The beast within

Chapter 21 She Knows

Hannah was confused, she saw Jack take the body to the back of the cabin and then he disappeared. She went to the back of the cabin and checked, but he wasn't there, so she just went inside where the rest of the group was. She sat down on a chair and just started thinking where he could have gone, she knows he's dangerous when he's like this, she's seen it before, and she'd hate to be on the receiving end of it. As she was thinking and remembering, she looked over at the last thing to face him, the windigo.

She continued thinking until she felt the ground shake and a loud noise coming from nowhere. She stepped outside to see what it was, and as she stepped outside, she saw it. The Were-brid was sitting in the shadows and watching the cabin, she saw it's gaze change as it focused on her. She started to walk towards it, when she reached it, she put her hand out with the palm face down. She then felt something furry touch it and when she looked from keeping her eyes closed, it was nuzzling her hand, allowing her to pet it. So she did, she pet it and scratched under its chin as it leaned a little into her touch and purred quietly.

The Were-brid's head rose up as it looked behind it, it went back and a shriek scream was heard before total silence, she saw as it came back with a dead body of someone she didn't know. She saw it drop the body and partially lay on it as it grabbed the body's arm with its teeth and start chewing it and tear it off, eating it, until there was nothing left, not even bones. It quickly flew over to the lake and drank some water out of it before going back over and laying against Hannah as it curled up, Hannah laid back a little with her back against its back.

A few hours later

Hannah got up and she felt it get up as well, she turned around as it started stretching. It quickly nuzzled her before she left, and it flew off somewhere as she went back into the cabin and started playing on her phone.

The Were-brid landed at a place full of officers, it had its meal, a drink, and rested, now it wanted to fight, to slaughter. It tore into every officer mercilessly and effortlessly, like they were made of butter. It let out a growl and flew back off, landing back at the cave and went inside it, laying down as it started to slowly transform back into Jack.

Jack got up and yawned and walked out of the cave and walked back down to the cabin and walked In and saw what everyone was doing. He just grabbed some food, ate it and then walked into the room him and Hannah was staying in, laid down and fell asleep. He was tired for some reason now, he doesn't get it but he doesn't care. After a while he woke up and yawned and got up, walked out of the room and checked the time, it was 16:10.

(for all of you who don't know the 24 hour clock, 16:10 is 4:10 pm, I'm just used to using the 24 hour clock, I'll try to use civilian time from now on, now back to the story)

He felt someone grab his arm and turned and saw Hannah there. He just sighed quietly and smiled "hey Hannah, what is it?" He asked her. "I have some questions that could use answering, some private questions" she said and dragged him to the door. He just shrugged and went with her outside until they were at the cave. "in here" is all she said before bringing him with her. He didn't like where this was heading a little, but still he followed.

"I came here when you were sleeping, I needed to check and make sure before confirming with you." She said as they entered a room and finally stopped. Jack recognized the room, it's where he killed the windigo. He looked around it, now noticing all the cracks in the place from what happened. "Jack, you fought the windigo, not Jay correct?" She asked him. "Yeah, I guess, why?" He started to panic a little. "So why does it look like Jay fought it? Not only do you two look the same, are dangerous, and can do the same amount of damage, but also I did some research on Jay." She began. Jack knew she knew at this point, or was about to know that him and Jay are the same person.

"Turns out he showed up around the time you disappeared off the face of the earth, until yesterday or a few days ago. The same time Jay disappears, he never takes off that mask, and you never wear one, but your father did at one point. And that is the same thing Jay said about his mask, it was originally his father's mask. You two have a lot in common and a lot of things match up, but I'd like to hear it from you." She said and turned towards him. "Are you Jay Colsen?" She finally asked. Jack Just chuckles at this and smiled. "About time you figure it out to be honest, I was expecting you to notice sooner. When I came charging in here and showed that strength, It should've shown it immediately, but you were focused on getting out at the time and i was being reckless and hardheaded. You have solved it and are completely correct, I am Jay, me and him are the same person." He confirmed her. "I'd just rather keep it a secret from everyone, cause you of all people know how I used to be. How bad I was, how much damage I did to people, the Monster I was. After a while I realized what i was doing was wrong in all sorts of ways and disappeared. I showed up at that place, wore the mask, and hid who I was, got 2 jobs, went to school, got my own place, and became the opposite of what I was. I've been trying to change for the better, but I lost myself across the way, and became emotionless again. I became cold-hearted and earned a reputation for stuff I did to people who wronged others." Jacob said as he pulled out the mask from his back pocket. He looked at it as it seemed to shine in the afternoon light. "I became the one thing to defeat me, or what I once was, and I'm steering people off my path, making them not turn into what I was. One beating at a time, I'm slowly doing it cause there is so much bad in this world and it needs to be fixed. That's the whole point of this little "crusade" of mine. To fix things, and make sure it doesn't happen again." Jack said as he looked up at her. "Yes I am Jay and Jack, and I'm sorry I kept it from you." He apologized. "Jack, I'm sorry, I didn't want to believe it, but I had a feeling it was you behind that mask, although I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to ask if it was you after you beat Ryan when he was bullying me. I just have one question now though." She said. Jack just stared into her eyes and nodded for her to ask it. "Back here, you didn't have to save me, you could've let me die and your secret would've been kept from everybody. No one would know who you were, so why? Why did you come and save me?" She asked him. Jack just laughed a little at this, "Hannah, I did it for two reasons, I know could've just left you here and kept my identity a secret still, and continue with that act, the first reason is because of the promise I made to you long ago if you remember it, and the second reason is cheesy as hell." He said. "What promise was it? You know you don't have to keep them." She said and tilted her head. "I keep my promises, and the promise was to protect you as long as I'm around. As long as I'm around, no one will hurt you. That was and is the promise." He said and slipped the mask back into his pocket. "So, What now?" She asked him. "Well, we continue as if Jay isn't here, then when we get back to our town, I have to sew the mask back together and be Heartless and emotionless Jay again." He said. "Awww" Hannah said and pouted. "Only in public, if it's just us, I can be Jack for as long as we want, mask off and showing emotions, like for instance hanging out with just you. Cause now I'd still like to keep it a secret, but now it's our secret and not just my secret" Jack chuckled and smiled at her. "Okay, so want to go back now?" She asked him. "Sure, remember, no one else can know about our secret." He replied.