Love Beyond Human

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

Emily and Ethan's friends had been searching for him for days. They set a trap using a trail of blood that led to a dead carcass nearby. After several attempts, they finally caught him and tranquilized him. So, they decided to carry Ethan to a nearby shed owned by Alex's father, a renowned hunter of abnormal creatures. As they carried Ethan, Alex told them about the shed. "I know a place Ethan could stay," he said. The shed was large and filled with equipment of all sorts. It was my father’s.” Brian was surprised. "Oh, it all makes sense now. No wonder you were able to figure out Ethan was a werewolf." Alex nodded. "Yeah, my dad loved catching wild creatures. I guess I learned that from him, he taught me a lot I need to know about abnormal and supernatural creatures, he was basically an expert, but I guess he didn't see the last beast on time, or we wouldn't have been attacked that night, and Ethan wouldn't be like this." When Alex and the others got to the shed, Emily and Alex felt a pang of sadness. "I wish Ethan told me about his condition sooner. We would've done something about it." There was a moment of silence, and then Alex spotted a chain on the floor. "Chain him," he instructed. "His legs, arms, neck – every part of him. Werewolves are stronger than you think. If they're not chained properly, they'll break free with ease, and you won't be able to do anything about it." As they chained Ethan, Emily approached him with a mix of sadness and love. She reached out to kiss his cheek, and the others watched in silence. They knew about Emily's relationship with Ethan, and they knew how important Emily was to Ethan. After a few minutes, Ethan woke up, growling and revealing his bared teeth. Emily implored, "Ethan, it's me. We came to help you. Please trust us." "Please, Ethan, why are you doing this?" She tried to approach him but recalled their last encounter and knew she had to be more careful. “Ethan, please, you need to remember who you are. Remember who I am," she said, stretching out her hands towards him. However, before she could get close, Ethan lashed out uncontrollably, frightening Emily, who fell to the ground. "Emily!!" Alex shouted. “You could’ve been hurt!” Emily gasps for air.

Despite their efforts, Ethan remained feral. Alex suggested, "I think we need to give him some space. We won't be able to revive him just yet." The others agreed, and they decided to leave Emily to watch over Ethan, hoping she could be the one to bring him back. Alex handed Emily a tranquilizer gun. "Use it wisely. There are only a few shots left." “Wait, where are you guys going?" Emily asked. "I have an important meeting to attend," Alex replied. "What about you?" she asked Brian. "I have a program at my church, so I won't be able to stay," he said. "What about you?" she asked the next person. "My parents will be home soon, and I need to get going," he replied. “As we’re all leaving this on you, promise us you will be careful.” Alex asked. Emily approaches Alex giving him a hug. “ I will.” She replied. “Alright Emily we’re leaving now, please be careful.” He waves, then Emily waves back at him returning to the shed, returning to the shed. Inside the shed, Ethan struggled against the chains. Emily decided to bring him food, hoping it would calm him down. When she returned with a chicken, Ethan sniffed it and devoured it. As Emily spoke to Ethan in a soft voice, she said, "Ethan, it's been really hard for me, all these months without you. The world was so dark. If not for my friends by my side, I wouldn't survive. I've really missed you, Ethan, so very much. Please, if you're still there, come back to me." She began to cry. Ethan saw this, and his heart softened. He approached her calmly and began to sniff her. Emily felt frightened but didn't run away. After a few seconds, his memories began to flash before his eyes. He gasped, trying to recall what he saw, and suddenly remembered her name. "E-Emily?" Ethan struggled to say her name.

Emily's eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh, yeah – yes, Ethan, it's me!" But before Ethan could fully regain his memories, he began to transform. Emily gasped and stepped back, holding the tranquilizer tightly. Ethan screamed in agony as his body contorted, his back bulged, his hands and feet elongated, and hair sprouted from his skin. After his transformation, Ethan attempted to break the chains, but Emily shot him twice with the tranquilizer. He collapsed to the floor, subdued. Hours later, Ethan changed back to his normal self. Emily was relieved and approached him, stroking his head. "I'm so sorry, Ethan. I only did it as self-defense," she said. As the days went by, Emily continued to care for Ethan, feeding him and speaking softly to him. She noticed small improvements in his behavior, and her hope grew. Ethan started to trust her, and he drew closer to her, warming Emily's heart.

One day, Emily decided to bring Ethan a meal from KFC. She hoped it would help Ethan regain his strength. It was 7:00 pm, and she couldn’t stay any longer. She looked into Ethan’s eyes, and he seemed pleased that she had brought him the meal. Emily felt hesitant as she approached Ethan with the bucket of chicken. She carefully dropped it in front of him, and he devoured it. Emily was stunned to see this and approached him one last time, stretching her hand to touch him. He growled at her, which scared Emily, but it didn’t stop her. She crept closer until she was finally able to stroke him on his head. Emily was happy and pleased. As Emily stroked him more, he calmly leaned into her touch. She reached out to hug him, but he growled at her. “Right, sorry – don’t like hugs,” she said, pulling herself away. “Alright, Ethan, I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you,” she said, closing and locking the door behind her. As she left, she awaited the next day's visit, hoping to see progress in Ethan's recovery. Emily's determination to help Ethan remained strong, and she was willing to do whatever it took to bring him back to his normal self. With each passing day, Emily witnessed Ethan's struggles and triumphs. She saw the feral creature he had become, but also the glimpses of the man she loved. The journey ahead would be uncertain, but Emily was ready. She would face it head-on, armed with her love for Ethan and her determination to help him recover. As she looked at Ethan, she knew that she would never give up on him, no matter what.

Over the next few days, Emily continued to visit Ethan, bringing him food and speaking softly to him. She noticed gradual improvements in his behavior, and her hope grew. Ethan began to recognize her, and his growls became less frequent. He would look at her with a hint of familiarity, and Emily's heart would swell with love and hope. One day, as she entered the shed, Ethan looked up at her and took a step forward. Emily's heart skipped a beat as she saw a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. "Ethan?" she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. Ethan took another step forward, his eyes locked on hers. And then, in a voice that was barely audible, he whispered, "Emily." Tears of joy streamed down Emily's face as she heard Ethan say her name. It was a small step, but it was a start. She knew that with time, patience, and love, Ethan would recover fully. And as she looked into his eyes, she saw the man she loved slowly emerging from the shadows of the feral creature he had become.