Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

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.

fill a glass of water at the

Gross.

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

water. They're in the

Too far.

Suffering is easier.

to hype myself up for the walk back to the living room, the hair on my arms

again,

on my senses in the past to avoid beatings at the hands of

habits die hard, I

I drag myself to the windows, pulling the curtains

the thin fabric, but it

later than it is, the gloom making it seem like evening instead

hours, and it feels like it's

bright screen as I type out a quick message to

feeling well today. Might not make it in tomorrow. Will keep

know I'm in no shape to work

the bedroom would be a better idea. The bed

when a sound stops

scrabble of

from the

heart into my throat. The dream and its effects

imagination. It

hear it again. Louder

ears. By the

turn it, the click

Enough to see, but not enough to be

The hallway is

flooding through me, when a flash

I can react, something shoves the door open with surprising

escaping my lips as I lose my balance and

it's not some shadowy monster that

It's a dog.

A very familiar dog.

day has shoved her way into my apartment, sniffing around like she belongs

between my shoulder blades, and I lean against the door to close it, coughing at the

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