by Dorlana Vann
“Why is he going back there? Probably forgot to pack his stupid rabbit’s foot.” She slung open the car door, ran back to the house, and went inside to retrieve her keys.
“Scarlet, is that you?”
“Bye,” she hollered as she exited and shut the door before her mom entered the living room. She hurried to her car, jumped in, and started the engine. When she pulled out onto the dark road, the headlights highlighted the snow that was now coming down fast and heavy.
Her plan was to plead, beg, and then threaten. She would drag Diesel out by his shirt if she had to. But one way or another, they were leaving tonight.
Chapter 6
“Good Day,” Said the Wolf
Except for the constant chill, the unfamiliar surroundings, and no cable, Aiden’s day hadn’t been as bad as expected. After his mom left, he’d watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade on the VCR and re-read a few chapters of his favorite novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game. For lunch, he made tuna sandwiches for him and Granny.
Without his mom there, the conversation had seemed more relaxed … even if it was a bit strange, but it was cool to listen to Granny tell stories about his mom: “Lucille was in her room playing when I heard her scream bloody murder. I ran in there, and she was standing on her bed, pointing toward the window sill. It took me a few minutes to see that there was this tiny spider. Can you believe she wanted me to kill it?” She shook her head. “If that you would live and thrive, let the spider run alive.”
Aiden had ventured outside for a while, but it was a lot colder than before, so he hadn’t stayed long. Now, he sat at his laptop, typing and saving the poems he had written over the past few days. He wasn’t sure what he would do with them from there, if anything. He wasn’t sure what to do after high school, either. He had thought about a writing career and that was why he wanted to see the world first. But maybe Summer was right. Maybe being a responsible adult came first. Get a job, settle down, make money, and then travel and write. But he didn’t feel like an adult. However, the thought of being without Summer forever, since he already missed her like crazy, made him want to start acting like one.
Aiden looked up from his computer when he heard Granny buzzing him. He didn’t have to walk upstairs to know what she wanted. Somehow, time had flown by, and it was almost time she had requested the muffins be served. He hugged himself, rubbing his arms, and glanced at the fireplace that hadn’t magically turned on yet. Granny had told him he could start a fire, but after trying for thirty minutes, he had finally given up.
It was already late, and he was starving, so he decided to serve the muffins at the same time he made dinner. He went to the kitchen and searched the refrigerator for something to cook. Nothing. Then he remembered what his mom had said about food being in the basement. “Great.” He closed the refrigerator door and turned toward the hall. “DUN DUN Duuuuun! The basement.”
He crossed the kitchen and opened the basement door. It was dark, only the first three steps were visible, and he felt a rush of cold air. He searched for a light switch on the outside wall and then brushed his hand up and down the inside wall but didn’t feel anything.
Leaving the door open at the top so some of the light could filter into the darkness, he held onto the handrail as he made his way down. When he was at the bottom of the stairs, he stood still for a minute, barely able to make out shapes. There was a strange aroma, not mold or old, but the combined scents of herbs and licorice and even a hint of vinegar.
He ventured a few steps into the basement, hoping his eyes would adjust quickly, when something brushed his cheek. He swatted it away, until he realized it was string with a knot at the end. He pulled the string and the light flashed on, blinding him for a second.
Rows and rows of drying herbs hung from the ceiling by lengths of twine. He didn’t recognize most of them, but some were familiar, like parsley and cilantro.
Blinking through light-spotted vision, he located a long freezer on the wall in front of him. He walked across the concrete floor and opened the lid. Inside, there were different types of meat wrapped in foil and labeled in black marker. Needing something that would cook up fast and easy, he grabbed packages of chicken and ground beef. He wished he had come down earlier so the meat would have had time to thaw. He decided, however, to boil the chicken and serve it over rice. In case he had to cook the next night too, he made a quick plan to thaw the ground beef in the refrigerator for burgers.
He closed the lid and turned around, about to make his way back up the stairs, when something in the far right-hand corner of the room caught his attention. “What the heck?”
A large cage with thick, round bars about six inches apart was bolted to the concrete floor and to the ceiling. He walked closer, examining the cage door that came complete with a chain and a big, old-fashioned padlock. The lock hung unlatched. He guessed a skeleton key, like he had seen in pirate movies and such, would most likely fit inside the keyhole.
“Just another room, she said,” Aiden mumbled. All kinds of theories ran through his mind at once. Such as, one of the occupants of the house (most likely Diesel) was a deranged lunatic who kidnapped people and held them prisoner. He backed away from the cage, grateful no one was locked inside now. As he made his way up the stairs, he laughed at himself for being so dramatic. Most likely, it was a place they used to keep dogs in the winter or something.
Within an hour, Aiden had dinner cooked, fresh muffins baked, and the table set. When he walked through the living room on his way to get his grandmother, he heard the wind as it wailed and begged for attention. He snapped on the porch light, revealing large snowflakes being blown sideways. His grin widened as he watched in amazement, hoping by morning he could make a snowman or at least his first real snowball.
After walking upstairs to Granny’s room, he tapped with his knuckle on her door; she didn’t answer. He thought about letting her be, in case she was already asleep, before considering the instructions Diesel had given them: Granny must be given muffins every day. He didn’t want her to have a heart attack or whatever would happen without her medicated muffins.
He eased the door open and walked inside the room, tiptoeing blindly to the bed. A new rank, musky odor filled the room, causing him to wince. The idea that she had died because he was a couple of minutes late with the muffins crossed his mind, and his heart pounded in his chest. He was relieved when he heard a tremendous snore arise in the darkness.
Hoping his sudden presence wouldn’t scare Granny to death, either, Aiden whispered her name and snapped on the bedside lamp.
Aiden’s mouth fell open as he stared in disbelief at what was asleep under Granny’s blanket: A wolf? Yes, and no. He could only see the creature’s face and clawed feet, which extended further than the blanket and the bed. The fur was black and gray, the ears were pointed, and it was odd how it lay there on the pillow, snoring through the long, almost delicate nose. That’s when he noticed the sharp fangs, two pointed up and two pointed down, over dark lips. And its eyes were huge, and … wide open, the pupils dilating.
Petrified and confused, Aiden couldn’t move.
The wolf growled, saliva gathering at the corners of its mouth. Suddenly, it leaped from the bed—wearing a dress?
Aiden scrambled for footing then, but he didn’t get far; the wolf had him knocked flat on his back in an instant. Aiden shielded his face with his arms as he felt claws shredding his jacket and digging deep into his flesh. He cried out, the burning pain searing through his body. Soon the creature had Aiden’s arms away from his face and pinned to the ground.
The wolf’s open mouth splattered drool on Aiden’s face, and the heat and stench stole his breath. Bracing himself for the agony and pain of having his head bit off, Aiden squeezed his eyes together tight.
Suddenly, a high-pitched screech bellowed out of the wolf.
Aiden’s eyes popped opened and everything went into silent slow motion until he heard the thump of his heart increasing in volume, po
unding in his ears.
The wolf’s head rear back, and then it staggered to standing on its hind legs, revealing its massive size and long limbs and leaving a clear view of Diesel standing by the bedroom door holding a gun out in front of him.
Diesel retrieved a thick dart with a red tip he had in his mouth and placed it inside the gun.
Scarlet ran into the room and reacted to seeing the beast with a piercing, long-winded scream.
The wolf turned toward them and snarled. A dart—exactly like the one Diesel had pushed into the gun—stuck out of the wolf’s back.
Diesel began pumping the pistol-sized air gun, never looking away from the beast.
The wolf didn’t wait for Diesel to finish … it attacked.
Scarlet screamed as fur and black blurs of Diesel’s clothing rolled around the room. After what seemed an eternity, they slowed to a stop and lay motionless. The wolf was on top of Diesel.
Diesel grunted as he scooted out from under the wolf, still holding the dart gun. He stood up, his breathing labored, and turned to Aiden. “Are you okay?”
Aiden felt twinges of pain, his arms scratched and bleeding, but he wasn’t dead. He nodded and stood up, taking everything in. He was still alive. They were all still alive.
Scarlet hadn’t moved. “What is that thing?”
Diesel didn’t answer her. He let the gun drop to the floor, glaring at Aiden, a madness in his eyes that suddenly made Aiden want to run. But before he could move, Diesel had crossed the room, grabbed Aiden by the neck, and slammed him against the wall.
Aiden gasped and tried to break free of both Diesel’s grip and his close stare.
“Diesel!” Scarlet yelled. “What are you doing? Let him go!”
Finally, Diesel released the pressure, but his hand remained firmly around Aiden’s neck. Blood and sweat dripped from his face. “I knew you would forget to give her the muffins.”
Chapter 7
I Must Act Craftily So I Can Catch Both
Scarlet heard the boys arguing and tried to concentrate on their conversation but was distracted by the beast on the floor in the pink nightgown. And that’s when it hit her that Granny was missing.
She looked around for any hint of her. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or not by the fact that she didn’t see any massive amounts of blood or body parts. “Hey guys. Where’s Granny?”
Diesel turned to her. His hair was out of the ponytail and loose around his shoulders. His clothes were ripped, and his riled expression was seriously enhanced by the scrapes and blood. He let go of Aiden, telling him, “Help me get her in bed.”
“Her?” Aiden questioned.
“She’s wearing a dress,” Scarlet offered. “Are you sure she’s not going to wake up and attack us, again?”
“Why are we putting this thing in Granny’s bed?” Aiden asked. “Shouldn’t we be throwing it outside and locking the doors? How did it get in here, anyway?”
“Just help me,” Diesel said through clenched teeth.
Aiden eyed the wolf. “Maybe we should make sure it’s dead or call animal control or something.”
Diesel breathed unsteadily. His eyes darted from Scarlet to Aiden and then stopped on the wolf. He wiped his forehead, smearing blood that had dripped from his scalp. In a low voice, he said, “It’s Gran. Apparently, it’s true. I saw the full moon. She’s a lycanthrope … a werewolf.”
Scarlet’s heart, which had finally found its normal rhythm, started beating frantically again, matching her sudden anger. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. You have really gone off the deep end, Diesel. You’re freaking insane! Come on! You know as well as I do that this thing here, werewolf or whatever, isn’t your granny. Even though it probably did eat her.”
Aiden walked closer to the werewolf. “Weird, it does look like the same nightgown Granny had on earlier. If it did kill her, why would it put on her clothes? Weird.”
“Come on, dude!” Scarlet said. “Not you, too! There’s another explanation. There’s not even such a thing as werewolves.”
“Then what is it?” Aiden asked. “This doesn’t look like any regular wolf or dog I’ve ever seen.”
Scarlet had known Diesel and his family to come up with some wild things in the last year, however, this way beyond insane. Beyond comprehension. Beyond their silly superstitions. “Wait a minute, Diesel. Did Granny call you? Is that what happened? She called you while I was in the house to come home, didn’t she? I bet she’s hiding. This thing here on the floor is a man dressed up to look like a wolf,” she said, even though it was the most elaborate costume she’d ever seen. “She’s playing you. Can’t you see that?” The anger had begun to build up in her chest and burned through her throat. “I can’t believe this! She’s playing you, and you’re eating it up, like always.”
Diesel didn’t say anything. He stood hunched with his head bowed.
Scarlet marched over to the closet, slung open the door, and searched behind the gowns and housecoats. “Come on out, you old bat! I know you’re in here.”
After she didn’t find her, she moved on to Granny’s bathroom, looking behind the shower curtain and inside the medicine cabinet.
When she made her way back into the bedroom, empty-handed, the two boys merely watched her with frowns of curiosity, like they hoped she’d found Granny.
“She’s somewhere,” Scarlet mumbled, shrugging her shoulders.
Diesel said, “Aiden, help me get Gran in bed.”
“No!” Scarlet stomped her foot. “Diesel this is bullshit. Come on. Don’t touch that thing. Leave it there, and let’s get the hell out of here.”
“That’s enough,” Diesel said. “Why don’t you go downstairs and wait for me.”
“No!” She crossed her arms.
“Then, be quiet and let me do what I got to do.”
“Fine, but this doesn’t mean I believe any of this.”
“Grab her feet,” Diesel said to Aiden, “and I’ll get her arms.”
“What if she wakes up?” Aiden asked.
Diesel stood over the werewolf. “I hit her with two darts. She’s out.” He pulled the darts out of the fur and shook the wolf’s shoulder. With his dark eyebrows drawn together, Diesel tilted his head and stared at the werewolf for a few second. He squatted down, putting his ear close to the wolf’s face and then placed his hand on its neck. Abruptly, he stood up. He paced the room with his hands on the back of his head.
“Is it dead?” Scarlet concluded.
Diesel glanced at her and nodded.
Scarlet tried to ignore the tears that had pooled in his eyes.
Aiden took a step forward and stared down at the werewolf. “Are you sure?”
Diesel mumbled, “Check for yourself.”
Aiden shook his head. “That’s okay.”
Diesel suddenly turned his back to them, twitching and shaking.
“Are you crying?” Scarlet asked, appalled. “What the hell, Diesel. That is not your grandmother! Why do you have to be so crazy?”
Diesel turned and roared at Scarlet, “Shut up! Just shut the hell up! This is your fault. If you had left it alone—left me alone, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Scarlet opened her mouth to protest, but then Diesel snapped his attention to Aiden. “And you,” he said through his teeth. “All I asked was for you to give her the muffins. Where’s Lucy, my dear aunt who didn’t even bother to show up for her sister’s funeral?”
“She had to go home. My dad called and needed help with –”
“Whatever.” Diesel glanced at the werewolf. “She’s dead. I used two darts. Mom said to use one. I panicked and used two.” He dropped to his knees as if he were talking to the wolf. “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry but you came at me. I had no choice.” He sobbed into his hands.
Scarlet scratched her head. Now what was she going to do? If they didn’t leave soon, she would never get out of there. Driving had been difficult; the roads were getting slick. She decided not to mention this to Die
sel.
She slid over to Aiden, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him to the corner. She whispered, “Obviously, he’s lost it. I need your help. I need you to tell him that you’ll take care of the situation. When we are on our way, I’ll make the calls to the police, fire department, animal control, whoever you want. I’ve got to get him out of here. Understand? This will be best for all of us. That monster is dead, so it won’t hurt you.”
Aiden scowled. “No.”
She said, “This is your fault, so you have to help fix it. All you have to do is hold the dart gun on it until the cops get here. I’ll tell them that Granny is missing, too.”
“You’re not going to leave me here by myself. I don’t know what the hell is going on. I was almost eaten by that thing. I don’t know.”
“You’re right. That thing would have ripped you apart if we hadn’t come back. Look, we saved your ass, so you owe us.”
Aiden fidgeted with his t-shirt, the armpits soaked with fear, and finally crossed his arms. “I don’t live here. I don’t know anything about this. I barely know them.”
Scarlet spoke slowly, directly. “Diesel’s freaking flipping out. You understand? I don’t know what he’ll do. You know he blames you. He has a dart gun, and he killed that thing. Don’t you think that it would be best if I got him away from here, away from you? He thinks that’s his grandma! He thinks you made him kill his precious granny.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Aiden said indignantly.
“He thinks you did. You don’t know him. He’s mean.”
“Scarlet, what are you doing?”
She whirled around.
Diesel stood with his arms crossed.
“Are you all right?” she asked. “You know, I think it would be best if we go on to the airport now.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Just listen, please. Aiden said that he would stay here and take care of everything.”