Chapter 6

The man then protruded his hand as if asking me to hold it. I was hesitant at first but I then decided to take his hand. His hand was warm. His long fingers were pale and scratched up like papercuts.  He then closed his eyes and a moment later I was back in my bedroom. But for some reason, I wasn't on my bed on the ground a few paces away from my bed. I remember sleeping on my bed the previous night but why was I on the ground? I had no clue.

Although it seemed like I spent only a few minutes in my dream, it was already morning in reality.

I called the receptionist at the laboratories and called for a day off. I needed a break to cool my head. writing down everything I could remember about the dream I wondered why is it always me that gets stuck in such mishaps.

Apart from all the questions that are already dwelling in my mind, now came a new question. What was a being protected from? And who is that man? If he is the wolf I always saw in my dream then why was he a man now? 

Wait a minute. Wait for a damn minute. Is he by chance a…?

It took me a while but now I realized that all this time, I've been dreaming about a werewolf. If werewolves really do exist then how am I connected to them? But most importantly do they exist?

I instantly took out my phone and called my sister Stacy. Stacy lived a few hours away from my place. But she is the elder one of us and knew more about my family than I did.

As soon as I called her up, I could hear her from the other side of the phone, “hey Rebecca, how are you? Long time, hope everything is good. How come-”

“I'm good Stacy and if you can spare me a minute I have a question for you.”

“Is that the only reason you called?” I could hear her pout from the other side of the screen.

I couldn't help but chuckle.” first my question then your drama. Alright?”

“Alright. Ask.”

“Do you know anything about our family being related to werewolves stacy?” 

"Werewolves?" Stacy exclaimed on the other end of the phone. "What on earth are you talking about, Rebecca? You know that werewolves are just mythological creatures, right?"

I sighed, feeling a little foolish for even bringing it up. "I know, I know. It's just that I had this weird dream last night and it had something to do with werewolves. I couldn't shake the feeling that it had some kind of deeper meaning or significance. I guess I was just hoping you might have some insight or know something about our family's history that I don't."

Stacy was quiet for a moment, and then I heard her let out a soft laugh. "Well, I can't say I know anything about werewolves, but I do remember hearing a rumor that our great-great-grandfather was said to be a bit of a wild man. I think someone even called him a 'wolf of the woods' at one point. But I'm pretty sure that's just a fanciful nickname and not anything to do with actual werewolves."

I laughed as well, feeling a little relieved. "I guess I was getting a little carried away. Thanks for humoring me, Stacy."

"Anytime, sis. Just remember, werewolves aren't real. But if you ever need someone to listen to your crazy dreams, I'm always here."

I smiled. "You're right. I feel a little silly for even bringing it up."

"No problem," Stacy replied. "Now, can we talk about my drama? I've been dying to vent to you about my latest ex-boyfriend."

I laughed. "Of course. Go ahead and vent away."

As we continued their conversation, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that the strange dream was just that - a dream. I listened as Stacy ranted about her ex-boyfriend and the ways he had wronged her, and soon enough, the strange man and his cryptic words were all but forgotten.

I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to my dream than just a fanciful story. Now and then, it would come back to me, nagging at the back of my mind.

One day, I decided to take a walk in the woods near my house, hoping that the fresh air and peaceful surroundings might help to clear my head. As I walked, I found myself drawn to a particular spot: a clearing in the oddly familiar trees.

As I stepped into the clearing, I gasped as the memories of my dream came flooding back. I recognized the place immediately - it was the same clearing where I had stood in my dream, with the strange man offering his hand to me.

My heart began to race as I looked around, half-expecting to see the man standing there in front of me. But there was no one there, just the peaceful quiet of the woods. 

I sat down on a fallen log and took a deep breath, trying to make sense of everything. It was just a dream, I told myself. It couldn't possibly be real.

But as I sat there, lost in thought, I felt a strange sensation wash over me. I couldn't quite describe it, but it was like a sense of recognition as if some deep part of me knew this place and had been drawn back to it.

I sat there for a while, lost in thought until the sun began to set and I realized I had been gone for hours. As I made my way back home, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to my dream. I knew I needed to find out the truth, no matter how strange or unbelievable it might seem.