《Red》


 The Witch in the Forest

    ¡°I hate them!¡± he shouted into the night sky, shivering, and full of rage as he walked. He had barely managed to pull himself out of the river narrowly avoiding being swept away, over the waterfall.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them! I¡¯ll kill them all!¡±


    He was so angry that tears began to stream down his face, although he failed to notice as he was already soaking wet.


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡±


    James stopped in place and screamed. He screamed and screamed until he was breathless, and his vocal cords felt like steel wool in his throat. Even then he only paused to catch his breath before he continued screaming. It wasn¡¯t until he had finished that he heard them. Something was growling, and it was getting closer. In fact, they were getting closer. As he turned around all he could see were glowing yellow eyes in the wood-line. Evil, ominous, hungry eyes.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    He started running. As fast as his legs would carry him, he ran. It was incredibly difficult as his wet clothes were weighing him down. On top of that he realized he was missing a shoe when he stomped down onto a rather large thorn. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t enough time for him to deal with it right now. Blood dripping behind him with every step, he continued to run. Deeper and deeper into the forest, hoping that he could outrun his pursuers. Praying that someone would hear him and come to his rescue he tried to scream for help, but his voice was so hoarse that he could scarcely make any noise at all. So, he just ran, terrified, and silent, struggling to survive.


    Suddenly James burst out of the trees and found himself trapped by a wall of stone. It had to be hundreds of years old, maybe older. The forest had claimed most of its surface. Vines grew between the cracks and along the top, cascading down in thick webs. The once smooth exterior was now badly worn, chunks having fallen out here and there. There was only one spot that looked as if it were new. Intricate carvings ran vertically for the small length of untouched stone, artwork from another age. If only he had the time to appreciate it. James began to run along the wall, searching for an opening. As he ran, he looked over his shoulder to see how close they were, and tripped.


    ¡°Ahh-!¡± He cried out in pain as he slammed into the ground, snapping his ankle in the process. Even then, he could not produce any sound, only blood now from the worsening condition of his throat. He glanced down at the source of his pain only to find that his foot was lodged under a massive tree root.


    ¡°Help me¡­ Somebody¡­ Anybody¡­¡± he mouthed into the air as he laid on his back facing the stars. It was such a beautiful night sky. If he was going to die, at least he could watch the stars as he did so.


    The wolves descended upon him.


    He could feel every millimeter of their teeth as they sank into his flesh. One was tearing into his unbroken ankle as it pulled on his leg, while two others were trying to work their way through his jacket and into his torso. Tears ran hot against his cheeks as he listened to a fourth slowly approach his head. James knew that it was coming for his throat, he¡¯d seen it in a documentary at school. As time slowed down, his heartbeat became so loud in his ears that it blocked out every other sound. Ba-dump. Ba-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP! He closed his eyes, hatred overcoming his misery as their faces flashed through his mind, and he swore that he would repay them from beyond his grave.


    ¡°Why wait?¡±


    James¡¯ eyes shot open in disbelief at the sound of a woman¡¯s voice. He looked up and found her sitting upon a tree branch, swinging her legs back and forth like a child would. In the darkness the only detail he could make out, was her hair. Long, glimmering red hair that hung past her shoulders. He tried to speak, but nothing came out of his mouth. She laughed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, cat got your tongue?¡±


    His eyes widened as his heart plummeted into his stomach. What kind of person would laugh in this situation? He was being eaten alive! It was then that he noticed a huge paw land next to his face, causing his heart to sink even further.


    ¡°Hmph. I thought it was funny!¡± the woman scoffed.


    With every ounce of his remaining willpower he ripped his gaze away from the wolf standing above his face and returned it to the woman in the tree.


    ¡°Help me.¡± He mouthed. ¡°Help me, please!¡±


    She stared at him, silently looking him over for a moment before she answered.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to do.¡± She waved her hand through the air and began speaking in a softer, quieter tone that he could not fully hear.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The wolves stopped. James looked from one set of eyes to the next as his heart began to race faster and faster. They were all frozen in place! He wasn¡¯t sure what she was doing but he wanted her to keep doing it. As he looked up at her once more, he noticed something off about the branch she was sitting on. Only then did he realize that it wasn¡¯t a branch, but a broom. He closed his eyes, cleared his head as much as he could, and opened them again. Nothing changed. There, floating several feet above him, was a woman sitting on a broom. His expression must have given him away because she smiled at him and bared her teeth mockingly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t regret this later!¡± she laughed, and his entire body was beset with searing pain.


    The wolves around him burst apart spraying blood, bone, and organs into the air and all over him. At least that would have made more sense. Instead the decimated wolves were now circling above him. Round and round, like a black hole made specifically for wolf guts was sucking them in. There was a spiraling lake of blood and fur dancing above his head, and all he could hear was gleeful cackling. Through the gore he could see her, the witch, dancing atop her broom. Laughing, dancing, throwing her arms in the air and waving her entire body left and right. Her red hair seemed to absorb the light of the stars as it gleamed and flowed like liquid fire. Despite his intense pain, and uncontrollable writhing, he could not look away. She threw her hands straight into the air one final time, shouted something in another language, and everything froze.


    The moonlight caught her face and he sucked in a gasp as he saw them for the first time. Deep, blue, and cold as ice. Her eyes looked as if the world¡¯s oceans had frozen over and it felt like he was at the bottom. She dropped her gaze to meet his and smiled before she threw her hands out toward him. The blood and body parts had condensed into a spinning orb no larger than a basketball. The moment her hands pointed at him, the mixture shot out in a straight line and entered his mouth. It burned its way down his throat and spread to the rest of his body from there. The pain was so much greater than anything he¡¯d felt before that it threatened to drive him insane.


    ___________________________________________________________________________________________________


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    James shouted as he sat upright in bed. He looked at his hands, his ankle, his entire body. Everything was fine, not a scratch could be found. He moved around and found that the only thing he suffered from was a slight stiffness. Covered in sweat and scared out of his mind he looked around. He wasn¡¯t in the forest, but in his bed. He was safe.


    ¡°Thank god, it was only a dream.¡±


    He sighed as he dropped down and let his head hit the pillow. After confirming his ceiling fan was still there, he closed his eyes and smiled. It was only a dream!


    ¡°What did you dream about?¡±


    Every hair on his body stood on end as his eyes shot open once more. His body became rigid and he turned his head as slowly as he could until his breath caught in his chest. There she was, poking her head out of his closet with a wicked grin stretching across her face.


    ¡°Pee. Ka. Boo!¡± She said slowly, as she walked out of the closet and stood beside his bed.


    ¡°No. No, you aren¡¯t real. It was a dream!¡± he shouted, as he sat up and tried to back away. Before he could stop himself, he fell over the other end of his bed.


    ¡°Afraid not.¡± She said with a stern look as she crawled onto his bed to stare at him on the floor. ¡°It was all real.¡±


    ¡°But you-! You¡¯re- You¡¯re a witch!¡± He yelled as he pointed at her. He raised his voice. ¡°You-!¡± His throat cracked and he felt a familiar pain returning. ¡°Damn.¡± He whispered to himself as he grabbed his throat. He couldn¡¯t deny it now. ¡°It really did happen?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Why else would I be here?¡± The light coming through the window caught her eyes and he noticed that they were somehow softer than the first time he¡¯d seen them.


    ¡°Actually, why are you here?¡± he asked cautiously. James was nervous, and unsure of what was happening, but he was alive. Regardless of what he thought about her, she did save him.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± She said, as if she had noticed how he was feeling. The woman stood, having slid off the bed, and walked around the room.


    The light from the moon was shining through his window and now that his eyes had adjusted, he could see clearly. His blanket, checkered grey and blue, was sprawled across the floor where he had fallen. He grabbed it and threw it back onto his bed as he pulled himself to his feet.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He replied. ¡°But again, why are you here?¡± James grew bolder and yet more nervous at the same time. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    She stopped and looked him dead in the eyes. Her eyes were cold enough to make him shiver.


    ¡°You owe me.¡±


    Her words weren¡¯t as soft, nor her demeanor as gentle as they were a moment ago. She stuck out her hand and resting within her palm sat a ring. A wolf¡¯s head with ruby eyes.


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± James backed away, feeling uneasy.


    ¡°Take it.¡± She threatened, her voice growing more sinister.


    Reluctantly, he grabbed the ring from her palm. As soon as he touched it the ring expanded and flashed as bright as the sun. Blinded and startled he felt the ring shoot out of his own palm and onto his right thumb. The ring was red hot to his flesh and his skin began to bubble up and blister as it burned into him. Instinctively he grabbed it with his other hand to pull it off but only succeeded in searing his left hand. The pain became so great that he fell to his knees as he gripped his wrist hoping to cut off the sensation spreading throughout his body.


    ¡°Get up.¡± She said, sounding irritated. ¡°It¡¯s not that painful.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to me?!¡± he asked frantically as the pain subsided and he returned to his feet. He risked trying to pull the ring off again now that it wasn¡¯t so hot, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. It almost felt like he was pulling on his own thumb.


    ¡°That ring is now fused to you. To remove it, you¡¯d have to cut off your thumb.¡± She turned away and started walking toward the window. ¡°I will call for you when I need you and you will come to me then. Understood?¡±


    ¡°What? No! Not understood! What¡¯s going on?!¡± He protested as she materialized her broom and threw open the window. ¡°Hey! Answer me!¡±


    She sat upon her broom, shot out the window, and disappeared into the night sky.


    ¡°Sleep.¡± Was the last thing he heard as he suddenly fell backward into his bed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand! What¡­ happened? Why¡­ me?¡±

 My Life is Over

    ¡°Breakfast is ready!¡±


    James opened his eyes. It was Saturday, which meant that his mother had made breakfast again. He yawned and stretched out his arms as he sat up in bed. The smell of sausages creeped into his bedroom causing him to grin. They were his favorite. He stumbled out of bed and rubbed his eyes with the backs of his thumbs.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± he yelled, yanking his hand away from the fresh cut on his cheek. When he looked down and saw the ring, still firmly attached to his thumb, his heart dropped into his stomach and he was reminded of the night prior. Any hope he had of it being a bad dream was now completely shattered. He tried once more to remove the ring but stopped when his thumb began to hurt from the extreme tugging.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Hurry up or it will get cold!¡± his mother shouted.


    He looked around his room and everything seemed to be in the right place, nothing missing. Just to be safe he even checked inside his closet, which was thankfully devoid of witches. The only thing out of place here, was this sinister looking ring.


    ¡°Coming!¡± James yelled down the hall as he opened his bedroom door. Upon entering the dining room, he found that his mother and sister had already started eating without him.


    ¡°Good morning sleepyhead,¡± mumbled his sister through a mouthful of food. He gave her a lazy nod, sat down, and started eating as well.


    His sister, Sara, was only a year younger than him. Her long brown hair was clumped into several knot clusters and most of it stood in the air from the way she had slept. James watched as she dripped syrup on the otter pajamas she was wearing and noticed that it wasn¡¯t the first time she had done so. However, the real mess covered her face. Her round face covered in food mixed with her wild hair made her look like a rabid squirrel. James grinned.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the library this morning?¡± he asked.


    She replied with the same lazy nod he had previously given her. This was typically the way they communicated.


    ¡°Will you return a book for me?¡±


    Another nod.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    James glanced down at the hand he was keeping carefully tucked under the table and found the ring staring back at him. For a moment he considered chopping his thumb off but quickly abandoned that train of thought. However ugly it was, it wasn¡¯t worth losing a thumb.


    ¡°You need to eat more mom,¡± Sara said softly as their mother pushed her plate forward, unfinished. She had not been eating very much since their father passed away last Christmas, almost eight months ago. In fact, she was hospitalized for the first three weeks because she wouldn¡¯t eat at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Sara.¡± She replied, picking up her coffee mug. James watched his mother¡¯s face soften as her eyes became cloudy and he exchanged a nervous glance with his sister. They could always tell when she was thinking of their father.


    ¡°What happened to your face James?¡± asked Sara once the silence had grown too long. He stared at her for a moment, confused, before he realized that he had cut it with the ring.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. I think I cut it in my sleep somehow,¡± James lied awkwardly. He was never a good liar and his sister always knew when he tried. However, she simple nodded again. She must not have cared enough to press him for the truth he thought. James cleared his plate and, once his sister had finished, grabbed theirs as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the dishes!¡± protested his mother. Standing, she tried to grab the stack from his hand, but he spun around her instead.


    ¡°You cooked. I¡¯ll clean.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± shouted Sara as she ran back to her room. His mother thanked him as well and kissed him on the cheek before leaving to get ready. She had errands to run today, which included dropping Sara off at the library.


    As he rinsed the dishes one by one and placed them in the dishwasher, he listened to the two of them shuffling around the house. Their home was small, and the walls were thin which meant that sound carried from room to room easily. He looked up and watched the dust float through the sunbeams breaking past the curtains before finishing the dishes. When he had, he grabbed a rag and proceeded to dust off the bookshelves in the living room. The windows did not seal properly so everything was covered in dust most of the time.


    Their living room was the biggest room in the house. They had a small leather couch and several bookshelves filled with countless books but no television. Their father was strictly against owning one and on the few occasions there was something he wanted to watch they would all go to a friend¡¯s house.


    ¡°Where is that book?¡± Sara shouted from her room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll grab it for you!¡± yelled James as he ran back to his own room. He ran past his sister¡¯s room, which was the first door on the left, and entered his which was the next door. The master bedroom, which belonged to their mother, was on the other side of the house. Once he had found the book, lying on the ground next to the nightstand he had set it on, he met his sister in the living room and handed it to her.


    ¡°Thanks again.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back by dinner,¡± said his mother as the two of them walked out the front door. ¡°Do you need me to pick up anything?¡± James thought about asking for a new thumb so he could cut off the ring but refrained.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Nothing I can think of,¡± he said smiling. She hugged him and he closed the door.


    The rest of the day passed without much else happening. James spent most of his time staring at the ring and wondering what exactly had happened to him. What worried him the most though, was what would happen next. He had a bad feeling about the whole situation however, that wasn¡¯t to say he was without gratitude. No matter how hard he tried to be angry or wish that the witch hadn¡¯t shown up, he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to commit to the feeling. He was happy to be alive, and he knew he had her to thank for it.


    ¡°Witch or not, she can¡¯t be too bad of a person since she saved me, right?¡± he asked aloud.


    When it came time for dinner, his mother and sister had still not returned.


    He tried to call their cellphones but neither of them answered. It was not unusual for them to run late so he fixed a sandwich for himself. His sister would often get caught up in a new book at the library and beg their mother to let her read it a bit longer before they checked out. This led to their mother picking up a book as well and the two of them would forget what time it was altogether as they drifted away in a sea of words. When the loss of their father became too much, the comfort of books became their escape. Afterall, their love of reading came from him.


    It wasn¡¯t until the next morning, when they were still missing, that he truly became worried. James called their phones again and again but each time he was sent straight to their voicemail. He was getting ready to go looking for them when someone knocked on his front door. Within a second he crossed the entire house to yank it open, praying that they were finally home safe. When he did so he was greeted by the town sheriff and his heart sank. A feeling he was growing all too used to lately.


    ¡°James.¡± The sheriff spoke softly.


    ¡°Y-yes sir?¡± James replied nervously. The sheriff looked around for a moment.


    ¡°May I come inside?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry actually. I need to go find my mother and sister. They¡¯ve been gone all night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid your mother and sister were in an accident last night.¡± The sheriff¡¯s face grew pale and James could tell he was fighting his own emotions. The sheriff was an old friend of his father¡¯s and even though he hadn¡¯t been around since his passing he was still as close as anyone could be to family.


    ¡°What¡­What happened?¡± he asked slowly.


    Time stood still as James listened to what the sheriff had to say. A drunk driver had hit them going almost one hundred miles an hour. As his mother and sister drove through a stoplight, the drunk ran a red light and slammed into the driver¡¯s side door, knocking them sideways. The car in the other lane didn¡¯t have time to stop and slammed into the passenger side door. His mother died instantly, but his sister apparently bled out while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. Aside from losing consciousness, the drunk was fine. The man who stole the last of his family away from him, was fine.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry James, if there is anything I can-¡± The sheriff was cut off as James closed the door between them. He couldn¡¯t understand what was happening in his life at all right now. He managed to cheat death, but his mother and sister weren¡¯t that lucky. His eyes filled with tears and his mind spun in circles. His heart somehow felt as if it would explode and deflate at the same time. He wanted to scream, to yell as loud as he could, but every time he tried to his throat would just close up or the energy would drain from his body.


    He balled his hands into fists and rocked back and forth on the ground for hours, maybe even days. He wasn¡¯t sure. He cried until his eyes dried out and it burned to close them. He choked on his screams until finally, after much effort, he managed to force them out. Once he had, he screamed until his lungs felt like they had torn apart and he passed out. Then when he woke, he would repeat the cycle.


    His first sane thought came days later, when he pulled himself to his feet for a glass of water. Once he had drank it, he realized how thirsty he really was and drank several more. Afterward he stumbled over to the couch and collapsed upon it.


    ¡°Who was it?¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°Who did it?¡±


    More and more he wanted to know who it was that took his family from him. His sorrow gave way to anger and as he stewed, his anger gave way to hatred. His blood began to boil, and his ears were hot to the touch. By chance, the ruby eyes of his new ring caught his attention. They seemed to resonate with his growing rage. As they stared back at him one thought became clear in his mind. Vengeance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make him pay.¡± James stood and went for the front door but stopped as soon as he touched the door handle. Realizing that he had no idea where to start, or what he would do if he did find the man, had drained him of his rage. In its place was¡­nothing. An empty space. He released his grip and placed his back against the door. After sliding down to the floor, he placed his head between his knees and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Sara¡­¡± he called out softly. ¡°Please come home. Please, just be alright. Please. Please! Please! ¡­ Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯m fine. Are you feeling okay?¡± asked his mother.


    James lifted his head immediately, his heart skipping into overdrive. He looked around for his mother, allowing a small light of hope into his chest, only to find that she wasn¡¯t there. What he did find, however, was the red-haired witch who was leaning against the wall smiling.


    ¡°No. NO! Don¡¯t you dare use her voice!¡± James shot to his feet and rushed toward her, reaching out his hands to grab her by the collar. She snapped her fingers and he froze.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t if I were you,¡± she warned in her usual threatening tone of voice. ¡°You know, I really had hoped you would open the door though.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use her voice!¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡±


    James¡¯ struggled to reach toward her once more but still could not move.


    ¡°Is that really all you can muster?¡± she said, in his sister¡¯s voice this time.


    The rage he had felt vanished instantly as tears flooded his eyes. He dropped his attempts to push forward and shifted his gaze to the floor.


    ¡°Please¡­ just don¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t take it¡­¡± The witch released her hold on him, and he fell to his knees.


    ¡°Was that not okay? I thought you would have loved to hear their voices again,¡± she said sarcastically. James was silent.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save us?¡± His mother¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Brother, help! It hurts so much!¡± His sister¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Stop! This isn¡¯t funny!¡± he cried out. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?!¡±


    James slammed his fists into the ground so hard that his knuckles cracked, and his skin tore open. He wanted to leave and go after the man who killed them, but he couldn''t bring himself to move.


    ¡°Get up. You¡¯re a man, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He looked up at her, tears falling from his eyes.


    ¡°If you want to do something about it, then get up.¡± Her voice was firm, but no longer mocking.


    ¡°What can I do?¡± James dropped his gaze once again. ¡°If I find him, I¡¯ll kill him. If I kill him, they¡¯ll arrest me. If they don¡¯t then they¡¯ll shoot me. Either way my life is over.¡± James dropped his head to the floor and grabbed a handful of hair in each hand. ¡°My life is already over!¡± he cried into the carpet. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do!¡±


    ¡°Get up. Let¡¯s go,¡± she commanded, materializing her broom just as she had the last time. ¡°I have something to show you.¡±


    She pulled him to his feet and pointed to her broom.


    ¡°Get on.¡±


    James swallowed his spit as he prepared to object but changed his mind as their eyes met. Somehow, he felt as if his terrible life would be much worse if he disobeyed her right now. Reluctantly, he climbed behind her on the broom. Without warning they shot forward, bursting through his living room window. With all his strength he gripped her waist and pressed his head against her back. The last thing he saw before clamping his eyes shut, was his broken window slowly repairing itself as the world rapidly shrunk beneath his dangling feet.

 Jailbreak

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± James yelled over the wind rushing past his ears.


    She did not answer. As they flew, he watched the town shift quickly beneath them. From where they were, he could see more land than he¡¯d ever seen in his life. If the situation hadn¡¯t been what it was, it may even have been a beautiful sight.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Looking down, James could just barely make out the buildings below. They all looked the same, however, and he was unable to determine their exact location.


    ¡°The police station.¡± She turned her head to look at James who was even more confused than before. ¡°You¡¯ll find him in there. He¡¯ll be the only one.¡±


    ¡°Why did you bring me here?!¡± He shouted once he realized who she was referring to. ¡°What am I supposed to do, jump down there and tear through the building until I find and kill him? I won¡¯t even survive the fall!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    He hoped she was joking but found no trace of humor in her expression. James looked down once more, gauging the distance from them to the building. No matter how he looked at it he was certain he would die on impact, or shortly after. She cut him off before he could speak again.


    ¡°Use the ring.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± James was not only confused at this point, but angry. Angry that she had brought him here, and that she wasn¡¯t making any sense. His life wasn¡¯t something she could toy with. As he looked into the ruby eyes of his ring, he felt a sudden push followed by the sensation of falling. He whipped his head around to see the broom steadily growing further away from him.


    ¡°What does that even mean?!¡± James spun his head towards the ground and panicked at the speed it was approaching him. Convinced that he was going to die, his mind began to play his life in reverse. The witch abducting him and shoving him to his death. How she burned the corpses of wolves into his body and fused this hideous ring to his thumb. Everything came rushing to the forefront, smashing against each other as they competed for his attention. Fear, anger, excitement, confusion, worry, sorrow, and countless more emotions swirled within him as he fell. Until one thought overtook the rest and rooted itself firmly in his heart. He was falling straight towards the one man in the world that he could never forgive. The one man in the world that he wanted to kill. Acting as a conduit for all of his pent-up rage, his one desire to repay this man for killing the last of his family grew explosively.


    Just as it seemed he was reaching his boiling point he noticed a strange feeling coming from the back of his mind. It was as if his rage itself was being sucked out. Following the sensation through his body he discovered that it was being funneled toward his ring.


    ¡°Use the ring or you¡¯ll die!¡± The witch yelled after him. Her words brought his attention back to the buildings below and he gasped. He had only a matter of seconds left before his death.


    ¡°If you want my rage, you can take it! Just help me out!¡± James closed his eyes and concentrated on the previous feeling, this time trying to force it along. With all of his mental strength he focused on that connection. As the ring continued to drain him of his rage, his body began to burn hotter and hotter until he was certain he would burst into flames. He tried to scream as his vision went white to the sound of a very loud snap. Had he not retained a sense of falling he would have sworn he hit the ground. Unfortunately, this was only the first of many. James¡¯ bones began to snap one by one as they rearranged themselves. Some were growing much larger and longer, while others would shrink or disappear altogether. Occasionally a bone would snap out of his body, ripping his flesh apart as easily as cooked fish. When that happened, he became intensely itchy, feeling as though his skin was slithering across his muscles before stopping in strange places. It was so painful that his mind froze for a moment, completely blank.


    When he recovered, it was too late. James slammed into the roof of the police station, broke through the second story floor, and crashed into the ground beneath. The force of his impact shattered several desks and sent slivers of wood shooting into the walls.


    Dazed, he opened his eyes to the sight of papers floating gently to the floor around him. When he stood up everything became clear, too clear. His vision had never been this good before. Counting the individual specs of dust in the air would have been easy now, as well as reading the papers as they fell. James sucked in a breath through his nose and was shocked to realize that his sense of smell had increased as well. The smell of wood was abundant, but underneath he could make out several types of food intermingled with coffee. Somehow, he could even tell how long they had been there. Then, even further buried, he caught the sense of a man¡¯s sweat. The smell of fear and panic saturated his nose as he focused on it. James tilted his head, listening to the man¡¯s pounding heart. Aside from his own, this man¡¯s heartbeat was the only one in the building. Looking up toward the hole he had created, James wondered where she had taken everyone and just how far he had fallen. Even with his enhanced eyesight though he could not clearly spot the witch. It was a miracle that he had survived, although the pain he felt had him wondering if he might be a ghost instead. He lifted his hand before his eyes to inspect the ring and let out a surprised yelp.


    Terrified, he continued to turn his hand over in front of his face. Thick brown fur covered the length of his arm, which was now at least ten inches longer. Where his fingernails had been, he found long black claws. As he examined his body further, he noticed that every bit of him had changed. Taller, thicker, furrier.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°What am I?¡± he asked himself aloud. His eyes widened at the sound of his own voice, now much different than before. The way he sounded now was too feral, too evil, for his liking. His head then erupted with a sudden pain. James let out a wolf-like howl of agony and the pain was replaced with rage. This rage was so strong, so unrelenting, that it blocked out any rational thought. His only desire became the man in the building. Ignoring doors entirely he chose to bust through walls one after another as he closed in on the sound of a beating heart. His hunt would be short however, as his prey had no way of escaping.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± The man screamed and backed into the furthest corner he could. James paused to let out a vicious roar, sending saliva spraying into the air. In response, the man in the cell pissed himself.


    James ripped the cell door off and sent it flying through the hole he had just made upon entering.


    ¡°S-Stay back! Get away from me!¡± The man was kicking his legs frantically as he clawed at the corner, ripping his nails off in the process. As James approached, the man raised his arm to shield himself while begging god to save him. This only angered James more as memories of his family danced in his mind.


    ¡°Why should you be saved?¡± he growled in his savage new voice. The man¡¯s eyes widened to a point they might have popped out of their sockets. Without waiting for a response, James lunged forward and ripped his arm clean off. The man let out a scream of pain unlike any other he had heard before, but it only lasted a second. He was quickly silenced as James¡¯ huge maw closed around his throat. He shook his head and ripped the man open before swallowing the large chunk of meat within his mouth. Flesh peeled from bone, blood splattered against walls, continuing until there was nothing left. His fur dyed red, dripping blood and small chunks, he once again let out an angry roar. A tormented howl of rage and sorrow that drew out every bit of his breath before stopping. Without a target to express his rage upon he sped back to his landing site and jumped straight through the holes until he landed on the rooftop.


    ¡°Happy?¡± the witch asked, hovering above him.


    Consumed by his rage, James could only focus on the sounds of people in the streets below him. Moving to the edge of the roof, James crouched and prepared to continue his hunt. The witch realized that he was no longer in control but before she could stop him, he flung himself to the next building. The air rushed through his ears and fur as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, flinging bodily residue everywhere. Although he was moving quickly, he was able to minimize the sounds he made. It wouldn¡¯t do to have his prey notice him as he closed in.


    ¡°Revert!¡± the witch yelled as she whipped her broom in front of him. James leaped into the air and swiped at her, yet he missed. She flew higher up, anger flickering in her eyes.


    James landed and changed direction, crossing a street in one jump. He was following the particularly enticing scent of a lone woman several blocks away. It took only a few moments for him to close the distance and land silently behind the woman. Without noticing his presence, the woman continued walking. He attempted to reach out for her with both sets of claws and found himself frozen in place. Once the woman had turned a corner, leaving him alone in the street, the witch called out to him.


    ¡°Revert!¡± A sharp pain jabbed at the back of his mind. James struggled against his invisible bonds, forcing his body to move inch by inch as he turned to face her. Without blinking, the witch repeated herself.


    ¡°Revert.¡± Again, the sharp pains jabbed at him. Angry and annoyed, he pushed his way toward her.


    ¡°If that won¡¯t work, I¡¯ll have to try something else.¡± The witch smiled and snapped her fingers. Immediately the sharp pain that had been jabbing his mind rushed through his entire body. Pain overcame his senses and caused him to lash out randomly. Had she not been restraining him he would have ripped her open.


    ¡°Now, revert!¡± The already intense pain doubled and threatened to force him unconscious. James roared in pain, as close to her as he possibly could, and lurched forward just enough to startle her. In that moment her grasp on him weakened and he swung at her. Reflexively, the witch knocked his arms away and sent him flying down the street before he could attack again. When he recovered, James chose to flee. Allowing instincts to guide him so he could focus on speed, he took off into the night.


    It did not take long for the blur of buildings and screaming people to fade into trees and silence. Of course, the sounds of the forest were present but compared to those of the city it was much gentler on his newly increased hearing. The soft earth beneath his pads comforted him as he ran. At one point he dove into the river and emerged a few hundred feet upstream, completely cleaned of his previous gore.


    After running for several more miles James found himself standing before a mid-sized hole at the base of a tree. Mentally exhausted and still running on instinct, he crawled into the opening hoping for a place to rest. As his eyes adjusted to the darker environment, he realized that it was an animal¡¯s den. At least, that is what it once was. Clearly it had not been lived in recently as the once worn floor had become rough again. Deciding it was safe enough, James curled into a ball of fur and allowed himself to fall asleep.


    As he slept, images of everything that had happened in the last two weeks replayed in his mind. Over and over, the scenes danced before him. His body twitched aggressively as the night he should have died came back to him. The ones that shoved him into the river in the first place. Their faces were ingrained in his memory, laughing as he was carried away. As he sank in the water his vision shifted and he found himself calling out to Sara and his mother who were walking out his front door. James cried and begged for them to turn around, and stay with him, but they ignored him. They disappeared as the door closed and his vision shifted once more. This time he found himself standing face to face with the monster that he had become. His heart raced as he realized what he had become, and fear pumped through his veins. He backed away shaking his head, telling himself it wasn¡¯t real, and the monster lunged forward. James let out a terrified scream as it caught him by the wrist and yanked him forward, nearly dislocating his shoulder. He tried to turn and free his arm so that he could run but it was useless. Nothing he did managed to loosen the monster¡¯s grip at all. Growling now, the monster snatched his other wrist and held him close so that their faces met once more. James strained his neck to lean as far back as he could to avoid the monster¡¯s hot breath that was suffocating him.


    ¡°What do you want?!¡±


    The monster grinned, opened its mouth, and placed its jaws over James¡¯ head. Slowly, it began to bite down. James screamed in pain and fought as hard as he could, snapping his left wrist in the process, but was still unable to free himself. Just as the pain was becoming unbearable, there was a loud cracking sound. James¡¯ body went limp, his vision faded and everything went black.

 Moving Day

    ¡°Ouch!¡± James yelled as his head slammed something hard. An image of the monster had flashed before his eyes as he woke sending a wave of panic through his body. He had shot upright and slammed the top of his head into the low ceiling of the wolves¡¯ den.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± he mumbled as he crawled out of the only opening he could find. Thankfully it was large enough that he did not have to struggle much. Looking around he realized that he was back in the forest, although quite deeper than he¡¯d ever been before. Once he was able to stand, he turned around and glanced back toward the hole he¡¯d slept in. Immediately his brain was wracked with overlapping images from the night before, when he had first found this place. Pain throbbed violently as more and more memories came back to him until the final one knocked the wind out of his chest. The part where he ate another human being.


    ¡°No. No no, this can¡¯t be real!¡± Nausea began to build quickly as he recalled every detail. The feel of the warm blood oozing through his mouth and the firmness of the man¡¯s flesh as it slid down his throat. He was going to be sick. James doubled over, leaned against the tree, and puked. It lasted for several minutes, and only continued longer every time he looked at what he was puking. Hair, bone fragments, and even a few teeth. When he finally stopped, he fell onto his back and lay staring at the sky. The world was spinning too much for him to remain standing.


    ¡°I really¡­ I really ate him. I ate another human being.¡± Hearing it out loud made his nausea return so he sucked in a deep breath and tried his best to fight it off. A useless endeavor as he found himself puking again a few seconds later.


    ¡°I have to get home.¡± He told himself as he shakily rose to his feet. Although he had never been this far into the woods, he knew that his town was south of the forest and used the rising sun to aid in his navigation. Even without getting lost, it still took him four hours to travel all the way back. Perhaps due to his legs barely cooperating with him or his energy being in the negative after using it all to expel the contents of his stomach. Whatever the reason, by the time he found his way home he was incredibly exhausted.


    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±


    James heart sank as he reflexively called out upon walking through the front door. A habit that he would no longer find comfort in, as there was no one to answer him back. Which is why it unsettled him so much when his mother¡¯s voice came echoing from his room.


    ¡°Welcome home honey!¡± Joy burst forth in his mind for half a second, followed by confusion and then in an instant, understanding. She was here. His anger flared as he slammed the door behind him and walked as quickly as he could manage toward his room.


    ¡°I told you to stop doing that!¡± As he rounded the corner, he found her sitting on his bed with her arms up behind her head.


    ¡°Oh, right. I forgot that you lack a sense of humor.¡± Her mocking grin twisted her face and her hair seemed to brighten.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t funny.¡±


    She was silent for a moment. Then she dropped her arms and her smile, replacing it with a cold and serious expression.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    The silence returned and neither one moved for several minutes. James angrily stared into her icy blue eyes as he attempted to organize the hundreds of thoughts rushing through his mind. After a great deal of effort, he managed to ask the one question that was weighing heaviest on his mind.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡±


    ¡°I saved you.¡± Her answer was immediate, almost as if she knew the question he was going to ask before he knew it himself.


    ¡°You turned me into a monster!¡± He pointed toward the ring as he held out his hand. ¡°How can you call that saving me?!¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t dead, are you?¡± Again, her answer came without pause, delivered in a tone so matter of fact that James almost took a step backward in shock. As he stood there, mouth agape, she lowered herself to the ground and placed her back against his bed. Once she had settled with her arms around her legs and her chin on her knees, she asked ¡°Do you feel better about their deaths now that you¡¯ve killed the man responsible?¡±


    ¡°Killed him? No no no. I ATE HIM! You turned me into a monster, and I ATE that man!¡± James grew more and more angry as he raved. ¡°Why on earth would that make me feel better?! What kind of sick, disgusting, horrible person would feel BETTER about this situation?! If anything, I would say that I feel worse! Which is YOUR fault!¡± His ears grew hotter and his face flushed red as he yelled, releasing his rage through his voice as he went. In his mind, she had become the sole cause of his suffering. If he had the power to do so he would rip her apart as well and be done with her forever.


    ¡°Careful.¡± She warned playfully as she looked up at him. ¡°You might change again.¡± She pointed to the ring and grinned provoking James to glance down. The eyes on the ring had begun to emit a red glow. ¡°It feeds on your anger, remember?¡±


    Several images of the monster from his dream flashed before his eyes, accompanied by the sensation of tearing the man apart. His stomach lurched again, and a slight fear creeped into his heart. He took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and cleared his mind as well as he could before releasing it. As he did so he noticed a significant portion of his tension fade away. She laughed.


    ¡°Good boy.¡± Her sense of humor really is the worst, he thought.


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    ¡°You wanted him dead, did you not?¡± She asked after another moment of silence had gone on too long. James ran his fingers through his hair and let out a breath through pursed lips.


    ¡°No one deserves¡­ That wasn¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± He was at a loss for words. On one hand, he wanted to make the man pay for what he did to his family. On the other hand, he could not even begin to imagine what crime would befit a death like that. His heart was fluctuating wildly without any sign of stopping. How he felt was as big a mystery to him as it was to anyone else. ¡°I just need some time to think.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You will have plenty of time to think when we get there.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± James asked confused as he watched her stand up.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving with me.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± His legs shook as he got to his feet, using the wall for support. ¡°This is my home. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember giving you a choice.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you afraid your friends will miss you too much? Or maybe you want to turn yourself in for what you did to that man? Hm? Well, which is it?¡± She had slowly gotten closer to him and was now standing an arm¡¯s length away.


    ¡°I have to bury them.¡± Her eyes softened for just a moment before returning to their usual cold demeanor. It happened so fast that he thought he imagined it.


    ¡°If you stay here, they won¡¯t be the only ones needing graves. You¡¯ll be burying half the town before you can even say the word monster.¡± She paused, before continuing. ¡°If there¡¯s even enough left to bury after you¡¯re finished with them that is.¡± James opened his mouth to protest but could not find the words. Realizing that she was right, he hung his head in defeat.


    ¡°Fine.¡± James pulled open his closet door and grabbed a large empty backpack. Unsure of what he would really need, he decided to stick with what he found most important. A few family photos, an armful of books, and a week¡¯s worth of clothes. A numbing sensation crept over him at the sight of his whole life sitting in one backpack.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Almost.¡± James walked into his sister¡¯s room and looked around until he found her jewelry box. Inside it he found the cross necklace that his father had given her before he passed away. He grabbed it and placed it around his neck as he walked out of her room.


    ¡°I would hide that if I were you.¡± He ignored her advice and kept it out so that he could readily touch it. ¡°Alright then, it¡¯s your funeral.¡± She laughed. ¡°Or should I say, your family reunion.¡± James shot her a dirty look but said nothing. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± He asked once they had reached his front yard. Without answering his question, the witch summoned her broom and pointed. The last time he got on her broom James was thrown off it, almost died, devoured another human being, and ran off into the forest. He couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious about climbing onto it again, so he stared at it and remained where he was.


    ¡°I won¡¯t shove you off this time.¡± The witch rolled her eyes and tried to hide her amused expression. With great effort he strode forward and sat behind her on the broom, his arms around her waist. She was smaller than he expected, not that he had given it much thought in the first place. After a moment of consideration, he decided that her baggy shirt had been the cause of his surprise. Once he had secured his position, she pushed off the ground and shot into the air. Wind rushed past his face once more and his stomach slammed into his heart as they took off.


    ¡°Are you sure this is safe?¡± The ground was disappearing faster than it had the last time they flew together which unsettled him further. If he fell this time not even the ring could save him, he thought. The witch shrugged.


    ¡°It¡¯s like riding a bicycle really.¡± Although he couldn¡¯t see the sarcastic grin on her face, he knew it was there. Glancing down, James noticed there were people walking about the streets. Unlike the last time, it was currently sunny outside.


    ¡°Can they see us?¡± She shook her head. More magic, he assumed.


    Several hours went by as they spent the morning flying over one town after another. The buildings were all so similar that he found it hard to keep track of where they were at any given time and eventually, he gave up entirely. They had flown so far in such a short amount of time that he figured they were in an area he had never visited before by now. Without interest in the on-goings of the earth beneath him that left only two things for him to stare at. The sky above him and around him, or the back of her head. Even then, he couldn¡¯t really look up as the sun was directly above them now and he would only succeed in burning himself blind. With that in mind, he kept his gaze firmly fixed to the witch¡¯s flowing red hair. In the sunlight it was more of a brilliant red than the almost blood red it had been the night before. He was amazed with how long it was, perhaps the longest hair he had ever seen on a woman before. It fell well past her shoulders and landed somewhere around her lower back. It was hard to tell exactly as the wind kept flipping it around and at times up into his face.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± James asked as it occurred to him that she had never properly introduced herself.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean. I can¡¯t just call you ¡®Witch¡¯ forever.¡± She was silent for a moment before she answered.


    ¡°It¡¯s Red.¡±


    ¡°Red?¡± he asked surprised. ¡°What kind of a name is that?¡±


    ¡°A perfectly good name, that¡¯s what!¡± she shouted sourly. James smiled to himself, happy that he had given her a little payback.


    ¡°I¡¯m James.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He was curious how she knew already but decided it didn¡¯t matter. Of all the things that had happened in the short time since he had met her, this was the least surprising.


    The two of them fell back into silence as they flew through the afternoon. James found his eyes wondering over the landscape with increasing appreciation as the towns slowly faded into forests. The endless sea of treesrolled in the wind, creating waves of leaves that reminded him of the oceans he had seen in movies. Since they were so far inland, he had never actually gotten a chance to visit the beach or swim in the ocean. In fact, the biggest body of water he had ever seen was a medium sized lake when he was a child. If the vast expanse of greenery below him was an ocean, then that lake was a swimming pool. Above them now were dozens of storm clouds, creeping together as they too followed the wind. It was a symphony of nature and the wind was its orchestrator.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± James opened his eyes to find that he had been leaning his head against her back after falling asleep. Embarrassed, he quickly sat up and turned his head to inspect their surroundings. The land hadn¡¯t changed much since the towns disappeared, but they were significantly closer to the ground now. Red was lowering them steadily as she inspected the forest. When she located a small clearing, she brought them down to land. Without warning the broom disappeared, causing James to fall the last five feet where he landed on his backside. Laughter filled the air as she gently landed on her feet next to him.


    ¡°You did that on purpose.¡± He said, allowing his frustration to seep into his voice. She continued laughing and helped him to his feet.


    ¡°Follow me.¡± She started walking toward the wood line as he stood there wiping dirt and grass off his clothes. When he had finished, he placed his bag which had fallen off with the impact over his shoulder and jogged after her. Upon reaching the first row of trees, James noticed that the air felt physically heavier and it took considerable effort for him to continue forward. Just when he was going to stop and protest the resistance broke and he stumbled forward. He opened his mouth to ask what it was and found another wall of air pressing into his face. This one was even more difficult to pass through. Sweat broke out over his entire body and he grew agitated as he watched Red walk through without any effort at all. Any emotion he was feeling the moment he passed through the second wall vanished as soon as he saw it.


    ¡°C-Castle¡­ But I didn¡¯t¡­ I mean how could this¡­¡± James found himself standing before a vastly different scene than he had viewed from the sky. There was no castle in the forest as they landed, nor was there a clearing anywhere near big enough to fit one. Yet several hundred feet away from him sat a castle so large you could fit an entire town inside it and still have room for more. Red placed one hand on his back and brushed the other over the landscape.


    ¡°Welcome home, James.¡±

 An Unwelcome Guest in a New Home

    Even from this distance, hundreds of feet away, the castle loomed over them in the sky. From what he could see it was composed of five large towers connected in the center by a sixth, much larger, tower. A thick stone wall surrounded the castle on all sides, with only one way in or out that he could find. It was a massive gatehouse that stood double the height of the walls which left it at just over half the height of the castle¡¯s towers. A stone path extended from the gate and made its way down nearly the whole distance, stopping just inches before their feet. Along the sides of the path James spotted countless stone pillars about as thick as his arm, with large lanterns standing atop. They stood in its shadow, staring at it in silence for a moment before Red began walking toward the gatehouse. After taking another second to admire it himself, James followed her.


    While they walked James continued to turn his head in every direction, taking in as much of their surroundings as he could. Closer to the gatehouse, trees and hedges began to line the pathway. The hedges were trimmed into a waist-high wall of leaves, and the trees were all perfectly spherical. It was eerie how well kept the grounds seemed to be, with not a single leaf on the path. When they had finally reached the massive building, he had to crane his neck to see the top of it. Now that they were within a few feet of the stone, James could see all sorts of lines carved into it. His mind shot back to the night Red had found him, and he thought of the wall of stone in the forest that was falling apart. The lines on the gatehouse were almost identical to those that he saw that night.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak.¡± Red shot him an unexpected warning as he opened his mouth to ask about the carvings. Turning to face her he found that her eyes were cold and serious, so he simply nodded his head.


    ¡°Red!¡± A man shouted from above them, causing Red to wave her arm in response.


    ¡°Open the gate Markus!¡±


    There was no response. After a few minutes had passed, the gate lurched upward and gradually began to rise. It creeped slowly, groaning and resisting as much as possible, until it stopped just high enough for them to walk through. James could not imagine the amount of strength it would take to lift such a monstrosity. The five-inch-thick bars were solid iron and stretched at least ten feet which was the full width of the opening. As soon as they were on the other side it slammed down behind them causing him to flinch and jump away from it. Just as he was recovering from the shock, the man who had let them in landed on the ground next to him causing James to yet again flinch and back away.


    ¡°Red!¡± The man smiled as he approached her, stopping only when he noticed James standing there. ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°No one.¡± She answered quickly. ¡°I have something I need to do. Will you be here all day?¡± The man, who Red had called Markus, shot an untrusting glance toward James before answering.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later then.¡±


    Markus nodded, and eyed James once more before stepping out from under the gatehouse. After a moment he bent down and launched himself into the air, disappearing from their line of sight. A second later James heard him land atop the massive structure and he let his mouth hang open. Pointing his finger into the air above him he turned to Red who just nodded her head in response.


    ¡°Quickly.¡± Red waved her arm and James followed her. There were people all over the grounds behind the walls, laughing as they went about their daily routines. Children were running around screaming, crying, and chasing both dogs and cats. They all seemed to be happy, except for the cats who just wanted to bask in the sunlight peacefully. Everything around him looked so peaceful, but for some reason James felt a sickening sense of danger surrounding him. He followed Red through the grounds and into a small door on the side of one of the five outer towers. Inside they took a winding staircase that led down for what seemed like fifteen minutes before finally coming to another door. She pushed it open and they found themselves standing in another room, completely filled with doorways.


    ¡°Most doors will lead to a place like this, called a gateway, at least once.¡± As she spoke, they entered one of the doors and found yet another gateway. ¡°Some will do it multiple times.¡±


    The third door they opened however, was not a gateway. Instead James found himself in a windowless bedroom that was almost completely bare. The only furniture was a bed, a nightstand, and a large wardrobe. They were all made of a dark glossy wood, with accents of green. It resembled an old tree covered in moss that was carved into furniture and covered with a thin layer of glass. In the corner of the room was a fireplace, already burning.


    ¡°You can talk now.¡±


    ¡°Where are we?¡± The sense of danger had made him anxious, and seeing this room only served to worry him more.


    ¡°This will be your room for now.¡± His stomach fell as Red confirmed his suspicion. This was the place she was going to lock him up in. She walked over to the wardrobe and threw it open, revealing an assortment of clothing for him to wear.


    ¡°How long am I going to be stuck here?¡± She ignored him.


    ¡°The fire never dies so you will always be warm, and there will always be light.¡±


    ¡°How long, Red?¡± She sighed and turned to face him. The light of the fire turned her hair a rich orange color.


    ¡°I do not know. I have to consult them first.¡±


    ¡°Them?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out eventually.¡± She turned and walked toward the door. ¡°I will bring you food. In the meantime, the bathroom is over there.¡± She pointed to a small door next to the wardrobe that he hadn¡¯t noticed yet.


    ¡°Red, you can¡¯t just-¡± The door slammed behind her as she left. ¡°¡­leave me here.¡± Frustrated he ran over to the door and yanked on the handle. Nothing happened. The door was locked so tightly that he might as well have been pulling on the wall. With a sigh he gave up on following her and turned his attention to his new room.


    The first thing he decided to do was inspect the bathroom. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see that it was nothing like the room he was in. The bathroom was well lit, as if it received actual sunlight, and it seemed much cleaner. The floor was tile, and there was a small padded mat beneath the sink. Mounted above the sink was a mirror which opened to a cabinet full of soap, toilet paper, and shaving razors. He closed the cabinet and looked into the mirror. His face was more unkempt than he expected, shadowed by the deep bags under his eyes which had gone from green to a dark grey. Overall, he felt dirty and since he could not recall the last time he showered he decided to take one now. There were no settings for the water temperature other than two buttons on the wall which were labelled on and off. When he had undressed and turned the water on, he found it to be the perfect temperature. Even after showering for half an hour, the water never changed. It continuously poured down on him from a spout in the ceiling, like hot rain from a never-ending storm.


    Upon finishing he found a stack of towels under the sink and grabbed one to dry off. It was large enough to use as a blanket, and just as soft. Looking into the mirror, which had not fogged up in the slightest, he ran his fingers through his hair. As he was considering its length, an image of the monster flashed over his own reflection accompanied by a burst of pain in his head. He cried out and staggered for a moment, using the sink to steady himself before he fell.


    ¡°At least leave me alone when I¡¯m awake you bastard.¡± James walked out of the bathroom and began digging through the clothes in the wardrobe. When he found something that suited his taste, he pulled it on and moved over to the bed. If his head had not been throbbing, he might have found the bed to be incredibly comfortable. With his head on the pillow he looked up at the ceiling and wondered who had built this castle and when. Where was he, what was happening to him, and how long would he be locked in this room. Opening his eyes, he found a tray of food on the nightstand and realized that he had fallen asleep at some point. Although she was long gone, he still thanked Red.


    The next few days came and went with the same basic routine. Red refused to answer any of his questions until she had spoken with whoever she needed to speak to. James grew more and more worried about his situation and the nightmares continued to haunt his sleep. Every night it was the same. He would watch the monster devour him just moments after his family left him alone. It became so bad that he avoided the mirror entirely. If he had looked, the only thing he would have noticed were the deepening bags under his eyes.


    James watched as Red delivered yet another tray of food. Her eyes narrowed when she found that he had not touched the last one.


    ¡°You need to eat James.¡± She almost sounded worried. Almost.


    ¡°It¡¯s ironic isn¡¯t it?¡± James spoke to her, but he turned his head to the fire. ¡°We used to tell my mother the same thing. Now I can barely eat as much as she did then.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you do not eat.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He looked at his hands, as he often did these days. ¡°It¡¯s the same every night now. My family leaves for good, and then he eats me. Then I eat me.¡± Red shifted uncomfortably, her face barely hiding her concern.


    ¡°They are only dreams.¡±


    ¡°I wake up to the sound of my own skull cracking open.¡± At this, Red¡¯s eyes widened slightly before she turned around to leave.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let dreams be the death of you.¡± As she closed the door behind her James wondered how many times he had seen her leave now. Without windows, he could not even tell how many days it had been. Was it morning, or evening?


    ¡°Just dreams huh.¡± He drank the water but continued to ignore the food. Even if he was hungry, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to eat. With his eyes closed he listened to the fire pop next to his bed, trying to forget the images that danced in his mind. When his door suddenly slammed open he shot up and looked over only to see Markus standing there. Blood was dripping from his hands and face which bore a giddy smile. He laughed as he walked forward.


    ¡°Found you.¡±


    James managed to leap backward in time to dodge Markus who had lunged forward. Seeing the open door, he tried to run for it but Markus caught him by the throat and shoved him against the wall.


    ¡°Ahck!¡± He screamed in pain and wedged his feet between them in an attempt to kick Markus off. It worked and Markus was sent flying into the bed. Without giving him a moment to recover James lunged forward. Just as he reached Markus all of his energy left his body, a side effect of not eating properly. Laughing still, Markus returned the favor and kicked James into the wall he had previously been held against. The instant James hit the wall, Markus appeared before him and gripped his throat once more.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Markus!¡± It was Red. ¡°Do you want to kill yourself you idiot?!¡± Confused, Markus froze and glanced back at Red.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Opening his mouth wide enough that James caught sight of his very large fangs, Markus continued. ¡°I was just about to enjoy some of his blood. You don¡¯t mind sharing your toys with me, right?¡± She sighed, clearly irritated, and closed the door behind her.


    ¡°He is not human.¡± Dumbstruck, Markus looked to Red, then to James, and back again. His eyes narrowed and he gripped James tighter.


    ¡°What did you do, Red?¡± Before she could answer he grabbed hold of James right arm and held it up. His eyes locked onto the ring immediately and James thought he saw a flash of sadness. If he had, it was only for a moment as it was quickly replaced with anger.


    ¡°I saved his life, Markus.¡±


    ¡°Hah! You can¡¯t be serious Red!¡± Markus threw James to the ground and turned to face her. ¡°Surely you haven¡¯t forgotten what happened with the last one!¡± A pained expression broke over Red¡¯s face as she turned away. James¡¯ heart leapt into his throat.


    ¡°I had no choice. He was going to die.¡±


    ¡°Right. How lucky he must be then that you just happened to be there at the right time.¡± Red turned back to face him, her eyes like frozen knives.


    ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    ¡°I think you know.¡± The two of them stared at each other angrily, neither one breaking the silence. James slowly picked himself up from the ground and turned his gaze to Red.


    ¡°Red, what-¡± He stopped mid-sentence as she directed her glare toward him.


    ¡°He should know. If you won¡¯t tell him, then I will.¡± Red¡¯s eyes flicked back to Markus and he flinched. Her deep red hair had begun to brighten, almost as if it was glowing, and float up off her shoulders.


    ¡°This does not concern you Markus. They are allowing him to stay here so I suggest you drop it.¡± After taking a step back he glanced sideways at James with a worried expression. Whether Markus was worried about him, or himself, James could not tell. He assumed it was the latter, as he was going to eat him not five minutes ago.


    ¡°Fine. Do whatever you want.¡± As he left the room Red slammed the door behind him and turned to James.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Her voice had softened, and he felt like she genuinely cared. James thought about her question for a moment before answering and suddenly found himself very angry.


    ¡°No. No I am not okay!¡± His anger, along with all the tension he had built up in this windowless prison, boiled over and flowed out of his mouth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep! I can¡¯t eat! I can¡¯t even look at a damn mirror! Your friend just tried to eat me you know!¡± His eyes welled up with tears of frustration as he continued.


    ¡°My life has completely imploded in the last two weeks, all because of you!¡± Red turned her face away as he directed his anger at her.


    ¡°Would you at least look at me Red?!¡± When she did not, he continued.


    ¡°Red! Look at me! What kind of monster did you turn me into?! Am I not the first one you¡¯ve done this to?! Answer me Red!¡± He had been slowly approaching her until he was within arm¡¯s reach at which point he grabbed her shoulders with both hands.


    ¡°Damnit witch! You owe me answers!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Red shouted and sent James sliding back several feet until he bumped into the bed. The air around him had grown hot all of a sudden and Red¡¯s hair was flying wildly as if there had been a strong wind. She sucked in a deep breath and held it for a moment before letting it out. As she did so her hair darkened to its normal deep red and it fell back to her shoulders.


    ¡°Enough, James.¡± She looked over at him and he noticed a tear rolling down her cheek. He wanted to feel bad for his actions, but his anger would not let him. She owed him answers and he was going to make sure he got them out of her.


    ¡°I need answers, Red.¡±


    ¡°Sit.¡± Red pulled two chairs out of thin air and slid one in his direction before she carried her own to the fireplace. Once James had placed his chair next to hers, they both sat down.


    ¡°I was waiting to speak with the council before I told you anything.¡± She waved her hand toward the fire and a spark jumped out and began dancing between her fingers.


    ¡°The council?¡±


    ¡°They make all the decisions here.¡± James nodded.


    ¡°What did they say?¡±


    ¡°They are going to let you stay, but they are not happy with me.¡± She faced James, with his serious eyes, and studied his jagged face. Around his neck he bore a hand-shaped bruise. Turning back to the fire she continued.


    ¡°The night that I found you in the forest, you would have definitely died.¡± James swallowed and nodded his head. ¡°Instead it was the wolves that paid the ultimate price. In order to save you I dematerialized them all and fused them with your own body.¡± To this James shifted uncomfortably in his chair. For some reason his body began to itch all over. Unable to contain himself he blurted out the one question he wanted answered the most.


    ¡°What am I?¡± Red waved her hand once more and sent the spark back into the fire. Without stopping she continued to wave her hand this way and that. James watched with increasing curiosity as the flames grew together and slowly took shape. When she had finished, he found himself staring at a small flaming version of the monster he had become.  The very one that haunted his sleep every night.


    ¡°You are a werewolf James.¡± His heart lurched as his fears were confirmed. Just to be sure though, he asked again.


    ¡°I¡¯m a what?¡±


    ¡°A werewolf.¡± She sighed. ¡°Or at least you would be if not for the ring I gave you.¡± James grimaced and stared into its ruby eyes as he held it up.


    ¡°Gave me, huh? More like forced onto me forever.¡±


    ¡°Without the ring, you would have never been able to change back. The first full moon would have left you a wolfman for the rest of your life.¡± James lowered his hand and looked back to the monster in the fire.


    ¡°That thing¡­ forever.¡± He frowned. ¡°No thank you.¡±


    ¡°I suppose instead of being a werewolf, it would be more accurate to say that you possess werewolf transformation magic.¡±


    ¡°Magic?¡± Red nodded.


    ¡°If you learn to control it better, then eventually you should be able to fully control not just your transformation but how much of you is transformed in the process.¡±


    ¡°As in, I could change an arm or a leg by itself?¡± Again, Red nodded.


    ¡°Or a finger or even your sense of smell alone.¡± She paused for a moment, considering the possibilities. ¡°I can¡¯t honestly say since you are the first one to make it this far.¡± James flinched as he remembered Markus¡¯ words.


    ¡°What number am I?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Red turned her head, a confused look on her face.


    ¡°How many others have you done this to?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± She turned back to the fire, but not before James noticed the pain his question had caused her.


    ¡°How many Red?¡±


    ¡°You are the third.¡±


    ¡°Third?! What happened to the other two?!¡± His frustration and worry began to escalate once more. If they had both died, then how long did he have left?


    ¡°The first one died immediately.¡± James flinched again but then relaxed a little. He had made it farther than the first one at least.


    ¡°And the second?¡±


    ¡°The pain of her first transformation nearly broke her. When I tried to change her back, she¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡± James¡¯ frown deepened. He had made it farther than both of his predecessors, but that wasn¡¯t saying much under the circumstances.


    ¡°So, what you are saying is that I could die at any moment. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen!¡± She turned to face him again, her blue eyes darker than ever.


    ¡°Why did you even do this to me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked, confused. ¡°I did it to save you.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You were going to die, James. I had no choice!¡±


    ¡°You did have a choice!¡± James stood, his anger rising as well. ¡°You could have just killed the wolves! You could have taken me to a hospital!¡±


    ¡°I thought-¡±


    ¡°What?! What did you think?!  That I was going to die anyway so you could do whatever you wanted? Am I just some toy for you to play with like Markus said?!¡± He stood there breathing heavily for several minutes before angrily returning to his chair. When he had calmed down a little, Red continued.


    ¡°I thought I was helping you. I saw what they did to you, and how they acted after they thought you had died.¡± She shook her head lightly. ¡°No one enjoys being powerless.¡±


    ¡°So you turned me into a monster? Then what, was I supposed to kill those kids? I bet you were all too happy the night my family died then. It gave you the perfect motivator to push me over the edge into my first kill didn¡¯t it?!¡± James ran his fingers through his hair and rested them at the base of his skull.


    ¡°It did.¡± Her words stunned him. James met her gaze with his own wild eyes.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said it did. It was the perfect chance.¡± James opened his mouth to continue unleashing his anger, but she stopped him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I was happy about it. About any of it.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me the truth Red! Why did you do it?!¡±


    ¡°I needed you.¡± She pointed to the ring. ¡°I needed someone that could survive. Someone that could harness this power and kill someone for me.¡± Her eyes were distant and had turned clear as ice. Her hair resembled blood more than ever as it dripped down her shoulders in dark maroon waves. The fireplace erupted gently, the monster vanishing, and cast an orange glow on her face. James could not help but stare until she returned to her previous state. When she had, he shook his head and brought his attention back to the conversation.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you kill this person yourself? As strong as you are, you shouldn¡¯t need help.¡± James looked away, wishing there was a window he could stare out instead of the fire which had begun to hurt his eyes. He wanted no part in this.


    ¡°As strong as I am?¡± Red laughed. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen anything other than parlor tricks.¡± She summoned her broom and dismissed it immediately. ¡°This person is stronger than anyone I¡¯ve ever met, with two exceptions. The first being the leader of the council, and the second being¡­ The second was your predecessor. During her first transformation she was more powerful than you could imagine. Until then, I had only hoped of creating a distraction. With her I realized how wrong I was. With you¡­¡± She paused. ¡°I was hoping you would be even stronger.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± James grunted. Red nodded.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ask the other person for help?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t.¡± They were silent for a time after that. James mulled over what he had learned, the bitter truth of his savior using him as a weapon did not sit well in his stomach. With a sigh broke the silence.


    ¡°Great,¡± he said sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯ve been kidnapped, enchanted, and forced into a fight with fairytale creatures I know nothing about and have nothing to do with. How exciting, I can¡¯t wait.¡± Red laughed. ¡°Not funny.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Try not to think about it for now. We have a long way to go before we fight her.¡± James raised his eyebrows at the mention of this person being female.


    ¡°Who is this person?¡±


    ¡°No one.¡± Red shook her head. ¡°When you need to know, you will.¡±


    ¡°What if I refuse to help?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill you myself.¡± She replied without the slightest hesitation, a grin spreading across her face. James shivered and turned his head away. Red laughed again.


    ¡°Your sense of humor is terrible you know.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± He nodded. Rubbing his neck which still ached from earlier he changed the subject.


    ¡°What is he?¡±


    ¡°Who? Markus?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± James nodded.


    ¡°He is a vampire.¡± He could feel her studying him, waiting for his reaction. James only continued to rub his neck.


    ¡°And the blood on his face?¡±


    ¡°His feeding room is in the same gateway as this room. When I left, he probably smelled you and came rushing over mid-frenzy.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± James pulled his hand down and propped his leg on his knee. ¡°What did you mean, when you asked if he was trying to kill himself?¡±


    ¡°If he were to drink your blood, even though you aren¡¯t a normal werewolf, it would kill him.¡± She waved her hands and began playing with the fire once more. ¡°I should have moved you before he fed but I was careless.¡±


    ¡°Am I moving now?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡± James nodded once.


    ¡°When you say mid-frenzy, do you mean the way I was when I¡­attacked¡­the man in the police station?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She paused to recreate Markus within the fire. ¡°It¡¯s different for vampires. When it happens to you, you lose all control of yourself and feed on anything you find moving alone or really anything at all if it is bad enough. However, with vampires, they tend to develop a frenzied personality which is completely different than their normal one. Usually they become more aggressive and feral but still able to control themselves. They are more likely to act on impulse, sure, but they won¡¯t knowingly endanger themselves and can back away if need be. Unlike you. In some rare occasions though, vampires become calmer and more calculated. Those are the truly dangerous ones.¡±


    ¡°How do you mean?¡±


    ¡°For example, you would expect an aggressive vampire to attack you and unless you present a show of force, they will. They are easy to deal with though because they are sloppy. On the other hand, a calm vampire can hide their frenzied state and outmaneuver you. One second everything is fine, the next second you have fangs in the side of your throat.¡± James reached for his throat and Red shook her head. ¡°They aren¡¯t always that strong though. The frenzy is where they draw their strength from, especially if they have eaten.¡±


    ¡°Then I would assume Markus is an aggressive one?¡± James looked at his hands and found a small amount of blood, likely from the blood on Markus¡¯ hands. ¡°He is insanely strong.¡± Red laughed at him.


    ¡°He is nothing special. If you think Markus is strong then you have a long way to go.¡±


    ¡°Awesome.¡± James sighed. ¡°Just what I wanted to hear. The vampire that shoved me halfway through a stone wall, is weak.¡± Red laughed harder as she mocked him with a flaming Markus holding a flaming James against the back of the fireplace.


    ¡°You still aren¡¯t funny.¡±

 Relapse

    The next day Red showed him to his new room. It was toward the top of another tower and through five gateways. James swore that he would never be able to find his way back once he left and jokingly vowed to stay there until he died.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same as the last one,¡± he said disappointedly.


    ¡°Not true,¡± replied Red as she pointed toward the wall. ¡°You have a window this time.¡± He turned his head and confirmed that there indeed was a window. When he drew close enough to look out, he found that his view extended well past the walls and over the forest surrounding them.


    ¡°Not bad at all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re also in the same gateway as myself. For better or worse, we shall see.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, as long as there aren¡¯t any feeding rooms nearby, I suppose I shall manage.¡±


    ¡°Abouuuut that.¡± Red smirked as James¡¯ face melted into a frown.


    ¡°Is this another one of your tasteless jokes?¡± His voice was almost pleading.


    ¡°Yes, and no.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? Can you answer a question seriously for once?¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. There technically IS a feeding room up here, however it is for ordinary meals.¡±


    ¡°Like, a dining room?¡± Red laughed.


    ¡°No, more like an inn I would say.¡±


    ¡°Why an inn?¡± James could not think of anyone who would stumble upon this place and be allowed to stay. Anyone else who already knew about this place, he assumed would have their own rooms.


    ¡°There are other places like this which means we get visitors from time to time. Most of them have to stay at the inn since you have to live here fairly often during the year to be allowed your own room.¡±


    ¡°So, this place isn¡¯t the only one of its kind?¡± James could not believe this one alone existed, and Red had just said there were multiple. Red nodded.


    ¡°Also,¡± she paused and pointed to his neck. ¡°You might want to keep that hidden from now on. Consider yourself lucky that Markus did not notice it.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± James asked as he tucked the necklace beneath his shirt.


    ¡°They just really don¡¯t like them,¡± she laughed. ¡°Vampires that is. I¡¯ll tell you about it some other time.¡±


    ¡°Why not now?¡±


    ¡°There is something else we need to do at the moment.¡± James tilted his head, raising his right eyebrow in the process. ¡°They finally buried your family.¡± Her voice was soft when she spoke, and her hair had become so light it was nearly pink. James found himself unable to speak as he stared at Red. She must have become uncomfortable as she turned her face away from him. After several minutes like this, James spoke.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He started toward the door and she cleared her throat. Looking over his shoulder he found Red standing by the window with her broom floating next to her. ¡°Again? Seriously?!¡± She laughed and he walked over to sit on the broom behind her. Having wrapped his arms around her once more, she launched them straight through the glass and into the sky.


    ¡°Why is it always windows?!¡± James yelled into the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s faster!¡± Red shouted back to him as she took off even faster. He suspected that it was because she just enjoyed destroying things, but he refrained from saying anything more about it. As they flew, he felt the barriers slip over them, one and then the other. Upon breaking out the sky immediately changed, just as it had when they first entered. It changed from clear and sunny to a cloudy, stormy mess of rain. What he found odd though was that the rain never managed to touch them. That is, until he remembered that Red was a witch. James looked around the overcast sky and bade a temporary farewell to the sun which brought a flash of Markus to his mind. When they had first encountered him, it was outside under the sun. Yet he was a vampire for which the sun is supposed to be lethal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t vampires burn in the sunlight as the stories say?¡± he asked. Red nodded.


    ¡°They do.¡± As if she already knew his intention she continued. ¡°The sunlight inside is fake, allowing vampires like Markus to walk around without issue.¡± She glanced back at him over her shoulder and smirked. ¡°Although day-walkers are a different story.¡± Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the earth in the distance, followed by a second not so far away. Concern broke across James¡¯ face, as it was his hometown that looked to be beneath the massive thunderstorm.


    ¡°It¡¯s not there yet,¡± said Red. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He nodded, but his concern did not fade. As they flew, James kept his eyes glued to the storm. By the time they reached his town the rain had increased severely. Yet even against this Red¡¯s magic held up without any sign of struggling.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± James asked, referring to his family¡¯s burial.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping tabs on this town for a while,¡± she answered. ¡°Although it was not my intention to bring you back, once I found out I felt like it was the right thing to do.¡± She brought them to a stop directly above the cemetery and slowly began to lower them to the ground.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Besides,¡± she paused and glanced back at James once more with narrowed eyes. ¡°Tombstones can¡¯t tell anyone they saw you.¡± He frowned, losing any sense of his prior gratitude.


    ¡°You really are the worst.¡± She shrugged and turned away. James turned his attention back to the steadily approaching ground and tapped her shoulder when he spotted several people attending a funeral not even a hundred feet away from their intended landing spot. ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°No one can see or hear us,¡± she said as they finally touched the ground. ¡°So, get as close as you need to, and I will wait here.¡±


    James walked right up to the two headstones, stopping only when he was close enough to kneel and touch them. The moment he read off their names it clicked in his brain that they were really and truly gone, and he sank forward against his mother¡¯s. His eyes broke open like the skies above him and heavy tears fell to the earth beneath him. He let out several loud cries of sorrow, gripping both stones as best as he could, and cursed himself for letting this happen. The man he had killed flashed before his eyes and his sorrow was tinted with rage. Not only had killing the man failed to bring his family back but it also served to make him feel worse. Red sat upon her broom, quietly watching him with softened eyes that took on the blue-grey of the thunderheads. How much time passed while he sat there and cried, James could not tell. One at a time, he kissed each headstone and placed his forehead upon them as he said his goodbyes. When the clouds had become so dark that she could not tell if the sun had set or not, Red spoke.


    ¡°We should go.¡± She placed her hand on his shoulder lightly. James looked up at her with his bloodshot eyes, and his tearstained face, and nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s nothing left for me here now anyway.¡± Looking around him and taking in the sight of his hometown one more time, he realized that the nearby funeral had cleared out. James tilted his head in their direction and paid a silent tribute to whoever had passed, feeling a strange connection to the dead now that his family had all joined them. As he was about to climb onto the broom, he found his attention once again drawn elsewhere. When his eyes found them, he froze. Walking down the nearby street, just close enough to hear their conversation, were the bastards that started it all. From the night of the bonfire when he had first met Red, all five of them that shoved him into the river were right in front of him. His body twitched toward them slightly, but he resisted it.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°James?¡± Red tried to get his attention by waving her arm in front of his face. ¡°Everything okay?¡± He made another effort to turn away from them only to fail once more when one of them shouted.


    ¡°They¡¯re just up here!¡± James recognized the voice coming from the tallest one, his name was Kyle. He was the one who had the idea to shove him in the river in the first place, their leader.


    ¡°Who is?¡± This time it was Derrick, the one that held James¡¯ friend to the ground to stop him from intervening. Seeing the lot of them this close was causing James to grow increasingly agitated. Even so, James made one last effort to push them out of his mind and climb onto the broom. What stopped him then, was his curiosity.


    ¡°Why are they here?¡± he muttered to himself.


    ¡°You know who, dumbass. It¡¯s his family. You know what I mean? Him.¡± This time it was Tommy, the one who helped Kyle to secure both of James¡¯ arms. Squinting, James assured himself that they wouldn¡¯t have come all this way just to see his mother and sister¡¯s graves.


    ¡°Why are you acting all scared for? Just say it. It¡¯s that douchebag James¡¯ family. The one who almost got us arrested at that party because he couldn¡¯t handle a little river current.¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my smooth talk, we would have spent the night in jail for sure. I guess my dad being the deputy sheriff didn¡¯t hurt either.¡± James could not recall the names of the last two men, only remembering that they had been the ones to grab his legs. His curiosity now gone entirely, James bit into his lip as he desperately fought to control his anger. The ring on his finger was pressing further and further into his mind, trying to once again guide him over the edge. Then Kyle spoke again.


    ¡°It really is a shame that they died.¡± James was dumbstruck for a moment. What did he mean it was a shame?  As far as he knew, Kyle had never met his mother or sister before, so how could their deaths cause him any sort of emotion?


    ¡°Did you smoke too much? Why on earth would you give a shit about these two, Kyle?¡± For once, James agreed with the words coming out of Derrick¡¯s mouth. A surprise he never expected he would experience.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be cruel, Derrick. How could I not be upset over this?¡± James clenched his fists as he took a step forward. No matter what Kyle said next, he knew he wasn¡¯t going to like it. His tone was too¡­fake. Red must have realized the situation had become far too dangerous and reached out for James¡¯ shoulder.


    ¡°Ignore them James, we need to leave!¡± Unfortunately, it was Red that James was ignoring. He had positioned himself just one step in front of Kyle, who of course could not see nor hear him, and let out a low growl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say another word you low life piece of trash.¡±


    ¡°James he can¡¯t h-¡± Red was too late. Before she could finish Kyle opened his mouth with a wide grin and turned toward his pack of goons.


    ¡°Afterall, I never got to fuck his sister.¡± James was beyond shocked. Never in a million years did he expect Kyle to say something so incredibly vile. His mind broke, and for several minutes James could not move or even think. The group laughed their way back down to the road completely unaware of James as he stood there. His mouth, which had been hanging open, slammed shut as he proceeded to grind his teeth.


    ¡°James come on, let¡¯s go. They aren¡¯t worth it!¡± Red moved forward with the broom and grabbed him firmly by the arm only to let go immediately as his skin seared her palm. ¡°James. Calm down¡­now.¡± In that moment James had only one thought pop into his mind which somehow managed to slip out of his mouth.


    ¡°I want to kill them.¡± Red¡¯s eyes widened as her fears were confirmed and she opened her mouth once more to dissuade him. However, as James¡¯ rage boiled over and the hair on his arms began to visibly lengthen, the only thing she found herself able to do was to regret her decision to bring him here.


    James¡¯ ring took over the instant his mind broke. Draining his rage, and his energy, it forced his body into the transitioning state between human and werewolf causing him a great amount of pain. Through his clamped jaw he let out an anguished scream and placed both hands over his face as he hunched over. Just as it had the first time, his head was threatening to explode. Red pushed closer to him and wrapped her arms around his torso as tightly as she could and spoke directly into his ear.


    ¡°Stop, James! Bring yourself back, you have to control yourself!¡± Her efforts were futile though as James could not hear a single thing she was saying. The storm had become so severe now that the rain had created a loud and constant buzzing. Combined with the continuous thunder echoing through the skies, it was near impossible for her to reach him.


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± He let out another cry as the pressure in his head finally caused his skull to crack open. In his pained rage he flung Red off of his side and sent her flying through the door of a nearby mausoleum. Immediately he was beset by the furious storm above him, rain drenching every inch of his body in seconds. James strained his neck as much as he could to look for the targets of his aggression and found them nearing the end of the street, nearly a football field away already. Not wanting to allow their escape, he began to limp after them. His arms snapped in unnatural directions as the bones broke and grew back together and yet he continued to gain speed. Even as his legs shattered, causing him to fall to the ground, he merely pulled himself by his claws until they healed. Once they had, he pulled himself back to his feet and flung open his arms, revealing his chest to the sky above. Down the road the group of men stopped and covered their ears as lightning struck somewhere in town. It must have been behind James, as they all turned together in his direction. Just as they did so he let out his war cry, an ultimate howl of rage that would have muted any he had let out before without challenge. The instant he had finished, James dropped to all fours and sprung toward them as fast as he could. In a mere matter of seconds, he closed the distance.


    ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Derrick yelled as he turned to run. Watching the backs of his friends grow farther away from him, he realized that he had wasted too much time. He was the first to be caught. James ripped his legs off with one motion and snatched his body out of the air with the second. Without stopping, he slammed Derrick into the ground with so much force that every possible orifice on his head burst with a surge of blood. Screams of terror filled the air as the other four glanced back at the now very much dead, Derrick.


    Running even faster now, they tried desperately to escape their fate. Still, he caught them. As lightning struck with increasing frequency and illuminated the now completely dark sky, the scene beneath the clouds took on the appearance of a flip book horror story that was just a little bit too fast. One by one James tore them apart, dyeing the street a deep scarlet as the rain swept up the blood. If there had been anyone watching, it would have appeared to them that James was teleporting. Darkness, a sudden flash revealing a man feverishly running for his life, more darkness. Another flash, a roaring wolf like creature holding the man above his head as he rips him in two, more darkness. A final flash, nothing but two limp halves of a man lying in the bloody street.


    There were now only two left, Kyle and Tommy. As James grew closer, nearly within reach, Kyle grabbed Tommy¡¯s arm and threw him on the ground. Tommy cried out in the rain but whatever he said was lost in the rain as James descended upon him. With one bite, and a twist of his neck, he ripped Tommy¡¯s head off and crushed it between his teeth. Standing, he let what was left fall out of his mouth and picked up Tommy¡¯s body. With both arms James pull it over his head and flung it as hard as he could toward Kyle¡¯s legs. James felt a small bit of pleasure at the fact that Kyle had thrown Tommy on the ground, and seconds later Tommy had repaid the favor. Well, his corpse had anyway.


    ¡°L-Leave me alone!¡± Kyle was scrambling backwards as fast as he could manage as James closed the gap. He watched as Tommy¡¯s corpse was flung out of the way and froze when James stopped before him. ¡°No, stop! Let me go!¡± James grabbed him by the torso with one hand, digging his claws into Kyle¡¯s ribs, and held him at eye level. The smell of urine crept into his nose and James let out a long, deep growl. ¡°Please! Let me go, it hurts!¡± James began to squeeze tighter as he grabbed Kyle¡¯s left ankle in his other hand. ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    ¡°Stop! James, put him down!¡± It was Red. He looked over his shoulder and found her standing several feet away soaked from the rain with blood dripping down her forehead. He snorted and turned back toward his plaything who had continued to cry out in pain. ¡°I said STOP!¡± Still ignoring her James tried to squeeze tighter only to realize he couldn¡¯t move. Irritation bolstered his rage as he struggled harder and harder against Red¡¯s magic.


    ¡°James? Did she say¡­your name is¡­James?¡± Kyle coughed, looking confused and in great pain. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± His eyes widened to a point that they threatened to burst as the dots connected.


    ¡°Just put him DOWN James!¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t possible.¡± Kyle said softly. ¡°You¡¯re James? That weak little shit?¡± He laughed bitterly. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. You¡¯re a god damn MONSTER!¡± James, who had been pooling his strength into the arm holding Kyle¡¯s ankle, felt a sudden surge of rage at being called a monster by him of all people. With it came an equal surge in strength and in one instantaneous motion James ripped Kyle¡¯s leg off and flung it at Red. Dodging it distracted her enough to allow James spin around and rip off and throw Kyle¡¯s right leg as well.


    ¡°AHHHHH!¡± Kyle was now screaming at the top of his lungs from the unbearable pain of losing both legs in such a violent manner. Unfortunately for him it did not stop there. Red managed to deflect his second leg after dodging the first so James repeated the process with Kyle¡¯s left and right arms. Red deflected both of them with a wave of her hand, sending them flying in separate directions before she once again tried to restrain James. Having ripped Kyle¡¯s head off with one hand, while holding his torso with the other, James put the remainder of his strength into launching them as hard as he could, in quick succession. It was a useless endeavor though, now that Red had become serious.


    ¡°You absolute idiot!¡± She screamed, her almost neon-orange hair bursting into the air wildly as if her head had been set on fire and slammed him into the ground with nothing but a downward point of her finger. ¡°It is TIME to LEAVE.¡± She lifted him off the ground, and slammed him down again, and again. Each time simply changing the direction of her index finger. Even after his body had become human again, she continued to slam him into the ground. Only when it looked as if he would suffer permanent damage did she stop. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±