The Bitten.

My Wildest Mistake.

  I crashed into the back floorboard, just avoiding the massive paws that swiped for me. I could smell the beast. I could smell the wet dingy smell of it's fur, and even the sweet scent of death from it's breath as it's head came up over the console. It snapped and lunged with it's jaws gaped. Hot spittle sprayed over me as I searched for a weapon. I came up short, finding nothing that could ever offer me a chance. I can't outrun it, but I can't stay in the car with it. I have no choice but to try get out and maybe hide.

          I brave a chance to raise my head and arm up and I open the door. The wolf snarls and continues to swipe and snap at me. I could hear the seats of the car shredding and buckling, give way to the enormous monster in pursuit of me.  On instinct I leaped out the open door, claws raking my backs I fell out onto the ground.

            My back was searing as fresh tears swelled in my eyes. I've had my fair share of accidents and injuries, this was unlike nothing I had ever felt. I rolled to my stomach, ready to get my feet under me and run. I hesitated a second as I seen the glimmer of the tire iron. I need that! I can use that! Hope sparked in my chest as I swooped the iron up, and ran with everything in me. My feet hamnered the ground so loud, I couldn't hear my heart hammer in my chest.

           I knew I wouldn't have long before the beast exited the vehicle to chase me, so I deviated from following the road and looked to the trees. Wolves can't climb trees? Right? It's feet sounded like the thunder as it pounded the ground behind me. I had forgotten about the rain or even my cold rain soaked hoodie. Well, what was left of it. I shoe the tire iron into my waist band.  I find the stoutest tree I can find with low branches and I climb as quick as my shaky legs can go.

           It could have easily caught me, but it slows it's gait and stalks the base of the tree. I'm probably about twenty feet high, but I'm shaking so badly I don't trust myself to go higher without falling. I still feel insecure at this height. This wolf is gigantic. Massive. Easily the size of lions I have seen at the zoo, or a tad larger. It can't be just a simple wolf. It cut through the cab of the car like a knife through butter. What's to keeping from just jumping up at me. With it's size, how high could it jump?

          It sinks onto it's haunches, bottom resting on the ground as it eyes me from below. There's no mistaking that it has seen me. It's eyes bore into mine with such ferocity that I can hardly hold it's stare. Chills run up my spine, and I clutch my branch harder to keep from trembling off and crashing to the ground. It's head tilts, and it's lips pull back to reveal a yellowed set of slobbery fangs. I decide to try to get farther up into the tree, and it almost gives a smile of sorts. A sinister, almost human smirk, and a huff escapes it's mouth. Even it knows, I'm going to fall. Is it waiting for me?

          "Go! I didn't bother your baby. I mean you no harm. I just want to go home. Just go!" I blurt. It makes no sense to try to reason with a murderous inhuman beast that doesn't care nor understand my words, but I can't stop them from pouring out.
 
          "GO! Please! Please just go. Leave me along. I-I'm not food. I'm sorry. Whatever I did, I'm sorry..." I cry. "Just go. Shooo!"

           The beast seems interested in my plea. It's head still tilted, it's ears perked. It raises it paw to its mouth, and begins licking them clean. Bits of maroon cloth from my hoodie hang from it's claws, and my stomach twists in disgust. My adrenaline had done wonders for my pain, but seeing it lapping my blood off it's claws made me instantly aware of my burning back. I'm lightheaded as I watch it close it's amber eyes and bristle it's fur as it continues it's slow laps. Content rumbles fill the air, and the wolf is in its own little world. Almost as if it's alone and I'm not here, judging it from a bird's eye view. It's savoring it.

           It wants to eat me it seems. Oh God. What worse a death than to be eaten alive by something so brutal? If this is what being clawed fet like, I would faint to imagine being dismembered or chewed. Perhaps this had little to do with the pup at all. Are there others? Is this even the mother wolf? I search the ground around me, far as I can see, in search of another wolf or even the pup. Nothing. The wolf moves, and has my undivided attention. Retreat. Retreat. Please. Just go. Go back to the pup if it's yours. Go back to your den or wherever you've come from. Please, please just go.

            It finds my eyes again and I look down, trying my best to appear docile so it loses interest. It doesn't work. As it still glared at me, only this time it draws closer to the tree. My breath is hot and thick in my throat, I could almost choke on my own air. I'm unaware if the water on my clothes is more rain or sweat at this point, and my palms struggle to keep steady hold of the branch. It can't jump this high, surely. Eventually it'll get bored and it will leave me.

            I scream as soon as it leaps, back feet digging into the trunk of the tree to secure itself. The tree shifts slightly woth it's weight. It reaches up with it's front legs and sinks it's claws into the trunk above. It begins a slow, concentrated ascension up the tree and I feel like I will lose my mind. What now? What the fuck do I do now? It can climb. It is climbing. I'm too high to jump, and there's no way down without crossing paths with it and frankly I'd take my chance jumping first. I retrieve the tire iron from my waistband and I fist it in my free hand.

          The wolf has closed the distance between us in seconds. It hovers inches from my face, it's hot breath fanning mine as it looks into my eyes. Before it can lunge for me, I strike out with my tire iron and catch it right above its temple. It bellows in rage, and I strike it again. It bites at me and I nearly fall backwards out of the tree trying to avoid it. I raise the iron and bash it across the snout.

           "Get! Get away! Why won't you back off? Go!"

           It lunges so fast this time that I'm unprepared, and it sinks it's teeth into my arm. I howl out in pain as I try to free my arm to strike at it again. I slam my head into it, but it wreches my arm in it's jaws. It's relentless, and it feels like it's going to going to bite my arm clean off. I let go of the branch with my other hand and grab the beast by the fur on it's neck. I throw my lower half over it's head and I land twisted on its upper back.

           It turns loose of my arm in surprise. My arm spasms and I watch in frustration as my iron tumbles to the grass below. No! I'm forced to hold on for dear life as the wolf convulses and bucks, trying to rid itself of me. I have no idea what to do from here, besides hold on and beg for a miracle. I squeal aloud again as I feel the wolf sliding under me. My eyes widen as the wolf frantically snatches for purchase anywhere on the tree, coming up short and sending us crashing into the groud below.

          I'm thankful not to have been pined by the wolf upon landing, but the impact knocked the wind from my lungs. I gasp and wheeze as I limp to my feet, not taking time to check for injuries. I've got a chance now. I have to go! I pray the wolf is limping too as I dash back towards the road. I keep begging the Gods for a car to pass. In a perfect world I'd be on the white line right now flagging down a car. They'd see ny distress and stop to whisk me away from certain death here, but to my dismay I've yet to see the faintest glow of a headlight.

          I break through the treeline, stumbling and tripping into the ditch. My ankle gives way and I crash into shallow mud. I do not even see the moon as I look up to find the sky eclipsed by the wolf. It's drool drips down my face and throat as it peers down at me. There's no even a chance to scream or protect myself as it lowers its head and bites into my chest. I am hysterical in agony as I try in vain to pry it's teeth away. I can hear my hoodie as it's torn away. I can feel flesh and muscle shred beneath it's fangs. I take my thumbs and jab them into its eyes sockets.

          And then, then, I do the stupidest thing I have ever done. I made the wildest mistake I will ever make. I noticed the juncture between it's neck and shoulder, and in a last ditch effort to save my sorry little life, I bit down with everything in me. I should've just died. I could've just checked out of this Hell motel that is Earth and just went to whatever awaits from here in peace, but no. I'm Fawn Ellis, and nobody ever said I was smart.

           I'm Fawn Ellis, and I had just bitten a werewolf.