TWISTED MATES

Episode 11

By the time Freya realized what was happening, it was already lost and somehow, she ended up in the woods. Thick, dark wood filled with pines, trees, and shrubs. She was sure that something was leading her there. She couldn't control the pull. Whatever that was drawing to that particular wood, it was strong.

By now, she was much of herself but felt the pain in her feet. Torn skin and fatigue. She looked like an abandoned daughter in an unfamiliar environment.

Fear gripped her, and she clutched herself, tracing to find the exit from the wood. Her mind kept wandering to the ample possibility of Dante finding her. She knew better why that selfish jerk would want any connection that has to do with her. The entire incident was starting to become more vivid, and the message from the moon goddess was clearer. This all must be some kind of big joke. She can't be humiliated twice. First when she was a girl and now, this? Never! She rather lives on the stance of always having to watch her back than for her to belong to Dante.

Freya sharply turned when she heard the breaking of a twig.

"Who's there?" She asked, her voice filled with fear and desperation.

Oh, what a day for her! A day filled with so much anxiety and unwanted revelation.

There was no response from the source of the noise. Absolute silence and suddenly, snarling came from the dark corner where Freya heard the noise earlier. She squinted her eyes to make out what or who was there, but instead, she saw two glowing, sharp eyes. The eyes were like a burning flame or the fading rays of the evening sun.

The eyes kept coming closer and closer, visible and more visible. No form in view, just dangerous eyes hiding among branches, fixing unwavering gazes on Freya while making low snarling sounds.

At first, she tried to be certain. Tried to make out if their eyes belonged to an animal or a human. If she wanted to decipher the logic, their eyes looked so low and dim to belong to a human and so violent, that fit the features of an animal. Which animal then? A wolf? Immediately she sensed the threat, Freya took to her heels again, running as fast as she could, with no direction and destination in mind. She just wanted to get to safety first.

Freya didn't know what happened, how it happened, and why it happened. But whatever the cause, it saved her life and she was greater than whatever it was. All she knew was that someone from behind knocked her down, bound her hands and put a sack over her head, blocking out her view. Afterwards, came an increase and furious speed from whose ever that had slouched her over strong shoulders.

Freya let out a high-pitched scream that could wake the whole town if truly there were residents there. "Help!" Her voice continued to pierce through the ears of the one that carried her.

Ignoring the screaming, kicking and thrashing against his strong muscles, he continued with swiftness to outrun the attacking wolf. Overriding every obstacle, the male that had carried Freya arrived at the beachside she had earlier dumped her car, dropped her there and cut free her hands.

Panting and sobbing, Freya quickly removed the sack around her head with trembling hands. Shooting to her feet, she set out to find out who was, but, couldn't find a trace of anyone. No footprints on the sand, nothing to show that someone else had just been there apart from her.

"Thank you," she slumped to the ground, sobbing into her hands, her palm covering her face. Whosoever it was, Freya, didn't care. She was just grateful that her life had been saved.

By now, it was late at night. She opened the car and climbed in.

Turning on the ignition, it started. It was like someone had fixed the car for her. It just came to life with one touch.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." Finally, something good happened.

She drove off with force to wherever her spirit led her. Her mind and body carried her back to a driveway. Another lost site. That is where she wanted up in.

She left the door open. Her foot was out on the driveway. The rest of her remained behind the wheel, she was staring at the blankness of the garage door as more tears slid down her face. The rearview mirror showed mascara smeared into black smudges under her eyes and streaks of it tracking her cheeks. She has been through hell and her body knew it. She felt the pain all over her torn feet, her stressed body and her worked-out mind.

Freya had driven blindly around the city before ending up in front of her house, but she didn't want to go inside right now to the silent, empty place. She didn't want to be alone, but she didn't want to call or go back to her fiancée. She wanted his closeness and comfort but didn't want the different questions that she had to provide answers for. She was in no shape for explaining what had happened. Not yet.

In moments like this, she wished that she had a living relative or whosoever she could confide in. She wasn't a social person who believed in having numerous friends or even going out to make some. Her world has revolved around Jake for as long as she could remember. It was either she stayed independent, hurting and healing alone. Or, she would heap her negativity on her man.

What was she to do? Go back to his man or, heal alone? Take time out to clear her head, and come up with a different strategy. But one thing kept disturbing her. Who was the person that saved her and why? Maybe there was more to her than she knew.

If she passed through all these today, that meant that this was just a little of what her life would become. Fear, anger, anxiety, depression, pain, and weakness. It would become so much more. So much that she might not be able to take. Yes, she got rescued today. But, would this mysterious rescuer be available all the time she was in danger? The past has finally caught up with her.