I was here now…

I walked to the edge of the clearing and, when no one came out of the shadows to stop me, bolted.

I wove between trees and clumsily leapt over roots, trying not to get the fabric of my woolen tights caught on protruding twigs, until I saw firelight beaming from behind a knot of ancient trees.

Loud grunts and rumbles shook the ground as I drew closer warily and began gingerly scaling the nearest tree, adjusting my knee-length dress as necessary and clinging onto its rough bark for support.

As I drew myself up, I could see three large figures gathered around the bonfire. I studied their strange, ragged garb and lumpy heads. They seemed to be bickering, and began shoving each other and growling, over which parts of the sheep carcass on spit they would eat.

I slid back down the trunk, combat boots thudding on the ground. I brushed the debris off the back of my black dress and shook the leaves from my hair.

"What was that?" A guttural voice questioned, followed by a loud crash and the tree that I had just climbed being abruptly pushed aside like a branch.

I cringed and looked behind me reluctantly and saw a giant, misshapen face peering at me haloed by the light of the bonfire behind it.

FUCK.

"Another morsel!" The ghastly creature exclaimed, grabbing my leg with a huge hand and sweeping me up into the air in one motion.

I hit my head on the ground on my way up into the air where I was currently dangling, dazed, in the grasp of this bulky, grey, monster.

The creature lumbered back over the fire and held me up for its brethren to see, while I still dangled upside-down in a daze. They communicated amongst themselves while I looked around for a way to escape in a panic.

All I had on me to defend myself were my teeth and the fists I was born with.

Well, damn, okay.

So, I figured, why the hell not? And attempted to do an upwards curl to try and bite the hand of the creature that held me.

My abs burned, and the hip that was attached to the leg that was being held popped sickeningly, and not in a healthy sounding way, but I managed to swing myself up and grab the palm of the giant hand, bringing it to my mouth, I bit down.

And then something strange happened.

A bitter taste washed through my mouth and seemed to pour into the broken skin of the palm.

The warm blood filled my mouth as the bitter washed out and a sense of satiation filled my being.

I seemed to be deaf in that moment to the roar of pain from the large creature holding me, but I noticed as soon as it dropped me back down to the ground.

I fell hard on my ass and felt all at once the immense pain that a hip popped out of its socket could create.

The creature that was holding me slowly staggered and finally collapsed to the ground next to me as its brethren looked on in shock.

Then their eyes turned to me.

FUCK.

I rolled to my side and attempted to pop my hip back in, with a little success, then I staggered up to a standing position and put my fists up, if this was going to be a fight, so be it!

"You think we could still eat it if we remove the head?" One of the remaining creatures asked the other.

The image of them removing my head was not particularly pleasant, which spurred my next action; I lunged forward with a limp and grabbed onto the nearest one's leg, biting into it's calf.

It cried out as I held on, and once again, the taste of bitterness went out and sweetness came in, and the hulking thing collapsed much like the other one.

As I let go of the second one's leg, the third and final creature, much like its brethren, did not seem to have the capacity for self-preservation.

It rushed at me with and cry and I dove out of the way as it barreled past me.

I shot a hand out, over extending my arm and popping THAT out of its socket as well, and managed to scratch the creature's ankle. Blood began gushing out from the main artery I had hit, and the creature wailed in pain.

I struggled upwards using my good arm to try and shove my shoulder back in its place.

I could have walked away then, I should have. Logically, I could have gotten away from the creature and made off into the woods, but for some reason, I walked over, knelt, and pressed my mouth to the open wound of the creature, sucking in its blood like it came naturally.

I could feel the body grow cold and the life force of the creature wane, so I let go and wiped the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand.

I stood up and noticed that most of my pain had faded from my hip and shoulder. I tried walking, and my gait was now mostly even.

Okay, okay, okay. I'm either in a dream or something very, very wrong happened to my body to be able to do this.

I thought.

I have to figure this out, but first, I should find actual humans.

I looked around the clearing and found a cave nearby. Shelter, a place to sleep should I need it if I cannot find anyone in the next 24 hours.

So, I started back into the woods to find any sign I could of civilization.

…

Six hours in and I could feel the barest bit of sunlight begin to filter in through the trees. I don't know if I was because I had gotten used to the dark in the forest, but the light felt like hot needles on my skin.

Then the world got brighter; and I lost my vision.

The first few hours of blindness consisted of me panicking, bumping into trees, tripping into a creek, and begging any and all forces in the universe to have my sight back.

Once I figured out it might not be coming back, and I'd have to live with this blankness forever, I began trying to find my way back to the cave; picking and feeling my way through the forest until I accidentally stumbled into the embers of the creatures' fire and was hit with the smell of burning goat flesh.

I skirted around the ashes and fumbled around the ground to find the entrance to the cave. Once my fingers found the rocky floor I crawled inside into the dark relief to rest and have a good cry.

After a couple hours in the dark, faraway from the cave entrance, I discovered I could see again.

I sighed with relief and began to take in my surroundings: piles and clumps of metal and polished bits of stone lie about the floor of the darkest part of the cave.

Over against the wall leaned a slab of polished bronze, I touched the surface and saw my reflection for the first time since waking up.

My thick, dark brown hair had small twigs and pieces of leaves in it, as was expected. My black dress and grey, woolen tights were torn in some places and slightly muddy, and my combat boots were thoroughly scuffed as they always were.

But, my eyes.

They were a glowing amber, like angry coals in a fire haloed in vibrant red and orange.

Where the fuck did my brown eyes go?!

I squinted closer and peeled back my lids to scrutinize further. I tried rolling my eyes back, to see if my normal eyes were on the flip-side, but it wasn't any use. My eyes are now something out of a children's nightmare.

"Fucking great." I said sarcastically, my lips twisting up into a mocking grin in the mirror.

Then I noticed my canine teeth.

OH, WHAT NOW

Pointed. That's what they were. Shitting—POINTED.

Like more so than Edward Cullen, but distinctly less than 1950s Dracula.

I groaned and rubbed my face in my hands.

"This is a dream, this is a dream, this…" I mumbled to myself and I turned away from the mirror.

I looked back down to the ground at the piles of various metal and noticed something that broke my frustration.

A pair of elegant daggers lay side by side, lightly glowing in the darkness.

Spellbound, I walked over and touched them.

Nothing magical or strange happened, but I did feel like for some reason that I was meant to see them.

I frowned and removed my hands and stood up.

I had better get some sleep so I can either wake up from this dream, or deal with a whole lot of crazy tomorrow.