Chapter 3 This Is Where I Die

The putrid scent of petrol and smoke wafted through my nostrils, suffocating my lungs. My eyelids fluttered open, and darkness surrounded me. Where am I? Maera’s voice rang in my mind, “Get up! Aria. We don’t have time.” Memories flooded my mind, and panic shot down my spine. We’d had an accident. I looked around me and realized I was suspended in the air, my dark hair hanging loosely underneath me. I tried to twist my body out of the seat, but a searing pain shot through my spine, down to my leg, and I winced. I reached for my dangling leg and froze when I realized it was broken. It wouldn’t take a lot of time to heal, but the sound of petrol dropping onto the ground and the puff of smoke told me I didn’t have much time left. “Greta!” I called out desperately, but I got no response. Suddenly, I heard a sound, like someone choking on liquid. Straining my eyes through the darkness, I searched for Greta around me. Something wet dropped on my face and trickled down my cheek. Confused, I looked above me, and that’s when I saw it. A sharp gasp escaped my lips. Greta was suspended above me, her body twisted at an awkward angle, with a metal rod lodged into her skull. Her eyes were hollow, the light slowly fading away. No. No. No. Terror gripped me, but I had to move fast. She was barely alive, but I could still save her. “I’ll get us out of here,” I choked out, my voice quivering in terror. I took in a deep breath, then freed my broken leg in a swift motion. I collapsed to the foot of the car, my back striking hard against the metal. Excruciating pain shot through me, and a guttural scream lodged in my throat. I had to get a hold of myself. There wasn’t time. Quickly, I used my good leg and kicked the door at my side. It didn’t budge, so I kicked harder, grunts escaping me as the force sent waves of pain through my whole body. The door suddenly burst open, and a short-lived triumph warmed my heart until Greta’s choked sobs fueled me, sending a surge of adrenaline rushing through my veins. Ignoring the pain in my broken leg, I bit down hard on my lip to curb my cries and crawled out. Desperation and the urge to survive pushed me through the door. As I lay on the cold asphalt, my chest heaving as I took sharp breaths, I pushed myself to my feet. A cry slipped out of my mouth as the pain in my leg doubled. My head spun, and my consciousness was slowly slipping away, but I remembered Greta and fought through it. I reached for her hand, and the cold feel of her skin sent panic and terror clawing at my chest. A tear slid down her cheek as she squeezed my hand tight as if using her last energy. “Stay strong, Greta... Please,” I breathed out desperately as I reached for her body with all the strength I had mustered in me. In a painful attempt, I succeeded in dragging her out of the car and placed her against my back, wrapping her limp arms around my shoulder. I could feel the pain thumping against my back, but I didn’t let that deter me. I was already so close to saving her. With her weight pressed against my back and limping with one leg, I could only take a step at a time. Exhaustion weighed heavy on my lungs as hefty breaths escaped me. Suddenly, I felt Greta’s fingers dig into my shoulder, making me freeze. “L-leave… m-me,” she managed to let out, and my gut wrenched. “What happened to following me wherever I go? So save your breath, okay?” I replied, each word a strain on me. She showed her disapproval by digging her fingers deeper into my shoulder, and hot anger rushed through me. How could she even consider such? She’d stuck by my side all these years, and somehow, she expected me to run away and leave her to die. “Fight me all you want.” Tears uncontrollably flowed down my eyes as I snapped. “I’m not changing my mind.” Suddenly, I felt my body being pushed with a force that sent me sprawling out of the road, and a sharp pain shot through my broken leg as I ground my teeth. When I looked back, Greta was sprawled on the ground, her teary eyes holding mine. Realization dawned on me, and my stomach sank deep into my guts. She pushed me. Refusing to give up, I started to crawl towards her, but in a flash, the car was engulfed in flames and exploded, the loud bang quaking underneath me. A piercing scream erupted from my chest, perforating the night’s silence as tears streamed down my face, soaking the ground underneath me. I didn’t have time to process the moment before I felt a dark presence around me. I looked around, and all the blood drained from my body when I realized there were wolves surrounding me. Their barbaric scent wafted through my nostrils. Rogue wolves. Maera instantly took control of my body, my bones snapping into place as we shifted. My broken leg remained broken as I ran away from them, limping and whimpering as pain throbbed in my chest. I’m sorry, Greta. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. The wolves chased after Maera, gaining on us due to my leg, but that didn’t stop her from pushing further with all the strength and speed we had left. Her paws pounded against the ground as she dodged trees. She reached a high obstacle and jumped to avoid it, but didn’t land well. Her body landed on the ground, with her jaw knocking hard into a rock, and blood spluttered underneath her, causing our consciousness to waver. She tried to push herself up, but her body was weak and defeated. “I can’t hold back any longer,” She cried out. She immediately shifted back into my human form, naked and mangled on the ground. My eyelids fluttered shut as my consciousness slipped off and on. A large wolf with a coat as dark as midnight materialized before me, and I choked, my body shaking with sobs. “Get away from me!” I tried to scream, but my voice lodged in my throat. Other rogue wolves surrounded me, and before i could get myself back on my feet, teeth latched on my broken leg and a piercing scream escaped me. This time, I didn’t fight the darkness pulling me under as teeth bit ferociously at my limbs, tearing me apart.