Page 107 of The Lone Wolf Café
Too far. If Big Red took me someplace where the witches couldn’t help me, I would certainly end up dead.
As Big Red continued bolting across the field, my ears began to ring. Black spots hovered in my vision, and my stomach was lurching and swirling like a water jug. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on, but if Big Red didn’t stop soon, I was either going to vomit or faint.
Or both.
No. I tugged on the wolf’s neck as it altered course away from the pumpkin patch.
You are not taking me into the woods.
Big Red fought against me, twisting and writhing its head while they reared partway up on their front legs. A wave of nausea smacked me in the stomach, and I closed my eyes, begging for it to go away.
Big Red dropped to the ground just to immediately rear up again, this time twisting in midair and coming down on theirside. I hadn’t expected this, and I lost my grip and plummeted to the ground next to the wolf, just barely missing its giant red body as my chest smacked into the ground.
I lay there like a rag doll, my lungs aching with every breath and my mind fading in and out of consciousness.
I knew I had failed.
I was alone, too far away from the other witches to be able to see them, and at the mercy of a gigantic red wolf that I’d been pissing off for the past thirty minutes. I didn’t see this ending well. Even if Big Red didn’t kill me, I was fairly certain that the fall had broken some ribs and knocked my brain around my skull.
I didn’t know how much longer I could stay conscious.
But as the seconds passed, Big Red’s body never hovered over mine. I didn’t have their fangs in my face. I wasn’t staring hopelessly down that hungry red throat.
I didn’t want to risk moving my injured torso, so I slowly tilted my head to the left, taking shallow breaths as I fought against the pain.
Big Red was standing a few feet away, hunched in a defensive posture as it let out deep, wheezing exhales.
They were tired.
Exhausted.
Too exhausted to harm me, or even to run away.
This is my chance,I told myself, even as every muscle in my body protested my movements. I just need to get up.
I lifted my torso a few inches, and the stabbing bolts of pain nearly made me scream.
Get up.
Just… get… up…
I rolled onto my side, clutching my injured ribs as I struggled to get my feet beneath me. It had been such a struggle justto move my body – standing up was going to be damn near impossible.
I needed help. But there were no other witches in sight.
Not that I wanted them to come over here. I didn’t want to put them at risk.
I lifted my body up further.
That’s it.
You can do this.
To my left, Big Red was still catching their breath, eyeing me warily with those eerie, glowing white orbs. It almost looked…concerned. Like it was coming out of its rage. Regaining some semblance of humanity.
Or maybe I was just delirious from shock and pain.
I made it up onto my knees, my body wavering like a top, before I collapsed.
