Chapter 13: Run!!
David exits the employee room to see Selene’s eyes open but dazed, as the pain is no doubt still reverberating throughout her body. "F...father? How am I..." Father David simply ignores her, dreading the result of Henrick’s decision.
He sits on the floor and clutches his hands in prayer, shaking while muttering under his breath. The tense silence is broken when Henrick steps outside, blood all over his hands.
The priest stands abruptly, his eyes seeking confirmation. "Is it...done?" he asks, preparing himself for the answer. The soldier looks at David in shock as blood drops down onto the floor, dripping on his pants and feet. "... he’s better." Henrick says, his face still set in bewilderment.
Father David closes his eyes and lets out a tear, sadness radiating from his form. "Yes, he’s in a better place now." Henrick looks up at his words and shakes his head, a smile starting to form on his lips. Without a word, he opens the employee room door and out comes the large golden retriever.
Leo’s muscles have become more defined and his frame has enlarged, standing at nearly four feet at the shoulders. David’s eyes wide. In astonishment as dark purple energy flows through the canine’s veins, turning into a vibrant green when it enters his heart.
Henrick kneels down, after wiping the blood of his hands onto his pants, and pets Leo gently. "He looks more like a wolf now, doesn’t he?" he says, noting the elongated snout, larger fangs, pointer ears, and predatory eyes that still seem to radiate warmth.
"He’s still a good boy, aren’t you?" Leo perks up at those words and leaps onto Henrick, his bulk significantly heavier than a normal golden Retriever. David opens his eyes and beams, a wide smile playing on his lips as he watches Henrick lift Leo off the ground.
The good boy licks Henrick’s face as his tail wags furiously. "How? I thought..." says the priest, wiping the tears from his eyes, a hand tentatively rubbing Leo’s fur. "I was going to end his suffering, and I think he wasn’t ready to go. He stood up and started evolving in front of me." Henrick says as he places the canine down with a laugh.
"He spat out a scary amount of blood, and I thought he was gonna mutated into a monster. Until the growths and pustules receded, and he turned into what you see now." Henrick explains as Leo starts getting rowdy, obviously happy at this chance at life.
David does the sign of the cross as he looks up with a smile. "Ok, ok, keep it down." says the soldier, giving Leo a sharp command, the canine immediately laying down in silence. David and Henrick both look at Selene, who stares at them with a question in her eyes.