It's a Small World

After four days of ignoring her captors, the evening sun began to set yet again. The four of them stopped in a clearing in the forest just big enough to make camp. Rhett placed the logs in the center of the clearing then stood back. Damien had unintentionally managed to break Gretchen down. She was exhausted mentally and all those heavy doors she’d put up were beginning to fall down around her.

“Can you light those Gretchen? I bet you’re a firestarter too like your dad,” said Rhett.

“I can’t do anything anymore. I lost it all when I crossed over,” said Gretchen softly as she began to accept her defeat.

“Are you shitting me?” asked Rhett.

“You’d all be dead right now if I could, believe that,” Gretchen said as she wiped the dirt from her hands.

Damien sat down beside her and said, “It will come back to you, Gretchen, you’ll see. You’re just too angry right now. Your minds not right.”

Gretchen said, “Wow, thanks Captain Obvious.”

“You should eat something,” said Damien. “You can’t keep going on like this.”

“Goddamn it Damien, stop! Just stop fucking talking to me,” said Gretchen as she covered her ears with her hands.

“Hey, hey. Stop, Gretchen. He’s trying to take care of you,” said Jason.

Gretchen pushed herself up. “All three of you can go to hell,” said Gretchen as she walked off and sat on a boulder away from the group.

Damien licked his lips then said , “She’s starting to remember.”

“What do you mean?” said Rhett.

“It’s me. I’m doing it to her. That’s why she’s so angry. She keeps trying to put up more doors against what happened and I keep opening them,” said Damien.

“Well, just stop,” said Rhett.

“I can’t,”he said then he wiped his hand across his mouth and sighed. “I shouldn’t have done this to her. In the morning, the two of you can take her on to the city. I’ll go back.”

“You sure man?” asked Rhett.

Damien scratched the stubble on his chin and then said, “Yeah, yeah. She can’t take much more of this.”


Gretchen fell asleep near the rock away from the group. When he was sure she was really out, Damien carried her back by the fire then sat up and watched over her.

“We should take shifts,” he said. “I’ll go first.”

After a few hours, Rhett sat up and said, “Alright, I got this Dame, get some sleep.”

Damien stood then said, “Right, let me go look around the perimeter. I thought I heard some noise over past that brook.”

As Damien walked off, Rhett stretched his arms and walked behind a tree to answer nature's call. Gretchen began to stir but Rhett didn’t see it. Hearing Gretchen start to moan, Jason’s eyes opened.

“Gretchen are you alright?” he asked as he pushed himself up on his elbow.

“No,” Gretchen said softly, her eyes still closed.

“Oh no, Rhett,” Jason said loudly as he sat up.

“Yeah,” Rhett answered.

“Somethings wrong,” Jason said as he crawled towards Gretchen.

She was beginning to thrash around under Damien’s cloak. “No,” she said, her voice panicked.

Jason leaned over her as Rhett came back to her side.

“No!” cried Gretchen as she grabbed her throat.

Jason put his hands on Gretchen’s arms and shook her. “Wake up Gretchen, hey, wake up.”

Gretchen's eyes suddenly open and she screamed, “No! Oh god no! Please! No!” As she pushed out of Jason’s hold, she frantically crawled backwards into the fire. Rhett lunged forward to pull her out but she wasn’t even phased by it. She pushed her way through the wood and flames then crawled to her hands and knees.

“No! No!” she screamed as she pushed herself up and began to run through the woods. Jason and Rhett followed after her as she ran and started ripping off her clothes.

“Fuck Jason, she’s going to shift,” yelled Rhett.

Just as he said it, Gretchen dropped to her knees and was instantly thrown into her wolf form.

As Rhett and Jason approached her, Damien misted to the three of them and put up his hands to the wolf. The golden brown wolf growled and showed her teeth as the moonlight reflected off her green eyes.

“Stop Gretchen. It’s alright. No ones going to hurt you. I swear,” said Damien.

Gretchen snarled as she started creeping sideways around the three men, preparing to strike.

“Don’t you fucking do it,” said Rhett as he matched her movements.

Damien stood in front of Jason and Rhett and tried to connect his mind with Gretchen’s. Glimpses of disjointed dreams and memories flashed before his eyes. “Oh, no. No. That’s not right.” Damien shook the thoughts from his vision then said, “No, Gretchen. It wasn’t me. I swear.”

Gretchen crouched down and gnashed her teeth in warning.

“Shh...” said Damien. “It’s alright. You can go. You can run. It’s ok, Gretchen, you’re free.”

Gretchen backed away slowly then turned and ran off full speed North.

“You’re not going after her?” asked Jason.

“Yes, of course, but I know where she’s going,” said Damien as he turned towards Jason and Rhett. “Go home. I’m going to get her settled then I’ll be back.”

“Alright man, good luck,” said Rhett.

Jason grabbed Gretchen’s bag and handed it to Damien then said, “Tell my parents I said hi.”

“I will,” said Damien. He strapped Gretchen's bag across his back then started walking North. Gretchen already had a good lead by then and he wanted to keep up in case she ran into any trouble.

Damien shifted to a vulture and flew through the trees searching for Gretchen. When he caught up to her, he followed alongside. The more she tried to pull away, the closer he got to her until she finally pounced on Damien and bit into him causing him to shift instantly back to man.

He spoke into her mind as she ran away from him, “Everything’s going to be alright. I’ll be right here.”

Gretchen ran all the way to the narrow path of the North Woods. Once she splashed across the creek she was met at the gates by Lord Nicholas.

The tall wizard with long black hair said , “Welcome to the North Woods Gretchen. I’m Nicholas. Your family is waiting for you.” Then, he stood aside as she ran past him.

As Nicholas watched the wolf make its way across the great hall, Damien walked to his side and said, “Hello grandfather.”

“Nice to see you Damien. I take it she’s been uncooperative,” said Nicholas as he looked over at him.

Damien huffed through his nose and said, “You could say that.”

Logan walked down the staircase and said in his loud booming voice, “There she is! There’s my little puppy dog!”

Gretchen ran to Logan and jumped up into his muscular arms. He knelt down and let the wolf lick his bushy blonde beard as he said, “It’s ok now honey. It’s ok. Uncle Logan’s got you now.”

Jacob and a very pregnant Tessa walked down the stairs and Tessa said, “Oh Gretchen, my baby, come here.” She held out her arms as Gretchen raised up on her hind legs and stood to embrace Tessa.

Logan walked to Damien and put out his hand. “It’s good to see you again Damien. Thanks for getting her here.”

Damien shook Logan’s hand then said, “She’s a bit of a mess, I'm afraid. She’s starting to remember what happened to her and she’s confused.”

“We’ll get her right,” said Logan.

Damien took Gretchen's bag off his shoulder then handed it to Logan. “Here’s her things.I’m going to stay for a day or two and make sure she’s alright.”

Logan squinted and looked over Damien. “Why?” he asked.

Damien looked over to the wolf walking away with Tessa and Jacob then said, “She’s my mate, Logan.”

Logan smirked and said, “Well isn’t this a small fucking world?”

“Yes. I guess it is,” said Damien.