Chapter 4 Bitten

Scarlett's POV

I could see the strange animal approaching me as it growled. I was unable to escape. I could get up and run, but it would catch up with me and kill me. In either case-laying or standing to run-I would die.

I began to cry. I was so scared that the beast would eat me whole. I had never imagined that my death would be this way in all of my life.

You know the saying, 'You never know how you die.'

I had prayed for the kind of death where I fall asleep and I am never awakened. The peaceful kind.

My stomach began to immediately feel like it was being pierced by razor-sharp teeth. "No, let me go!" I screamed and fought to get away, but it was useless. I was unable to escape the beast. I was drawn back to it as it carried on with its meal. I was its meal. It was furious. Angry at me, and I could tell from just the red eyes I saw.

Was I really going to die? Will I be able to see my dad again? Is my time on earth coming to an end now?

The beast's teeth kept cutting into my flesh severely. Tears were dripping down my cheek, which I could feel. Even though I was numb, I could still feel pain. It's the kind of emotion where you are unsure of what you are feeling.

From where they were resting, my hands were trembling. They couldn't move; they were just so still, shaking and still. You know that sensation you get when you know it's almost time to pass away? That was how I felt as well.

My hand suddenly felt like it was covered in something wet. It was as thick as blood. I had my hand in my own blood. "Please...let...me go." My voice was so frail that the breast wouldn't even be able to hear what I was saying.

It couldn't allow me to live. After all, it was a beast. They prey on humans, and they haunt humans. I had clung to one hope that I might live, even as my voice continued to shake. I could feel its teeth digging deeper into my body with each passing moment, and if it didn't stop eating me, I would eventually die.

The red eyes suddenly shifted their focus from me to my phone, which began to ring. Would I call my situation "fortunate"? that my phone rang?

The beast began to growl as the ringtone on my phone became louder and more frantic. I had no idea that such a thing existed in this day and age. A beast? Despite being a smart student, I was unaware of the existence of beasts. It was all a myth to me. Were there more of them out there?

The sound coming from my phone was too loud for it to bear as it teethed out of my flesh. I gasped in relief, but I could feel my stomach bleeding more and more. I was losing so much blood that I could feel how cold my body was becoming.

The beast bent its head to me again, and those red eyes didn't look at my eyes, but instead at my almost ripped stomach. Was it going to continue eating me up? At this point, I gave up.

I closed my eyes tightly and clenched my fist. I believed it was the end of me, but to my surprise, I didn't feel any teeth on me and, after waiting for some time, I flipped my eyes open and suddenly saw what the beast was doing. It was sniffing me.

Does it have a heart after all?

It raised its head to me and I could see the red eyes looking into mine. I heard a slow, soft growl, and immediately, the beast left my side and sat down.

Why is it looking at me like that? Can it read me?

The beast remained seated in place without shifting an inch.

I realized the red eyes had been silently watching me for a while. It was no longer attacking me.

I had to survive and get back home.

In pain, I struggled to get myself up, but it was so difficult that I frequently collapsed. I needed a way to live. I didn't want to die.

At last, it felt as though I suddenly had strength. After numerous attempts, I was finally able to stand up. I placed my left hand on my ripped-apart stomach to stop the blood from pouring out. I tried to run away even though my legs continued to tremble. I ran as quickly as my spaghetti-legs would allow me to while galloping. My bag and phone were left behind.

My life was more important to me than the phone, the books, or the expensive bag.

I could always replace this item, but not my life.

I eventually made it to the front of the mansion and tried to take a breath. Being aware of how frequently I had stumbled while returning home made the escape difficult. I had a vague feeling that the beast would pursue me and finish me off, but to my surprise, it didn't. My house was right in front of me, which gave me some relief.

I hoped that my family wasn't awake as I looked down at my torn clothes. What would I say to them about what had occurred? It was impossible for me to stand for an extended period of time because my legs were still weak.

To avoid waking anyone up, I slowly opened the door, but when Isabella's voice rang out, I gasped. "Scarlett?" She called my name and stood from the chair she was seated on. Mom and Mia were also in the living room.

What would I say?

I made a valiant effort to hide my face from them.

"Where have you been?" Belly questioned. I raised my hand to stop her from getting any closer as she was about to approach me. On her tracks, she halted. "You did not answer the phone when I called your number."

My head was bowed, and I remained silent. Belly was the one who called just as the beast was about to kill me? She saved my life without knowing it.

She spoke louder than before, "I am talking to you!"

Mia said, "Mom? There's blood on her," and I felt their gazes on me.

"Have you been involved in a fight?" Mom got up as well, but I didn't want her getting any closer to me.

"You look pale, Scar." I jerked my hand away when Belly's hand made contact with mine.

Before Belly could get any closer, I sprinted for the stairs and then into my room, locking the door behind me.

I quickly removed my clothes in the bathroom. I could feel how hurt I was. The pain I was in was the worst I had ever felt.

The blood poured out of my stomach as I washed it in the shower. Touching my own body made me feel frightened. For the first time, my body irritated me.

When I got out of the shower, I stood in front of the mirror and noticed how distorted my stomach was. It had a scar that resembled a tooth print in a circle, but the fresh bruise was deeper in every area.

I took the bandage out of the medicine cabinet and tightly wrapped it around my waist. I put the ruined clothing right away in a trash bag and hid it under my bed because I didn't want my family to see the proof. Making my bed, I pretended nothing had happened.

If the bleeding doesn't stop, I had already made up my mind to go to the doctor first thing tomorrow morning before school.

I made an effort to ignore the discomfort, but as I got closer to my nightstand to turn out the light, I dropped to the floor and immediately went unconscious.