The Werewolf Project: The Imposter Bride.

MEADOW’S POV Whirrrr–!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The old aircraft jerks, before it starts to shudder like someone suffering from influenza. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggggg–!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Red alarm lights blare and flicker wildly all across the cracked console, as several warnings pop up across every screen my eyes can see. That can't be good… I grip the center stick of the old F-16 with my life, as I try to steer around the air aircraft to safety. “Come on you f*****g piece of junk! Don't you f*****g die on me–!” Cursing like a sailor in the old fairy tales from hundreds of years ago, I yell at the engine before pulling at it with all my might. The engine gives me one last huff of black smoke, before the nose of the old fighter jet starts to descend rapidly. “Oh motherf–!” I brace for the final impact, closing my eyes and having my last prayers right in my mind as I hit a lot of things on the way down. ‘Have mercy on my soul. I was only stupid all in the name of love. And let that bastard suffer from impotence wherever the f**k he is right now.’ . . . When the spinning finally stops, I'm hanging sideways from the harness, with both my ears ringing at the same time, but with two different frequencies. Turning around sharply, I dry heave from all of the shaking that just happened to me. Where the hell am I now …? I abandon the old fighter jet, before walking forward, and it is there I spot it. The sleek, silver-looking futuristic piece of air travel that's not available for just anyone on Earth, but was advertised just as the new law was passed. The bride's transport. Groaning with disgust, I turn around to look at my own ‘transport’ and finally look back at the brides' transport with grim contemplation in my eyes. I should absolutely run in the other direction. Every smart piece of cell in my body is practically begging me not to do what I'm thinking of doing. Instead, I easily pry open the hatch that was damaged in the combined crash, and stagger inside with shaking legs. Years of making bad decisions for nineteen-going-on-twenty years has taught me only one thing. If things are already bad, they can only get worse when you do nothing, so do it. One, two, three … eight, nine, . . .? Nine? Where's the last girl? They're supposed to be ten. Inside the vessel, nine women in identical pale white gowns are all strapped to narrow seats, with blindfolds covering their eyes. When I finally reached back to where the last woman is supposed to be, I see the harness that was supposed to be carrying her had snapped. Ooops. But looking at all these women strapped and blindfolded like livestock waiting to be slaughtered, my stomach twists with revulsion. The so-called tribute brides. At least that's what the government calls them. Every year starting this year, ten women are handed over to those monsters, so the rest of us can continue to live like ostriches and bury our heads in the sand. How pathetic. I absolutely despise this. I hate the fact that because of the military decisions of the incompetent fools above us, innocent women are now punished for the rest of their lives if they are picked. I hate the fact that I'm now probably stuck and lost in the former Florida forest that's now been turned into the monsters' sanctuary. But what I hate the most now, is the fact that my only means of survival is joining these women. The only alternative I have would be leaving here, and getting caught by either the government or the monsters of the forest. To be, or not to be … After contemplating for half a second, I slid right into the empty seat, yanking the harness over my chest before snatching a blindfold from the floor and covering my eyes with it. In good time too, because heavy footsteps start approaching from outside, as the hatch swings open with a loud hissing sound. My heart is pounding inside my mouth, as I close my eyes, and keep my stupid mouth shut for once in my life. Okay … you can do this Meadow! You just have to lie low, blend with the rest of the brides and run as fast as I can the exact moment the monsters look away. It should be easy for me, I'm good at running away from things. I feel a bundle of hot air nudge at my legs, as my body jerks with shock and fear. Are … are they going to eat us right now?! A girl beside me starts crying openly. “They're going to eat us now,” she whimpers slowly. “But—but the broadcaster said we're here for marriage—heeek!” She startles with fear when a loud growl lashes out at her. I finally yank my blindfold with impatience, and nearly slap myself for doing so. Oh my…! The creatures surrounding all of us are nothing short of living representations of the monsters they warn children of. A rough paw pushes all of us out at the same time, with no struggle at all. Just how strong are these monsters? Lycans? Werewolves? What do I even call them?! We finally stop right in the middle of a clearing, with hard stone that has blue markings drawn on the floor. The rest of the girls are squinting at the sun, as their blindfolds are ripped from their heads with claws bigger than my head. “Oh my–” a redhead finally gives up and faints right on top of another girl. The tall towering wolves don't spare us a glance, as one with scars around his eyes pushes a girl right back into the circle when she tries to take a step back. I didn't think about it again after I saw that. I turned around and punched the slightly smaller wolf behind me, before taking off in the other direction. My wrists let out a creaking sound, as I vault off the platform, and sprint right into the trees, where there's adequate coverage. I hear the loud yip from behind me but I don't turn back. “Ahh f**k!” With my blood pumping in my ears, I make it to the treeline before unconsciously turning back when I see something bright coming from behind me. I instantly come to a stop, before turning around completely to look at the now empty platform. They're… they're gone. I look around for good measure, before a wild laugh bursts out of me. I escaped! “Take that you overgrown Chihuahua–!” The under bush to my right crackles at that exact moment, making me swivel and drop my smile. That's right. I'm still stuck in the monsters' sanctuary even though I managed not to be taken with the rest of the tribute brides. I spot several extinct fireflies in the bush even though there's still sun up in the sky. But then, several of the “fireflies” start to blink in my direction. Oh hell no! I back up instantly, bracing two of my weak fists in their direction, before squaring up to make myself look bigger. “Come on!” The regular-sized wolves circling me instantly stop, and start retreating back into the forest when they see me. “Yeah!” I taunt them loudly. “You better run!” I am feeling confident and triumphant, up until a massive shadow instantly covers me from behind. Turning around slightly, my heart jumps right into my mouth as I back away when I see the biggest monster I've seen today. He's a big black … monstrosity, with blood dripping from his snout and fangs, with big golden eyes blazing with anger.