A ghost told me to meet you

Rudy’s voice is lost on the squirming wolf’s ears. It takes Fern a moment to focus on his voice and understand what he is saying. When the question of bathing causes Fern to shoot Rudy an incredulous look. It takes another moment of furious scratching for her to realize that he has no way of knowing that the itch isn’t on her fur. The bugs still skitter under her skin and while it does not hurt her, the sensation of bugs crawling on her muscles and bones causes the gray girl’s stomach to do somersaults. Still, seeing Rudyard’s unease with her discomfort, Fern ceases her harsh scratching.

Aqua gaze finds Rudy’s golden yellow eyes and she offers him a tight smile. Muscles twitch as nerves still register the bugs racing around inside her. Voice wavers as Fern tries to explain her predicament to Rudy, “I… don’t think that will help… they aren’t on my skin.” One eye starts to twitch as a rather bothersome firefly scampers along a rib. Taking a deep breath, Fern tries to relax the tense muscles of her body as she enlightens Rudyard, “I think the fireflies are… under my skin.”

Another whimper and Fern shouts into the night before returning to her frantic scratching. Ears perk and listen to Rudy as he talks, trying to keep her attention on something, anything, other than the bugs that are inside her body. While his thinking is sound, Fern doesn’t think she could do much walking at the moment. Even when she stops scratching, her muscles still randomly spasm and twitch. It will take take him much longer to return to the Hallows if he takes her with.

Luckily, Fern feels a brief respite from the creepy crawling sensation in her body. Pulling herself up a little straighter, she looks back to Rudy. For a moment, the gray girl weighs her words, and necessity to know about Resin, carefully. When she speaks, Fern tries to keep her voice even and determined, “Look, it isn’t safe out here. Whatever is causing this, sentient or other, is still dangerous.” Pausing, Fern lets the words sink for a moment as one of her shoulder’s spasms from the bugs in it.

With an annoyed huff at her twitching body, Fern tells him, “Maybe you should go back to the Hallows without me. I would just slow you down right now. Hopefully, your pack is semi-safe from these strange happenings of the night.” Her voice is strong but not stern, letting him know that she would prefer if he left her. The anger that laces the last words is not directed at him but at the situation they find themselves in.

Fern tries to turn away from him, to drive home the point as she adds, “Go home Rudyard and please… be safe.” Wobbly back legs push off the ground and the smaller wolf takes a cautious step away from the last link to her mother. With every movement, her muscles twitch and ripple under her coat.