Deadly Nightshade

Ten years ago on December fifth, I died.

Since I'm telling you this story, though, I am obviously very much alive now. I have set out to tell you the tale of my life that entwined with my guardian's life. Our fates had been always been side by side since the beginning of time, but it took quite a while for me to find the one meant for me. A while being many lifetimes. Enough with my pointless rambling. Though most fairy tales begin with Once Upon A Time, I'll skip that since it wasn't all a fairytale.

My mother had asked me to go get the mail from down the street, and, like any other seven year old, I complied. I tromped out of the house in my winter clothes, complete with boots two sizes too big. I walked away from our large Victorian style house and skipped toward the blue mailbox. Since we were the only people for miles, the mailbox was quite a ways away from our house.

I hummed a random song while I opened the box and pulled out a few bills and letters. Something brown flashed in the corner of my eye, sticking out in the pure white of the falling snow. I turned and stared at the regal wolf with emotionless eyes standing at the edge of the woods. His eyes pulled me in, and soon I was following him through the woods, avoiding the twigs and dead branches on the forest floor.

He allowed me to hold onto the hair on his flanks for support while he led me farther into the forest, toward the lake I loved to play by. He turned around when we got close to the lake and sat in front of me. His bottomless black eyes bored into my soul, putting me into a blank trance. I didn't even notice when he pulled me by my coat into the shallow part of the water and pushed me in with his muzzle and I did not protest.

The water stung as I sank lower and lower. The cold penetrated through my layers of clothing and made my eyes tear up, not that it mattered in the icy body of water. As my eyes closed, I could hear the faint splash and shake of the water as something joined me in the lake. I vaguely saw a black figure take me by the coat and swim toward the top or the lake. It was so fast and graceful. Whatever this thing was, it saved me. It pulled me out of the water and licked the water off of my face.

My eyes opened wider and I was able to take in a large black wolf with golden brown eyes staring down at me with intelligent, soulful eyes. His breath puffed out and bathed me in warmth as he curled around me, keeping me a little warm, but I could still feel It. The calming feeling of slipping into the dark depths of death. Just like with the water, I could feel it slowly pulling me farther down into oblivion.

Something nudged my lips just as all light left my eyes. It was the last thing I felt besides calm and sad. I couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't see. I was dead.

I didn't see any clouds or angels, or even flames and demons as I left the earth. Just blackness and then nothing. I wasn't there anymore. Completely gone.

But just as fast as it had actually happened, I was awake again. I could see the cloudy skies above me. I could hear the wind moving and the wolf breathing heavier now. My thoughts were racing and I felt everything.

The wolf nudged me up to a sitting position as I took in my surroundings once more. He was curled around my body still and watched my every move. About twenty feet away was a puddle of blood and fur that led into a darker part of the forest where it turned black. I looked away, knowing that the wolf that killed me knew how it felt. Suddenly, the black wolf was in front of my face, cocking his head at me.

I reached up to pet his silky fur and his eyes closed in a very un-wolf like gesture. After wards, it was all a blur. He had led me back to my house and my mother opened the door, screaming about me being wet and the blood all over my mouth. Blood? I though. My mind dismissed all logical thoughts and went to my room to change. A tickle itched at the back of my head and I turned to my large window.

The wolf stood at the forest, watching me. I could hear him, then.

We will meet again, young one. We are meant to. He inclined his head and disappeared. He didn't walk away, he just vanished. Something fell in my chest, but I carried on with a small smile, hoping I would meet the unnamed wolf again. Kain His voice called to me again.

The weight of his mind faded a little, but stayed at the back of my mind for years after that. When I felt extremely lonely, his voice would appear and comfort me for the next nine years. Last year, he stopped. The comforting weight and warmth of his consciousness went away.

I was alone again.

Or so I thought.