The Dark Side of the Moon

Chapter 19: Florence

-Florence’s P.O.V-

“Meat Lovers... definitely.”

“No way, you can’t go past Hawaiian!”

“Stop bickering you two!” I threw my arms up in exasperation and glared at Matt and Jackson. “We’re getting Spicy Salami, and that’s that.”

“You’re kidding me, salami’s gross!”

“I agree with Jackson, there is no reason why we should go with your choice and not ours. I think we should vote...”

“Maybe the fact that I have the phone escaped you guys, but I have the upper hand,” I smirked at them and waved our cordless home phone in front of their eyes. I could see their minds ticking over their options right now, and it probably ended in a dive for the phone, so I ran.

Past the kitchen counter and pounding up the stairs, I legged it to my room. Matt and Jackson’s angry yells and heavy footfalls thundered behind me but my head start won it for me. Shutting the door in their faces, I turned the lock and slid down to the ground, effectively barricading it.

“Come back out here you cheater! We need the Hawaiian pizza, I’m telling you!” Matt pleaded, his voice echoing through the keyhole. There was a hushed whispering that followed, and then I heard Jackson.

“You know we love you and you’re the best sister in the world!” he drawled, and I could just imagine he was attempting to give me puppy dog eyes.

“No way are you trying that one! I’m not stupid you know!” I called through the door to them and I heard their annoyed sighs.

“Alright c’mon, let’s go play some Xbox, she’ll decide what to order later,” Matt told Jackson and they walked away, their chit chat fading out of earshot.

So there I was, locked up in my room with a phone, trying to distract myself. Flashes of what I had seen earlier had my heart beat picking up pace and my mind whirring with questions. I had tried to distract myself from those dangerous thoughts, but in the end it was inevitable.

I could remember the wild hunger that was present in the wolf’s eyes as it protected the dead deer that it had hunted down, but not once did it attempt to approach me. It had just sat there, watching my every move while I came to terms with the fact that there was a wolf in the middle of my street.

It was the very same wolf that had plagued my memories and reminded me of the night that it had mauled me those few days ago in the forest. Well, it had been over a week but one could not forget those frightening eyes and onyx fur. I still recall it biting down on my ankle and tripping me to the ground. A shudder slid up my spine at the thought.

But there it was, living proof that the encounter had happened. I wasn’t going mad, there really had been a wolf lurking in the depths of the reserve, and it had struck again – only this time a wild animal instead of a harmless human. So the doctor was wrong, there was such a thing as a wolf prowling around Banff, as odd as that may sound.

And then there was the weird incident at school today, the colossal amount of anger that I had felt. I’d never had anger issues before, let alone been in a fight with anyone other, except for light the banter I’d shared with my brothers. I was still in shock, my hands shaking slightly if I kept them still. I hadn’t told my brothers about it yet, but I wanted to let it stay untouched until one of them asked about it. After all, it wasn’t exactly dinner conversation.

I stared down at the phone in my bandaged hands and quickly dialled the number to the local pizza restaurant. I was in need of a distraction again, because the thoughts spinning around inside my brain were confusing me to no end.