Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 14

Chapter 14 Ava: Her Name's Selene

Chapters 11-17 have been rewritten to improve story flow and pacing. [June 27, 2024]

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The dream clings to me, leaving my heart pounding.

But it's not real.

Just a nightmare.

Rolling over, I curl into a ball to fight the shivers wracking my body. The fleece throw is both too hot and too cold, and I can't take it off. When I do, I'm dying like I've been thrown straight into a snowbank, naked. With it on, I feel like I'm going to drown in sweat, but at least it's less uncomfortable.

The unsettling dream lingers in my head, the sensation of dirty feet and crunchy leaves echoing against my feet.

Unease crawls down my spine, anxiety doing its damnedest to take over.

I ignore it as best as I can in my current state.

Sleep, I need sleep. Maybe if I can just drift off again, I'll wake up feeling better. Renewed.

But no matter how determined I am, my body rebels, keeping me awake.

I can't get comfortable. The couch, all cozy comfort, now feels lumpy and unwelcoming beneath me.

Minutes crawl by.

Still awake.

With a groan of defeat, I force myself off the couch. The room spins for a moment, and I grip the armrest hold myself up.

Bathroom first. Then medicine.

The trek to the toilet is a monumental effort, a full exercise routine.

My heart pounds and sweat pours down my back by the time I'm done. I should get a badge for not peeing myself when I feel like this.

Maybe a trophy acknowledging my survival of the common cold will help me feel better.

The kitchen is next as I hunt down the Tylenol I'd left on the counter somewhere. Even pulling the cotton balls out of the brand new jar makes me want to quit and lay back down, but I persevere.

Congratulations, Ava. You did it.

my mouth, I fill a glass of water at the sink and swallow them with a sip of calcium

Gross.

of the tablets remains on my tongue and I wash it down with more tap

They're in the fridge, five feet behind

Too far.

Suffering is easier.

up for the walk back to the living room, the hair on my arms prickle into standing, my anxiety on full

feeling again,

my senses in the past to avoid beatings at the hands of Todd and his cronies, but there's

habits die hard, I

to the windows, pulling

through the thin fabric, but it

rain to come. It feels later than it is, the gloom making it seem like evening instead of

five hours, and

my phone out of my pocket, I squint at the bright screen

make it in tomorrow.

hate leaving her short-staffed, but I know I'm in no

better idea. The bed is more comfortable than

that way when a

A scrabble

from the front

floor and yanks my heart into my throat. The dream and its effects return in full

just my imagination. It has

then I hear it again.

ears. By the time I reach

shakes as I turn it, the

door open, just an inch. Enough to see,

The hallway is

door, relief flooding through me, when a flash of silver

something shoves

fear escaping my

shadowy monster

It's a dog.

A very familiar dog.

shoved her way into my

being watched eases a little between my shoulder blades, and I lean against the door to close it, coughing at the dose

doggy. You don't

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