Chapter 2

Water… My body was begging for it, forcing me to open my eyes and gasp for air. The stars spun above me, and the smell of smoke felt so overwhelming that I almost got sick. I collapsed back onto the ground, feeling a strange pressure behind my eyes.

“Are you awake?”

A sharp, unfamiliar voice echoed in the air. I froze and tried to look in its direction, but when I moved, my vision spun, and I stared up at the dark sky again.

“Do you want something to drink? You must be thirsty.”

I didn’t dare to say anything, but a hand holding an old military water flask appeared in front of my face. My thirst was stronger than my fear, and I tried to reach out for the precious liquid. I only managed to move my hand in its direction before all my strength left me, and they fell to my side again. I felt tears rolling down my cheeks at my helplessness.

“Relax, I will help you.”

A young woman leaned over me. It took me a moment to focus, and then I saw her wolf eyes staring into mine.

“Monster!”

I scrambled back, an unsettling sensation of something moving under my skin following with it.

“Calm down”

She tried to hold me down, but I fought back with all my strength. In the end, she must have let me go, because I couldn't imagine winning against her in my state.

I scrambled up and stumbled into the night, but only managed to take a few wobbly steps before my legs gave way, and I fell to the ground. I threw up, and my body trembled with fear as an image of the Spectre planting something in my soul flashed before me.

I was still shaking on the ground when I heard her footsteps, and something in me wanted to scream.

“Drink”, she said sharply and put her water flask next to me.

I shivered at the tone of her voice, but drank nonetheless, finally satisfying the burning thirst. She watched me with her wolf eyes, but I looked away the moment our eyes met. I owed nothing to this monster, and the fact that she hadn’t killed me didn’t mean she wouldn't do it soon. I had heard enough tales in the settlements to know what kind of monster she was and what my fate would be like. I shivered at those thoughts.

“The Spectre is gone, you will live”, she said and threw a blanket at me before walking back to the fire.

Only then did I realise that I didn’t wear any clothes. I quickly wrapped myself in the blanket and lied down, exhausted, but I didn’t dare to sleep with her around. Even if I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance of outrunning her, I still wanted to live, so I held onto the hope that she would leave me alone.

I could feel her yellow eyes watching me from the fire, but for some reason I wasn’t afraid any longer, even if I knew I should be… The Spectre was gone… How…? I touched my bare chest, but my skin wasn’t burning any longer. I looked down. It hadn't left any marks on my body either. Yet the strange pressure behind my eyes was still there, and my vision went blurry if I moved too quickly. I pulled the blanket over my head and sobbed, hoping this was just a bad dream, and soon I would wake up in my bed.

“Come”

Her voice forced me from my hiding, and I looked towards the fire and shivered, seeing her yellow eyes watching me.

“Come…”

Her voice was softer this time, but I wouldn’t let the monster fool me so easily, so I refused to move.

“You will get cold there”, she tried again.

I ignored her, but something in me wouldn’t dare to turn my back on her. The strange pressure behind my eyes intensified as I watched her, aware of every move she made as she put pieces of meat on a stick and held it next to the fire.

Soon, the smell of roasted meat filled the air, making me realise how hungry I was. I had no idea how much time had passed since… I shook my head, not wanting to think about it. She watched me from the fire, and I tried to ignore my hunger, but the more I did, the stronger it became, until my body forced me to get closer. She extended the stick, and I shivered and instinctively backed off, realising how close I had come.

“Will you rather eat from the ground than take it from me?”, she frowned.

I pouted, took the stick from her hand, and started to eat. She might be a monster, but I was not a dog.

“I want to go home..”, I whispered, not daring to look at her.

She stayed silent for a long time, and I watched her, dreading her answer.

“Will you... kill me?”, I whispered, not being able to keep the fear at bay any longer.

She shook her head and whispered,

“Why would I kill you? I saved you from the Spectre”

“Because you are a monster”, I said without thinking and then gasped, realising what I said.

She looked at me, but instead of anger, I saw only sadness on her face.

“Not everyone thinks about us that way…”

I looked at her with a frown, not believing her words. She sighed, reached into her bag, and pulled out a small plastic box, holding it hesitantly in her hands.

“I’m sorry... I don’t think there is a right way to do it”, she whispered and handed me the box.

I frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“Open it”, she said.

I shrugged and did as I was told, then looked at the small mirror inside. I screamed when a pair of yellow wolf-eyes stared back at me.