P.A.W.S.

by Debbie Manber Kupfer

  “Don’t you want some, boy? It’ll make you strong, invincible. Many years ago, I killed and ate my own father, and it was the best meal I ever had!”

  “No!” Josh screamed, watching with horror as Alistair continued to consume his father. He wished there was something he could do, but he was paralyzed, unable to move from where he was lying.

  Finally, he heard sirens wailing, coming closer to the house. Josh realized that his mama must have called the police, but he also knew that it was already far too late to save his papa.

  Alistair looked up from his meal. “Shame,” he said. “We’re going to have to let some of this go to waste. But still there’s plenty more out there, you’ll see. Come on, Joshua, time to go.”

  And then, when Josh didn’t move, “Up to you, kid, but when the police come in here and see a wolf next to this body, they’re going to shoot first and ask questions later. And believe me, despite what you might have heard, they don’t need any silver bullets to take us down!” And with that, Alistair ran out of the back door.

  Josh stayed for a moment and gazed in horror at the bloody body of his papa. He felt like his heart was wrenching apart. Then he dragged himself out of the door.

  Josh stumbled back through the yard, still bleeding. There was no sign of Alistair. At the back of the yard was a no-man’s land. The rough, undeveloped scrub was supposed to have been the site of a new housing project, but that had been abandoned, cancelled due to the recession. Instead there was an overgrown mess of weeds and trash that covered about half a mile. Josh wandered mournfully through the rubble, exhausted beyond belief. He felt tears welling up in his eyes. Oh, Papa. He sank to the ground and howled.

  At some point in the night, he must have fallen asleep out there in the wilderness. When he awoke in the morning, he had transformed back into a boy. His clothes were in shreds, and there was a deep gash in his arm where Alistair had swatted him.

  “Morning, Josh.” He looked up and saw Alistair reaching a hand out to him. He was wearing clean clothes, a pair of gray slacks and a sweater, and was freshly shaved and bathed. “Come on, lad. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  “Go away!” Josh screamed.

  “That’s not very nice, Josh, after all I’ve done for you. You’d think you’d be more grateful. Just think. No more school, no more parents with stupid rules to follow. You’ll even be able to get revenge on Tyler Jones for all those times he’s taken your lunch money.”

  Josh pulled away from Alistair. “I’m going to the police. I’m going to tell them everything. They’ll put you in jail.”

  “No, Josh, I don’t think so. I mean, what would you tell them? That your dad was attacked by a werewolf? I doubt if they would believe that. And in any case, you can’t tell anyone about me. I made sure of that the first time we met. Didn’t you try to tell your parents about me in the hospital? You weren’t able to tell them anything, not even my name, were you, Josh?

  “I tell you what, Josh. I’ll make you a deal. I’m not an unreasonable man. You come and live with me, and I’ll leave your mother alone. She’s suffered enough, don’t you think, Josh? Losing her husband in such an unfortunate way and then her ungrateful son simply running off in the middle of it all. Yes, I’ll leave the delectable Sarah alone for now, as long as you come and join my pack. But if you ever leave... Understood?”

  Josh nodded mutely.

  “Get up, Josh. You’re coming with me. You’re going to like your new home. And it’s not all bad, you know. Later we can play a nice game of chess!”

  Chapter 8

  Miri was sitting with Josh beneath her oak tree. For the last two hours, he had been telling her his story.

  “I lived with Alistair for four years,” he concluded. “During that time, I witnessed hundreds of attacks. Mostly, they were kills, but occasionally he would let a person live, so that the following full moon, they would turn into a werewolf. Then he would retrieve them and bring them to join his pack.

  “Alistair has a vision. He wants to build a community of werewolves – powerful werewolves like himself, werewolves that could rule the world! To that end, he only turns the young and the strong, mostly boys, though occasionally he will take a girl if he thinks she could be a potential mate. Alistair has a theory that if he breeds with a woman at the time of the full moon and she conceives a child, that moonchild will be strongest werewolf of all – a worthy heir to the empire he is trying to create.

  “Then three years ago, I was rescued, along with two other boys, Cal and Jonathan. Early one morning, P.A.W.S. raided Alistair’s hut while he was sleeping and spirited us away.”

  “Paws?” Miri asked, puzzled. “What’s that?”

  “P.A.W.S. The Partnership of Animagi, Werewolves, and Shapeshifters,” Josh explained.

  “Okay. So... what’s the difference?” Miri asked, confused.

  “Well, animagi are magicians who study for many years to be able to change into an animal at will. It is hard work, and once they learn how, usually their animal is set, so they have to choose very carefully. It would be foolhardy, for example, to change into an ant, only to be trampled on the next day.

  “There are two kinds of werewolves: those like me that were turned into werewolves by being bitten by another werewolf, and those much rarer who were born to werewolf parents. This kind do not usually transform until they reach adolescence.

  “True shapeshifters are the rarest of all. As far as we know, there are only a handful of shapeshifting families that exist in the whole world. That is because their magic is linked in each case to a unique amulet that is passed down through the generations from mother to daughter or father to son. It is not known where the amulets came from, though some say they were forged originally by Merlin himself and that he alone was the only magician who could shape himself at will into any animal he chose.”

  “So let me get this straight,” Miri said. “You’ve come from an illicit organization of different kinds of shapeshifters to invite me to join?”

  “That’s more or less right,” replied Josh, with a smile. “Yes.”

  “But how did you find me?” she asked.

  “I’m a tracker,” he explained. “It’s what I’ve been trained to do. Each P.A.W.S. member has a special skill. I go out and find other shapeshifters and bring them back to the institute for training.”

  “Institute?”

  “The P.A.W.S. Institute of the Midwest. We have branches all around the world.”

  “And once they’re trained, what do they do?” she asked.

  “Well, it depends on what they’re trained for. Each animal is more suited for a different kind of work. Canines like me, for example, naturally make good trackers. Owls make good teachers. Rabbits and moles are good at maintenance, and reptiles make excellent healers.”

  “And cats?” Miri inquired.

  “Cats are the most unusual of all the creatures. Each cat has their own unique talent, and it may take a long time for you to discover yours. But one thing I will tell you is that when you find it, you will not be disappointed.”

  “Are there other cats in the Midwest Institute?”

  “There are two, both animagi. You will meet them. I’ll let them tell you their own stories. In any case, it is getting late. We need to leave.”

  Miri would have liked to say she was sad to leave the Saul Emmanuel Academy, but of course, that wasn’t true. She was delighted to leave. She was even happier when Josh explained to her that she could take a few of her things with her if she first put them into a small book bag and wore it on her back. Josh explained that as long as the stuff was physically connected to the shapeshifter when they transformed, it would become part of them and then revert back when they changed back. “Pretty neat, eh?” said Josh, smiling.

  Miri snuck back into her dorm room while everyone else was at lunch and packed a few things she could not bear to leave behind: her notebooks; her ancient copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; her old threadbare bear, Brownie;
a few clothes; and the faded picture of Omama and Opapa on their wedding day.

  Unfortunately, as she was coming out of her dorm room, she ran straight into Mrs. Epstein.

  “And where do you think you’re going, young lady?” the teacher inquired haughtily.

  Miri thought quickly. “Um, I’ve got detention, ma’am, with, uh... Mrs. Brookes.”

  “All right, then. Run along, then. Oh, and straighten your skirt, Katz. You look a mess.”

  Miri went out of the school via the side doors by the kitchen. She wondered briefly if she dared go see Mrs. Brookes, who worked in the kitchen at Saul Emmanuel. She was starving, as she hadn’t eaten all day. Mrs. Brookes was kind to her and often gave her snacks when she missed meals because of her frequent detentions. Miri realized that Mrs. Brookes was probably the only person at Saul Emmanuel who she would miss and who might miss her. Miri wished she had time to say goodbye, but she knew she shouldn’t keep Josh waiting.

  After she left the building, Miri ducked behind a bush, took her amulet in her hand, and concentrated. She felt the now-familiar warm sensation come over her as she morphed into her cat form. Then Miri darted out into the forest as quickly as she could. By the time she reached Josh back at the oak tree, she was out of breath but invigorated and purring with excitement.

  “So,” she asked Josh, “where is this place?”

  “In St. Louis,” he replied.

  “But that’s over forty miles away.” Miri protested.

  “How in the world are we going to get there?”

  “I have a couple of my friends waiting for us on the other side of the highway. You’ll see,” Josh said with an enigmatic smile. “But first let’s get out of here. Follow me.”

  Josh led her to the very edge of the forest and pushed aside some branches to reveal a tunnel. This must have been the way he came and went into the school grounds. Miri had wondered about that.

  “Ladies first,” he announced. Gingerly, Miri stepped into the tunnel. The tunnel was an easy fit for her small feline form, a little more snug for Josh. It took them down right under the highway, where they could hear the traffic pounding overhead, and out into an empty field on the other side. Waiting for them were a girl and a guy, both tall and thin with long, tawny locks, and wearing frayed jeans and T-shirts. They appeared to be twins. Josh changed back to human form and Miri followed suit.

  “Miri, meet Sandy and Sean Ryder. They’re going to give us a ride.”

  Miri was confused. She had been expecting that Josh’s friends would have a car, but she couldn’t see one anywhere. And in any case, they were in a field, far away from any road. Then Miri noticed that the twins were wearing identical silver chains around their necks, each bearing a horseshoe charm.

  “Howdy, Miri,” said Sandy. “We’d better get going if we want to get back before nightfall.” And then, right before Miri’s eyes, Sandy’s and Sean’s bodies began stretching and their faces elongating. Their tawny locks formed manes, and within minutes they had changed into two beautiful horses.

  “Wow!” exclaimed Miri, astonished. She knew she could turn into a cat and had seen Josh turn into a wolf, but somehow turning into animals as large and beautiful as the horses that were now standing in front of her seemed beyond amazing.

  “Have you ridden before?” asked Josh. Miri nodded, still staring at the horses. She’d had riding lessons at Saul Emmanuel’s camp the previous summer and had discovered that she actually enjoyed riding and, unlike most things, she wasn’t that bad at it. “But are they okay with being ridden?” inquired Miri. “Why don’t you ask them?” replied Josh.

  “Um, Sandy, Sean – is it all right to ride you?”

  Sean whinnied, and Miri was surprised when she realized that she could actually understand him, that his neighs translated into words in her mind.

  “No problem, Miri. Anything for a fellow critter.”

  “Okay, then,” she said.

  Josh helped Miri up on Sandy’s back and he mounted Sean and they were off, first trotting and then galloping through the Missouri countryside. Miri talked to Sandy as they traveled. Sandy told her how she and her brother grew up on their parents’ ranch in Texas.

  “Both my ma and pa were horse people, as were our grandparents before them. It was fun growing up on the farm. Our folks took us for rides when we were just little kids. We knew that one day we’d be horse people too. We just didn’t think it would come so soon. I sure miss my ma and pa.”

  “What happened to them?” Miri asked. She was beginning to like Sandy a lot and could sense a deep sadness below her cheery countenance.

  “Five years ago, while Sean and I were away at summer camp, there was a fire at the ranch. Ten acres of land were burned to cinders. To this day, the police have never learned how it started, and our parents’ bodies were never found. We went back to the ranch to sift through the wreckage, hoping to find something – a photograph, a childhood toy, anything – but everything was burned. We didn’t know what to do. And then, in the third day of walking through the farmhouse, we found the amulets. We knew what they were, but we hadn’t expected to turn for many, many years. It’s odd, but as soon as I put on my horseshoe, I felt at peace with the world, as if my true being was equine.”

  Miri nodded; she understood that feeling. It had been the same way when she had first turned feline, like it was just meant to be.

  “I still miss my folks, of course, but at least I have Sean, even if he is a pain in the rump sometimes,” continued Sandy, with a neigh.

  On horseback they obviously couldn’t take the highway, but Sandy and Sean were used to traveling about the countryside around St. Louis and knew all the best trails. After several hours of riding, they reached the edge of the city and stopped at the back of a deserted lot. Miri and Josh dismounted, and the twins changed back into human form.

  They were all hungry and tired and decided to stop at a White Castle for some food and a rest. The twins were particularly famished, as equine folk, Miri discovered, eat like, well... horses!

  “So where do we go from here?” Miri asked, dipping a fry into ketchup.

  “There’s a Metro station at the top of this street. We need to get to Forest Park,” explained Josh.

  “You’re telling me that the P.A.W.S. Institute is in Forest Park? What, in the zoo?” Miri chuckled. From time to time, the academy had taken them into St. Louis for field trips to Forest Park, to the zoo, the Science Center, and the art and history museums.

  “No, not the zoo,” said Josh, “though we do have an agent there in the Primate House. Have you ever heard of the Jewel Box?”

  Chapter 9

  On the front of the Jewel Box was a large sign: “Closed for Renovations.” As far as Miri remembered from her previous trips to Forest Park, the Jewel Box was always closed. Tourists would peer through the windows at the lush array of tropical flowers and plants inside. They would shake their heads and say, “Maybe next visit.”

  It was nightfall by the time Miri and the other shapeshifters arrived at the Jewel Box. They did not approach the building from the front; rather, Josh led the party around the back to where a medium-sized cedar tree grew. Here, Josh picked up a stick from the ground and traced four letters on the bark of the tree: P.A.W.S.

  At first nothing happened. Then slowly a small red door formed in the base of the tree trunk. Miri was astounded. Josh pushed the door open and revealed a spiral staircase that led down from the base of the tree. The staircase was carved out of wood. Miri counted two hundred and forty steps down. At the bottom they came out into a corridor, which ran to the left and directly under the Jewel Box. On the walls of the corridor were intricate carvings depicting different animals. There were mostly cats, dogs, birds, and reptiles, but there were also some exotic species that Miri could not even name.

  As they progressed up the corridor, it appeared that the carvings were fresher, and Miri noticed among them a small kangaroo and two horses that looked very like Sandy and Sean in th
eir equine forms.

  Josh stopped in the corridor before a huge wooden door and once more used the stick he was still holding in his hand to trace out the letters P.A.W.S. The door creaked open, and standing in the doorway was the most striking woman that Miri had ever seen. She was extremely tall, maybe six-foot-eight, and that without the benefit of high heels. Her hair was a burning shade of red, and her eyes were emerald green. She wore a long blue robe that seemed to shimmer and undulate like the ocean. Her face was lined with age; yet she stood straight. And when she spoke, her voice was at the same time both commanding and compassionate.

  She gazed at Miri for a full minute before she spoke:

  “Welcome, Miriam of the Felines. I am Jessamyn,” she said. “I have been watching your progress.”

  “Come forward, please,” Jessamyn commanded, staring straight at Miri.

  Miri nervously took two small steps forward. From an unseen pocket in her robe, Jessamyn produced a long silver scepter with a diamond on its tip. She touched the scepter lightly to Miri’s head and muttered some words in a language that Miri didn’t understand.

  “Fáilte Miriam na Felines – féidir leat a bheith eitseáilte go deo isteach ar na ballaí ar ár comhpháirtíochta.”

  Miri felt a strange tingling run through her entire body. She looked up and then gasped in surprise, for on the corridor wall nearest to where she stood was engraved a new picture, one that she recognized, for it was a perfect image of her cat form, from her single white whisker among the black down to the slight kink in her tail.

  “Miriam Katz, you are now officially enrolled in the P.A.W.S. Institute of the Midwest,” chanted Jessamyn. “You may enter.”