Breathe
‘Breathe, Daniel.’
The woman’s voice echoed in his head. He shuddered, sucking in air more quickly. The warmth filled him, from the top of his head down to his toes.
‘It’s okay. I am with you. Breathe. Relax. I mean no harm to you, I promise.’
The warmth grew hotter, and yet, as Daniel’s chest rose and fell, he felt no fear from this. After the initial shock wore off, he felt a strange wave of comfort flowing through him. His limbs relaxed on their own, and Daniel’s breathing and racing heart calmed. He let out a shaky breath, then slowly looked at his hands, which were quivering very faintly.
‘It will be okay,’ the woman’s voice said, again from within his own head. ‘It is time to introduce you to your gifts. Breathe, and all will become clear soon.’
Daniel opened and closed his hands. “Wh-what are you…?”
‘Let me show you.’
The warmth within him grew smoldering; he could feel himself start to sweat. Yet before he could say or do anything, he was hit by a wave of raw lethargy, so heavy his eyes closed within seconds. His body locked up as this happened, and he felt like he was falling.
‘This is the beginning of your reawakening,’ the spirit said. ‘It is not a painful experience, but it will be strange to you. Relax and let me take control; I will ensure you are able to flow through this smoothly. You must trust me.’
In the darkness, he saw the golden, glimmering eyes. They stared back at him, and he watched them move closer, until they were hovering directly before his line of sight. A smile formed beneath them, a bright, white, toothy smile, the same as the wolf woman’s. Daniel could not move, nor speak, yet he could feel; and rather than fear, he felt only comfort from staring into those eyes.
‘It is easier to do this while you are unconscious,’ the woman said; her lips moved, yet the voice echoed all around him. ‘The human body’s reaction to the transformation tends to be unpleasant, due to how foreign a feeling it is. This way, you will not feel it, not until you are awakened. Do not be afraid. It is not permanent, merely a taste of what will come, my Daniel.’
The eyes vanished, melding into the darkness. Then, everything grew hazy.
Daniel felt himself drifting in hazy bleakness for a long time, ages, it seemed like, before consciousness began tugging at him. He very gradually came to, the darkness giving way to dim lighting…
Written by Hollowpages on 21 April 2019