Bride of the Wolf

Chapter XII: Well, It Might Work

Chapter XII: Well, It Might Work

Larry was driving Gwen's grandfather's car. Another car blared its horn at him and he swerved to avoid it. He blinked at the sudden glare from the bright daylight as he looked around at the street, the buildings. "Where am I?" he asked.

Gwen looked up at a street sign. "Bulevardul Decebal," she told him. "Just go straight about three blocks, then take a left."

Larry looked up at the approaching intersection. The light was green and so he continued. He turned at the sound of the air horn, and barely had time to see the front of the truck as it hit them broadside.

Suddenly everything was very still. There wasn't a sound, as the car tilted at an unnatural angle. Gwen's mouth was moving, possibly screaming, but still there was no sound. Larry watched tiny slivers of glass practically floating in front of him. There was what seemed to be a very large flame in his rear view mirror. Then everything went black...

Larry was driving Gwen's grandfather's car. Another car blared its horn at him and he swerved to avoid it. He blinked at the sudden glare from the bright daylight as he looked around at the street, the buildings. "Where am I?" he asked.

Gwen looked up at a street sign. "Bulevardul Decebal," she told him. "Just go straight about three blocks, then take a left."

Larry looked up at the approaching intersection. The light was green and so he ...

Larry hit the brakes as hard as he could and spun the wheel. The car turned sideways in the street, coming to a stop in the crosswalk. A car behind him squealed its brakes, barely able to stop from running into him.

"Why did you do th..." Gwen screamed at him, until she was interrupted by the sound of an air horn. A huge tractor trailer ran straight through the intersection, barely missing their bumper.

Gwen watched the truck, then turned to Larry. "He could have killed us!" she said.

"I think he did," Larry told her. "Gwen, I saw the whole thing, before it happened! He hit us, and... I think we died."

"Larry, I swear," said Gwen. "If one more freaky thing happens to you..."

"I guess it's one more question to add to our list for Zolfina," Larry replied. He put the car into gear as he said, "I really hope this isn't some kind of Final Destination thing."

He still had a green light and so he straightened the car and, after carefully checking all directions, continued.

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Zolfina poured tea from a blue and white pot into cups for both Larry and Gwen. "You have the gift," she told Larry as she set the cups in front of them. "It is not surprising. All women in my family receive the gift."

"Except I'm not either of those things," Larry replied.

"Apparently you are both," Zolfina said. She filled a cup for herself and sat with the young couple. "You were woman long enough to receive the gift, and apparently no one has seen fit to ask for its return. And there are many different types of family. Marko is my grandson, and it was he who turned you."

"Just great," said Larry. "So this gift; is it always that terrifying?"

"Not always," replied Zolfina. "It is also not always so useful." Then changing the subject Zolfina continued, "So, you said you were on your way here when this happened. Was there something you wanted from me today?"

"We asked my grandfather about werewolves, and he gave us this card," said Gwen, finding the card in her purse and handing it to the old woman. "We hoped you could tell us what it means."