Phrontistery Of Monster Kind - Six Feet Deep

Chapter 43

Clattering came from my office. I excused myself instinctively from the room as I went to investigate. I poked my head out of my bedroom door to see a red-cloaked figure shuffling throughout my office. Fur peeked out from under the cloak.

I called out; the person halted. Their head spun, a wolf's head with aviator goggles landed on me. Eyes glowing yellow underneath the cracked frames.

"You're not allowed in here."

It's head turned, spotting what it was looking for. It leapt. I too dove into action, following the creature as it snatched up the files from my bookcase behind my desk. I sped over to the wolfman. It circled the table, taking the moment to look at the files.

"Those are not for your eyes," I said. The wolf snarled. A growl I knew all too well. "Simon?"

It wasn't a full moon, but he wouldn't need it. It seemed too small to be Simon, but it wore the boys under the red cloak.

They leapt out of the classroom; me following suit, rushing after the little red riding hood.

"Stop running!" I yelled, along with a lot of other commands and warnings that they will in trouble if I caught the wolfman. The cast and sling made it difficult to chase after them. The bouncing created by the cast irritated the injured area. Mary was going to kill me in the morning.

A door swung open, causing the wolf to run into the person, dropping the files on the floor.

"What are you doing-" The skeleton's eyes fell onto the files scattered about on the ground. "You're the thief!"

The wolf scooped up most of the files, scampering up with the speed only a runner would possess. Mors leant down to stop them, but the wolf leapt over him like a hurtle. I slid to a stop as to not run into Mors.

"You clean up the files. I'll go after them."

He nodded, and we both set off to do our tasks.

The wolf leapt down the stairs, while I had to go down them one by one as to not sprain my ankle in my heels.

As I neared the ground floor, I heard the wolf's snarl echo through the halls. It sounded like it was going to attack me, but it was sprinting in the opposite direction.

A curse word escaped my lips. It was too difficult for me to keep up with the pace I was going at. I tossed off my shoes and re-joined the pursuit. Each step was slippery as my pantyhose-covered feet lurched me forward. Dumbly, I assumed the student would head back to their dorms, but it rushed at a breakneck speed towards the back exit.

Finally, the wolf burst through a door, crept under the break in the fence, working their way to the meadow.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering whether I should follow the wolf and its clear break for Scarrow. The wolf couldn't be stupid enough to go in there. With my files, it was a safe way to ensure no one ever got their hands on them again. My identity would be safe, Mors' research too, but student or not, I couldn't willingly allow someone to go in there.

The trees loomed high above me, casting long shadows across the forest floor.

I could hear the wolf howling in the distance, but I lost my vision of them. Disappearing into the trees and the shadows that bathed them.

My legs ached and lungs burned.

No one had the right to the information, for whatever reason. I wasn't ready for people to know. I loved being Esmay. Going back to being Edith was out of the question now. But as I pushed on, I heard twigs snapping underfoot. I made it to a clearing.