Melissa woke hours later, wires tugging at her skin, machines humming around her. Brandon and Keren sat vigil at her side.
"Where is Ryan?"
Both friends jolted upright. Brandon half-rose. "Get the doctor—"
"Where is Ryan?" Melissa groaned, pain twisting her voice.
Keren remained quiet, her eyes downcast.
What happened to my son? Is he okay?" Melissa sensing that something was undoubtedly wrong. Her breath quickened, panic clawing at her chest.
Keren hesitated, voice trembling. "Melissa, I don't think it will help you in this state—"
"It's my son!" Melissa's cry broke into coughing, her hand clutching her chest. Tears streamed unchecked.
"Please, Keren… tell me."
Keren swallowed hard. "He wasn't found at the crash site. Only scraps of his clothes… and—"
"And what?" Melissa's voice cracked, rising to a near scream.
Keren faltered. "Blood. Deeper in the forest. The police… they believe hyenas may have taken him."
Melissa froze. She stopped crying instantly and fixed her friend with a long, hollow stare. The shade of her soul seemed to shift; her beautiful dark eyes, once ringed with orange, turned a void-like black. Her left cheek twitched, and the sound of her grinding teeth drowned out the frantic beeping of the heart monitor. She suddenly grabbed Keren's hand, squeezing it with unearthly strength, and whispered
"She is back. She has him."
She seized Keren's hand, pulled her closer and whispeed through clenched teeth.
"She is back. She has him."
Immediately, a nurse barged into the room, needle in hand, and pressed it into Melissa's neck.
"Thank you," Keren exhaled, trembling and watched as her friend fell into a deep, drugged slumber
---
Ryan woke to the sound of roaring waves colliding with rocks in a flooded river just a stone's throw away. Birds sang songs he had not heard in a long time. Crickets, hoppers, and ants rummaged around his body, curious to discover the secrets of this mysterious creature in their midst.
The sky lay hidden beneath the canopy of trees; only a slight breeze drew his gaze upward to a clear blue sky, with no clouds to stain its pure nature.
"Good. You are awake." Allison's voice rose from a nearby anthill overseeing the flooded plain.
The moment Ryan realized his feet were moving again, he scrambled up with an agility that would have shamed a leopard. He dashed into the forest. Sweat mopped down his brow; his breath was ragged and shallow. His chest ached, but still he ran on, not sparing a glance behind for fear of the inevitable.
Eventually, his body gave way, and he came crashing to his knees. He quietly prayed to the gods that he had made good ground.
"I feared you would not return," Allison said, her back to him.
Fear surged into adrenaline. Ryan was up and running before Allison could utter another word. She sighed, turned, and watched as the frightened boy dashed once more into the trees—only to end up in the exact same spot.
"You will realize soon enough," Allison chuckled, stepping closer. "Your effort is useless."
Ryan pounded the earth with his fists. "What do you want from me?"
"I want you not to be afraid. I am not the monster. The monsters are out there." Her hand brushed his cheek, gentle.
Ryan's breath slowed. He sank into the dew-soaked grass, a fragile smile breaking through his exhaustion.
---
Meanwhile, Keren paced the hospital corridor, gnawing at her fingers.
"She said… she is back. Margery. She has him."
Brandon waved it off. "We've known Melissa a long time. She can be delirious."
"How do you explain Ryan's disappearance then?" Keren snapped, pacing harder.
Brandon's voice was cold. "It's possible she killed him. We all know she's capable."
Keren stopped, stunned. "How can you say that? She is our friend."
Brandon's gaze hardened. "If the boy's gone, he's gone. Wolves don't leave much behind."