The Sentinel

Chapter 11

(Donovan POV)

This was stupid. Trying to watch the Silver Pines pack was like wrangling cats with a Jello lasso. They were wolf more than they were human.

They tore up the construction site as often as they could. Other than that they were almost feral. I've been here almost a week, other than learning which she- wolves were easy lays, I have found nothing noteworthy.

I just hoped whoever was watching Calla didn't let her suffer last night.

The moon was so full, it had to have been painful for her.

(Calla POV)

I woke up on the couch. I stretched out and saw my arms. Human arms. Wow, that was one vivid, horrible dream.

I sat up wondering if Amelia had come home last night.

I squeaked as I realized I was butt naked in the living room.

“Damn, I must have slept stripped too!” I said as I cracked my back and walked to my bedroom.

My reflection in the mirror looked a little off. My hair looked more lustrous than it ever had. My hip bones and collar bones that normally were very prominent had receded some. I could still see them, but I couldn't grab onto them like I had been able to the other day.

My forehead wrinkled a tiny bit as I scrunched my eyes trying to figure out what was going on.

I grabbed my favorite jean shorts and a tank top out of my closet. The shorts had never been this tight before. I turned in the mirror and my backside was definitely more rounded than it had been before. I had a foster family that used to call my backside ‘back with a crack’ everything was weird. I threw my tank top on and stopped. I had never had to worry about a bra with a dark tank before. My breasts were normally small enough to get away with not wearing one. But now, good Lord, what were these C’s? How the hell did this happen? Maybe my all steak diet was catching up to me in a big way.  

I heard the key slide into the lock on the front door.

The door slowly creaked open.

“Hel… hello?” Amelia whispered. She was peeking around the door when I walked into the living room.

“Ahhh! Stay back!” she yelled and threw her flip flop at me.

“What the hell!” I yelled back. “Why are you throwing your shoe at me?”

“Calla? Is that you? Is it safe for me to come in?” Amelia sounded scared.

“Yeah, it's me. Why wouldn't it be safe for you to come in?”

She fully opened the door but didn't come inside. “Calla I don't know what's going on.”

Tears slipped down her face and I could see the fear and turmoil in her eyes.

“Wow you must have drank a ton last night.” I shook my head and walked into the kitchen. “You want coffee and some Tylenol?” I asked as I started the coffee maker.

“You, You can't be real.” Amelia said as she watched me cautiously from the living room.

“What's wrong with you?” I looked at her trying to figure her out.

“Here watch.” Amelia dipped down and slid her phone on the ground over to me.

I caught it right before it slid under the fridge. “Are we playing some kind of game? I raised in eyebrow in question.

She shook her head. “Watch the first video in my gallery.”

I thumbed through her apps and found her gallery. I pushed play on the first video.

I saw me on the hallway floor. My limbs disjointed and at odd angles. I quickly sat down on the kitchen floor before I fell over.

It wasn't a dream.

I watched myself twist and turn. I watched as I became a large dog. “Holy shit.” I whispered and turned to Amelia.

She nodded and looked down. “Calla I don't know how or why you did that.” She pointed at her phone. “but we'll figure it out. Okay?” Her tears were drying on her cheeks, but she still looked frightened.

“I'm sorry I scared you. I don't know what's going on either. I'm scared too. I won't hurt you.” Tears now threatened to spill from my eyes.

“Oh my god Cal.” She approached me slowly and stopped an arm's length from me.

I timidly raised my arm up and she grabbed my hand. She helped me stand up and pulled me into a hug. “We'll figure it out.” She mumbled over and over again as we hugged and cried together.

“Come on, let's go get some breakfast. Wait do you even want people food now?” She asked with raised eyebrows.

“Yeah, I mean steak still sounds good. But all food sounds good right now.” I pulled our mugs down and filled each with coffee. I added milk and sugar to mine and just milk to Amelia’s. “Here. I need this first.”

“Thanks.” her breath rushed out. “My god, look at you!” she spun me in a circle. “Girl, where did all this come from?” She pointed at my butt.

I shrugged. “I wish I knew what was going on. I woke up this morning like this.” My hands trembled as I raised my coffee cup to my lips.

“Okay, let's eat and research.”

“What are we supposed to look up? Human to dog conversion?” I pondered from my laptop as Amelia scrambled us some eggs.

“Dog? Honey you were way bigger than a dog. Like wolf size.” She split the eggs onto two plates and set one in front of me. “Wait, you said the dog that bit you was a big dog. Was it bigger than you?”

“Maybe, I think they were bigger. I guess. Hard to really tell.” I typed wolf into my search bar.

We search for hours, with hardly any results. There were some fables and fairy tales of Native Americans that could turn into animals. I wasn't Native American that I knew of. But I guess it was possible.

“Can you like do it whenever you want?” Amelia suddenly asked from across the table.

“Umm, I don't know. I didn't really try to do it last night and when I woke up this morning I was back to normal.” I shrugged.

“Try now.” She urged.

“I don't know if that's a good idea. What if I can't turn back?” I was scared to find out.

“Yeah, guess you have a point.” She tapped her front teeth. “Should we like take you to the doctors or something?”

That sounded like a bad idea. I shook my head. “What if they think I'm crazy and lock me up. Or do weird tests on me?”

She nodded. “Yeah, you're probably right.”

She stood up and paced around the kitchen.

“Well we still are supposed to go for spring break tomorrow. Maybe we just relax and keep trying to find some answers by the beach.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I didn't know what else to do. We had already paid the security deposit for our place.

I closed my laptop. “I have to finish packing.”

Amelia sighed “Me too. Don't forget your phone charger and tanning oil.”