by Michael Dunn
“Thank you,” Suzie kissed him on the cheek.
Dee, who had been absent for a moment, returned with her camera.
“Don’t move a muscle!” She caught her daughter kissing her boyfriend, then began maneuvering the two of them like store mannequins going through an entire role of film within ten minutes. Suzie was beginning to get embarrassed with her mother’s fanatical picture taking like an Asian tourist.
“Mom, really?” the younger red-head was flustered as she took a hold of Tony’s arm, half stepping behind him to get out of the way of the camera. Dee had already reloaded the camera with the quickness and efficiency of a professional soldier reloading a rifle.
“Oh, just a few more, dear, I promise!” was Dee’s excited response, continuing to madly click away on the camera. With Suzie being her only child, Dorothy “Dee” Keaton could not get enough pictures and she was already running through the names and addresses of all their relatives and calculating how many copies she would have to print so they could all see her pride and joy.
Taking his cue, Tony stepped forward. “Mrs. Keaton, I’m sorry, but we should really get going before we’re late. I promise, there will be more than enough time for pictures when we get back.”
“Oh, alright, you two have fu… oh wait! You can’t go yet.” Dee turned around quickly, and headed toward the living room where Jack was watching the evening news.
“Jack! Jack, come on! The kids are leaving now! You can at least see them off!” Dee placed a hand on his shoulder, half-pulling him from the chair he was practically glued to these days.
In a softer voice, Dee glared at him, threatening, “Don’t you dare embarrass me, Jack!”
Jack Keaton had a private, Walter Mitty moment of getting out of his chair, grasping his double-barrel shotgun with those special shells he ordered from Tank Bolin (but never had the chance to pay for) aiming it at the teen wolf in formal clothing, and pulling the trigger. Jack would beam as he watched the boy fly backward through the kitchen, maybe taking out a wall or two, but that was all right. It would be worth it to see that. Jack would stand over the body of the teenage monster, as his women stood behind him, horrified, but now safe. The boy would hit the floor with a cry that would soon turn to a howl as the little brat transformed from teenage boy to the monstrous Beast of Bestiavir, hair sprouting from Tony’s dying body. Finally, they would see what his friends at the VFW had died for.
Instead of playing out his fantasy though, Jack got out of his chair, unarmed, and went to shake the hand of the monstrous boy who would most likely end up killing his daughter.
Jack glared at the boy, Oh, how innocent and charming he looked. The boy didn’t drink, smoke, or did any drugs that he knew. He was a basketball starter with average-to-good grades and an after-school job. He was a good, ‘safe’ boy. Tony looked like the nice boy all parents hoped their daughters would bring home. The only outwardly dangerous thing about the kid was his car, but Jack knew another truth, a truth hidden just beneath the surface.
Underneath the endearing façade was a beast with sharp teeth, claws, blazing yellow eyes, and rampaging hormones; an unholy creature of the night Jack was certain was going to either devour or impregnate his daughter with one of his own. Jack’s eyes were blazing with hatred and he had his head down, eyes up, and smiled widely.
“Hello, sir.” Tony forced a nervous smile as he held out his hand.
“Hello, Tony.” Mr. Keaton held out his hand and squeezed Tony’s hand as hard as he could, causing the boy to wince. Seeing the fear and pain in the boy’s eyes, Jack was the happiest he had been in weeks.
“Well, you kids have fun. Be careful.” Jack Keaton pushed them out so he could get back to the news and weather and get that little white trash hooligan out of his house as fast as he could.
4
Suzie’s eyes drifted to the car for a moment as her father slammed the door behind them. Her swift steps paused a second as the driveway lights made something noticeably clear; the red and white Bel-Air that sat empty in the driveway.
“We’re not taking JP and Kirsten?” Suzie asked, turning to Tony for a moment, her free hand resting upon his.
“He decided to pick up Kirsten in a limo,” Tony said, flexing and shaking his aching hand.
A smile spread over the redhead’s features as a quiet coo escaped her and she pulled Tony into her arms for a tight hug. “I’m glad! It’ll be nice to have the car to ourselves for a change.” Suzie released him from her arms. “Besides, a limo is too flashy and pompous. It’s prom, not the Academy Awards.”
“That’s why you’re so wonderful.” Tony kissed her.
Suzie stood on her tiptoes to meet his lips, closing her soft, emerald eyes and wished this moment would never end.
“Let’s get going.” Tony led her to the car with a broad grin and opened the passenger door for Suzie. From the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of the camera.
Suzie looked toward her house and said, “My God, she’s still at it.”
Tony looked and saw Dee peeking from the window. A flash of light emanated from the window, and Suzie was annoyed, but kept a smile as Suzie waved and then Dee disappeared.
“Yeah, I think you’re right. We should leave.” Suzie got in the car, then she leaned over to open the door for Tony. Tony smiled.
“Thank you. You look gorgeous… absolutely stunning.” Tony started the car.
“You know what I love about you, Tony?” Suzie asked, as they sped away.
“What?”
“You’re not like the other boys.”
Tony swerved for a brief second. “Really? Why…why do you say that?”
Suzie cocked an eyebrow to his reaction, and said, “If I didn’t know better, I would swear you were keeping a secret from me.”
Tony shrugged, then laughed nervously, “I guess it’s just my nature, that’s all.”
5
In the high school parking lot, they vied for a parking spot with the new Dodge Charger Tony knew belonged to Jeff Morrison. Tony cast the linebacker a leering smile and waved as he watched Jeff’s date, Sandra Kelner, protest. He could almost hear Sandra’s outraged remarks as she shoved both hands against Jeff’s surely still bruised shoulder. Like, what are you doing, letting that white trash take our spot!? We’ve been driving around for, like, ten minutes!
After they parked the car in the spot Tony had won, Tony got out of the car, opened the passenger door, gave his date a suggestive smile, and urged, “Your ball awaits.”
Suzie couldn’t help but giggle at the cheesy line as her ‘knight in shining armor’ offered his hand.
As they entered the darkened, festooned gymnasium, Tony and Suzie were greeted like royalty. Far from being the most popular couple there, Tony couldn’t help, but bask in the glory of the moment with his friends and a girlfriend who loved him. The guys from the basketball team high-fived him as they came in and Suzie’s friends embraced her, telling her how pretty she looked. For a brief moment, Tony felt like a normal teen, which was all he ever wanted to be.
It was only then, at the end of his high school career, did Tony realize he was well liked, and this new revelation was both sweet and ironic at the same time. Tony, unlike JP, held himself back because of his condition, fearing his secret would be discovered, and thereby betraying the community. Such thinking made Tony feel he had cheated himself out of some good times over the last few years.
He thought about what Suzie had said to him in the car and there was little doubt as to how he felt about her, and holding her tightly in his arms, there was no longer any question. In that moment, to the tune of The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody,” Tony was enraptured in the moment and wanted to be nowhere else, and like the song said, he hungered for her touch.
Suzie looked up into Tony’s large, brown puppy-dog eyes and saw a bright twinkle along with a wide, close-lipped smile stretched across his face. She knew that look, and had the same smile on her face too.
T
he song changed to “Crimson and Clover,” by Tommy James and the Shondells. Tony and Suzie stayed on the dance floor, swaying gently to the music. As they danced, he knew she was his forever, and he couldn’t have been happier.
When the song was over, Tony’s enhanced sense of smell told him JP and Kirsten had arrived and Tony looked up to see the brash JP, whose arrival had stolen the show.
JP, dapper almost to the point of self-parody in his white tuxedo, nearly the same color as his hair. Kirsten looked stunning in her very revealing dark-blue, spaghetti-strap dress that was nearly falling off. They arrived fashionably late, receiving all the hoots and howls as they entered and did they make an entrance. JP and Kirsten were every bit as flamboyant as Tony and Suzie were reserved.
Tony and Suzie let them have the dance floor to themselves as they headed for one of the tables where a few of their friends were seated.
With a bright smile, Suzie was more than happy to join a number of their friends at the table that conveniently held just enough space for more.
When JP left the dance floor several songs later, he was hot, sweaty, and could not wait to get Kirsten away from the gym and into the backseat of the limo again.
JP had a good buzz going after drinking the punch that was spiked with ‘something extra,’ and that was all he wanted. Kirsten was already drunk and giggly. She had been guzzling the punch since she came off the dance floor, and JP was okay with that, because the drunker she became, the easier she was, not that she really needed much help.
“Glad you could make it,” Tony said to JP.
JP smiled and shrugged. “Better late than never, huh? Having a good time?”
“A great time.” Tony said, looking over at Suzie. “Kinda wish this night would never end.”
JP laughed. Then Kirsten came up to him and whispered in his ear.
“Well, uh, we gotta go,” JP said to Tony.
Tony smiled and nodded, “Have fun.”
“Yeah, you too. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” JP said and smirked.
Tony took Suzie by the hand and led her to the dance floor.
JP watched as Tony nestled his head against Suzie’s, swaying back and forth with the music, entwined, and lost together in their own little world as the song shifted to Elvis Presley’s “The Wonder of You.”
“You ready?” Kirsten asked JP, then she hiccupped. She was more aroused than he, and he could smell it on her.
“Huh? Sure. Let’s go.”
JP and Kirsten walked out of the gym quickly with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, casting a wide smile over his shoulder to anyone who may be watching as his hand lowered nonchalantly to his date’s rear, bringing a round of giggles from the blonde girl.
6
After what the crowd had seen from JP and Kirsten, Tony and Suzie were practically invisible. When Tony began to gently nibble on Suzie’s ear to the Three Dog Night’s, “Joy to the World” they both knew they would not be staying much longer. By the time The Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road” was playing, they were saying their good-byes.
They walked out of the gym, practically running to the car, hand in hand and made out for a while in the parking lot on Tony’s car.
“Maybe we should, um, uh… wait a few minutes… until we get to our usual spot… in the woods.” They had two weeks of school left and this was not a good time to get expelled.
Suzie, so hot she could barely stand it, looked at Tony and said, “Let’s get there now.”
Tony and Suzie got in the car and took off. The sooner they reached their usual, marked spot in the woods, the better off he would be. Visions of Beatles’ lyrics danced in his head as he tried to keep control. Sometimes thinking about baseball just was not enough and he was thankful Bordeaux had taught him thought control years ago, but Suzie was not making the drive any easier. Tony thanked God there was no moon in the sky that night.
He turned on the radio and another dose of The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” was exacerbating matters, and Tony switched stations immediately. Wolfman Jack came on the radio. Suzie tried to turn off the radio with her free hand when Tony stopped her.
“Wait,” Tony explained to Suzie, “I love this guy.”
“Hey, you all,” Wolfman Jack howled through the radio, “I love that song, but I’m gonna take you all back in time for a moment. Here’s something from the early days of rock and roll.”
“Denise,” by Randy and the Rainbows played across the airwaves. It was such a catchy, bubble gum tune. Tony sang along so he could calm down a bit.
Tony’s arousal froze when he heard a sharp pop. He had a blowout and he braced himself when he hit the brakes, because the brakes weren’t doing much. Tony turned the wheel hard and the car spun out of control. He flung out his arm to try to hold Suzie to her seat.
“Oh shit!” He shouted.
The brakes were stuck and the steering wheel was locked. Suzie screamed as the car headed for a large oak tree.
Chapter Sixteen: The Curse
April 24th, 1971
Tony was not sure what had happened when he came to a couple of seconds after impact, but when he saw his car was bent inward in front of the large oak tree by their special, sacred spot in the woods, he had a pretty good idea. Steam rose from under the hood with a continuously loud hiss, but the car still had enough juice to keep the radio playing as Mark Dinning crooned over the airwaves with his song, “Teen Angel.”
Tony felt like he had been beaten up. He was bruised, banged up, and sore, but other than that he would recover in a day or two. It would take a lot more than that to kill him, but Suzie, on the other hand, was not doing so well. She was lying down with her head on Tony’s thigh, her face was covered in blood.
At the point of impact, Tony reached out and grabbed Suzie preventing her from going through the windshield. He was partially successful, but there was a large, deep gash on her forehead and her face was covered with blood. Her eyes were still open, but they were small and dull as she looked up to the starry sky.
“Suzie?” Tony lightly tapped her cheek. “Suzie! Come on, Suzie! Come on!” Tony searched her neck for a pulse, but he was too shaken up to find it.
“Oh my God,” Tony whispered repeatedly, almost panicking. The only thing he could think to do was put his hand on her chest, and this was the first time he was reluctant to do so. There was a small pool of blood forming on her chest, clashing with her red dress. He felt her heart beat. It was there, but it was faint.
Suzie blinked twice. Her eyes were vacant, like she was lost in the sky. “Tony…is… that… you?” She eeked out, her voice was barely audible.
“Yes, doll, I’m here.” Tony responded shaking and panicking with tears in his eyes.
“You sound so far away.” Suzie’s voice was groggy, like she was ready to fall asleep. She was not feeling any pain, but the bleeding had made her so weak. She was tired, thirsty, and cold, but that did not matter, because Tony was with her.
“Shh… it’ll be okay, honey.” Tony said, as the tears came.
“I know it will.” Suzie whispered, and those words hurt much worse than his bruised ribs. “It’s so beautiful up there.”
Tony looked up and all he was a sky full of stars. All Tony’s hopes for the future were dying with Suzie. She wouldn’t be graduating high school, going to college, marrying him, having kids, or any of the other dreams she once had.
“T-Tony, h-hold m-me. It’ll be okay.”
Those words were intended to comfort him, but instead scared the hell out Tony. The tears came despite his valiant fight to stop them, contorting the handsome boy’s face to a mournful and grievous red. The insides of his chest felt like they were being ripped apart and he would have gladly traded places with her.
“Suzie, please don’t go. I need you. I love you. I really, really do.”
Tony carefully slid his arm around her back, but the blood made her slippery. He had one hand around her shoulder and the other was clu
tching her hand and was trembling so hard so he felt his hands grow into claws and felt his teeth growing sharp inside his mouth. He needed to calm down.
Tony took a second and stared at his hairy, lethal hand with the razor-sharp fingernails. In a still moment when the panicking ceased, Tony realized there was a way out. A terrible, horrible way, but it was a way, and some life was better than no life, right? He knew the community forbade such an act, and the penalty was death and death to the progeny as well. Even if Suzie did make it through, and even if they were allowed to survive, there was also the chance she would hate him for what she had become for the rest of her life. Hell, it might not even work. Tony had heard some people were just immune to the curse, but since he knew of no other infected werewolves, it was just as much of a legend to him as the Beast of Bestiavir was to the townspeople.
Tony closed his eyes, debating the issue in his head, balancing the pros and cons, like an absurd version of Hamlet, but time was growing short, and if he didn’t do it, they would be burying her on Tuesday, and Tony would hate himself for the rest of his life. He knew what he had to do, how to make this right, but it was forbidden. They would kill him just as they would her, but it looked like that was the only way out. It was very possible they would die together tonight.
“I don’t care,” Tony unknowingly said aloud.
“T-Tony, I’m not cold anymore. I feel so light.”
“NO!” Tony screamed. Then he opened his mouth, exposing his big, sharp teeth and bit into Suzie’s forearm.
Suzie sat up and screamed and then she fell back in his lap unconscious. The pain was sharp and quick – gone almost as suddenly as it came.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” Tony said tearfully. “You have the rest of your life to forgive me.”
Although the rest of her life might be an hour if he didn’t get her help fast.
Her pulse was slow, steady, but faint, and her breathing was shallow and weak. She was still alive, but barely. Tony had to move fast. He had bought her some time, but if the wounds were too deep, nothing could save her.