CURTIS’ SHIFT II
A sharp pain crossing over Curtis’ lower back suddenly, caused him to scream in pain and double over, his knees falling to the ground helplessly.
But the wolves advanced towards him tentatively. An easy prey. They must have thought.
Then, he closed his eyes, welcoming his fate to die at a young age, when suddenly he heard a loud clash.
His eyes jerked open at their own will, even as he laid sprawled on the floor in pain, grunting and writhing, wishing there was a way, a spell even, to do away with the pain instantly.
He saw a very big black wolf, fighting with the two black-brown wolves. He had thought that the former wolves that had wanted to attack him were big, but now, compared to the big black one, he thought that they were a bit small. He was sure that the big black wolf was an Alpha wolf, or perhaps a beta. No, Alpha. He finally concluded.
Was it his father? He thought, as he watched the big black wolf bite off the neck of the last one black-brown wolf which was still standing, the other had fallen some seconds ago. And it didn’t even take up to five minutes. Even in his pained state, he was awed by the strength of the wolf.
But as the wolf was done with its killings, and advanced towards him majestically, he got scared again, and closed his eyes, expecting the worse. He knew that the wolf wasn’t his father or his sister. He had known when the wolf had looked at him when it had been done with its killings.
So who was the wolf. He thought, his eyes shut tightly, even as pain racked his body.
After some seconds, which felt like a thousand minutes, he felt the brush of fur on his limbs. The wolf was urging him to open his eyes, and stand up. He could read its intentions.Content is property of NôvelDrama.Org.
And so, opening his eyes, he saw the wolf upclose. Big was an understatement. He thought, suddenly shrieking in pain as another bout of pain hit him strongly. He felt like he would die of the pain.
Staring at the wolf after that bout of pain had passed, he noticed that the color of its eyes had drastically changed from pure black to a very deep shade of blue. He knew that it meant that the wolf had been touched by his pain and screams, and that he was safe. The wolf wouldn’t attack him.
The wolf grunted, squatting a bit, whilst lowering its back, and nodding at him.
He understood now. The wolf wanted him to get on its back. Looking at the wolf’s limbs, he saw some clothing tied to them. And again, he wondered who the wolf was?
He tried to stand up, but the pain was too much, that he shouted again. But he could feel the vibes of the big black wolf. It was egging him on.
And so, with a last strength which he didn’t know that he had, he forcefully jerked up himself, shrieking in pain as he did, and stood up straight, but only for a second, as in the next second, he was about falling down but for the intervention of the wolf.
It shifted itself to him immediately, that he was now resting on its back.
Gathering up strength, taking large gulps of air to steady his breathing pattern, he pushed himself up, until he was on the wolf’s back which he thought was softer than a bed.
When the wolf regained its posture, he laid down flatly on its back, holding its fur tightly, having a feeling that the animal was about to go on a wild fast run.
He wasn’t wrong in that aspect.
The wolf took off at a great speed, bypassing a number of wolves fighting against each other. In this tired and weak state of his, he didn’t know which of the wolves were from his pack.
And so, when the wolf ran past the open gates of his pack, he closed his eyes again, waiting and curbing in the pain, until the big wolf will drop him wherever it was that it was taking him too, inside the forest.
****
Curtis wasn’t sure how long the wolf had run deep into the forest, but he knew when the wolf had halt for the first time since it had taken on the sprint.
The wolf after coming to a halt, squatted on its fours, before gently slanting its back a bit, causing him to drop to the grassy land of the forest with a slight thud.
He expected the wolf to leave him there, and run back to wherever it had come from, but it stood there watching him, as he shifted.
The light black hairs were all over his body. He shrieked and screamed, the force of the pain lifting him up against his will, aware that the wolf was still there staring at him, and suddenly he dropped down back to the ground, changed.
He knew he had shifted. The pain was almost gone. And he couldn’t feel his legs.
When he felt the brush of limbs against his lower limbs, he opened his eyes and jumped up. His eyes trailed at his limbs. He was a wolf now. A black wolf, but not as black as the one in front of him.
“What’s your name?” He asked his own wolf, even as he walked slowly towards the black wolf that had saved his life. Even as a wolf, he was sure that the wolf was still bigger than him, although by a small difference.
“Raul.” His wolf replied, witha slight grunt.
******
When Curtis got to the big black wolf that had saved its life, he nodded, or rather his wolf nodded in appreciation, gesturing with a slight bow.
And the big black wolf nodded too, before gesturing with its mannerisms for a run.
And of course his wolf, Raul, was pleased with it.
They ran all through the forest, all night. He knew that the wolf was trying to help him strengthen his limbs, in case of a next time.
And when it was near dawn, they came to halt at a big oak tree. He was very tired and weak, but knew when his body started shifting back to its human form. His eyes were closing of their own accord too.
Trying to stay awake, especially as he glanced at the big black wolf which was now transforming to its human version. With anticipation, he waited to see who his saviour was, but his eyes won the battle of wills.
But before it closed, he was sure of a boy figure standing over him, with deep black long hair, that cascaded down his shoulders.