Ida
It hurt.
Oh, God, it hurt so much, worse than when my wrist was clawed, worse than the dizzy fall in the hallway the other day.
Fire. That was it. That had to be it.
This was fire crawling under my skin, a wild pulse beating through my ribs like something was trying to claw its way out. "Fuck!"
But of course, a growl met my ears instead. I couldn't even curse in peace anymore. You know… animal form and all. Fucking hell.
I galloped blindly, branches whipping past me, slapping against my face like the forest itself was pissed off. Yeah? Well, get in line!
I kept running, though I didn't know why.
My lungs burned, each breath tearing at my throat, but still I pushed forward, driven by a frantic need to escape this body that wasn't mine anymore. Trust me, if you suddenly morphed into a furred little dog-looking thing, growling like second nature, you'd probably be irritated as well.
Leaves crunched beneath me, so soft and yet so loud in this eerie silence; save for the chirping birds, croaking frogs, and… howling wolves? I could hear them, and something told me if I paused enough to listen, I'd actually understand them. And I'd actually be able to howl right away.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
The world was a blur of green (why was there so much green, for God's sake? It looked like Mother Nature threw up all over the place); every tree was taller, every smell sharper, every shadow darker, every breath heavier. I kept waiting for a sign that I'd wake up; some stupid dream logic, something that would yank me back to reality.
Yet nothing yielded. "Shit."
The curse translated into wolf language again. Splendid.
Then I heard them: low, guttural sounds, like a distant growl, weaving in and out of the fog.
My pulse spiked so hard I thought it might break my ribs. A second was all it took for things to go from frying pan into fire.
From the shadows, they stepped out: four wolves moving with a deadly grace that told me this was far from random. Their collective glares told me I most definitely took a wrong turn.
"Oh no," was what I tried mouthing, but I wasn't even sure I was communicating. "This can't be happening." My skin prickled with the wrongness of it all. It became hard to breathe.
Their growl vibrated through me, deep, like a pulse in the earth.
I backed up, palms shaking, claws only half-formed at my fingertips. I held them up, as if surrendering would stop what was coming.
"Okay." My words trembled, a vocal leaf in the wind. "Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe I passed out. This is just my brain being a jerk."
But of course, the largest wolf took a slow step forward. Run.
I didn't need a second thought; I spun on my heel, my clawed feet slipping on wet leaves. In one split second, I was hightailing it the hell out of the clearing.
Too bad it only excited them.
A blur of fur and teeth chased after me, each footfall a stampede against the earth. I was fast, so fast it scared me, but still not fast enough. My legs, these new legs, moved like a dream, but I couldn't keep the dream alive.
One wolf leapt, and even though I twisted just in time, their claws still met my fur. "Aarggh!"
Mine went slashing instinctively, raking across fur, warm blood spraying hot against my wrist, but it barely slowed them. It was more defensive than anything else. I was no match for them.
Nevertheless, I'd hurt one, and for just a second, I thought maybe they'd back off.
No such luck.
~~~~
Ida
The forest swallowed me whole the second I broke past the edge of the schoolyard.
Wait, I was back in Qwava High? I reeled. How?
Every breath dragged air through broken glass. I didn't understand why it hurt so much, why every muscle in my body felt like it was being pulled, stretched, rearranged by invisible hands. All I knew was that I was lost: no map, no guide, just raw instinct pulling me deeper.
At least the school grounds were empty, so there was that. No innocent bystander could get hurt, but on the other hand, I was completely alone, dealing with this savage bunch of crap on my tail. Literally.
"Help! Somebody, help me!" My pathetic yell for help collapsed into yet another growl in my throat. Until I could only intone, "Please, don't let them kill me."
Who was I even talking to?
The universe, apparently, because in one split second, one more wolf appeared in addition to the first set, and he did not look like he'd like to snap my neck into two and use my bones as toothpicks at dinner.
He stomped, growled, and howled so loudly that all the other wolves flinched. Then swipe, one blow. Swipe swipe! Two in one. Headbutt, swipe, swing.
My very own wolf in shining armor.
Unfortunately, there was only so much he could handle at once, and two of them found my neck and strangled me for all I was worth. I morphed into a fish on land, wheezing like I was in the middle of an asthma attack. Everything blurred.
I collapsed under the weight of the night, dragging me down until everything went dark.