Chapter Four
She was being chased by a dog that she couldn't see, but the world was wrong: twisted and frightening. She was running on four paws again, but she was in a panic, terrified of something she couldn't identify with her conscious mind. Maybe she was only scared of herself. She was sprinting along the street on all fours but she was wrong. Her run was more of a gait, glancing at a shop window as she sped past she caught sight of a twisted creature; part fox, part human, part bear. It was some awful combination of creatures and she howled in terror.
The dog chased her down, she couldn't outrun it, she found herself backed up a dark alley. She turned to face it as it prowled slowly towards her. It wasn't a dog, it was a sleek fox, shrouded in darkness, but for those yellow eyes. Suddenly she was not afraid. His eyes were soft, familiar and so comforting. Then just as she relaxed enough to feel her horrific form shifting into something more human, the fox shuddered and twisted before her and disappeared. In his place was a huge cobra. It launched itself at her and bit her arm.
Searing pain woke her and she leapt out of bed and went straight to the window, searching for her guardian, but he was nowhere to be seen. Staring out of the window at the empty street her arm gave a twinge. She looked down at it, eerie in the orange street light and saw wet blood glistening on her skin. With a small cry she dashed to the bathroom and ran cold water over her arm. The blood ran off down the drain and she watched as strange marks were revealed.
Scared, she went back to bed, wrapping a cloth around her arm and wincing with pain. She told herself that she had grabbed her arm while she was sleeping and that her finger nails had left those marks. But she didn't really believe it and she lay awake, afraid to close her eyes.
11th November
Ariana woke with a start. She had fallen asleep despite herself but still felt shaken. It was just beginning to get light outside, and the dull light was enough to see by. She looked carefully at her arm. Clear as day were fresh puncture marks on her skin, not deep, it had only been a nip by the looks of it and they were healing cleanly and remarkably quickly. She tossed the bloody cloth that she had wrapped her arm in into the laundry and paced her room. She searched her memory for something, some tangible explanation. She couldn't remember leaving her flat in the night, the fox definitely hadn't bitten her in the alley and the marks on her arm were clearly not the bite marks of any kind of dog. They were two neat puncture marks from a snake. She had to make sense of it all. The nightmare still felt as vivid as it had when she was in it and when she looked at her hands they were shaking.
Ariana dashed to her flat door, tried it and found that it was still locked, there was no way anyone or an animal like a fox could have followed her into her home and bitten her in her bed. But a snake could have found its way in without having to use the door. Ariana looked around her precious little flat cautiously, peering into corners and under her bed. There was no sign of a snake anywhere, but she knew it could be hiding. She collapsed, her back against the bedroom door and closed her eyes. Tears began to leak out of the corners of her eyes, she made one small effort to stop them but quickly gave into it, sobbing loudly into her hands.
She felt so confused and afraid. Vicious wolves were chasing her in the street, bold as brass, a strange man was following her almost everywhere she went, and now she was turning into some monstrous creature in her nightmares and had woken with a real snake bite on her arm. How could this be happening? Was she going insane?
Anger fired up inside her, frustration both at herself for being so self-pitying and with the lack of available answers. She was the sort of person who always needed an explanation and who was self-sufficient. She felt anger towards her so called guardian, what use had he been in her sleep?
She strode to her bedroom window and looked out. He stood there, in his usual spot, looking right at her, his clear grey eyes sharp and bright. At his heel was the fox, his yellow eyes fixed on her too.
Ariana's anger faltered as she looked down into their eyes. All in one moment, she finally consciously acknowledged the possibility that the man and the fox were one and the same; then dismissed the idea, now she had proof that they weren't. The fox looked sad and concerned for her and so deeply apologetic.
A sudden urge to go to them took hold of her, she turned from the window and dashed for the door, grabbing a rain coat on the way and shoving her feet into her running shoes. She charged down the stairs two at a time and burst out of the building into the rain. They were gone. Her eyes flew up and down the empty street, she ran across the road and into the alley opposite. A metal bin lid was spinning its final circle before landing flat with a clatter at the far end of the alley, but they were already gone; over the tall, wooden gate.
She was about to turn and go back to her house when her fierce determination asserted itself once again and she sprinted for the end of the alley. She leaped up and vaulted the gate, landing squarely in her neighbour's overgrown back yard. With just a moment's pause she followed her gut and charged for the opposite fence, climbing it quickly, if a little clumsily, and dropped down into the next street. She ran blindly for a few seconds, the street was empty, but for a passing car. It was barely daylight, people were still in their dry houses eating breakfast before greeting the wet, November morning.
With a frustrated snarl, Ariana turned and trudged back home, sticking to the streets and keeping out of her neighbours' gardens.
Why had they run from her? If they were there to protect her and were sorry about the bite then why couldn't they talk to her?
Some dark and deeply buried memory began to stir as she reached her front door. She stopped and looked at the alley and then up the street. She remembered a blackout and strange animals fighting. She reached into her memory, clawing at it, searching for the rest, but it was like a wispy thread, just too thin and too swift to grasp.
12th November
I'm taking you out tomorrow night. Wear something warm and comfortable and practical shoes! R xx
Ariana found a smile as she read the message over a few times. Something stopped her from replying, some sense of wrongness with the world that made her want to hide away from it. She looked out of her window at the empty street. Had they abandoned her? They hadn't returned.
All the way to work that afternoon she looked around for a sign of either the man or the fox, but found none. Throughout her classes she was distracted and foggy, half remembered images of an inky blackness troubled the back of her mind.
Her last class of the day was a private lesson in Banshay and she went to fetch her precious swords from her locker in the staff room. The other instructor had finished and cleared out, but she could hear her manager, Ron, talking on the phone in his office. As she slid the dha out of their case, Ariana felt the steel humming within their scabbards. Ariana took the swords through to the small studio and unsheathed one of them. Running her fingers gently along the blade, she felt at peace.
Closing her eyes, Ariana lifted the sword and slowly passed it across her body, under her arm and back again. She repeated the move a little quicker and gradually picked up the pace, moving around in a circle as she twisted and spun the blade ever closer to her body. It became a dance, one she knew well.
Ariana felt energised and cleansed. She sheathed her dha again, ready for her student and pulled out her phone, quickly she punched in a reply.
Sounds intriguing. Looking forward to it :) xx
13th November
Boots on and coat zipped up, Ariana was ready at 7.30pm exactly when her doorbell rang. She ran down the stairs and flung open the door to greet Rhys. They grinned at each other for a moment before he drew her into a warm embrace, kissing her cheek.
'Hi,' she breathed in his ear, butterflies soaring through her stomach and up into her throat.
Rhys stepped back and gave her a quizzical look before gesturing to his sleek, black car behind him. Ariana locked her front door and allowed him to open the passenger door for her. He look
ed at her curiously again as he closed the door and Ariana felt a tug at her gut. She shrugged off the strange feeling and smiled at him as he slid into the drivers seat next to her. He smiled back and started the engine.
'I have something to show you.'
'Okay,' she replied slowly. She noted his heavy combat trousers tucked into big boots and his thick, hooded sweatshirt. This was no ordinary date.
He drove quickly across St. Marks, through a particularly rough neighbourhood a few blocks from her flat. Ariana tensed up in her seat and watched Rhys carefully, intrigued and a little nervous. The deserted, industrial streets gave way to wide, leafy avenues as they entered Crossway, one of the wealthier parts of the city. The houses here were large, terraced town houses, boasting elevated positions back from the road and cars much like Rhys's sat outside each house. Tall trees lined the road, their roots beginning to burst up out of the grey concrete.
On they went, out into the beautiful suburb of Fenwick. Once a separate village, Fenwick had retained its unique identity as the city of Caerton had sprawled east to meet it. It was a very green part of the city, with several large parks and wide streets lined with old trees. It was a very affluent area, with large detached houses behind electric gates and high walls. It was right on the eastern edge of the city and backed onto large woodlands. There was only one major road through Fenwick which passed right through it and out of the city, all other roads ended before the woods, which gave it the feeling of being nestled and protected by the ancient trees.
Fenwick sat higher than most of Caerton and Rhys drove them to the topmost hill and parked up by the side of the road. The forest lay ahead of them, there were no houses in sight and it was with a growing sense of apprehension that Ariana got out of the car.
It was a clear night and very cold, but Ariana was thankful for a break in the near constant rain and she looked up at the crystal clear stars above. Rhys appeared by her side and switched on a torch, which he shone at his own face and grinned.
'Have you ever been up here before?'
Ariana shook her head in reply and Rhys's face lit up with glee.
'You are going to love this.' He took her hand so tenderly and gave it a firm squeeze before dragging her at a brisk walk towards the trees and then bearing north through the forest.
They walked in silence for a minute, Ariana was watching the ground where Rhys shone the light and picked her way carefully along the roughly trodden path. She kept pace with Rhys but it was clear that his enthusiasm was getting the better of him, as he was almost breaking into a jog, navigating the rough terrain with expertise.
Suddenly they came to the edge of the forest and Ariana stopped abruptly, her breath catching in her throat. They stood at the top of a high cliff, Caerton spread beneath them as far as the eye could see. It shone brightly in the night, lit up by a million multi-coloured lights. Ariana gasped.
'It's incredible,' she whispered. 'Obviously, I knew the city was big, but to see it like this,' she tailed off, lost for words.
'I know. The first time I came up here I couldn't believe my eyes. Below us there is Burnside and the city centre,' Rhys stood behind Ariana and wrapped one arm around her, pointing down into the city with the other. 'We're facing west. In summer the sunsets from here are just breathtaking. There's your neighbourhood, St. Mark's and there's Redfield.'
'Oh look,' Ariana interrupted, 'the Telecoms tower, there!' She pointed out the tall tower with its red light blinking at the top, it lay in the heart of St. Mark's, not far from where Ben lived. Beyond the familiar St. Mark's was the river, winding right across the city. It flowed from some place inland, through the city centre and out to the docks in the north. Finally spilling into the estuary with all of the detritus that it had picked up on its course. 'I can see the river too.' She grinned back at Rhys and he returned her smile.
Ariana nudged her nose up to his and felt him draw in for a kiss. Their lips met and she twisted in his arms to face him. The kiss was deep and dizzying and when Rhys pulled back Ariana took a clumsy step forward. He caught her easily and set her on her feet. Ariana felt her cheeks redden and didn't want to look straight up at him, but there was something unsettling that dragged her eyes up. She felt physically sick, the dizziness wasn't just from the kiss, her head was pounding and she saw spots before her eyes.
'Are you okay?' Rhys put a gentle hand on her arm and she leaned into him for support.
'Sorry, I'm not feeling well all of a sudden.' She turned and looked up at the sky. The stars blinked and the slip of a waning crescent moon wasn't enough to shine any light on her tonight. Her stomach lurched and she clamped a hand over her mouth, but nothing happened, the wave of nausea began to subside.
Rhys held her by the arm and rubbed her back gently.
'I'll take you home,' he whispered.
Rhys guided her carefully back to the car. They sat in silence on the drive back, Ariana rested her head against the cold glass of the window and kept her eyes closed to keep the dizziness and nausea at bay.
When they arrived at her home, Ariana could hardly move her legs, they felt so dull and heavy. Without a word, Rhys lifted her from the car and carried her easily to the door. She fumbled for the keys in the pocket of her jeans. As she passed them to him her arm ached and she began to feel sick again. She clung tightly to him as he carried her inside and up the stairs to her flat. Her vision was blurred and she closed her eyes again, when she opened them he was lying her on her bed. He took her boots off her feet and sat down on the floor next to her, holding her hand. She tried to squeeze his hand, but wasn't sure whether she had managed it or not.
Her eyes slowly closed. She saw the fox with amber eyes watching her, until a slick, black nothing slid over him and engulfed her too.
14th November
The fog was lifting, Ariana's mouth felt dry and her throat ached, her head was heavy and when she tried to lift her hand to her face that felt heavy too. Her eyes opened slowly. It was daylight, but only just, and her eyelids flickered closed against the light. A quick movement next to her gave her cause to try again to open her eyes, with a little more success.
'You're awake.' The voice was barely above a whisper, mercifully.
'Meh,' she managed to whimper and she rolled onto her side. Her eyes focused on Ben by her side and confusion set in.
'Rhys called me this morning, I've been here for about an hour. He had to work.' Ben settled down on the bed next to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 'How are you feeling?'
'Like death,' she croaked.
Ben held out a sports bottle and she shuffled nearer to take a sip. The water was cold and soothing. Gradually, Ariana felt able to sit up and Ben passed over her phone.
'You got a message about ten minutes ago.'
Ariana took the phone and opened her messages.
Hi. How are you feeling? I hope Ben is taking care of you. I'm sorry I couldn't stay. Keep in touch and I hope to see you when you're feeling better xx
Ariana put her phone aside, she would reply later, when she had some progress to report.
'Why didn't you have to be at work?' she asked Ben.
'I'm half there,' he smiled and pointed through her open bedroom door to his laptop on the table in the living room.
Over the course of the day Ben helped her to eat and drink and even take a shower. As he helped her get undressed he saw the bandage on her arm and gave her an enquiring look.
'Oh it's nothing,' she lied. 'I burned myself on a pan making chilli.' He seemed to believe her and when she gingerly unwrapped the bandage alone in the bathroom she found that the fang marks were almost healed, silvery scars remained and a little redness, but nothing too noticeable.
The shower helped clear her head and by the evening she felt almost normal, but with that lingering fatigue of a bad flu.
'You should head home. You've been great today, nursing me back to health, but I think I'll be okay,' she insisted.
'Are you sure? It real
ly is no problem for me to stay.'
'Really. I can always call you if I change my mind,'
He nodded sympathetically and took his time leaving, somewhat reluctantly.
Ariana went to her window and watched him go. There was no sign of her guardian angel or the fox and she felt a deep longing for one or both of them. She couldn't explain the feeling, but she knew she needed them nearby, she wanted to talk to them, certain that they could explain to her why she kept falling ill and recovering again so frequently. She had no one that she could talk to about all of the strange things she had seen and experienced, even Ben wouldn't understand it if she told him that her stalker had turned out to be her body guard or that she had been saved from a pack of wild wolves by the odd couple of the wolf and fox. She hardly believed it herself.
Ariana looked at her phone and thought carefully about how to reply to Rhys. She felt deeply embarrassed about being taken so ill on their date. She wished she could give him some concrete explanation, but as she had none herself there was nothing she could offer him.
Hi. I'm feeling a bit better, thanks. Thank you for bringing me home and getting Ben to come over, I really appreciate it. Assuming I'm at full strength at the weekend, maybe we could try that date again then? Xx
She hit the send button and tossed her phone down on the bedside table. She lay down and drifted quickly into a restless sleep.
He came to her out of the shadows, he circled her, his amber eyes fixed on her, unblinking. She looked up at the black sky and could see clouds rushing overhead. As they parted the full moon shone brightly over her and illuminated the trees around her. The trees shifted into tall buildings and span around her in a confusing blur. They twisted and became crooked old things with broken windows and crumbling walls. The city turned to ruins all around her and then she was among the trees again. She looked up and the moon was changing rapidly before her eyes, waning from full to half, quickly shrinking to a crescent and then it disappeared. The new moon was black and she could no longer see the trees. Her body began to shake violently and when she held out her arms they were monstrous, with huge claws jutting out from thick fur. She screamed, but the noise that came out was a hideous howl.
Ariana woke with a start, sweating and shaking. She looked at her hands, but they were fine; totally normal and human. Tears were streaking down her face and she couldn't stop trembling. She knew these were not just nightmares. They were connected to the strange animals, that nagging memory that she couldn't quite place and the mysterious bite on her arm. It was all too real and she finally acknowledged to herself that she was deeply afraid of what she was changing into.