Hybrid: The Awakening

Chapter 4-Diana

Date on Earth: Tuesday, October 3

Something was dragging me.

That was my first thought when I felt myself start to wake up. The ground scraped against my knees as I was pulled along.

I slowly opened my eyes. Tall oak trees towered over me and long uncut grass grazed my face.
My head started to spin and I struggled to comprehend everything.

Barn owls flew above my head. Wind rustled the leaves. Squirrels that were still awake jumped from branch to branch, chasing each other like a game of tag.

And I could see it all.

Nothing was even the slightest bit blurry. Not even in the dark of the night, or in my dizzy state.

My brain ached from all the sensations.

I tried turning my head so I could see what was pulling me by my arm. My neck strained to catch a glimpse of it.

When I saw it, I wished I was still blind.

I froze as I looked at the creature. Its scaly skin was the blackest of blacks and slick with oil. The hand that was gripping me had long ten-inch claws. Its body was slim with long legs that walked in a way that should be illegal.

But the worst part was its face. It was like a serpent's, with long sharp fangs sticking out of its jaw. The eyes were as black as its body, with a single white dot that resembled a pupil. Its nose extended forward and what seemed like tentacles hung from it.

I screamed loudly. The monster snapped its head back, looking at me directly in the eyes. I felt my body go numb. It bared its fangs, drool dripping out of its mouth. Suddenly it made a loud screeching sound that seemed to pierce through my heart. The monster's grip on me got tighter, and I screamed again as it dug its nails into my arm.

Panic took over me. I couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. I was going to die. There was no denying it.

In a desperate attempt to escape, I yanked my hand away furiously, letting out another cry as I felt the tear of my skin. The creature pulled me closer to it and held me up to its face.
Its breath smelled worse than anything I could imagine, causing me to gag uncontrollably.

I gazed up in terror. The monster gazed down at me like I was a full course meal it couldn't wait to devour. A whimper passed through my lips and I had just about accepted my end.
But then something happened. I could try to explain it, but it wouldn't do any good. It was a feeling someone could only understand after experiencing it.

The only way I could explain it was that it was a change. I felt like I was shrinking, smaller and smaller and the monster getting bigger and bigger. Something sprouted from my back. The demon-like creature's grip loosened and I slid away. It growled and looked like it was planning to pounce. Out of what must have been instinct, I jumped into the air.

And I flew.

Higher and higher. The trees became specks and the monster started to disappear from my sight. At the moment I wasn't wondering how this was possible; I was just focused on getting as far away from whatever that thing was as fast as I could.

I thought I was safe, until a loud inhuman scream echoed through the forest. Out of the canopy of trees the beast shot out. Its body had morphed into sharp talons, short legs, and slick dark wings. Its hideous face was still the same; the eyes sent paralyzing fear through me.

I flapped my wings subconsciously, going faster and faster. I risked a glance back at the monster. It was falling behind. Its flying was anything but graceful. It seemed to stumble around and obviously hadn't flown in a while.