Chapter 3: Bitten

  Arane was drawing. She drew an icy dragon with a smile on her face and a glittering ice crown. Her name, she decided, would be Gleindein. She once read a book about dragons, or rather a series of books about dragons revolving around darklings, dragons, polar bears, unicorns, Fain and Ix. One dragon was the last true dragon, she read, and his name was Gawain. The book also said that all dragon names started with the letter ‘G’.

  Arane frowned as she heard a yowl outside. It sounded like a wolf. She picked up her pencil, tapped her nose, and an image of a wolf came to her. He was majestic in his coat of black fur, electric blue eyes glinting right at her, and he had a sapphire pendant around his neck. Focusing on him, she let her pencil dance across the paper and chose a name.

  Orion.

  Just as she finished the drawing, a scream broke through the house. It came from the living room, where her parents were. Dashing out of her bedroom, she ran into the living room and met a horrible sight. Her mother was swinging a cane at a wolf, her father behind her with a bloody, bitten leg. “Father!” she cried, and rushed to his side, sobbing. Her mother screamed again; The wolf had clamped its jaw on her mother’s arm. Out of impulse, Arane screamed, “Stop! Go away!” and then proceeded to realize the wolf was now focused on her. She was about to run when the wolf ran out instead. Immediately, she dialed 999 and in a matter of minutes two ambulances were in front of her house to take her and her parents away to the hospital.

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  On the ride, she told the medics what happened. The medics frowned and nodded their heads, occasionally murmuring to each other and taking down notes.

  “Wolves don’t usually bite people.” consoled one medic

  “It’s alright, the wound won’t kill your parents.” informed another medic, who had examined the wound earlier

  “It may leave them confined to wheelchairs, though.” said another medic, matter-of-factly, and earned a slap from his colleagues and a scolding for consoling the girl.

  At night, after all the medics had left, Arane slept and wept at her parent’s side, until the same medic who told her her parents would be confined to a wheelchair came in with a greeting.

  “We have decided for you to move out of the wooden cottage for a bit and into an apartment we have provided for you. Furthermore, you will be a transient at Alleyway school.” the medic said, tapping his foot.

  The news hit Arane like a bolt of lightning. Move out of the lovely, cosy cottage she had grown up in? Stay in a cold, lonely apartment herself? Transfer out of the village school, where she at least had a group of 3 friends? And go to a new school, in the metallic city of concrete and no life? With no friends?

  The medic saw Arane’s face, full of sorrow, fear and guilt, and softened. “It’ll be fine there, and it’s just for a while, until your parents recover, okay? Go home, take the keys on the table. They’re for the apartment. Your parents will be back in 3 hours.”

  And from the bed, Arane’s mother slowly stirred to life, opened her eyes, and smiled at Arane, urging her to go to the apartment and wait for them. And from somewhere deep inside her, Arane felt braver and more ready for temporary new life out of the village.