Werewolf Hunting

Chapter Twenty Three

"Alright, you have the pocket knife ready, I have the gun hidden, all there is left is the lie about astronomy." I said, double checking my pockets.

After the events at the park we ended up walking around town for a while before heading home, but the lingering dread that something would go wrong because of my lack of self control. There was no way to prevent anything from going wrong, and knowing the devil conscious, someone may die. Allie felt the same fear, knowing something may go wrong and didn't try to push for answers like normal. I was grateful she left me alone about it.

"The screw driver too, we can pick it up from the hardware store. I'm lying again?" she asked.

I nodded.

"You have to talk, your silent hiatus won't last forever." she said, looking at me.

Looking away, I let a curtain of deep brown hair hide my face. I knew she was right, but the chance that it all went wrong was almost impossible to ignore. If I transformed and someone got hurt . . . .

You and Roy went at it last time.

Because we didn't have self control, you drove us to it.

I'll drive you to worse in due time.

Gulping, I didn't dare answer it. My stomach was churning just as the sound of his voice and the promise, followed by nausea.

"I'll go tell Mom about the class," said Allie, then paused. "We don't have any money."

"Ask for it, say we want to get coffee to stay up." I suggested, voice meek.

"We don't drink coffee." she pointed out. "Energy drinks, she'll believe that."

Silently, I listened in the other room as Allie lied again and the cringe of guilt resurfaced. Knowing that tonight may be the night that everything would come out was scary, but also a bit relieving. Quit focusing on the bad, I scolded myself. It'll only bring bad things. She came out of the room and handed me the money before going back upstairs to leave me alone.

Down the street, even thought there was no eerie breeze or anyone else walking down the street, the felling of being watched made itself known when the sound of metal clanging was enough to make me spin around in fear. It was just a stray cat that knocked over a garbage can, looking for food. It didn't make sense for me to be paranoid. No one really walked down these streets because of how big the town was, and the chance someone was following me was slim to none.

I kept walking, looking down and trying to think of the route. It was in the nicer part of town, where lawns where well manicured and fountains and sprinklers where out in the open. In my part of town this wasn't normal. Just another reminder how divided each part it. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to keep caution because I may be next for an attack. I kept telling myself that no one would come after me, those were reserved for pack members that had been there longer. It was weird though, normally a few more people would be walking. The weather was nice enough for it.

Eventually I was able to shrug off the paranoia and get to the hardware store. After more silence and a short line, I found myself running back home out of fear. I'll admit it, I know anyone is at risk. I'm too much of a coward to stay calm, I thought to myself, rounding the corner.

You'll need courage tonight, to face whatever or whoever's waiting.

Have I mentioned I hate you and your uncanny ability to comment anytime?

Hate makes the world go round, always remember that.

I let out a low growl when I thought it was gone, and then stopped dead in my tracks. Up ahead was a face that always made me scream. I remembered that hair with brown in it, those round glasses too big for his face, that always grumpy expression . . .

A scream caught in my throat, I spun around and pressed my back against the wall, heart thumping violently as blood rushed to my ears. He was here. He. Was. Here. Those words in the same sentence seemed impossible to think of or say, yet proof was on the other side. He was supposed to be in jail! What the hell was he doing here?

"Hey, you slip the note?" he asked.

"Yeah, I fell guilty though." said another voice. Female, familiar.

"Why, they deserve it, didn't you say so? You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Or are you backing out already?"

"Not backing out, just conflicting emotions." she said lowly.

"Soon it'll be all over, soon there won't be any guilt," he said, making my skin crawl. "It'll all be history."

Do. Not. Scream. I couldn't process anything else, but my knees shaking and rigid breathing was sure to give me away. I know they have better perception than that! How come they haven't found me? Hoping I wasn't jinxing myself, I closed my eyes tightly.

"What if it wasn't meant to be history?" she asked.

There was a slap, then the sound of someone falling to the ground.

"My word is law!" he screamed at her. "Understand?"

Sobs were heard when she stood back up. I didn't know why I wanted to intervene, but I almost did, until the sudden thought entered my head. He would kill us both if I didn't have a plan. Could I use the screw driver to make him bleed and incapacitate him temporarily?

Don't get involved.

Why the hell not?

Either listen to me or go be an ass and get yourself hurt, but I'll always be the reminder of how you failed miserably in your pathetic existence.

Well fuck you too.

I couldn't get involved and I knew it. I couldn't force myself to move on a moments notice, I couldn't fight at all without the devil conscious, and I sure as hell couldn't stand up for anyone or defend them. I never knew how terrifying -- no horrible -- it was to stand by and do nothing while someone else was getting hit. Even though they might have deserved it, it shouldn't happen to anyone. But my cowardice almost always outweighed the burning desire to act and made me a sheep.

Quit talking about self pity or I'll stab you. You sit here, terrified and on the verge of tears yet you can't force yourself to do something. Another pathetic example of human nature.

"Just shut up!" I screamed, balling my fists.

It wasn't until moments later I understood why I shouldn't have screamed on impulse. I let them know I was there and eavesdropping, that is if they didn't know already. It was silent for a few moments before he jumped in front of me from nowhere. I didn't dare say anything or look at him in the face.

"Now now, it seems we have a spy," he purred.

Don't just sit there! Move!

For once I listened, and ended up pulling the screwdriver from my jacket pocket and stabbed him in the shoulder blade. I tried to ignore his scream of pain, but failed when I looked at him, and the blood that was on us both. Cringing in pain, I took it as another chance. I made a fist, uppercutted him, and took off running down the street. Before I was inches away, I heard her.

"Lilly!" she yelled, but I didn't listen. I kept pushing my feet faster against the concrete and kept my eyes shut, tears leaking down my cheeks.

Get to a payphone, call Mom, just get away from there, I thought. I didn't remember how far I ran, but when I looked around again, the sun began to set against the peaceful pink sky. It was a relief to see I was back in my area of town at least. I drug my feet up the stairs and into the house, trying not to fall over. My mouth was dry, I could feel myself start to shake, and my eyes were drooping enough to know something was wrong.

When I got inside, I tossed the bloodied weapon on the table and stumbled into the wall. The room began to spin.

"Lilly?" asked Allie, concerned. Was she there before?

Unable to speak, I let myself fall to the floor while emerald eyes watched, alarmed and ready. She screamed for Mom to come but that was all I remembered before blacking out.