THE WERETIGER

WAKING UP...

A sudden burst of light attacked my eyes and I lifted an arm to shield my eyes when a shadow cast itself upon me. It was large and it loomed over me as it came closer and closer. I tried to move backwards, fear gripping at me as the large body stopped right in front of me. My fingers trembled on their own, my knees shook and an immense amount of pressure on my heart made breathing hard. I directed my gaze downwards, trying to get myself together as I breathed in and out slowly. My head was light and I felt slightly dizzy as I balled my hands in to fists to stop the trembling to no avail. My knees suddenly stopped shaking but the pressure on my heart intensified and I found myself unable to control my body. The frustration of having to stay in place was making me sweat profusely as I gritted my teeth with every attempt I made at moving.

Like a machine, my body moved at the command of the beast in front of me. My knee moved up while the other stayed down making me assume proposal position. I still faced down, shutting my eyes as tight as I could and with no way of making any helpful movements, I was left at the mercy of whatever was in front of me. With the ability to only see, smell and hear, my brain was working nearly quarter of the functions it was supposed to be performing. My head suddenly rose up and I came face to face with a creature I had heard in tales and stories. With yellow eyes situated far apart that shone so bright, a proud gait that put the folktales that tried to explain it to shame and a coat that radiated light covering the entirety of the area where we occupied, it stared deep in to my soul. While I stared out of compulsion and inability to control my body, it stared with such intensity that I felt a chill run down my spine. The subtle sound of the wind blowing slowly faded and the sound of water that made the background ceased making the silence nearly palpable.

The silence stretched on for some seconds that felt like an eternity. The fierce shinny yellow eyes slowly eased in to mine and it moved it's head closer till we were forehead to forehead. The silence and the stare had became so comfortable that I had no intention of moving my head away. An image flashed in it's eyes followed by another then another. As I stared in to the yellow eyes that emitted kindness every passing second, the image that was drilled in to my head of a fierce and responsible creature that showed kindness but never tolerated it when harm came to it's territory became clear. The images that played in it's eyes like a tape were of a forest so beautiful and it's creatures. It was of a time passed, a time when people cared for one another and one in which the fierceness of the weretiger was respected. The images in the eyes contrasted with one eye showing a before and the other an image I know too well. It was a contrast between times and it made me feel as though I was travelling back and forth between the past and the present. It showed how in humane and self serving people became overtime, a fact that stared me down holding me guilty.

Enchanted and beautiful, the leaves were shining and the trees looked healthy. The image of the war when a wolf was thrown in to a tree flashed in front of my eyes and my heart hurt. I could feel physical pain as I watched the test of time mark it's presence on the territory that was once protected and loved. I focused on the past, watching as the area flourished under the protection of the weretiger until it's time was up and it didn't wake up the next day. Though no one dared cross the forest for a time, it became clear that there was no protector and greed overtook sensibility. The creatures were ravaged by people, taken hostage and some drained of blood while the forest lands were used for war and for territory expansion. Wars took place after every three or four years leading to the destruction of the forest and the creatures slowly disappeared. The forest slowly lost it's fertility and patches of bare land became larger by the month. An uncomfortable feeling clogged in my throat and tears built up behind my eyelids. When the images clashed in a surreal manner, I couldn't hold back the tears as they fell making my cheeks wet.

Both eyes showed a present image of a forest stripped of all it's belongings and left at the mercy of self serving careless people. The fact that I am one of them glared at me but I still felt the pain and embarrassment that came with it. One of the eyes backtracked as though the previous button of a remote controller had been pressed and it stopped at the image of a beautiful forest before all the destruction. The contrast was not humongous but for someone who has just watched the change like a tape, the contrast was almost unbelievable. I realized that only the eyes that look at the forest with good intention, protection a possible trial could see the difference. After staying in that position, unchanging for a few more seconds, the weretiger closed it's eyes. I raised a hand and passed it through it's fur, not realizing that I had regained control, a subconscious act made possible by the feeling of responsibility that brewed in my heart after the sight that was shown to me. The weretiger moved in accordance with my movements, never opening it's eyes. It was a comfortable silence with my hand in it's smooth fur and it's light illuminating the area.

It felt like an unspoken promise, a conversation that happened without needing any words and a cry of help from a mystical creature that was misrepresented to the people. It was a humble creature that asked for help when it had to, though that wasn't represented in the stories that showed it being a tyrannical ruler. I sucked in a sharp breath when the constant flow of tears made it too hard to breathe, it's pain becoming my pain. We stayed in that embrace for a long time, comforting each other for a pain we strangely shared and though the exchange confused me, I understood the beast with a tender heart. I was left sniffing and clearing my throat every once in a while as my supply of tears ran dry and I had to face the weretiger once again. It looked up, opening it's eyes slowly to reveal a perfect pair of shiny yellow eyes. The timing made my heart flutter, it hadn't opened it's eyes until I was done crying. We were eye to eye once again and it suddenly raised a paw, pushing me backwards, the air wrapping it self around my body and my eyes closed on their own will.

I opened my eyes, the memories of the war and a time I had nothing to do with forming a hazy image. I remembered a meeting with a creature whose stories were widely known and I had a heavy feeling on my heart. I looked around me, standing up on all fours to find my self surrounded by jewel encrusted walls as a river meandered it's way through the area. It was an ethereal image that made the air feel clean and the ground comfortable. I looked up, not seeing the hole I remember falling in but a stone roof that matched the walls. The whole place looked fresh out of a fairytale and it felt like a dream. I felt as though I should be running somewhere, my mind constantly regressing back to a fierce mystical creature and the protection of a forest. I took a step and a film of air wrapped itself around my leg making me feel lighter than I should have been. I could hear hushed whispers as the sound of the river echoed in the empty space.

Come!!

The calling bounced off the walls and I strained to hear the voice that called. I heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and yet it never reached. I scanned the area, realizing that everything looked too clear and my eyesight had improved drastically. I tried to remember how I got here, the sound of the footsteps becoming clearer but my mind blanked at the war. I remembered the ground breaking and falling in to the abyss. I walked around, trying to jog my memory but I came out blank every single time. The witches throwing their magic haphazardly gave me a very strange feeling.

Am I in a witch bubble??

Did that yellow headed freak trap me??

The thought made me angry and I wanted to pull at my hair in frustration but I swiftly realized that I had paws for hands so I decided to just glare at my paws instead. I moved my head to the side, narrowing my eyes at the white paw and remembering my brown wolf. A brown wolf has brown paws so why is my paw white?? The white paw shone brightly, a light reminiscent of the light that came from the weretiger. I placed the paw down and walked over to the river that was flowing in the middle of the circular area. I leaned over as I observed my very weretiger face. My mind scrambled to form explanations as to why I looked like a mythical creature. I was drawn in by the yellow eyes that shone making the water look yellow. I stood there, unable to move as I tried to understand what was happening and wishing that I was dreaming because this was not supposed to be real. I was paralyzed, uncertainty and confusion taking reign of my emotions. The reflection in the water portrayed a beautiful, confident, fierce animal that I felt the need to look near me and see whether there was another creature. I sat down, unable to stand through the various possibilities that ran through my mind as I continued observing the animal in the water.

The footsteps came closer and suddenly stopped. A gasp filled the air making me came out of my frustrating thoughts. I stood up slowly and breathed out. Turning around, I was met by a handsome sight of a man, his eyes wide in surprise. He ran his eyes from my head to my paws multiple times, too scared to take a step. We stood in silence as we stared at one another. I ran my eyes through his six foot height, his perfectly styled hair and his well sculpted features. There was a feeling of attraction that subtly pulled me to him, a rattling feeling that gave me a sense of peace and belonging. There was an electrifying feel that made the atmosphere tense. He raised an eyebrow, not saying a word as he continued gracing me with his scrutinizing gaze. The sound of the wind blowing made the silence bearable while the river's sound made the atmosphere beautiful. The water reflected the jewel's shine and the light bounced off the walls and roof giving the circular area a romantic feel. The small space felt even smaller with the stare down that we held. He suddenly cleared his throat, diverting his eyes and self awareness made me look away. I looked around, not really knowing what to say in the situation when he suddenly bowed down, his head angled downwards and I narrowed my eyes at the sudden act. He stayed in that position as various images of people mirroring his position played in my head. They were the memories of the fierce creature I embodied. With a soft, humble voice he spoke.

"Welcome back" he declared.