"It's too late. They're here." Corey's voice is the last thing gripping me to reality until I disassociate. I'm experiencing what may be an almost out of body experience.
There's a moment of silence between us: the calm before the storm. The Earth is eerily quiet, apprehensive for the reckoning that's about to take place. Then the noise fades back in slowly. First, Colby's lips are moving but I can't make out the words over the ringing in my ears. Second, static. Third, hazy screaming. Almost dreamlike. Fourth, chaos.
The angels are frantically ushering all able bodies away from the direction the howls are seeming to come from. I'm not sure where they can take them, and I have a fear they're not sure either. It's not that the angels are incapable, it just seems they're not strong enough in their numbers. The human to angel ratio seems unfairly outnumbered and with all of the humans frantic and incoherent, I can understand why they're trying but failing to reign control of the situation. It's not until I see Sam emerge from the chaos and assume control by promising safety if everyone would calm down and listen to their respective angels. I guess they did prepare for this.

"Elizabeth, you need to go with Sam," Colby instructs me. The look on his face is calm but I can tell his mind is racing.
"But-"
"Elizabeth... please" his voice is hard but pleading. Sam, having seen Colby's pleading from a few yards away walks over to us. The last thing I  want to do is make his job harder, so I reluctantly listen to Colby's wishes. Sam touches the small of my back gently and leads me away.

The crowds gathering are massive, I hear screaming and hollering. My head is spinning and looking around I wanted to run back in time to when things were normal. As noise began to once again fill my ears clearly it became a peculiar, blood-chilling sound. It was like the low snarling of many voices, and it grew louder and louder until it became a sullen, muttering roar.
I felt a slump in my heart knowing this was my fault.

I need to fix this. I have to break off the group and lead the beasts away. They're mainly after me, and if I could just get enough of them to chase just me instead, then Colby, Sam, and Corey may have a fighting chance. I can do this for them and the people who are innocent to all of this, who lay waiting and vulnerable to the attack. It may prove suicidal, but what else can I do? I feel so helpless, and I can't let those beasts reach the others before the backup Colby called arrive. As I think of him and formulate my plan, my eyes wander over to him. He must have sensed this because he looks over at me, meeting my eyes. His expression immediately hardens, and he visibly tenses as he sees my mind turning. I break my gaze and look for a path through the woods.
"Sam? Do me a favor?" I ask, my voice quiet and unreadable.
"Of course"
"Get as many people out as you can" I whisper, he looked at me with confusion and as I turn all I hear is Colby's voice shouting at me.

"Elizabeth, don't you dare! Sam grab her!"

But I'm running before he finishes his sentence. 

I only allow myself to take one moment to peek over my shoulder to see if the hounds took the bait, and they have. Three of the vague silhouettes are pummeling after me. Barking. Snarling. Thirsty for blood. My blood. As I looked back I could see the glow of yellow eyes through the darkness, like sallow lamplight eight feet off the ground. They moved with incredible speed. The eyes followed, with rapid acceleration and a more bounding motion the came right for me. I'm sure if I were an onlooker they would be nothing more than a blur. Their agility is impeccable; they're dodging every obstacle that I'm barely able to. In less than two seconds I was on my back gasping for air. It's hovering over me, and the snarling is even more frightening up close. My whole body is shaking with fear as I cover my face with my forearms. I don't recall a time I've been so terrified. Even the demons, as grotesque as they were, were able to reason, but these bloodthirsty beasts had no other thought except kill. I brace for the pain I know is coming. And it does. Pain becomes all I know as the beast's claws slices through my skin. All I can taste is metallic blood in my mouth. All I can see are dots dancing in my vision. Not only is my flesh being torn, but it feels like my very soul is being ripped away from my body; I'm being dragged to hell, literally. I suddenly realize the purpose of the beasts.
My screams tear through me as the hound tears my flesh. My screams of agony mixed with it's snarls echo around us. My mind goes numb and pressure begins filling my skull.
A short whimper rips through the beast on top of me and it falls lifeless on the ground next to my body, and the pressure in my head is gone, although the pain is not.
I didn't want the angels to come for me, the plan was for them to save the rest of the camp, not come after me and kill the hounds. However, when I look up, there are no angels to be seen. No angels, no demons, no other people. So how did this thing just die? in the distance the sound of snarls burst through the trees. Giving me no time to ponder over my thoughts, but I have no motivation to get up from my position on the ground until I think of Colby. His comforting blue eyes, his soft skin, his ha- why am I thinking about him? Why do I want to go back to him?
The process of breathing was suddenly foreign to me and I knew I needed to survive. Picking what was left of my courage off the forest floor I began my journey once more, but this time, I would be stronger and more clever. 

As I stumble along, the thick forest begins closing in on me. Branches are reaching for me pulling me further in the thick brush. I've never really suffered from claustrophobia, so why am I feeling it's hard to breathe when I'm outside? Trying not to think of it proves futile, I don't want to be lost in the woods forever! My anxiety has completely hijacked my body. Until I hear a familiar sound. I wasn't alone.

Leaves crunched under the pressure of my foot, and startlingly enough, for the first time since coming into the woods, they were drowned out by the sound of someone else's footsteps. Someone else's extremely loud, and very obvious footsteps.   My heart flopped to a pause in my chest, no hounds have been in sight for a while and out of instinct, I spun around to see who might be following me. And as soon as I did, I rammed right into a warm chest. A hand came on my shoulder to steady me, preventing me from tumbling back towards the ground.
It was Colby.
He didn't seem urgent, his calm face said so, but his previous footsteps didn't pause or hesitate in weaving through the darkening woods. His navigation was confident and the anxiety that consumed me at first from plunging further into the woods, began to ease as he approached me.

"Don't you ever," his voice is stern and immediately some of my anxiety returns, "I mean ever pull something like that again, Elizabeth."

"I had to Colby. There were no other options! You needed to get those people out."

"There is ALWAYS another option."  I fall quiet at that. Was that hurt I heard in his voice? Worry? I shake off the slight fluttering feeling in my stomach. He's an angel; it's his job to watch over humans, and I'm probably making it even more difficult for him.

He hears it before I do. His head snaps to the side, and mine follows his in question. He immediately pulls me behind him keeping one protective arm around me while he does. I have a flashback of the last time we were like this. Right before the demon tackled me down and forewarned me of my irredeemable fate. Colby still has no idea, and I still have no intention in changing that.

The silence stretches and envelopes around us. Until it doesn't.

"They're long gone, guys. Feel free to get a room once we get to the new camp, until then keeps your wings Untangled." Corey makes his way towards us. Colby's arm falls from its position around me, taking the buzzing feeling of him being close to me with it. And a flustered heat rises to my cheeks.

"Ooo, Elizabeth. That's a nasty wound." Corey eyes avert the claw marks left on my hip. Immediately, Colby's eyes follow. His glare is scrutinizing as he takes in my wound.  My shirt is ripped and bloody. My adrenaline has blocked the pain until he just pointed it back out. I feel the intense throbbing pain from and around the inflicted area. I suddenly feel achy all over. I'm certain I'm covered in bruises. I hold my breath when he bends down to closely inspect it. My cheeks are burning when I catch Corey smirking at us. Hopefully, Colby is oblivious to how he elicits such emotions from me.

I can still feel the underlying anger through his gentle movements.

"Better you than him, though." Corey shrugs his shoulders.

"What do you mean?" I call after him as he starts to nonchalantly walk away.

"If one of those beasts got even a graze of angel boy here not even..." He fought to swallow the lump of disgust, "God could save him."

"They can kill you?" I look at Colby accusingly, and it's nearly impossible to hide my anger. His gentle touch falls from my wound as I pull away.

"Worse." Corey chimes in before putting up his hands in mock surrender as Colby shoots him a death glare. I scoff at the double standards at the situation. Colby looks almost sheepish before he shakes it off and resumes his default look of indifference.

"It's my job. I don't have an option."

"There is ALWAYS another option." I fire back with exactly what he told me using his own words against him. How is it okay for him to risk his life but not me? He might be an angel, but I'm responsible for my own fate. I've been feeling extremely restless and helpless as of late, and I just needed to do something- anything.

"You should have thought of that before you ran off then!" I flinch back as he raises his voice. I was right. I was making his life harder, but he didn't have to chase after me!

"All that's beside the point. Why are we even talking about this? I need to heal your wound, and we need to get back to the safe zone before night falls."

"What? Why?" I look at Colby who like usual doesn't seem keen on answering me then to Corey "What happens when night falls?"

"If you thought those hounds were evil," Corey breathes out in disbelief.

"Don't listen to him Elizabeth." Colby leans forward about to heal my wound before I step out of his reach.

"I don't want you to heal me. I can deny your intervention!" I'm reaching for strings here as I remember learning that angels can only help you if you allow them permission.

"Don't be like this. It's a long walk, Elizabeth."

"Then we better start walking then." I raise my eyebrows in challenge.

"Fine. It's your funeral."  He scoffs and begins leading us back.

I immediately regret not having him heal me. Each step I make sends a jolt of pain from my hip to my whole leg. It's overwhelming, but pride keeps me from asking Colby to heal me. I've managed to keep up with their pace up until now. Now I'm slowly falling behind. I just need to stop for a moment.

"You okay, Liz?" Corey walks up beside my weakening stance on the tree.

I see Colby shake his head before slowing down and stopping too.
"I got her." Colby wraps his arm around my uninjured side to help me walk against my protest.

"I was trying to help, man," Corey puts his hands up in defense.

"I've got it under control."

"Clearly," He scoffs, "Ya know... that's exactly what your little friend Sam said before I saved his life."

My ears perk up at Sam's name, and my heart races in worry for my friend, "Sam?! Is he okay?" He heard me mention his name earlier.. Why didn't he say anything about him then?! Colby's arms gently fall away from me as he faces Corey off.

"Sam's fine," Colby's eyes narrow at Corey, " I would know."

"Would you?"

"This is ridiculous." Colby angrily turns back around and stalks towards a stunned me, who is currently leaning on a tree as support. I'm too tired to fight him on it or walk away before he's invading my space and my wishes. He quickly lifts up what's left of the lower half of my shirt as he takes in my wound more personally. There's a flash of something--pain?-- that passes his features like he hurts for me as I flinch. His fingers are soft as the barely there touch traces around the area. I can't hide the goosebumps that arise in their wake. He's eyes travel up my body to meet mine. They're questioning and once he sees i'm not going to throw his help in his face he heals me. A blue is seen traveling up his veins, something I've never noticed when Sam heals me.

When he's rises back to his height, we're extremely close. Almost flushed together. I can clearly see the intensity in his blue eyes. I'm in trance that is only broken when he steps back from me.

"There. Now you can't slow us down anymore." He gives me a mocking smile, and any snarky remark I once had instantly fails to be reciprocated.

And just like that the moment's gone. Typical, I think as he rudely stalks away, and glare holes at the back of his head.

Corey walks beside me laying his elbow on my shoulder taking advantage of his height. He looks down at me with a smirk and I know I'm not going to like whatever is about to come out of his mouth.
"I'm calling it now." He nodded his head towards Colby.
"Calling what.?"
"I'm giving you both two weeks to get together." He laughs at the confused face I make.
" Yeah right. Like that would ever happen."
"Maybe you're right... he probably doesn't know how to handle a lady like you."
"Oh like how you handled me? Binding me with chains?" I laugh mockingly at him, swatting his elbow off my shoulder causing him to stumble backwards as I start forward. He shrugs his shoulder and begins to follow me.
"Hey, that shits kinky!"

With my wound now healed, traveling is easier and quicker. Colby has been quiet the entire time leaving Corey to fill up the silence. It might have been a quicker walk, but it felt longer without and banter between me and him.

My thoughts are caught off guard when I see a camp in the distance and the devastation i've caused.  Angels litter the area barking orders and tending to each others wounds. Guilt consumes me. I catch a fleeting glimpse of Sam. As I'm about to head his way, I think better of it. This is all my fault. Why would he want to see me? I'm frozen mid step at the destruction around me.

My attention is diverted to nearest angel writhing on the ground not too far from where I stand. I look around for someone to help her with no luck. There's too many angels injured. My feet immediately head that way on their own accord.

I do more harm than good.

This is all my fault. I shouldn't be here.

"Don't touch her, you foul human!" I'm pushed
backwards, drowning in my thoughts of self-loathing that I'm unable to shake. I have no right to feel sorry for myself when this angel below me is in pain, pale and drenched in sweat. Obviously fighting for whatever life was left in her.

"You're right, you know." An angel I've recognized around camp approaches me. Apparently I've been muttering 'my fault' aloud. I've seen him around Colby a couple of times. His dislike towards me has always been subtle but his disdain written all over his face is clear now. For all to see. And boy, is it a sight. The other angel who's with him looks sheepishly down trying to pretend this confrontation isn't happening. I see the pity, and I hate it. I shouldn't be here. I need to hear him say it out loud though.

"Right?" I give him an apprehensive and questioning look. Whatever he's about say isn't going to be good, and I don't blame him. I need him to say it. "About what?"

"It's your fault," the angels' eyes narrow at me in hate. Immediately all scrutinizing eyes are on me before Colby steps in front of me.
I don't blame them. It is my fault. The hounds were looking for me. They're all looking for me. I should have been honest from the start, but self preservation prevented me from doing so. And now these innocent people and angels have paid the price. I may be temporarily blocked from their stares, but I can still hear the wounded angels cries of anguish. Now I know what Corey meant by what happens to angels when bitten. Worse than death.

"That message was right," he gives me a sneer. 
"You shouldn't be here."

The pain felt with those four words is astonishing especially since I recognize the voice. I can't hide the pain in mine when I shakily say, "Sam."