the girl who cried wolf|Wattys 2015

the girl who cried wolf: fourteen

My problems weren't anywhere close to being solved. The night I changed had only complicated things. For one, Marcus' father interviewed me the next day right after school and I had no idea what to tell him. I tried my best to act clueless and gave a lie about running off only because Marcus told me to. I could tell though that Mr. Lanter wasn't entirely keen on believing me. My parents were cautious around me now too, as if I had leprosy. They didn't mention my transformation at all the night I got home and they hadn't mentioned it lately at all. In a way I felt like they were avoiding me, in hopes to avoid the situation. And Mason, Mason was now homeless. He said that Analise still allowed him to live with them, but he couldn't sleep under the same roof wit people who couldn't be bothered to defend the defenseless.

If that wasn't bad enough, there had been two spottings of wolves within the week since my change and one of them ended in death. Luckily, it was just a deer, but the very thought made me shiver. The only sense of normality I had left in my life came with Marcus and even that was kind of weird. I had expected him to go back on his word about joining my hunt for the rogues and yet, he was already making plans and planning routes. His enthusiasm was surprising to both me and Mason, who was more wary of Marcus than I.

He expressed his concerns with me as we waited outside the school for my mom to come and pick me up, a ritual I was surprised to find her still continuing.

"What if he ends up telling his father about just what you are."

"What are you talking about Mason?"

"What if he decides to turn you in as the wolf that's terrorizing this town? What if he is just cozying up to you only to turn you in."

"Do you honestly think someone is going to believe him about me transforming into a wolf? Besides, I was already interviewed and we haven't been bothered. We just need to focus on getting rid of Lyus and the others and then things will go back to the way they were." By that I wasn't all too sure whether or not that meant Mason and his family would be leaving. They had come solely for me and now that things had kind of made a turn for the worse, I wasn't sure if they would stick around entirely.

The sound of honking and my mother waving from her seat alerted me out of my daze and quickly I was standing up and gathering my things.

"Aren't you scared Lucy?" Mason finally asked me, his hand warm as it wrapped around my wrist. I stared down at his hands, slowly lifting m eyes up to land on his.

"I cant be. See you tomorrow." Sliding my hand back, I headed toward the car.

"Everything alright?" Mom asked as I buckled up. Those were the most words she had said to me since that night.

"As best as they can be." I promised.

That night as I lay in bed I thought of Mason's words. Was I scared? Yes. I was completely terrified that things could end badly and there really wasn't anything I could do to assure that things ended in my favor. But I knew that I and Marcus and Mason were the only hope that Crescent Falls had and if I simply allowed fear to get the best of me then we would all lose. Everything I went through would be for nothing.

These were thoughts that would ultimately plague my mind, making it completely hard for me to even think about sleeping.

But momentarily I was distracted by something hitting my window. It was a light tapping sound, like several pebbles being thrown at it. Sitting up in bed, I wondered if it was maybe Mason, trying to get my attention. I knew that he ran amongst the trees of my backyard, making sure I was safe no doubt. He confessed it was something he did when he couldn't sleep and it put valuable use to his time.

The sound came again, this time louder and harder and no longer did I sit in bed watching, I got out of bed and crossed the small distance to the window. Slowly I drew back he curtains. I don;t know why I was so nervous and I didn't know what I expected to see hovering beyond the window, but I was relieved and shocked to find no one there. That is until I peered closer, into the darkness. I could see those eyes, those eyes that seemed to follow me everywhere and had been hidden amongst the shadows time and time again. Whether or not I was imagining it was my real concern.

Lucy.

I gasped, certain now that this was not a figment of my imagination. Lyus was out there and he wanted me to come to him. Whether or not I was stupid enough to follow was the real concern.

I knew it was stupid.

I knew Mason would shit bricks if he found out I ventured for Lyus, considering if I came back.

But I also knew that this was my opportunity to sneak into Lyus world and discover hsi hideout and if I got away, this would be information that would benefit us.

How do I know you wont hurt me?

Because . . . I'll come to you in human form.