The Good Wolves

Chapter 4

The ride back to Gerald's was dull. I sat next to Mim again, but she wasn't a great conversationalist. Dominic got on after me and didn't notice us in the back.

Lupe greeted me with chips, and I went up to my room to catch up on my homework, but remembered that my mom wanted me to call her. Shoving my homework aside, I dialed my mom's number.

"Hello?" She said.

"Hey, it's me," I laid back on the bed.

"How was school?"

"It went well."

"How's Gerald?"

"Old."

She laughed. "But you're doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said. "I'm a little anxious to find some wolves, but I'll be alright."

"Did you take a weapon to school?"

"No."

"You need to be doing that. You also need to be doing some research about wolf attacks. Ask Gerald. He might be able to help you."

"Oh," I said. "Are Matt, Betty, and Wesley there?"

"No, they're all out hunting. I'll tell them to call you soon, alright?"

"Yeah."

"Bye, honey. I love you."

"Love you, too," I said, and she hung up. I wasn't used to being away from home, and wished I could have spoken with my siblings. I understood that I did need to follow my mom's directions, and went downstairs to see if Lupe, since Gerald wouldn't be much help, knew anything.

"Hungry?" She asked. She was still in the kitchen, wiping down the countertops.

"No," I sat at the kitchen table. "Do you know anything about the werewolf attacks?"

"You don't know about them?" Lupe asked, surprised. "There's been at least twenty deaths, and a couple more injured."

"Do you have any idea how I could find the werewolves responsible?" I asked.

"There's a computer upstairs," Lupe said. "I would look through news articles, that might help you pinpoint their general area."

"Thanks," I slid off my chair and went back upstairs and into the office. I sat at the computer and searched 'animal attacks in Topeka, Kansas'. Sure enough, up came a list of the deceased, vivid descriptions of their mangled bodies, and the location in which they were found. I printed out a map of the area, and began to mark the locations in red pen. Once I had marked all of the documented murders and attacks, I connected the dots to encompass a smaller area. Unfortunately for my detective skills, the area contained at least 400 houses, an impossibly large area to hunt in.

I gave up on hunting research and did my homework. There was no way to search that much area. Back in Wyoming, I would be given the name of the werewolf I was hunting.

At the same time I was frustrated, I was glad to be getting into a daily routine. Just like the night before, I ate dinner in my room, took a shower, and went to bed.

Staring at the dark ceiling, I went over the day's events in my head. Everything from my desperate search for a seat on the bus to getting shampoo in my eye during the shower came through my mind, but I was focused in on one thing.

Dominic was definitely the most handsome boy I had ever seen. Synching my breath to Gerald's snores, I feel asleep with Dominic on my mind.