Chapter One
The heavy beige make a loud SPLAT as it landed on the hard wood surface of the small coffee table before Savannah. The impish psychologist had been hoping to make her jump but the most Savannah had done was look across at her.

Dr. Barbara June wasn’t as intimidating she wanted to be. She stood on the other side of the coffee table, peering down at Savannah in her chair. Her hands on her hips, she spelled out the one word Savannah hated the most.

“A-M-N-E-S-I-A-C.”

The brunette paused, and watched Savannah, looking for some wanted reaction. The only reaction she was getting was impatience. You know how to spell. Congratulations. Savannah’s polished black nails tapped on the coffee colored leather chair.

Dr. June was pixie tall and therefore trying to act like she was taller than she was didn’t really intimidate anyone. Even in the snappy business skirt and blazer, it didn’t really do anything much to incite fear.

“Do you know the meaning of the word?” Savannah wondered if she stood, would she made that cocky Doctor jump under the patients couch and tremble like a puppy? Savannah glared and opened her mouth, her words made meaningless as the doctor jumped in with her own. “Of course you do. You have a superior IQ.”

“Then why did you ask?

Ignoring the question, the Doctor continued speaking, “You’re a straight A student but yet you start fights that could lead to your expulsion.” She swung around as she spoke, moving her hand to her jaw and to her hips, carefully. Savananh scowled at the woman as she realized that every movement she made looked rehearsed. It was if she wasn’t the doctor but trying to be an actor.

Well, we are in California.

“They won’t expel me; it’s nearly June.” Savannah glared at the paused brunette who stood with her hands on her hips in front of the long couch with the same upholstery as the chair in which Savannah sat. “Besides, I don’t start fights. I end them; which seems to be the only part of the fight that the system cares for.”

Dr. June’s brows pressed together, knitting almost perfectly into a uni-brow as she leaned forward, her hands still perfectly placed on her sides. “You ended it by breaking her nose!” She said.

“She had it coming,” Savannah wiggled in her spot and crossed her legs, firming the wrinkles quickly out of her cotton track pants with athletic writing down the legs before she glanced sharply up at the woman. “Anyways, why should I care if Janice has to go get her nose done a second time? I’m sure the plastic surgeons are rejoicing.”

The young doctor sighed deeply and reached up, rubbing her forehead with her finger and said, “It could’ve been dealt with differently.” Dr. June was a fresh faced psychologist. Savannah had been to psychologists close to retirement and their eyes were shrunken into their skulls, they hardly moved and it looked like they hadn’t slept in years.

Still, no matter how many years of experience these psychologists had, they were all infuriating. Why don’t you understand? Out of all the shrinks she’d seen, Dr. June was by far the youngest and so it was only common sense that she might understand just what high school was like. However, glancing over her outfit again, she figured that Dr. Barbara wasn’t the type of girl who got in trouble at school.

“There wasn’t another way to deal with it,” Savannah snapped. “Janice and her friends cornered me, pushed me. I defend myself and I’m the one in trouble!”

“They could’ve filed assault charges, Savannah!” The doctor’s voice rising to match Savannah’s tone. Frustration was rising in the small woman and she went back to rubbing her forehead. Savannah wondered if she actually given the woman a headache.

Savannah threw up her arms into the air. “Hence the reason I’m here.”

She barely got a glance and the Doctor went her desk, fishing things out of her massive dark wood desk. Savannah sat in the chair usually reserved for the Doctor but when she’d been invited in the office space, Dr. June had foolishly told Savannah to make herself at home.

Savannah sat uncomfortable in the chair staring at the folder on the small table in front of her. She brushed her fingers through her smooth golden hair over her shoulder that lay over her faded blue-green pull string sweater. She’d never seen her own folder before. It was thick with collected archives of her short life.

It was uncomfortable in the room and Savannah didn’t want to be there. It hadn’t been her choice to go but the school board’s. It hadn’t been the first time she’d been forced to see a shrink at the whim of the school but rather the second.

The first time she was in that position was after she’d sacked some older guy in the ninth grade after he’d come onto her in the lunch line. It was either go to the psychologist or go to court and face assault charges. The school didn’t really care about that though; they had other reasons to send her there.

Rumours had been flying around the school halls that Savannah was a raging psychopath and everything gets out of control from there. People had different stories. One of her personal favourites was the one that she’d snapped and the girl that moved to Florida two weeks ago had been murdered and stashed under the floorboards in the gym.

They had a right to be nervous but not nearly as nervous as the kid who started the rumour…

Dr. June sat down on the couch and sipped from a steaming mug, holding her poised pen above a pad of paper. Savannah knew the questions were about to pour out and many of them she wouldn’t answer.

“So, Savannah, tell me about July 1st 1998.”

Savannah’s heart crashed but her eyes remained firm on the doctor. What did she know about that date? It was a struggle to keep her teeth from grinding in her mouth as she answered, “It was independence day ten years ago.”

“More.” She answered without a hint of a smile, her pen scribbling down on the paper.

“More? What more do you want from me?” Savannah snapped. Dr. June’s insensitivity to this sensitive subject made her want to stock over and kick her block head off…

Savannah took a deep breath, calming herself down. Resorting to that type of violence wouldn’t make anyone believe that she wasn’t a psycho. “More?” Savannah wet her dry lip. “What more do you want from me?"

Dr. June’s dark eyes stared unmoved across at Savannah, “You know what I want you to tell me.” Savannah did. She knew very well what information would quell this doctor’s information sweet tooth but tell her she wouldn’t.

So, she lifted her foot and with a quick push and heavy thud of wood on wood, the coffee table was pushed onto the floor and the contents of her folder had spilled from their folder and littered the floor in white: “Oops.”

The woman jumped off the couch and started to collect the papers back into their folder. The color in her face had disappeared and there was a glossiness to her eyes that made Savannah want to turn away. If Savannah had to hazard a guess, she’d never had a patient so unwilling before.

“Savannah, you’re only hurting yourself by continuing this,”--she grabbed a fistful off papers and held them up--”If you want to leave, you’re going to have to cooperate with me.”

“Then what do you want?” The concept of leaving sounded very appealing to Savannah. She was missing math for this. Math wasn’t her favourite class by any means but it was one of her best.

“I want you to talk to me.” She barked from her hands and knees on the ground. “I mean… I can’t prescribe anything if I don’t know what’s wrong?”

Savannah shrunk back in her chair, and she felt like she’d been shot in the chest. Savannah scoffed loudly, “Is that all you’re going to do? Interrogate me like a criminal and then give me pills to keep me in line with society?”

Dr. June paused and looked up, making it clear that she was on the brink of tears. The level of tension in Savannah rose. Tears were even more uncomfortable than the situation as a whole.

“No,” She shook her head. “I’m trying to help.”

It made her more angry and she repulsively kicked a small pile of paper at her. “Help who? I don’t need help. You must be helping the school control their demonic straight A student.” Savannah paused and the brunette’s jaw opened but Savannah wasn’t finished yet. “It’s my last year--the next generation of mindless drones will be safe from my tyranny.”

The folder assembled and secured with a elastic, Dr. June brought it back to the couch with her. She took in a deep breath and tried again, “I know you’re hostile about this whole situation, Savannah but don’t make me call in the officer to make you answer my questions.” She pulled her pad back onto her knee and clicked the pen. “Just a couple questions and I will let you leave.”

Savannah wasn’t convinced and folded her arms across her chest, keeping quiet as the doctor ran through a list of questions. Why do you feel you get so violent? Does this have anything to do with July 1st ten years ago? The doctor got increasingly frustrated and Savannah watched the steam rise and her face get red.

It was like waiting for a kettle; all she had to do was wait for the screech.

“Tell me about July 1st?” It was the third time she asked.

“I was eight.”

“Elaborate.”

Maybe if Savannah just gave her a simple answer, she might get the hint. “It was the day my memory began. You know that, Doc; you’ve done your homework. I don’t see the need to reiterate what you already know.” The spongy layer in the bottom of her flip-flops made a loud slapping noise when Savannah used her toes to flick the material against her heel. “Just give me pills and let me go back to my life.”

Exhaustion wafted through her tone and she dug her fingers into her brunette hair, a weak smile sliding across her face. “Oh, so now you want the pills?” The doctor was done. One more comment and Savannah had a feeling the good doctor would start to hyperventilate and throw things.

So she tested it.

“I’d take horse tranquilizers if it meant I didn’t have to talk with you anymore.”

Boom.

Dr. June stood up and silently, she walked to the door opened it and slipped out. It was kind of freaky actually. Savannah had the urge to follow and make sure she didn’t ‘off’ herself in the hallway.

Savannah took a deep breath and stood up, glad to be out of the chair. She heard Dr. June talking with Henry, the police officer that had escorted her here, in the hall quietly. Savannah paced around the coffee table, her eyes skimming the light brown folder.

She didn’t even debate with herself as she slipped it under her sweater behind her back. The band of material made sure it didn’t slip out as she walked out of the door with it. It is about me anyways. I’m entitled to it.

Dr. June was nowhere to be found when she stepped out but she did find Henry. The thick skinned, tall policeman looked like he’d consumed more than a few donuts in his day. The buttons on his uniform would be screaming if they could. His dark hair was slicked back and his eyes of the same shade were kind as he looked down on her.

“What’d you do to get her so riled up? I mean would it have been so hard to just answer her questions?” Henry was one of the few school staff that didn’t know her condition and she wanted to keep it like that. Dr. June’s lobby had been just as it had been before--predominately wood and black with random splotches of color around to create interest for the eye. The college boy behind the desk seemed to perk up when she came out of the room.

“Hey, um, Miss Clark?” He called to her and she reluctantly looked at him, standing close to the open door. “I was wondering if I could get your number…?”

Savannah brows pinched, “Dr. June can get hold of the school if she needs me again.” She left promptly with Henry following, sputtering in laughter. “What?”

“That guy wanted your number so he could ask you on a date, Savannah.” He opened the door and stepped forward, watching her from over the hood. Savannah looked back at the door.

“Oh,” She honestly didn’t have a clue. Savannah shook her head and got inside. “It’s not like a care about that kind of thing at this stage in my life anyways.”

It was Henry’s turn to be confused and he twist the ignition, the engine purring to life under them. “What planet are you from?” He laughed and she managed to smile, clicking on her seatbelt.

*
Redwood Hills High School, located on its own private hill, was the only high school in the town. She didn’t want to go to Malibu or Thousand oaks for school and so her only choice was Redwood hills.

Savannah watched the trees zoom by as they began their ascent up winding drive up to the school. If you had a car, it was an ideal road but not safe enough to try and walk along the side of the road.

So, the Redwood Trails were born. Savannah took the interconnecting paths up the mountain every school day. They were chained off by fence and lamps for the gloomier days were spread out among the trails for light.

The school itself was a normal, run of the mill brick and glass combination with a legion of flowering vine climbing across the block outer of the school. Savannah liked them--especially when they were flowering but the gardeners were forever trying to get rid of them.

It was close to lunch when she arrived inside and as always, clusters of teenagers lined the hallways like plaque in a main artery, constricting the flow of other students. Savannah was a bulldozer and pushed through them all, trying to cut seconds off her time as she pushed her way to the black locker.

It wasn’t black for cosmetic appeal at all. It had to be black because there just wasn’t enough space on the bathroom stalls to express their thoughts about her in a large enough fashion. When Savannah got to her locker she was thrilled to find a fresh red graffiti pen had scrawled `bitch` across the black.

Savannah opened her locked and swapped her flip-flops for running shoes and fully expected Paris Pratt to be leaning behind it like she was when Savannah closed it with a clank. Savannah hated Paris with a burning passion. The tall, thin heiress with long black hair and jewel blue eyes could’ve said the same about Savannah if asked but Savannah wasn’t asking.

“Hello Paris. Eat any good souls today?”

As expected, Paris didn’t even flinch at the comment and looked at her watch on her folded arms. “Not yet but it’s only quarter to twelve.”

“Keep me posted.” Savannah snapped coolly and twisted, around to find that Janice was back behind her in front of the small group of girls. The primped, dull redhead held her tapped up nose like it might fall off without a moment’s notice. Savannah barely dipped forward as if to come at her in an attack and she screamed like she’d seen a mouse at her feet.

Savannah smirked as she headed down the congested hallways toward the back of the school. At the end of the hall with the red lockers, she came to a pair of glass double doors that led out down a cracked stone staircase and into a dense fog that covered the grassy slope down to one of the entrances of the redwood trails.

“Van!” Savannah automatically groaned and kept walking. She knew exactly who was calling to her from the entrance of the school. It was the only guy that dared to call her by anything but her name. “Hey, Savannah! Wait up!”

Savannah strode down the flagstone path about the time Derek Pratt, Paris’s brother, jogged up beside her. He wouldn’t leave her the hell alone.

“It’s Savannah, Derek,” She sighed and pulled the elastic band off her wrist and tied her hair back with it. Savannah looked beside at his royal blue eyes. They glittered as a grin blossomed across his face. “I’m not a motor vehicle nor do I want to be called one.”

“You don’t like nicknames?” Though he and Paris were cut from the same cloth, she knew he was different, less… vapid. He was at least tolerable but still annoying.

“What was your first clue?” Savannah wasn’t looking for an answer and swept past him, slipping into the shade of the massive age-old redwoods. The trails weren’t even at all. Branches, twigs and rocks sent casual walkers and joggers alike in swerving motions down the entire length of the woods.

Derek wouldn’t let her go that easily and caught up, chatting again. “Well, I like nicknames. My friends call me Pratt… or… or…”

Savannah exhaled deeply and pushed his shoulder to stop him from walking. She swung herself around in front of him and crossed her arms. “Look, I know you think I’m listening but I really don’t care.” She paused, watching his face do nothing. I swear he’s got nothing but air up there! “How about I call you Derek and maybe Pratt when you get on my nerves--kind of like you are now. If you’ll excuse me, I have some jogging to do.”

She didn’t stick around and left him there, shooting down the trail. The mist was cold on her face and she felt that it was so thick in places that she’d punched holes through the descended cloud as she ran.

Just when she thought she’d lost him, his voice broke the silence around her just before he did himself.

“Charming!“ Derek’s mouth and eyes were smiling in unison as he kept up beside her while she slowed. I just can’t shake this guy!

“Don’t mistake condescension for wittiness,” Savannah said sharply and dug her heels into the soft dirt, halting her run. Derek stared at her, dumbfounded. “Mistaking arrogance for trying to be funny?” Derek’s lips opened and made an ‘o’. Savannah rolled her eyes, angry at his stupidity and crossed her arms. “Derek, what do you want?”

It was becoming clear that he wasn’t going to leave her alone until he got what he wanted. After all the stress of that morning, she just wanted to lose herself in a jog.
“Why weren’t you in second period English?”

Savannah’s eyes narrowed, “What’s it to you?”

Derek’s lips pursed and he kicked the dirt with the toe of his shoe, gazing into the woods. “I wanted to talk to you…” Don’t you always? Derek had been attached to her like a shadow for the last month, constantly trying to talk to her. “But you weren’t there.”

“Then talk now.”

Derek rubbed the back of his neck and peered up at her through his side-swept mop of sleek black hair. “Okay… well, you heard about the party at my house tonight, right?”

“No.” It was a lie. She’d had to have been deaf not to have heard of it. The school had been buzzing about it for a few weeks. It was always a good party when it took place in the town’s most expensive mansion. Derek smiled slowly and a strong breeze picked up among the redwoods, swinging the canopy of leaves around. The sun trickled through and reflected at her through his dark blue eyes. His eyes always seemed to catch even the smallest of light around.

“Well, there is one tonight and I’d really like it if…” He trailed off, an odd stench wafting past them both. It smelt like rotting garbage or a convention of skunks who’d been suddenly scared senseless. Derek gagged, and cursed dramatically. Savannah simply pulled her sweater over her nose and looked to her right, down wind.

The smell had come from the woods.

~~~
Chapter Two

Savannah was halfway up the chain link fence when Derek grabbed hold of her calf and tried to pull her back down. It was a weak hold at best and she looked down with narrowed eyes down at him, “Derek, let go.”

Savannah was curious. There certainly wasn’t a dump in the woods so what made that smell she had to know. Even if she walked into a gathering of skunks, she’d be satisfied. Derek didn’t seem nearly as curious as she was with both hands locked around her ankle.

“Savannah, it’s against the rules to climb over the fence to the other side!” He cried and Savannah kicked her foot around until his hands slipped and made it to the stop, pausing there. It wasn’t a big fence so it wasn’t much of a feat.

“Do I really look like a girl who cares?” Savannah swung her foot over the top of the rail as if dismounting a tall horse and slipped off, landing in a crouch, letting her knees absorb much of the shock. She stood and turned around, smiling teasingly at Derek on the other side. “Coming tough guy?”

Okay, so she wanted to know what was out there but it was way safer to go with him instead of alone. For the purposes of finding the source of some funky smell in the woods, Derek’s presence was useful.

Derek seemed torn as he glanced down the seemingly empty trail and back at her, eventually giving in and climbing the fence himself. He dropped down beside her and brushed the dirt off his white muscle tank. Savannah noticed for the first time that the shirt did as advertised and made his muscles stand out. Well, I’ve got the brains and he’s the brawn.

Derek looked over at her as they began to walk into the forest, “If I get mauled to death by some rabid animal, my blood is on your hands.”

“Don’t be such a wuss.”

The fog in these woods were eerily thick and soupy. At some points, she felt like she’d lost Derek even though she could feel his shoulder brush against hers as they walked. It was like the woods were trying to hide something, conceal it from human eyes. Unseen birds fluttered in the trees above them and bugs chirped below them.

“I’m not being a wuss,” Derek said suddenly beside her. Oh, we’re still on this are we? “Didn’t you hear about two girls who spotted, like, a wolf around these parts a couple days ago?” Savannah did hear about it but didn’t believe a word of it and glanced at Derek sceptically. He missed it, his eyes fixed to the space before them. “It’s not that I don’t want to go on an adventure with you or anything it’s just…” He paused and licked his lips with a slight shake of his head. “It’s just that I don’t get along with dogs.”

Savannah’s brows pinched and they came to a deep dip in the landscape. The ground was almost wet and they used a tree for support, walking on the roots and using the branches as support. Or atleast that was what she was doing. Derek, who had been doing the same behind her, must’ve snagged a root or a hit a branch or something because he fell into her, nearly knocking her over.

“Watch it, Derek!” She cried, keeping her self up with the branch in front of her. “I already broke one nose this week.”

“Oh yeah,” He said and she swung around, unprepared for what she witnessed. “I heard about that.” Through the fog, it all seemed a bit hazy but she was sure she saw him rub his shoulder against the tree bark. He didn’t notice her face as he turned around. “My sister keeps telling me about Janice’s nose and that I shouldn’t be trying so hard to be your friend.”

“Take her advice, Derek and what the hell did you just do to that tree?”

If she had to guess, Derek looked like a lobster just thrown in boiling water; he was just looking for a way out.

“I was just…uh… uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck again while his eyes darted around the area and finally rested over her shoulder. His hand went limp and dropped from his neck. Derek’s face had suddenly become so pale, that he could’ve blended right in with the gray fog at that point.

The smell that had gotten steadily worse and worse as they ventured closer had peaked at heinous. Savannah guessed what ever behind her wasn’t moving or else Derek would be running back the way they had come with his tail tucked between his legs. A large lump of saliva collected in her throat as she twist around, heat rising up in sync with vomit as her eyes settled on a bloodied, maggot filled…

Corpse.

Savannah stumbled around the tree, her shoulder smashing against the rough redwood bark. She covered her mouth, forcing herself to keep the stick, gross bile down. Well… today just got a whole lot more complicated. The dead man laid a few paces from Savannah’s position, a pool of red stick blood around it. With a pool like that, it was very clear that he didn’t die from exhaustion or eating the wrong berry.

“Is it… dead?” Derek asked, standing in the same place he had when he spotted the body. Savannah’s knees wobbled but she forced herself to stand and twist to look at him.

“Why don’t you get a long stick and poke it if you’re not satisfied by the blood outlining the body?” Savannah hissed and wiped the sweat from under her nose, thrusting her open hand towards it. “It’s obviously dead, Derek.”

Derek seemed almost embarrassed and frowned, fishing in his pockets for something. No human could be that shade of blue and be alive or have half their neck missing like this guy was. Savannah had to look away, afraid she was going to be sick and watched Derek tinker around with his black cellphone.

“I don’t get any service here…” Derek muttered, staring down at his phone.

“Well, maybe you should go back and find some.” Savannah tried to soften her voice. He was shaking like a leaf in strong wind with a pale tone to sick usually reserved for hermits and those literally afraid to go outside. She would’ve gone herself but she didn’t think she had any better chance of making it herself.

“Yeah…” He looked up at her and only her. His eyes didn’t dare look over her shoulder. “You stay here and make sure it doesn’t go anywhere.”

Fat chance of that, she thought as he stumbled away, moving his phone around and around. Savannah looked up at the thick canopy and wondered if he’d have to go all the way back to school before he picked up a signal. Hell, she was more worried about him fainting before he even got to the chain link.

Savannah stood a deep breath and slid down the tree and sat at it’s base. She pulled her legs tight to her chest and closed her eyes, bringing her arms around her head and cut off the light. The darkness helped slow her pulsing heart and she listened for pleasant sounds like the bugs she’d heard before and the birds that fluttered above…

But after a long, agonizing moment of strained listening…

Nothing. The bugs had stopped chirping and the birds had stopped flying around. Savannah had a hard time believing either were there at all. It was that quiet. It was like all animal life had boycotted the area and she was alone.

Then the darkness didn’t help any longer. Her stomach twisted and her thoughts swirled wickedly. If the bugs and the birds didn’t want to there, and they knew the area better than she did, then shouldn’t she follow their lead and leave?

KA-SNAP!

Savannah’s body jerked upright in surprise as a loud, crisp twig snapped to her right, around the tree. Her eyes snapped opened and she felt her heart begin to flutter again in her chest.

She assumed it was Derek.

“Jesus Christ, Derek! I thought you’d still be…” Savannah dropped onto her hands in the grainy dirty, crawling around the side of the tree towards the sound. She drew in her breath and swallowed her words.

Savannah had assumed wrong.

She stared at her reflection in the wolf’s faded blue eyes. It stood face to face with her. Savannah’s fingers trembled in the soil and she bit her lip, her heart plummeting in her chest. The wolf was mangy to say the very least about it with oily fur and mud that covered much of it’s legs and underbelly. Blood stained it’s mouth and paws. Savannah figured that this wolf had killed the man and had come for seconds.

Savannah took a deep breath to clear her mind and scanned the area behind the wolf. She wondered where the rest of the pack was hiding and when they were going to jump out at her. Could she get to a weapon before that happened?

Savannah wanted to yell but the words wouldn’t come. She was as mute as could be. Slowly, Savannah began to scuffle back inch by inch. The wolf followed her, scanning over her almost as thoroughly as she had it. It chased her slowly around the tree, making her infringe on the body’s pool of blood. Her runners, knees and hands were drenched in the blood when she saw it.

A quick half-a-handspan away, a rock the side of her fist sat in the red pool. Savannah knew she could reach it… A low growl escaped from the wolf’s throat, bringing her back into reality.

The brown bristles that followed the spine stood on end and the animal’s lips drew back, it’s white teeth stained with blood and tissues. The muscles in the beast’s body contracted and tensed, the tail sticking straight as the animal bowed down, its claws dug into the dirt.

A wave of poorly timed dizziness splashed over her. The wolf was getting ready to strike! She couldn’t faint right now!

Savannah pushed it away and swallowed the lump in her throat. The only sound she heard was the thumping of her own heart in her ears. Savannah slowly sidestepped and kept her eyes on the wolf. It halted its spring and opened its jaws, running it’s tongue over the edges of its pointed teeth, still snarling.

Savannah patted the wet ground…

The wolf’s eyes darted to her hand and narrow, looking back at her face… at her neck… It knows.

Savannah still patted the ground, afraid to take her eyes off the animal. She couldn’t find it! It was going to spring this time and she didn’t have time to scream and panic. Savannah didn’t have the rock and pulled herself back, kicking the animal back with as much force as she could muster.

It skidded, kicking up dust in its wake. It wasn’t finished. She knew it wasn’t done. Its bright blue eyes snapped open and it dug its nails into the ground, sprinting out of its defensive curl in the dirt.

Savannah struggled to her feet, her breath erratic and her wolf coming, looking for something to fight with. Her eyes strained to find something until she saw the perfect tool and ran to the old oak. A half snapped, small limb was her salvation. It started to tear, tiny dust particles fly, using all her strength to snap it off.

It was the impact from the wolf that finally made the branch give way.

Savannah hit the forest floor, hitting her head hard against the ground. Heat and pain tingled in her body, momentary paralysis resulting from the spots that crowded her vision. the limb flying from her hand.

The wolf had landed beside her and must’ve taken a blow to the head like her. It shook its head and Savannah closed her fist, finding that the limb had disappeared from it, landing a foot away. She could’ve grabbed it but the wolf was up and it came, grabbed it in its mouth and pitched it far into the trees.

Savannah cursed and rolled herself onto her stomach and tried to sprint but she made it only to the spot where the assault had begun. The wolf’s canines bit into the heel of her shoe and yanked her and the shoe back, throwing it too into the woods. It bit into her calf through her shoe, drawing blood and made her yelp, made her find her voice again. Savannah fell on her hand and propelled her self over onto her back kicking at it with her shoed foot.

It didn’t do anything but make it angrier.

It charged now for her more vital areas and climbed over her. It’s claws shredded her sweater, scratching her skin. Savannah yelled and covered her face with her arms, writhing and kept fighting frantically to get it off.

She even resorted to calling for Derek in desperation. Where was the honour of never asking for help if you died because of it? It balanced on her chest, scratching at her sweater, at the skin beneath while it snapped her arms, trying to break her defence and get at her neck. It did bite her forehead, rivers of blood sliding down her skin in long streams.

“Derek!” She screamed, her throat aching. Savannah managed to slide her knees under the beast and fling it back, then kicked its shoulder hard. It was stunned long enough for her to crawl back and find the illusive rock, sitting there, just waiting for her.

She didn’t have much time to ponder why she couldn’t find it before as the wolf shook itself, almost as if wet and its claws digging into the dirt with every gallop it took towards her.

Savannah grabbed the rock and swung around, using all the strength she could muster and clipped the wolf off the side of the head. It was a great hit and it flopped back onto the ground, yelping as it backed against the rough tree bark.

Adrenaline pumped at high velocity through her blood, and she sat on the ground. She should’ve been running but she had a feeling that it wouldn’t come back at her now. The rock was still clenched in her fist.

It watched her, panting against the tree.

“Savannah! Van!” Derek’s voice broke through the silence and It stood up, and snarled at her once more then left as quickly as it had come. Derek appeared only seconds later and in her frazzled state the only thing she thing that came to mind wasn’t did he get help or even where the wolf had gone.

“You look better.”

He did. His color had come back and even though he was still shaking very faintly, he didn’t look like he was going to faint anymore. Derek turned her and his eyes grew wide, his mouth dropping. Savannah forgot for a second that she’d just been savagely attacked by a wolf.

“Me?” He scoffed and slid to his knees in front of her, gingerly touching the bites on her face. They stung when he touched them. “What the hell happened to you?”

“You know I didn’t believe that there was a wolf roaming around until I met it.” Savannah muttered and let a small smile flicker across her lips. “And it didn’t like me.”
*
Sometime later, a gaggle of paramedics crowded around her at the base of the redwood tree. What remained intact from her sweater, which wasn’t much to be honest, had been pulled off her and collected as evidence. She asked if they were going to take her to the hospital for any shots or anything but they said much of the injuries she sustained were predominately ‘cosmetic’.

Derek had taken off his shirt for her to wear after they were finished, sowing what needed to be closed much to her dismay. Savannah had never been really comfortable with needles.

He claimed to be looking for her lost shoe and sock but she doubted that.. He was pacing around the area with his eyes almost always closed. Unless he had an invisible pair of eyes on his forehead, he wasn’t looking at all.

“Cute, huh?” One of the paramedics beside her named Wendy whispered beside her. Apparently she thought Savannah was watching Derek for other reasons. Savannah looked at the cherry blonde beside her that was wrapping her stomach, one of the densely scratched areas, with a large tensor bandage.

She rolled her eyes and looked back at Derek, “Derek, where’s my shoe!”

You know in the Scooby-Doo cartoons when either Shaggy or Scooby would jump into the others arms and they’d both shake? Had another person been behind him, Derek might’ve done that. His eyes were wide and hard, angry until he realized that she was laughing.

Derek smiled softly, “I’ll get right on that, Van.”

He disappeared before she could correct, into the woods around the spot where the wolf had thrown her shoe. A skinny police constable settled down in front of her and asked her a bunch of questions about the events leading up to finding the body and she gave a description of the wolf, pointing to the general way it went. During the questioning, the paramedics finished and Savannah slipped on Derek’s tank.

Wendy stuck around to talk to Derek when he appeared a few minutes later with her shoe and sock. “I’m releasing her into your care. Take her home, let her rest and if there is any discomfort, drop by the pharmacy in town and they’ll give her something for it.”

Derek crouched down in front of her and carefully slid on her sock and shoe on her foot, squinting up at Wendy with a smile. “Will do.” He helped Savannah up to her feet and was all to eager to be her personal babysitter and stuck like glue at her side back to school where, luckily, the halls were bare.

“14-30-11.” Savannah recited her locker combo to him, leaning her shoulder against another locker beside hers. She was letting him open it for her. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Grab the folder off the top shelf and my backpack and then shut it.”

Derek grabbed her backpack first and swung it over his shoulder before he reached for the folder off the top shelf. She took it from his hands and stuffed it into the backpack on the back of his arm.

“Hey, what’s that?”

“It’s confidential.” She answered. Derek off all people didn’t need know anything about the contents of that folder. Not then, not ever. Derek merely shook it off and smiled as he slammed the door right shut and locked it. Savannah liked that nonchalant attitude. “Did you want to stop at your locker and get a shirt or something?”

His smile grew, “Why? Are you intimidated by my muscular physique?”

“No.” She really wasn’t. Savannah had hardly even noticed. He chuckled as they strode towards the main doors, his knuckles brushing hers as they walked. It was annoying enough that she just crossed her arms.

“So, are you coming to my party tonight?” Savannah glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, scowling. She’d almost forgotten about that and hoped that he’d completely forgotten. “You know… the one we were talking about earlier? I guess we kinda got interrupted.”

Savannah sighed deeply, “It’s been a long, hard day. I don’t think a party is in my best interests, Derek.” They neared the glass main doors and passed the office where the staff were looking at them with wide eyes.

“Well, you’ve been released into my care, Savannah and you don’t have to stay long or drink anything other than water.” He told her quick, almost in desperation. She’d swept past him and pushed through the crystal door. “Think of it as a necessary check-up.”

Derek caught her wrist from behind, crossing the line. Savannah tossed her head back, her lips pressed firmly together. Derek was at least observant enough to know that what he’d done was wrong and withdrew his hand from her skin.

A car door opened and shut a few feet in front of her and she twist, watching Henry’s expression distort in horror. “A friend told me what happened over the radio,” He began and stamped towards them, looking between a bloodied Savannah and shirtless Derek. We must look like an odd pair. “I imagined… well, I don’t know what I imagined… You look horrible, Savannah. How do you feel?”

“About the same as I look.”

Henry stopped in front of her and held out her arms, as if asking permission to hug her. Derek snorted lightly beside her and she stepped out of Henry’s arms, glancing over at him. What was that for? After a long couple moments of both she and Henry looking at Derek, Henry got back to her.

“I could take you home…”

“Actually,” Derek jumped in and without thinking, slid his hand on her shoulder before promptly tucking his hand away in a tight fold over his chest. “Savannah’s kind of under my care. I’m going to drive her home and we’re going to meet up tonight to make sure she’s alright still, right?”

He put her on the spot. It was either yes or no now and as much as she wanted to say no, how could she? Savannah’d come off like an ungrateful jerk if she said no. She had provoked Derek into jumping the fence with her.

Reluctantly, she agreed and satisfied, Henry let them go on into the parking lot. Derek led them across the parking lot where his fabled ‘baby’ sat under the shade of a tree on the very fringe of the lot.

The sleek black Camaro was new. His parents had bought it for him at the beginning of the school year. She’d seen it before but not up close. Paris’ pink Porshe sat next to his almost all the time and getting close to that at anytime of the day was almost certainly suicide.

“Do you want to open the door for me or something?” She muttered, looking down at her blood soaked hand. Whether it was her blood or the other guy’s blood, she didn’t know. “I’d really rather nor smear blood all over your paintjob.”

Derek laughed and blew a raspberry with his lips, “It’s just a car.” He opened the backseat door and tossed her backpack inside. “I’m not one of those guys who goes nuts over the littlest detail. A car can be washed.”

“Of course not; you’ve got enough money to buy another car. So, why care what happens to this one?“ She hadn’t meant for it to come out that way. Savannah tried to keep her mouth shut because he owed Derek but she couldn’t shut herself off sometimes.

By this time, they were in the car and putting on their belts. Derek glanced over at her and smiled, taking it as a joke. Savannah was sure it hurt him though and that made her a little sick to her stomach.

Derek was different than all the other guys she’d ever interacted with at school. He seemed far more sensitive and at the same time, more held together. Any other guy would’ve yelled at her for that comment.

For the rest of the short car ride home, they were silent. Savannah preferred it that way. Not speaking a word was a prime way to avoid being a--for a lack of a better word--crab.

Savannah’s apartment building was at the very dead end of the street that turned off of the drive to the school. Derek slowed his car down turning off into the narrow driveway, low hanging willow leaves brushing over the windshield like a brush in the carwash. The square red-bricked home was a simple one with balconies on all the other apartments. It was meant for older, retired folks but since Savannah was so quiet--not to mention that she paid more rent than the rest did too.

The gravel crunched under the tires of the Camaro as they rolled to a stop, alongside the building.

“So, what apartment is yours?” Derek asked with a smile. Savannah didn’t think he expected an answer and he was right. Although, from where they’d parked, Savannah could see into her living room but she wasn’t going to tell him that. Derek reached back and grabbed her backpack, passing it to her. “I’m going to pick you up before the party so that we can chat.”

Reluctantly, she agreed. One night and that’s it. Then, she noticed that she was still wearing his shirt. “I’ll wash this and get it back to you--”

Derek put his hand out to stop her with a bright grin, the light shining through the open sun roof sparkling in his eyes. “Keep it. It looks much better on you.”

Savannah tried to smile but it felt funny on her face. It wasn’t that she couldn’t or didn’t want to be happy but… it was harder for her than it was for everyone else. She got out of the car and walked up to the door, pulling open the huge heavy black door and slid through it. Derek didn’t pull out until the door closed as she looked carefully out the stained glass that framed both sides.

~~~

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 02.07.2011

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