Dark Passion Play

(Zena PoV)

“I’ll see you one day when you’re grown up, but I’ll be watching you forever okay?”

“Do you pwomise Zacky?” He intertwined my pinky with his.

“I promise Zena.”

I let a tear fall as I kicked my legs on the swing, going a little higher each time. I could hear a childish giggle in my head. It was my own. I stopped swinging and I looked up at the shrouded sky. The snowflakes fell from the overcast sky as I tried to find an opening in the grey.

“Are you up there?” I asked myself quietly. This was my life; I’d spent it searching for my brother. And when I wasn’t, I was missing him too much. I wanted to know why it just never left my mind. Sometimes I wish it would. I stood up abandoning the swing set, and took on one of the dirt roads. I felt like an ant in between the tall towering trees. Black birds flew over head and squirrels jumped around on the ground, snow falling from trees occasionally. I smiled and tried to catch a few on my tongue. They landed every where but my mouth, including in my eyes.
My shoes left footprints in the snow, and I saw huge paw prints that puzzled me. They couldn’t possibly be paw prints of a dog! They were massive! My phone vibrated in my pocket, but I deliberately didn’t answer it. It was a 99% chance it was Logan who was crawling up my ass and checking up on me, or my mom. I liked to be alone on this day, that’s why I leave.

I heard a twig crack from behind me and I stopped in my tracks. I whipped around and I met the vicious stare of intense golden eyes. It was a huge brown and black wolf. It was similar to the wolf I saw yesterday but its coat was darker and its eyes were golden/chocolate brown.

Panic coursed through me as my breathing shallowed and I stared wide eyed at the predator. It growled deeply and dangerously and I took slow careful steps back. Its teeth were bared evilly, and a thin line of drool hung from one of its long K-9’s.

On the second step I took back, the wolf got in a position that looked like it would pounce on me any time, it let out a deadly bark that shook me to the bone.

“Nice doggie…you stay right over th-there…and I’m gonna go this way…” I said cautiously pointing over my shoulder trying to reason with it. It barked again and it ran at me with amazing speed and agility. I screamed in pure fear and I turned to run the other way, but it got me too quickly.

I was hit with a force like I was being hit by a car. It knocked me to the ground, putting almost all of his weight on my shoulders. I could feel my shoulder blades popping and the skin splitting, and the blood seeping out as it dug its claws in.

I let out a shrill scream that tore my throat and ripped through the cold still air. The wolf pierced its golden eyes into mine before it started gently sniffing my neck. I stopped moving and breathing, closing my eyes and hoping it would just leave me alone. Air barely entered my lungs as I tried to lie as still as I could.

Suddenly sharp teeth plunged into my neck and my eyes shot open as I screamed and thrashed but the wolf kept its jaw locked as I screamed and scratched and punched at it. I could feel my vision blurring and fading as I grew really tired. I heard quick running footsteps and the wolf was literally ripped from me, releasing its hold as it was tackled by another wolf that looked just like it…It was the wolf from the park yesterday.

I could hear them thrashing, and fighting and ripping at each other. I tried to keep my eyes open and my consciousness but my eyes kept drooping down as my efforts to fight were futile. I heard a loud roar rumble through the air and the running of quick footsteps.

I felt myself falling into the abyss of my mind and it just got darker and darker. The last thing I could feel, was the arms of a man picking me up off of the snow and the rush of wind in my face.

---
I woke up to a throbbing pain in my neck and shoulders, and dizziness in my head. I was in bed, lying on a plushy pillow. The floor had black shiny tiles with a white area rug. The ceiling was white and the walls were black. There was a guitar in the corner with white and black pin stripes. And another in an inverted color of white and gold.
I got out of bed and I nearly collapsed as the blood went rushed downward giving me a lightheaded feeling. I opened the door to the room I was in and I stepped out into the hallway.

I felt like I was in a horror movie. The moonlight filtered in from a large window at the end of the hallway and that was the only light to be seen. I went down the stairs into a grand living room. I saw the large black and brown wolf, curled up on the floor and I nearly screamed. I inhaled sharply, and a hand covered my mouth pulling me backwards up the stairs.

My eyes widened and I tried to fight free but they held me still and kept me quiet. They spun me around to face them, and my breath caught when a man with a baseball cap and a skull bandana covering his face so all you could see was his eyes and the bandana gave the idea that the rest of his face was a skull. And even his eyes were shadowed by the cap. His luminous eyes bore into mine; I could see a dark green color in them from the lack of light.

“Listen, you aren’t supposed to leave that room. But I’m telling you to get out of here now.” He said urgently, his eyes flickering down to the stairs.

“W-what? Where am I? Wh-o are you?” I rushed, whispering and trembling in his hands. His eyes searched mine before he replied.

“That doesn’t matter now, but you aren’t safe here. You need to get out now.” He said even more urgent than the first time. We both turned our attention to the stairs as we heard rustling downstairs and I started to panic. His frantic eyes flashed to me and he pushed me back into the room.

“Escape through the window.” He said and I opened the window quickly looking down to the two floors below me.

“It’s too high up I can’t make it.” I said tears falling down.

“Just jump. I’ll make sure you’re safe.” With that he left the room and I started to climb out of the window. I looked up to the moon before I looked at the dark grass below me. I crossed my heart and hoped not to die, before I let myself slip off the edge. I fell closing my eyes, and letting the wind whip against me. I landed firmly in two arms and I looked out to see the man with that bandana over his face. He put me down and I looked at the vast expanse of forest in front of me.

I heard crashing and commotion from inside, and angry growls and screams as the room was being torn apart. Multiple yells and barks were heard from inside and it seemed like pandemonium erupted inside.

“Run! Run into the forest and don’t look back.” He yelled frantically and I just stood in shock.

“Thank you...” I said backing away from him.

“You’re welcome, now go!” He yelled and I didn’t need to be told again. I took off running; I didn’t dare look back, as I was afraid of what I would see. I weaved and ducked and jumped through the thick dark forest. All I could hear was the wind whistling in my ear and the crackling of the trees.

I cut my shirt and my arm on rogue branches and thorns along with some on my face. My foot caught a snag in a root and I tumbled over on my face. I instinctively looked back over my shoulder and I heard a loud wolfish howl. I quickly scrambled up and kept running in the endless forest. I saw a clearing ahead and I ran faster. As soon as I broke through it, I found myself on the trail in Central Park.

I looked back and the scene looked nothing like I was just in. I saw the regular trail behind me, no dense forest and large eerie house sitting on the horizon. I kept running, going towards my house. My heart pounded against my ribcage, and adrenaline coursed through my veins like a life force.

I saw my house and slowed down. I rubbed my face seeing dirt, blood, tears and sweat on my hand. I looked back and saw my normal surroundings.

How is that possible? I collapsed on my front porch, crawling on my hands and knees. I heard Rocky start barking and Logan ran to the door opening it and seeing me a mess.

“Oh my god, Zena what happened to you?” He asked throwing the door open and kneeling at my battered body. He noticed the large gauze on my neck and shoulders and he gingerly touched it.

“I don’t know, I got attacked by this dog and I can’t remember much after. But I woke up in a strange house and someone told me to get out and I jumped out of a three story building and ran into the forest and I like warped back here.” I rambled, holding my face and touching my neck. Logan scooped me up and shushed me. My story did sound insane but it was true.

“Z, you are probably delirious from blood loss or shock honey. You sound distraught.” He said bringing me inside. He was calling me crazy! I wasn’t fricken insane, I know what happened!

“No! I swear it happened! And the dog was the size of a wolf, and it had golden eyes!” I yelled but he just shushed me and brought me to the bathroom sink and brought a hot cloth to my face. I winced as the heat stung my open cuts.

“Lo, don’t you believe me? This seriously happened”

“When you lose a lot of blood, or you go into shock you start to hallucinate and stuff. Babe, you think it happened you were just dreaming.” He assured and I huffed. I know for a fucking fact that shit happened clear as day. Out of the mirror, I saw two orbs of gold, and they reminded me of the ones that burned inside my memory.

“NOO! IT’S HERE! IT’S IN MY HOUSE! LOGAN HELP ME! GET IT AWAY!” I screamed thrashing around as the eyes disappeared from my mirror.

“What the fuck?! Calm down!” he yelled and I grew more and more angry. So angry I started to cry.

“You don’t believe me…y-you think I’m crazy! I’m not c-crazy!” I yelled crying and he kept trying to calm me.

“I know, I know, but Zena, you need to get cleaned up.”

He said turning on the shower. He pulled my shirt over my head and examined the bandages on my shoulders and neck. He pulled them off and saw the deep bite wound and the bloody claw marks. I flinched every time he touched me, due to an unimaginable pain in my shoulder.

“Jesus Christ…”

He muttered as he ran the cloth over it and I winced. He turned on the shower water for me and he left to get my clothes. I undressed and stepped in the burning water and I hissed as my skin lit on fire. My shoulder felt like it was splintering and breaking and the pain caused me to cry and sob loudly.

“Zena are you okay?” Logan called out and I sobbed out a yes.

The heat began to numb the pain, and I touched the bite mark on my neck with my free hand, the other arm dangled loosely in its socket. It was still pretty deep and it kept bleeding. I stepped out and dried my skin, and started to get dressed.

Logan helped me bandage my body and put gauze on my wounds. I pulled a baggy t shirt over my head and I stalked out of the bathroom. I went straight to our bedroom and collapsed on my bed. I pulled the covers up to my face and closed my eyes hoping to escape the horror land I was in.