Chapter Text
She wasn’t aware of how long she was running, but she knew that she wasn’t going to stop.
Her lungs burned with exhaustion as she ran through the thistle and grass. It was night, but she could still see as if the sun was out. There was a wind blowing towards her face and she swore that she could smell every tree and flower that happened to cross its path. It was intoxicating and so extremely overwhelming. As if they were constant warning signs for even the tiniest ladybug or twig.
Fortunately, her senses were the only things that seemed to be in her way at the moment. As she tumbled through the brush, everything in her path crumbled at her heavy touch and practically built a path for her as she continued. Her muscles could barely hold on any longer however as it was getting more and more troubling to keep on this makeshift path.
At some point, her body no longer found enough strength to keep going and she fell onto the dirt and clovers on the forest floor. Despite her trying to force her body to move, in order to get away, she couldn’t even find strength for that. The last thing she could see was a distant light and the last thing she could smell was a cackling fire before her consciousness gave up.
In her sleep, she felt movement and harshness that made her want to howl and growl. It was still a strange experience that she wasn’t used to yet; how she wanted to yelp and growl instead of scream. She would have to get used to it though.
Eventually, that dark tone of her dreams that made her want to fight against everything, eventually turned soft and comfortable. It was so strange to feel this amount of comfort, especially since it didn’t feel cold. At the facility, she would feel a cold comfort that would make her teeth chatter. But wherever she was, it was nothing like the hard concrete floors. But she had no words to describe it in her head and had to relish in as much peace as possible before she felt herself awaken again.
As soon as she could feel her arms and legs again, she wasted no time to wake up and instead jumped forward from where she was laying down. Her eyes shot open with such a force and she immediately tried to use the strength she had before to barrel out of wherever she was. Instead, her strength was barely there and she tumbled forward, crashing onto the floor and bumping her side into a hard wall. The loud noise drummed in her ears and she tried to get up before realizing that she was also tangled in an array of sheets and bandaging.
Not only that, but she wasn't as… heavy as she was that night. She noticed that she was in her more human form and before she could notice anything else she hissed at a sudden strike of pain at her head.
As her body practically crumbled onto the ground and tried to deal with the drumming pain that slowly started to spread everywhere else on her body, she heard footsteps. They were light and barely noticeable, but she immediately reacted. Crawling towards the other side of the bed for cover, she expected the person that snatched her from the forest to be some sort of formidable enemy. However, as she took in the scent around her she found everything to be oddly gentle. Even as whoever was outside the door came closer, she sensed little to no aggression.
And as the door gently opened, she scrunched up like she was about to pounce back up any second.
“Hello?” spoke a gentle voice. ”Are you awake?”
As the door opened she realized that this person was a harpy. Or at least, in the more convenient humanoid form of one. Her wings were at their back and smaller so that they wouldn’t have to cram them into doorways. It was also noticeable that she had a lightning scar across her face that even reached under her eye. Eventually they met eyes and she saw the most soft blue color.
“My name is Natalie, I found you injured outside my home.” The harpy explained, her voice calm and distracting.
She wanted to calm down too, but her heart was racing and all her mind could think of was danger. Her body was warning her in so many ways to run, get out, and fight out of this prison. But her body was sore and she was exhausted. The last thing she wanted to do was run aimlessly when there was no danger. But her senses wouldn’t stop overloading her with so much information. So, she let out a low growl and curled up in a ball.
“Are you okay?”
“Be quiet!”
She let out a harsh growl at the harpy, not liking how her voice sounded too loud. Before she could let herself relax her senses needed to calm down and the extra noise wasn't helping. But, she felt a bit of guilt grow in her chest when Natalie backed away. The presence of someone so… nonthreatening was actually really nice. It was so different from being around harsh people and doctors and she wanted to keep her around a little longer. So, she huffed and let her face relax.
“Everything is so loud and bright.” she said simply.
“Do you want me to leave then?” the harpy asked, her voice softer this time. “I can close the blinds and leave the door closed.”
With her offer, she really wasn't sure what to respond with other than curling into herself and feeling her heart sink. She wanted to apologize for how she acted, but she found words difficult with the noise and brightness.
The harpy seemed to understand the other and she came around to close the blinds, the darkness welcoming to the werewolf. She uncurled from her position and even left one last look at the harpy as she left. What was interesting was that she had two pairs of wings, the second set being smaller than the other.
However before she could say anything, the harpy gently closed the door and left her alone. Her presence was nearly missed, but among all the noises in her head she appreciated the silence before crawling back into the bed and burning her head in the soft pillows.
The warmth was nearly foreign to her, but she allowed herself to welcome it. She may have no idea where she is exactly and who had brought her in, but it seemed safe. So, unbelievably, safe.