Made A Monster

Sonia   The beeping is the first thing I hear as I wake up. I groan as I begin to feel my head pounding. The lights are too bright, I try to lift my arms to block it out, but I find they barely move, they feel so weak. I open my eyes and blink rapidly to adjust them as I shift onto my elbow, seeing a support bar above the bed I use it to lift myself into a sitting position. My whole-body screams in protest as I force my limbs to move and hold my weight ‘Why am I in so much pain?’ ‘What happened to me?’ I think to myself as I look around, ‘This isn’t my hospital’. ‘There’s only one hospital in my town and I don’t recognize this room. So where am I?’ I begin to panic and the beeping on the monitors speeds up as they register my alarm. Trying to calm myself I close my eyes, ‘Ok’*inhales* ‘Its Ok’ *exhales* ‘Calm down. If you freak out you might black out’ I tell myself taking deep breathes trying to recall what I remember, I’m a nurse*inhale*, my name is Sonia Greene*exhale*, I’m 22 years old*inhale*, my birthday is the third of September*exhale*, I’m engaged to a man named Thomas Phelps*inhale* I remember where I grew up, where I work, where I live, my parents and friends but I don’t remember how I ended up here. The beeping slows down, and I open my eyes to look around the room for anything that could help me. It's a large room with two doors. One of the doors is an exit on the back of the right wall slightly hidden by curtains that cover the doorway when pulled closed. Across from that door is a one large window on the left wall at the back, but I can’t see out of it from here and there's no way I can get up, I'm too weak. Under the window in the corner, there's a comfortable looking chair and a small side table. Pushed against the left wall near the bed is one of those swivel tables your food is usually placed on. To the right of the chair is the second door which I presume leads to the bathroom. There are two wardrobes that line the right wall stopping at the curtains around the exit. There's my bed in the centre of the room against the back wall, an IV pole next to it on the right and the rest of the hospital equipment. there’s no patient file or paperwork with any hospital or area name on it, I don't even recognize any personal items. There's no indication of where I am. I let out an exasperated sigh as I begin to get frustrated with how fragile my body feels when I suddenly I get a blinding pain in my head, I hold my head as I lean back on my pillows, I’ve been pushing myself too hard trying to remember and I’m starting to get very tired. ‘You are safe’ I hear a voice say and I freeze ‘Where did that come from?’ I think as I look around the room again, checking to see if I somehow missed a whole ass person. ‘You’re not able to see me Sonia’ the voice says, “Why can’t I see you?” “Where are you?” I question out loud. The mysterious voice chuckles ‘I am Daisy, your Wolf Sonia. I’m apart of you so you cannot see me, but we can communicate telepathically’ “Excuse me? my wolf?” I say scoffing “Look whoever you are, my head is killing me, every part of my body aches, I have no idea where I am or how I got here or how long I have been wherever here is, so I’m really not in the mood for your insane games, come out of wherever you’re hiding so I can get some answers” I say out loud again my frustration and uncertainty evident in my voice. ‘You’ll find out your answers soon enough Sonia, for now, your mind and body need rest, you are still recovering, and you will need your strength’ the voice tells me. Getting angry now I growl at the voice “I’m going to get my answers now, I don’t know what’s going on, but it stops now” I say ripping my blankets off and climbing out of bed while the monitors beeping going wild in the background. Standing up so suddenly I see black and white spots and hear a ringing in my ears I bend over and lean down on the bed steadying myself and catching my breath. ‘This isn’t a good idea Sonia you should stay in bed’ the voice chastises, I ignore the comment and continue. when eventually my vision clears and ringing stops, I turn the monitors incessant beeping off and stand up straight, my legs wobbling uncertainly obviously not being used to supporting my weight because of whatever incident put me here. But being a determined and very stubborn woman, two things I take great pride in being, I grab my IV pole from next to me using it to help steady and support myself, I take a steeling breath and step toward the door. However, my legs being so feeble they crumble underneath me. I fall to the floor pulling the IV pole crashing down with me and ripping the IV from my arm. I didn’t register hitting my head, but I was slipping in and out of consciousness and bleeding, I’m unable to move and my limbs feel as if they’re on fire. I think I can faintly hear the voice saying something to me when the door to the room suddenly opens and I hear people’s footsteps rushing towards me before everything finally goes black.   Four days later   I woke up again to the sound of the monitors beeping but this time the room was dark, only slightly illuminated by little lights on the hospital equipment. I did feel stronger physically, but I didn’t want to risk what happened last time happening again and not knowing how much time passed since last being awake I decided to try and contact the voice that was supposedly in my head although I do still believe it came from some hidden speaker since hearing a voice in your head is completely bat crap crazy. Not really knowing how this communication thing works I squeezed my eyes shut and spoke out loud “Hello?” I said apprehensively. “You’re awake” a smooth deep male voice replied from the corner of the room “HOLY s**t” I shouted bolting upright in the bed, clutching my heart, and panting, “I’m Sorry! I thought you knew I was here; I didn't mean to frighten you” The man quickly said stepping into the faint light I stared at him shocked before realizing that was the only sane reason to be speaking out loud. So, taking a breath, I tried to compose myself “Yes, of course it is, I’m not some crazy chick that talks to herself. You’re just the first person I’ve seen in who knows how long so I kinda just thought I was seeing things in the dark” I said indignantly, crossing my arms over my chest and pulling my knees up pouting like a child. “Who are you anyway and why are you sitting in my room in the dark watching me sleep?” the man walked over to a reading lamp that had been added to the room and turned it on. The first thing I noticed about him was that he had eyes so blue they looked silver, and they reflected the light of the lamp in such a way that they glowed. I could make out neat hair and a short brown beard with flecks of grey in it, He was middle aged and very handsome from what I could make out. He settled back into the chair he’d been seated in previously, crossing his legs and looking at me he chuckled “You have some fire” ‘Yes we do’ the voice Daisy commented, not expecting to hear the voice again my breath caught in my throat and my eyes went wide 'Just ignore it' I thought to myself. “I suppose that’s why you survived such an attack against all the odds” He continued not noticing my reaction “I was attacked? By Whom?” I interrupted him suddenly not caring why a strange albeit very handsome man was watching me sleep or about the voice in my head. “Yes, and not by who, by what. You were attacked by a wolf” he said it so casually, as if people being attacked by wolves was common where he was from. “By a Wolf?” I scoffed “You’re not serious. There’s no way in hell I would have survived being attacked by a wolf” “By all accounts you shouldn’t have” he replied coolly. “We were very shocked to find you responsive and moving around when we found you on the floor four days ago” “Four days!? Exactly how long have I been here?” I asked in disbelief.” Just under two months” he answered looking at me. I could feel an anxiety attack coming on ‘Sonia, I’ll keep you safe now you don’t need to panic’ the voice said but I didn't pay attention. I tried to get ahead of it by taking deep breaths, but I started hyperventilating and the freaky voice in my head is really not helping. ‘Two months!? I’ve been here two f*****g months!! What the hell is going on!? Do my parents Know where I am? Do they know that I’m alive? Does Thomas? Where is he?’ I looked at the man terror evident in my eyes pleading for him to tell me that this was all a joke. That my loved ones would walk into the room at any moment and yell you just got pranked. He got up and walked calmly over to my bed. He sat down on the edge, took my hand, and held it, he looked at me with kindness in his eyes as if hearing some of my unspoken questions he said “You had no form of ID on you when you were found and you were badly injured in the attack. We weren’t able to identify you while you were unconscious, so we haven’t been able to contact any family on your behalf. You’re in a hospital on land owned by a very private gated community, members from the community found you just outside the boarders and brought you here straight away”. I nodded my head looking at him. ‘That makes sense, if I was mauled bad enough then they couldn’t have matched my description to any missing persons and they don’t know my name so of course they couldn’t tell anyone I’m here’ starting to calm down I swallowed the lump in my throat “My name is Sonia Greene. If you get a pen and paper, I can write down my parents and my fiancés names and numbers for you to contact them” He smiled at me and nodded getting up to go get the items, I could have sworn a look of concern passed over his face when I mentioned my fiancé, but it was too quick to tell. When he came back, I gave him the numbers and he excused himself saying he would contact them, leaving me alone with my thoughts. ‘I live in a small town yes, but I don’t ever remember hearing about wolves being in the area’ I thought to myself ‘wolves are very careful unless they’re starving’ Daisy replied. Startled I bit my tongue “ow” I complained. ‘You know you’ve got to stop doing that. And what did you mean before when you said you were my wolf?’ ‘Am I slowly going crazy with some canine disease I caught from the attack?’ I said it as a joke but now I’m actually a bit concerned. Stranger things have happened. Daisy hesitated before replying, as if choosing her words carefully 'Am I!?' I think panicked, ‘No, you are not sick or crazy Sonia. I am real. When you’re strong enough you’ll be able to meet me and see for yourself’. ‘But you said you were in my head, like a part of me, how can I meet you?’ I asked sceptically Daisy let out a frustrated sigh ‘It’s going to be easier to show you rather than explain it. You wouldn’t believe me anyway, Goodnight Sonia’ and it felt like she left. it surprised me how much the thought of her leaving terrified me I thought as I dozed off. A knock at the door startled me awake, “Come in” I rasped out as I sat up in bed rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and straightening my blankets. The door opened to an elegant looking elderly woman with silver hair in a low bun, big brown eyes and high cheek bones. Even at this age this woman could have been a super model she was beautiful. With her she carried a delicious smelling breakfast, she laid the tray with pancakes, butter and syrup, a bowl of green grapes and a cup of tea on a swivel table and moved it over to my bed “Good morning Sonia, here is your breakfast, I hope you enjoy it.” She said smiling before turning and walking towards the door “Oh” she said remembering something else as she turned back to face me " Damon has asked me to tell you that he has called your family and fiancé and that they will be here within the week. I’ll come collect your tray when you’ve finished” and she turned and left without a reply. I was left gaping at where she stood while her words registered. Why did I suddenly feel nervous to see my family? Why did the thought of seeing Thomas suddenly feel so wrong? And who is Damon? ‘You’re scared to see your family because the attack changed you and you’re unsure of whether they will accept you. Seeing Thomas feels wrong because he is not your mate, and Damon was the man you met last night’ Daisy said before retreating again. I think she’s still frustrated with me for believing I’ve gone crazy I think as I start eating. I'm running through a forest barefoot. I'm covered in cuts and bruises from the creature chasing me, falling, and passing through bushes. How I got away from it is a blur. One minute it had me and I could feel it's teeth and claws as they dug into me trying to tear me apart, the next thing I know, I'm running. I feel something warm running down my back, chest, and stomach. I'm covered in blood, my face stings and my clothes are shredded, barely hanging onto my body as I run for my life. 'I can’t stop' I think to myself. I'm being chased by something growling and snapping its jaws behind me, but I can’t see it. When I turn my head, all I see is blackness, as if the word is disappearing behind me. I tumble over a large rock hurting my already swollen ankle and knee as a go down, but I barely register the pain. While I drag myself back up the snarling grow's closer, I push myself to go faster but my lungs feel like they'll burst and my legs can’t take this much longer, my body is passed exhaustion. 'I can't stop' I tell myself 'If I stop, I die'. I feel its hot breath on the back of my legs it’s so close. 'WAllS' My heart leaps as I see walls through the trees in the distance, 'Please go faster ' I plead with my body. I'm so close to the walls I can make out the bricks in them 'Just a little further. Please God just a little further' I see a man standing on the wall, I scream for his attention "HELP ME!" "PLEASE HELP ME" I cry, the terror and desperation make my voice unrecognizable to me, but he turns towards me 'He sees me!' I think relieved, he shouts something, but I can’t make it out. "HELP ME" I plead again as my legs start to slow involuntarily, I trying to keep going, I'm desperate to keep going. My vision is starting to blur. The man shouts something else as two more people come into view, but I can’t make anything out. I'm wheezing, 'I can't breathe' I think as I slow down further. I try to lift my arm reaching for them as I stumble forward 'please save me' I try to say before I'm tackled to the ground by the monster. I wake up panicked and covered in sweat, panting I look around. It takes me a moment to recognize my hospital room before I start to calm down. 'It was just a dream' I think to myself, but I get up and turn the reading lamp on anyway. I never liked the dark. I get back into bed and lay back down, pulling the covers up under my neck. I shut my eyes tight and silently pray to not have any more nightmares for the rest of the night 'Go back to sleep, I'll make sure the nightmares don't happen again' Daisy reassures me. I try to focus on my breathing, and I start to dream of a field of wildflowers as I doze off. I’m nervously fidgeting on my bed 'Daisy, was my nightmare last night what really happened to me?' I question but she doesn't respond “Are you sure the scars won’t scare them?” I ask looking at the elderly woman whose name I’ve learned is Mrs. Harkness. It's been two days since Damon called my family and over the past two days Mrs. Harkness has grown to be someone, I would call a friend. She smiles kindly at me as she sits on my bed before placing her hand on my knee, “You are beautiful Sonia, and your parents know that ‘You don’t know my parents’ I thought to myself. "The attack has changed you yes, but you are still their little girl” she says. “What about Thomas?” I whisper afraid of the answer I look at her with tears in my eyes “I’m sure Thomas will accept you too sweetie” she replies reassuringly but her smile and her words seem less genuine I sigh. The thought of Thomas not accepting me doesn't hurt anymore I realize. as I think back to yesterday. I was given all clear by my doctor to move around. I was so glad to be able to finally shower but as I got ready, I caught my reflection in the full-length mirror in the bathroom, and I was horrified. I have long claw marks down my back and across my chest and stomach, I also have claw marks up and down my legs and arms as well as three distinct claw marks across my right eyebrow and cheek. I knew that I had been attacked by a wolf. I knew that has been mauled, that I was badly wounded, but I didn’t expect this, I don’t know what I was expecting to be honest, I was just glad to be alive when I was first told. I was surprised to see the scars look so light after just two months though, the doctor did mention that I’m a fast healer which gives me hope that maybe they’ll fade some more with time. Amberley shook me from my thoughts by getting off the bed and removing the tray from breakfast this morning. She looked at me before closing the door behind her “They’ll be here soon love, try to relax” and she left. ‘Daisy? Are you there?’ I asked meekly ‘Yes I’m here’ ‘Why am I so scared?’ ‘You’re scared because you don’t see yourself anymore, you only see the scars and they make you feel like a monster.’ I looked down at my hands fidgeting in my lap, ‘you know for a voice in my head, you can be very wise’ I teased jokingly trying to avoid what she said. Daisy chuckled ‘I’ve been around a long time; do you want me to stay while you see your family?’  the offer surprisingly gave me a lot of comfort ‘yes please Daisy’ knowing you’re here makes me feel stronger somehow, I could feel Daisy smile in my mind as crazy as those sounds. “I’ll be right here’ a knock at my door interrupted “come in” I said thinking it was a doctor or Damon. From what I gather Damon is like the leader of this community, he owns a couple of businesses and takes care of everyone that lives here. He’s been visiting whenever he can to check on my progress and to make sure I have anything I might need. I still had half and hour before my family was supposed to arrive. But in walked my mum and dad surprising me.