☽ Howl ☾ [ SOLBY AU ] ✔

☽ 2 ☾

The morning was of the soft kind with pastel blues and pinks as the orange early morning light came through the pine trees and into the cabin. Gentle rain came down outside, coating everything in a mist of water. Only the sound of a few birds, the breathing of six inhuman creatures, and the thumping of their six hearts echoed in Colby's ears.

The brunette was leaning against the railing of their balcony, looking out at the landscape before him some twenty feet down and out. His hair had fallen into his face a long time ago, but he hadn't moved it from his eyes. Colby didn't want to move it, but rather let it hide his eyes from the world. He barely moved anyway. What he really wanted was to test his theory about his eyes.

Behind him, his five roommates sat or leaned on various pieces of balcony furniture that existed. Beside Colby was, as always, Sam, who sat on a chair with his legs crossed over each other, his arms folded across his bare chest. Piercing blue eyes staring out at the four others before them.

Sitting on the stool by the bar was a tall male with sad brown eyes. He wore only a pair of sweats leaving his chest (a tad hairy) bare to the cool morning air, though he honestly couldn't feel it. The male was picking at his fingernails where there was still some blood on them from last nights Change. Elton Castee sighed, refusing to look at Sam's stare.

On the lounge chair was a lanky figure curled up into a very tight ball, a furry blanket wrapped around its form. Dull chocolate eyes stared at the pattern of the wood on the floor of the balcony. The light breeze and mist in the air stuck to Jake Webber's dyed pink hair, which was slowly returning to his natural brown color. A process which was being sped up by their new inhuman natures.

Standing at the door to the cabin, leaning against the wall, was a larger figure. He had a man bun on the top of his head, obviously quickly put together in hurry this morning. Beneath Corey Sherer's deep sunken eyes were dark bags from lack of sleep, but he stared at Colby's back rather than meet Sam's piercing gaze. In the morning light and mist, his bare chest glistened like a thousand diamonds encrusted there from him standing there for so long. Slowly, he raised his hand to swipe the dew away.

The last person was also leaning on the railing like Colby, but was looking up at the trees about eight feet away from Colby. His eyes were tracing the trees for any sign of movement. Aaron Doh found the trees particularly fascinating and the way the ravens would fly out of them with a dark "majesticness" to them. Out of all of them, Aaron was the most clothed wearing a tank top and a pair of sweats.

"I'll ask again," Sam took leadership as he always did with their group, as the psychic had even said before their Stanley Hotel series, but Sam's words didn't have much hold on them anymore, "Should we leave today?"

This was a normal routine for them the morning after their Change. Should they stay another night at the cabin and rid themselves of the Change's last effects or go back to the Trap House in L.A. and continue on with their Youtube social lives? Normally, one of them would say something, but today was different.

Something had changed in their dynamics towards each other.

Colby raised his head, which grabbed everyone's attention on the balcony, and he slowly turned around. Leaning his back against the railing, elbows perched on the top of it. His sapphire eyes peered out from his fallen fringe at his friends. Every single one of them was looking at him, even Aaron had pulled his gaze from the woods. Remembering the feeling he had last night when he stared at himself in the mirror, Colby spoke to the group, "Should we stay here for another night or go back to L.A.?"

"Stay," someone said swiftly.

Colby's eyes, which were a glow red though he couldn't see it, fell on Jake curled up in his blankets. Their gaze connected and it seemed like Colby could tell everything he was feeling like his emotions were right on his face. But, Jake was never that easy to read... until now. Colby could see how much pain there was in Jake at that moment and there was a tinge of fear there too. He wondered if it had something to do with Jake's girlfriend with the fear of what Jake could do to her.

"Then we stay," Colby nodded to him.

"Okay," Sam agreed quickly and everyone gave their own murmur of acknowledgement.

Colby swallowed the uncomfortable lump in his throat at having this much leadership and attention. He needed to speak to Sam, but how to get everyone away? Then, as if Elton and Jake had heard him, the pair stood up, giving the others a quick glance. Aaron and Corey turned back to the cabin, following behind Elton and Jake as they crossed the threshold. Sam, too, had made a move to stand, but Colby stepped forward making the blonde pause. When the other four were gone, Colby swiftly fell into the chair beside Sam.

Letting go of the breath he didn't know he was holding and his eyes returning to their normal blue color, Colby gazed at Sam's face.

"Dude...," Sam was slightly confused as to everything that just happened and Colby didn't like that look on his best friends face.

"What did you feel when I was talking, Sam?" Colby asked right away.

"How were you able to make them decide so quickly, Colby?" Sam fired back, a slight tint of anger in his blue eyes.

Colby lowered his gaze, "I don't know. It's been happening for the last few days. If one of them did something and told them otherwise, they would do it without question. I don't understand how. I just know that my eyes flash red when it happens and-and-and-and...," Colby sighed and looked back up at Sam, "Why am I the only one with red eyes?"

Sam stared at Colby for a moment, but, unlike Jake, Colby couldn't tell what he was thinking. After a moment, Sam spoke softly and broke their gaze, "I've been thinking about a lot of things lately, Colby, and one of those things was our eye colors. I've spoken with everyone individually about it."

Colby perked up at this.

"Aaron, Corey, and I are the only ones with golden eyes. Elton and Jake have blue and you are the only with red."

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know."

Colby growled lowly, which made Sam curl a bit into himself, "Damn it... I'm tired of not knowing what's going on with us."

"I know."

Colby stood up from his seat, his hands threading through his hair, and pulling on it in frustration, "After the attack on us at Witch's Forest, every single person who was mauled and bitten by that creature is here in this cabin now. And every night there is a full moon we come out to this cabin and change into some creature."

"I know, Colb-."

"I don't know about you or the others, but I have some recollection of that what happens during that time, but everything is blurry and blank most of the time. I remember wanting to maul something and wanting to howl at the moon. I remember the feeling of calmness that came over me when I howled to it," the realization of the words he choice registered in Colby's mind and he snapped his head to look at Sam, who was trying to speak, but Colby was on a rant, "Howled? Sam, do you think-?"

Sam smiled softly, but it wasn't a happy smile, more of an acknowledgement of what Colby had said, and nodded, "Yes. I was trying to tell you that I think I've figured out at least what we all are."

"Werewolves."