The Howling

Chapter Five

        Villette sat in the driver's seat, hands gripping the wheel, staring straight ahead. She could hear Al outside the car, walking, his armor clinking with every step he took. But the sound was distant. As if it were coming from the end of a tunnel or muffled in cotton.  

        She kept replaying the scene over and over in her mind. She shouldn't have stopped the car. She should have realized that he was an imposter. She should have trusted her instincts and floored the little car, pushing it as fast as it would go.  

        But no. She had done everything wrong. She had allowed him to sneak up on her and take her little brother. Just like that. No fight, no resistance. He had strolled in and taken him while she had simply sat there and watched. Just a quick spell to alter his appearance and that was all it took to fool her.  

        "-better." 

        She looked up at Al. He stood outside her door, leaned over slightly so that he could see her better. The window was still rolled down. 

        "I'm sorry Al. What were you saying?" 

        "That I believe the spell has worn off. I don't feel quite so stiff anymore. I feel better." 

        "That's good." 

        Al regarded her for a moment. "Villette. About what happened-" 

        "I don't want to talk about it." 

        "But Villette-" 

        She reached up and clicked her seatbelt on. "Get in. This time put the seatbelt on when you do." 

        Al hesitated for a moment and then moved around to the passenger's seat. He slid inside and pulled the seatbelt across his breastplate. Then he removed his helmet and sat it down in his lap, with the face in Villette's direction. 

        They drove in silence. Villette knew Al wanted to talk to her, to go over what had happened. But she knew what he would say. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known." He would have tried to make her feel better, to help alleviate some of the blame. 

        But she was the one to blame. She shouldn't have stopped. She shouldn't have let him stroll up to her window, nonchalant, and then pass Al's head to him. She had given it to him. Just like that. 

        She slammed on the brakes and swerved off to the side of the road. Car horns screeched behind her, drivers yelling at her as they drove past, with some of them throwing up angry hand gestures. 

        She gripped the wheel tighter. "I gave him your helmet." 

        "Villette-" 

        "I gave him your stupid helmet!" she shouted. She punched at the now rolled up driver's side window. "I gave him your stupid helmet! I rolled down the blasted window and just gave it to him!" 

        She punched the window again. "Here sir, have my guardian's bloody helmet. Oh, you want my little brother too? Sure. He's sitting in the backseat!" 

        She pulled back her fist to punch the glass once more but Al reached out and delicately caught her fist with his hand. "That's enough Villette." 

        "Let go of my arm Al," she snarled through gritted teeth, "or so help me I'll turn you into a teapot." 

        He sat silently for a moment. "I will release your arm only if you promise to refrain from punching the glass. Your hand is already bleeding."