Hair in All the Wrong Places 2

by Andrew Buckley

  Colin adjusted the tweed jacket, which was still wrapped firmly around his waist. Alfred’s story was something Colin feared for himself and had spoken to Silas about a number of times. He had all this power all of a sudden, as a werewolf—what if it were used for evil. What if one day Colin couldn’t help himself? This very problem was the reason Silas hunted his own kind. So few werewolves stay good.

  “Your grandmother and I stopped Damon and broke the spell,” continued Alfred with a rustle of his leafy body. “He was never the same after that. His hatred for Elkwood grew, as did his anger toward your grandmother and me, and the rest of the special people in our town. One night he simply disappeared. No one could locate him, not even our demon friend.”

  Alfred rustled a little and then stood quietly. Waiting.

  Colin pondered what to ask next. Would Alfred know where his grandmother was being kept? Should he ask about Charles and his final words?

  “What’s a hellstone?”

  “Ah, a very good question. Damon now claims to be a sorcerer but he’s nothing of the sort. His power comes from the hellstone he wears around his neck. No one has ever seen one before, as far as I know. They’re a myth, or so I thought. A rock from Hell itself. If the stories are true, a hellstone not only grants the wearer vast amounts of power, but it also allows its master to steal power from others. A word of warning though, my dear boy: you cannot touch the hellstone. No one can. It will burn and consume anyone that touches it with bare skin. Nothing on earth can survive its touch.”

  Colin wanted to ask so much more but time was running short and he had only one more question. The most important question. “How do I defeat him?”

  A few leaves blew off the figure of the old man and his form began to waver.

  “Damon’s plan appears to center around the kidnapping of powerful people in Elkwood. I can only assume it’s to steal our magic for himself. But the hellstone only grants power to the person wearing it. If Damon no longer wears the stone, all his borrowed power would vanish. Separate the stone from wearer and he’ll just be a wizard again. Good luck, young Mr. Strauss.”

  The leaves exploded in a gust of wind and Alfred’s walking stick fell to the ground.

  “How can I get the stone off of him if I can’t touch the thing?” shouted Colin to the retreating leaves. But there was no answer. Just the whistling of the wind through the trees.

  It wasn’t time for the full-moon change yet, but Colin had to get back to the army base. He had to tell Varson what was happening. He thought wolfy thoughts and let the change rip through him.

  He was running before he knew it, taking long strides, galloping across the forest floor toward Elwood. The scents of the other werewolves caused flashes to appear in his mind. He saw the other werewolves, felt their hunger. They’d come this way not long ago. They were also heading toward Elkwood.

  Colin had to hurry. Time was running out.

  ***

  The base was busy when Colin leapt from the shadows of the forest and landed in the middle of the yard. Several soldiers turned their guns on him.

  “Put them down, put them down!” shouted the jittery voice of Elrick Varson. “Colin! Thank goodness you’re okay.”

  Colin didn’t much like the idea of changing in front of all these men but he reluctantly reached for his human side and his body shrank, shedding hair around him that disintegrated. Bones clicked as they shrank and his muscles and organs settled themselves back into their usual places. His stomach grumbled with hunger. A soldier tossed Colin a blanket, which he quickly wrapped around himself.

  “We have to get you inside,” said Varson placing a hand on Colin’s shoulder.

  There was a strange smell in the air. It was something like burned rubber. Colin shook his head and tried to focus.

  “We need to talk,” said Colin.

  “Of course, as soon as we get you down to the prison level,” said Varson, guiding Colin inside the base.

  “There’s no time for that. It’s Talbot, he’s—

  Colin felt the needle jab into his neck and watched Varson take a few steps back. The world became far too swirly and Colin dropped to his knees.

  “Wharjado, Varshon?”

  Varson leaned down and smiled calmly. The smell of burned rubber. It was coming from Varson. Something wasn’t right.

  “I’m sorry, Colin. Varson isn’t here right now,” he said.

  Colin felt himself being hoisted up and moved into the elevator. He felt like he was floating.

  Werewolf. I’m a werewolf.

  He reached for his wolf creature. He’d teach them to … to … “Look at all the pretty colors.”

  When Colin woke up, he was on the floor of a cell in the base prison. His head felt heavy and sluggish, and his mouth was dry. He was also hungry, ever so hungry. A familiar tingle ran up his spine. His full-moon change wasn’t far away.

  He struggled to his feet and leaned against the bars, the blanket still wrapped around him.

  “Hello,” said Varson, standing on the other side of the bars. “Don’t worry, you were only out for a few minutes. Just a little tranquilizer with a bit of werewolf suppression fluid to keep you from turning all hairy while we got you down here. They have some splendid toys in this base.”

  “You’re not Varson,” said Colin, the fog in his mind clearing a little.

  “I am Varson. Well, this is Varson’s body. I’m currently under mind control and can do nothing about it. Damon thought you might try something like alerting the base, so here I am. I’m afraid I’m not in control of myself at all.”

  Colin looked around the room. Not much had changed. The same guard was at the center console, flipping through a magazine. The same inmates as before occupied the cells.

  Terry was in the cell next door, sleeping soundly. On the other side of Colin’s cell, Burnie was dancing around in his little box. He seemed happy to see Colin.

  “So what happens now?” said Colin, feeling at a loss.

  “I’m going to go upstairs and make sure all the soldiers stay at the base tonight. We’ll call it a training exercise. We don’t want anyone interfering with what’s about to happen in Elkwood tonight. Then I’ll head down to the Town Hall meeting where all the freaks and special people will be gathered.”

  “And then what?”

  Varson shrugged. “I have no idea. Those are my instructions. And I must follow them, no matter how insane they are.”

  Colin clutched the bars with both hands. “This is Damon Talbot controlling you, Varson! You have to fight it. We have to get out of here. We have to find Becca, and my grandmother, and Alfred.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about Becca. Damon’s already taken care of her. And he has your friend Jeremy too. A bit of an extra insurance policy in case you tried to interfere tonight.”

  Colin’s insides began to burn. He reached for his inner wolf but it wasn’t there.

  “Don’t bother trying to change,” said Varson. “I gave you enough suppressant to ensure you won’t be able to change into a werewolf tonight, full moon or no full moon. That stuff will pump through your blood all night and make sure nothing stands in Damon’s way. Which is a tragedy, because someone really should stop him.”

  Colin pounded his fists against the bars.

  “Hey!” said the guard. “Calm down or I’ll have to zap you.”

  “Varson’s being mind-controlled!” Colin shouted.

  “Sure he is, kid. Now pipe down!”

  “No one’s going to believe you over me, Colin,” said Varson. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go to a Town Hall meeting.”

  Varson walked down the cellblock and entered the elevator. The doors closed with a swish and he was gone.

  This was impossible. How could things have turned so bad, so fast? Colin had seen it happening. Terry’s meltdown, Micah attacking the teacher, Talbot appearing in Seattle. It was all part of a massive plan to steal the magic from Elk
wood’s most powerful residents. And then Talbot would unleash his werewolves upon the town. They’d never stand a chance. And Becca! He had Becca and Jeremy!

  Colin slid down the bars to the floor. His wolf creature was hungry, but asleep. He could feel it. He just couldn’t reach it. This was almost like the last time he had found himself a prisoner at the base, only this time he didn’t have Silas nearby to help him, or his grandmother.

  Colin didn’t know what to do and he felt tears well up in his eyes. Even before Silas had bitten him, he hadn’t felt this helpless or this powerless. And now he had this ancient, powerful creature living inside of him—it was a part of him—and he still couldn’t do anything to save the town, his friends, his family, or his girlfriend.

  The purple dragon in a cell on the other side of the room let out a high-pitched roar that made the guard jump, drop his magazine, and spill his coffee.

  “Shut up!” the guard yelled at the dragon, who simply huffed smoke in reply.

  Two ragged-looking vampires in another cell laughed. Even the massive troll, whose bulk filled most of his cell, laughed. It sounded like boulders in a rock crusher.

  The water tank full of black liquid in another cell stirred slightly.

  “Quiet down!” yelled the guard. “I’ll electrify all your cells if you keep this up! Then you’ll really know what it’s like to be imprisoned!” The guard stalked off and disappeared through a door at the end of the block, muttering something about more coffee.

  Something at the back of Colin’s memory sprang to life. He stood up and looked around the cellblock.

  We’re all in prison. What did Charles say? Free the imprisoned. Save Elkwood.

  “How do I free the imprisoned?”

  Colin felt the pressure in his cell change, as if it was about to rain. He turned and looked at the back of his cell. Something was coming through the wall. First, a leg stepped through as if the wall wasn’t there at all, followed by the rest of the body, which was wearing a neat-looking suit. The fluorescent lights of the prison shone off the man’s bald head, and his rosy cheeks sat comfortably on either side of his cheery grin.

  “I think I might be of some assistance,” said Principal Sampson.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The Imprisoned

  Colin felt an overwhelming urge to hit the man. This was the man who had betrayed him, had betrayed Becca, Terry, Micah, and all of Elkwood. Colin swung a fist wildly at the cheerful little man. The punch never connected. In fact, his entire arm went through Principal Sampson. He stood awkwardly, with his arm inserted through the grinning face, which remained unfazed. His arm felt extremely cold and so he pulled it back.

  “Now, I realize you may have a few questions,” said Principal Sampson.

  “A few? What are you?” asked Colin. “Are you a hologram?”

  “I honestly don’t know what that is. But that’s because I’m very old, you see. Very old. As in I’m dead. I’m a ghost, Colin.”

  “I knew it! Becca said they didn’t exist! The grave. You disappeared at the graveyard, and then your name was on the tombstone.”

  The principal nodded. “That is where I’m buried. Or rather, it’s where my body is buried. As you can see, I’m not very attached to it anymore.”

  “The automatic doors in the school. Because you’re a germaphobe.”

  “Because I’m dead and can’t touch anything. Mr. Varson and Mr. Emerson thought the doors to be a rather ingenious and creative solution that would allow me to move around the school.”

  Colin passed a hand through the man again and the same creepy, cold feeling rushed through his arm. “But how does the automatic door know you’re there? You’re nothing but air.”

  “That’s not entirely true. As a ghost I have a small corporeal form. It’s not completely solid, but it prevents light from passing through me, and allows my ghostly form to register on sensor-based devices.”

  “Like automatic doors.”

  The Principal shrugged. “It saved a lot of messing around with magic. And if I focus my energy—”

  Principal Sampson stared intently at his own finger and prodded Colin in the chest. It felt like a tiny stab of cold pushing against his body.

  “—I can sometimes even move things.”

  “How? Why? What?” said Colin, a little dumbfounded.

  “You are a werewolf, are you not?” Colin nodded. “Then you know there are a lot of things that can’t be explained. Ghosts are one of those things. Not everyone becomes a ghost, and sometimes those that do can’t take any sort of form. I’m rather fortunate in that I’m able to look just the way I did when I was alive. I just can’t touch anything. I can’t feel.”

  “You don’t have a heartbeat. And that’s why I could never hear you when you moved!” It all made sense. Not the part about ghosts existing; that was shocking and weird. But it made Colin feel a little less crazy knowing it wasn’t his wolf powers that weren’t working, or something else messing with his mind. Principal Sampson was simply dead.

  “You’re a very smart young man, Colin. I was asked to be the new school principal so I could keep an eye on the students. After what happened with Mr. Winter last year, and the terrible passing of Principal Hebert, Mr. Emerson thought it wise for me to assume the role, as I’m not bound by a lot of the same rules as humans. And good that I did. First that poor vampire, and then Terry here.” Principal Sampson motioned to Terry, who was still snoring. “Elkwood really is in a lot of trouble. I’ve tried to help as best I can but this is all truly beyond me. The town needs its resident teenage werewolf.”

  “I thought you were the one working with Damon Talbot. But it was Varson all along.”

  “Mr. Varson? Are you certain?”

  “Yes, he just left. He’s under Talbot’s control. He’s been helping him this whole time.”

  “Oh, I don’t think so.”

  “What is with you adults? You never believe anything we say!” shouted Colin in frustration.

  Principal Simpson raised his hands in an apologetic gesture. “If Mr. Varson is under the control of Damon Talbot, it’s a new development.”

  “Talbot said someone else had been helping him. Someone in Elkwood has been feeding him essential information.”

  “That’s correct. Ever since I was raised from my grave I’ve been watching the town, patrolling at night. Talbot has been communicating with someone else, though I imagine they’re unaware of it. I saw them together one night. Admittedly, at the time I didn’t know who Damon Talbot was.”

  “Who’s the other person?”

  Principal Sampson studied his feet. “It’s young Ms. Emerson.”

  Colin stared at the ghost. “Becca? My girlfriend?”

  “It’s not her fault. Talbot is a master of mind control, and with that hellstone there’s no telling what he can do.”

  Colin seethed and reached for his wolf creature. He wanted to change. He wanted to change right now, tear this cell to pieces, and then hunt down Damon Talbot and eat him. Yes, eat him! But his wolf creature still wasn’t there. No change happened.

  “That’s why Becca has been so tired lately. She thought it was because of her witch powers! He kidnapped my grandmother, and Alfred the wizard, and Charles the demon, and my girlfriend, and my best friend! He’s been using Becca this whole time! I have to stop him.”

  “An excellent suggestion. In my capacity as a ghost I’m a little limited, but I’m happy to assist in any way I can. What’s the plan?”

  A sense of determination flooded through Colin. “Step one: escape. Can you get me out of here?”

  “I believe I can,” he said.

  “Then we need to release all the other inmates too,” said Colin, a hint of crazy edging into his voice.

  “I’m sorry?” said Principal Sampson. “I think I misheard you. I swear you just said you wanted to release the other inmates.”

  It was crazy. These prisoners were in here for a
reason. They were dangerous. They were unpredictable. But Talbot was a planner. Being unpredictable right now was a good thing.

  “Talbot has an army of werewolves in Elkwood right now. I can’t fight them all. And Charles the demon, the soothsayer, his final message to me was to release the imprisoned. He wanted me to release the inmates. He knew this future was a possibility, he must have seen it.”

  “Is there a step three?” asked Principal Sampson.

  “I guess I need to convince them to help me?” said Colin, a little unsure of himself. “I don’t suppose you know how to reverse the effects of the stuff they injected me with? I can’t turn into a werewolf with this stuff pumping through my veins.”

  The urge to change was strong, as was Colin’s hunger. He felt the effects of the full moon and it agitated his body. But he still couldn’t change.

  “I’m sorry, I’m just a teacher and a ghost. Not a doctor.”

  “I guess I’ll figure that out as we go. Let’s get started,” said Colin.

  “Hey!” shouted the prison guard as he emerged from the back room with a fresh cup of coffee. “Who are you?” The guard ran to Colin’s cell, spilling his coffee again, and pointed a finger at Principal Sampson. “How did you get in there?

  “Excuse me, Colin,” said the rosy-cheeked ghost, and stepped past him and through the bars. The guard’s eyes grew wide.

  “How … h-how did you do that?”

  “I do apologize,” said Principal Sampson, “but this is going to feel a little strange.”