My lungs felt like they were being stabbed by needles. I struggled to grab whatever had a hold of me, gripping onto something cold and cruel. I couldn’t pry it off. The more I struggled, the harder it was to not take a breath of air. I couldn’t see the light above me anymore. Judging by how fast I was being pulled downward, I doubted that even if I got free, I could make it to the surface. This is it. I was going to drown. My vision was beginning to blacken from the lack of oxygen and soon I would have to gasp for air. I would inhale water that would fill my lungs.
Deeper. Deeper. Deeper. There was no escape now and this reality was soul crushing. I wouldn’t be there to help my mate get his pack back. I wouldn’t ever have the family I dreamed about. My time with Sion was already over. Visions of the future we almost had flickered in my mind.
Sion was there pushing a child on a tire swing. I could hear the laughter in the air and the high pitched squeals. The sun was shining brightly as the wind swayed the grass. I was standing there watching them with a smile on my face as I rubbed soft circles on my swollen stomach. And at night he would be there with me tucking our children into bed. We would stare at our sleeping children in awe of the life we created together. We would have saved the Chance pack and would be happy…
It was gone… all of it. Knowing I would never have my family hurt, but I was devastated for Sion. Without me, could they save his pack? Would he have a home to go back to? Would he be okay? He said he couldn’t live without me and that I was the only thing that kept him going. I just want him to be happy. I want him to laugh with his children, even if they aren’t mine. I want him to have someone to hold at night… even if it wasn’t me.
My body began to tremble as I struggled not to breathe. I was now feeling lightheaded too. My body would soon lose consciousness and try to breathe for me. My body was then suddenly whipped upwards, and I rolled onto the smooth icy surface. I gasped and choked on the air as I greedily tried to fill my lungs. I turned my head, looking for what had taken me.
I lifted off the ground, my body burned as I had to peel it off the frosted surface. I rose to my feet, leaning my hands on my knees for stability. I was in a small oval room. It was like a frozen air pocket. The room was covered in icy crystals and behind me was the pool of water.
I was alive for now. However, I was too deep. There was no way I could reach the surface on my own. I didn’t see any sign of what had taken me. Did it bring me here to feast upon me later, knowing I would be trapped? I’m sure the monster doesn’t get prey often. This could be like its refrigerator.
If it was going to come back to try to eat me, I needed to be ready for a fight. As long as I survived, there was a chance. Odell could get me out of here… if she survived against the hydra. I tried to connect with Sheena. It was like getting static interference. I felt her but not enough to shift into her. I couldn’t even talk to her right now.
I was looking around the room when I heard a strange tapping sound. The noise echoed off the walls making it hard to tell where it was coming from. The tapping was getting louder and faster. As if something was running, but I couldn’t see anything… on the ground. I snapped my head up searching for the source and my breath caught in my chest. A creature was running on the ceiling and now climbing down the icy wall.
It reached the floor, and I took a step back, eyeing the water behind me. I noticed the water ripple slightly, showing something was still waiting there. Diving back into the water wasn’t an option. I had no chance there… but I didn’t have much of one here either.
My eyes followed over the light blue hard skeleton frame in front of me. Two large claws snapped loudly, resonating off the walls in the room. Its pointed tail was raised defensively above its head as its blue eyes glowed. It was the size of two lycans at least, not including the height of its tail. I knew the creature but had never seen one this size before. I was never a fan of normal sized scorpions, so this monstrous one turned my stomach.
Tss. Tss. Tss. Tss. Tss. It made this awful noise as its jaws pincered together. It’s eight legs tapped across the ground as it closed in on me.
Tss. Tss. Tss. Tss. Tss.
I didn’t know what to do. I had nothing at my disposal. Maybe there was a piece of the crystal rock in the room that I could use? Without my wolf, I had just my bare hands. The claws clapped together as my heart raced. I think I would have preferred drowning…
I took another small retreating step as I looked around the room. There was no escape besides the water behind me. Which made me wonder how this creature got in here. Maybe he was another meal for the water creature. We were like its bacon and eggs. Only we were alive, and the bacon was trying to eat the egg.
My whole body was trembling from the cold. I didn’t have the heat of my wolf to help keep me warm. Between the icy waters and this frozen room, I could barely breathe. There was a lot stacked against me. It seemed like it was always like this for me. Yet, I usually managed to overcome. Somehow… I would fight my way out of this.
I frantically searched the dark room. Little by little I was losing more and more of my wolf senses. The room luckily had a soft blue glow which was now my light source. I noticed some rubble on the far-right corner. If I could get to it maybe I could find something I could use as a weapon.
SNAP
One of the claws clapped by my head as the other claw reached towards me. They were fast. I barely managed to avoid full contact. The pincher closed, managing to graze the side of my arm. Warm blood splattered over my cold skin as I reached up to cover the wound.
I watched as it raised its stinger up high. I couldn’t get hit with that no matter what. The poison would be too much for me to overcome. I could mend from flesh wounds but not from that. Especially in my current state. As it began to strike towards me, I slid underneath the scorpion. It was my best chance to use the smooth surface to glide underneath. It wasn’t expecting me to go beneath it and I managed to buy myself a couple of extra seconds.
I didn’t waste any time as I sprinted to the other side. I could hear the tapping of its feet pattering behind me.
Tss. Tss. Tss. Tss. Tss. Tss.
I reached the rubble of crystal rocks and quickly searched with my hands. I was trying to feel for anything useful in the dim light. It was getting closer. I needed something… now.
Tss. Tss. Tss. Tss. Tss. Tss.
I grabbed onto two of the rocks and spun around. One of them I launched, hitting the creature in one of its eyes. It let out an ear-piercing screech as it flailed its pinchers maniacally. My fingers gripped onto the cold icy dagger rock. The blood from my arm trickled down and onto my fingers before it dripped to the ground.
The scorpion began clapping its claws loudly as it angrily came towards me. With precise movements its claws reached out for me. I tried to lunge forward with my crystal shard but one of the pinchers grabbed me. I was helplessly swung around. My side hit the wall before I flew in the other direction. I landed on the cold ground; the air was knocked from my lungs. I tried to grasp my weapon only to realize it wasn’t there.
There was no time, and it was on me again. I kicked at its bottom as I rolled across the floor trying to get away. It’s claws struck at the ground next to me, cracking the surface. I could hear its feet pattering to keep up as its claws struck next to me again.
Then one of the pinchers connected with me. I felt my skin being ripped from my body as I was rolled to my back. It pinned me with its claws and raised its stinger up. I closed my eyes as I waited for the strike. I waited and nothing. Da.mn this thing was playing with my emotions. It was like a cat that had caught its mouse.
I slowly opened my eyes to see the creature just holding its position there. Its claws pinched my arms holding me in place. I could feel the blood oozing, but that was the least of my worries. The jaws of the scorpion clicked together in almost agitation as it held me. I watched as saliva dripped from its mouth onto my legs. I was making its mouth water…
“How disappointing.” A woman’s voice hissed from everywhere but nowhere. The creature then let go of my arms and backed away from me. What the hell was this?
I moved to my knees and looked at the wounds on my arms. I was cut but nothing deep. It looked worse than it was, and this scorpion was easily able to rip my limbs from my body.
“Who is there?!” I shouted as I moved to my feet.
I heard the loud clicking of a tongue echo off the walls. I was looking everywhere but there was no one. I even glanced up just in case. Still… nothing.
“Is this all you’ve got?” The voice asked almost mockingly.
“I can’t shift right now or—”
“I’m not talking about your wolf.” The voice scoffed at me. “Your wolf…” The voice was now mocking me. “Is that the extent of your strength? The shallow mental existence is a pathetic power. Forget about it. Discard your wolf… and attack.”
“My wolf is part of me!” I shouted back angrily as the voice cackled at me.
“So are feces, but everyone discards their sh.it.”
“I’m not discarding my wolf.”
“Looks like your body is trying to do that for you.” The voice said in sly amusement. “But you won’t let go.”
“No, I won’t.”
“You’re killing her.”
“Discarding her is killing her!”
“No… it isn’t. But if you keep her… you will.”
“Why?!” I shouted angrily. Who the hell was this person?
“Your sheya powers won’t allow for her existence.”
“I was told—”
“You were told wrong.” The voice stated tersely.
Was it true? Was I killing Sheena? I told her not to leave me again. Was her staying with me killing her? It was true she felt weaker and weaker. But this could all be an elaborate scheme too. Like I was going to trust some stranger’s voice.
“Let your wolf go. She will go to another shifter.”
“I don’t even know who you are. Why should I believe you? What do you even know?”
It was quiet except for the sound the scorpion made as it moved its jaws back and forth. I straightened up and looked around.
“Let her go.” The voice commanded again. I stood there and defiantly stared in the darkness. “Embrace who you are.”
Sheena? Sheena?
Nothing. There was no sound from her. I wish she could tell me if what the voice was saying was true.
“I do prefer the hands-on approach… I think the lesson sticks better.” As soon as the voice spoke these words the scorpion began to make its move again. The pattering of its feet on the crystal stone headed my way. This time I knew it wasn’t going to kill me, but it would make me pay. It would challenge me, pushing me to my brink, trying to make me give up my wolf. And if I didn’t…I was in for more pain.