by Kizzie Hayes
Tessie is great with high intelligence, but she’s always drawn to nature which made her seek more time staying around rivers, birds, trees, and woods. In Indiana, she decided to leave a life that could allow her to have a closer touch with nature, which she considered was the only way to live happily again.
She couldn’t just have Daniel back because she noticed that back then in Kentucky, Daniel wasn’t really the faithful guy. At a point, Tessie started feeling like doing something crazy but never knew what to do yet. She tried as much as she could to forget about her past, especially the unhealthy relationship she had with the black guy.
Even though she is a black girl, she suddenly developed cold feet for black guys, hence the need to try something new.
Tessie is a very beautiful black girl of twenty-six, very voluptuous and sexy. She is a cool girl but very romantic. She doesn’t go crazy in love except the guy gives her reasons to do that by earning it.
In a quest to find a suitable place that could bring her to nature, she used the money she saved working at insurance company Kentucky to pay few workers that helped her set up a very beautiful cabin in the woods, near Gander Mountain. She loves mountains a lot that was why she chose to stay close to the mountain, notwithstanding that she’d be alone there.
Tessie’s life in the woods exposed her to know a lot about the use of shrubs and leaves to heal illness, no matter how strange.
At first, she was really afraid because of the strange noises in the woods, but with time, she began to feel okay with them because many of the animals there were friendly.
One evening, Tessie was relaxing but started hearing the howl of a wolf which got her so jittery and shuddering. She never heard such sound before since she started staying in the cabin. This made her switch off her lights and remained in the dark. She remained in the dark and listened to every little sound out of fear. She pulsated heavily as the howling of the wolf got louder and closer to her. She made sure that the doors and windows were locked but she was still shivering convulsively as if the marauding beast would break down the barricade and gain entrance to devour her. Being that she was alone, she couldn’t do anything or even call for help because no one could hear her voice.
She remained calm and waited but the droning sound lingered, getting scarier and thrilling the entire environment.
The scary noise continued until 4 pm before the noise calmed.
The dawn seemed too far for Tessie but she still had hope that what she was seeing at the end of the tunnel is light and not an oncoming train.
At dawn, she was forced to go out and check what actually happened. She was shocked to see that the oak tree around the cabin had some scars like a claw of a bear which got her thinking how a bear came around the mountain because all through her stay there, she never saw any bigger animal if not monkeys. This new development gave her food for thoughts which made her think further.
After spending much time pondering the entire charade that took place at night, she began to discover that she may not be alone in the woods as she thought she was but the prints of the claws she found was sufficient to tell her that the beast in the woods must be a very strong one that could devour a human in a wink.
In order to be safe, Tessie got a trap ready, to wait for the beast to come up again the next day. She was frightened but she had to improvise using whatever she could lay her hands on. She set a big net trap that could catch whatever was out there.
At that very night, she switched off the entire light and waited for the wolf to show up. This time, she even got a gun ready, with some other weapons that made her have more confidence in dealing with the animal this time.
That very night, the howling sound repeated again at full moon which made her ready to go hunting that very night. She was even ready to open the door and confront whatever was out there.
When the sound of the animal turned from being indistinct to being loud just as the previous night, Tessie was afraid to discover that she wasn’t just listening to the heavy footsteps of just one animal but about two or three. She kept calm until the animal came to her door and started making some disturbing noise that made her get her revolver ready.
When she was about to shoot the animal through the hole on the door, she was shocked to discover that what she saw wasn’t just an ordinary animal but a giant Werebear which got her so jittery and shivering that her gun fell from her hand.
She knew already that she wasn’t going to win the fight, especially seeing that it wasn’t just a small bear.
In order to avoid being noticed, she held her breath to avoid making the animals know of her presence, she was assured that they were hunting and would possibly devour her to shreds if they discovered that she was in the cabin.
After spending some time around lurking close to the cabin, the animal went away which made her heave a sigh of relief. As she was about to go back to bed, she heard a loud towering sound of her trap and knew that something must have happened that very night. She was happy but had to wait till morning to check her trap.
Immediately it was dawn, she took her gun and went out to check the trap. It was just as she thought; one of the Werebears were already hanging and dangling on the tree, with the large net trap holding him there.
Tessie was surprised by the size of the beast that almost tore her heavy net but she was afraid of loosening the net trap to avoid being hurt by the animal. She went back in and got her gun and shot the animal twice but when she tried to shoot the third time, the loud cry from the animal made her feel pity for the helpless beast. She brought down the net and looked into the eyes of the beast which made her feel much sympathy for the animal, even though she was afraid of the long claws of the beastly animal.
She sat for long watching the dying animal which began to make her feel so sad for shooting the animal. She quickly went into the bush and got some herbs to revive the animal. This time, she wasn’t thinking of the implication of reviving the animal but was more concerned about making the animal to come back to life.
Tessie came back and found the animal already lying by the threshold of her house which made her feel pity because much blood was already lost. She tried her best and dragged the Werebear to her balcony and washed the animal’s blood then started tending to his wounds, starting from pulling out the bullets from his body.
Tessie noticed that every night, another Werebear used to come around, probably to look for his brother but Tessie was so afraid to let the other animal know about this which made her keep cool to avoid attracting the other Werebear that could turn aggressive without knowing that she was just trying to help.
In order to be safe from being harmed, Tessie O’Connor locked the beast in a separate room which she fortified with a strong wooden door but never failed to feed the animal with a three-square meal.
She kept tending to the animal until the wounds were fully healed. She opened the back door for the Werebear to go back into the bush but was shocked that the animal never left because he’d started enjoying her company.
To Tessie’s greatest surprise, she came back one clement afternoon and discovered that the beast was no more in the room where she kept him but was in her own room which got Tessie so afraid. She tried to run but the beast rushed after her and stopped her. She reached for her gun but the beast disarmed her and dropped the gun.
Looking at the mountainous animal, she concluded that she’d be used as a meal but was surprised that the beast brought some antelopes and handed over to her. She was so shocked and amazed because it was then that she was convinced that the beast was being a friend, not an enemy.
Even though Tessie was still frightened, she started coming closer to the beast until they became best of friends. They started staying together and playing together. They hunt for games together and cook together. Tessie was surprised at the remarkable intelligence of the Werebear which was incredible.
One night, when they were out sitting around the campfire to catch some warmth due t
o the cold, the other Werebear suddenly showed but which made Tessie so appalled because she already sensed danger.
As she tried to run, her friendly Werebear stopped her and made her understand that she shouldn’t be afraid.
Tessie tried her best to be calm but she was still fidgety because of the presence of the second beast but after a while, she discovered that the second beast was really the clownish animal; noisy, playful and friendly.
That very night, Tessie took the two beasts into her room and they all slept in each other’s arm.
***The Shapeshifters’ world***
When Tessie woke up in the morning, she discovered that the beasts were still sleeping, so she left in her usual ways to go and hunt for food without disturbing them.
Tessie came back to discover that one of the beasts and a very handsome man lay side by side on her bed. She was shocked which made her get her gun to attack the stranger.
“Hey, don’t do that yet, dear,” the handsome stranger said smilingly, “I’ve seen that you’re a very interesting and sexy lady,”
Tessie couldn’t comprehend what he was talking about, so she still held her gun firm and ready to fire some shots.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said and waved the gun at him, “turn and show me your hands where I can see them.”
“I am Lucas Washington,” the handsome white guy introduced and offered his hand for a handshake but Tessie ignored him.
The second Werebear didn’t even attack Lucas which made Tessie surprised.
“What did you do with the other beast I left here a couple of hours ago?” She hollered angrily, “I hope you haven’t hurt him,”
“No…not at all,” he replied, “he’s safe and with me,”
Tessie, at this point, heaved a sigh of relief because she now knew that the white guy was the owner of the beasts.
“Ok, fine,” she said and dropped the gun, “But why did you allow your animals to lurk around my house without controlling them?”
“You don’t seem to get it,” Lucas said, “I don’t mean to scare you but I was the one you shot and treated. I’m a shapeshifter.”
“No…no…this can’t be real,” she yelled and started moving back to run but she was so shocked to see the other Werebear turn to a human before her.
Tessie collapsed seeing what she considered impossible, but before she fell on the floor, the two friends rushed towards her and held her, lest, she’d hit her head on a hard object.
“Give me some water,” Lucas said to Brian, the golden-eyed white guy, “I can’t leave with my conscience if she dies,”
“Of course, I can’t too,” Brian responded as he checked around and got a bottle of chilled water.
With the water, the two friends got Tessie back to consciousness but she woke up and found herself in the bed while the two handsome guys sat around her to ensure that she was okay.
Gradually, Tessie opened her eyes and beheld the faces of the two handsome white guys adorned with sexy blue eyes. She was still jittery but too weak to react or run.
“Are you ghosts?” she asked wearily and tried to reach a weapon to defend herself but she was too weak to do that.
Lucas reached for Tessie’s gun and handed it over to her. “Now, you can use it if you want to,” he said and moved some meters away with Brian.
“You can now take a clean shot and kill the animals once and for all,” Brian added, “if we want to harm you, we’d have done that since,”
Tessie became weak, especially seeing the sweet looking faces of the handsome guys in their late twenties.
Lucas was a 29-year-old medical Doctor while Brian was a 28-year-old musician, well known in the US. They were not born shapeshifters but during Lucas’s laboratory experiments to know if a Werebear and humans have a common genetic history, things got mixed up. Brian was used for experimentation but Lucas didn’t know that the experiment could transform his friend into a shape-shifter. When this unfortunate thing happened, it wasn’t easy for Brian to handle the new features and behavior which made Lucas to inject himself with the same solution, making him become a shape-shifter too, so that he wouldn’t just leave his friend in such paranormal state that got him melancholic and nostalgic. Since then, the two guys tried coping with their professions amid the transformation that usually takes place on a full moon.
Tessie looked at the two guys pathetically and said: “I won’t shoot any of you but I am afraid of this anomaly because I don’t believe that shape-shifting things exist. I thought it’s just a myth but you guys are trying to make me understand that I was wrong. So, are you telling me it’s true?”
“We used to think it’s not until I started with the laboratory research that led us to this discovery,” Lucas said and smiled.
The two guys went closer to Tessie while Brian collected the gun from her. They all sat together on the bed; Tessie sat in between the guys but she was still not too okay being around the people she considered uncanny.
“Can I know the details of the laboratory research?” Tessie queried, “What actually happened in there?”
“Well, it was Lucas’s research while I was the Lab rat,” Brian mumbled, “I first turned to a Werebear but couldn’t cope with the emotional trauma that the transformation brought along with it which made Lucas use the same injection that was used on me,”
“So, it’s all about not leaving a friend behind,” Tessie said indistinctly, “so, what do you guys do for a living?”
“Can as I ask you?” Lucas said to Tessie and stood on his feet.
“Of course, you can.” She said and dimpled a smile.
“Why are you alone in the woods without a company?” Brian asked.
“I thought Lucas was going to ask the question,” Tessie said observantly.
“We hear each other’s thoughts since we became shape-shifters,” Lucas answered.
“Hmm, that sounds interesting,” Tessie said with an impish grin, “And to answer your question,” she said and got up and started going towards the dining table, “I always love to be around nature, that’s why I am here,”
“That’s weird,” Brian voiced, “does it mean that nature calls you?”
“I guess you’re right with that question,” Lucas concurred, “Nature needs her for a duty that’s why she could heel strange illnesses with shrubs, hence the need to be close to the leaves,”
“No wonder,” Brian said with a thoughtful nod, “It’s said that a tree that is planted near the river understands the language of the fishes, and so is a girl that stays in the woods and the shrubs,”
“I think you guys are really making some sense here,” Tessie said and smiled, “I’ve been finding it hard to discover why I’m being drawn to nature but now I’m beginning to see the picture clearer.”
“You may have to pay some bills for that revelation we helped you for,” Brian jested in his usual ways.
“She’d already paid her bills by not allowing me to die of the bullet wounds,” Lucas said.
“You’re a good friend and nothing will make us allow you suffer,” Brian complimented and looked at her eyes amorously which got her uncomfortable.
Tessie made a hot tea for the two friends and served on the dining table. They all sat together to start eating but noticed that Lucas was looking pale and indisposed which got Tessie concerned but she couldn’t just understand why she was being bothered by Lucas’s state of mind.
Tessie noticed that since she started healing Lucas from bullet wounds she started having some kind of connections with him but couldn’t just understand it.
“What’s eating you up?” Tessie asked and looked twice at Lucas, “Brian, you can read his thoughts and tell me what’s going on,”
“I read lots of thoughts but not emotional thoughts,” Brian said, “but right now, I know that Lucas is bothered about something that has to do with his past. That’s all I can fathom.”
“Lucas,” Tessie called in a low tone, “If there
is anything you can share with us, this is the time.”
“I’ll be fine,” Lucas said and chortled, “Let’s enjoy the breakfast because I’ll soon be leaving for work because I have a feeling that my attention is needed in the office straight away and I’ve stayed away for some time due to the bullet wounds. Now that I’m fit to go back to work, I’ll just have to go to office and explain my long silence,”
“By cooking up some lies, I guess,” Tessie humored.
“You already know it,” Brian added with a prolonged laugh.
Tessie really enjoyed the company of the two friends but was yet to understand her feelings because she still wanted to be aloof and stay away from men but meeting Lucas and Brian was making those dreams to dwindle gradually.
****
Lucas got to his office and met his supervisor who was already worried about his absence from work for a couple of days. He lied about the reason why he was absent from work by telling his supervisor that he had a road accident that almost claimed his life. His lies were believed and he went back to work.
Throughout the day, Lucas kept nursing some feelings for Tessie. He’d been battling with emotional trauma about how he lost his last relationship which left his life shattered in a limbo of loneliness. Olivia was really good to him but his mistakes of hot temperament made her leave him. Since then, Lucas had been finding it hard to start up a new relationship but since he met Tessie, he’s been thinking a lot about her curvaceous figure, inviting smiles and romanticism but he kept being afraid of making his intentions known because he began to love Tessie so much that he couldn’t just live with breaking her heart the way he did to Olivia.
Lucas’s colleagues started noticing that he was being withdrawn and distant in behavior lately especially since he resumed duty. Many of them came to him and confronted him with some caring questions but he never admitted what was actually going on with him.
As Lucas was going down the hallways of the hospital that led to the wards, Natasha just bumped into him and was so happy to have her best friend back.
Natasha and Lucas have been close friends since childhood. They were inseparable BFF but there was no intimacy before them. They shared a lot together but they never had sex. Natasha tells Lucas almost everything about her including the first day she was deflowered by her uncle that she had a secret affair with.