SHADOWED SALVATION

"Run Melonie," my mother's friend, Evy, screamed out, causing me to jump in fear.

I stood there frozen, scared to move. My face crumpled like a piece of paper, my eyes welled up in tears as I stumbled backward, as if punched in the gut.

I stared at my mother, Maela, who was swallowed in sweats, fighting off some unexpected, scary animals.

"Melonie, you need to leave, run and hide. I promise to explain everything to you...RUN," my mother, Maela, screamed.

It was my eighteenth birthday; I had just returned from my party only to meet them fighting monsters.

"Is that a werewolf?" I thought to myself, shivering in fear.

The fight was toxic, and I felt like that thing was aiming at me for a reason.

Having no choice other than to flee from the scene, I dashed out of the house at full speed.

"What were they?" I murmured, frightened.

Hurrying back to my birthday party, I looked around for my best friend, Arlo, when I got hit by a young man, more like he was trying to pass through me but couldn't.

"Strange things are happening today," I muttered, frightened.

He stared at me curiously before looking away.

My best friend, Arlo, came closer, elbowing me back into reality.

"I heard you were looking for me," he blurted out.

"Yes, I am, I'm scared," I declared, clutching at his arm.

"Scared...why? It's your party, Melonie," Arlo stated, laughing sarcastically.

"I'm serious you idiot," I yelled out with seriousness.

"Alright...what's up," he calmly asked.

"Look at that guy and his friends," I blurted out.

"What guy?" Arlo asked in confusion.

"Those men standing right there," I insisted.

"I don't see men standing in the direction you are pointing at," Arlo screamed in frustration.

"What do you freaking mean you can't see anyone," I yelled back with intense frustration.

"Are you calling me crazy? Focus and look closely," I added.

"And when do I need to focus before I see something? I don't see anyone in that damn direction you are pointing at!" Arlo retorted with raised eyebrows.

"That's strange," I cried out, marching towards the strange man who kept staring back at me in the middle of his friends.

"What are you?" I blurted out, fearlessly.

"You can see us?" He asked to be certain.

"That's such a stupid question, I just spoke to you," I retorted.

"Why can't my friend see you?" I asked again.

"Simply put; we are from a different world," he responded.

"A different world? That's something only you should care about. What the hell are you doing at my birthday party?" I scolded in fury.

"I'm sorry, but the different world is now something you should care about," he replied with a smirk.

"I don't like you," I stated, shaking my head vigorously.

"That's not something we care about in our world. And guess what?" He announced.

"What?" I asked, anticipating.

"We are here for you. Seize her," he blurted out.

Immediately, rough hands bound my wrist, rendering me helpless. The feeling of being completely at the mercy of my captors was a crushing weight, threatening to consume me whole.

It was like a vise, squeezing the life out of me as I struggled to break free.

"I know what you are thinking, but we are not your enemy. We are here to make sure you are safe. you can call me Arwan," he explained.

"Don't you think telling me what is going on is more trustworthy than holding me down like a criminal?" I asked in anger.

"Melonie, your new age activated something in our world, like in other realms. You are a very powerful tool, and as we speak, things from different realms are searching for you," Arwan declared.

"You know my name? Crazy!!! That's not the point. What do you mean by my new age activated something?" I asked, frightened.

​"You turned eighteen today. That was a very loud bell in a different realm. You are in danger, Melonie. We are only here to help you" he stated calmly.

"Who the heck are you talking to?" Arlo yelled out.

I turned to find him staring at me in shock and confusion.

"Have you been watching me the whole time?" I asked, perplexed.

"Yes, I thought you were making a speech until the speech turned into war. You were yelling violently. And I thought you were just stressed until I heard something about an activation. Tell me the truth, be sincere. Are you crazyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?" Arlo asked, ogling at me.

"He needs to leave," Arwan cautioned.

"Please keep quiet you unseen spirit," I scolded.

"What is going on?" Arlo cried out.

"I have just two words for you, Arlo. Avoid me!" I warned him, walking away, along with the unseen men walking with me.

"Why can't people see you?" I asked, surprised.

"It's something we can activate and deactivate," Arwan calmly replied.

"Where are we going?" I suddenly froze and asked.

"We are going to the portal to our realm. Somewhere you will be safe until you know how to fight back," He stated.

"No, I can't, my mother was..." I swallowed hard; the sentence felt stuck in my throat.

"She was fighting off some animals, and they yelled at me to run, including her friend," I added.

"Evy and Maela are dead," Arwan blurted out.

"I don't understand," I yelled.

"Your mother, Maela, and her friend, Evy, died fighting for you," he declared.

His words echoed in my head, I felt like my spirit brutally jumped out of my flesh.

My eyes turned red, and my body shut down in pain.

"I...don't -believe you," I stammered, trying to push away the heartbreak that I was trying hard to visit.

"We don't have time to check up on her, we need to get you out of here," Arwan warned.

"You think I care?" I asked, laughing sarcastically.

"My mother is out there, and you are offering to keep me safe?" I added.

"Your mother is dead," he retorted.

"I'd rather find out myself. I can't trust some invisible creature who jumps out of nowhere claiming to want to save me. How am I sure you are not the enemy?" I responded.

"If you want to see your dead mother so desperately, we can portal you there," he suggested and held my hand.

After a swap of a few seconds, we were in my house.

I stood there shocked; what unbelievable thing just happened? But that wasn't enough things for me to be worried about. I spotted my mother and her friend, Evy, lying lifelessly on the ground.

My eyes widened in horror like a door was slammed shut in my face. As I whispered "no, no, no" over and over.

My eyebrows shot up in shock, my face pale & clammy, my chin trembled like a leaf, my lips quivering as I tried to hold back sobs, my eyes brimming with tears.

"M-mother, wh-at, what-happened here? You- p-promised to explain things to me," I stammered.

"We need to leave now, Melonie," Arwan called out.

"I saw it," I declared.

"What did you see?" He calmly asked.

"The thing that did this to my mother and her friend. It was a werewolf, right?" I asked, still trying to understand.

"No, it wasn't a werewolf. But it came for you and not them. They were used as a sacrifice to get to you," he blurted out.​

I stared back at him in shock.

"So what was it?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

​"An apex predator. A being from another realm, taking on a wolf-like form to hunt and devour human prey with abilities far surpassing those of a werewolf. They are very dangerous and...they will be back, Melonie...for you!"