Chapter 4

Jamie continued on her way home, completely blocking the encounter she had just had from her mind. To her, it was just a crazy person spewing trash.

"Destiny?" She scoffed mockingly.

There was nothing like destiny. Even if there was, hers was pretty bleak, boring, and filled with the hopeless road of poverty. She decided to think of more important things, like what excuse she could give madam Beauchamp to get shower water. She resolved to buy the woman some cheap earrings from the thrift shop just before her street. Smiling with more confidence, she began to increase her pace.

The further Jamie moved, she began to notice a dark cloud hovering around. She tried to shrug it off as her wild imagination, but the cloud only seemed to follow her.

When she turned around, it was bright as usual, but when she moved, the dark cloud hovered around her. Her survival instincts instantly kicked in, and she began to run. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but the further she ran, the dizzier she became. She tried to fight whatever it was, but she couldn't stop herself from falling unconscious.

–

Jamie woke up and found herself just at the entrance of a tunnel. She looked around in confusion, wondering how she had gotten there. She immediately stood up and dusted her clothes in a rush of danger.

Jamie turned around to try to find her way back, but curiosity got the better of her, and instead, she proceeded inside the tunnel to find out where exactly it led.

The instant she stepped in, she knew she had made a horrible mistake, and there was no rectification. She saw something strange within reach, and on closer inspection, it began to dissolve into a man's face. As he approached her, she moved backward.

"Mate," His voice, cold, deep, and haunting as a predator seeking out its prey, called out to her. Her body responded with such quickness it alerted her. She shivered nervously and took more steps backward.

"Don't run from me. I can smell you," He said, his voice sending ripples of pleasure deep within her. She quickly shook her head, wondering what sort of madness suddenly took hold of her.

"I should not be here. Why have I let my curiosity get the better of me?" She questioned herself, and before wasting more time, she turned around in an attempt to flee but was clamped upon before she could move.

The man pulled her down and pressed against her. Her heart raced swiftly as she felt desire wash over her. He began to sniff her, and although she fought against it, her resistance was slipping. Suddenly, his eyes turned darker, and she stilled. Her resolve to fight weakened.

She didn't think it was possible, but she thought she saw a wolf with a smile just before he sank his canine into her neck.

For the second time that night, Jamie woke up without any memory of the events that landed her in the hospital. She felt the bandage on her neck as she walked back home in pain. She wondered what could have happened and why her body ached so much.

The only information the doctors had given her was that a good Samaritan found her lying unconscious and brought her in. They suggested she stay overnight to ensure she was in total health before returning home, but she immediately refused.

For as long as she could remember, she hated hospitals. The cloud of fear, pain, and death hovering around it was always too much for her to bear. She finally reached her house and saw a figure waiting just at the door's entrance. Her heart began to thump loudly again.

"What now?" She wondered in fear. It wasn't until the figure moved into the light she could finally breathe again.

"Girl, where have you been? I came around to make you pay for the favor I rendered you today but noticed you were–" her voice immediately trailed when she saw how weak the young girl was. She immediately rushed to her and caught her in her arms just before she could fall to the ground.

"You've gotten yourself into trouble again, haven't you?" She shook her head sympathetically and carried Jamie into the house. On getting in, she placed the girl on the bed and quickly put on the light, then rushed to sit by her side.

"You're so weak. Why do you smell like drugs?" She asked, sniffing the younger woman.

"I'm just coming from the hospital," she replied.

"You poor stupid thing. Did you take drugs on an empty stomach? No wonder you're so weak" she jumped up immediately and ran to her house.

A few minutes later, she came back with a plate of food. "Here, eat this" Jamie wasn't quite sure where the strength to eat came from, but as soon as the food was placed beside her, she immediately raised herself and began to devour it.

"You better slow down before you choke," the older woman said, going out again. Jamie was not listening, though. All she knew was the need to satisfy her hunger.

By the time the older woman returned, she had cleared her plate and drank half of the water in the pitcher. She had finally regained some level of strength. She was so thankful to Madame Beauchamp; she is a friendly and caring lady but always mean to others but somehow kind and carefree towards her.

"I've placed warm water in your bathroom. Go take a bath and stop starving yourself, you silly girl," madam Beauchamp said and finally retired to her house.

Jamie's eyes moistened as she watched the older woman leave. The irony that Madam Beauchamp, of all people, had shown her the most kindness in her twenty-two years alive was not lost on her. She immediately vowed to repay the woman's odd kindness someday.

Dragging herself slowly, she moved to the bathroom and took a quick shower. She noticed that the woman had even given her extra water and smiled.

"You're not as mean as you try to make everyone believe, madam," she whispered. Wiping her body dry, she slid into her bed naked. She felt relaxed, as if the day had just started for her one more time.

She spent the rest of the night thinking of the strange events of that day. The last thing she could remember was talking to the mad woman who kept on insisting her destiny awaited her.

She wondered if her destiny consisted of being knocked unconscious by some wicked soul and left with an injury on the neck.

"If this is destiny, I hate it," she muttered, twirling here and there on the bed, finding it restless to fall asleep again.

However, before she could sleep, she suddenly remembered the doctor handing her a piece of paper. She immediately fetched her purse and dug into it to retrieve the document. She opened, tore it open, and read through it hurriedly.

She couldn't believe her eyes at first and decided to go through it again. She screamed into her pillow as the letter's content replayed over and over in her head. A company had granted her a job opportunity, and she was invited to check it out the next day.

"I'm sorry, destiny, for hating you earlier. I like you now," she said before slowly drifting into sleep.