Street Fighter

Endless Riddles

Amazingly I didn't faint like I imagined I would, as it has been perceived that most other girls would upon recieving news such as that so suddenly.
"How do you know for certain?" I inquired of her, my curiosity getting the better of me. "Well I don't know for certain but I'm sure we could ask your brother, he might know" she replied quickly.
Without realising it I let out a throaty growl at the mention of my brother. "We are not asking him" I said, a bit too savagely for my liking.
Ash stared at my curiously, "or we could not... Come on I am sure there is something in a book or on the internet, even if most people think they are a myth."
Sighing softly to myself and rubbing my temples I nodded at my friend and together we silently locked up the building before exiting and climbing into my low slung car which smelt faintly of vanilla.
You may be wondering why I wasn't questioning or doubting the possibility that I was a werewolf or that they existed. After I found out that my brother was part wolf everything clicked into place and made sense, it easily explained the weird behaviour of those surrounding me.

The car ride to the public library was quiet, but eventually the tension in the air grew too thick and Ash quickly leaned over and turned on the radio.
Suddenly loud music blared from the stereo speakers and sub, the volume was still cranked from the last time I had driven as I was striving to stay awake in the early hours of the morning.
I blocked my ears in surprise from the loudness of the song and before I could realise the car was careening across to the other side of the road.
As I was temporarily deafened and my sense were dulled Ash was the first to notice, undoing her seatbelt she launched herself across into my lap and grabbed the steering wheel, fighting to get my car back onto our side of the road.
There were a tedious few seconds while she struggled with the weight of the car and the oversteer of the speeding car.
When I finally realised what she was doing I straightened myself and took over just a huge dual cab ute which looked like it had a serious lift kit on it came soaring past my little car, doing at least twenty km/h over the speed limit. My cheeks were flush red and I forced myself to remain alert and concentrate on the road.
The music was still emanating from the stereo but I wasn't in the mood so with an apologetic look over at Ash who was now sitting back in shotgun I turned it off.
From then until we reached the library I kept my eyes fixed on the road, determined not to get distracted again. Pulling into the library I almost audibly sighed in relief, something was really off today.

I slung myself up and out of my lowered car and quietly shut the door. Shooting a quick glance Ash's way, she nodded at me and together we climbed the stairs up to the public library.
This old library has been here for as long as I can remember, it has been designed to look like an old greek or roman building. With a long flight of stairs up to the entrance and several columns on either side of the entrance.
On the inside there are multiple ringed layers, each filled with shelves and shelves of books and manuscripts. Each layer lead around to the next, with no stairs required but each floor slightly slanted upwards.
We approached the circular desk in the middle of the ground floor cautiously and looked around for a person who might possibly be the attendant who could help us find what we were looking for.
For a couple of minutes we awkwardly stood there trying to subtly keep an eye out for an employee without looking too much like we were lost foreigners in an unknown land.
From behind us we heard a deep hearty chuckle and upon turning around discovered a short elderly man, dressed rather simply but still respectably so.
He carried a small cane but walked perfectly without it, almost as if he didn't require it as a walking implement but as if he used on occasion for bobbing small children on the head when they were mucking up.
I almost giggled at the thought before stopping myself, realising it would probably be inappropriate. He seemed to recognise my train of thought though and sent me a wink which I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't already been looking.
Then glancing down at his cane he seemed to realise he had it and almost immediately put on a subtle limp as if to justify his carrying it as he limped over to us.

"What can I help you young ladies with" he said once he had walked past us and was now standing behind the desk. Snapping out of stupor we both spun around, realising he was now behind us.
"Werewolves!" we both spat out instantaneously and in prefect sync before looking at each other and bursting out laughing. In front of me I saw the man shimmer slightly and could have sworn his eyes changed colour.
I blinked a couple of times before daring to look back at him again, he was still standing there leaning on his wooden cane and looking at us, exactly as he had been before.
Absentmindedly rubbing my head I thought to myself 'I must be going crazy, what on earth is happening to me'. Ash looked worriedly at me before shaking her head and directing her attention back to the old man.
Glancing at us as if to confirm what we just said he then directed his attention to the computer screen in front of him. We stood still for a minute while we listened to him swearing under his breath as he bumbled around on the computer.
Finally he slammed a fist down on the table creating a surprisingly large noise for a small man as he pulled a large folder out from underneath the desk and dropped it onto the table in front of him.
Silently he flicked through there for a further couple of minutes before a grin lit up his face, "now" he started and I immediately perked up, listening intently.
"Providing you aren't looking for Twilight kinds of werewolves I seem to have found several sources for you." At the mention of twilight I felt Ash madly shake her head next to me, she vehemently hated Twilight.

Just as he was about to give us directions to the books his eyes suddenly glazed over and for few seconds he stood there motionless. Curiously I looked over at Ash but she was standing there as if she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
A small cough brought my attention back to the elder in front of me. "I am sorry, I have just been alerted that those resources are not for public viewing and I cannot disclose their location to you."
And as abruptly as he had stated that he left, leaving me standing there gobsmacked at his obvious rudeness. Next to me my friend just turned around and started to leave.
"What are you doing?" I called after her rapidly disappearing figure but I received no answer as she was already gone and I was left standing looking directly into the sun which was blazing in through the entranceway.
Sighing I turned to follow her out but was stopped by the old man who had appeared in front of me in the time it had taken me to turn around, look longingly at the library and then decide to leave.
He held a single finger to his lip, indicating for me to be silent. "I have a message for you. May they eventually reveal their meaning to this old soul."
I opened my mouth to speak but he hushed me once more, "silence young one" he whispered. The air was thick with suspense I was amazed he could not feel my growing anxiety.
"You must heed their warnings, disobey and your head will join those of your ancestors." Then with a small grin as if he disproved of the message he was passing on to me he handed me a note.
As I turned to leave the only thing he said to me was whispered in my ear and with a careful glance around first as if to make sure nobody was watching, "burn it after reading it."
Then he was gone.