I woke up in my bed and sat straight up, gasping for air.

The room was quiet. The sun was illuminating the ground below, where leaves of brown and gold littered the ground.

My head was pounding and I dug my palms into my eyes, cringing at the stinging pain behind them.

A familiar nose sniffed me with concern, and my heart skipped a beat. My eyes shot open and I looked to my white wolf, and tears immediately sprung into my eyes. "Oh, Dog," I shouted, throwing my arms around him. "You're okay. You're alive."

He gave me a kiss on my face, but I couldn't stop the tears from seeping into his fur. He was okay. He was alive.

I stretched my legs out below me, relieved to be in my bed. I was perfectly fine, none of the injuries from the night before remaining on my body.

No, not the night before. Weeks from now.

I gasp at the realization. Nothing has happened yet. The storm hasn't hit. Dog is alive, and that means Chris is, too.

I throw myself off the bed and I'm running in an instant. I get clothes on, shoes on, and get Dog ready in moments. I'm flying out the door before I know it, and I breathe in the crisp outside. The air is chilly, and the trees still rustle as most drop their leaves, some holding on to them for the remainder of winter. I don't walk and take in the scenery like I do most mornings. Instead, I run towards the correctional camp for boys, knowing what I have to do.

-

I run into the small grounds, and boys are killing around, chatting with one another. I pass through them almost unnoticed, but stop short when I see him.

Chris.

His skin is a tan shade, and his eyes are dark brown. His hair is a curly mop on top of his head, and he's talking to Jon, Aiden, and Matt, having simple conversation. My heart skips a beat. He's alive. They're alive. They're all here.

I suddenly have no words to say, but I barrel towards him nonetheless, grabbing his arm without thought. "I need to talk to you," is what I spit out as he looks at me, alarmed. He looks to the other boys for help, but they just shrug, Matt giving him a nudge to me.

"Ooookay," he drags out, and I begin to pull him to privacy. I look up into his eyes, different than when I had last seen them, but more alive than ever. "Can I help you?" He asks as I push him behind one of the cabins. I catch my breath for a moment, trying to find the right words to say.

"They're not your friends," is what comes out, and he knits his brow. I grab his hand and warmth seeps into mine, but he pulls away quickly. "Chris, trust me when I say you just want to get out of this place. I know you think they're your friends, but they're not. Just ignore them. Leave. Please."

He looks at me like I'm crazy for a moment, but the desperation in my eyes must make him rethink. "What are you talking about?" He asks, taking a defensive step away from me.

"Listen, I-I can't explain it all," I breathe, and I tuck my hair behind my ear. "But you need to leave. Today. Right now, if you can. A terrible storm is going to snow in the mountain, and if you stay, something terrible is going to happen to you. You have to leave."

"Are you crazy or something?" He asks, raising his brow. I shake my head, a cry breaking from me.

"I'm Willow Shade. I'm the witch who lives down there," I explain pleadingly. "I had...a dream. And I saw you die. And my dreams always come true." The lie slipped out so fast I couldn't stop it. But as I looked back up at him, and he saw the truth behind my words in my eyes, he swallowed.

"They were never really my friends," he muttered, now seeming to be in thought. After an agonizing few minutes, he looks back up at me, taking a deep breath in. "Let me get my things."

-

I walk with Chris to the main road, and I stop as we reach the top. "It's a long walk," I warn. "Almost four miles. But trust me, you're better for it."

He sighs, pressing his palm into his forehead. "This is crazy," he whispers. "If my uncle catches me, he'll kill me."

"Do you need money?" I asked him, examining his face. He shakes his head.

"No, I have a couple month's worth of rent, at least. I'm sure I'll be able to find a job." I nod at this, swallowing hard. Instead of saying goodbye to a boy I knew well, I was saying goodbye to a stranger.

"Be safe out there, Chris," I said, resisting the urge to touch his face. But he was alive. I had saved him.

"Yeah," he said, and slowly turned away from me. But two steps in, he turned back. "I swear I know you from somewhere."

"Just a distant dream," I responded, and he nodded, slowly looking away. I watched as he continued his descent, disappearing over the hill. I took a deep breath in, thankful for my Nightshade finally coming to me.

-

The Life of Willow Shade
Recorded by: Cassia Shade
Willow Shade lived to be 98 years old, the oldest woman in her family heritage to have ever lived. She could turn back time as she pleased, and claimed to have stopped deaths of millions of people with a single jump back in time. She used her ability never to bring back what was lost, but to put it as it should've been.

She was surrounded by her 6 children, 1 grandchild, and husband as she passed. Miles was the only man to have ever married into the Shade family, and his death followed hers only a week later. They were buried together in the Shade cemetery, next to Willow's dog, who had lived to be 17 years old.

She refused to put any stories in her book, as she said she wanted them to die with her. And, with her ability, she most likely had thousands.

Willow Shade

Born: April 31st, 2003
Died: June 23rd, 2101

-

A/N
If you've made it this far, I thank you for reading this much. I loved every minute of writing it and I hope you loved every minute of reading it.

If you didn't read the description, I wrote this story based off of "Winterwood" by Shea Ernshaw. Give it a read if you haven't already.

This is the first time I've successfully finished a book, and I'm so glad to finally have pushed myself to do it. Next up is going to be an original idea, I promise.

Thank you for reading and I love you.

Isabelle Boudreau