Chapter27 –Death–
I had never seen a wolf before –not in reality at least–, but I could tell that they usually weren't that big. It was huge, as tall as a horse, maybe even taller than a horse! Its dark-brown fur shined in the silver moonlight, it seemed to be warm and soft. And I couldn't deny that it was kind of beautiful, when it jumped to long for my throat.
Wind arose –a breeze–, coming from my right side. It hit the wolf's flanks, knocked it away towards a giant tree where it crashed with a painful whimper against the wood.
My brain had stopped functioning again and my eyes were too slow to follow the happenings in front of me. Suddenly I was flying, ice-cold wind wiped against my face, combed through my hair and pulled at my dress. I looked up, blinking against the wind and– stunned.
"Adrian?"
" 'I will be fine,' she says," he snorted, his expression sour and angry, his eyes centered straight forward while running at inhuman speed through the woods. " 'I will stay in my room,' she swears. 'I'm not going anywhere.'"
"I'm sorry," I apologized sheepishly. "I was just so worried about you-"
"Do you know how worried I was when I suddenly smelled clover in the middle of a snowy forest?" he cut me off. I had never heard him so panicked before. "Do you know in what kind of danger you are now?"
Danger – that word rang a bell. "Louis," I remembered. "Oh my God, Louis!"
"We can't help him anymore," he replied bitterly, still running.
"Why?" I demanded, reluctant to except what Adrian was telling me. "What-"
"Werewolves."
Just then, an earsplitting howl cut through the air and something hard and heavy crashed into Adrian, throwing us apart. I landed on the ground; the soft cold snow caught my fall. I got up just in time to see two giant wolves launching themselves at Adrian.
However, before I could scream to warn him, he had already turned around, facing them with fury. He hit them with his bare hands; hit them hard according to their whimpers. They flew against nearby tree-trunks, leaving deep marks in the wood. Thereby his movements didn't even look like attacks, at least the parts I could see. It looked more like a dance, his body moved so swiftly, so fast and sure as if he had spent a lot of time to master this piece of art with perfection.
Only a second later, the wolves had already recovered from their crush, got up and jumped back into the "dance". They were fast –all three of them–, so fast that my plain human eyes could only make out blurs of brown, black and white. Though my eyes couldn't follow the happenings in front of me, my ears could – at least to a certain extent.
I heard howls of pain and growls of fury, but I couldn't tell whether the second noise was only made by the wolves.
"Chloe!" Adrian called me out my daze after what seemed like hours but were probably only seconds in reality. "Run!"
I didn't move, I couldn't move, I couldn't leave him here alone!
Then a third wolf jumped out of the dark. Instead of helping the other two with Adrian, it directly went for me. I didn't scream, my breath was caught in my throat. Adrian must have sensed the new danger despite his two opponents. He growled –threatening, dangerous, vampire-like– and jumped, catching the wolf midair. They crashed against hard wood, the giant old tree shook at the impact.
"Run!" he bellowed again and this time I obeyed, because I realized that I'd be the complete opposite of help for him if I stayed.
I ran, the many snow wasn't helping me to go faster. I didn't know where I was heading at –I had lost all kind of orientation the moment Adrian took off with me–, I just hoped that it was the way home or at least not directly into a mouth full with razor-sharp teeth.
The surreal white full moon, watched me, followed me, chased me. I tried to ignore it, told myself that it was just the moon, a giant rock, spinning around the earth, miles away from me, not able to touch or even hurt me.
I couldn't persuade myself. Not after seeing what had happened to Louis.
Werewolves. Not Grey Wolves but werewolves. And there were at least four of them. We were five, but only Adrian could fight and Chantal, Claudine and Fabienne were Heaven knew where.
A shrill sound cut through the air, a scream of panic, a call for help. I stopped.
Chantal!
All warnings forgotten –both Adrian's and those from my head–, I spun around and ran toward the opposite direction where the scream had come form, deeper into the forest.
Thinking back, I couldn't tell where the sudden strength had appeared out of, the determination and fearlessness to save my friends. It was clear that the wolves had found them and it was clear that there was nothing I could do.
In contrary to all kind of logic I kept running. I didn't turn around to hide which was definitely the more intelligent choice in this situation. Everyone would have answered the question whether to run for dear life or not, if a pack of giant werewolves was chasing one, with a quick loud "Yes!". But I couldn't say "yes", I couldn't turn on my heels and run back home where it was warm and save. I couldn't, not with my friends left behind – it was wrong.
I discovered tracks in the snow after some time. They were small human tracks about my size. I counted three lines of those, three pairs of feet. –The girls!
I followed these tracks. They grew narrower and narrower with each single step, as if they had huddled together to warm each other or to hide form some kind of danger.
I went on and on, walking deeper and deeper into the darkness. The cold of the snow numbed my feet and legs, fingers and hands. I could see my own breath; it hung in the air like a tiny cloud before it disappeared into nothing the next blink.
I can't remember how I had felt exactly while following my friends' steps through the thick snow. I was scared, yes, but not for myself. I was scared for Chantal, Claudine and Fabienne. The idea of something might hurt or worse happen to the last three of my precious friends scared me – scared me to death.
And the fear grew. And the track stopped. They just stopped but that wasn't what made my eyes widen in panic. The track stopped in the middle of chaos. The perfectly smooth surface of the layer of snow here was broken – no, destroyed. Deep long cuts and fosses covered the whole place as if someone had danced wildly in the snow. Of fought. I wished it was a dance, I wanted it to be a dance, wanted it so much. But I knew it wasn't. The dark red dyeing in the bright white snow told a story itself. And the story was undeniable. It was the picture of violence and within all this chaos, I found the big deep footprints of wolves together with a small slender figure lying in a bed made up of red snow.
My mind cried "No, don't go nearer!" but my body didn't listen. Before I noticed, I was already standing at the unmoving person and stared down at her big empty eyes.
It was Fabienne.
Oh. It was a short and simple sound but it still sent a shiver down my spine. I spun around, but there was no one. Hello, the voice continued; it sounded amused. Did you lose your way home, little girl?
I didn't respond. The voice scared me. I couldn't tell where it came from. It seemed to come from everywhere and then again from nowhere.
You smell strangely, the voice commented and made a disgusted noise. Like one of those filthy bloodsuckers.
I spun around myself, my head turning so fast from one direction to the other that I almost lost my balance and tripped over Fabienne's lifeless body. I bit my lip to suppress a cry of horror.
But you are not one of them, the bodiless voice stated in a hugely interesting tone. I can hear your heart beating. I wonder…
"Who are you?" It wasn't louder than a whisper –only a high hoarse fearful squeak–, but the scary voice heard it anyhow.
Who I am? The voice sounded amused again. Oh, don't worry, little girl. You will understand everything in time. But first… The voice trailed off, leaving the unfinished sentence hanging in the air. It crept deep into me –into my bones–, causing me to shiver even harder than the cold had already made me before.
It hurt, this fear.
I hadn't heard anyone moving, I hadn't heard anything at all. Suddenly he was behind me. I knew it because my subconscious told me, I felt him, and then I could smell him. It was the metallic smell of blood. I didn't move. It was no use. I wouldn't be able to race a werewolf.
I didn't know why but I expected razor sharp teeth sinking into my throat, and maybe that was his plan, too. But then he changed his mind when a deep furry snarl cut through the air only inches away. He hit me with sharp claws instead, I felt them digging deep into my back, touching my ribs, cutting off my air to breathe. The impact was so hard that it sent me flying. I crashed against a tree. I couldn't stop it, I only had enough time to close my eyes, then I felt a sharp pain at my head, and when I landed in the cool snow I felt something warm and liquid running down my temple.
Here you are. At last. I heard the scary voice said in triumph.
A loud angry growl responded. It didn't frighten me. It sounded angry and dangerous but there was also something else within it. Anxiety, fear, pain.
Then sounds of a grim fight filled the air. Growls, snarls, howls. The noise hurt my head but I couldn't make myself to get up and tell them to stop. I could barely breathe. I didn't know which parts of my body were all damaged, I could only guess that it was a lot.
Suddenly there was the sound a heavy crash –one more hundred-year-old tree was felled again, I guess–, and then I felt strong arms –colder than the snow– wrapping around me and I was flying again. But it was not a painful flight, I felt good, free, save. I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't make my lids move. They were too heavy, my chest was too heavy, it made breathing so difficult... maybe I could simply stop…
"No, Chloe," the most beautiful commanded. An angel? "Breathe. Don't give up. I won't give up."
And I obeyed though it hurt a lot.
A few heavy breaths later the flight stopped. I knew it because I couldn't feel the icy wind anymore. And it was darker and a little warmer than before, was I in a house? I was laid down on hard cold stone –not a house, a cave– but the cool hands that had carried me before didn't leave my skin to my relief.
The hands lingered at my chest for a while, then went to my head, my legs and arms. "Damn." Angels could curse? "All broken… too many injuries, lung is cut," he muttered, quick and panicked. "Too much… can't heal them all… no… no." Did angels cry?
I wanted to sooth him, to lift my hand, touch him, and calm him. Angels shouldn't cry. But I couldn't, I was too exhausted, too tired and breathing was so hard…
"No! Chloe, don't! Don't go. Please." These words, they sounded so familiar. But I had never heard an angel begging. Wasn't that my line? "I kept my promise. I am here. Now it's your turn. Don't leave, Chloe, don't leave me alone."
Promise? When had an angel promised me anything? I couldn't remember, it was so difficult to remember, to think at all…
"No!" It was only a whisper –a breath– but it felt like a scream. "No, Chloe, please, no!"
It hurt to hear the angel being in such pain. I wanted to lift my hand, to stroke his cheek, to sooth him, to apologize for this at least. But I couldn't, I could barely breathe.
I felt it, I felt life leaving me. I felt strength leave my limbs, felt air fly out of my lungs, felt my heart stop fighting, beating more and more slowly.
And the angel stayed at my side through all the time, sobbing, begging. He wouldn't give up.
Why? Wasn't he here to take me to the other world? Maybe angels always cry at this, it was a hard job, I supposed. Watching someone die –may it old or young–, it had to hurt. And he was helpless, as helpless as I was. We couldn't do anything against it, neither one of us, although he was an angel. No one could stop death, stop fate.
"No," he said again, but it sounded different this time. Strong, hard, resolute. "No, Chloe. You won't leave me."
Of course, I wouldn't leave him. I was dying, he was my angel to lead me – how could I leave? I didn't understand…
There was something at my neck –a hand–, pulling my hair back. I didn't feel the cold, but somehow I knew that the fingers caressing me were cold, ice-cold.
"I'm sorry." The angel's voice was suddenly louder, nearer, clearer. A cool breeze stroked my ear, soft, gentle, sweet.
And then there was pain.
And then I was in hell.
hey there! ^^
I know... this took looooooooong! and I'm soooooooooo sorry about it! T.T
I was busy (I'm kinda always busy XD) I was writing a screenplay with some friends for a contest... I TRIED to write "Nightfall" alongside! but... if you've ever written a screenplay you'll understand ^^ -it's simply IMPOSSIBLE! T.T
well, well....... this is the last but two chap - almost finished!! ^^ *happy* I know... everything is kind of heading towards a disaster... I'm still working on a "happy ending" ;) Please be patient! XDD
and don't forget to review!! ^^
-Mulan-
