Why Choose? Have Them Both

Missing

6

I wake up suddenly, my sesnses alert. I reach back and feel the bed bedside me is empty. The room is cold and dark and the fire is almost out. "Damien?" I call out but there is no response. I fumbled into the kitchen and find the matches, lighting a lantern. The glow of it helps me find my clothes, placed carefully near the fire to dry. Putting them on I wonder where he is, thinking that perhaps he is fetching more wood for the fire. But I hear nothing and after a few mintues the room feels oppressive. Where could he be? I rummage around and find my bag, grabbing my phone. Its past 2 in the morning. Feeling cold, I look into Damiens pack and find a hoddie and throw it over me. It drowns me and smothers me in his wonderful scent and it eases me a little.

Its past 3 am now and I am cursing that I dont have his number. I am laid in bed but I am nowhere near sleep. My anxiety that something is wrong is peaking, and I finaly give in to the restlessness. Grabbing the lantern I make my way through the woods to the beach.

Scanning the area, I am dissappointed that he's not there. A branch snaps behind me and I whirl around, heart thundering. I scan the woodland but see nothing. "Damien?" I ask but there is no response. I strain my eyes and see nothing but I can FEEL that something is there. I begin to back away towards the water, fear lacing through me. All I can hear is my breathing and heart racing. I hear a deep rumble from the treeline and ice cold fear leaches through me. Ahead of me I see a giant leg emerge from the tree followed by a body, covered in fur. I stumble back, the stones sounding so loud in my ears and the creature slowly paces towards me, growling. Its arms are huge ending in claws the size of fingers, its chest broad. Its thick hairy neck supports a massive wolf face and its black eyes stare at me as it advances. I try to scream, to shout, to move but I am paralysed with fear.

It's still coming towards me, and I know that I am dead, that there is nothing I can do against this beast. Its eyes flash silver in the moonlight, as it bares its huge white teeth at me, still stalking towards me.

It's nearly upon me now, and all I can do is think about it ripping me apart, shredding through me. I realise I am glad Damien isn't here, that I don't want him to die. Tears run down my cheeks as the beast jumps towards me, closing the gap and landing with a tremendous thud right infront of me. Its proximity frees my inability to move and I stumble back, falling and crashing my head on a rock. I cry out dazed, realising that any second it will be on me. As my vision clears, the creature stoops over me, sniffing, its hot panting breath washing over my face. I am frozen, again, in fear, eyes wide as I stare into death.

I dont hear, more feel a presence approaching fast, thrumming footsteps rushing towards us, a blur as it smashes into the monster above me.

The beast yelps and crashes to the ground. I turn as I hear snarling and snapping and see a man tumbling around with the beast. I sit up, and my head throbs, blood trickling down my neck. But I can't take my eyes off the fight before me. The beast has its huge jaws wrapped around the mans shoulder, he cries out in anger and graps the creatures throat in his hand. I hear a snapping noise and the wolf yelps, using its legs to fling the man back from him. The beast seems weakened, and beings to whine and the man rushes into it and sends it flying into the treeline. I hear a crash as it collides with the trees and my vision begins to blur.

The man speeds to me, there in an instant. I see pale skin, dark eyes that flash red and smell roses. His hair is long and half pulled from its knot, as he closes in on me, so quiet and cautious. He is devastaing in his looks, like a god but that of death and darkness. I feel his arms slip beneath me and he brings me towards him. His face meets my neck and I feel a sharp pain before everything turns black.

I could feel myself drifting out of unconsciousness slowly. I was lying on a soft surface, something that moulded itself to my body. I was warm beneath a slippry fabric and I wanted to fall back to oblivian. Fighting the urge I force my eyes open and find myself in a pitch black room. Lying in a bed, I notice a window to my left, moonlight breaking through. I sit up, and jump out of my skin at movement above me. Staring up I see a mirror surrounded by netted material and realise I had jumped at my own reflection. I then smell an almost overpowering scent of roses and everything come flooding back to me. I stifle a moan and wonder where I am. In the blink of an eye the beautiful, terrible man is in the open doorway to the room. I curl up on myself and stare at him, unable to tare my gaze away. He isnt from around here, thats for sure.

I continue to stare at him, wondering what he will do to me. My hand reaches to my neck, which begins to throb hard. His eyes focus there and he says "I only took a little, werewolf bites are quite the thing to heal,". Werewolf? Is that what that monster was? He faught it off, so what kind of monster is he? "You stopped it," I barely whispered. He started to move closer to me and I skuttled up the bed, scared of what he would do next. He became still, in the light of the moon between the curtains and I saw a flash of red eyes again. "If I was going to hurt you I would have by now," he said, retreating back to the doorway.

"There is a bathroom down the hallway, and some clothes in there," he pointed to the wardrobe in the room. "A meal will be waiting for you downstairs, first foor on the right,". he was gone before I processed what he said. I stayed there for a time, scared to move. Eventually the throbbing in my throat died down and the call of nature had me tiptoing to the bathroom.

Once done I explored the wardobe and found dress after dress available. They were heavy and quite old fashioned, long sleeves, skirts within skirts within skirts.

Hungry and shivering in this vast, cold house, I picked a dress and threw it on. I looked around for my shoes but couldn't find any. I cautiously padded out of the room and towards the stairs, noticing the thick carpet underfoot. The household wasn't very bright, the occasional lamp offering dull light. The house seemed oppressing, despite its enormous size, the dark closing in. I search the wall for a light switch but found none.

I slowly made my way down the wide stairs, and held onto the wooden frame on the way down. By the time I got to the entrance of the room on the right, my heart was thundering. Would he be there? Why did he want me to wear this dress? Was he going to bite me again? I took a deep breath and walked into the room.