Howl~ Ruby Lucas x OC

Chapter 1

The bell above the door jingled warmly, as if welcoming every person who walked into Granny's diner with its cheery sound, but I was anything but cheery as I walked in, my hair dripping with rain, my leather jacket and clothing soaked from the downpour outside, my motorcycle covered by the blue tarp I always carried for situations like that. I saw all eyes turn to me, and brushed my damp hair out of my eyes, as I made my way to a booth, and plopped down, ignoring the old woman behind the counter who was glaring at me. "You aren't welcome here." I ignored her words, focusing my attention on the brown haired girl wearing a waitress uniform that walked up to me, her eyes glancing to the old woman, then back to me. "Sorry about that.. Granny is usually really friendly to customers." I shrugged, and offered her a weak smile. "Maybe it's because I'm new to town.. Well- I'm actually coming back home. I was sent away a long time ago. That was before all of you moved here, I guess."

Her eyes widened slightly, and she nodded, her smile wavering slightly. "Really? You used to.. Live here? That's interesting. None of the residents here have ever left before." I chuckled dryly. "Like I said, I was sent away. It wasn't by choice.. But I learned a lot being away from home. Anyway, I'll have a burger, rare, with fries and hot chocolate." I pulled money out of my wallet, leaning forward to hand it to her, and saw her glance down at the silver bullet hanging from a chain around my neck. "That's really pretty." I frowned, letting her grab the money from me, and sighed. "It's a reminder- Of what my parents did to me. But it is pretty, in a way.." I looked out the window, watching the rain, and she took the hint, walking away to take care of my order. I grew lost in my thoughts and memories, and flinched, as a hand touched my shoulder, seeing the waitress looking at me in concern. "Are you okay?" I nodded, and looked down at my food, the smell of bloody meat making my mouth water.

She didn't move away, or look like she believed me, and she leaned down, whispering to me. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm a good listener. And I can keep secrets. My name is Ruby.. Ruby Lucas." I felt something flicker inside my heart, not used to anyone caring about me, and smiled a genuine smile. "Thanks.. But I really am fine. My name is Bella- It's short for Isabella. Never mind about my last name.. It's not important right now." She nodded, and smiled back. "Enjoy your food. It's nice to meet you, Bella. I hope town is like you remember it, and you feel at home here." I watched her walk away, admiring the way her hips swayed as she walked, and shook my head, clearing those thoughts away, before biting into my burger. The meat was juicy and tender, and the blood tasted so sweet, dripping down my chin, and the melted cheese, tomato, pickles, and lettuce all paled in comparison. I practically wolfed it down, then picked at my fries, before drinking the cocoa, the taste of cinnamon and melted chocolate almost making me cry, a memory of long ago hitting me.

After I finished my food, I left a twenty dollar tip for the waitress, and stacked my dirty dishes to make it easier for her, and wiped down my table myself, before heading for the door, stopping as the old lady got in my way. "I know why you're here. Leave my Ruby out of your evil plans.. Why, after so many years, have you decided to take your revenge now?" I scoffed, and shoved her out of the way gently, but hard, as a warning. "Look, Granny, whatever you think you know about me, you don't. I'm not gonna do anything to your granddaughter.. She's nice, by the way. Keep her inside when the rain stops. It's a full moon the next three nights, and I wouldn't want an accident to happen in the woods. As for revenge, I gave that up a long time ago- Revenge eats away at your heart, and leaves it damaged and broken. I learned that the hard way.. I'll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine."

I pushed the door open, the bell jingling, and stepped back out into the rain, leaving my motorcycle under the tarp. I didn't want it to get ruined, so I started walking through the town, seeing people I recognized under umbrellas, though they probably didn't recognize me after so long, and I sniffed the air, following a familiar scent to a giant house, almost a mansion. I looked up at the brightly lit windows, and sighed, hesitant to get any closer, but knocked on the door loudly, and shoved my hands into my pockets. The door opened, revealing a little boy, probably around the age of ten or eleven, whose eyes widened as he looked at me, his gaze filled with confusion. "Who are you?" I shifted awkwardly on the front porch, and shrugged. "Just.. Someone who knows the Mayor. Why?" He shook his head, looking like he was trying to figure something out. "But you aren't in the book.. Even that guy, August, turned out to be Pinocchio. Who are you?"

It clicked in my brain that the kid seemed to know everything about the town, about the curse, about the people that lived there, and everything else, except for me. "Maybe I'll tell you sometime.. You're smart, though, so I'm sure you'll figure it out." I heard the sound of heels clicking across the tile floor, and the door opened wider, revealing a woman with black hair, fine features, and dark eyes standing there. "Henry, who are you talking to at this hour? It's rainy out.. You'll catch a cold." Henry's eyes turned to me, leading her to look at me, and I watched the color drain out of her face, before she yanked me inside, slamming the door closed, and got in my face, whispering angrily. "How the hell did you find me?? Better yet, how did you escape the curse? Why are you here??" I sighed, yanking my arm away from her. "I'm here because I thought it was time I came home, and since this is the home everyone seems to know, this is where I went. I'm not here for you,don't worry."

Her eyes narrowed in disbelief. "You really expect me to believe that? After everything I did to you? No.. You have to want something, or you wouldn't be here, at my house." I groaned in frustration. "You're the second person to assume I want revenge tonight. I don't- I just need somewhere to stay for the night. I thought, you being the Mayor and all, you'd know of a place." She muttered, her tone icy, "How about a cage? I won't have you doing.. that.. Near my son." That caught my attention, and my eyes darted between her and Henry. "So you got yourself a kid? Ironic, isn't it? As for what you're talking about, if you want to blame someone, look in the mirror.. I plan on going into the woods for that. But you know as well as I do that I can't control it very well, so quarantine the town for the next three days or whatever, and keep that nice girl Ruby out of the woods, too. I know what she is.. There's- There's someone after me, and I don't want anyone else getting involved."

She took a deep breath, and stepped back from me, forcing a tight smile. "Well, then- I suppose I could do that. After all, the safety of the residents is my job. You can stay in the guest room upstairs, but only for one night, and you'd better not make a mess, or you'll regret it, Bella. You're lucky I'm even letting you do that much." That made me want to laugh. "Lucky? Okay, if that's what you want to believe to feel better, then go ahead.. I don't care anymore." I made my way upstairs, easily finding the guest room, and tugged off my jacket and boots, looking out the window as the rain stopped, the clouds parting to reveal a full moon, the light illuminating me, as I hopped out of the window in my bare feet, easily landing on the muddy ground below, then took off into the woods... Regina clenched her fists tightly, as she sipped wine near the fireplace, tossing papers into the fire, her body shaking slightly. "She shouldn't be here. I thought she was long gone. This will cause a mess for everyone involved.." Her muscles tensed, as an eerie howl echoed throughout the town from the woods, but knew it wasn't Ruby, this howl more primal and terrifying, cutting her right to her core, sending chills down her spine.