I heard a sound behind me. I spun about, teeth bared, a snarl in my throat.
Brittany stood at the line of trees, looking horrified.
SEVENTEEN
Brittany’s hands flew to her mouth. Our eyes met. The shock of seeing her momentarily stopped my transformation. I stood there with my muzzle half-elongated, drool dripping from my fangs, and knew how she must see me. A monster. A sideshow freak.
Then I realized I was naked.
Oh, crap.
I tried to shout, “Don’t look at me,” but it sounded like a dog with a bone caught in its throat.
Panic and shame rose like engulfing fire. I ran for the tree line. My legs shifted, and I fell on my face. I scrambled on all fours. Brittany didn’t move. She looked afraid, which was worse than having her angry.
All thoughts of revenge and of finding Eff at the party left me. I wanted to cry. How could I face her again? How could I go to school?
Head bowed, I walked away. This was the worst day of my life, worse than when my parents kicked me out, worse even than when Brittany found me beaten in the trees. There was no way to fix my life. I had no life. I was the amazing wolf boy.
Grass grew tall around me. Its saw-toothed edges dragged at my fur. Muck sucked my paws. I realized with a start I’d left the woods and ventured into swampland.
I also realized another wolf tailed me. The thought brought more confusion than alarm. There weren’t supposed to be wolves in Florida. I looked it up. Yet I’d come across the scents of several wolves in the few months I’d lived here.
Ahead, a pond stretched into darkness. Moonlight shimmered over its still surface. I lay on its bank, paws over my muzzle. What was I going to do?
The other wolf sat a short distance away. He watched me. I almost wished he would start a fight. I wouldn’t raise a paw to stop him. After a while, he moved forward, skirting the edge of the pond. My ears twitched, but I didn’t lift my head.
Without warning, the wolf pounced into the water, coming up with a fish flapping in his jaws. He dropped it at my side, held my gaze for a moment, and trotted away.
I watched him leave. Was this was some strange ritual among wolves? Perhaps he was welcoming me into his territory.
The fish stirred and gasped. I nuzzled it until it flopped into the water. I watched the pond for hours, but it never resurfaced.
In the early hours of morning, I made my way back to my hidden courtyard. Brittany was gone, of course. But my clothes were folded neatly on top of my shoes to keep them out of the dew.
* * * *
The temperature dropped a few degrees as a cool front passed through the area. Rain spattered the kitchen window. The view looked as dismal as I felt.
I heated a mug of chocolate milk in the microwave and sat at the kitchen table, staring at it. I pictured the scene with Brittany like a third party, seeing both her horrified face and mine with drool and fur all over it. God, why did everything happen to me?
A quiet rap sounded at the door. For a moment, I considered not answering. But my uncle was still asleep. If he woke, he would want to know where I’d been all night. So I pushed heavily to my feet and went to the door.
Brittany stood there. My heart wrenched at the sight of her. She wore no makeup, and her eyes were red with lack of sleep.
I’d hurt her again, I realized, wishing to somehow take back the night.
Afraid she might yell, I hurried outside and closed the door behind me. But she didn’t yell. Instead, she walked to the porch swing and sat down. Tentatively, I sat beside her. We rocked in silence.
“So,” she said after a moment. “That was a really big secret.”
“Yeah.”
“I thought you were a dog when I saw you at my house.”
I looked down at my hands.
She paused then said in a rush, “I know I shouldn’t have followed you, and I don’t blame you for being mad. I really thought I would catch you with another girl.”
Was she apologizing to me? “I don’t want another girl.” A tear fell down my cheek. Damn it. I looked away so she wouldn’t see.
“I still can’t—” She shook her head. “You’re a werewolf.”
“I don’t want to be,” I blurted. “I’d stop if I could.”
She put her hand over mine. “I would love to be a part-time wolf.”
I stared at her. Had I heard her right?
“Run through the woods, no rules, no problems.” She gave a faint smile. “What’s it like?”
I searched for words, wanting to tell her, but I couldn’t even explain it to myself. “Different.”
“You should hear yourself when it happens. There’s kind of a wet, gloppy, crackling sound.” She crinkled her nose in the way that I loved. “It’s really gross.”
A strange mix of embarrassment and relief washed over me. I let out a breath. “I don’t hear it. I guess I’m preoccupied with the pain.”
“It hurts?”
“Yeah. Especially my arm.” I showed her that I’d taped it again.
“I didn’t think of that.”
Her brow furrowed, and I saw she was working things out, probably understanding why I healed so fast.
We rocked for a few minutes.
“If you bit me, would I turn?” she asked.
“I don’t think so. No one bit me.”
Brittany frowned. “That doesn’t jive with the movies at all.”
If this were the movies, I really would be a monster. I’d be ripping people apart instead of watching over her while she slept.
“Well, there’s only one thing to do.” She slapped her knee. “We have to go shopping.”
I stopped the swing. “Huh?”
She stood, clutching her purse. “Would it be okay if I cleaned up in your bathroom?”
“I think so,” I said, still confused about how shopping would help me. “Uncle Bob is asleep.”
“I’ll be quiet.”
We went inside, and she disappeared into the bathroom. I wrote a note for Uncle Bob and left it in the kitchen under his coffee cup. He was probably mad at the way I spoke to him last night, and I didn’t want to make matters worse by ducking out without a word.
Brittany’s reaction to finding out I was a werewolf confused me. Acceptance was the last thing I expected. How long would it last? It didn’t matter. All I wanted was to be with her, and I would take whatever time she gave me.
She came out with her eyes painted black and her lips dark purple, smiling. “Ready?”
“Sure. What’s the plan?”
“Think about it. You weren’t bitten. This isn’t a virus; it’s more like a curse. If you’re serious about not wanting to be a wolf anymore, we need more information.”
“You’re going to help me break the curse?”
“Of course. What’s a girlfriend for?”
My head buzzed, mulling that one over. I must have looked dazed, because she took my arm and pulled me from the house to her lime green car.
The day was wet and cold, and I wished her little Volkswagen had heat. I folded my arms and stared straight ahead as Brittany backed the car down the gravel drive.
“You all right?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said, “it’s just…”
“Just what?”
I looked at her. “You’re amazing.”
She laughed. “You’re pretty amazing yourself. A werewolf. Wow. I just want to tell all my friends about it.” She glanced over. “I know I can’t, of course. Don’t worry about that.”
I nodded but still felt the weight of impending doom. Not for me, exactly. I had the sense that knowing my secret might be dangerous for her.
But Brittany’s scent filled the car. She was happy with me again. I settled back and allowed myself a smile.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Awakening, my all-time favorite place. There are other metaphysical shops, of course, but this one sells quality items. You know? The finest crystals. The purest can
dles.”
“Great,” I said. “I love that kind of stuff.”
And so it was that I entered my first metaphysical shop. I smelled smoldering sandalwood as I opened the door. The smoke made my eyes water and the back of my throat itch. I stepped cautiously, glancing about, taking in all the quality items. I saw vials of essential oils, candles of every color, and unicorn figurines. A display of wind chimes sang in the breeze of a fan, and prisms dangled before a spotlight.
Brittany bounded down a narrow aisle. I followed, careful not to brush anything. I’m not exactly clumsy, but I have a history of knocking things over.
The clerk, an older woman in her thirties, held out her arms theatrically, giving Brittany a hug. Her skin was like leather, and her long hair was as coarse as a horsetail.
“Marta,” said Brittany, “this is Cody.”
“Bright blessings to you,” Marta said.
What do you say to that? “Interesting shop,” I murmured.
“I’m very proud of it.” She nodded.
Brittany smiled. “We’re just going to look around.”
“Of course. Enjoy.” Marta returned to the register.
Brittany studied both sides of the aisle as she drifted toward the far wall. I edged sideways behind her, holding my breath as I passed breakable objects.
She glanced up as I approached. “I want to find a stone that will repel negative energy.”
“How about quartz?” I said as if I knew what she was talking about, surreptitiously reading the label on a bin of small rocks.
“Interesting choice. But even if you wore it against your skin, it wouldn’t be strong enough. I was thinking of tourmaline or obsidian. You wear them in a medicine pouch.”
That sounded Native American. “Maybe we should talk to Howard.”
“That’s an excellent idea. We’ll do that later.” She stepped away. “This is what I was looking for. Which stone do you prefer?”
“Unless they will cancel each other out, I vote that we take one of each.” It wasn’t like I believed in all that mystical holistic stuff, but I was desperate. I would do anything for a normal life. More than that, I wanted to stay on Brittany’s good side. “Where are the pouches?”
“Over here by the necklaces. Ooh. Look at this. Earth Calm Pendant.” She read the label. “Creates a Scalar Resonance circuit which grounds the wearer to Earth’s energy field.”
“Would that disrupt the moon’s energy field?”
“It’s worth a try.” She kept the pendant. Then she pulled a small rawhide pouch from a mass of others hanging by cords from a hook. “Help me find the candleholders.”
They weren’t hard to spot. She chose four and handed them to me. Then she knelt before a wire basket filled with chunky, three-inch candles. She filled my arms.
“Keep these burning at all times. I mean it.” She walked back to the front.
The candles smelled strongly of peppermint. I stifled a sneeze and followed her.
“Can you get us a prism?” Brittany asked Marta as she approached the counter.
“Sure, honey. What size room?”
“Small.” Brittany looked at me.
“Ten by twelve.” I shrugged my armful of candles and candleholders onto the counter and took out my debit card. There was no telling how much we spent. Nothing was marked.
“Tourmaline, obsidian, white candles,” Marta said. “You’re exorcising one nasty demon.”
I hardly breathed as she tallied up. To my relief, the prism took the bulk of the bill. We got out of there without wiping out my savings.
As we walked to her car, Brittany dialed her cell.
“Hello? Yes, this is Brittany Meyer. May I speak with the Grandmaster, please?” After a moment, she said, “Grandmaster, are you available today? No, for a friend. I can be there in fifteen. Thank you.”
She returned the phone to her purse and hopped in the car. I climbed in shotgun. Before I had a chance to buckle my seatbelt, she leaned over to tie the medicine pouch around my neck.
“It’s supposed to hang level with your heart,” she said. “Wear it even when you’re sleeping.”
I tucked the pouch under my shirt. “I don’t feel any different.”
“Give the stones a chance to warm up.”
She handed me the Earth Calm Pendant. It was on a long chain, and I slipped it over my head. “Good,” she said. “We’ll put the prism in your window and set the candles on the compass points.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
“We have one more stop. The Sunspot.”
I nearly swallowed my tongue. “The nudist colony?”
“Oh, relax. We’ll be along the outer edge. Clothing optional.”
“I don’t know, Brittany. Why do we have to go there?”
“Because you need a reading of your future, past, and present. We’re fortunate to have a grandmaster in the area.”
So just like that, I got my first look at a naturist resort. Part of it was like regular woods, and part was so beautifully landscaped with exotic plants it was like we were driving into Eden.
I saw only a few naked people along the way. My face went hot. They looked miserable and cold. I hated to tell them there was a reason people invented clothing.
Brittany pulled up to a white trailer with a redwood deck. A sign read Tarot Card Readers.
“A fortune teller?” I asked.
“Certified.” Brittany got out of the car.
I circled around to stand beside her.
She looked at me. “She has an office in Palm Beach. This is her home.”
“What do you hope to learn here?”
“I don’t know. Let’s find out.”
With a double hold on my arm, she tugged me to the wooden deck. The door of the trailer opened before we reached it, showing a woman with frizzy red hair. She wore clothes. “Brittany, dear, how nice to see you again,” she said. “Is this your friend?”
“Yes, Grandmaster. This is Cody.”
“Ah, Cody Forester from Massachusetts, living with Bob Nowak.”
“You’re a psychic?” I asked.
“Not at all. I’m a gossip.” She stepped aside to allow us to enter. “I’m told you punched Ephraim Higgins in the nose.”
“Nice place.” I knew as soon as I spoke that I was rudely changing the subject, but actually, I was just surprised. It looked like a normal home. Regular furniture. A little cramped. I don’t know what I expected.
“Come in. Have a seat.” She walked to the dining area and sat at a round wooden table. “I usually throw from a Thoth deck in a standard Celtic Cross formation, but I’m open. Do you have a preference?”
“No. That’s fine.” I sat across from her feeling out of place. “I’ve never done this before.”
“Ooh,” they both crooned, exchanging smiles.
I knew then I’d walked into some kind of trap.
“Well, you’re in for a treat, dear boy.” The grandmaster reached for a bundle wrapped in a scarf. The Tarot cards. “I want you to shuffle these. Don’t frill the edges, just move them slowly in your hands. Caress them. As you do, think of the question foremost on your mind.”
I shied from the stack. It occurred to me that if the grandmaster was as powerful as Brittany believed, she might be able to discern my secret. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
“Come on, Cody.” Brittany leaned toward me. “Everybody’s waiting. Shuffle the cards.”
Since the whole operation was to please her, I picked up the deck. It’s crazy, but they felt warm. Like they were alive. For a moment, I wondered if the grandmaster had popped them into the microwave, trying for an eerie effect.
I cut the deck several times and mixed the cards thoroughly. The two women stared at my hands as if expecting me to tuck a card up my sleeve. I tried not to think about being a werewolf. I told myself that the important question was whether Brittany liked me. But the wolf kept creeping into my thoughts until I realized it might be risky to keep handl
ing the things.
“Done.” I set the stack in the center of the table.
“Excellent,” the woman said. “The Tarot knows your heart better than you yourself. But do not place too much emphasis on a single card. You must look at the reading as a whole, because each image is modified by its brethren. Now we begin. The first position is the Present.” She flipped over a card. “The Hermit, which represents introspection and virginity.”
“Great.” Embarrassment made me squirm.
Brittany chuckled.
“Now, now. Virginity merely means beginning or untried. It is modified by your Immediate Challenge.” She placed another card crosswise over the first. “The Tower. Shocking Revelation.”
“That sounds ominous.” Brittany sat literally on the edge of her seat.
I winced. The darn cards must have picked up on my inner wolf.
“The third illuminates your Distant Past, the foundation from which you spring. The Moon.”
Of course.
She frowned. “Often The Moon brings illusions, visions, but in this position it means madness.”
“I’m insane?”
“No, dear boy. I believe you are unduly affected by the phases of the moon. In fact, the double blue moon in January and March of the year 1999 was particularly eventful for you.” She looked at me as if expecting me to expand upon that.
“I was eight years old.” I pulled a face. “The most that happened to me was I came down with a fever and was out of school for a couple months.”
As I said it, I realized the wolf was shaping my life even then. I didn’t want to think about that, didn’t want to know, and I didn’t want to hear more of what the grandmaster had to say.
She placed another card. Something about desire. Brittany slid her hand over mine. It felt soft and comforting. I gazed at her and traced her perfect nose with my eyes. She had a few freckles. I hadn’t noticed them before.
Another card.
Brittany gasped. “Death.”
“Meaning transformation. Very ambiguous. I cannot see if you will transform into something more or revert to something less. Let us look further into your Immediate Future. The Hierophant. Worldly problems.” She sat back, a thoughtful expression upon her face.
The Amazing Wolf Boy Page 15