The Queen and her Wolf

Chapter Twelve

     Darkness.

     I was falling.

     No.

     I was sinking.

     Drowning.

     I couldn't breathe.

     I couldn't move.

     I wanted to call out to someone.

     Anyone.

     There was no-one, and nothing.

     Just the darkness.

     No. Wrong again.

     Flashes.

     Like lightning in a dark storm, images materialised and disappeared to illuminate this strange void I was trapped in. They were too quick. I couldn't lock onto a single image for long enough to decipher what I was seeing.

     Frustration.

     Agitation.

     Fear.

     Apprehension.

     What the hell was going on? My head felt like it was on fire and trying to split itself in two. I wanted to throw up but I wasn't entirely sure I had a physical form in this strange place.

     More flashes.

     Faster and faster they came.

     Brighter and brighter the darkness became. Too bright. I tried to shield my eyes but failed.

     With the flashes came sounds. Nothing distinct. Nothing specific. It was like the rush of a river and I could discern nothing from the flow. I felt myself try to cover my ears, failing once more. What kind of torture was this? My senses were becoming frazzled, overloaded. Everything hurt. I just wanted it to stop!

     Please.

     Just.

     STOP!

     I screamed inside my mind, pushing the command out into the never ending ether, hoping beyond all hope that it would listen.

     It did.

     Everything stopped.

     There was silence now.

     The flashes had stopped too.

      There was a strange calm to the space now; I wasn't entirely sure what to think of it. Was I dreaming? Could I force myself awake? Or was I dead? Forever lost in this inconsistent void.

     A flickering in my peripheral caught my attention and, unbidden, I began to drift toward it. My wolf yearned to be set free to explore, curiosity's hooks sinking deep. I always felt safer in lupine form, so as easily as donning a cloak tailored just for me, I sank into the skin of my wolf.

     I still wasn't convinced that I had a solid form here, wherever here was, so I simply imagined I padded on all fours toward the flickering. Raising my snout I tried to scent the air.

      Nothing. I huffed a snort. No scent was very disconcerting to a wolf. If I couldn't scent anything how would I know what I was dealing with? Pricking my ears forward I carried on warily.

     Voices. I think.

     Familiar. Maybe.

     Closer.