We ran as fast as the rain would allow, the road slippery and the downpour blurring my vision. We ran despite the heavy storm, trying our best to see where we were going and at least find some shelter.
We were completely soaked when we found some shade. It was a huge tree, and its leaves swayed in the wind. "Finally, some shade. I don't think we would have been able to hold on much longer," Tara said, and I couldn't agree more. We ran towards the tree, even though we were completely soaked and feeling very cold.
Upon reaching the tree, we quickly realized that it had huge roots spreading out thickly around the soil. I climbed on a root tendril, dropped my wet clothes by the side, and laid down. The wind blew, and the cold increased, so we curled up in a ball, shivering.
"Tara, are you sure we can survive this?" I questioned her, losing all hope. "I don't know, Evelyn. I really don't know. All I know is that I'm so cold, tired, and hungry, and even more cold," she said, and I smiled despite our situation. "Me too," I told her. "If we eventually do survive this, I'll have to take Zephyr's word for it and come to terms with the fact that we're half werewolf, half werecat," Tara said, trying to lighten the mood, and I laughed but stopped as I felt my eyes closing.
"Tara, I don't think I can hold on much longer. I'm losing consciousness, and I'm trying hard to keep my eyes open," I told her. "Me too. We're probably passing out from the cold and not actually dying, right?" she asked me, and I was only barely able to hear her.
"I'm not sure, but no matter what it is, I just want you to know that you're the best friend I've ever had. In fact, you're my only family, and I love you very much. If there really is a next life, it would be my greatest wish to have you as my wolf again," I told her truthfully. "Me too, Evelyn, me too," she said, and I smiled as everything instantly went blank.
I opened my eyes to a sharp brightness and shut them back instantly. I opened them again, blinking repeatedly so my vision would clear up quickly. I felt something wet on my forehead and touched it to realize that a wet cloth had been placed on my forehead, with a blanket wrapped around me like a burrito.