The Lingering Smell
My head hurts bad.
It felt like something big and scary had just happened.
I could only remember bits and pieces.
A growl. Sharp teeth. Feeling super hungry.
Elara. Her smell was still in the air.
A sweet smell mixed with a metal smell.
It made my stomach feel sick.
Her smell reminded me of what happened. It hurt.
I could also smell her fear.
It was like a ghost smell in the air. Did I do that? No way.
But the scary feeling I had, the strong need I felt… it made me think bad things.
My heart beat super fast.
Like a bird trying to get out of a cage. I felt so bad.
What did I do? What am I now? The forest used to make me feel safe.
Now it felt scary. The shadows seemed alive.
Maybe I was the scary thing now.
I stood up. My legs felt wobbly.
Everything felt too loud.
The leaves move, a stick breaking far away.
It all sounded like danger.
My eyes felt like they could see everything super clear.
It was too much.
Elara. I had to find her.
I needed to know if she was… if I hurt her.
Just thinking about it made me want to throw up.
I walked through the bushes. Her smell pulled me.
It was like a bad map leading me to something I didn't want to see.
The ground was messed up.
Broken branches and leaves everywhere. Someone ran.
Was it me? Or her?
A low growl came from my chest.
It scared me. It wasn't a human sound.
My body shook. I felt cold and scared.
I had to get away. Away from her. Away from myself.
That strong, hungry feeling was still inside me. Like a snake ready to bite.
But Elara… thinking about her smile, her warm hand… it helped me not fall apart.
I kept walking. Her smell got stronger.
I saw a small piece of blue cloth stuck in a sharp bush.
Her favorite scarf.
I couldn't breathe. She was here.
Just now? Was she hurt?
Hiding? Running? Because of me?
I started to panic. My ears buzzed.
I had to see her. I needed to know she was okay. Even if she hated me.
Even if she was scared of me. I deserved it.
The trees opened up to a small space.
And there she was. Elara. She was sitting under a big tree.
Her face was white, and she had tears on her cheeks. I felt so relieved.
But then I felt super scared again.
Her eyes got big when she saw me.
And in her eyes, I saw fear. Just fear.
She moved back, touching the tree.
Her hands went up like she was trying to stop me.
"Stay away from me," she whispered. Her voice shook.
Every word felt like a stab. She knew.
She remembered. Of course, she did. I attacked her.
I remembered sharp teeth, claws, and being so hungry.
"Elara," I said. My voice was rough. "I… I didn't mean to…"
She jumped at my voice.
Her eyes looked all around like she wanted to run.
"Don't come near me," she said again.
Her voice was stronger now, but still scared.
It made me feel so cold.
I took a step closer.
I needed to tell her, to say sorry, to beg her to forgive me.
But the way she looked at me stopped me.
It was how you look at a dangerous animal.
"Please, Elara," I said. My voice broke. "I would never… I don't know what happened."
She kept looking at me. Her eyes didn't move.
"I saw you, Liam. I saw what you became."
Her words hung in the air.
They were heavy and true. I couldn't say it didn't happen.
She saw the monster.
And now she saw it in me, even though I looked like a human again.
I felt so hopeless. I lost her. I lost everything.
The guilt felt like a weight on my chest. It was hard to breathe.
She had every right to be scared of me.
She had every right to hate me.
But then, her face changed a little.
The fear was still there, but I saw something else.
Was it confusion or sadness?
"Liam?" she whispered. Her voice was quiet.
"Your eyes… they look different."
I couldn't breathe. My eyes? I didn't even think about them.
I touched my face. It felt normal. Human.
"What do you mean?" I asked. My voice shook.
She looked at me hard. Her eyebrows went up.
"They're… gold. Like… like a wolf's eyes."
I felt so cold. Gold? My eyes were always brown. This couldn't be real.
What happened… it didn't just go away. It changed me. Forever.
Even when I looked human, the monster was still part of me.
I started to panic again.
It felt even worse than before.
What was happening to me? I was stuck in between.
Not fully human, not fully that scary thing.
I took a step back. Away from Elara.
Away from her scared eyes.
I was dangerous to her.
A monster wearing a human face.
"Liam, wait," she said.
Her voice was softer now.
She sounded a little curious.
But I couldn't stay.
I couldn't risk hurting her again.
I turned and ran.
I ran through the trees.
I could hear her calling my name softly behind me.
The forest used to be my safe place. Now it felt like a trap.
And I was trapped inside with a monster I didn't understand.
A monster that was now me.
Elara's smell wasn't just a reminder of what I did.
It pulled me, reminding me of what I lost and what I became.
And as I ran, I felt something else changing.
A small shift in my bones, my muscles getting tighter.
Something was happening to me.
Something I couldn't stop.