The Chosen One

The sharp scent of blood broke my sleep within seconds. I woke with a jerk, gasping as the distress siren rent the peaceful calm of the night. Confused and dazed with a pounding heart, I scowled to the sound of my door being rammed into. The door buckled under the pressure and I jumped to my feet, holding my fist in readiness to defend myself. Right before me, was Lukas, my family friend, barging in with a bloodied arm and a worried face. “Flora, get up.” He yelled the moment our eyes made contact. “You can't be sleeping. We are under attack. Your father, Alpha Gordon, is looking for you..” Distressed, I had questions I wanted to ask. Like who, what and how was anyone attacking the pack house, right in the heart of our defense fortification. But before I could ask, Lukas rushed out the door. Only for his head to suddenly roll off as a shower of his blood bathed me. Horrified, I screamed as his headless head turned around and crashed at the door. My heart raced faster than before as I held my hands to my mouth, panicstricken. My instincts clawed at me to run, to escape but I held it all in. I grabbed the iron rod that rested beside the door, in readiness to fight. But the moment I stepped out, I gasped as something ethereal and silver blitzed right at me, long shifty claws zipping for my neck. My instincts fired and I tucked myself into a roll. I barely evaded the touch as my speedy assailant crashed into my bedroom wall, in a trail of blazing heat. When I turned around, holding the rod in aggression, I was met with the crumbling wall. The attacker turned around, revealing a skull face like a grim reaper. Crazed blueish smokey eyes lighting up with excitement and bloodlust. My heart thumped loud in my ears as I beckoned for it to come, with shaking fingers. It growled as it dug into claws into the ground. Seeing this, I lost my confidence to attack as its body shifted all about, without form. But remembering how Lukas was decapitated infuriated me, pushing me to take vengeance on the foul creature. So when it lurched for me again, I was ready, poised for a counter. But we never connected. Someone blurred between us, throwing the monster off from its attack path. When they turned around, my eyes widened at the humanoid wolf form of my defender, with red glowing eyes. “Dad?” He growled, red eyes dilating, as his wolf snout morphed away to show his human face. “We need to go.” “What’s happening?” I asked. “There’s no time. You are not safe here.” “I had it, dad. I can take care of myself.” I snapped back, angry that he was trying to protect me just because I had no wolf. But I was not exactly defenseless. I had a black belt in martial arts– I can hold my own. But Father was not buying it. He shook his head, coming for me as the ghost-like attacker snarled for us. “You don't understand. We have to go. Now.” The ethereal form zoomed back for us. Just seconds away from closing in, someone jumped into the way, blocking its path. Only to pay with their life as their headless body tumbled to the side. I screamed again. And in my distress, father hefted me over his shoulders. Right there and then, he leapt, putting space and distance between the destroyed pack house and us. But it wasn't right. “No, dad, we have to go back. We have to help them.” I cried, futilely trying to break free but his grip was strong. And he was extremely fast. Frustration gnawed at my heart as I saw more and more of my pack members throw themselves in the path of the demons chasing after us. And for every futile interception, their heads rolled to the round. My heart sank to the horror of this, tears rushing out my eyes. My chest tightened in nerve wracking pain as I saw every one of the people that I had come to know and love get cut down. And worst of all, Father who was supposed to protect us, was fleeing. When he eventually let me down, I could hear the soft waves of the sea crashing against the reefs. We were on the cliff, bordered by trees in the distance. A beautiful, serene environment if this had been any other night. But it wasn’t. “What the hell dad? Why did you run? We could have helped them. I could have helped them.” I snapped, pointing back to the distance we came from, heaving frantically. “Flora.” I refused to let him talk, my eyes clouded with tears as I yelled back. “No dad. What you did was... It was…” “Flora.” I whimpered, muffling my mouth with both hands. “No, we have to go back. W-we have to go….” “Y-you're not listening to me!” Father snapped with his Alpha voice. His sudden shift of tone frightened me even as I caught the brief flicker of fear in his eyes. Father was many things but he was not scared– not ever. “Y-you're not listening to me.” He said with a softer voice, his left hand caressing my cheek while fumbling with something in his pocket. “None of that matters. The pack, the people, it all comes down if you are taken– if you die. I can’t let that happen. But if you live, Flora, we all live.” His voice cracked shakily. Why are you talking like it's the end of the world, dad? I leaned into his left hand tenderly, as tears welled in my eyes. “Dad, don’t talk like that.” “We don't have time.” He said hastily. He pulled out his right hand and before I knew it, he placed a silver crescent pendant chain over my neck. I frowned, feeling the cold silver chains on my neck as I looked to him for understanding. “W-why? What’s this?” I asked. “Look, Flora, I don’t have time to explain everything to you.” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “But I need you to trust me, Flora… This pendant will guide you when it is time, I promise. But right now, you have to go.” “Oh, you’re scaring her, Gordon.” A strange voice echoed from behind me. Father quickly pushed me behind him before I could have a chance to take a good look. “YOU!” He growled aggressively. “Oh please.” The mystery man with a half burned face in a white two tailed coat grimaced menacingly. It was all I could see before Father turned and shoved me off. Before I knew it, I was screaming, falling as the wind rushed past my ears. Time seemed to slow as I saw them clash in a burst of strength. But the wind was knocked out of me the moment I saw the mystery man’s hand plunge out from Father’s back. I screamed and time resumed for me as I hit the freezing water. Pain exploded in my head just as I hit something hard with the back of my head. It was the last thing I felt– before my world faded into black. .