It wasn't cold enough to snow, but it wasn't bright enough to break the clouds either. Instead, it was raining. Once again.

Today was sports, and I was standing alienated, in the middle of a playing field as girls jogged around me. The ominous sound of laughter made my head ache and my heart thud painfully quickly.

Tick-tock.

I was running out of time. Every time they lapped me, another second had gone by, another second closer to the end.

I needed this. I needed to escape from that room. But now I was borderline obsessive over whether Lynn was alright. Each day she had been growing paler and weaker, with the same smile that I used to see in my nightmares. That I still saw even now. Our flat mates called her brave, but they didn't know why; not really.

A part of me that had been rotting away in this prison wondered how much she would change, if only she knew. I wouldn't tell her. I was the only person who could, but I wouldn't. It was far too cruel.

"Jade." Isaac called from across the field, dressed in a tracksuit and a generic white t-shirt. I caught the odd girl ogling him. Now his hair wasn't gelled back, it was plastered over his face, a little longer, a little more attractive. If you were looking in the right places, you would even see his abs through his drenched shirt. However, that didn't stop me from damning him to Hell. "You either do the laps or go back to have a talk with higher management about your incapability for cooperation. Your choice."

It wasn't hard to decide. The bruises on my arms were still prominent, and I didn't know how much more I could take before I lost consciousness long enough for me to miss the last few relatively pleasant moments of Lynn's life.

I ran, just like he wanted, just like they wanted. Rain spattered against my face like fine needles, piercing the sodden ground beneath me that squelched with every lunge forward. If I focused on the stench of earth, on the damp air, on nature, then I could start to forget everything, even if it was just for a few seconds.

Outside of the castle-like fortress, there was nothing stopping me from running away. I could probably make it up to the mountains before they found me and put me in lock down. I had done it before. No. This time I would be risking more than my life. Besides, the further I got, the less likely my chances of survival.

Thunder clapped, and lightning flared six seconds later. About six miles out, give or take a few. That wasn't what made me stop sprinting. It started out small, but a pained howl echoed through the forest. Spine-tingling and terrifying.

Adrenaline shot through me as I took tentative steps towards the fringe of trees where they met the playing fields, my breath catching in my throat.

I could see it. Wild, amber eyes glittering in the shade of the pines. I could hear the foliage crack beneath heavy paws, almost feel the density of its breath. "Hello." I breathed.

I don't know what it was, what I saw - I might have even been hallucinating in my desperation - but those large molten amber eyes glinted in the fading light. They glinted as if they understood me.

A rush of excitement nearly made me hyperventilate, but after years of practice, I could control myself. But I couldn't stop myself from taking another step forward.

The eyes never flinched away, never left, continuing to hold my gaze.

Slowly and carefully, I reached out, still meeting those eyes. "Help me." The words came out as barely a whisper; I don't even think I said anything, but it was almost as if I knew it didn't matter. As if we had made some sort of metaphysical connection. "Please."

The growl afterwards was a low, rumbling baritone, shaking the earth beneath us, before it changed to an almost predatory roar. I wasn't afraid. The honesty in those eyes, the one thing that my hosts lacked, was my reassurance. It wasn't human, far from it, but I trusted it.

Within a fraction of the second, the eyes were gone. The silhouette of something larger than I had anticipated disappeared into the darkness of the forest beyond. I had been abandoned. Maybe some part of me felt despair, felt the rejection, but I had grown so used to the idea of no hope that it stopped bothering me anymore.

It could only get better, right? - what a stupid question.

Lynn was making brownies, with the aid of Andrea and Pip, who continued to cajole her into letting them take over. I knew Lynn well enough to know that she might be a sweet-heart, but she was stubborn as anything. "Hey, Jade. You've been outside all this time?"

"Hand her a towel." Pip sighed, being surprisingly sympathetic.

"What about some coffee or chocolate?" Lynn offered. "You look exhausted."

I wasn't going to take anything for granted now, or waste my time being ungrateful and rude when most of my flatmates were being nice. There was no point. "Thanks, guys. Really. I just need a shower and a change of clothes, then I'll be good as new." Every single one of them stared at me disbelievingly. I might not have been rude, but don't blame me for not being used to having people worry over me.

No one was able to break the silence, though. They were now all waiting for me to disappear, and the sudden change of atmosphere was uncomfortable. We couldn't all hang out with Lynn, could we? After all, I was the unsupportive, jealous friend who needed to learn her place.

Cue Eve bursting into the room, in a flamboyant manner so typical of her.

"Did you hear it?" She was already half way inside, trying to peer through the waterfall cascading in rivulets down the window pane.

"Hear what?"

"The wolf!" She squealed excitedly. "Apparently there has been a lot of commotion about it. I would even go as far to say that some of the staff actually looked scared. Can you believe this?" I gulped, watching on silently as Eve threw her hands about erratically before turning on me. "You heard it. You had to. You were out there, right by it. Everyone has been saying that it came from somewhere near the sports grounds."

"What?" Pip joined in, wide-eyed.

"Did you see anything?" Andrea asked, contemplatively. She looked more bothered than usual.

Frankly, I couldn't care less about Andrea at that moment.

The sudden burst of hope was so overwhelming, it made me so desperate to tell… but I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to say a single word. For some reason, I felt that if I did, I might be betraying some unspoken oath. Like that moment of connected understanding between me and that... massive animal had held something a little more important.

"I heard it, yeah. There was too much rain to see anything, though." Evelyn sighed hopelessly, collapsing back onto the sofa.

"You were my last hope."

"I'm sorry." The apology wasn't meant to be sincere.

"Are you even going to have that shower?" Pip interjected, starting to show signs of impatience. "I'm all for you making casual banter with everyone else, but you're dripping all over the furniture."

I ignored her, walking away from the living space. "Lynn?"

"Yeah?" She looked up from the half-filled baking tray.

"I'm sorry."

There was a short silence when everyone turned to look at me, saying nothing. "I know, and it's okay." Something haunted in her expression paralysed me on the spot. She had a look that I was hoping I'd never have to see. A look of understanding. The look that Helena used to have. "It's okay to worry about me."

"What are you talking about?" Sue chimed in, sliding onto the armchair by the window. "That green eyed monster only cares about herself. She even admitted it."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand." Lynn smiled.

"Ooh! Burn!" Andrea jeered, stirring the black liquid in her mug as she joined everyone outside the kitchen. Sue didn't even try to hide her confused anger.

Even though I would have liked to laugh mirthlessly at Sue, I couldn't. Not even if she deserved it. I was too shocked to move. "Just go, Jade, or you'll catch hypothermia."

"Shotgun not looking after her when she does."

"Sue, seriously?" Even Pip was watching her disapprovingly now.

"It's just a bit of fun guys." I heard in the background as I closed the door to our cupboard sized bathroom. "She knows I'm just joking."

A/N: THANK YOU FOR READING!

Who is this mystery new character, I wonder? And what part does he have to play?

Sue is just a little disagreeable, but she's just going by her instincts. I mean, if there was this really weird girl who had won a trip to... I dunno... some really fancy, beautiful hotel where everything was done for her, but she did everything she could to break it and in turn make everyone elses lives miserable, wouldn't you be pissed? Or would you be supportive of her? I mean, it's not like the hotel staff were secretly trying to murder their guests or anything, right?

Ha. Well nevermind. If you like this story, then please review. I want to hear your thoughts and opinions, and perhaps if there is anywhere I need to improve - or if it's really confusing. TELL ME!

Thanks again,
Gee x