Day 6 Who: Ben Where: Somewhere that isn't his cabin When: Early morning
Ben noticed a few things as he awoke, not all of them at the same time.
First, he was aware of the smells. It was as though a whole botanical garden had been uprooted and transplanted to his bedroom.
Then he realized he couldn't actually smell his bedroom.
After that, it occured to him that he was swallowing and licking his lips, and that he had a highly unpleasant taste in his mouth.
And Jesus, but he hurt again.
And there seemed to be some kind of breeze blowing over him, probably from an open window.
... then again, he wasn't in his bed. The floor was a lot harder than his mattress.
And it wasn't his cabin floor. In fact, the noises and smells would suggest to him that he was outside.
That was when he remembered he'd left his cabin door slightly open last night, just in case there was a repeat of what had happened the night before. After all, it had taken him ages to tidy up when he'd got back, and he'd noted a couple DIY jobs that would need doing just as soon as he felt up to it again. In fact, it was only his innate sense of tidiness that'd compelled him even to do what little tidying he did do.
Finally, once all of the rest had been figured out as his brain's higher functions began kicking in he finally came to two more realizations.
He wasn't in his cabin at all.
And his eyes were still closed.
Well, the second of those things being the potentially less complicated thing to sort out at this moment in time he opened his eyes. And blinked.
He really didn't want to bother moving just yet, but he knew he had to. He also knew from yesterday's experience that it was going to hurt like hell, so he took a few breaths - not too deep since it hurt his ribs - then gritted his teeth and pushed himself slowly up from lying on his side with his back next to a conveniently placed tree trunk to leaning against it, swearing under his breath as he tried to get his breathing, and the pain that wracked his body, back under control.
Damn, he'd shut his eyes again. Once more, he opened them and slowly moved his head, wincing at the effort but making himself take a good look around.
He had no idea where he was. He seemed to be surrounded by trees, bushes, grass... the kind of surroundings that might suggest he was in a forest or wood somewhere. And it was the "somewhere" that bothered him. His gaze moved down to floor level and he frowned at what seemed to be the remains of an animal's last meal lying too close for total comfort. Then he frowned even more when he finally worked out that he was totally naked.
"Shit..."
His voice sounded even more cracked and hoarse than it had the day before, but he felt the need to say it out loud a couple more times, as though forcing bits of him to work that really didn't want to. Maybe his brain would benefit from the example of his mouth and follow suit.
He sat a bit longer, grateful for the tree but wishing there could be some kind of water source nearby as well since he had a terribly dry mouth.
He glanced down at the remains of a... raccoon? No... two.
Three, his brain told him, suddenly working in far more clarity than Ben had wanted or asked for. And, of course, once he remembered, he couldn't unremember. He knew where the bad taste in his mouth - and his greater than normal thirst - had come from.
It was vague again, the way it had been the previous night. But he saw images - no, flashes, really - of fur and random buildings as he'd run past them - incredibly quickly and on all fours. He saw running paws - huge running paws - and he knew they were his own. He heard growls, snarls and howls. He'd fought... just what or who he'd fought he had no idea, but he knew without question that there'd been violence and that he'd been involved. More than that, he'd been the instigator - he'd looked for it, enjoyed it.
Then there'd been food. He actually salivated at the half-memory of catching a meal that was warm and mobile in his jaws, the crunch of bones in teeth ending the movement and the rending of fur from flesh and bone.
"Oh God..." He felt sick. Sick with disgust that he'd remembered that with such... savage joy. Yeah, savage. In the truest sense of the word.
He needed to get back to his cabin. He had no damn idea where he was but he couldn't stay here - not in this state. It was clearly still early which was good since he'd need to get back naked. He really could do without another damn dilemma right now, at least until he'd got back behind his own closed door and had had time to clean himself up - he had dried blood all over him and he hoped to God it wasn't all his somebody else's. Not only that, but he looked... well, he looked like somebody who'd run through trees and bushes naked. He definitely needed a good clean up.
At least his cabin wouldn't look any worse than it had yesterday when he'd last seen it, he thought wryly.
It took him some time and a lot more gritted teeth and gasped oaths for him to get to his feet and, when he had, he stood for a moment, shaking with exertion and pain. Once he'd gotten himself under control once more, he turned, trying to work out just which direction he needed to go in. He picked one and, cupping his hands over his exposed genitals for at least a modicum of decency, he started moving as best he could.
He didn't know how long he'd been walking, since he was trying to keep his mind off his predicament - all of his predicament - by figuring out long division as he moved, but eventually he came within sight of the some cabins and his face broke into an exhausted and relieved smile at the sight. How damn lucky was that?
Not at all, it suddenly struck him with a sense of utter horror as he worked out just how he'd managed to retrace his steps. But it was, of course, blindingly obvious.
He'd followed his own damn scent...
He caught his breath on a painful half-sob, then curled his lip and moved on. This... well, he could hardly say it wasn't happening. But he'd do his damndest to make sure it was a temporary state.
He just needed to work out how he was going to go about it.