In the Claws of an Angel

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Pleeeease?"

"Nope."

"Seriously?!"

"Yup."

"Just hand it to me."

"Nope."

"Logan...!"

It was about 8:15 in the morning, and I sat across from Logan at the small booth style table in my pajamas, attempting to eat breakfast. My three strips of bacon and english muffin with butter still sat on my paper plate in front of me, and I stared at them, trying to will myself to work up an appetite.

After being up all night with a case of insomia, though, my stomach wasn't really welcoming the thought of any sort of food.

Logan had a newspaper open to the Local Events and Activities page, and we each had a hot mug of coffee sitting in front of us. Logan had already finished his breakfast and sipped his coffee black, but I couldn't do that. I needed cream and loooots of sugar to make my coffee drinkable.

I'd been able to get the powdered creamer from the cabinet, but when I had asked for the sugar, Logan refused to give it to me unless I took it from him with my telekinesis. So, this little argument had been going on for over twenty minutes.

I hadn't been able to sleep for more than maybe an hour the night before, so I was groggy, sluggish, and in no mood to try and move things with my mind.

"I can't make it work right now," I tried to tell Logan as I swiped for the canister of sugar, but he just reached out and snagged it, pulling it closer to him without looking up from the paper. "My mind's like jello, if that's even possible."

"You're not always gonna feel your best when you have to use it." Logan informed me, folding the newspaper to the backside and giving it a flick to straighten it out, "So, go on. It's just a sugar shaker."

I groaned and pressed my palms to my tired, achey eyes. "My coffee's getting cooooollddd!"

I knew I sounded sort of whiney, but I didn't care. I was so tired, I looked like hell sitting there in my pajamas with my messy bed head and puffy eyes, and I just wanted coffee... But the sugar was being held hostage just four inches away from me.

I drooped my shoulders and flopped my head down on the table, away from my cup and plate, and let out a deflated sigh. I quickly snapped my hand up, trying to catch Logan off guard in a last attempt to grab the sugar, but he was too fast for me. He snatched the shaker and slid it in the opposite direction before sipping

his own coffee.

"Oh my god, you suck." I growled, letting my arm limply fall back down to my side with my head still on the table.

"Nice try." Logan said simply, flicking the paper one more time.

I thought about just giving up and going without the coffee, but in the back of my mind I knew that wasn't going to work. Not today.

So, finally after a few more seconds, I slapped both my palms onto the table and tossed my head of messy, dark hair back into an upright position.

"FINE." I yelled, giving into Logan's little game. "I'll try."

The smallest of smirks curved onto his lips as he glanced at me from whatever he was reading. He nodded for me to give it a go, keeping a loose grip on the container so I couldn't snatch it from him.

I gave Logan the evilest of grumpy glares before focusing on the sugar that I so desperately needed. I could feel my mind tugging at it, but it wasn't quite strong enough.

"I felt that." Logan spoke up, and I raised my eyebrow at him.

"You did?"

"There was a little wiggle there." He confirmed with a nod, "Keep goin'."

I looked back to the container, thinking about an imaginary lasso looping itself around the middle. When I felt that familier tug, I pictured the lasso slowly reeling the sugar shaker toward me. Sure enough, I had it on my first try for once.

The glass shaker slid across the table, and I held my hand out for it as a guide. It was drawn to my open palm like a magnet, and I stuck my tounge out at Logan as I grasped the glass triumphantly.

"Nice." Logan congratulated me with a chuckle, pouring himself another half cup, "Looks like your powers almost work better when you're tired."

"I think I just got lucky." I countered as I turned the sugar canister upside down over my mug. A stream of white granules flowed into my coffee, seeming never ending.

Logan watched me, raising an eyebrow at just how much sugar I was actually using. Truthfully, I was used to this look... It was the same look I got at coffee shops and restaurants when I'd clear out the sugar caddy, and still need more packets for my iced tea or coffee.

"You trying to give yourself a heart attack?" He asked me when I finally set the shaker down and began stirring my coffee with a clean butter knife.

I shrugged, raising the mug to my lips and taking a long, sweet, creamy sip. Surprisingly, it was still warm.

"I like sugar." Was my simple reply.

"Trust me, I've noticed..." Logan laughed lightly. "Those brownies you like are probably about 95% sugar... What are they called, again...? Galactic brownies?"

"Cosmic brownies." I corrected him before taking another sip.

"Aah, right." Logan nodded and glanced down at his newspaper again.

We sat quietly for a few minutes before a question escaped from my lips.

"What was your nightmare about last night?" My voice sounded so curious, but when I noticed Logan's facial expression darken a little, I began to slightly regret my question.

"It's a little early for the personal question of the day, Anabelle..." He muttered as he flipped the paper once more.

"Does that count as a personal question?" I pondered quizically.

"I don't know..." He grumbled in response, standing up to wash his hands in the small kitchenette sink. "It's complicated."

"How can a dream be complicated...?" I asked, scrunching up my eyebrows in confusion.

"It just is." Logan sighed back as he snatched a green dish towel off the counter to dry his hands, "... It was about my past."

I stared at him as I sipped my coffee quietly. I could see several different emotions flashing in his eyes at once; Confusion, a little sadness... But mostly anger.

"...Your past?" I pressed on, even though I knew I probably shouldn't. "Like... Bad things...?"

"I said its complicated, Ana." Logan snapped, his voice suddenly firm.

It took me by surprise, it was so much different than the light and happy tone he had started the morning with.

I stared at him, my eyes wide and my cheeks flushed. I suddenly felt small under his intense gaze, turning my eyes downward to stare at my plate instead. The muffin and bacon strips were still there, still in the window of being good to eat... But that window was closing quickly.

For a moment it was unbearably quiet, and I could feel my heartbeat quicken. My coffee mug began to vibrate in my hands, my telekinesis responding to the anxiety I was feeling. I tightened my grip around the porcelain to silence the rumbling, right as Logan let out another sigh. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him reach up and run a hand through his hair.

"Just finish your breakfast, all right?" He mumbled softly as he made his way toward the door and popped it open, "I'll be outside."

I didn't say anything in response as Logan turned and disappeared out the door, letting it click shut behind him. Glancing down at the paper plate in front of me, I pursed my lips.

I didn't want to waste food, but I really had no appetite. So, I grabbed the plate and made my way over to the trash can. After a quick glance at the door over my shoulder, I dropped the plate down face first into the can.

I leaned up against the counter, draining the luke warm coffee out of the mug in short sips.

The camper was glowing in gold and orange tones with the sunlight of the rising sun, just like every morning. The sound of the small A/C unit whirred in the background, almost drowning out the birds chirping from outside.

When my coffee was gone, I washed and dried the cup, levitating it back into the cabinet with my telekinesis. I'd gotten pretty good at that simple task, trying to remember to do it every time I put something away.

Sometimes it was hard to stray away from using my hands, something that was obviously natural to the human body. But, I wanted to train my telekinesis to be natural to my body, too, and practice makes perfect... Just like Logan kept reminding me.

I had to make sure I could work with small objects before I tackled anything extreme... I had no idea what sort of strain I could put on my mind, so I had to be careful.

It was almost 9:00 AM now, and my messy hair and pajamas were starting to bug me. My duffel bag was peeking out at me from around the corner of the couch, so I walked over to it and yanked it out into the middle of the floor.

A nice hot shower was on my mind as I unzipped the bag, trying to forget the aggravated look on Logan's face just a few minutes ago. I shuffled through my few remaining belongings, pulling out a simple gray thong and matching bra, a pair of snuggly fitting black jeans with a rip in the right knee, and a pale pink tank top that read ACDC in black lightening bolt shaped letters across the front.

I made a face at it, knowing I'd never seen or worn that tank top before. I didn't even like ACDC... This must have been one of the tank tops I had blindly thrown into my bag back in Mississippi. I shrugged, not really caring about what the shirt said... As long as it fit well, that's all that mattered to me.

Making sure I had my ziplock baggie full of shower supplies, I shoved my duffle bag backwards next to the couch and made my way to the tiny bathroom. As I started the water, undressed, and stepped inside, I let out a sigh.

Hopefully Logan would be back to normal by the time I got out...

xxx

xxx

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, which was still slightly foggy from my shower. My damp hair was pulled smooth against my head in a neat and tidy pony tail, and my face was decorated with my usual make up; Light foundation, translucent powder, black eyeliner and thick black mascara.

I'd added in a little pale pink eyeshadow on my top lids, which really made my pale blue eyes pop against my skin, sun kissed from the constant sun exposure lately.

After a quick check to make sure the bathroom was tidied up, I opened the door. I was greeted with a cool, refreshing burst of air against my still damp skin.

The camper was quiet, with Logan still no where in sight. I assumed he was still outside, so I slipped on my shoes and socks and made my way to the door.

Sure enough, when I opened it and ventured out into the humid summer air, there was Logan... But instead of sulking in one of the wicker chairs with his back to the camper like I'd expected, he was kneeling down in the grass next to a cooler.

A cigar was pinned between his lips, thick smoke puffing out every so often. The sweet smell of the smoke wafted over to me as the breeze blew, catching the end of my ponytail and flicking it back and forth.

As I slowly made my way across the grass to where he was, I cast my gaze over the vast field to our left. It seemed to stretch on for miles, the horizon flat with a carved path left by years of tread from tires of all shapes and sizes.

The summer heat had dried most of the green from the grass, making it look brittle and parched. Our cluster of trees that we had taken shelter under was the only one for hundreds of feet, hiding the fresh water spring and the entrance to the woods that was probably unknown to most people.

"ACDC, huh?" Logan observed as he glanced up at me from the cooler.

"Oh, um... Yea, I got this for my birthday a few years ago." I lied.

For some reason I felt too embarassed to admit to him that I stole the tank top. So, I decided to change the subject. Craning my neck to see inside the cooler, I could see that Logan had packed a few sandwhiches, what was left of the bag of BBQ chips, a big jug of water and two small bottles of sweet tea neatly ontop of each other.

"What are you doing?" I asked quizically, studying Logan as he stood up and brushed the knees of his jeans off.

My eyes followed his face upward as he stood, reaching a good five or six inches above my head.

He puffed on his cigar once more before pulling it out of his mouth, shifting his weight and turning to look at me.

"Well, I thought maybe we could...go for a walk, or something." He suggested carefully, looking into my confused eyes as if they would tell him what I thought of the idea.

Truthfully, I didn't really know what to say. I just blinked at Logan, then glanced down at the cooler before snatching the end of my ponytail and twiddling it between my fingers.

"That sounds... nice..." I stammered, suddenly feeling bashful and awkward, "But... I thought you were mad about-"

"Listen," Logan cut me off, holding his hand up slightly as if to physically halt my words, "I didn't mean to get so snappy in there. It's just..."

He paused and looked away, visibly searching for the right words in his head before turning his sights back to me, "Those dreams... they're a really sensitive issue for me."

I nodded in understanding as Logan went on.

"It just caught me off guard when you asked about it earlier." Logan took a few drags from his cigar and exhaled the smoke, "I went inside to apologize a little while ago, but you were already in the shower. So, instead I got this stuff togther. I figured we could find a place somewhere around here, have a picnic and talk... So I can explain some things."

For some reason, my stomach dropped as Logan said this. He glanced at me again as I tilted my head to the side, a puzzled expression on my face.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"You'll find out when we get to where we're going."

"Well, where are we going...?"

"I don't know yet, Anabelle, relax." Logan laughed lightly, "Your guess is as good as mine. We'll know when we see it."

I let out an exhale at his vagueness, feeling my anxiety build up a little bit.

"Sorry..." I grumbled, nudging at the grass with the toe of my shoe, "Just the fact that you need to 'explain some things' is freaking me out a little..."

Logan had his back to me, drawing closer to the camper and reaching for the doorhandle. When he turned back to look at me, his eyes seemed to stare past me to the scenery behind my back.

"I can tell," He remarked, "The chairs are floating back there."

My eyes widened as I whirled around, gasping at the site before me. Logan was right, both wicker chairs hovered about six feet in the air. They flipped and turned over upside down and bumped into each other, as if gravity had been switched off.

They crashed to the ground a few seconds after I looked at them, hitting the grass with a sturdy 'thud'.

"Dammit." I cursed to myself, "Why does that have to happen..."

By now, Logan had gone inside and come back out already. He was holding a green backpack in one hand, and a folded plaid blanket in the other.

"Don't be freaked out, it's nothing bad. I promise." Logan assured me, the conversation never breaking, "I just figured if you're gonna be hanging with me, you should know my story... I'm just warning you, though, it's a long one."

He unzipped the backpack and placed the blanket inside, along with a flashlight and first aide kit, just in case of an emergency.

"Well... okay." I finally agreed.

I guess that was pretty harmless. But what could he possibly have to explain to me...?

xxx

xxx

"Watch out, it's slippery here. Grab my hand, I'll pull you up."

Logan and I had been hiking for about thirty five minutes now, having turned off the beaten path in the woods about half way through.

This side of the path was much less worn, and a lot more uneven. I found myself tripping over rocks and tree roots quite a bit, and we had to do a lot of climbing and detouring around trees and boulders, like we were at that particular moment.

Logan had easily scaled up a pile of fallen tree trunks and large boulders that led to higher ground, but the fuzzy green moss that covered them gave my flat converse sneakers nothing to grip.

I stared up at Logan's outstretched hand as he kneeled on the ledge of ground above me, waiting to pull me up.

I knew I'd have to jump a bit and reach up to be able to grab ahold of him, so I took a step or two backwards.

"You sure you can pull me up?" I asked skeptically, observing all the sharp objects I could potentially land on if I lost my grip and fell.

"Ana, c'mon." He said with a roll of his eyes, "You're a twig."

I gasped at him, letting my mouth hang open slightly. "I am not!"

"Easy, I didn't mean that in a bad way!" He defended as I hopped up and grasped his leathery hand, "Jesus, you'd think I said those pants made you 'look fat'."

Logan quickly yanked me up onto the ledge with a small grunt, and my shoes touched the fresh dirt.

"You women just can't make up your minds." He continued to grumble.

I grinned and followed behind him as he continued to walk, and just by the strain on my abs and thighs, I knew we were going uphill. I heard birds chipring in the branches above, and peered upward to see a bunch of Yellowhammers... I couldn't remember the fancy name for them that Logan had told me.

"Watch out, there's a little drop right there." Logan warned me over his shoulder, just in time for me to glance downward and notice an uneven spot in the dirt.

I stepped down, and we continued forward. Logan and I pressed on through the brush, finally emerging on the other side.

I gasped at what we saw before us. We had traveled to the edge of a rocky cliff, standing right inside a nook most likely carved out of the stone by years of wind and rain.

The platform was overlooking a few miles of bright green tree tops, and I could see that beautiful lake in the distance, sparkling in the summer sun.

"Well, I think we're here." Logan breathed as he stepped forward and took in the view. He turned and grinned at me. "You think so?"

"Yea.." I agreed as I walked over to join him, "It's amazing!"

Before I knew it, Logan had the plaid blanket laid out across the ground, and the cooler sitting ontop of it with the lid popped open.

"Sweet tea, please." I said as Logan shuffled through the contents of the cooler. He nodded and snagged one of fhe bottles full of the rich colored liquid, then tossed it to me.

I caught the bottle gracefully in both hands, eagerly twisting the cap off and gulping the sweet, cold tea.

"So good." I sighed as I sat down on the blanket next to Logan.

He passed me a sandwhich and set the quarter of the way full bag of chips between us. We started eating, and Logan started talking.

"Anabelle..." He spoke up, his voice sounding hesitant, "Do you remember back at Denny's when you asked me where I was from... and I said 'I think I'm from Canada.'?"

I nodded my head, chewing slowly and taking a sip of tea. Logan continued talking. Where was he going with this...

"And then you asked me yesterday how old I was... And I said 'somewhere around 42.'?"

"...Yea..."

"Well... the truth is, I don't really know those things about myself."

I cocked my head to the side, feeling my eyes narrow in confusion.

"But..."

My voice trailed off as he went into further detail.

"Honestly, Anabelle..." Logan paused to look up at me, then peered out over the tree tops, "I don't even know if Logan's my real name. I just woke up one day, with these dogtags." He reached up and grasped the silver around his neck, the tags jingling against each other. "One side says 'Logan'... the other side says 'Wolverine'."

By now, I had set my half eaten sandwhich down, trying to soak in this strange information. So I finally got my answer about the dogtags. But what the hell was Logan talking about...?

"Wait, hold on," I said, "What do you mean you just... woke up? Where were you before that?"

Logan shook his head, staring distantly out over the ledge of the overhang.

"No clue." He replied, "That's why I said it's complicated... And that's where the dreams come in."

He suddenly extended his claws, flipping his hands back and forth to examine the sharp metal blades.

"In the dreams, I'm under water... But I can breathe, and I'm trapped inside some kind of glass case... or a cage... And I can see out. I can see two men, but I can't focus on them for long before it feels like... like..."

I stared at him, hanging on his every word as I waited for him to finish his thought.

"Like what...?" I asked meekly, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Like... drills digging into my skin, destroying my skeleton and filling my body with something boiling hot, like lava." Logan took a deep breath, seeming to deal with openly sharing this experience. "But whatever it is hardens... and in the dream, I feel rage... pure rage, every time. I bust out of whatever I'm trapped in, and... these are there." He flashed his claws, lowering them to rest in his lap, "So, I'm sure whatever I was injected with was some kind of metal."

"...Then what...?" I asked him, feeling like a child listening to a ghost story at summer camp.

"Then, I'm running down a dark tunnel, and at the end there's a bright light..." Logan explained in a sigh, "But every time I get to it, I wake up. Like last night."

I let out a tense exhale as I absorbed Logan's story, but he wasn't done yet.

"So I know I wasn't born with these claws... This metal skeleton... someone gave them to me." Logan growled, sounding a little angry now, "But that's all I know. I don't even know if I agreed to it... But everything before that, I remember nothing about."

"Wow..." I breathed in disbelief, "Nothing? Not even your family?"

Logan shook his head, "Never knew anyone related to me. I've pretty much always been alone, until you came around."

I nodded, my cheeks warming in a blush for some reason. I knew what it felt like to be alone all the time... Even with family around.

"But something that weirds me out sometimes..." Logan mumbled, "Is the random flashbacks... They're sort of like movie clips. Sometimes, I'll remember things from way back, as if I was there... Like fighting in wars, a few different ones, but the guns look so old... Like something you'd find in an antique shop." He paused to stare over at me, his eyes foggy and mysterious, "Or horses and buggies... Walking down hallways lit by candle light... And it's so real, that a lot of times I'm cinvinced that they're memories sneaking through the fog."

My face had to look completely dumbfounded at that point. I was totally turned upside down, trying to wrap my mind around this whole concept, or at least bend it a little.

"Antique guns, horses and buggies..." I repeated what he'd said in a mumble, "And you said more than one war...?"

Logan nodded, his serious expression never wavering as he looked me in the eyes.

"B-but...that's not possible, Logan." I stammered, crunching the numbers in my head, "For you to have actually done all those things, you would have had to been born somewhere around, like, 1840... Making you..."

"Over 100 years old." Logan finished my sentence, and I stared at him as a chill ran up my spine. "Trust me, I don't know how that would be possible... But then this healing shit happens... And makes me think that maybe it is possible."

Silence fell over us for a few seconds, and my mind scrambled up over what Logan had told me.

"I have to say, this definately wasn't what I was expecting when you told me you needed to 'explain some things'..." I confessed, popping a chip into my mouth.

I'd been so sucked into Logan's story that I had put lunch on hold, and so had he. He jumped right back in, biting into his sandwhich.

"What were you expecting?" Logan asked me between chews with a curious glance.

"I don't know," I replied as I shrugged my shoulders and picked the crust off what remained of my sandwhich, "I was thinking more along the lines of something like you were a crazy ax murderer, running from the law."

"What?!" Logan gasped before taking a swig of sweet tea, "All this time I've been giving off a crazy ax murderer vibe?"

The look on his face made me laugh, and I noticed Logan smirk.

"No, of course not." I assured him between giggles, "But that was really unexpected... I don't care how old you are, though. I still think you're pretty cool."

This time, Logan full on smiled at me.

"Thanks, Ana." He said sincerely, "I guess you're all right... for a girl."

I playfully kicked Logan's boot at his mock insult, and he laughed. I suddenly felt some sort of weight lifted from my soul, and I began to feel a closer bond with Logan. I couldn't believe he had been so open about his past with me.

But I also couldn't help but wonder what I would say when I decided to share my story with him...

xxx

xxx

Logan and I spent almost three hours in that nook of stone, just relaxing and enjoying the view.

But when dark clouds began to roll in along with the strong scent of rain, we decided to pick up and head back to camp. I helped Logan fold the blanket back up, and he stuffed it back inside his backpack.

"Let's go." He said, clutching the cooler and leading the way back through the brush.

We hurried along as quickly as we could, but the thunder rolled loudly above us, a signal that we were probably going to get wet.

"I don't think we're gonna beat it." I announced as I felt cold rain drops start to sprinkle my exposed shoulders.

"You're probably right." Logan grumbled from in front of me, squinting up at the sky, "Let's just keep moving. This way, it'll be faster."

He ducked through a random cluster of bushes to his left, holding the leafy branches aside so I could follow. I raised a skeptical eyebrow at Logan as I passed through.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" I asked, "We can get back to camp this way?"

"Yes." He confirmed as we stepped over a hollowed out stump, "I'm an outdoorsmen. Trust me, I know where I'm going."

With that being said, I shrugged and took Logan's word for it. Sure enough, after another five minutes of walking, the rain was pouring down on us, and I was soaked to the bone.

"Wait!" I spoke up suddenly, my voice hushed. I could hear something in the bushes, moving toward us. It sounded like rustling and... growling. "Logan, wait...! What is that...?"

We halted our steps, and Logan tuned in his hearing. I watched his eyes, knowing for sure I wasn't hearing things when I noticed their intensity.

The sounds were getting louder, drawing nearer and closing in on us from all sides.

"Get behind me, Ana." Logan growled, his eyes scanning the trees.

I complied, concealing myself behind Logan's tall, muscular frame. My heart was racing as my eyes darted all around, searching for the threat.

Suddenly, one by one, a pack of 8 snarling coyotes emerged from the bushes, surrounding us. They were the beefiest coyotes I had ever seen, and they weren't happy. Their snouts were scrunched up, revealing their vicious yellow teeth and foaming gums.

Their beady eyes were intense and screamed that these animals wanted to tear us apart. The deep, menacing growls rumbling from their throats was pretty clear that they weren't going to let us get away in one piece.

"We must be too close to their den..." Logan mumbled to me, keeping a sharp eye on each canine, "Stay still... they might go away if we don't pose a threat to them."

I was terrified, holding my breath as I stared at these savage beasts. They looked so eerie, their gray fur soaked and matted from the rain, clinging to their bodies in eerie, skeletal shapes.

When the coyotes began taking steps closer to us, closing in on their pray, Logan quickly drew his claws. He backed up a bit, pressing his body closer to mine.

"Scratch that." I heard him growl, "Looks like they're gonna- FUCK!"

I screamed as one of the coyotes suddenly jumped out at Logan's leg, latching onto his shin. With one swift kick, he knocked it loose and tossed it back into the trees. Another one leapt up in its place, sinking its teeth into Logan's forearm.

He barely made any noises of pain as he slammed the coyote's body into a tree trunk, snapping its neck and killing it instantly.

"Logan!" I shrieked as one of the rabid animals charged me, jumping up and snapping at my throat.

Before its sharp fangs could puncture my skin, I endured the gruesome sight of Logan's claws spearing the animal through its neck. Blood splattered everywhere as the coyote's body fell limp and Logan slung it from his claws.

It wasn't near over yet, though. There were still five more, and Logan was only able to kill two more before another jumped for his throat, knocking him to the ground.

This gave the last coyote the perfect chance to single me out. My heart dropped to the floor as it charged in my direction, feeling like slow motion.

My legs sprang back into action just in time to turn and race to my right. I had tore through the trees, hearing the coyote's vicious snarls pulsating behind me. The rain began to fall heavier, pelting my body as I ran.

Finally, I burst through a cluster of brush, only to be shocked with the sight of another rocky cliff.

My feet stumbled to a stop, staring over the edge of the rocks. There was a six foot drop into a deep, rushing current of cloudy water below, that led to a waterfall about thirty yards down stream. There was no way anyone could swim across that.

"Shit..." I panted, realizing I was cornered.

I whirled around as I heard the coyote emerge from the bushes behind me. I stared the animal in the eyes as it walked toward me, matching every step forward it took with a step backward.

I began to panic when my shoe grazed the edge of the cliff, with the coyote still approaching.

"ANABELLE!" Logan's voice roared through the trees, sounding like it was getting closer, "ANABELLE!!!"

Suddenly, he burst through the bushes behind the coyote, his chest rapidly rising and falling, tense anger twisting up his face and constricting his muscles.

His claws were drawn, and his clothes were covered in blood.

But right as we locked eyes, the malicious animal charged me, leaping up towards my body at full force. I felt its teeth sink into my side as I instinctively turned to protect myself, and I let a scream.

It was a scream of a mixture of fear and pain as the weight of the coyote knocked me off the edge off the cliff, sending me free falling toward the rushing water below.

"NO!" Logan's exhasperated shout rang through my ears, soon silenced by the crashing sound of water as I plunged under the surface.

Instantly I could feel the power of the current as it ripped me under, tossing and tumbling me about like a rag doll.

Somehow, I managed to flip upright and bob to the surface, taking in a huge gasping breath. The heavy rain beat into the water, blending with the roaring sound of the current and making me feel even more disoriented.

"ANABELLE!" I somehow heard Logan's shouts to my left.

I turned my body in the water as it pulled me, yelping loudly at a sharp pain in my side... That's when I remembered the coyote bite. My legs locked up at the sudden jolt, allowing the water to easily suck me under again.

I quickly realized I couldn't let that happen. I clenched my jaw and pushed through the pain, fighting to the surface one more time. Rain drops sprinkled my face as I emerged, feeling warmer than the creek I was submerged in.

"ANA, YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOVE WATER!"

I finally caught sight of Logan, racing the current down the rocky bank, keeping his eyes on me. I glanced forward, feeling like I could puke as I realized I was being drawn toward one point: the waterfall.

"GRAB ONTO SOMETHING!" Logan screamed out over the rain, trying to beat me to the ledge of the waterfall.

So far, we were neck and neck. I searched the water around me for something to latch onto, but I could see nothing.

"THERE'S..." I called out, struggling to stay afloat. Water filled my mouth, and I spit it out to finish my sentence, "NOTHING TO GRAB!"

I was rapidly approaching the drop, and I honestly wasn't expect to live through it.

"LOGAN!!" I wailed out helplessly as I felt the water start to suck out from underneath my body, taking me with it.

Holy shit, that was a steep drop...

Suddenly, a hand grasped my wrist, jolting me to a temporary stop. I lifted my head up to see Logan, a intense look of determimation in his eyes.

But the current was just too strong, and combined with my weight and the rain beating down... He just couldn't keep his grip.

My hand slipped from his, and my body plumeted downward with the roaring, rushing water.

Logan cried out my name, but the echoe of his voice cut out quickly as I plunged into darkness.

"ANABELLE!!"

xxxTBCxxx