Timeless

Alex

The whole week was uneventful. All of us went on walks through the woods, but no one saw anything strange.

Once they left, I was alone again. Two weeks passed in a blur. Like one second it was there and the next, gone. Then it was Back-to-School shopping.

The beginning of chaos.

It took over a week before everything settled down to where I could do my chores and slip off into the woods for a much-needed run. My mom finally left me home alone because there were no more school stops to make.

Rushing through the few chores, I took off down the back steps and hit the woods at a dead run. I ran until I couldn't anymore, then slowed.

I realized I was nearly to the field when I felt it. Someone was watching me.

Slowly turning, I looked over my shoulder and found a wolf standing, half hidden, behind some trees.

My first thought was that it was a brown bear. The face was what told me what it really was. I didn't understand or know how a wolf this big hadn't made it on the news before. The ice blue eyes it had practically glowed as it stared.

The problem was it was snarling in my direction silently. My instincts didn't flare and then it glanced at me and returned its glare over my shoulder. Something was causing this beautiful creature to tense ... and it was behind me.

Before I got a good look, there was a sharp pain behind my eyes and I felt like I was falling. As the world faded, I saw a pale face with long, exposed fangs and could hear a low angry growl.

***

"Ugh," I groaned when I came to. My head felt like it would explode as I sat up quickly.

"Oh my god. She's awake!" Someone said. It sounded like Liz.

Opening my eyes proved I was right. Shay and Liz were sitting on my bed looking at me worriedly.

"What? How? Who found me?" Was what I managed.

"I wanted to see if you wanted to go swimming. Since you weren't home, I went towards the old barn to see if you were out there. I found you lying in the middle of it," Casey said from the chair next to my desk.

"B-but I was near the field," I stuttered out.

"You must've moved or something," Shay said, with a worried look.

"What about the wolf? The big, brown wolf?" I asked.

All of my friends shook their heads. Casey seemed to have tensed, but I had no idea why.

Casey frowned, but said, "Maybe you should lay off the werewolf books. Maybe you just fell asleep at the barn and dreamt the rest of it. Remember, school starts soon."

"Ugh, I know," I whined, "and it wasn't a dream." No one got a chance to argue because my mom came in and made them leave so I could rest.

***

"So, Alex, are you going to tell us what really happened?  I know giant, snarling wolves don't exist." Shay questioned as he drove us to the second day of Junior year.

"What I've said. I was walking and this wolf appeared from nowhere. I stayed calm and everything went black," I answered for the hundredth time. For the last three days, Shay had, been questioning me. They didn't know about the man because my instincts had kicked in and warned me not to. "It's possible the wolf was a loner."

"Okay.... To better topics," Liz said to keep arguments down. "What classes you get, Alex?"

"I got... History, Personal Finance,  Physics, and Animal Sciences. Damn, second lunch," I said, welcoming the change in subject.

"Least it's not fourth," Casey said sleepily from the backseat. He had slept the whole ride.

"We have second and third class together, Alex," Shay said. "We're here."

"Great," came the groan from Casey.

*******

For several weeks, my routine became school, chores, homework, and sleep with no chance to go for a run. Even though every time I went out back I felt like I was being watched, I just wanted to get away and run.

Since getting his license, Casey split the days with Shay for driving to school. This Friday it was Casey who pulled up.

"Hey, Case. Where's Liz and Shay?" I asked. They were usually picked up first.

"Shay and I argued."

"What about? And does Liz know?" I wondered.

"Yes, she knows," he responded.

"Why am I. ... Oh," I realized. "It was about what I said about the wolf isn't it?"

Startled, Casey just said, "Yeah. He- he doesn't believe you. I tried to make him understand you don't see things and you don't lie."

"And you fought."

"Yeah."

We were quiet for a while as he drove. Then he asked, "Do you want to blow off school? I mean, you seem like you need a break from everything," he said hurriedly as I looked at him suddenly.

I think he expected me to say no. "Where would we go? My dad's at work, but my mom would freak if we showed back up," I said instead.

"W-well... My dad's out of town. Maybe we could just hang out at my house? Go for a run, maybe," Casey suggested a bit hesitantly. Then he cleared his throat, "The fridge is well-stocked, too."

"You had me at the part we skip school, Case. But.... Now that you mention it, I am rather hungry." That had us both laughing as Casey turned the opposite way from the school at the next intersection.

***
"I've never seen your house, Case," I commented as we drove down what seemed to be a road, but was actually a long ass driveway. "What does your dad do anyway?"

"Ha! Can't your 'instincts' tell you what he does?" was the only answer I got before we rounded the last curve and left the trees.

It was HUGE. It looked to have four stories, and as we drove towards a garage easily five times as big as my house, I could do nothing but stare. It was a mansion. Off near a tree line and fence was a building where people were leading horses around.

"A stable!" I muttered. "Casey? What the HELL!? Why do we meet at my house? I bet there is more room in your closet than the kitchen at my house!"

When I looked at Casey, he had a full-blown grin on his face. As I narrowed my eyes at him, he laughed, "So, does this mean you want a tour?"

"Only so I don't get lost."

"I'll take that as a yes, since you never get lost," he said, chuckling as he found a spot in the garage. There were literally thirty cars in here!