House of Wolves
Tonight, Tonight
Bob’s P.O.V.
My head felt like it was going to split open. I could feel my brain throbbing, my heartbeat getting faster and faster. I was panicking, but I couldn’t let Jen know that. “Do you think you can get up?” Jen asked me, even though we all knew what the answer was. I couldn’t even speak, or shake my head, so I just rolled over onto my back and made a pained face, showing her that walking would be nearly impossible. She looked at me, eyes filled with worry and doubt. I wanted to assure her that I would be fine as soon as I got some food into me, but I couldn’t even tell myself that. “Well…I…we could…no.” I looked at Jen pleadingly, willing her to continue. “I was just thinking that maybe Ray and I could go into the city and track down some really big guys, you know, to make up for your loss of blood…but it’d have to be both of us and I don’t want to leave you alone. Fear tore at my insides. The thought of being left alone here, to wince and silently plead for mercy, to suffer alone, was unbearable. But I couldn’t walk, and those two guys Jen was talking about sounded damn good. And that would make the pain go away. I sighed and tried to nod my head. “No. I’m not leaving you here.” I looked at Ray, trying as hard as I could to get him to try to talk some sense into Jen.
“Uh…well…this is what’s best for Bob, Jen. He has to feed or he’ll be confined to this horrible pain forever. And I don’t think we have much time before he goes blind…at least, going by what you said anyway. Besides, it’ll take two of us to take down two large men, and I don’t think one would be nearly enough.” Ray bit his lip and nodded at me. Jen looked back at me, tears in her eyes. I’d never felt so loved in my entire life.
“But…”
“Go…” I managed to whisper, making a sudden jolt of pain sear through my skull, threatening to blind me at any second. I made a face but I didn’t jump like I thought I was going to. Then Jen really wouldn’t have gone. She shook her head, reluctant to go, but I could tell she was giving in. Ray stood up and offered her his hand; she looked at me one final time and said, “I’ll be back, I promise.” I sort of smiled as my two saviors walked off into the forest. As much as I had been afraid to be alone, I was actually comforted by the fact that I knew they were going to go as fast as they could and then the horrific pain I was going through would be gone. Just as I got comfortable, and sort of started to doze off, even with the throbbing in my skull, I started to hear noises.
At first I disregarded the sounds as animals, as any normal person would’ve. But then I started to notice a pattern. Every five seconds I would hear twigs crack, leaves crunch, bushes move. It sounded like someone or something was walking very slowly. Towards me. My imagination ran wild. I started to think about bears coming and attacking me, chewing on my flesh, licking at my insides. I wondered if the pain would be any worse than what I was already feeling, but I doubted it. Suddenly the sounds stopped, and a wolf sauntered out of the wood and stood over me, watching me thoughtfully. I sighed heavily. After a little while I began to get a little creeped out by the wolf just staring at me, though I was glad that it distracted me from my headache. Out of nowhere the wolf barked, shattering the wonderful silence around us. I cried out as my head pulsed and I began to see stars. In the midst of my blinding pain I felt something wrap around me and I was lifted off of the ground. Black.
My head felt like it was going to split open. I could feel my brain throbbing, my heartbeat getting faster and faster. I was panicking, but I couldn’t let Jen know that. “Do you think you can get up?” Jen asked me, even though we all knew what the answer was. I couldn’t even speak, or shake my head, so I just rolled over onto my back and made a pained face, showing her that walking would be nearly impossible. She looked at me, eyes filled with worry and doubt. I wanted to assure her that I would be fine as soon as I got some food into me, but I couldn’t even tell myself that. “Well…I…we could…no.” I looked at Jen pleadingly, willing her to continue. “I was just thinking that maybe Ray and I could go into the city and track down some really big guys, you know, to make up for your loss of blood…but it’d have to be both of us and I don’t want to leave you alone. Fear tore at my insides. The thought of being left alone here, to wince and silently plead for mercy, to suffer alone, was unbearable. But I couldn’t walk, and those two guys Jen was talking about sounded damn good. And that would make the pain go away. I sighed and tried to nod my head. “No. I’m not leaving you here.” I looked at Ray, trying as hard as I could to get him to try to talk some sense into Jen.
“Uh…well…this is what’s best for Bob, Jen. He has to feed or he’ll be confined to this horrible pain forever. And I don’t think we have much time before he goes blind…at least, going by what you said anyway. Besides, it’ll take two of us to take down two large men, and I don’t think one would be nearly enough.” Ray bit his lip and nodded at me. Jen looked back at me, tears in her eyes. I’d never felt so loved in my entire life.
“But…”
“Go…” I managed to whisper, making a sudden jolt of pain sear through my skull, threatening to blind me at any second. I made a face but I didn’t jump like I thought I was going to. Then Jen really wouldn’t have gone. She shook her head, reluctant to go, but I could tell she was giving in. Ray stood up and offered her his hand; she looked at me one final time and said, “I’ll be back, I promise.” I sort of smiled as my two saviors walked off into the forest. As much as I had been afraid to be alone, I was actually comforted by the fact that I knew they were going to go as fast as they could and then the horrific pain I was going through would be gone. Just as I got comfortable, and sort of started to doze off, even with the throbbing in my skull, I started to hear noises.
At first I disregarded the sounds as animals, as any normal person would’ve. But then I started to notice a pattern. Every five seconds I would hear twigs crack, leaves crunch, bushes move. It sounded like someone or something was walking very slowly. Towards me. My imagination ran wild. I started to think about bears coming and attacking me, chewing on my flesh, licking at my insides. I wondered if the pain would be any worse than what I was already feeling, but I doubted it. Suddenly the sounds stopped, and a wolf sauntered out of the wood and stood over me, watching me thoughtfully. I sighed heavily. After a little while I began to get a little creeped out by the wolf just staring at me, though I was glad that it distracted me from my headache. Out of nowhere the wolf barked, shattering the wonderful silence around us. I cried out as my head pulsed and I began to see stars. In the midst of my blinding pain I felt something wrap around me and I was lifted off of the ground. Black.