Night Visions

Chapter 23

I could not believe what I was seeing right now in front of me, it felt like the world just stopped and so did my heart.
This is how stunned I was as the man stood up.

"Joe Jr," I breathed, "y-you are-"

"A werewolf," he interrupted me as I nodded my head.
"I didn't know that was you," I confessed, "you were so hairy and I didn't recognize you at all."
Joe Jr laughed as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, "yeah, nobody can't recognize me in my other form so..."
I couldn't move because of the shock, Joe Jr walked over to me and grabbed me by the hand, he interlaced his fingers, "I'm sorry I scared you," he whispered into my ear and I let him do it.
I clenched my jaw together as he kissed me a few times on the cheek and pulls back.
"Can we go home now?" Oh, wait, the Kennedy's don't have a home anymore because of the fire, I've forgotten about that.

"You can come stay at my place," Joe Jr replied, "you can all come stay with me."
I took my glance over to Micah who was now talking to Jack about something. I'm sure Joe Jr meant him too, because...I know I've just met Micah and I hope that Joe Jr will get used to him and not bite his head off, which, I hope that will never happen.

Joe Jr took a step back away from me.
"Who are you looking at?" He asked, curiously.
I bit my lip, "my new friend Micah," I told him, "you saved his life you know, Jack could've killed him if it wasn't for you."
"Oh him," Joe Jr said as he placed both of his hands on my waist, "I wish I could've done more, I didn't want Jack to hurt another innocent person."

So he already knew about the  incident in the hospital but, I wanted to ask him how he knew about what had happened in that room and how I told the awful tragedy to Micah, I think he was spying on us and escaped before the hospital burned down to the ground.
That's the only thing that makes sense but, how come I didn't see him?

I just couldn't get that image of the nurse collapsing to the floor and choking on her own blood out of my head.
She was innocent, I kept on repeating that phrase, she was innocent.

Joe Jr lead us all out of the hotel and we walked the sidewalks in silence until we've reached an apartment complexe just a few blocks away from the hotel.
I scanned the five-story tall building, most of the windows were shattered as if a bullet went straight into them and it doesn't look like a proper place for any of us to live in.

"What a piece of crap building," Micah sighed, "no offense but, it'll be a lot better if someone fixed it up a little."
I shot him a look, "it looks fine to me," no it didn't, if Brielle was here, I'll never bring her to this place.

Micah walked next to me as Joe Jr lead us through the doors or what was left of them.
Then, he leads us up a flight of stairs and down a hallway which it doesn't look like a hallway to me.
The marble floor was cracked and as not been waxed for at least two decades, and the wooden walls had holes in them, but it was the smell of tabbaco that made my nose and eyes burn.

I hate the smell of tabbaco.

"I wander what the rooms are like," Jack said, he was walking beside me as well, "I bet they are dirty from dogs that spilled so much filth on the floor, that's just pitiful."
I gagged when he said that but, I already knew he was just joking around anyway.
"Have you been here before?" Micah asked as Jack nodded his head, "a couple of times."

So, he wasn't kidding around.

We all walked into this very small room which barely held about five people, but there was just enough room for us to settle in.
The bed sat on the right side as a wooden dresser decorated with gold gems sat a few inches away from the bed and was slid against the wall behind it.
I mean, it wasn't that much but, I guess it'll do us okay.
I hope.

"At least this is better than nothing," Lem said as he sat down on the bed, "this is comfortable."
"Yeah, ain't that the truth," Micah replied, "it's just sad how they made this building sit here for two decades and nobody puts some love into it."
Lem nodded his head in agreement as Jack and I took a look in the kitchen, it was a little bigger then the rest of the apartment, the stove sat on the left side and right next to it set a refrigerator, of course, there was a tan colored cabinet which sat between them.

"You'll get used to this Tranessa," Jack said as I glanced at him from looking into the refrigerator with a apple in my hand, "well, you sure can eat what you want here, I'm sure Joe Jr wouldn't mind at all." His voice sounded sarcastic, but I didn't care.
"No, he won't mind," I chuckled as I took a huge bite of my apple and chugged it until it hits Jacks' chest, "hey?" He fell back stunned but he caught himself, "watch it."

I laughed, "sorry."

Jack straightened himself and he stared me down hard, I stopped laughing and looked up at him.
"I'll shift if you do that again," he said coldly, "and why in your worlds name would you do that?"
I cocked my head to the side, "really? You'll shift just because I threw an apple at you for fun?"
I could tell that Jack regrets what he just said and I don't blame him, we both walked out of the kitchen.
Micah stood up from the bed and walks over to us, "well, I can tell you two love each other like Lem said."

"What?" Jack backs away from me, "w-we're not in love, no, we're just friends."
I rolled my eyes and walked away, Joe Jr sat next to Lem on the bed when I walked over to them with my arms crossed.
"Well look Joseph," Lem replied as he nudged Joe Jr in the shoulder, "Tranessa looks sad and needs some comforting."

Oh gosh no, if he dares kiss or touch's me again, I'm leaving and go find this unbelievable, magical portal by myself if I have too.

***

The room was cold at night and I couldn't never keep warm, the blanket was too short and it felt like tiny needles poking at my body every time I moved just to get comfortable.

I pushed away the blanket and sat up, I scanned the room before I stood up from my little bed on the floor, it wasn't really a bed, just a blanket with a feathered pillow which, it doesn't feel to comfortable for me laying on the floor with no blanket underneath me.
I quietly snuck into the kitchen and helped myself to a glass of milk.

I took a little sip of my milk and sat the glass down on the counter, the thought of my family never left my mind as I stared at an image of them.

My father was smiling at the camera in front of us ready to take our family portrait, my mother was looking down at Brielle with both of her hands on my sister's shoulders, and then there was me, standing between my parents with my fathers arm wrapped around my back.

And then, the camera clicked and the flash of light nearly blinds my eyes, I shook my head violently as I took a sip of my milk.
"What are you doing up?" The harsh whisper made me jump and spilled some of the milk all over my silk blue nightgown, I looked over my shoulder to see Joe Jr standing a few inches away from me, "I wanted a drink," I said to him.
Joe Jr walked inside the kitchen, "couldn't sleep?"
I nodded my head in response, "no."
Joe Jr crossed his arms and glanced down at the marble floor, "me neither," he said.

I dumped the rest of the milk into the sink and rinsed out the glass before putting it back in the cabinet.
"You should go back to bed," Joe Jr replied as we both walked out of the kitchen.
I didn't want to sleep on that uncomfortable cot that I made on the floor, I looked toward Micah who was sleeping soundly in the bed, lucky him.

I said good night to Joe Jr and climbed into the bed without waking Micah, I layed down in my pillows and went into a deep sleep.