I sighed and rubbed my eyes, looking around me. I realized, for one, I was naked. How I got this way I don't know. Secondly, I was cold and covered in mud. I shook my head and realized there was mud in my hair too. It was also streaked on my face. I was in the midst of trees, and a fog hung coldly in the air. I stood up shakily, and wrapped my arms around myself. Shivering, I walked slowly in some random direction. I don't know why, but I could hear the soft rustling of sleeping birds and the gentle caresses of the leaves from the trees on my bare skin seemed more... natural and the sensations I felt were more sharp and precise. I could smell a faint trail of... other people. My hopes shot and I ran. Sniffing as the wind whistles past me, I could tell I was approaching the area where the scents congregated. I stepped out from the trees and...

Into the clearing around the Mystic Ruins. I stared at it for a minutes, puzzled, then it his me. That night, the wolf-thing, the run, the bite, and it falling off the cliff. I looked down at my naked thigh and gasped. The wound had healed, leaving light scars on my skin. I whimpered and stepped back, running again until my foot splashed into the river and I tripped. I fell into the ground and looked over to my right. Tatters of my clothing littered the ground. My blue jeans were ripped and chunks of fabric were missing, but still wearable to the point where it covered everything that needed to be covered. My shirt was also severely torn, but barely wearable. I'd have to told some sections up. They also adorned mud, along with... blood. Both mine and something else. I looked farther up and saw a trail of blood.

A image flashed in my mind of running on all fours and dark grey fur on my arms slipped in and out of my view. I also saw in that split second I had a muzzle. I shook the image from my mind and went over to what remained of my clothes. I put my jeans on, then also my torn shirt and ran down the trail. My feet pounded the soggy ground and I almost tripped sometimes, while my arms pumped. I forgot to mention I was on the track team in high school. After a few minutes I stopped, and realized I was looking at two corpses from two deer, which were torn apart along with some tree branches and trees themselves. I stepped over the corpses and ran as fast as I could, to the exit and away from here. I wasn't that out've breath nor did I break a sweat when I had reached ladder, which I climbed up as fast as I could. I slipped a lot, and when I got to the top I cranked the lever to go as fast as possible to the mine cart that would take me back. I stepped in it and curled up in a corner. Tears raced down my cheeks and cleared some of the dirt and mud away.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

45 minutes later

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I padded to my apartment door, and shoved my hand into my pocket, pulling out the key that was miraculously there. It was decorated in flames, and I pushed it into the door handle and twisted the key. I heard a faint click, which one should not hear, and pushed open the door. I heard the next door open slowly. A sigh and feet hitting the floor as they approached. I turned my head, followed by my body slowly.

"Erin! I'm so glad you're back. I got worried when you didn't come back after three days and even asked Soni-" The younger, pink hedgehog stood there an gawked at my appearance. Her normal headband was gone, and her quills a mess. The normal red dress was replaced by a form fitting black shirt I had bought her saying in a delicate, blue writing "I'd paint myself blue just for you." The pink hedgehog also wore a pair of jean shorts that we had both decided on. Her feet and hands were absent of shoes and gloves. Wide, jade eyes bore into my half-lidded ones. I don't know what she exactly saw, but apparently it seemed to startle her even more.

"...Amy, how long have I been gone?" I asked simply, the exhaustion in my voice apparent from running from the ruins, and from the train station to the apartment while getting weird looks from the people who saw me. She swallowed slowly and walked toward me.

"You've been gone for almost two weeks. Eleven days, to be precise." Amy's face crumpled and fell into me, hugging me tightly and I hugged her back. Usually she freaked if something stained her clothes. Right now she could care less. I lost it, and buried my face in her shoulder and sobbed. We stood there for a long time and she finally let me go. Sniffling, Amy smiled at me and said something that made me breathe a sigh of relief then laugh.

"C'mon, let's get you cleaned up. I can't have you mis-matching more than you already are."