by Tiki Kos
As I began to dig through the leather pockets, the homeless man jerked up. His eyes opened wide and stared directly at me. An eerie feeling shook my inner core. His eyes weren’t human anymore, just hollow and soulless. There was no flicker of life or comprehension of the situation. A shiver ran through me; I didn’t know if I wanted to get closer.
It looked as though he was about to say something, but not a single word came out.
“Are you okay?” I asked in a jittery voice.
I took a step toward him and pulled out my cell phone from my pocket. “I can call for help. They injected you with something. Maybe it was heroin, or that hybrid stuff? I didn’t really get a good look at it.”
Yellow foam spilled from his mouth, and at the same time blood seeped out of his eye sockets.
I gasped, and felt my mouth twist into a terrible shape. I didn’t know what to do but freeze in panic.
He vibrated for a good minute before a sulphur smell leaked into the air and his body fell to the ground. I hurried to his side but could tell that it was already too late. The yellow foam covered his entire chest. I bent down to get a closer look at the needle, making sure not to touch the substance. I didn’t know if I would have a reaction to the drug or not.
The glass needle had a sticker with a symbol of a tree in gold. It looked so familiar. I didn’t want to stick around the back alley for too much longer; instead, I took a picture of the needle. I needed someone to talk to and figure this whole situation out.
Me: Hey! I really need to talk. U busy?
His response was almost immediate.
Sho: Sorry, medical emergency at the reservation. C U 2morrow.
My entire mood was dampened and the last thing I wanted to do was go dress shopping, even though thrift store browsing was one of my favorite hobbies. What I needed was something comforting or greasy, and my bed.
I made my way home, but not before picking up a double bacon cheese burger and some steak flavoured chips.
Chapter Thirteen
It was the evening of the Blue Moon Party, and I had nothing to wear yet. I dug through my closet, pulling out any suitable contenders. Anything too summery would be vetoed; even though I would have loved to wear something fresh and airy, I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself. If I wore something too slinky or light, I might as well have been wearing a billboard asking everyone to look at me. I was either on drugs, looking for sex…or a werewolf. Even though I’m sure not many people would choose the third option.
After a good hour of trying on dresses, jeans and skirts, I chose a simple short black dress and black tights. Not only was the dress stretchy with some wiggle room, but I’d only paid five dollars for it. I wouldn’t feel bad if it got wrecked, and the chances of that happening tonight would be high. I had black high tops on and would’ve finished the outfit off with earrings, but my ear holes had closed up the minute I’d turned into a wolf. And that whole thing with silver. I couldn’t even touch most of my earrings without being burnt. I slipped on my old leather jacket and decided that it didn’t look that horrible. If anything, it would give me a little extra protection.
I combed my hair into a messy ponytail and slapped on some dark burgundy lipstick that reminded me of velvet. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. There were two options for how the night would play out. Either no one showed up and I had a fun time with a cute boy, or I finally got to learn the truth about Dad and why those wolves killed him. Before, I was excited to go to this party—now, everything was way too real. There was a good chance I might die. But I had to take it, I had to fight for my dad. No one deserved to die like that.
The party was in full motion by the time I got to the clearing. The music was blaring, and people were dancing, screaming, and making out with each other. It was hard to get my bearings in this place. Too many people. Too much noise. Too many weird smells I couldn’t put my finger on. In any other town, the police would’ve already been on top of a party this size. But not here; the Disciples would only stop the party when they wanted to.
I pulled my phone out of the side pocket in my purse to check if Sho had messaged me yet. He hadn’t. I wouldn’t be the first one to send a message; I didn’t want him to think I was desperate or anything. I had to play it cool and let him come to me. He told me he was going to show up; I had no reason not to believe him.
A couple of lower level Disciples bumped into me, but didn’t say a single word.
Plastic tables were set up away from the fire. They held boxes and boxes of beer, vodka and funky colored coolers. A giant glass bowl of mystery punch sat on top of the table. There was no way I was going to drink that. I knew how the Disciples partied at times, slipping things into drinks because they wanted to have a wild night. I went for the safer option and grabbed two unopened cans of beer.
I was getting sick of being bumped into, and of the echoing of the bass in my eardrums. The heavy music flowed through me, making my teeth jitter. I slithered away from the main path and found a recently cut stump to sit on. My fingers smoothed down the loopy ends of the dress before I popped open the first beer. I took a sip, letting the earthy flavour tickle my taste buds. It didn’t take me long to finish the first, then the second. When I went to grab the third, I was feeling the buzz. I checked my phone again. It had been an hour, and there was still no sign of Sho.
Had he ditched me? I thought we had a plan. A wave of momentary panic and betrayal washed over me.
Was it because I’d slept with him?
As I popped open the tab on the third beer, a crunching noise sounded behind me, followed by a snapping twig. Whatever it was, it was coming closer. And fast. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. I could tell by the scent that the prowler wasn’t human.
I clenched my free hand into a fist, wheeled around, and hit as hard as I could. The beer swished out of the can, drenching my legs. Caleb was right behind me and grabbed my fist.
“Do you punch at everything that pops up from behind you?”
My voice was shaking a little as my heart thumped against my chest. “No. You just scared me.”
“And you spilled your drink.” Caleb’s face dropped in disappointment. “Let me get you another.”
I shook my head. “It’s fine. I don’t need another one.”
“Hey, it’s a party. Plus, I was gonna to get one for me, anyway.”
He didn’t let me answer before heading towards the table. I took this minute of peace to pull out my phone and finally gather the nerves to text Sho.
Me: Caleb is already here. This is going to go down whether you’re here or not. Please hurry if you’re coming!
Caleb scurried back with two more opened beers and a wide grin plastered on his face.
“Can I sit down with you for a minute?”
I shrugged, then scooted over to the edge of the stump, giving him space to sit down.
“Why are you sitting alone in the dark by yourself?” Caleb handed me one of the opened beers. “Aren’t you afraid?”
“Of the dark?” I laughed, then took a sip. “I can handle myself.”
“I’ll give you that. You do have a mean hook…for a girl.” He looked down at his hand, balled it up into a fist, and then released it.
I didn’t know how to respond to the backhanded compliment. Instead of saying anything, I took a long swig of the beer. This one wasn’t as bitter as the last three, but it had a funny sour aftertaste. Not that I minded, but it would have to be my last if I wanted to keep my balance and not mess up the confrontation ahead.
Caleb watched me in amusement. “Or maybe you were out here in the dark, looking for a good time.”
“Nope,” I said, taking the final sip of beer. “I’m definitely not looking for a good time.”
“C’mon, I heard all of Ryan’s stories about you. I know you like to party and have fun.” He dragged out the word.
“Maybe when I was fourteen, but not anymore.”
“Right, and I’m t
he Pope.” He smiled brilliantly. “People don’t change that quickly.”
I rolled my eyes and readied myself for the longwinded sentence to defend my honor, but Caleb caught me off guard as he placed his hand on top of my knee and started to slide it towards the hem of my dress. I dropped the empty can of beer onto the ground and swatted his hand away.
“I-I-I don’t think so,” I muttered, but after a few heartbeats I steadied my breath and found my bearings. “I was just waiting for my friend to show up, and I don’t want to mess around.”
“No, I don’t think you’re telling the truth,” he grunted. “You’re just asking for trouble, sitting here in that short dress. Like Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf.”
In a swift motion, he grabbed my throat and turned my face towards him. Caleb shoved his tongue deep into my mouth. The world around me spun for a second.
I felt funny and a little sleepy. My body rippled in numbness, as if miniature needles poked and dragged across my skin.
I’d been drunk before, but never had I felt like this.
I wanted to curl up into a ball and hide. How could I have been so stupid to take an open beer from Caleb?
Before I could decide what to do, his hand tightened against my throat as the other went up my skirt once again.
I used that last bit of energy to bite down as hard as I could until I tasted blood. Caleb screamed. His warm hands violently landed on my shoulders, pushing my entire body off the stump and making me whap my head directly into a tree. He was much stronger than I thought he was. I was cursing myself for not being better prepared.
Everything around me went fuzzy for a moment. My fingers fought to anchor themselves against the rough bark.
Caleb stood up, then spat a mouthful of blood on the ground. A wolfish smirk crossed his face. “You’re going to pay for that, and for killing Cindy.”
“Who the hell is Cindy?”
His fingers dug into the side of his face, pulling off chunks of skin, tossing them aside like strips of bad meat. Caleb raised his clenched fist into the air and ran towards me, slamming it down on my nose. A sickening crunch sounded, followed by an aching, dull pain and a warmth of what I could only assume was blood.
Caleb stroked the side of my face and tangled his hand into my hair. “This party is just starting.”
I tried everything in my power to keep my eyes open.
Chapter Fourteen
Kill Caleb.
It sounded simple enough, and that was the first thing to pop into my head while I regained myself. It took a few heartbeats to pull myself together. My eyes still had a foggy filter, and my head throbbed. I felt off, and hotter than usual. My body felt worse now than after I’d been shot.
I looked down, thankful to find myself fully dressed. I prayed he didn’t taken advantage of me, but he was gone, and I was left alone in this clearing. The minute the thought ran through my head, I regretted it. Growling, snarling and yipping came from the trees.
The wolves stepped out of the darkness. I counted four. Then, a fifth—that one caught my eye. It was the white wolf from the night my dad died. He snarled at me. I knew in my heart that it had to be the same one.
“Y-you…” I pointed at the white wolf. My throat itched and burned as if I’d been in the desert for a whole day.
The other wolves circled around me. I didn’t know how I was going to survive this, but I was going to try my hardest.
“You killed my dad,” I yelled with a renewed burst of energy, springing back onto my feet.
The change was coming.
“I’m going to kill you,” I hissed as my hands snapped back. The coarse brown hair rose up, revealing claws.
I begged my body to listen to me and fully turn into a wolf. The change stopped as quickly as it came, and I was only left with my claws.
The white wolf let out a badgering laugh like a jackal before crouching down and launching himself towards me at an alarming speed. Before I knew it, he’d grasped my right leg, sinking his teeth deep into the meaty flesh of my thigh. I lifted my claw up, swiping across the wolf’s face. He yelped. I swiped again, and again, until I could feel the fur trapped between my nails and hand. The wolf finally let go of my thigh. He jumped back, then rushed into my chest, knocking me back and pinning me into the dirt.
I could feel the burning tips of his claws dig into my legs. I whipped my head forward, slamming it into the wolf’s mouth. He retaliated and bashed his face into mine. The bones had just set from Caleb breaking my nose, but shattered once again. Then, the pain came as blood rushed down my face. I fought to hold back the tears that blurred my eyes. I didn’t want to show any weakness.
The wolf darted towards my neck like a viper, but I thrust my right arm up to block it. I hit the animal in the throat and he staggered back. I had just enough time to scramble back onto my feet. Once again, he lurched forward, swiping me with his giant paw. He dragged it down my chest, all the way down my leg. I screamed in agony, then grabbed the fat tuft of hair on the back of his neck like a mother wolf. With all my strength, I lifted him up in the air, spun him around and threw the animal into a pine tree. I ran after his body. I jumped up and slammed both my knees onto his back, then pulled his head backwards towards me. I smashed his face down into the dirt again and again until he was an unrecognizable pile of red fluff.
My arms felt like Jell-O, soft, useless and jiggly. I was exhausted, and my bones yelped in pain. I slid off the wolf’s back, curled up in the dirt, and let myself take a moment to cry.
I sucked in a deep breath.
I’d actually killed someone. Not just anyone—one of the wolves who’d eaten my dad. I should have been jumping for joy, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel even an ounce of happiness. There was a small part of me that felt bad.
When I was all out of tears, my body gave up, then fell into an exhausted sleep.
When I woke up, the sky was bright with fluffy white clouds, and the squirrels were chattering happily together as if nothing had happened. The ground was soaked with the morning dew. Echoes of pain rippled through my body, but they weren’t as agonizing as during the fight. I imagined that in a day or two, I would be better than normal.
I was staring up at a face I recognized. Ryan. He was dabbing my chest with a bloodied piece of cloth from his shirt.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hello.” He gulped.
His black eyebrows were furrowed, and if it was even possible, his skin was paler than usual. I struggled to pull myself up, but the wounds on my chest and legs were still bleeding. Ryan wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me to sitting.
“Where is the…”
“Wolf?” He finished the sentence for me and nodded towards the other side of him. I looked past him, only to find the naked legs of a man. But not just any man.
“Caleb?”
“That’s right.” Ryan nodded, then choked back tears. I saw his chest take in a deep breath and slowly release it.
“He killed my dad. He tried to kill me.”
“It seems like it.”
“You didn’t know?”
Ryan shook his head. “No, but I’m sorry he killed your pop. Your dad was a good man.”
“W-w-what?” I tried to swallow my surprise. This was the first time I had ever heard Ryan apologize to anyone.
He gave me the ghost of a smile. “I know all you wanted to do was leave this town, and they wouldn’t let you.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
He let out a sad little laugh. “You were forced into this life, like me. I didn’t want to be a wolf, but my dad and brother turned me without even asking. They took my humanity as they took yours.”
I let out a soft sigh. “Is your dad the black wolf? Was he a part of this?”
“I don’t know if he is a part of this, but his fur isn’t black. All three of us are white.”
“Then who else killed my dad?” I had to swallow hard not to vomit. I just wanted t
his all to be done.
“I don’t have all the answers, Sunny.”
“Then who would?” I demanded to know.
“Your mom.”
My heart stopped for a second. I opened my mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. What could I say to make this stinging lessen? Nothing. I only had one choice, and that was to go to the source. I jumped up onto my feet. I must’ve startled Ryan; his shoulders tensed up and the lines on his face cringed.
“Be careful, Sunny. The truth can hurt,” he whispered.
Chapter Fifteen
The whole time I ran home, my phone buzzed and vibrated. There was no doubt in my mind that it was Sho. I didn’t want to even talk to him. He hadn’t shown up when I needed him the most. I was over him, and I needed to finish what I’d started.
I wanted my dad’s killers to be punished. I craved vengeance. This was the only way he would be able to rest in peace. The only way I would be able to move on with my life. Once I reached the front steps of my house, I shook out my hands and took a deep breath in. As my fingers brushed against the metal knob, the door was pulled open.
Mom’s blonde eyebrows furrowed. She sucked in a long wind of air and quickly placed a hand on her chest. “Sunny. You scared the shit out of me. Where were you?” Her eyes bounced back and forth from my dirtied knees to my bloodied chest.
I stared at her. “We need to talk.”
She gulped in what seemed to be pure terror. I’d never seen her actually scared of me before. “Do you want to tell me why you’re covered in blood?”
“Caleb attacked me, and I killed him.” The nagging feeling of guilt rose. I had to keep reminding myself that he’d brought this on himself. He’d killed Dad, drugged me, and tried to kill me too. If anything, he deserved a more painful death. I’d showed him mercy.