by H. T. Night
I decided to once again raise the stakes. “Tommy, I said. “Is it okay to kill a helpless Tandra, Mani or Carni?” Once again Tommy’s eyes looked up at me. This time he had a noble stare. He raised his right paw. Which was ‘no’.
“Tommy, have you been rejected by your own people?” Tommy didn’t like that question. Tommy barked and growled.
“Easy, Tom,” I said, “I’m sorry. I’ll ask you a different question.” But before I could ask another question, this amazing werewolf, slowly raised his left’ paw. He didn’t want to and I could see it in his body language. But he answered the question anyway.
“One more question, Tommy,” I said. “Do you trust me?”
Tommy calmly raised his left paw.
“That’s a good boy,” I said. Then it dawned on me, he must had been starving. He hadn’t eaten all night. “I’ll be right back.” I said. We had some leftover chicken breasts in the fridge. I heated them up in the microwave.
I brought a plate full of chicken to Tommy. One by one, I threw them in to him. He ate them up like they were chicken nuggets. I grabbed a breast and ate one myself. I leaned against the wall and stared down at my best friend. I had a smile on my face bigger than the full moon itself.
Chapter Twelve
I’d had an exhausting night and I was resting against the front wall. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. I was startled by a brush of wind hitting my face. I opened my eyes and was no longer in the room with Tommy; I was back at the castle. I was having my second vision.
Once again it was foggy. This time the fog was thick and had a distinct smell: a combination of morning dew and auto exhaust. The castle was about a hundred feet away. There was a siren in the distance. I definitely did not care to know what that siren meant; it was more annoying than a car alarm. I wondered if the siren was real or just a ringing in my head.
I got to my feet and walked up the hill towards the castle. The castle had layers to it and almost appeared to resemble a mission. I hadn’t remembered this detail from the last dream. At the front of the castle was distinct writing that was chiseled into gate. I could barely make out the letters , ‘B’ and ‘R’. The rest was blurry as if water and age had deteriorated the remaining letters.
I worked my way up the steep hill and stood at the front of this magnificent castle. I approached the great castle and the doorway that the blue gnome had previously stood was now closed. The blue gnome was nowhere to be found. I open the unlocked door and walked inside the glorious castle. I was surprised to see the door led me to a middle courtyard. It was spectacular with a cathedral-like quality. At the other side of the courtyard was another door that was open. I decided to enter the door; I wasn’t sure what to expect entering such a glorious castle. As I made my way through the corridor, I could barely see. It was dark and I felt my way by touching the walls. The walls were coarse and prickly. It was like touching coral at the bottom of the ocean. I made my way to an open room in the back of the castle. I could hear someone talking inside the room. I peeked in and there he was—the blue gnome.
“Who are you talking to?” I asked.
“I was talking to you,” he replied.
“How did you know I was here?”
“How could I not. This is your dream.” The Blue Gnome sighed and got up to greet me. I motioned for him to sit back down.
“Have you tamed the wolf?” he inquired.
“Not yet, I’m working on it.”
“Very good. You must build a bond and then the wolf will break free.”
I was pleased to know my instincts were right and it was Tommy who was to be tamed. “What then?” I asked.
“When you are done, you must come back and see me. Then we will start your training.”
“Visit you? I asked. “In my dreams?”
“No, Josiah, you’ll need to find me here. I will be here… waiting.”
“Here? Where?”
“Josiah!” Someone screamed loudly. I woke up instantly. It was Tommy. He had transformed back into a Carni and was drenched in what appeared to be water or sweat. His long, brown hair looked as if he dipped his head in a pool.
“Are you going to let me out or what? I have to piss!”
“Oh yeah, where’s the key?”
“It’s in my coat pocket. My coat is hanging on the wall outside the door.”
“How did you get out of the cage the other times?”
“I had a friend do it, someone I trusted.”
“A Mani?” I asked.
“No, an everyday human: a Tandra.”
“It was my sister wasn’t it?”
Tommy looked at me with a desperate look, “yeah it was bro, please let me out. I’m going piss right here.”
“Why are you soaked?” I took the key out of his coat pocket.
“It’s what happens when we turn back. It’s sweat.”
“I think I’m going throw up.” I unlocked the cage door. I entered the cage and Tommy was still very much chained up. One by one I unlocked his wrists and ankles and then his chest. When I got the last lock off, Tommy bolted past me and ran to the bathroom. I heard him do one of the longest streams of pee I have ever heard anyone do in my life. I swore it took three minutes. He came back into the room with a look of relief on his face.
“Tommy, my sister died two years ago. Who has helped you since then?”
Tommy paused and looked at me. “You don’t know her,” he said. It was someone I trusted and cared about.”
“You have a lot of secrets don’t you?”
“I need my secrets; especially now that I’m flying solo.”
“You’ll never be solo, Tom.”
“We’ll see.” Tommy had a familiarity behind his eyes I hadn’t noticed before. “So how did it go?”
“Do you remember anything?”
Tommy just stared straight ahead. He didn’t say anything.
“Tommy,” I said waving my hand in his face. “Do you remember anything?”
“Josiah, I need to wrap my head around all of this. Let me get some sleep and we’ll talk when I get up.”
“Okay,” I said. I would have liked an immediate answer, but whatever floated his boat.
Tommy walked past me and went upstairs to his bedroom. That was weird. Then again, why would I expect anything less?
* * *
I went into the guest room where I had been sleeping the last two weeks. There were no windows in the room, so there was zero chance for any kind of sunlight to get in.
I lay down and rested. I fell into deep, peaceful somber. I opened my eyes and it was exactly five hours later. I felt refreshed. I got up and decided to go to the kitchen and grab a glass of water. I was pretty dehydrated after a very bizarre night
I noticed in the kitchen there was a Styrofoam cup that had some dried up blood still in it. I dipped my finger in the cup and scraped out the remainder of the blood with my finger nail. I raised my finger to my nose—smelt the dry blood—then tasted it. I had to admit, the smell was intoxicating. I licked my finger and it tasted okay. Probably a lot better warm. I liked the taste of strawberry jelly better.
I decided to go take a shower. I peeled off my clothes and walked to the bathroom naked. I felt alive and free being naked. I wondered what it feels like to fly naked. That was definitely something I needed to try.
For now, I was going to take the longest shower known to man. The water was hot as it poured down my body. I closed my eyes and thought about the night before. I was acting on instinct. Or was I? About every five minutes I made the shower hotter and hotter. The hotter it got, the more soothing I felt. I loved every minute I stood in underneath the water; it was like having a masseuse applying pressure on my body. When I was done, I put on a pair of jeans and a black tank top.
I walked upstairs and into Tommy’s bedroom. I knocked at the door. “Tom,” I called out.
“Yeah”, Tommy yelled from inside his room.
“You up?”
“Now I am
!” He moaned like a teenager.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure, if you want to see me in all my glory.”
“Put some boxers on, weirdo!”
“Come in Josiah, I’m kidding.”
I opened the door slowly to see if he actually was kidding. I wouldn’t put it past him to just be laying there in his best Playgirl pose. He had his boxers on and sitting up.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“I’m a little amped up—and a little exhausted. You know a little bit country—a little bit rock and roll.”
I grinned and sat at the foot of his bed. “So tell me, do you remember anything?”
“I do remember some of it. I remember seeing you. I remember hearing your voice. But I can’t remember details.
“Really?” I said disappointed.
“I usually never remember anything.”
“I was hoping you would remember our questions.”
“You asked me questions?”
“Yes, and you answered them with feeling. You were connected.”
“Was I connected from the get-go?”
“No, not at all. You howled and screamed at me for ninety minutes. You finally wore out. That was when I started to train you. You were no longer this ferocious wild animal. You were almost kind.”
“You’re fucking with me, right? Kind?”
“Tommy, I’m not. For a good two hours you submitted to me.”
“Really?” Tommy seemed shocked.
“Close your eyes and try to remember. It’s in your memory bank. You and the wolf are one and the same.”
Tommy closed his eyes. “Okay, tell me something we did.”
“I was asking you questions. I asked you to raise your right paw for ‘no’, and your left paw for ‘yes’.”
Tommy appeared flustered.
“I asked you if I had beaten you in our mixed martial match.”
Tommy strained his eyes. He was really trying to remember. “I answered no?” Tommy was a bit uncertain.
“Yes, you did.” Do you remember that?
Tommy smiled. “Maybe,” Tommy paused and then said, “You asked me about five or six questions?
“Yes,” I said. “Tommy, that’s good. Okay, there was one question really bothered you. Do you remember what I asked you?”
Tommy closed his eyes. ”I was calm.”
“Yes you were.”
“I felt secure with you.”
“Okay. Keep going, Tom. Concentrate.”
Tommy suddenly opened his eyes. “You asked me if I.... if we.....if you and I were best friends.”
“Yes, Tommy!”
“I answered yes!”
“Now, what was the question that bothered you the most?”
“You asked me if I had been rejected by the Carni and that angered me!”
“Yes it did!”
“I remember, Josiah. I remember all of it.”
Tommy and I both jumped up and down on his bed like a couple of six year olds.
“It’s working, Tommy,” I said, as we stopped jumping.
Tommy hopped off his bed and landed on the wood floor shaking the entire house. “This is amazing Josiah, I actually have specific memories about last night. That has never happened before.” Tommy stopped and looked at himself in the mirror over his dresser. He began flexing. He was really feeling it. “What’s next?” he asked.
“We’re not having a pose off, if that’s what you insinuating.”
“Be thankful, Josiah. You want none of this.” Tommy looked down at his reasonably chiseled body. Tommy had a lot more mass than me, but was solid as a rock.
“You’re exactly right, Tommy,” I laughed. “I don’t want any of that,” referring to his body. I enjoyed the coma rarity, but I needed to get serious. “Tonight, I am going in the cage with you. I’m going to try touching.”
“Touching? Just keep your hands above the waist.”
“Very funny. We will go through the details about an hour before you turn into a werewolf again. That seemed to really work last night. We need to go with what’s working. There isn’t a Taming a Werewolf for Dummies book out there.”
“What we’re doing Josiah is pretty fucking groundbreaking.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You should get more rest. I’m going to call Lena.” I nodded and went downstairs and collapsed on the couch. I took my cell phone out of my pocket and turned it on. I had turned it off last night so I wouldn’t have any distractions. When my phone turned on; it read that I had three new voice mails. I pressed the number one on my keypad and it went straight to my voicemail. The first two messages were hang ups, but last one was Lena.
She said, “Hey Josiah, what happened last night? Did it work? I hope it did.” She paused on the message and then said, “I just was hoping to hear your voice.” She wanted to hear my voice? I wanted to hear hers too and didn’t hesitate to call her back. She answered on the first ring.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hey, it’s Josiah.”
“Hey.”
“Hey,” I said again. This was starting out a bit awkward.
“How’s Tommy?” she interjected quickly.
“He’s great. We made a lot of progress last night. I think this might just work.”
“That’s awesome!” Lena seemed genuinely excited. “Josiah?” Lena said with yearning in her voice.
“Yes,” I said.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m great, Lena.”
“That’s good to hear.” Lena paused. “Josiah?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“I miss you.”
“I miss you too,” I said.
“You do?” she asked with a bit of vulnerability I hadn’t heard from her before.
“Yes, I miss you more than you know.” I assured her.
“This is so weird isn’t it?” Lena laughed sweetly.
“I don’t remember what’s normal anymore.”
“I know,” Lena said.
I wanted to say more to her. I wanted to tell her every beautiful thought I felt for her. I really didn’t know how to cross that line further, so I just said, “I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
“Okay, be careful Josiah.”
“I will.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.” I waited for her to hang up. I didn’t hear her hang up. Instead, I could still her breathing. I waited about fifteen seconds and then I said, “Lena?”
“Yes, Josiah.”
“Forever...” I stopped talking. I don’t know why I said that word out loud. Forever.
Lena was quiet and then said, “... and Always.” She completed my thought.
We were both quiet. We didn’t need to say anymore. We were connected by something bigger than this world. I knew she was my destiny. Eventually, after a minute of very comfortable, loving silence—we both said goodbye. That was exactly what I needed to light a fire under my ass.
I leaned back and laid flat on the couch. I thought about Lena; her amazing brown eyes, her beautiful smile, her pale skin, her angelic face. I thought about how amazing she felt the other day in my arms. I closed my eyes and I thought of nothing but her.
Chapter Thirteen
It was becoming night, and Tommy had gone into his cage to chain himself in again. I stood outside the cage and looked at my friend like a trainer before a big fight. We both knew the stakes were high tonight, and it was going make or break us. We had 45 minutes until show time.
“Okay, Tommy, I’m going to enter the cage at some point tonight.” I said from outside the cage. “I’m going to touch your face. You will need to submit to me first verbally, then physically.
Tommy smiled. “Just keep it G-rated, Josiah”
I smiled. “Alright, no more jokes, Tom. We need to get serious.”
“Yes, sir!” Tommy gave me the military salute. “Let’s do this Josiah, I’m ready.”
I started to once again give Tommy verbal
commands like I had done the day before. Tommy seemed more eager to listen and do what I had asked than the day before.
When I finished with the verbal commands I said, “Let’s move on to the tactile. I am coming into the cage. Do not attack! Keep your head down!” I knew Tommy wasn’t going to attack me in his Carni form, but I was paving his sense memory for tonight.
Tommy nodded.
I opened the gate and entered imagining Tommy was a werewolf, proceeding cautiously. Each time Tommy tried to raise his head, I commanded him to put his head down. I inched my way to Tommy and stood over him in an alpha male stance. I took my right hand and put it on top of his head. “Keep your head down!” I commanded him. I then gently touched the top of his head. I reached in my pocket and pulled out a stick of beef jerky. “Head up!” I said firmly.
Tommy raised his head; I fed him the beef jerky.
“Eat!” I said.
Tommy chewed the beef jerky.
I held my position like a boxer. “Good boy,” I said. “Eyes down.” I slowly knelt down and cupped my left hand placing it on his head. As I did so, I gently petted Tommy’s human hair back. “Good boy,” I said.
I spent about ten more minutes petting him and talking to him softly. When we were done, I left the cage.
“Tommy,” I said.
“Yeah, Josiah.”
“Good job”
“You too.”
We both smirked and knew we were walking a fine line. We were treading in waters that were very unfamiliar. “You have about fifteen more minutes,” I said.
I left the room and decided to wait outside on this night as Tommy turned into his werewolf state. A few minutes passed and the sun was completely down. The sounds in the other room had led me to believe Tommy had turned werewolf—lots of howling and growling.
Then just like the night before, the poor wolf began to whimper into the night. I had forgotten to ask him about that today. His whimpering then became full blown howling. Again, it was very heart breaking to hear. I had no idea what part of this process was making a werewolf cry out. I wasn’t sure if it was a Carni deal or a Tommy situation. Nonetheless, it was one of the worst sounds I’d ever heard.