Chapter 5

I woke up in my bed from the noise that was downstairs, someone was talking loudly. I was almost sure I heard my dad but I couldn’t make out what he was talking about.

Last night I didn’t see my family because I came home especially late to make sure everyone was sleeping.

The noise kept coming and I decided to quickly get dressed and walk downstairs to see what’s going on because it was still early. They were never this loud.

I looked to where Magdalena’s room was and the doors were left open but she wasn’t there, something didn’t seem right. I looked at the clock in her room. It was too early. Magdalena was an early bird but she always took her time to get ready.

I walked down the stairs to where the voices were coming from. “They betrayed us!” My dad yelled angrily. “Attacked us when we least expected, but now everyone will know what kind of pack they are.” His fist banged on the table. I looked in from the doorway. He had three stitches on his forehead.

I entered the living room. Magdalena and mom looked at me. “What happened?” I asked them.

“Alpha woke every fighter at 5 in the morning through mind link and announced that Blue Moon’s pack attacked.” My mom explained and then dad joined in.

“We were about to make allies with them, Alpha trusted them we were trusting them with our resources.” Dad was furious. And I understood why. Blue Moon’s pack seemed like a good pack to make allies with, because they were strong and other packs could say only well about them.

“What did they want?” I asked.

“They wanted to kill Alpha and take this pack, but we weren’t going to give up and they left.” He explained and I was positive that that information would be announced to other packs and all ties would be cut from them.

“I am so glad you got home in time, as soon as Bernard explained to me what was happening I prayed to the Moon goddess that you came home in time,” mom came closer to me and took me in a tight hug. “I don’t know what I would do if they did something to you.”

“Is dad okay?” I asked mom because I wasn’t sure if he was in a talking mood or not. But dad eyed me.

“I’m okay.” He answered this time in a quiet and steady voice.

I broke off from moms hug nearing him. “And others? Are many hurt?” I asked.

“Sadly many were hurt, and some are still fighting for their lives,” dad said looking down.

“I’ll go to the hospital,” I said.

Father stopped me latching on to my hand. “It’s a horrible sight, Meredith,” he warned me. “You have not seen wounds like that.”

I nodded and took up his hand and kissed it. “They need help.”

I looked at Magdalena who was crying sitting next to mom. She looked terrified. She wasn’t ready to handle death like that. She stood up and I noticed she wanted to follow me. I stopped her, put my hand on her shoulders. “Stay.” I said and she instantly wanted to argue. “It’s okay. If there will be something for you, I’ll come for you. Okay?” I asked and she nodded letting out exhausting breath. She wanted to do the right thing and help but she herself knew she wouldn’t; be able to handle it.

I got ready as fast as I could and half ran to the hospital. I may not be a doctor or a healer, but I was sure that anyone willing to help would be given something to do. I didn’t like blood but I could handle it.

I was only at the entrance when I heard someone screaming in agonizing pain. I slowly pushed the doors open and was struck with a metal smell in my nose. I looked around taking my steps carefully, firstly inspecting my surroundings.

Many women were crying leaned against the wall, sitting on the ground. It was heartbreaking to see. I saw many bloodied warriors sleeping on beds with only a small curtain diving them all. Some were sitting down with their heads in their hands. I noticed one of the pack doctors and hurried up to him. “what can I do to help?” I asked.

He eyed me and right after recognizing me he answered. “Bring some gloves, cotton pads, bandages and wolfsbane cream from the storage.” I didn’t waste time and quickly ran to the storage room to the basement. Entering I found a basket and picked it up, I started looking for the needed items. I put bandages in the box, then gloves and cotton pads. I filled the basket full but I couldn’t find wolfsbane cream.

“where is it.” I said to myself frustrated while I looked through all the things that were here, it would be helpful if I actually knew what the container looked like. I had never seen it. And it seemed scary to even use wolfsbane in cream because wolfsbane kills werewolves but if it’s made right, only then it can benefit and heal.

I pushed everything aside, looking through all the containers and reading the labels.

“Looking for something?” someone asked me in a deep male voice, I looked back but the person was behind the shelves and I couldn’t identify him and it was very bad lighting.

“I need wolfsbane cream but I don’t know where it is,” I said, still shuffling through all the boxes. “I’m not even sure I know what to look for.”

“Found it,” a person said from completely other side. Great! I wasn’t even close. I turned around picking up the basket in my hands. It barely stayed in my hold when I saw the person holding the cream. The basket slipped out of one of my hands but I managed to support it with my knee so it didn’t fall.

It was the same man who was at Vincent’s home yesterday. He looked even more haunting in dimly lit light.

The man waved the container of cream in his hand. “Are you going to take it or…?” he asked, hiding his smirk. I couldn’t move and then out of nowhere he threw the cream container in my basket making me stumble back in the shelf. I felt my heart beating in my chest.

He walked closer to me and I was trapped, behind me was a shelf and in front of me that man. “It almost looks like you don’t want to see me?” He mocked me.

I was thankful for the basket I was holding. That was the exact distance he had from me. Not even stretched arm distance. He was a lot taller than me, looking down on me. He put his hand on the shelf next to my head resting his weight.

“What…what do you want?” I asked him clearing my throat from the stutter.

“I just want to be friends with you,” he said, smirking. His other hand slowly reached up to my face. Only an inch apart I managed to get my senses.

“Don’t!” I warned him.

His hand froze midair. I was surprised that he listened. He was looking straight in my eyes. I wanted to look away, really wanted to, but I couldn’t bring myself to.

“What do you want?” I asked. I was done trying to hide my fear. I didn’t care how little I might have sounded.

“Humor me, Love. If you had the chance to choose. Where would you like me to take your soul?” he asked me. “Or if you think this might be an inappropriate question. I really look forward to sitting down with you and learning more about your insight on death.” I wanted to believe he couldn’t possibly kill me here because people would know that he was here with me.

I felt my knees shaking. He somehow managed to get closer to me. “I will scream if you come any closer!” I warned him.

His expression changed to be serious. “I have no intention of hurting you. I just find everyone who hates me amusing.” he said, his face stone cold serious. “As if hating or loving me will make me any different.”

“Why do you think I hate you?” I asked in a shaky voice. I didn’t even know him and I didn’t know why he was terrorizing me. He tried to rest his other hand on the other side of the shelf. I said loudly. “I will scream!”

“Go ahead!” He challenged me. “They will just think you are crazy, because no one can see me,” he said and shifted to the side, freeing me to walk out. I finally had a chance to get out and I half ran upstairs, but he kept following me. “You can run but in the end no one gets away.” he said as I fastened my pace.

I walked up to the hallway, I heard the man still following behind me.

I noticed Jasper walking towards me, he must have noticed my scared face. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said. I thought I might have.

“He’s following me!” I said and pointed to that man that was now standing there expressionless. His hands in his pockets. He wasn’t even looking at Jasper. His eyes only on me.

Jasper looked to where I was pointing. “Who’s following you?” he asked concerned. I felt a tear slip out of my eye as I looked from Jasper to that man.

“You can’t see him?” I asked with my voice breaking.

“There’s no one there,” he said and took the basket from me. Almost breaking it away as I had my hand clenched in it. “I will get this to the doctor and please go home and rest, this thing with Vincent and now this…” he threw his hand around. “Is messing with your head. Do I need to walk you home?” He asked me.

I whipped my tears away and smiled at him. “I’m okay.” I told him. Yet he didn’t look convinced. “I’m sorry… I don’t know what I am talking about. I haven’t slept and there’s a lot…” I lied.

“Maybe you should talk with the doctor someday, he could suggest you some kind of pills for the night,” he said. “Some natural remedies can do wonders.”

I nodded, “I will.”

He smiled at me. “Take care!” He said and walked away. Leaving me alone with him.

I felt my tears streaming down my face now that he was gone but I didn’t do anything about it. I couldn’t care less about how I looked right now. I slowly turned around and he was still standing there, only now he was more serious looking and he looked me right in my eyes. I took slow steps towards him. For the first time I was the one who willingly approached him. He remained at his place with his chin raised up and his eyes squinted.

“I am actually crazy. You are not real,” I exclaimed. I was trying to convince myself.

The man shook his head. “I’m real, you’re just not supposed to see me,” he said to me. Was it possible that I heard sympathy in his voice?

It took time for me to answer because I felt my throat almost closing. “Why … Why can I see you then? If I…I am not supposed to see you… why can I?” I felt weak, like I was about to break. Or just confused. Like I was a child and didn’t understand anything.

“I don’t know,” he answered.

“Then…then what….what are you?” I asked in the hope that this time he would answer without jokes.

His eyes roamed around and only after a while he answered. “Death,” he said, but I didn’t get it.

“What?” I asked. Did I hear him wrong?

“I am Death,” he said again.

“Death is not a person,” I pointed out to him, it couldn’t be that he was actually Death.

He took something out of his pocket letting his eyes down from mine for the first time. He was now holding a golden pocket watch in his hands and he looked back at me. “Someone’s time is ending here,” he said but I didn’t know what it meant. At least I couldn’t make out what he meant by it. He was holding an old pocket watch.

”Follow me,” he said and started walking towards all the injured fighters. I didn’t even argue, followed right away.

He walked to the main hall where everyone was still being treated, he passed many people but no one gave him a single glance, no one could see him. He walked up to some bed where Cameron, one of the fighters, slept. He gave me one last glance and out of his pocket he picked out a clear jar like container. He held the watch up and I saw that suddenly it stopped. It seemed fine before.

Death leaned closer to Cameron and opened the jar and held it up his chest, like waiting for something. After a while he straightened his posture and closed the lid. At first it looked like an empty jar, but then the color in it started to change and it turned slightly gray inside. Death walked a little to the side and someone walked up to Cameron’s body.

“He doesn’t have a pulse,” some man said and the doctor ran up to check and he nodded in a sad glance. He pulled up a cover over his face.

“Time of death, 8: 31 a.m.” the doctor said.

I noticed that Death was watching me. The watch was still in his hold reading 8:31 a.m.

I couldn’t hear my own thoughts but suddenly my breath became extremely loud. My heart beat increased. I looked around colored light washed around my eyes. I looked at Death from my vision barely recognizing him.

I couldn’t stand anymore. I rested my hand on a stroller shelf but the break wasn’t put on and it couldn’t support me. I made my way down. I was ready to feel my head banging the floor but it didn’t.

Rather I saw Death standing over me. His palm under my head. Sheltering from the tiled floor. His eyes didn’t show concern or care. They didn’t show anything, he just stared into my eyes.

Then someone walked up to me. I couldn’t make up who it was. My vision went out…