16.

Pulse pounding within her breast and bare feet falling silently upon the soft grass beneath her, Belle races through a field of wildflowers, laughter escaping her lips and chocolate brown hair swirling about her shoulders in the breeze. To her right, races a gorgeous black and copper toned wolf, it's speed slowed to match her own so that they may sprint along as companions. She smiles at the wolf, it's presence comforting and lending a feeling of safety as well as familiarity as if their frolicking was a regular occurrence. With a deep breath, Belle increases her speed, urging the wolf to do so as well, not that she thought to outrun the four legged creature, but perhaps to test her own limits.

To her left, a large gray wolf suddenly enters her peripheral, its speed easily matching their own. It's head turns to look upon her, golden eyes capturing her gaze for a second before her eyes are drawn downward. The fur about it's neck she realizes, is matted with dark red blood, it's throat a grotesque display of mangled vocal cords and torn muscle visible through a gaping chasm of chewed flesh. Suddenly fearful, Belle stops short, her breathing ragged and skirts swirling about her bared ankles.

She shifts her gaze back to the first wolf, her jade green eyes widening in confusion to find him having disappeared. Spinning about to glance behind her, he is nowhere to be seen, this realization causing her stomach to lurch in panic. As she turns back about in an attempt to keep the bloodied wolf in her sights, she jumps and lets out a shriek as she finds herself face to face with not a wolf, but a man. A filthy man with long, matted brown hair, a scruffy beard and feral bright yellow eyes. Though the man is naked, his chest hair is crusted with dried blood and chunks of mangled flesh, the putrid odor of gore filling her nostrils and causing her stomach to dry heave. The man opens his mouth as if to speak, but only a wet, gurgling sound finds her ears, the act causing a fresh wave of bright crimson to pour down from the cavern where his Adam's apple should have been. Her legs now stiff with fright, Belle stumbles back several steps before bumping into something solid. Large hands find her shoulders and a deep, male voice whispers in her ear, "I'll always protect you." Whirling around, Belle finds herself looking upon the face of a handsome man...a face which she feels she should recognize, but cannot quite place. His eyes of a most unique silver seem to bore deep within her and without thought she finds herself lifting one hand to tuck several dark strands of his brown hair behind his ear. Her lips part to speak, but before she may do so, the man spins her about so that she is shielded by his body, his muscular, sun-kissed and very naked body. He then lunges toward the bloodied mountain man, tackling him to the clover covered field. Belle shakes her head and tries to cry out, wanting HER wolf...HER man to run away with her rather than engage the beastly being in a brawl, but no sound escapes her. Feeling a sudden warmth at her chest, she lifts both hands to her throat where fresh blood now leaks at an alarming rate, frothy red bubbles spilling over her lower lip and cascading down her chin.

Through her terror, her ears capture an hollow, metallic tapping sound and then a female voice softly calling out her name. "Belle? It's me, dear. You have a visitor." Her hands still clutching at her throat, she blinks repeatedly, unable to move or speak until she feels a gentle hand upon her forearm. At last, the scene before her shifts, placing her within a hospital room, Trina's lovely face gazing down upon her with a comforting expression. "There we are, sweetie." The nurse says, reaching up to gently pry Belle's hands from about her own throat. "None of that now. You're alright. Here, let's take a sip of water, shall we?" Trina retrieves the plastic cup from atop the nearby tray and lifts it to Belle's lips. Belle gives a test swallow of her own saliva, unsure whether the liquid would simply flood out her neck, but deeming it safe she takes a long, slow sip.

"Thank you." Belle says softly after her drink, then notes movement about Trina's right shoulder. The nurse smiles and with cup in hand motions to a slender woman with bobbed silver hair, dark glasses and bright red lips. The woman moves forward, not quickly but not hesitantly either,  considering that Belle seemed a bit disoriented. Thrusting one hand out toward her, the woman says simply, "Miss Beauregard...my name is Agent Fairlane. I need a few moments of your time."