Chapter 32
Werewolves
Roxanne's eyes opened slowly as she groaned a little. She sat up on her bed and looked around her, finding herself in the same place she was before she slept.
"So it wasn't a dream" She mumbled.
She looked around her and found that this time she was all alone. The Luminous rocks and fireflies brightened up the dark place. She couldn't help but admire their beauty.
However, nothing made sense to her. Was she kidnapped? Or was she rescued? She had no idea. Her body seemed to be feeling way better than the last time, and she had regained a great deal of energy. She climbed off her bed and stood barefoot on the ground.
"It's warm" She noticed.
She looked over to a corner and noticed a pair of boots by the side. She heaved a sigh of relief, conscious of the harsh winter grounds beyond where she was.
Roxanne proceeded to leave the cave, but before this, she checked out what she wore. Somehow she had been changed from the casual house wear she had on to some form of gown. It was brown, it was plain, and in Roxanne's opinion, not too pretty.
It was comfortable though, allowing her to easily move. She saw her path ahead of her and took it, not knowing where she was going.
"I have to get out of here... I still don't know where I am" She muttered under her breath.
As she closed in on the entrance, or rather exit the cave, the light grew brighter and she was able to see more clearly. However, the temperature also dropped as she began to feel cold once again. This didn't daunt her, however, as she continued marching forward.
Finally, Roxanne reached the entrance of the cave. The wind blew on her face as she used her hands to cover her eyes, taking in the sight before her. Her eyes widened with shock when she saw the place she was in.
Small houses similar to her grandmother's cottage were scattered around the area, though in an orderly fashion. The snowy field bustled with activity as people walked about, yes people.
Roxanne saw mostly women and children all around, but once in a while she saw a man or two.
"What is this place... Where am I?" She asked herself with wonder as she witnessed the strange community around her.
She looked back at the cave and found it to be in a secluded spot, with large wooden fencing around it, and there she was standing within the fence.
"I have to get out of here" She decided.
Leaving the fenced cave compound by going through the front gate, Roxanne walked across the strange people. They all stopped what they did when she passed them and stared at her. She felt weird, like all attention was on her. The feeling of being watched was something she still disliked. Even the children who chased themselves all turned to look at her.
"Miss! Your hair is strange" One of them approached her and said.
This was the first time someone spoke to her among them since the rest of the community folks just looked at her from a distance, reminding her of school. "That's right! School!" She suddenly remembered.
Her thoughts went to her friend Betty and the conversation they were having before her phone got broken. Thoughts of her mother and also her grandmother also began to trouble her. What became of them? Were they looking for her? Did they even know she was missing, or maybe they thought she ran away... Myriads of thoughts enveloped her.
She kept walking, trying as much as possible to avoid the curious gazes of everyone around her. She was going to leave this strange place and reunite with her family... No matter the cost. However, upon walking further, she realised that those thoughts were pointless. They were surrounded by nothing but endless trees and snow.
Was that why no one tried to stop her as she tried to escape? They already knew that what she was doing was pointless so they only observed her. She suddenly felt like a fool, but even more than that she felt scared. She was trapped in a strange place she knew nothing of, surrounded by a harsh landscape she knew was fatal for her if she decided to travel through it.
As her mind pondered and heart raced, more worries and fears clouded her mind. Suddenly, she felt a hand placed upon her shoulder. It was warm and oddly familiar.