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Current Day

This is not happening to me again, I thought as the panic threatened to overwhelm me. The police scene in front of me told a different story, however. I was about to lose my only companion, again, and suddenly, a hauntingly familiar scent met my nose, making me quiver in that weird way again...

Two Weeks Prior

I couldn't help the sigh that escaped me, closing the trunk of my car and grabbing the last bag of groceries I had needed to pick up after Kevin suggested we have dinner together. My relationship with him could probably best be described as familiar. Since my father and his mother were good friends, he and I had grown up together. He was the one who had suggested that we try dating eachother. I was a little hesitant at first, not wanting to ruin a friendship that spanned more than a decade, but soon fell into an easy routine with Kevin. He seemed content, as I was, with how things had turned out so far.

We had had a few arguments, but he was with me through some of the roughest points in my life, as I was for him. He held my hand as I learned of my father's passing when the drunk driver clipped his car. He understood how much my father, the last remaining family member I had, meant to me. He had been my rock, my safe haven, and I found it surprisingly hard to let Kevin take over that role. I had always loved him, but recently I feared it wasn't in so much of a romantic light as it was a brotherly one. But since he had never really suggested we be more, I was not about to scare away the only remaining person I had to turn to. He understood me and knew exactly what I came from and had been dealt with in life; I could always trust him to know which topics to avoid and which were safe. That's just what Kevin was to me I guess... safe.

After shoving the garlic bread in the oven, I began to brown the meatballs and cook the spaghetti sauce for our sandwiches. My stomach grumbled loudly... my appetite had been pretty much uncontrollable recently, but I blamed it on recent stress at my job. Before I could dwell on it too much, Kevin pulled up in his Ranger. As he came into the kitchen, I gave him a peck on the cheek, as a slightly unpleasant smell met my nose. It was almost a sickly sweet smell which irritated my nose, making me almost want to sneeze as a trembling sensation rippled down my spine.

"Baby, are you okay, you've got a strange look on your face."

Kevin startled me out of my train of thought. "Yeah, just allergies acting up I think." I gave him a small smile. He let the subject drop and an awkward silence fell over us. It hurt to think that I still wasn't fully comfortable with him. I knew it was only a matter of time until he became frustrated with my detached attitude. Shaking it off, I returned to cooking as Kevin checked a current game for the score on tv. I knew I was hurting him, but I couldn't offer up more of myself at this point. Not long after, I dished up and called Kevin into my small kitchen. I hadn't had the heart to sell my dad's place, after he gave it to me in his will. Shaking my head again, I handed Kevin his plate, noticing his cold skin as our hands brushed.

"Geez, been sticking your hand in an ice box?" I joked.

Kevin just stared at me.

"What," I snapped, irritated now.

"Baby, I'm fine, but you are burning up," he said as he placed the back of his hand on my forehead. "Shit you are way too hot, babe."

"I don't feel warm at all," I defended. His skin was just icy cold, why couldn't he see that? I was getting frustrated very quickly. I stopped that train of thought, surprised with myself. I had never been irritable with Kevin. I shook it off as the possible beginnings of a cold.

"I'll just take some tylenol and sleep it off," I shrugged. Kevin didn't seem so convinced, a fact which again aggravated me to an unnecessary degree. I calmed myself down as I faced Kevin, grumbling," Come on, let's just eat." My stomach grumbled loudly again, as if to emphasize my point, to which Kevin laughed for the first time tonight.

"From the sound of that, I won't argue with you," he chuckled.

I forced a smile in response to his attempt at cheeriness. I pretty much inhaled my food, and wound up eating half of Kevin's, too, after he claimed to be stuffed. He asked, astonished, "Where in the hell are you putting all that?"

I simply flipped him off, as I brushed my teeth after dinner, to which he simply snorted. When I was done, we settled in next to each other on my couch for a movie, but after about 10 min in, Kevin was again complaining about my temperature, saying I was making him sweat just being next to him. I could tell he didn't believe that I felt fine, and his concern irked me more. After assuring him for the millionth time that I was fine, I told him to go home and get some rest. He began to kiss me slowly, but as he pressed his tongue against my bottom lip, I broke away, frowning.

"Sorry, but I have to be up early," I whispered against his lips.

Kevin merely grunted in response, pulling away roughly. "Ok. Guess I'll see you in a couple days," he mumbled dejectedly. With that, he promptly walked out my front door, closing it loudly. I felt guilty for turning him down, but I just couldn't go there yet. I sighed, knowing I'd need to make it up to him tomorrow, but having no energy to do so tonight, so I simply collapsed into bed...

When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see dark forest all around me. I immediately jumped to my feet, glancing around and finding nothing familiar, it was all just green. I began to panic, having no idea where the hell I was. What was worse, my senses were going haywire, and it felt like I could hear everything. A small rustling in the treeline to my right caught my attention, and I tensed up immediately as a large animal came carefully into the clearing. At first sight, I thought it was a bear, but as it came closer, I could make out the features of a gigantic gray wolf with tan markings. That's when I realized the wolf was heading straight for me. Really panicking now, my eyes darted around, looking for any possible escape route while a nasty inner voice sneered, "Don't bother, it's not like you can outrun it." I began to build up a scream for help, hoping futilely that somebody would be close enough to hear me. The scream died in my throat, however, as the wolf's eyes locked with my own. I was frozen, staring into these deep chocolate pools, and somehow I got the sneaking suspicion that these eyes held the meaning of life. I took a step towards the wolf, reaching a hand out to its muzzle. The voice in my head that should be screaming at me that this was an idiotic idea was strangely silent. I stretched my fingers out to the wolf, inches away from coming into contact with its thick fur. Just as I was about to reach it, the screeching of my alarm clock pulled me back into reality roughly.