CHAPTER 10 – THE PROPHECY

*Hazel *

I know I am asleep; I remember I fainted. My mind feels conscious, but I am unable to wake up. I open my eyes, and I know I am dreaming. My surroundings are surreal; I am in a field covered by yellow grass, there are green hills in the distance and a blue sky. The sun is strong, its light is blinding. I am completely alone.

Suddenly I feel a crackling sound, like that of a malfunctioning radio, when it can’t get a proper signal. Out of nowhere a person appears right before me, scaring me nearly to death. The man is wearing a brown cloak, like those monks usually wear, made of rough cloth. The hood is pulled back showing a head of white scarce hair, darkened skin, deep wrinkles and two eyes completely white. I think those eyes are staring at me, although it is difficult to say, not being able to see his pupils. It takes my all not to scream and run away. I keep repeating myself that this is a dream, there is nothing to be scared about. Hopefully.

The figure keeps crackling, his features fade in and out, like he is some kind of bad hologram or some ghost.

He doesn’t move an inch, just keeps standing there watching me. The more time passes, the more I start panicking. Is he going to kill me? If that’s the plan, just do it faster, because I can’t take this tension no more.

Like he heard my thoughts, he raises his arms zombie style and grips my shoulders. This time I don’t hold it in, I scream like a banshee, while I struggle to free myself from his hold. He is so strong; I don’t manage to have him budge even a little. I don’t want to die! Someone, help me!

The man abruptly starts talking. Well, not literal talking, because his lips don’t move, but I can hear his voice echoing all around; it’s a dark, ominous voice, which makes all my hair on my arms stand on end.

“When a white wolf is born under the blue supermoon, beware, because the era of the wolves is coming to an end. Dark times await. The wolf is the key. Let the dark come to light.”

After finishing his apocalyptic monologue, the man disappears, leaving behind a soft crackle.

I am left alone in the yellow field, wondering what the hell just happened, and what those words meant. Who was that man? If man is even the right word to describe him.

I look at the sky, it is no longer blue, now it has taken on a dark shade of grey. Lightning crackles in the sky. Abruptly, is starts pouring rain and I am immediately drenched. I feel a pull from inside, like a balloon deflating, and I awake with a start in my bedroom, lying on my bed.

I am wondering what the hell of a dream was that, when I feel a chill, and notice I am completely wet. My clothes, my hair, my skin, they are all soaking wet. I am stunned for a second. Nothing makes sense. Dreams should not affect reality, unless they are not dreams. What was that then? Was I hallucinating, or sleepwalking, and went outside without realizing it? I look out the window; it is not raining, and the ground is not wet.

I decided to store my questions for later, I don’t really have the energy to deal with them now. I feel a headache coming up, and I recall my head hitting the ground hard, when that fella was thrown down while carrying me. I touch my head gingerly on the spot that it’s now pulsing at its own beat; sure enough, there’s a big bump there.

Suddenly I realized the obvious, I am in my bedroom, the Alpha must have brought me here, or maybe my parents came to fetch me at the hospital. I need to know what happened, so against my head’s protests, I get up from the bed and find a change of clothes, before I catch a cold. I change into a pair of comfy grey sweatpants and a pink sweatshirt, and towel my hair dry, then I head downstairs.

I climb down a few steps and stop when I hear talking coming from the living room. It’s mom’s voice, it sounds agitated. “All the more for Hazel. She’s special, she’s the wolf of the prophecy.”

I stand there stupefied. Me, a wolf? What is she talking about? I am human, I am no wolf.

My mother goes on speaking, and I listen carefully, not moving a muscle, hoping they don’t discover me eavesdropping.

“The prophecy states that when a white wolf is born during the blue supermoon, when the moon is at its apogee, the werewolf species will be nearing its end. This wolf must be protected at all costs, because she is the key to saving our kind.”

My heart thumps loudly at her words. This is the same message that monk related to me during the dream. Was he a ghost come to haunt me? I can’t help shuddering at this thought. I am never going to sleep again!

“This prophecy has been passed on to my family through generations, I am not even sure how old it is. You might think that they are just empty words, or something made up, but in my family, we value and treasure this presage. When Hazel was born, during the blue supermoon, when the moon was at its biggest, I knew she was the wolf of the oracle.”

No, this can’t be. I cannot be a wolf, that’s not possible. It must be a prank, a first of April joke or something, it’s just absurd.

“What about Hazel? How come she thinks she is human? I mean, she should have werewolf abilities, like enhanced speed, hearing, sight. Not to mention, her wolf; has she shifted yet?”

I recognize this voice, it’s Alpha O’Brien’s, he’s here too, at my parents’ house, confabulating with them on the possibility of me being a werewolf. Have I hit my head too hard and am still hallucinating?

Someone please, wake me from this nightmare.

My heart jumps in my throat when I hear my mom calling, “Hazel, you can come out now.”

Busted.

I climb the remaining steps slowly, uncertain on what to do, what to expect, I don’t even understand what is happening, everything is so confused.

When I reach the living room, four pairs of eyes are focused on me, my parents’, Alpha O’Brien’s and his Beta’s.

“Please, tell me this is a joke,” I beg with them.

My mom gets up from the sofa and hugs me tightly, while whispering in my hair, “I am sorry, honey.”

And that’s when all my word shifts forever.