“They killed my boy!”
Colin hadn’t noticed Sam Bale’s father in the hall. He was somewhere in the back.
“You told the town he was attacked and killed by a wild animal. He wasn’t just attacked. He was eaten! We didn’t even have anything left to bury! And what have you done about it?” demanded Mr. Bale. “We were told Elkwood would be a safe place. That’s why we moved here. A safe haven where we can all forget our differences, live together, and be protected from the outside world. My people encountered a werewolf back in the late 1800s. They’re vicious murderers, and they need to be killed.”
“I agree!” said Mrs. Cross.
Others in the audience chimed in their agreement.
“Come to order!” called Mr. Emerson. “Vampires, sirens, witches, sorcerers, demons, trolls, ogres, fairies, the undead, ghosts, telepaths, shape shifters.”
The crowd quieted down.
“Everyone here lives together in harmony alongside our human residents which adds to our safety and cover. We’ve taken every possible measure to make this a safe place to raise your families despite our differences.”
Colin’s heart was racing. So this was it. The big secret. Elkwood was some sort of sanctuary for unearthly creatures?
Over the phone, Mr. Emerson had referred to him as normal. Becca had indicated the same thing before he was bitten. This whole time Colin had been living in a town of freaks.
At least I fit in now.
One moment, Mr. Emerson was standing alone at the podium; in the next, Mrs. Cross was suddenly standing on the stage next to Mr. Emerson. She was quite a striking woman with long blond hair, and a muscular figure that was perfectly proportioned. Colin had never really seen her before as she always stayed in the car picking up the twins.
Mrs. Cross pushed Mr. Emerson out of the way, taking control of the microphone. “We deserve justice! In ancient times, werewolves used to hunt vampire-kind for sport. A blood feud existed between our races for years to the point where the mere smell of a werewolf would make us bodily sick. My twin boys were sick at school the other day, unable to explain why. This creature was somewhere in the school! My family demands the right to break the no kill law and hunt these creatures ourselves.”
The town hall erupted. While some agreed with this course of action, others vocally disagreed, and a few even accused Mrs. Cross of wanting to break the law so she and her kind could feed on humans again. Mr. Emerson shouted for order but was lost in the din.
The mixture of sound began to hurt Colin’s head. Becca looked worried, even scared. Colin began to panic.
These people want to kill me!
He reached out with his mind, searching for Silas.
Silas! Silas! Are you there?
Colin? What’s the matter?
Where are you?
I’m on the edge of downtown. There are patrols sweeping the streets, so I’m keeping my distance. What did you find out?
What didn’t I find out is more like it! There are vampires here! And demons, and telepaths, and witches. I think my grandmother is a witch. I don’t know what Becca is, but she’s something too. The vampires are asking for permission to hunt and kill you! To kill me!
Did you say telepaths?
Yeah, why?
A singular voice broke through the din of the hall. It was the voice of Mrs. Davenport the substitute teacher.
Sweet, kind, Mrs. Davenport.
“Wait! Stop! All of you! I can hear him. I can hear him! There’s one here, in the hall!” she shrieked.
Mr. Emerson shoved Mrs. Cross away from the podium. “Quiet down! Patricia Davenport. Who? Who is here?”
The hall quieted.
Colin, you have to get out of there. If they have a telepath, she’ll be able to hear you talking to me.
But it was too late. Colin was frozen. He didn’t know what to do.
I …
Colin! Get out! Get out now!
“He’s somewhere in the hall,” said Mrs. Davenport. “I can hear his thoughts. He’s communicating to another werewolf.”
“Where is he? Where!”
“He’s … he’s … ”
Mr. Emerson’s in-ear radio crackled to life. The sound was tinny, but Colin could make it out.
“Sir, this is Barrows. He’s here. He’s moving fast. We … he’s at the town hall door.”
Colin heard growling and snarling. He ran to the side of the upstairs balcony just in time to see the town hall doors explode off their hinges and splinter inward. People screamed and ran for cover while Mrs. Cross hissed like an angry cat.
Breathing heavily, Silas stood in the doorway in all his full wolf-like glory. Colin looked on in horror.
Silas, get out of here. They’ll kill you!
Colin looked around the hall. Most people were trying to get away from the creature at the door. He looked to the stage, noting that Becca had disappeared. His grandmother still sat in her seat looking as calm and unflappable as ever.
Mr. Emerson screamed into the radio microphone on his sleeve. “All operatives, take him down, non-lethal only. Tranquilize the hell out of him!”
Mrs. Cross leaped from the stage and landed in the middle of the hall. She moved with amazing speed, weaving through the scattered chairs, and dived at Silas who jumped out of the way, landing on all fours. He turned to growl at the blond vampire who hissed back.
Operatives spilled through the doorway, guns drawn, before firing all at once. Silas dived out of the way, and tranquilizer darts thudded harmlessly into the wall. Mrs. Cross lunged again at Silas, but instead of moving, the giant wolf creature grabbed her by the hair, swung her around his head once, and threw her back at the operatives who dived out of the way.
Mr. Emerson opened fire, shooting several darts into Silas’s back.
Colin’s skin began to crawl, and he could feel his own creature fighting to get out. He tried to stay calm, but his heart rate was through the roof and his senses were exploding.
Silas staggered and fell forward as more agents approached and unloaded more tranquilizer darts into his prone body.
“No!” shouted Colin.
I’ll tear them apart!
A surge of anger as if a family member had been attacked.
Someone grabbed his arm.
Colin spun around, breathing heavily, and came face to face with Becca.
“Colin, your eyes, your teeth!”
Colin ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth. His teeth had grown. He expected his eyes were shining that golden amber color again.
C-Colin. G … get out. N-now.
“I know where they’re taking him.” said Becca. “You can’t help him now, but I know where he’ll be.”
Was Becca trying to help? Or was it a trick?
Colin looked back to the hall. Silas was no longer moving. Agents had begun securing him with netting. Colin looked to the stage to see his grandmother staring in his direction. She nodded her head to the side.
Is she telling me to leave?
Colin allowed Becca to lead him from the balcony, down the staircase, through the kitchen, out the back door, and into the night.
Chapter Fifteen
Granny Storm
Colin ran after Becca at what felt like a snail’s pace; the night was exploding in chaos behind them. Colin could hear the townsfolk as they fled the downtown area. More operatives were converging on the town hall, probably as a precaution, in case Silas woke up and started eating people.
Colin’s mind was spinning with all the new information he’d learned in such a short space of time. “Becca, where are we going?”
Becca didn’t answer or stop. They reached the school, and Colin followed her around the back of the building to the football field. Arriving at the bleachers, Becca finally stopped and sat down heavily, out of breath. Colin hadn’t broken a sweat.
“Can you please stop pacing?” said Becca. “You’re making me nervous.”
Colin hadn’t realized h
e had been stalking back and forth in front of Becca. He was anxiously fighting an overwhelming urge to rip off his clothes, change, and go back to the town hall. He stopped pacing.
“What were you doing at the town hall, Colin? You’re the other werewolf, aren’t you? And he’s the one that bit you? That’s why you’ve been weird all week. You’ve been changing! That’s why you feel different to me, isn’t it? Are you going to answer me?”
Colin couldn’t decide whether she was sad or angry or a dynamic mixture of the two.
“Answer me!” demanded Becca.
I’m going to call that angry.
“If I could get a word in edgewise, I’d be happy to start answering your questions,” said Colin, smiling. Becca offered a reluctant smile in return.
“Colin, you’re a werewolf.”
“Yes.”
“Did you … did you kill Sam Bale?”
Now it was Colin’s turn to be angry. Bad enough wondering if he was a killer without the girl he liked thinking it too. “Oh, come on, Becca! Do you really th—”
“It’s a legitimate question. I just found out the guy I’ve been crushing on is a werewolf!”
“I just found out that the girl I’ve been crushing on is a … what are you anyway?”
He could feel and smell the anger return.
“I’m a necromancer!”
“You fall asleep a lot?”
Her anger subsided a little.
“That’s narcolepsy.”
“So you … ?”
“I bring people back from the dead. And I can heal almost any sort of injury.”
“Creepy.”
“Says the dog boy?”
Ha! Good one.
“Zombie queen!”
“Go find a ball. We can play fetch.”
“So do you and Satan hang out?”
“Now I know why you always smell like wet dog.”
Colin couldn’t think of a good comeback. So he chose the obvious thing to do in such an awkward situation with the girl of your dreams.
Colin kissed her.
It was a passionate first-time kiss with a limited amount of drool. Colin rated it a ten, but he really didn’t have anything else to compare it to.
Becca looked a little confused. Or was she happy?
“What? Did I do it wrong? Was it the wrong time? I thought we had a bit of a thing going there and I saw an opportunity and I may have been panicking a little. To be honest, I’m panicking again now and—”
Becca kissed Colin.
It was better this time, less drool.
“Wow,” said Colin.
His skin was tingling again, but he felt in control. For the moment, at least. “Did you say you’ve been crushing on me?” Colin suddenly remembered. “Since when?”
Becca shrugged. “Since a while. I don’t break into everyone’s house in the middle of the night, ya know?”
“Wow,” repeated Colin.
“What?”
“Well, it’s just a funny thought. I mean, getting bit by a werewolf and worrying that I may have eaten a classmate while being hunted by your father, well, it may have been the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Becca smiled, the rest of her anger subsiding. “So you didn’t kill Sam Bale?”
“I’m almost 95% sure that I didn’t. Everything was a bit of a blur the night I was bitten. Silas didn’t kill him either. He came here to hunt the other werewolf in town.”
“And who is the other werewolf?”
“We haven’t figured it out yet. Although, all this time you’ve known about all of this. Elkwood, the wolf attack. Everything! You knew there was a werewolf in town, and you still took us out to that crime scene. Do you have a death wish?”
“My powers emerged at a young age; I guess death doesn’t scare me like it does other people. I’ve literally seen the other side.”
“What’s it like?”
“It’s all rainbow-colored and smells like freshly baked cookies.”
“Seriously?”
“No, not even close.”
They both laughed.
“Becca, where are they taking Silas?”
“They’ll take him to the compound. It’s the old army base beyond the forest. They hold the more volatile subjects up there while they study their behavior.”
“We have to go get him. He’s not a bad werewolf. He’s the balance! He’s the one who keeps the bad werewolves at bay. It’s some sort of life mission of his.”
“Colin, I’m all for breaking your werewolf daddy out of the top-secret government base guarded by trained soldiers who carry very high-powered weaponry and are reinforced with magic.”
“But?”
“No but.” Becca smiled that smile that Colin loved.
“How do we get there?”
“I could ride you?” suggested Becca, her face flushing. “Would that be weird? Honestly, that just slipped out. I mean, you could change and then I could … just kill me now. Bite my head off or something.”
Colin laughed. “I don’t know where I’m going. You’ll need to direct me.”
“I can do that.”
There was an element of risk. Silas had said they could track werewolves in their wolf form but then, there was no other fast way to the base. Colin hoped they were too preoccupied with Silas to worry about him. He kicked off his shoes, and stripped down to his underwear.
“Would you, uh, would you mind turning around?” said Colin.
Becca snapped around quickly. “Sorry!”
“It’s just that this is only the second time I’ve changed, and I really don’t think it’s something you’ll want to see. There’s a lot of stretching and bones clicking. It’s actually kinda gross. Oh, and can you bring my clothes? I’ll need something to wear once we’re up there.”
Becca nodded.
“Okay. Here we go.”
Colin wasn’t sure where to start. He had voluntarily brought on a change from werewolf to human, but he’d only done it the other way once and it wasn’t by choice. Reaching out with his mind, he searched for Silas but couldn’t find him anywhere.
Silas, are you out there?
Nothing.
C’mon, Colin. Think wolfy thoughts!
It didn’t work.
Becca had collected all his clothes and folded them neatly into a bundle. “How’s it going over there?” said Becca.
“It’s not. I don’t know how to do this. I must be the worst werewolf in history.”
“How did you change the first time?”
“I was overcome with a strong emotion.”
“What emotion?”
Crap.
“It’s hard to explain.”
“What’s hard to explain?”
“Shh,” said Colin.
Something was moving in front of the school. Colin could hear light footsteps. Then the faint crackle of a radio.
“Oh no.”
“What?”
“Good evening, Mr. Strauss,” said the booming voice of Principal Hebert.
Lights flicked on from several different directions. Focused on his change, Colin hadn’t heard the team of agents or guards or whatever they were until it was too late. He was also suddenly very aware that he was only wearing his underwear.
Colin quickly counted ten different lights, each one mounted to a rifle and trained on Colin. He could hear Becca’s heart begin to race. Fortunately, he could hear everyone else’s heartbeats, and they were fast. These men were nervous. Colin tried to not take too much joy in the potentially dangerous situation, but it made him feel kind of good. These people were afraid of him.
“Mr. Strauss,” said Principal Hebert, who was also carrying a rifle, “you were sighted at the town hall meeting this evening. And now here you are, practically naked behind the school with Ms. Emerson. Quite unexpected.”
“We’re … we’re dating,” tried Colin lamely.
“Mr. Strauss, would you mind explaining why you were at the town hal
l tonight, why you suddenly have muscles, and why you …never mind. Let’s just get to the point. Are you, Colin Strauss, a werewolf?”
Colin laughed uncomfortably. “Me? A werewolf?”
Say no, say no, say no, say no.
“Yes,” said Colin, “yes, I am.”
It wasn’t some macho move to suddenly admit to what he was, it was actually nothing like that. Colin simply didn’t feel ashamed. Being a werewolf gave him a certain amount of power, and frankly, he loved it. An even bigger thrill ran through him when several of the men with guns took a short step backward at his declaration.
“I really thought you were joking when you told me you were late because you had stolen a car and seen a giant wolf creature in your shower. It never occurred to me that plain old Colin Strauss was a killer.”
“Woah, now wait a moment, Mr. Hebert,” said Colin. “I didn’t kill Sam Bale.”
“That remains to be seen.”
“I’ll take it from here, Hebert, you great buffoon,” said the tiny figure of Colin’s grandmother as she pushed her way past two agents with guns and walked straight past Principal Hebert.
“Grandmother,” said Colin.
The blind woman stopped a few feet in front of Colin.
“Mrs. Strauss—” tried Principal Hebert.
“Oh, shut your trap and let me do my job! Now listen here, boy. I’m going to read your mind. And we’ll see exactly what’s going on up there in that sad excuse you call a brain.”
So this was how they had found Colin, his grandmother had tipped them off. He had never despised the woman more than he did at that very moment.
Oh, calm your feisty little mind down!
It was his grandmother’s voice, in his head.
Can you hear me?
Yes, and you can hear me. Now listen carefully to me, my boy. I know moving here hasn’t been easy for you. Now that you can see Elkwood for what it is, I expect you can understand why I wasn’t thrilled when your parents decided to send you here. It’s a dangerous place, and these idiots with the guns don’t know any better. They’re fumbling around catching creatures and monsters and all sorts of other things they don’t understand.
Grandmother, I didn’t kill Sam Bale.
I know that, you great fool. I’m in your mind, and I see everything. Now, one day you and I will have a long talk about stealing cars and sneaking out at night, but today is not that day. Tell me, do you know who killed the Bale boy?
Hair in All The Wrong Places Page 12