Cursed

by Brent Miller

  “Yeah, sorry,” Garrick responded, shaking his head.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? You sound out of it.”

  “Look outside.”

  “Why?”

  “Do it.”

  Garrick looked up, beaming, his eyes shining with the tears which were brewing. When the curtains opened, Tyler’s expression by no means mirrored his own. Annoyed and tired, Tyler glared at Garrick, clearly upset that Garrick was causing such a commotion.

  “Why is it that you have situated yourself upon my lawn? Do you intend to throw pebbles at my window now?” Tyler asked. Based on his verbiage, Garrick hoped that his friend’s playful demeanor had returned. Sometimes, though, that was just the way Tyler spoke, and he did still sound annoyed.

  “That could have worked,” Garrick thought absently, unintentionally saying the words out loud. Tyler’s lack of enthusiasm wasn’t going to ruin his great mood. “Look up.”

  “I have no desire to continue watching you positioned outside of my window like a serial killer. Or a clown. You’re like a creepy, serial killing clown right now, Garrick Elliott.”

  Garrick saw Tyler’s curtains move to the sides again, and as soon as he saw Tyler’s head, he pointed into the sky. Confused, Tyler looked at him questioningly, but Garrick could practically see gears turning behind his tired eyes. Following Garrick’s pointing, Tyler finally looked up.

  “I’m tired, I can’t adequately process subtlety. What are you trying to say?” he sighed, still exasperated. “Wait, wait, wait!” His tone shifted to mere excitement. The first time he said the words, his voice raised, so he quickly compensated and whispered the subsequent words. Closed the curtains, he apparently changed in a matter of seconds – because he was wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie by the time he opened his window and stepped out onto the ledge. In a smooth motion, Tyler reached for the branch outside his window and jumped to it, using it to swing himself down to the ground gracefully. There was not a doubt in Garrick’s mind that it wasn’t the first time Tyler had snuck out that way.

  Garrick wasn’t sure if he would have done that before Aldric’s training, but he definitely would have hesitated if he’d tried – and there was no chance he would have been able to pull it off with as much finesse as his friend.

  Tyler didn’t say another word, he just stared at Garrick. After a moment, his gaze shifted to the full moon that hung in the sky above them, and back to Garrick. The two of them stood in silence for at least two minutes before Tyler finally asked a question.

  “How?”

  “I don’t know,” Garrick laughed, unable to contain his joy anymore.

  “It worked? It worked!” Tyler gleefully exclaimed. Garrick wasn’t sure it was actually Tyler’s plan that had worked. It had probably helped, but he’d tried thinking of the scar, and that didn’t feel like it was working – he almost changed anyway.

  Even if it played a role, that couldn’t be the only piece of the puzzle. It was something else, but he couldn’t even begin to speculate what that was. It wasn’t until he’d given up that the transformation had reversed. He decided just not to respond, letting Tyler think that he had found the cure for Garrick. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Anyway, Garrick hadn’t seen that expression of proud joy on his friend’s face in a long time, and he didn’t want to pointlessly take it away.

  “In what state are the others?”

  “They turned, they’re back at home,” Garrick answered. He knew Tyler would know what he meant, but on the off chance someone was listening, Garrick was trying to train himself to be careful with his word choice.

  “Yet here you stand. You’re human!”

  “Yes, that I am.”

  “Incredible!” Tyler exclaimed, raising his voice. Nervously, he looked behind him, probably to verify that he hadn’t awoken his parents. He turned back to Garrick and repeated himself, in a quieter tone.

  “I just… I don’t know. I didn’t change.”

  “So, do you think this is indicative of a complete cure?”

  “Yeah, I guess. I can’t be positive until the next full moon. Maybe it was a fluke,” he shrugged. Logically, it was a possibility that his level of control was only due to the extenuating circumstances, and it wouldn’t repeat itself. Every cure so far had failed, and it was a dramatic evening, so he tried not to let himself hope the curse was gone. That was difficult, though, as he looked up at the moon, triumphant.

  “Let’s go,” Tyler urged, pulling Garrick out of his depressing thoughts.

  “Go where, exactly?” Garrick inquired.

  “My best friend is human during a full moon for the first time in ages. I do not want to spend this momentous night cooped up inside like –”

  “A human?” Garrick teased.

  “Shut up. Let’s go crash a party, I’m sure we can find one and I doubt a bouncer would be capable restraining you.”

  “In the middle of the week, we’re going to go crash a party?”

  “Point taken. To the arcade, then.”

  “They close at like eight.”

  “In that case, we will traipse around in the middle of the street and pretend we’re enjoying ourselves! I will not allow you to kill the mood, Garrick Elliott.”

  “You’re right,” Garrick laughed, grateful to have such a persistent friend. Aimlessly, the two of them started walking into the night. For the first time since he’d been scratched, Garrick felt like everything was right again. Tomorrow, he could explain everything to the others and together, they may find a way to beat the curse. Despite the tragic events of that night, Garrick allowed himself to believe there was hope for his situation to improve.

  Garrick felt like nothing in the world could go wrong.

  Chapter 26

  Six months ago

  Holding Hayden’s hand as they walked through the forest, Garrick admired the scenery. Since his childhood, he’d been drawn to nature – but he had fallen even more in love with it after the scratch. A part of him felt at home and at peace.

  It had taken him time to overcome the anxiety he’d felt initially after the scratch, but when he did he began to appreciate the almost mystical calmness of the woods. He and Hayden spent a lot of their time walking around together, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. It had been their goal to never take the same path twice, but that was growing difficult due to the amount of time they spent perusing the area. Between the two of them, one could always recognize their surroundings.

  Even so, there were always more secrets to be discovered within the foliage. That sense of exploration was another thing that made their walks one of Garrick’s favorite ways to spend time with her. Regardless of how much he thought he knew, he could still be surprised.

  “What’s that?” Hayden asked, pointing to a couple of trees. Some of the low-hanging branches were coated in a thick layer of leaves, rendering everything behind them invisible. Beneath them, shrubs were clearly visible, so Garrick could only assume the branches only hid a mass of tangled brambles.

  “It looks far too dense to get through,” Garrick noted. Unintentionally, with that statement, he’d guaranteed that Hayden would find her way through the smallest opening to get behind the trees.

  Garrick sighed as Hayden let go of his hand and tried pushing some of the branches to the sides. She stood still for a few minutes, assessing the situation and discerning the best plan of attack. Suddenly, she dropped to her knees and crawled through the shrubbery, disappearing from his sight.

  “Garrick!” She called from the other side. “This is really beautiful.”

  “I’m sure it’s more trees,” Garrick called back, unwilling to crawl after her.

  “Oh, come on, come check it out.”

  “Fine,” he groaned with exaggerated annoyance.

  “Careful,” she warned. “I got cut up pretty bad by a couple of those branches.”

  During her journey through the brush, she hadn’t made a single sound to indicate that s
he was hurt. Either she was just teasing Garrick or she had simply silently taken the pain. The latter wouldn’t have surprised him, because her pain tolerance was impressive.

  Dropping to his hands and knees, he crawled after Hayden. As he forced his way through the thorns and branches, Garrick was grateful that he’d worn a short-sleeve shirt. Only a few months ago, the opposite would have made sense. Now, though, it was easier for his arms to get cut up than his clothes, because his arms were much easier to repair.

  Garrick had to push branches out of his way as he crawled, most of them leaving small scratches on his forearms. Embarrassed by the fact that Hayden had made it through silently, Garrick tried to fight back any expression of pain – aside from one quick yelp when a branch he’d thought he’d passed swung back and cut his cheek.

  Finally, he emerged on the other side of the thicket to find Hayden sitting on the ground, leaning her back against a small slope made by a dirt mound. As he sat next to her, she ducked her head under his arm and nuzzled her way into the small gap.

  He smiled. When she did that, Garrick would keep his arm still rather than wrapping it around her, until she’d managed to move it enough to make room for herself. It wasn’t that he didn’t like holding her; it was just that he found it adorable to watch.

  “This is amazing,” Garrick admitted. They were surrounded by trees that were much closer than most of the others in the woods. There were dense bushes and shrubs encircling them on the ground, and the only entrance seemed to be the one they’d forged. Dense foliage surrounded them, blocking any light from the surrounding area. Minimal sunlight found its way through the canopy, leaving them with only a few scattered rays to appreciate their small discovery.

  “Yeah,” Hayden agreed. “And it’s ours.”

  Present

  One day after the full moon

  “What time do you expect the others to awaken?” Tyler asked. Garrick had made it clear throughout the night that he’d wanted to be back by the time they woke up – mostly because he didn’t want anyone worrying about him. After a full moon, though, they often just rose naturally, and they didn’t have clocks around.

  “I don’t know,” Garrick realized. Watching the sun rise, he added, “Probably soon.”

  “We should probably make our way to Aldric’s house, then.”

  “I will,” Garrick countered. “You should get home. Maybe you can get another hour of sleep before school, since I stole that from you.”

  “Nice try,” Tyler laughed.

  “No. No more involvement with werewolves, Tyler. The hunters already threatened to use you against me. You’re putting yourself in danger every second you spend with the pack.”

  Darren’s threat squirmed its way back into the front of Garrick’s mind. Remembering Brooke’s parents on the floor in her house – he had no doubt that they were capable of harming the people he loved. They hadn’t even known about werewolves, they just got in the way when the hunters tried to kill their daughter. The hunters were monsters, and there would be no hesitation to use people as a means to get what they wanted.

  Darren had threatened Garrick, claiming that he would go for his mother or Tyler if they couldn’t get information out of him, and he hadn’t provided information. After his mother had returned home from work, Garrick and Tyler had wandered by the house so he could listen for her heartbeat. At least for the night, she was safe. Tyler was obviously safe as well, but that wouldn’t last long if he kept trying to get involved in a fight that was too far over his head.

  “Seriously?” Tyler groaned. “After everything we’ve been through, you actually expect severing my ties with your world to provide an adequate form of protection? Let me ask you this: If I am already a target, am I safer fighting hunters alone or with the assistance of five werewolves?”

  He was right. They were ready to go after Tyler, and as long as he was with the others, maybe he had a fighting chance. At least with Garrick, he’d have back-up, so he wasn’t likely to be ambushed when he was alone. Still, Garrick couldn’t decide the best course of action.

  As he tried to think it through, Garrick realized that it wasn’t his decision. Tyler was going to help him, no matter the cost. His best friend wouldn’t give up on him just because Garrick told him he didn’t want the help. Silently, he started walking toward Aldric’s house, allowing Tyler to make his choice. Unsurprisingly, he followed.

  “What do I tell them?” Garrick asked after a few seconds of silence.

  “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  The sun rose over them as the pair walked toward the rest of Garrick’s pack. Nerves were starting to force their way into Garrick’s heart, and his ability to stay calm faded quickly. The closer he got to the house, the more his instincts screamed that something was wrong.

  Hopeful, Garrick knocked on the door, hoping Linda would answer with a smile. She could lead him to the basement and he would see the other four as they woke up from the change, and his unsubstantiated fears would be quelled.

  Instead, as he tapped on the door, it creaked open. Through the slight gap, a disconcerting metallic smell wafted toward Garrick’s nose. The lock was broken, and the wood around it was splintered. Glancing back at Tyler, he held one hand toward him, warning him to stay back, while pushing the door open with the other.

  There was blood – a lot of it. Judging by the sheer amount, there had clearly been more than one victim. There were a few bodies lying on the floor, and he recognized one from his altercation the night before. Fear both driving him forward and pulling him back, Garrick stepped into the house.

  The basement door appeared intact, so Garrick pushed it open and climbed down the stairs. Hundreds of scenarios raced through his mind during the brief descent, and he didn’t know what he hoped to find. Tyler was close at his heels, surveying the room.

  At the bottom of the stairs, Garrick found absolutely nothing, but the blood smelled fresher. Examining the room, he finally saw a figure leaning against a wall in the corner. Linda had her hand pressed against a bleeding wound caused by an arrow in her shoulder. Garrick ran to her, dropping to his knees beside her. Listening intently, he heard a faint pulse.

  “Tyler, call an ambulance,” he called to his friend, who was still descending.

  Garrick didn’t hear any hesitation as his friend stopped walking and retrieved his phone, pressing a few buttons. Garrick carefully lifted Linda, cradling her as he walked outside. Though it was probably best not to move her, he also couldn’t answer questions about the men in the living room.

  They would have to find some explanation for an arrow in the woman’s shoulder, but he hoped they wouldn’t ask for too much detail. Aldric would know what to do – and he could provide a better explanation after everyone was safe. For now, Garrick just had to make sure Linda received the help she needed, then he had to find the others.

  “Garrick,” she coughed, her eyes fluttering open as she stared at nothing.

  “What?” he asked, surprised to hear her voice.

  “You have to run,” she warned. “They’ll come for you.”

  “No,” he told her. “I’m going to get you help.”

  Straining to place her hand over his, she smiled sadly. As he set her in a seated position against the wall on the front porch, Tyler stepped out with the phone pressed against his ear, closing the door behind them. Without divulging information about hunters or werewolves, Tyler was trying to provide the best details he could as he walked toward the street.

  “You can’t,” Linda forced the words out, barely audible over Tyler’s conversation.

  “Yes,” Garrick argued. “I can. I don’t care what happens; you are not going to die for our secret.” The secret wasn’t even her burden to bear. She was a human, even though she’d married a werewolf. Garrick wasn’t going to let another human pay for loving someone that the hunters didn’t think should exist.

  As she faded out of consciousness once again, her eyes fell shut. In the distance
, Garrick could hear the sirens, but he had no way of knowing how close they were. He glanced at Tyler, about to ask if the sirens were close enough for his friend to hear. Suddenly, a scream resonated above the other sounds, surprising Garrick. His head jolted up as his eyes darted around the street, trying to find the source of the noise.

  “Did you hear that?” He asked Tyler when he noticed that his friend wasn’t reacting.

  “Yeah, it’s the ambulance. It’s getting close,” he answered.

  He hadn’t heard it. Suddenly, it clicked in Garrick’s head. It wasn’t a scream – it was a call for help. It was a howl. Hoping to pinpoint the source of the sound, Garrick listened again, but no other sound came. The voice had been masculine, but it also sounded filled with a thinly concealed sense of fear. Knowing Aldric had too much pride to show any type of fear, that only left one possibility.

  “Cailean,” Garrick muttered. His head was spinning, searching for the best course of action. There was no way he could make it to Cailean. Even if he started running at that moment, it would be too late – let alone if he waited for the ambulance.

  “What?” Tyler questioned.

  “You stay here,” he ignored his friend’s question. He’d forgotten that he had help, but when Tyler reminded him, the solution seemed apparent. “Wait for the ambulance. I have to go find the others.”

  Tyler looked torn for a minute, as if he wanted to argue. Obviously, he wanted to help Garrick, and it was clear that the idea of his friend handling the search alone didn’t sit well with him. Admittedly, it was a huge risk to be alone at that point, but there wasn’t any other option – so Tyler nodded in agreement.

  As he stood, Garrick sprinted in the direction of the scream. Instead of sticking to the streets, he tore through bushes and jumped fences in his way. He wasn’t sure how he was so confident that he was going the right way – it was almost as if he were supernaturally drawn to his friend – as if the wolf could remember exactly where the scream had come from.