To Reverse a Curse

Chapter 7

    Over the next week, every night, I visit Josh, and we sit there, foreheads pressed together through the bars of the cage. I've always considered him as something of an older brother, but things change.
    He's thoughtful, funny, and he's just a really great friend. But I don't want to be just friends anymore.
    I want more. I need to talk to him. "Hey, Josh," I say to him one day, while we're playing checkers, "do...is...is it possible...". I sigh.
  Josh chuckles. "Yeah," he says, "I know, Cochise. I've been having the same questions about myself. I thought I was straight too, but...heh, well..."
  "I want to be with you Josh," I say, not looking at him, "I...I want...you,"
  He's silent.
  'Damnit,' I think, 'I fucked up, didn't I?'
  Suddenly, I feel him grab my hand, and he holds it tightly. "I know," he says, "I...I want to be with you, but...you know just as well as I do, that can't happen. Not yet, at least. I'm still dangerous,"
  I sigh. "I know," I say, "I know,"
  Josh sighs. "What time is it?" he mutters.
  I look at my phone. "9:30 at night," I say, "I should probably go to sleep,". I start to stand up, when Josh pulls my hand slightly.
  "Stay," he mutters, "please,"
  I stare at him for a second. I slightly smile, and nod. I walk over to the door of the cage, which has been padlocked in place, and I take out the key for the padlock. I unlock the door, and, kneeling in front of it, I open the door.
  Josh crawls over to me, and wraps his arms around me, pulling me toward him for a hug.
  I wrap my arms around his shoulders, and I let myself get pulled closer to him.
  He pulls me onto his lap and holds me tight, resting his forehead against mine.
  My eyelids feel heavy as I lean into Josh. I let my eyes close.
  Josh rests his hands on my hips.
  I move my hands to rest on his neck. As I fall asleep, I feel Josh pull me further into the cage, and he pulls me with as he lays down.
    He holds me tight to him, and he sighs.
    I rest my head on his chest, and I fall asleep. A deep, dreamless, comfortable sleep.
---
(A week later; Josh's POV)
    I wake up to find Chris using my shoulder as a pillow.
    His face is scrunched in a look of concentration, like he's thinking about a really hard math problem or something.
    I smile slightly. 'The dope has been working himself to death between classes,' I think to myself, 'I can't believe that he has three jobs, and on top of that he's going to college for computer programming. He's going to change the world someday, I'm sure of it.'
    Chris' phone goes off, his morning class alarm. He stirs slightly, and grabs his phone. He turns the alarm off, and looks up at me.
    "Morning, Chris," I say, smiling.
    "How long have you been up?" he asks.
    "A few minutes," I say.
    He puts on his glasses, and holds himself up, on all fours, above me. He stares down at me, smiling. He then leans toward me, his lips approaching mine.
    I hold him back. "Chris," I say, quietly, "I can't,"
    He sighs, frowning slightly. "Right," he mutters, sitting back and moving to the door of the cage, "Sorry, I...I just..."
    "I mean," I say sitting up as well, "it's not that I don't want to kiss you, I...I just...don't want to hurt you,"
    "You wouldn't," he says.
    "You don't know that," I say, "I know that we've gotten rid of the muzzle because I haven't had an...episode for a few weeks now, but..." I motion my hand to my razor sharp teeth.
    Chris stands up, outside the cage. He looks both disappointed and angry.
    "Hey, Cochise," I say, "I..."
    "Don't," Chris says, "I need to get to class,"
    I sigh, and close the cage door. "Okay," I say, "See you later?"
    "Yeah..." he says, "see you later,". He walks out of the basement, and I listen after him, as I can do with wendigo-level super-hearing. As he makes it to the kitchen, he stops. "Hill?" he asks.
   'Why is Dr. Hill here?' I think to myself.
    "How did you get in?" Chris asks.
    "The front door was unlocked," Dr. Hill says, "Why were you down there so early in the morning?"
    "Uh..." Chris starts.
    Dr. Hill sighs. "You've been sleeping with Joshua, haven't you?" he asks.
    Chris sighs. He's silent, so he must have nodded his head.
    "You know that he's still dangerous," Dr. Hill says, "You're being reckless,"
    "No, I'm not!" Chris says, "I think he's ready to be let out of the cage, at least to take him to someone who can help! I know that we can't fix his physical appearance, but a Cree shaman may be able to,"
    "No," Dr. Hill says, "That's too dangerous,"
    "We could have him wear a bandana or hospital mask over his mouth," Chris says, "And we'd be with him..."
    "Out of the question, Christopher," Dr. Hill says, "Joshua is not going anywhere. We can bring help to him,"
    "But..." Chris starts.
    "No," Dr. Hill says, "We need to treat him like any other dangerous animal: with caution,"
    The kitchen goes silent.
    "He is not an animal," Chris says, through clenched teeth, "He's a human,"
    "No, he's not," Dr. Hill says, "He's a wendigo,"
    I stop listening. Anger is boiling in my chest. 'An animal?' I think, 'Is that really how Dr. Hill sees me? I...I need to prove him wrong...I need to find help on my own.' I open the cage door, and step out.
    Chris had taken the ankle brace off of me a week or so ago, but my ankle still hurts a bit as I walk.
    I search around the basement for things I may need. I grab a coat and scarf, and put on a pair of Chris' work-boots. I walk over to the cooler, and grab a sandwich. I find the jar that Chris has been putting money in.
    He had told me that he was saving money for me, for when I can leave the cage.
    I silently thank him as I shove the money into my pocket. I put on the coat, and wrap the scarf around my mouth and nose, to hide my teeth. I creep up the stairs of the basement, moving as slowly and quietly as I can. I stop, and listen.
    Not a sound.
    I slowly open the basement door, and I can see Dr. Hill, facing away from me, reading a newspaper.
    There's a very savage impulse in the back of my mind to walk up behind him and use my claws to slit his throat, but I fight it.
    I'm not an animal.
    I slowly, quietly, creep out of the basement door, and to the back door. I know that Chris's house is near the woods, and on the other side of the woods is a highway. If I can get there, I can get to a bus station. As I open the back door, it's old hinges cry out, making me freeze. I glance back at Dr. Hill.
    He had turned his head slightly in my direction. He folds up his newspaper, and stands up turning toward me. When he sees me, he doesn't look surprised, but calm. "Joshua," he says, "whatever you plan on doing, don't. We can help,"
    "No," I say, "I...I need to do this on my own...I..."
    Chris walks into the room, and his eyes open wide when he sees me. "Josh!" he says.
    "I'm sorry, Chris," I say, opening the back door, "Just...don't follow me,"
    "Wait, Josh!" Chris calls after me as I run out of the house, towards the back fence.
    I see a picnic table, and I jump onto it, using that leverage and momentum to vault up to the fence. I perch on the top of the fence. My chest is pumping with adrenaline. 'Is this what I can do if I accept the wendigo side of me?' I wonder. I look back at the house, and see Chris standing on the back porch, being held back by Dr. Hill. "I love you, Cochise," I mutter, and I drop off of the fence, into the woods on the other side.