The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning

Everything happens so fast and yet… so slowly. As Fern unwittingly dives toward the injured wolf, more focused on stopping Rudy from hurting himself any further, the gray fails to account for the emotional trauma he has been through. Time elongates as she sees terror-filled eyes turn toward her. They do not recognize her, only the danger she poses to him. There is no time to dodge or try to abort this failed attempt at help, so Fern does the only thing she can do. She simply closes her eyes and accepts the pain that awaits her.

She does not have to wait long. Teeth tear through the flesh of her left cheek, missing her eye but tearing holes into the soft tissue underneath. She feels as one of his teeth punctures her lip, sliding clean through the thin piece of skin. As pain flares along the damaged nerve ends Fern opens her mouth to scream out in pain. This causes her lips to move and the embedded tooth rips a jagged gash through the already damaged lip. Blood fills her mouth as she howls in pain and fear.

This is wrong, the Rudyard she knows wouldn’t hurt her. He is kind, caring, and sweet. What had she done to deserve this? She can’t remember anything; her memory is blank as the only things she knows are pain and fear. As quickly as it had started, the pressure releases, and the teeth retract. Fern stumbles backward, blinking teary eyes open to stare at the injured wolf with fear. The retreat is cut off as her butt slams into the wall and she franticly flicks her gaze around, looking for an exit.

Blood flows down her face freely as the damaged cheek and torn lip cause the liquid to leak out at an alarming. Tears slid out of her eyes and into the fur, stinging the open wounds on the left side of her face. Spotting the door, Fern looks back to Rudy, knowing he would only hurt her if she did something horribly wrong. Sniffles fill the air as the gray girl says, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did but I’m sorry.” She needs to get away and turns toward the door to try bolt away from this place and him. What is happening to her? Why can’t she remember anything?


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