The Unknown

Chapter Eight

I am awoken by the sound of my phone ringing. I think about ignoring it but don't when I realise it could be Grandma. I sit up slowly and reach my hand out to grab my phone. I slap my hand down a few times, trying to find the device. my hand lands on it just as the ringing stops. I groan as I pick it up and pull my hand back. Missed call. Grandma. I look at the time displayed in big numbers. 9:54. Knowing her she'll call back again any second.

I lean back against the headboard, my head below the bookshelf. My eyes start to shut and my hand relaxes around the phone. The vibrating of my phone wakes me up first, then the ringing. I jump in surprise, my head hitting the shelf and making a book fall on me.

"Ow!" I lift one hand to cup my head and fumble around with the other to answer the phone. Three rings later I finally press the button. "Hey Grandma."

"Hello dear. Did I wake you?" her voice sounds the same as always. Soft and thoughtful.

"I woke up when you first rang but didn't answer the phone in time."

"Sorry sweetie."

"It's fine."

"Is everything okay? I just saw the missed phone calls and the messages you sent me."

"I'm fine but I was worried about you. All of the wolves and the new kids weren't at school today. I thought it might have been pack business so I called you and you didn't answer. Where were you anyway?"

She sighs on the other end of the phone. "You're very observant."

"It's not hard to miss around 100 people missing from school at the same time. As well as the fact that all of them are werewolves."

"How do you know who the werewolves are?"

"I don't know precisely but I have a rough idea considering all of the glares I receive. Back to my question, where were you?"

She sighs again and sucks in a deep breath. She lets it out before she speaks. "The reason they weren't at school is because it was a pack issue. The new people at your school and other people that are older, are a part of a pack. Or so they say. Really they're rogues and are trying to form a pack. They need somewhere to call their home and are trying to find a town much like ours. They have been looking for a while and have decided that instead of being civil, they will take over a pack. Unfortunately for us they're going to do it to our pack."

"How many of them are there?"

"Only about thirty."

"It won't be much of a fight then. Just at school there is a hundred werewolves. I can only imagine how many more there are."

"Sure, we have the numbers but they have the power. Rogues are ruthless and they won't stop until they get what they want. We could quite easily win the battle but there would be a lot of casualties and there's no saying humans wouldn't see it happening."

"I see your dilemma."

"Yeah. So yesterday there was a pack meeting. We discussed that we won't do anything about it unless they start hurting people or initiate the fight. Just to be sure though after the meeting we had a pack training session."

"You had to train with them?"

"I didn't have to. Actually they wanted me to not train but I insisted. I can't look weak in front of my pack after leading them for sixty years."

"Wow you are amazing," I laugh and shake my head. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Rock climbing. The height scares me and the fact that a tiny piece of either rock or plastic is supporting me from falling."

I laugh again. "I didn't mean it literally."

"Oh."

We are silent for a moment before I speak up again. "So you're fine?"

"Other than the fact that my body is aching all over and I feel worse than I did yesterday, I am."

"Do you need me to get you anything?"

"I'm alright. I think I'll just sleep all day."

"Okay. Ring me if you need anything."

"Sure. I love you. Bye."

"Love you too. Bye," I pull the phone away from my ear and end the call. I throw my phone gently onto the bed beside me and stare at the wardrobe. One door is open revealing the messy, clothes filled, dungeon. I really need to clean that out.

My stare turns to my phone, where I just found out about the possibility of multiple deaths in the next few days. Not something the average person hears every day. I forgot to ask what it means for Grandma if there is a fight. Will she have to fight as well? What about Mum? Will she have to help too?

I shake my head to clear my thoughts and stand up from the bed. I pull my door open and walk towards the kitchen. I don't bother trying to sneak around. I have to help Mum do things today so I won't be able to escape back to my room. I step into the kitchen to see Mum standing there washing dishes.

"Hey Case. We have a busy day today so quickly eat breakfast and get ready. We leave in ten minutes."

Joy.