Chapter 5

Now that I am out of sight I let the tears steam down my face. I tried so hard to get pregnant, all the ovulation tests, hormones and miscarriages. Endless doctors appointments, we tried so many different things and nothing ever worked.

Luckily, the rain has lightened up a bit as I walk through the trees. As I wander I am unsure exactly where I am going. I guess I want to see that cliff Liam and I were headed to earlier.

When I come to my senses, I think I’ve been walking for about ten minutes. Nothing looks familiar and I must have taken a wrong turn.

I look around me and see nothing but trees, the cabin is nowhere in sight.

Shit, where am I?

I look down at my phone to see if I have service, I don’t. Great.

I see there is and a text from my Carly that says:

“Please don’t hate us and think of the baby. I am sorry, I know this should have been you. ”

Hate doesn’t even begin to describe what I feel for them and their baby.

A part of me wants to call her and let her explain. I always thought I would be excited to find out about Carly being pregnant. But that was before she stole my husband and my life.

I stop walking, I am definitely lost.

Defeated I sit down on a nearby rock, rest my head in my hands and just start sobbing. I lay back on the wet moss basically giving up.

It’s getting dark and I see the light of the moon in the sky. It looks like it’s a full moon tonight. Usually I appreciate the full moon, a symbol of change, but I was too miserable to appreciate anything right now.

I’m also worried I might have to spend the night out here in the cold, in soaking wet clothing.

“Turn around and follow the me” a voice whispers through the leaves.

Am I losing my mind? I turn around and see the red wolf. This time I know it’s real and it’s looking right at me with its golden eyes. The wolf turns around and begins walking away slowly, as if it wants me to follow.

I feel a sense of calm from the wolf and I know it doesn’t want to hurt me so follow it.

As I follow, I begin to hear music that sounds like a harp coming from behind two evergreens up ahead.

The wolf is following the music and leads me to a large clearing where there are no trees. Up ahead, I see something glowing and it looks like a stone table. What is that doing all the way out here?

Entranced, I walk towards the table and the wolf disappears into the forest.

When I get in front of the table I can hear it calling out for me to touch it.

The pull from the table is strong and so is my curiosity,  so  I reach out to touch it feeling an instant jolt of energy run through my whole body. The table is shinning so bright, I am blinded by silver light. There’s a flash in my mind of a woman who is moving objects with her mind and then fire; flames all around me, they are starting to burn my skin.

The pain brings me back to reality, the palm of my hand is burning,  but I can’t move it off the table.

My skin is starting to glow silver, like the table and it’s very hot. I feel like I’m going to explode. The light grows stronger until I am completely blinded. My body is so hot, I can’t believe my hair isn’t on fire.

Suddenly, the table cracks and I am pushed back 3 feet landing right on my ass. I guess it was destined to happen today.

I look at my hands and my skin is still glowing. My skin is so bright I can see all around me, even though it is pitch black outside. What is happening? On the bright side my clothes are dry now.

There’s no time for answers because a dark figure emerges from the tree line and the red wolf, that has apparently been next to me this whole time,  starts to growl at it. I’ve never heard the wolf growl and this makes me nervous. Not to mention the dark figure that looks like it wants to eat us in the distance.

The figure growls and it makes the trees around the clearing shake. The figure charges us and the wolf runs towards it. As the wolf is running it looks like it has tripled in size. How is any of this possible.

Whatever this is I gotta get outta of here. I run back through the trees in the direction I think I came. I can see slightly from the glow of my skin, but as I run away from the table the light is getting weaker.   

I run for what feels like hours and I am very lost. My skin has stopped glowing, but I’m still hot as hell.

I’m breathless from running, but I’m too scared to rest.

“Willow” I hear Liam calling.

“I’m over here” I shout back. I’m so relieved to hear his voice.

He can’t be far he sounds so close. I turn around and see a flashlight shinning through the trees.

I run right into his arms.

“What we’re you thinking running out here on your own” he asks squeezing me tightly. “Come on let’s get you home.”

We start walking hand in hand. Walking with him makes me feel safe.

He doesn’t ask me anything and I’m glad because I am not sure what to tell him anyways.

What even happened? Did I imagine everything.

Just as I think I imagined everything, I see up ahead, on the path there are six large wolves walking towards us. Just like the red wolf, they are calm and don’t appear aggressive.

Then, a red wolf that looks exactly like the wolf that was helping me in the clearing walks out of the forest and joins the pack. It looks like it’s limping.

I wasn’t imagining it. That monster was real and that wolf got hurt in the fight.

I look over at Liam and he does not look bothered by the wolves walking towards us. We stop and the pack of wolves head into off into the night.