Juniper Creek

Chapter 3

When she set her eyes on Fleece–the creep that had assaulted her on a movie date–her mouth went dry.

"What….what do you want?" She asked.

Her voice came out like a whisper. Weak, just like her limbs right then.

"I have missed you," he said with a smirk and a cold gaze that made her shiver and recoil.

June looked around, expecting Kayla, to show up and perhaps help her get out of this mess. She was the reason she had strayed this far out, away from the thumping bass of music speakers and a giddy crowd.

Fleece must have noticed what she was hoping for, because he threw his head back laughing.

“You haven’t figured it out yet?” He asked amused. “Your best friend set you up!”

June’s ears rung from that information, like someone had struck two hollow metals a metre away from her ear.

No way! Kayla would never. This lying devil was saying things.

“You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re just a stalker!” She screamed the last part, hoping someone else would catch her voice.

“Come on, June. A whole year at this college and you still haven’t learnt you don’t just trust anyone?”

“You taught me that already.” She said, steam escaped with her cracked voice.

He knew what she was talking about–

He did assault her four months ago, when she refused to go back to his dorm room with him after their date.

His eyes darkened.

“Your mouth,” he said taking a step forward, she took one shaky one back, “it’s no wonder even your best friend hates you enough to betray you...” he paused. “That and jealousy.”

June swallowed. Why would Kayla be jealous of her? Her mind came up empty.

“Why would she?”

Fleece let out a breathy laugh.

“Could be because I promised her we’d go public and exclusive if she just let me have this chitchat with you.”

Her eyes widened, she wanted to not believe, but nothing about his countenance made it seem like he was lying. Deep down, she knew Kayla wasn’t coming.

The girl she trusted had indeed, only lured her out here.

A bitter laugh escaped June’s lips. Her brain screamed at her.

Run.

She immediately took to her heels, running in the direction of the woods.

Branches snapped. The biting night breeze bit her face, but she didn't stop.

If he caught her, it would be worse than just the pain of branches scraping her skin.

Her blood vessels overworked themselves, pounding blood so hard and loud, she could hear.

Tears stung at her lids. Kayla knew she was terrified of him.

All this while, she acted like she hated him, and June ate it up. The last thing she would have guessed was them seeing each other.

The tears broke free, streaming down her face as she ran.

How could Kayla be so stupid? Letting herself be treated like something easily discarded by a tool like Fleece?

How could she put her own best friend in such danger? If she even considered her one.

June’s phone right then was useless. She had gone out of reach of cell service, so calling the police or anyone for help was out of the question.

A hand grabbed her from behind. Her heart sank.

He lifted her and they both rolled down a steep slope.

He let out a breathy laugh, obviously enjoying whatever this was.

“Get off me!” She screamed, kicking and clawing.

His cold hands dug into her skin, reminding her of the assault, four months ago–the way he gripped her neck, threatening her to go into his dorm room with him.

Pain shot through her scalp, as Fleece yanked a handful of her hair.

He slammed her face, hard onto the dirt. She whimpered, as her tongue tasted metal.

She heard a c***k, she wasn’t sure whether it was her nose or rib, pain licked everywhere.

“Shut it, you uptight b***h!” Fleece growled behind her, struggling to rip fabric.

“Let me go you sick bastard.” She cried.

Fleece let out a dry, maniacal laugh, “Shh, don’t fight it June. You’re just a snob because you don’t get enough of it.”

“Please…” she groaned, as tears slid down her face, pleading for her dignity.

Fleece straddled her, attempting to rip her shirt.

June managed to free one of her hands, grabbing on to the closest but flimsiest rock she could reach.

She swung backwards. She knew it hit something even though she couldn’t see because he yelped.

It aggravated him even more. Sharp pain shot through her body as a heavy blow hit the back of her head.

It was followed by a ringing sound and numbness.

She didn’t pass out, but it threw off her senses, causing her entire body to go limp.

Tears only poured out in torrents from her eyes. Her numb body anticipating further pain. She blocked out the sound of his voice, focusing on the howling of wolves in the distance.

A crunching sound, made Fleece pause ripping her shirt. They both looked at the direction the sound came from.

In a blur, something shot through the darkness.

No, an animal.

There was a loud thud as the weight on her body disappeared. In the distance a sharp c***k followed.

Fleece was off her. How?

She dragged her tired body, twisting it to look the direction the sound came from.

A giant brown wolf hovered over Fleece’s crumpled body. The sheer size of the wolf looked unnatural, the sight was more terrifying than Fleece chasing her.

The beast growled at Fleece who held his side whimpering.

June struggled to her feet, she was unsteady and almost fell back down, but was careful not to make a sound.

So she thought as she backed away slowly, until her back pressed against fur.

She almost jumped out of her skin, when she turned to find a massive black wolf.

She scrambled back, expecting the terrifying beast to pounce on her. It didn’t.

Instead Its ice blue eyes bore into hers.

She didn’t understand why she got a feeling like it was speaking to her.

She didn’t know much about wolves, and she didn’t plan on finding out this night.

She almost broke into a run when a muzzle slightly nudged her from behind. The contact forced her to turn.

Behind her a third giant wolf, pale cream stood. Under the glow of the moonlight it looked majestically white.

She swallowed, all her plans to escape went down the drain as she stood stuck between two mighty wolves, and a third, just a slight distance away.

A fresh round of fear, worse than earlier had gripped her.

Wolves weren’t normally this huge. They were huge, but they didn’t tower over grown humans. The ones on either sides of her towered over her, standing on all fours.

She heard Fleece scream, she craned her neck to find his shoulder blade caught in between the jaws of the brown wolf that had stood over him. The wolf shook its muzzle and flung the man.

Fleece landed in a bloodied heap at her feet. She didn’t know if he was still alive.

She stood frozen, not daring to flex a muscle. It would be her next, June thought.

The brown wolf prowled closer. She caught its amber eyes when the moon glistened in them for a moment. They were fixed on her. Her heart beat spiked and scattered.

Fleece groaned. So he wasn’t dead. She watched him struggle to scramble away on his elbows.

This time it was the Cream coloured wolf that pinned him to the ground with one of it’s fore paws. It’s claw dug into already torn flesh. Her ear was oddly attuned to every sudden movement and sound.

Her attention moved away from Fleece, when something wet and heavy licked her hand.

She swiveled quickly. It was the black wolf. It caught her by surprise.

Was it having a taste of its dinner?

Its huge tongue rolled to lick her hand again as she stood there, frozen.

The beast’s tongue was warm. It nudged her with its muzzle.

It didn’t look as aggressive as the ones facing Fleece.

It didn’t look like it wanted to harm her.

That didn’t make her any calm.

She followed it’s head movement, down to where it had licked her hand. There was blood.

She hadn’t noticed that in her scuffle with Fleece, she had cut herself.

Another round of fear gripped her. Blood was wolf bait.

June drew her hand to her chest and took a step back, almost stumbling on her own foot. She expected to be pounced on, but the wolf only c****d its head watching.

“Go!”

The deep guttural bark came from behind her.

Shocked, she turned, expecting to find the human bearing such other worldly, distorted voice. She didn’t find any, only Fleece scrambling away and breaking into a staggering run away from them.

“She’s hurt.”

June’s eyes widened. She didn’t just see what she thought she saw.

She shook her head. It must have being the blow. Wolves don’t talk.

But then again–her mind divided–these didn’t look like normal wolves.

The brown wolf and cream coloured one stepped up to her. She held her breath, praying for a quick death.

“You’re safe now.” The voice she had heard the first time came again, only softer than before.

This time, she saw very clearly where it came from. It was the brown wolf.

The words echoed around in her head. Everything felt dizzying.

She was betrayed by her best friend.

Just attacked by Fleece.

Possibly saved by three massive wolves–and now, she was seeing a wolf speak.

Her legs gave way, as she dropped to her knees, unbelieving.

“Don’t be scared, June.”

It was the Cream coloured wolf that spoke this time.

“Who–what are you?” She stuttered.

The black wolf behind her, moved forward, joining the three before her.

Side by side, anyone would pee their pants facing them.

They looked at each other, before the brown one spoke,

“Werewolves.”

The word reverberated through her body. She glanced from wolf to wolf surprised.

She blinked continuously, hoping to wake from the nightmare this night had been.

Werewolves? They were fantasy creatures one saw in books and movies. Not at Juniper College. It was unbelievable.

But what else could explain giant talking wolves. Maybe she was at her wit’s end.

At that moment, the effects of the night’s over exertion of her body and mind finally hit. Her sight swooned as her whole body collapsed to the floor.

The last thing she saw before everything blacked out, were the three wolves surrounding her.