Chapter 1:- Wolfen
storybook Chapter 1: Wolfen






I heard him calling my name in the distance. "Sophia! Sophia!" he called, his voice floating away with the wind. I stood stoic at the top of a cliff, eyes closed, feet pressed firmly against the edge. His voice rang through my ears again. Sophia! Sophia! Angrier this time, i heard his footsteps grow louder, faster. I let my bare feet slip across the edge, the soil and rock underneath my feet giving way. He was behind me now, running toward me like an animal spotting prey. I turned and looked into his eyes and they were furious. I saw disdain, shame and i saw disgust within them, their bright greenness sparkling in the dim moonlight. He charged, nearly jumping toward me and it was then that i leapt from the edge. I let my body tumble down towards the hard earth below, and i felt freed. I felt free from the cruel world above. free...

I could feel my body trembling as i awoke from what seemed like a long slumber with no remembrance of the happenings from before. My limbs were heavy and barely working as i tried my best to move them.

"what...what happened?" I moaned, reaching up to feel my head. It was damp, loose strands of hair plastered there. My face was clammy and cold, deathly cold. My fingers were shaking and my head was spinning, but just as before i couldn't remember a single thing.

"Ugh...is anyone there?" I called out, lifting onto my elbows and then into a sitting position as best as i could before tumbling back down like a baby dear just learning to get up after birth. From what i could feel i was lying on something warm and fibrous.

"Your awake i see," i heard a voice whisper. it came from behind me and nearly startled me to death. It sounded familiar.

"Father!" i nearly screamed, none other than fear giving me the strength to sit up and stand up. I cowered as far away from the voice as i could, mind racing and an apology forming at my lips. The voice sounded monstrous or so it did in my fearful state.

"Father? I am not your father girl," it hissed again, voice snappy and rough. I looked around, but saw nothing.

"Where...where is the voice coming from?" i asked, eyes darting in every direction until they rested on a four legged creature with deadly yellow eyes. I nearly screamed. It was a wolf!

"There is no need to panic girl. I will not harm you," it said, slowly walking toward me. I pressed my body close to the very hard base of the mountain. It was a talking wolf!

"You are...a talking wolf. How is that possible?" i asked, body still as if i had been encased in stone right then. The wolf pounced onto a nearby rock formation and sat. Then it slowly, right before my eyes, began to change, growing legs, arms and a torso. He was changing into a human! A human with long black hair and the most beautiful green eyes i had ever seen, but his skin was pale and dappled with scars.

"I figured there was no point in scaring you later. Might as well show you my true form now to spare myself the drama," he said, sitting proudly. I was still as tense as stone and unmoving.

"How...how are you...like that," i said, growing curious enough to relax my fearful bones.

"I am a wolfen. I am a wolf and a human together as one. Dont be so frightened girl. I have no intention of eating you," he said, smiling cruelly. he seemed friendly but there was a darkness barely evident in his eyes and in his voice. i trembled with excitement. I had never been in the presence of such a wonder, such a creature! I didnt think such a thing existed.

"I've never heard of such. Where do you come from?" i asked. He leapt from the rock and climbed above me like some sort of...well wolf.

"You ask too many questions girl," he said, finally touching ground. His feet were bare and unclean.

"Well why am i here? How did i get here?" i asked, still unknowing of how i could have gotten here in the first place.

"You jumped from the mountainside you crazy girl. I had no choice but to save you from utter demise. What were you doing up there anyway? This is no place for girls such as yourself." he said, staring into my eyes. I turned away. His look reminded me of...

"My father...he was chasing me and...

"And what? You decided to jump from a mountain and nearly kill yourself," he said. I guess...i guess that was the case. No...no it couldn't be!

"No...no it cant be that simple. There had to have been a reason for me to jump. I just cant remember what that reason is," I said, thinking hard on the situation. I still wasn't sure of what happened, but a feeling in my stomach let me know that i soon would.

"What do you plan to do now girl?" he asked.

"I dont know....but i do know that i cannot go back to wherever i came from. There is a reason why i cant. I just dont remember yet," i said, letting my body fall to the ground. I sat where i landed still in deep thought.

"Well girl i suggest you find a place before sundown. It isnt safe around here. Not every wolfen is like me," he said, bowing down before me. Before i knew it his body was changing again, arms and legs growing shorter, torso elongating. He turned to me.

"Go back home," he said, before running off into the woods. I didnt even get to utter a thank you before he had already disappeared, only a trail of dust now airborn signifying his having been here.

What was i to do now? I was all alone and in a strange place. I didnt know where i was and i didnt have a way to find out.

"I'm going to die here..." i whispered, feeling the last bit of sunlight grace my flesh and then disappear along with that wolf creature. Daylight was vanishing quickly and i was growing more and more fearful of what lied deep within those woods. I took heed to the wolfs warnings before he left and now all i could do was wait out the night. I wanted to stay put afraid that if i didn't i'd get lost.

i couldn't help but to ponder over the situation once again. I just wished my memory hadnt retreated from me so suddenly. I guess when i jumped from the mountain i sustained some sort of head injury.

I reached up and sure enough there was a large knot on the back of my head still bleeding slightly. I was surprised there wasnt any more damage seeing as how i had jumped from such a high point.

As it grew darker the air grew colder and the woods began to liven as the night creatures awoke from their slumber. It was almost as if the woods itself had began to awaken, but i found myself growing quite tired.

I was too afraid to sleep and yet too sleepy to stay awake. I couldnt believe that wolf creature just left me here to fend for myself and although he did save me from and inevitable death it would all be in vain if i died now.

"What am i to do?" i whispered, laying my head back to rest. it felt like i had been sitting there for days when it had only been hours and i didnt move and inch since i awoke there. I figured that if i stayed in the same place i wouldnt have to worry about getting lost or being eaten by some sort of ravenous creature, but that thought wasnt entirely true.

soon after i had made the assumption, there was a loud rustle in the woods nearby. I froze and turned in the direction of the noise, but i didnt see anything. It was much too dark.

"Hello?" I called silently. What irony?

The rustling noise stopped suddenly which gave way to the sounds of small footsteps. I couldnt help but to think it was more of those wolfen creatures.

All around me dozens of glowing eyes appeared here and there and they seemed to be surrounding me. I was warned about this and now it was too late. They were going to rip me to shreds.

"Oh look what we have here. Fresh meat," the creature hissed, coming forward from the rest of the pack, his body seeming to materialize from the shadows. It had long brown fur and long legs that were very good for running i presumed. i stayed put and tried to examine the situation.

"i dont want any trouble!" i yelled, looking back and forth at all the eyes glaring at me.

"Doesnt want any trouble she says. How cute," another wolf uttered. It appeared at my far right looking poised to attack. I stood up, back firmly pressed against the base of the mountain causing small pebbles to tumble down onto my shoulders and head. I dusted the debris off hurriedly and stood my ground. If they were to attack i was surely a goner but i didn't want to seem too intimidated. i heard that carnivorous animals could sense fear and based their actions off of it.

"Are you going to eat me?" i asked, fully aware of the stupidity of my question. They were wolves and wolves ate people for a living.

"Eat you? Why ofcourse not. We want to only have fun with you," it said, pouncing rather close to me as i cowered. They all began closing in, pouncing and prancing out of the shadows, the tall and the small, long fur and short fur. i shut my eyes just to make sure this wasnt all a dream and that in reality almost a dozen hungry wolves werent about to devour me.

"Get away from the girl," i heard a voice yell. The wolfen from before crept out of the trees, growling deviantly at all the other wolves.

"Why should we Elliot. Is she yours?" The brown wolf said, eyes fixed on me. Its long pink tongue lashed out and curled up before retracting back into its mouth.

"She is. Now step away. We do not bother humans Jasper...you know that," Elliot said, running to stand proudly in front of me. I could almost rejoice.

"Fine...if that is what you wish," Jasper said, backing away. "But be warned...you cant protect her forever. Its winter and animals are becoming scarce. we have to resort to OTHER means."

"Until then we leave her alone," Elliot said, returning to his human form.

The other wolves hissed loudly before retreating back to the darkened woods. Jasper looked back with a last bit of defiance shining brightly in his dark, menacing eyes, but continued with the rest of the pack.

"I thought i told you to leave here girl!" Elliot yelled, banging each of his fist on either side of my head, causing the mountain to crumble more and cover the both of us with debris.

"Where am i to go? These woods are foreign to me," i said, trying to cower away more from his angry glare, but i was trapped on either side.

"Go back from whence you came girl. There is nothing for you here except death," he said, leaning forward slightly. "Your smell will attract many more wolfen if you continue to stay here."

"I have nowhere to go...." i whispered, looking away. Sadly i couldnt remember where i belonged and for some reason i didnt want to go back even if i could. I had left for a reason.

Elliot sighed and turned away as if he was going to leave me there again. He kicked up some dirt on the ground crossly before turning to me once more.

"Come with me..." he said, returning to his wolf form. I follwed him into the woods.