Fall into my confusing journey

Chapter 11

There is a picture of what it would look like if Howl and Sophie didn't join up with Autumn. (I did not draw this, I found it on the internet.)

Howl found us when he smelled my blood. When we were little, and I got scrapes, he would always tell me that my blood smells good. I used to laugh and joke that he was more like a vampire from the myths.

He would always cross his arms and grumble, "I'm not like those weird bloodsuckers. I'm more like a werewolf." Sometimes it was jokingly. Others, he actually seemed offended I compared the two.

But because I was a little nerdy, I would always produce him with a fact stating why he could never be a werewolf. Like, "You don't go crazy about the moon." Or, "You don't live in a pack." Or, "You don't have a scary dominant alter-ego wolf possessing your body."

Although, it was kind of strange how when I would say that his eyes seemed to darken or a mischievous twinkle would appear. But I never asked about it because I was afraid of the answer.

When Howl found Nathan and me this time, he commented on how the fragrance of my blood filled his nostrils to the point his mind clouded over and he doesn't even remember how he found us. Nathan did not like that.

He immediately dashed in between me and Howl, knife at the ready. Howl's eyes darken just like when we were kids and looks around Nathan into my eyes. I don't really know if Howl is joking or not but laugh anyway.

As we approach the hideout, which apparently wasn't that far, Sera comes running out in terror. "G-get get him away fr-from me! Help!" Sophie runs out to in the opposite emotional state. She's doubled over laughing.

"Oh! This is way better than going to the High School!" She says on her knees. Rya is chasing after Sera with some sort of fabric in his mouth. It takes me a moment to realize that it's the same fabric that used to be on her butt.

There's a huge tear in her shorts!

It takes a lot of strength to withstand a solar energy shot, but it takes a hundred times more to not join Sophie on the floor. And I can't take all that strain so I gave in to my deepest desire and laughed long and hard before calling Rya away from the tree Sera is clinging to.

"Rya, we don't rip pri- uh er, girls' shorts. It's not nice. Um... especially when the girl is wearing the shorts. We don't want her undies being shown to the whole forest, okay?"

Rya bobs his head up and down. I mean he might have. I can't tell anymore. I'm probably losing too much blood. I nod back and stand up from my crouch.

"Alright. Sera, Sophie. We don't know each other well but I would greatly appreciate it if you could treat Autumn's injury. I couldn't..." Nathan looks down and I can see him slightly trembling as he clenches his fists. "I couldn't protect her as well as I would have liked to.

"So could you please patch her up? I'm not the greatest at hospitality."

"Sure!" Sophie chirps completely unfazed by Nathan's sudden dark attitude.

"As soon as I get new shorts." Sera mutters still trying to keep a safe distance from Rya. In response, Rya taps at her and tries to follow but I grab him right before she starts freaking out.