CHAPTER 17

Let's go, darling." I heard Layla say, then the retreating steps of two people. "Have fun boys." I heard her say again and the pants I wore were yanked off me.

No. no. no. I can't die like this. I can't die like this. I don't want to die like this. I have been hurt, cheated, and betrayed.

Moon goddess please, just this once help me. Help me.

I could feel more tears drip down my paralyzed face as the weight of a man came over me, a hand, his hand probably parting my legs, then a scream as the man seemed to fall off me.

A crackling sound filled the air and then the smell of burnt flesh followed. Someone gently touched my face

"Did she come for me? Did the moon goddess really come to save me?" I asked myself as I felt someone carry me. They must have spoken but I could no longer hear, I could no longer fight the darkness. It had overshadowed me, and I gave in.

I woke up with a start. I was lying in a very small but comfortable and warm place, probably a bed. I still couldn't feel my body parts or move my head no matter how much I tried. Tears pooled in my eyes as I recalled the dream that had been my memory. Someone had saved me, the moon goddess?

No. the moon goddess didn't walk the earth, could she have come down? I mean, I did see a moon that afternoon or was it just a dream? Was I dead? They said when you die you feel at peace, but there was no peace in my heart, only chaos.

Eric. How could he? How could he? What did I ever do? Did it just give him pleasure to use me because I was weaker?

I wept as I tried to move. I stared intensely at the ceiling. It was thatched, a hut? A hut, but whose hut? It was silent and empty, the awful smell and sound of something boiling not far from me filled the silent air but it wasn't strong enough to sting my nose, or have I lost my heightened sense of smell too?

At least I was safe, but would I ever walk again? If I was paralyzed, then I would be a burden to whosoever had saved me or perhaps, they would just kill me themselves when they could no longer cope with me.

I thought as tiredness began to overcome me and I drifted into sleep again.

.......................................................................................................................................

"I am sorry Silveen, I didn't mean for it to end this way, but this is for the best." I heard Eric say.

"You monster!" I screamed at him in my head.

"You monster!"

"Let's go, darling." I heard Layla say, "Have fun boys" she said again.

"No! No! I can't die like this!"

I woke up with a start again and looked around the room. I was still in that hut, but the awful smell was gone, a nice scent now filled the room, my savior was probably burning an incense.

I turned my head slowly on the bed to look at my surroundings instinctively but paused when I realized I could move my head. I felt joy and relief wash over me as I turned my head from side to side, then tried to move my body, but I could not, it was heavy. I tried again but was met by a sharp pain in my head which left me dizzy. I groaned at the pain and rested my head back on the bed.

"Sis! She's awake!" I heard a bubbly unfamiliar voice call out to someone. I hadn't noticed their presence or smelt them, I really must have lost my sense of smell. I turned my head towards the voice but the bright light from the entrance of the hut filled my eyes and I shut it immediately.

"It's about time." I heard a calmer voice say, the owner sounded more mature than the other.

The door was shut and I let my eyes adjust to the slightly dark room once again as a smiling girl with wavy light brown hair came into my field of vision.

"How do you feel?" she asked with a toothy grin.

I don't think I have ever seen her before.

"W....Who are you?" I heard my croaked voice whisper and she smiled brightly, probably glad that I could talk.

"We are the ones who saved you," she said happily.

We? I asked myself as I stared at her happy face, just before another lady came between us. She sat at the edge of my bed, which creaked lightly from the additional weight. She was carrying something which she placed on her lap. I couldn't see what it was

I looked at her distinctly, she looked very similar to the other lady; the same hair color and eyes, even shared a resemblance. Family? I asked myself as I noticed that this one looked older and, unlike the younger lady who let her hair flow down her back, she had hers neatly combed and packed behind her. She also had a seriousness around her face that seemed to come from maturity.

"I am Rona, and this is my sister Kira." the older woman said as she raised a spoon containing a liquid to my lips. I opened my mouth to let it in as I realized I was thirsty, but it was not water, it was awfully bitter and I spat it out immediately as I felt my body shudder from the taste.

"Oops sorry. I forgot to warn you about the taste." Rona said, giving me an innocent smile, but I had a feeling she didn't warn me because she didn't feel the need to.

"I....Its okay, I'm not thirsty." I said, still whispering as my throat seemed to hurt from the little talking I was doing, but I was determined. I was not going to drink that, even if that was the only liquid they had around here. Where was here anyway?

"W...Where am I?" I asked and Kira, the bubbly one, replied.

"Oh, you are in our house. We were traveling to the...."

Rona hissed at her and she quickly kept her mouth shut, smiling awkwardly at me.

"Sorry, I seem to have a big mouth." Kira said, covering her mouth as Rona turned back to me.

"This isn't water dear, it's your medicine. The venom inside of you is made of very powerful magic and wolf bane. You have to drink this three times a day to have it leave your system."

"M....magic?" I stammered and they both nodded,

"H....how do you know that?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, because we are witches," Kira blurted out again.

"Kira!" Rona shouted at her and Kira immediately left the room shouting sorry to Rona who turned back to me and smiled as she brought another spoon back to my mouth. I hesitated this time.

"You should drink. You were fed this three times a day while you were unconscious. So it is too late to back out now." she said and I opened my mouth groaning at the terrible taste of the medicine.

"How long have I been here?" I asked out of curiosity and she looked me dead in the eye as she continued feeding me the medicine.

"A month."

"A.....a..month? I have been like this for a month?" I asked in despair as I allowed my eyes to drift to my paralyzed limbs.

"I told you it was very powerful magic. One that cannot be made by just any witch and as much as it takes time to make the venom, it equally takes longer to heal. The people who had tried to kill you must have been very angry with you and deliberate about your death." she said as she looked at me as if expecting me to tell her who they were but I looked away.

When she saw that I wasn't ready to speak, she turned to the bowl and took another spoon, then brought it up to my mouth.

"How long would I be like this?" I asked her again gently.

"That is not for you to worry about, just be glad that you are alive." she said as she brought the last spoon of the medicine to my mouth, then stood up.

I looked at her and noticed she was wearing a beautiful sky blue gown, and behind her well-made hair was a pin, no it was bigger than a hairpin and less fancy. It had some markings on it. A wand?

She had a wand? I asked myself in disbelief as she turned to me.

"You should sleep now. I would get some porridge ready for you when you are awake," she said and straight up I began to feel dizzy.

Did she just cast a sleeping spell on me? I asked myself as my eyes fluttered close.

What does it matter, at least I was alive and they didn't look like they were going to kill me anytime soon but one thought still lingered at the back of my mind,

How did Layla get hold of a powerful witch who made the venom for her? I thought witches were scarce to find. Even though I know I had just met two, they were still very scarce to find and they didn't like wolves very much. Well, the feeling was mutual anyway.

Rona and Kira probably doesn't know that I was a werewolf. That is if I really am. I thought as sleep consumed me.


****There you have it, another phase of our girl's life begins.

Those anyone feel the change in the atmosphere of the story or do I feel it because I am the writer?


Comment