It took more than an hour to make myself believe what I saw at Mason’s house. Now I started to solve the puzzle before me. I began to arrange the pieces from the beginning. I reasoned every possible way, why Buffy behaved awkwardly and resisted entering Mason’s compound, why Evelyn gawked at Buffy and soon we went out of sight of Buffy he disappeared. Why right after the night when Mason and Evelyn saw the moose in my backyard it was found dead. Now I have figured the reason why Mr. Murphy and my dad were dubious about Mason and Evelyn. Everything indicated that either both or one of them was responsible for the savage killings of the animal. My mind was convinced about them being the accused ones for the mishaps in the town, but my heart denied my brain. I have looked into Mason’s eye filled with affection and love. My heart remembers the way he made me feel happy. There is something which is missing here.
The more I thought, the more I found myself baffled. I am reminded of the way Mason and Ethan looked at each other. Evelyn is a reclusive girl, but why was she so friendly with Ethan? What the hell was in that box that Ethan was trying to give Evelyn. There is something which is still out of sight. The only way I could possibly find out the truth is Ethan. I called Ethan and asked him to meet me at the café near the ski center.
*****
I drove to the cafe around 8 pm in the evening. Ethan was already there. I sat in front of him, he wrapped his palm around my hand and queried, “What’s the matter, you look pale, is everything all right, dear.”
I took a deep breath and muffled, “Nothing’s fine, I don’t even know what I am going to tell you, you will believe it or not.”
He tightened his grip on my hand and said with a confident voice, “Try me.” His hold on my hand and his confident tone gave me the strength to speak everything to him.
“Remember the first day you met me, and you told me about people are rumoring about seeing werewolves.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“What if I say they are not rumors, it's real.”
On these words I felt Ethan's palm loosening on my hands. His brow shrank, and nerves stimulated on his face. He took out his wallet and flipped a few dollars on the table and stood up grabbing my hand.
“Let's go somewhere alone.” He drew me to his car and drove into the Aspen forest. He halted the car inside the woods. Taking a deep breath, he said: “So who are they.”
“Mason and Evelyn,” I revealed. He kept silence for a while engaged in thoughts.
“What else do you find out,” he asked.
“Ethan, I am so confused now, though things appear like they are the culprits. But for some reason, I believe they couldn’t do this, though I am not confident about Evelyn, I know for sure Mason is innocent.”
“Don’t fool yourself, Avery, If they are not to be blamed then who else would do it?” he reasoned. “How many werewolves do you have encountered in your life?” In his reasons he was right, the brutal act was a deed of a savage animal, and I have witnessed them.
“Stay away from them,” he warned.
“I have doubts,” I shook my head.
“What,” he asked.
“Do you know about them being werewolves?” I asked.
“I suspected,” he murmured.
“I think you are hiding something from me. The day you met Mason, it didn’t seem that you both met for the first time, and what about Evelyn, you were trying to give her something on the street which outraged Mason,” I gawked.
“I have worked with cops so I can sense evil, and when I saw Mason, I had the same feeling. I was just trying to take Evelyn in favor so I could find out the truth. That’s it,” he looked upon my dubious face. He raised his palm and gently caressed my cheeks, “Oh, dear don’t be so stressed, I care for you.” He leaned his face and kissed my forehead. He pushed his palm around my neck and leaned my face on his chest. It was soothing for me. I felt the warmth of his body and haven in his warm grip. I could hear throbs of his heart, and every beat I heard, calmed me.
I rested on his broad, warm chest for a while and then Ethan drove me back home. He told me not to tell anybody about this, and he will deal with these things in his own way and left. I went upstairs and found my father was waiting for me for dinner.
“Mr. Murphy is going insane. He is just too obsessed with his dog,” Dad worried.
“Poor Mr. Murphy. Is he all right?” I sympathized.
“I don’t know. He was talking about werewolves and hunting them. Can you believe he is convinced Mason’s sister is a shape shifter?” He shook his head, “It’s disgusting to hear shit from elderly people like Mr. Murphy.”
I gave him a hesitant smile. He measured in a moment that I am tensed. “Is everything all right dear, you look pale,” He asked.
“Yes, yes I am fine, it's just I’m tired a bit,” I bumped my shoulders and went in my room.
The night was heavy on me, I found it hard to get sleep. All the incidents were flashing around my thoughts. I was unable to conclude whom to trust and whom not to. What should I do? Should I tell my father or should I go to cops? What should I do when Mason pays a visit to me? And what about Ethan? Is he telling the truth? I have seen love for me in Mason’s eyes. I have felt the warmth of passion in Ethan’s arm. I passed the night with awakening eyes.
***
Morning has come, Dad has gone for his work, and I do not have the strength to face anyone. So I decided to let the shop stay closed, and I will remain in my room. It was 9 am, the doorbell rang. I understood it must be Mason. I grabbed the pillow and covered my face so that I could avoid hearing the bell rings. Bell rang stopped, and I heard a thud on my back window and in no time Mason was standing in front of my room.
“What the…” I agitated, “how did you enter the house.”
“From your back window, there are advantages of being a werewolf,” he smiled subtly, “I know it's hard for you to accept all of a sudden such facts, but please don’t ignore me.” He approached my bed and sat near me. He gently moved his palm on my head. “Avery, as now you know everything about me, I want you to know one more thing,” he whispered. “I like you very much, and I have never felt for anyone as I feel for you. I am fed up of running and hiding from people and now I want to rest, I want to rest my life to you.” His eyes expressed that every word he said right now was true.
I have already observed it in his eyes right from the night we skated together. And he was not alone in his feelings I, too, have mutual feelings. His presence around me made me feel happy and lively. He was the one who ignited the feeling of love again in my soul. But right now I am not in a state to decide anything. I didn’t say a word and kept staring at him.
“All right if you don’t wanna talk that's fine, I know what’s hurting you, but I assure you one day you will know the truth that I was right,” he said. “And please do me a favor, keep this secret with you, I can’t risk Evelyn’s life.” Saying this he stood and turned to leave.
“Mason…” I called.
“Yes,” he turned around.
“I am sorry, I was so confused yesterday, I talked to Ethan last night about this,” I said.
“Oh, Avery you have no idea what you did. You have put your life in danger too,” he said impatiently. “I must go to Evelyn now.” He nodded his head twice and said again pointing his finger at me, “You must not be alone, rush to your father and be there.” Then he rushed out of the room.
I grew impatient and frantic I snatched my hair and yelled: “What the heck is happening to my life.”
*****
I woke up from my bed and got down at the store front. I stood there and looked on the either side. One way leads me to the skiing center where my father is and the other to Primrose Path. I was in thought and unable to decide where should I go. Suddenly I saw Mr. Murphy driving his car down Primrose Path. He stopped and yelled in agony from his car, “I know who is responsible for my Buffy, I will make her pay for what he did to my poor dog.” And drove past away from the store and took the
street which led to his home. I astounded, and I didn’t know what judged me that I rushed toward Mason’s barn. As I drove through the Aspen forest, I caught glimpses of a man rushing in the woods. I pulled over my car and gazed peered through the woods it was Mason. I got out of the car and trailed him. Mason headed inside a small wooden tattered cabin. I crawled slowly to reach one of the walls and found a gap to peep inside.
I was shocked by what I saw inside. Mason was holding Ethan’s neck and pushed into the side wall. He was shouting and asking Ethan, “Tell me where Evelyn is.”
“I don’t know, let me go,” Ethan tried to pull of Mason’s hand.
“Ethan just tell me where she is or I am going to rip your head off,” Mason raged.
“I swear I don’t know where is she. Why should I do anything to her,” Ethan kicked Mason’s belly. But Mason stood firm.
“It’s all because of you, you are only responsible for everything happening here, I regret letting you live.” Mason smashed his face. Blood oozed out of his mouth. Ethan spit out the blood.
“So you have got guts to kill your brother, huh?” Ethan raged.
“Brother! I am ashamed that you are my brother,” and Mason again smashed Ethan’s face.
Brother! Did I hear it right, what the hell is going on here? Mason and Ethan are brothers.
“It has always been you behind everything, because of your deeds Evelyn and I had to suffer,” said Ethan. “The day I saw you at Avery’s shop I understood it was you who took the dog,” Mason gripped his neck and tossed him to the floor. “I knew it was you who intentionally killed that moose,” Mason forced his knees on Ethan’s leg. “You are a monster. You can’t overcome your hunger for flesh and blood. You are the one who has been hiding in the woods all these days and killing the animals in the town,” he shouted. I was stuck behind the walls watching Mason’s spat with Ethan. Ethan was lying beneath Mason’s knees of, and his face was bleeding. I watched Ethan slowly stretched his hand underneath the wooden shelf fallen beside him and grabbed a wolf trap and threw it on Mason’s leg. Mason’s leg got stuck in the trap, Ethan pulled the chain fixed with the trap and wrapped it around the wooden angle on the roof. Mason was stuck, and he was hanging upside down. Nerves stimulated on Mason’s face, his eyes blushed with anger. He shook his leg to get his ankle out of the trap but failed. He cried, and his cry soon echoed into a loud growl, and in a fraction of the time, he was transformed into the beast.
“Look who the monster is now,” Ethan grabbed a piece of wood and stroked Mason. “You know what, you are right.” He spit out blood from his mouth saying this, “I am an animal and savaging is what an animal does. But you are such a pity, you forgot your nature and want Evelyn to make a coward like you.” Ethan walked around the cabin in agitation. He suddenly went on knees approaching Mason and tugged his hair. He said in shivering voice, “You know what Mason you should actually die. If you won’t die, Avery will never be with me. She already knows your disguise, it won’t be hard for me to convince her that you were behind everything.”
I heard Ethan’s every word clearly. I was fallen numb. Everything was as clear as water. Now I had understood what Evelyn meant when she said, “… It won’t be possible, my brother won’t let you marry,” on the day when we sat in my backyard and Mason repaired the fence. All the parts of the puzzle were solved. Ethan was one who was to be accused of the brutal killings of the animals. While this thought hovered in my brain, I saw Ethan go to the corner of the cabin and pull out a gun from his overcoat. Tension gripped me, my hands and legs trembled. What was Ethan going to do? Will he actually shoot Mason? I was going anxious. I would have to save Mason. I need to act now.
“You know brother, there is still some brotherhood left in me. That’s why I will not taste your flesh. Instead, I will pierce a bullet right here, in your heart,” Ethan walked toward Mason and forced the barrel of the gun on his heart. Mason growled heavily.
“You know Mason before you die I would you show you the place where I will throw your dead body to rot,” Ethan pushed the table laying to the side of him and opened a secret door on the floor which led to the basement. He prodded his finger to the hollow opening and said, “That’s where Buffy’s body rotted and yours will too.” Ethan stretched his arm pointing the gun at Mason. I grabbed a piece of log and rushed toward the door. Ethan loaded the gun. I crawled to his back. The moment he was about to pull the trigger, I stroked his head with the log. The gun fell from Ethan’s hand on the floor, and he stumbled into the basement. I rushed to Mason and freed him from the trap. His hairy brown leg was messed up with blood. He stood and pushed me aside in the corner of the cabin. Mason tugged the wooden flooring and pulled a couple of joints widening the secret door. He jumped inside. I leaned forward so that I can see inside the basement. It was dark inside nothing was visible, only sounds of growls and cries echoed.
Harsh bangs struck the floor. Ethan and Mason jumped out of the basement. The floor broke, and I slipped down into the dark. I took out my phone and switched on its flash light. Panic gripped me, bones of animals were scattered all over the ground. I shined the flash light down on my legs where I felt something fleshy. I freaked out it was a dead body of a man. I gathered up some courage and searched the body for identity. I found a card in the body’s left pocket. I flashed the light on it. The corpse was the real officer from the US Forestry Department. It was clear that Ethan had killed him, hid him here and took his identity. Somehow I managed to pull myself out of the basement.
I got out of the cabin but couldn’t find them. I looked around and found Mason, in his human form, was sitting near a tree with his head down. I approached him, sat near him and asked, “Where is Ethan?” He prodded his finger at my back. I turned around and freaked out, Ethan, in his werewolf form was hanging dead on a tree with a conical branch was pierced out from his heart.
I wrapped grieving Mason in my arm. “I never wanted to kill my brother,” he moaned. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault” I comforted. “I don’t know where Ethan has hidden Evelyn,” he grieved. I was suddenly reminded of Mr. Murphy who met me earlier today and said, “I know who is responsible for my Buffy. I will make her pay for what he did to my poor dog.” It was possible that he had abducted Evelyn. “I may know where she is?” I said anxiously to Mason.
*****
Mason and I rushed toward the car. I drove to Mr. Murphy’s house. All the way down Primrose Path and Ridge Street, I was summing the last three weeks of my life. I was leading a silent, yes it was day to day doing same boring stuff, but a peaceful life. For five years I was alone and single, and I didn’t regret it. But when I chanced up on love I never thought two werewolves will fall for me. I had read stories of monsters, I have seen them in movies, but had never thought one day I will be riding with one.
We reached Mr. Murphy’s house and tried calling him. We knocked the door, but he didn’t answer. We then broke into his home. We searched for him everywhere in the house but didn’t find any trace of him or Evelyn. Suddenly we heard a bang down in the floor. We searched for the basement door. We stepped down the stairs to the cellars and saw the silver werewolf, Evelyn, was tied to a chair with iron chains. At the table beside her were some used needles which were used to sedate her to unconsciousness. Mr. Murphy was holding an electric milling cutter and was steadily approaching Evelyn.
Mason leaped on Mr. Murphy and hit his arm. The cutter fell from his hand. He pushed Mr. Murphy to the corner of the wall and rushed to free Evelyn. I ran toward Mr. Murphy and stopped him from acting further. He was astounded to see me. I explained everything to Mr. Murphy. I told him about Ethan, how he has been hiding in the woods and one day appeared in front of us disguising himself as a forest ranger. I also convinced him not to tell anyone about Mason and Evelyn. He asked about Buffy I said he was dead. Mr. Murphy grieved.
***
The week passed and today is the feast day. The entire Breckenridge is ready for Oktoberfest. Mason had renovated my shop
. The Store has never been so beautiful as it looks now. Mr. Murphy bought a new dog and named him “Buffy”, and he is as happy as he used to be. We all got on the streets had Stein and beers. Katie, Nancy, and Amelia did polka dance on Mr. Jefferson’s Oompah tunes. The whole town rejoiced. Later in the evening, Mason invited me for dinner at his home.
I drove to Mason’s barn, Mason welcomed me inside. He had cooked the meal, so he boasted about it. Evelyn, Mason and I had dinner together. Evelyn looked sad, but it was her regular face. Mason said he had a surprise for me. I wondered what can it be. Mason blindfolded me with a ribbon and took me upstairs in his room. “Ready?” he muffled gently in my ears. I laughed wondering. Mason pushed me down from my shoulders making me sit on a chair. I rubbed my palm over the arms of the chair. It was the same chair Mason had shown in his warehouse. He leaned toward me and murmured in my ear, “It’s a token of love for my love.” He then pulled off the ribbon from my eyes. Mason cupped my face in his palm and gazed in my eyes. I felt shy and closed my eyes. He parted his legs over my knees and sat on my thighs. He lifted my face and kissed my lips. I kept my eyes closed while he loved me top to bottom. I felt like a strong beast crushed my body and quenched my soul. He muffled at my lips. “Hey, will you do me a favor.”
“Yes,” I replied with passion.
“Hide me in your heart so that no one could ever find me.”
I slid my hand on his shirt and unbuttoned it. I leaned my face and kissed his heart and said, “As long as I remain in your heart, I won’t let you go away from my heart.” His eyes got filled with desire, and he pushed his hand right on my breast to feel my heart beats and wrapped his lips around mine.
THE END
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Luck Out
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