Chapter 4. Transformation Complete

It took about another hour for the IV to finish. By the time it was finished, it was 1:36am in the morning. The sky was still dark outside and obviously no one was awake, except for Katie, Carlos, Jake and the pups. After the IV finished, Ryder continued sleeping deeply. Marshall yawned, his blue eyes were fogged by tiredness and his eyelids were drooping. "How's he doing now?" Chase asked. "The IV should start working soon. But for now, he's sleeping peacefully and there's not much to do. So while he sleeps, we can also get some rest" Marshall explained. Chase looked at Ryder, with a worried and fearful face expression on his face. I want you to get better fast. Seeing you like this and acting strange, is freaking me out and having me very scared for you Chase thought, as he walked slowly to his sleeping bag. Everyone else had started getting in their sleeping bags. Everyone was tired, but they were also a little shaken by everything that happened with Ryder.

Carlos turned off the light. The TV room was dim and silent, but that didn't make it easier to fall asleep. There was worry, fear, nervousness, and stress floating around the atmosphere. As stressed and as worried as everyone was, they eventually drifted away into a deep sleep. The room was silent, the only sound was the light snoring from Rubble who slept with his sleeping blindfold. A few minutes later, Ryder's eyes shot open. But they weren't looking so normal. They were slightly glowing. Ryder's mouth felt parched so he shifted his body to grab the glass that was besides his bed. But when he reached out to grab the glass, he wasn't able to grasp it because he had no thumb. Instead, Ryder saw a white and silver paw. Ryder's heart stopped beating at the sight of a paw instead of his hand.

But despite his extreme horror, he didn't scream because that would wake everyone up and then they would see him with a paw and then freak out. "Why do I have a paw?" he asked in a low voice. He then looked down to the rest of his body, only to discover that he wasn't a human anymore. His body was the shape of a wolf-dog. He had a silvery, grayish and white pelt. Ryder saw his mid-long fluffy tail. He had paws, triangular ears, a long snout, sharp teeth, and two beautiful blue eyes. "I knew this was gonna happen" Ryder said with scared eyes. "I can't let anyone see me like this. Everyone will freak out. My pups will hate me forever. Katie will dislike me, Carlos won't be my best friend, no one will like me anymore. It's better I flee right now before anyone sees this."

Ryder got up from the bed, he felt strange standing on four paws. But he needed to run away now, before anyone started getting up. He didn't want anyone to see him, they would freak out and Ryder would then be hated by everyone who once loved him. Ryder started running in his wolf-dog form toward the Lookout's exit. The doors automatically opened, allowing Ryder run out. He came to a halt, then looked to the rescue tower. His ears went back to his head and his bright blue eyes saddened. "Goodbye pups. I wish I didn't have to run away, but it's what I have to do. I have to run away for my own good. If you guys see me, you will freak out and run from me, and you pups will never love me again. I don't want that to happen, because my heart would be broken forever. So it's best I run away so I won't freak anyone out, even though I know everyone will come looking for me. But I love you pups and you guys know that" Ryder said, with tears streaming from his eyes. "I love you pups. This will be the last time I see you guys."

And with that, Ryder started running toward the Adventure Bay Bridge, with tears blurring his vision. As he ran, he felt like he was running faster than he had ever ran. That was because he had four paws which gave him extra speed. While running on the bridge, Ryder suddenly halted and looked back to the Lookout. "My pups" he whimpered, tears rolling from his blue eyes. "I can't leave them. This can't be the last time I'll ever see them." Ryder shook for sad thoughts from his head and heart. "I have to do this, for my own good and for the lives of my pups. If they see me like this, they will be ruined for the rest of their lives, especially Chase. It's better I leave and leave them to keep searching for me, because they will eventually give up when I never show up again. I know Chase will continue to lead the PAW Patrol, saving and protecting Adventure Bay."

Ryder found a weak strength that made him continue running away. The bridge came to an end and Ryder started running through town. He was heading for Big View Trail, because that's where he would be able to find a wild wilderness away from his pups and the people of Adventure Bay. Ryder glanced quickly at the sky above. It was beginning to lighten as the sun was starting rise. Ryder then focused his eyes on the road, as he continued running. I have to run faster before the town starts awakening Ryder thought. As he increased his speed, Ryder felt the dawn breeze blow through his beautiful fur. When Ryder saw less houses and shops, he knew he was getting out of town. Just then a tall mountain came into view. "Big View Trail!" he barked, wagging his tail slightly. Ryder in his new wolf-dog form, ran onto the trail.

After passing the trail, he found himself in a forest of evergreen trees. "Phew! At least I made it out of town" Ryder panted. "But this isn't far enough. I know my pups will start searching for me, and they can easily find me here because I'm still in Adventure Bay, just not in town." Ryder lowered his head and sighed sadly. "I have to leave Adventure Bay completely....my only home, my adorable pups, and all my great friends." The forest started becoming blurry and Ryder's heart was aching with sadness and pain. "I have to go." Ryder then started running again, deeper into the forest and farther from Adventure Bay.

Back in Adventure Bay, it was now late morning. The pups and everyone else started awakening. "Let me check on Ryder" Marshall yawned, rubbing the sleep from his blue eyes. He walked over to Ryder's bed, but his eyes suddenly widened when he didn't see Ryder. "Where's Ryder?" Marshall asked. Marshall's question grabbed the attention of everyone. "Maybe he went to the bathroom" Chase walked over to the bathroom, but the door was open and it was empty inside. "He's not here" said the German Shepherd. "Maybe he's in the kitchen" Rubble suggested. "Ryder!" Katie called. "Ryder, where are you?" Carlos asked with his hands cupped around his mouth. "Ryder dude!" Jake hollered.

"I'm gonna check the mission room" Skye ran in the elevator. The doors closed and up she went to the mission room. "I'll check outside" Zuma said, with Rocky following him. The two pups left the Lookout to search for Ryder outdoors. "That's strange. Where could he have gone?" Katie said. "I hope he didn't lose his mind completely and wonder out of the Lookout" Carlos said. "I hope not" said Tracker with a worried look.

Meanwhile, Ryder was running through the forest, darting between trees like an arrow. Every time a sad thought would try to crawl back to his mind, Ryder would shake it off. But those thoughts that caused his heart to weaken, were so desperate to crawl back and glue themselves to Ryder's mind. That was because this was hardest thing that Ryder had to do. He still couldn't even believe that he was a wolf-dog. To keep those sad thoughts that kept crawling back away, Ryder spoke to himself. "Ryder, you have to do this. It's better for you and for your pups. Your running away for good" he encouraged himself as he ran through the evergreen forest. Wind rushed back him, whispering in his ears. The trees were just blurs of passing green. Ryder's paws pounded on the forest floor, sending pine needles and leaves flying. He avoided crashing into trees or boulders by darting and making swift clean turns.

Ryder pulled the brakes when he ran upon a stream. As soon as he stopped, he started feeling the amount of effort and energy he put into running. His legs were shaky, his muscles were stinging, and he was panting. Ryder heard his heart pounding from his chest as he stepped closer to the stream. He had never ran that fast and that long, ever in his life. Ryder was surprised that he was even able to run from the Lookout all the way to the forest. "I guess all those billion rescues I performed in my life really paid off, because now I'm an agile, fast and energized wolf-dog, which a good thing if I'm gonna be living in the wilderness for the rest of my life" Ryder said.

Before Ryder was about to lap up some water, he suddenly froze with his tongue hanging from his mouth near the water's surface. "I'm gonna be living in the wilderness for the rest of my life?" Ryder repeated. "That means I'll never see another human in my life, even though I am a human in a wolf-dog's body. That means I'll be living alone for the rest of my life." Ryder lifted his body back and stared into the stream. He saw his reflection, which was the face of a wolf-dog. His face was bright, perfectly shaped, two sparkling blue eyes shooting out, and he was actually very handsome for a wolf-dog. Perhaps the most handsome wolf-dog on the planet. As Ryder stared at his new look, his reflection on the water's surface then started fading.

It was replaced by Ryder's human face. Ryder sighed sadly and hunched over at the stream's edge. "I want to be a human again. Even though this wolf-dog form looks very nice and handsome, it has ruined my entire life" Ryder said. "But I'm never gonna be able to go back to my human form because it is said that once the VampireWolf bites you and you transform, there is no going back to your human form. I will be a wolf-dog for the rest of my life." Ryder started sobbing. He walked to a tree near the stream and curled up, with his tail wrapped around. He rested his head on his paw. Tears streamed from his eyes down his face and his heart was aching with sadness. Ryder didn't want to be a wolf-dog. His good look didn't make anything better. He just lost his entire life, his pups, his home, his job as a rescuer, and all his friends. When he thought about it, Ryder felt miserable, devastated, sad, and stressed. He continued laying under the tree, tears rolling from his eyes as he didn't know what to do next.

Word count: 1,932Date of publication: February 2, 2022