Heroes and Villains, Season Four

[spideyfan914]

FULL MOON

Summer is here. Jake and Rose are off on vacation, bringing the Bielle family along to the Catskill Mountains, visiting Jarret Bielle, an older cousin. But there's something eerie about these woods.... When the sun goes down, there are shadows running around, and it's hard to tell which are real.... Monsters, voices, and a string of murders - something strange is going on, and it might just kill them all....

Yet another addition to the Heroes and Villains series - this one changes everything. COMING SOON!


Note: Please refrain from commenting in this thread. Any comments, questions, etc. may be posted in the separate comments thread. Any miscellaneous posts here will be deleted.

[spideyfan914]

Episode One: AN ISSUE OF TRUST

"So you still haven't seen him at all, Mrs. Urson?"
The old woman covered in way too much make-up solemnly shook her head.
"No, he…. he hasn't come here at all…. He rarely came by even before the…. well, you know…. I - I hoped you boys had shown up with some news…."
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Urson," Shawn sighed. "We've been looking all over New York, but with no luck."
"No one's seen or heard from Doug in weeks," I said. "It's like he just vanished off the face of the earth."
"You'd think that he'd have visited home at some point, but…. I see him even less now than I used to…."
Shawn and I looked at each other. Had Doug not told them….?
"Mrs. Urson…. you did know what was happening to your son, didn't you? I mean, before he was outed."
She laughed. "Are you kidding? Why would he tell me anything?"
"Well, um…. I guess he was just…. ashamed of it -"
"No," she interrupted, waving it off. "He was ashamed of us, of me, of this whole damn house!"
She threw her arms around wildly. We sat on moth-eaten couches in the Urson home, eating small slices of bread from chipped china plates. Though she called it a house, they really only owned a small apartment with a few rooms - the living room, with its ancient satellite television resting on a cinder block across from us; a small kitchen area, from which you could smell the remains of an earlier gas leak; the bedroom, with a couple of mattresses and sheets lying on the floor; and the bathroom, where the toilet didn't work and so you had to use the cold shower for all means.
"It's…. not that bad…."
"Not that bad? You seen this wallpaper?" She reached over and grabbed a tear, pulling and shredding a strip off, revealing a hole in the wall leading right into the bedroom.
"MONA!!!!"
The door to the bedroom slammed open as Doug's father stumbled in.
"I'm goin' out tonigh'! You needta gimme a few bucks so's I can -"
"Boris, can't you see we have company?"
Mr. Urson looked down at me and Shawn with a dumb stupefied look. "Oh, great…. Now you're goin' for kids!"
Mrs. Urson jumped from the couch. "Hell no! They're here about our son!"
"I don' have a son!"
"How dare you! Doug is the one good thing that's come out of our lives and -"
"That damn skull kid isn' my son! He's'a probally from one o' the other guys you hooked up wi' that night, ya dirty slut!"
Mrs. Urson threw her plate across the room at her husband, who ducked as the chinaware shattered against the wall behind him.
"YOU GODDAMN DRUNKEN HOBO! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
"I was jus' doin' that, ya crazy b-"
"OUT!!!" She ran for a drawer and yanked it open, but Mr. Urson had already run out the door. "AND DON'T COME BACK!!!!!"
Shawn and I sat there in silence, wondering if we should get involved. Before Mrs. Urson shut the drawer, I noticed a small silver knife inside. Sitting back on the couch, she wiped a few tears from her face, smearing the eye-liner and lipstick. She plucked a cockroach off her piece of bread and kept eating as though nothing had happened.
"Mrs. Urson…." I continued. "Your son…. He's a great kid…. smart, talented…. He's a bit shy, but -"
"He didn't get it from us," she shook her head. "Even growing up, he stayed away. Spent most of his time at the library, rather than in that one bedroom while me and my husband were having…. Or just I was…."
She sobbed gently, letting the tears soak her face.
"Please…. You're his friends, right….? Please…. Find my son…. He's all I have…."
---
"Jesus Christ…." I said, as Shawn and I walked through the streets of New York back toward his place. The sun was setting in the horizon. "I can't believe he never told us about this…."
"Would you have told me if you were him?"
"I - Of course I - Um…. Is there a right answer….?"
Shawn chuckled. "Honestly, I'm beginning to think that Doug may not want to be found…."
"No, s***, Sherlock! Last we saw him, he was questioning his own sanity and acting like he was still some pawn of the devil…."
"Has your father learned anything?"
"No!"
Shawn raised an eyebrow at my enthusiasm. "Um…. Something wrong….?"
"Um…. No, no…. Everything's fine…."
My dad. The cop….
---
"Hey Dad?" I'd asked. "Um, sorry to bug you, but you know about….?"
"About your 'friends'? Yes, Jake, I've heard…."
"Well, uh…. Doug's kind of, um, still missing…. It's like nobody's seen him and -"
"If the police had found him," my dad had grunted, "he'd be jailed by now."
"What?"
"Jake, that boy is a murderer."
"No he isn't! He isn't Reaper!"
"At the least, he's wanted for questioning. At the most, he's wanted for a string of brutal first degree murders. You know they found another corpse last night? Interesting timing…."
I didn't know that. Usually, I get dreams with these things…. but lately, I'd only been getting Reaper's dreams…. What if -? But no, no…. Still, how was I supposed to respond?
"It wasn't his fault…. Reaper had him - maybe still has him…."
"Reaper's dead."
"No! He isn't! Listen, I - Doug's trying to control it! He - I've explained this! Shawn's -"
"Shawn should be arrested too!"
"Wh…. what….?"
"You say he has a demon possessing his body?"
"But…. Phantom is a hero! He - he saved me -"
"Jake, where were you last week when you went missing for well over twenty-four hours?"
I blinked. "I…. I tried to tell you…."
"I don't want you hanging around that kid, Jake."
"But he's the good guy! He's -"
"He's only got so much time before the tables turn…."
"He's…. he's wanted by the police….?"
Dad had scowled. "Unfortunately, the Corporal disagrees with me on this one…. but it's only a matter of time…."
---
He used to be my hero. And now….
"The police have had no more luck finding Doug than we have. I'm not even sure if he's in New York anymore, and if he is, he's an awfully good hider…."
Shawn furrowed his eyebrows. He knew something was up, but what could I tell him?
"I'll let you know if anything comes up while you're away…."
I smiled. "'Have fun, Jake.' 'Gee, thanks, Shawn!' Great friend, yup…."
"Have fun with your girlfriend."
"She's not my -"
"We're here."
He pointed in front of us, at his apartment building. I sighed as Shawn opened the door and we started to the stairs.
"YOU!" We spun around at the old landlady running up to us, her door ajar, newspaper and coffee mug in hand.
"Listen, Mrs. Flems," Shawn moaned. "I'll get the rent, I just need -"
"Oh, no you won't!" she yelled. "I don't want you in this goddamn place anymore!"
"Wh- what? But - but why?"
"You and your goddamn demon can take a hike for all I care! Take your lousy two-bit muggers with you!"
"I -" Shawn was completely flabbergasted, as I flicked my head back and forth between them, halfway up the staircase. "You - you've never had a problem with it before…."
"No, but the street thugs have! They come in here today, looking for Phantom! Wreck this place us a bit and - HEY!"
Shawn turned and darted up the stairs. The landlady started toward me, as I raced up after him. Three flights and I was completely out of breath, running up to Shawn's open door panting mercilessly.
"Shawn! God!" I gasped. "What are you -?"
Shawn stood in the doorway, gazing in, unspeaking, motionless. I looked in as well, saw the flipped over chairs, the torn wallpaper, the shattered television. The Phantom rune where he changed his form had been charred, as though it were burning earlier. There was graffiti on the walls - it read "GO TO PITTSBURGH, FREAK," and "SINNERS REPENT," and "LEAVE THE COPPING TO THE COPS," and "BURN IN HELL, DEMON," and "BET YOU ATE YOUR PARENTS TOO."

[spideyfan914]

Episode Two: A DAY IN THE WOODS

My parents drove me over to Rose's house early that morning.
"How many shorts did you pack?"
"Seven."
"How many shirts did you pack?"
"Seven."
"How many pairs of socks did you pack?"
"Seven."
"How many pairs of underwear -"
"MOM!"
I opened the door and got out of the car. Rose was waiting there with her sister and mom.
"Hi, Jake," Mrs. Bielle smiled.
"Oh, you must be Rose's mom!" my mom went on, climbing out. "Harvey, help Jake with his bags, will you? Now then, Mrs. Bielle -"
"Please, call me Mary."
"Okay, Mary. So, Jake has a lot of allergies, and you need to make sure he takes his medicine every day. If he doesn't, his sinuses will go crazy all day long!"
"Mom!"
"If he gets stung by a bee or eats something he's not supposed, then he's got his Epi-Pen on him - RIGHT, JAKE??"
"Yes, Mom!" I lugged my suitcase out of the one trunk and into the other quickly, trying to get out.
"Now, knowing my son, he isn't going to carry his Epi-Pen around with him, so you have to make sure and ask him every time he leaves the house -"
"Geez, your mom's worse than my mom…." Rose laughed, walking up next to me as I tossed the suitcase inside.
"I'll take that as hope for the summer."
"What'd you bring?"
"Mostly clothes. Few movies."
She unzipped and peeked inside. "Chuck the Bad Things - I have Midnight Moon."
"Sweet!"
My mom was still going. "By the way, Mary, I don't mean to be rude, but where's your husband?"
"Oh, he was called away on business. It's going to be just me for this vacation."
"Are you going to be all right with all these kids by yourself?"
"Oh, well, Rose's cousin Jarrett will be there, and he'll help divide the spoils."
"How old is Jarrett? Will you tell him everything I told you?"
Mrs. Bielle laughed. "He's twenty-eight, and of course."
"Come on, Rose," I nudged. "Maybe if we wait in the car, they'll go away."
"It's a plan."
I jumped into the backseat next to Abby, and Rose got into the front. Our parents just kept on talking.
"Maybe honk the horn a little?"
"My mom would kill me if I did that…. I don't get to honk the horn until I get a license."
I could see my dad was already back in the car, probably sleeping. We'd said good-bye by the trunk, and that was that.
"Well, I'd better get going now," my mom finally said. "Oh, Jake!"
"Oh, God…."
"I'll see you in a few months, sweetie! You call every day now, you hear?"
"Yeah, I know."
"Don't forget your Epi-Pen! And wear clean underwear!"
"Mom!"
"Brush your teeth every day, wear deodorant -"
"I know, I know!"
"Okay, okay! Just checking on my baby!"
"MOM!"
"I love you, Jake!"
"Love you too, Mom…." I grumbled.
"What was that?"
"Love you too, Mom!"
"Kiss!"
I moaned quite audibly. Rose was staring at us with her lips curled in, trying to hold in a laugh. Abby, meanwhile, didn't even bother trying - she just laughed uncontrollably.
"Okay, fine!" my mom grouched. "No kiss!"
"Okay, you can go now!"
"You sure you're good with this, right, honey? I mean, what with everything's that happened recently -"
"Well, if you guys don't want me seeing Shawn…."
"Okay, okay! Bye, honey! I'll see you real soon! Don't you worry!"
"Uh-huh! Bye, Mom!"
"Good-bye!"
"Yes - good-bye."
"Okay, so, um…."
"You can go now."
"Yes, okay. Bye, Jake! Bye, Rose! Bye, Mary - and remember, if he has any problems, you send him right home!"
"Mom!"
"Okay, okay! Good-bye!"
"Yes! You said that!"
"Okay!"
"Okay!!"
"Bye!"
"Good-bye!!!"
As she finally left, I rolled up the window and leaned my head back against the seat moaning, as Rose and Abby began hysterically laughing.
"Can we go now?"
At last, we drove off, leaving Manhattan and going off into the Catskill Mountains.
"So what's the town like over there?" I asked, starting conversation.
"No town," Rose shook. "Or at least, not close-by, anyway. Jarrett has a big commute for grocery shopping."
"Seriously?"
"It's the true mountain experience," Mrs. Bielle explained.
"And he…. lives there….?"
She laughed. "He likes the solitude. He says it helps him think."
"What about money?"
"He's a writer."
"Ah."
"Having second thoughts?" Rose laughed.
"No, no, it's all good. Anywhere but here."
"So Jake," Abby blurted, "are you really friends with Phantom??"
"Um…. Yeah…."
"Wow, that's really cool! So have you, like, seen him and stuff?"
"Um…. A few times, yeah…."
"Is it true that he can shoot energy beams out of his fists and melt things with his eyes??"
"Um…. No…."
"Can he turn invisible and walk through walls?"
"Well, yeah…. That's why they call him Phantom…."
"And he can teleport?"
"Uh, sort of…." She was very enthusiastic.
"Can he actually kill people by touching them?"
"Uh…."
"Have you seen him kill people??" This was getting awkward.
"Abby, don't pry into people's lives," Mrs. Bielle said casually.
"But Mom! It's just a question!"
"Geez, you never go on like this with me," Rose said.
"Well, you don't Phantom!"
"Actually, I both know him and I was one of the few in on his identity," she smirked.
"Really?? Have you seen him kill people??"
"Oh, yeah! Dozens of times!"
"Rose!" I snapped.
"Have you met Reaper too??"
"As a matter of fact," Rose went on, "I fought Reaper off with my bare hands."
"Hey! Even I needed a mop!"
"Did Phantom stop him??"
"Yup, he did it with his death touch!" Rose leaned in, looking Abby in his eyes. "You know, sometimes, when you're talking about him, like we are now…."
"Uh-huh, uh-huh…."
"He can HEAR you…."
Abby stared. "Really??"
"Yup, sure can!"
"Wait - Phantom or Reaper?"
"Both."
"Wow…. Hey Jake, did you know that??"
"Rose, stop encouraging her," I moaned.
"Wait, I'm done yet!" Rose smiled wickedly. "You see, Abby, if you go on like this, then Reaper might just come after you…."
"Wh-what?"
Mrs. Bielle just rolled her eyes and ignored them both.
"Yup!"
"But - but Phantom would come too, right? If he could hear us?"
"Not necessarily!"
"Oh…. Wow…."
"So what Rose is trying to say is that you shouldn't really go on about Reaper like this."
"O-okay!" Abby nodded frightfully.
I smiled, leaning back. "God, I wish I had thought of that with my brother!"
"You have a brother, Jake?"
I looked over at Abby, who had already shaken off the Reaper scare and was now talking intently again.
"Um…. Well, yes - yes I do…. He's about your age, actually…."
"What's his name?"
"Blake," I responded, a small teardrop slipping down my cheek. "His name is Blake."
"I didn't see him in the car when your parents dropped you off," Abby said. "Is he sleeping or something?"
---
About an hour and a half later, after miles of driving through the thick of the woods, we pulled up in front of a small little cottage.
"Here we are, kids," Mrs. Bielle declared, shutting down the car.
Abby jerked awake. "Huh? What? Are we there? We're there!"
She opened up the car and jumped out. As the rest of us rose out of our seats at a more human pace, a yound man appeared in the door of the cottage.
"Hey, ladies!" he waved. "And ladies' friend!"
"Jarrett, this is Jake Bradley, a friend of Rose's from school."
"Nice to meet you, Jake," Jarrett greeted, extending his hand politely.
"You too. I hear you're a writer?"
"That would explain the many crumpled pieces paper in my trash bin, yes."
"I've written a few bits here and there myself," I smiled. "I suppose you could consider me a writer."
"Really? Well, it's nice to meet some kin - us men have to stick together, you know?"
"Then I suppose you heard that Gary isn't coming?" Mrs. Bielle asked as she opened up the trunk.
"Yup, got your message about an hour ago. I'd have called back, but I figured you were on the road and the country police are rather strict about these things. Shall I show you all to your rooms, then?"
"Oh, yes. I have mine and Abby's bags here."
"Right this way."
As they went inside, I went to collect my own bags. It was a nice cottage, in a little clearing on the edge of the mountain. Below was a view of a small little lake at the foot of the hill, and up above was a thick forest. Everything was a rich green, and it was somewhat surprising how pleasant the weather was. I could tell why a writer would like it - it was beautiful, and I don't use that word lightly.
"Hey, Jake!" Rose called. "If you got your bags, then come on."
"I hope you don't mind sharing a room with me," Jarrett said."
Before I walked through the door, I took one last look into the forest. The trees gently swayed with the wind, as though the forest were living and breathing. Everything was connected, blowing simultaneously.
There was a light rustling noise. My eyes flicked to a small little bush. For a split-second, I thought I caught a glimmer of something, something moving against the woods.
"Hey, you guys see that?" I asked, flicking my head to Rose and Jarrett.
"See what?" Jarrett asked.
"There was something over there, in the bushes."
"Oh, we get all sorts of wildlife around here. It was probably just a deer or something."
"I don't know…. I don't really think -"
"You ever been to the Catskills before?"
"No."
"Exactly," Jarrett laughed. "Now come on. Lemme help you with that."
He took my bags and walked into the house. I looked over to Rose, who was staring into the woods, not saying a word.
"You saw it, didn't you?"
"I…. It was probably just a deer…."
"But you saw it?"
She looked at me, then turned to follow Jarrett. "Come on, let's get unpacked."

[spideyfan914]

Episode Three: MURDER BY MOONLIGHT

hows the apartment search going
it isnt
o that bad
ill probably just sleep in noudas realm
dude that sucks
better than sleeping with rose :-)
shut up
"Hey Jake! Put down the phone and come on already!"
"Be right there!" I called, shooting a "gtg" text to Shawn, grabbing my towel, and running out the door. Jarrett locked up and met us in the car.
"So, uh, why do you need to lock it if no one lives here?"
"Animals live here," Jarrett said. "One time I returned home to find that a bear had eaten everything in fridge."
"Well, that's a twist on Goldilocks…."
Jarrett laughed as he drove us down the hill to the lake below.
"Great swimming spot, this is," he said. "It's a small little lake, but it's my lake and I like it! You guys go in and fun, while I go park the car."
As usual, Abby was in before Rose and I even took two steps. And then she ran right back out.
"Oh, God! It's cold!" she proclaimed, as I rolled my eyes and went in a bit more slowly. Rose just sat on a rock soaking her feet.
"You coming in, Abby?" I called.
"Are you crazy?? I'd freeze to death!"
"If you come in slowly, you can let yourself adjust."
Abby groaned. "Fine!" She slowly dipped in, just her feet.
"Okay…. Now a bit more…."
Rose managed to stifle her laugh as Abby took another step and the water rose up her ankles.
"Okay, try to get knee-deep this time…."
"That's insane!"
"No it isn't - THIS is insane!" I flopped backward and ducked under the water, popping up soaking wet to see Abby's mouth hanging open. "Water's great! Come on in!"
"God, you ARE crazy!"
"Well, you know that if I were him, I'd just give you a push," Rose laughed, and Abby shot her a glare.
"LOOK OUT BELOW!!!!"
All heads turned upward to a small little cliff about twenty feet up the mountain, where Jarrett ran up to the edge, curled up into a cannonball, and slammed into the water, drenching Abby as Rose ran up the hill as though her life depended on it.
Jarrett emerged from the water, grasping his body. "Okay, it's cold!"
"You jerk!" Abby shouted, running into the water, and splashing Jarrett relentlessly.
"Hey, hey! It was just a joke!"
I swam over the edge of the lake, leaning against the rocks to watch the war unfold. Up the hill, Rose was laughing relentlessly as she came back down.
As I leaned my head against the rocks, I suddenly felt a sharp pain, like the force of ten migraine headaches. Grasping my head, I squinted my eyes shut, gritting my teeth as the pain blasted through my skull. I watched myself grabbing my scalp, feeling for the origin of the headache. I…. watched myself….?
It only lasted a second. Then it was gone. I looked around - Jarret and Abby hadn't noticed, still warring in the lake. Rose stood above me, holding her own head.
"You…. you okay….?" she asked.
"I…. Yeah, I - I'm fine…."
She nodded, letting go of her head and looking around suspiciously.
"It's just…." I couldn't quite explain it.
"Yeah….?"
"It's just…. I suddenly feel…. like we're being…. watched…. Does - does that make sense?"
She flicked her eyes around the lake, then bit her lips and stared down at me. Finally, she nodded. "Yeah…. Yeah, I know what you mean…."
"That so was not a deer I saw yesterday…."
"Yeah…. I know…."
"I think…. I THINK it was…."
"Human," she finished. We looked over at Jarrett and Abby, still not heeding us any attention. "Tonight," she added on.
"Huh?"
"Think you can get out of your room without Jarrett noticing?"
I chuckled. "Think you can get out of your room without Abby noticing? She'd so tattle, you know…."
"Then meet me in the front hallway," Rose whispered. "We'll figure out what this is…."
---
Hey Jake…. What's new?
Ah, in the woods, I see…. Yeah, that's pretty cool, I guess.
Me? Oh, nothing really. Same old, same old - you know me.
Huh? Oh, no, not this time. I mean, come on, I need to kill someone just to chat, to say hi? Seriously, I mean come on!
Well, okay, fine, I'll admit we're not really close…. but I don't want you to think I'm dead…. I want you to believe I'm alive…. I want every moment of your life to be filled with the thought of me, and where I am, and what I'm doing…. I want it to force you to the edge of sanity, and then push you over…. I want your paranoia to drive your fears, your hate…. And why do I want this?
Hell if I know! But it tastes so good!
Anyway, it's getting late. You should be meeting up with your girlfriend about now.
I'll be seeing you, Jake! I'll be seeing you real soon….
---
At an hour past one, my eyes bolted open. Another dream. Just a dream. Like all the others….
I looked over to Jarrett's bed, just a little way from mine. "Psst, Jarret…." I whispered. "You awake?"
No answer.
"So…. you're sleeping?"
The moonlight leaked in through the window, illuminated the still sleeping body.
"You sure?"
He rolled over. I froze. A heartbeat passes. No response.
"Okay, cool…."
Quietly, I climbed out of bed, tiptoeing across the floor toward the door. It creaked slightly as it opened. I jerked my head back toward Jarrett, but he didn't budge an inch. Quickly, I slipped out the door and onto the balcony.
The house was dark, lit only by the small bits of starlight seeping in. I could vaguely make out Rose's figure at the bottom of the stairs. I made my way down step-by-step, heart beating fast - I never realized how frightening it was to sneak out at night….
"Watch out!" I jumped at the sound of Rose's whisper. "Ssh…. The bottom step's as loud as an elephant, remember?"
"Oh…. Right…."
Putting most of my weight on the banister, I carefully treaded down, finally jumping off onto the soft carpet by the front door.
"Quickly now," Rose whispered. "I snagged Jarrett's keys from the kitchen. Just in case whatever we're looking for finds the house first…."
As we slipped outside, we shut the door to the cottage as silently as possible. The moon lit up the woods as brightly as the sun. It was nearly full tonight, with only the leftmost sliver remaining in shadow.
"So," I said, trying to break the silence. "What exactly are we looking for?"
"You're the expert," Rose shrugged, locking the house behind us. We turned to the woods. They were deep and vast, and though we knew that the mountain was only a few miles in diameter, they seemed to stretch on forever, into a dark abyss.
I held my breath for a second, then slowly let it out. "Let's get going."
As we entered under the dark canopy, small patches of silver peered through the leafy roof, weaving a small and narrow path through the tall trunks.
"God, why didn't we bring a flashlight?" I whimpered. Rose chuckled nervously.
"Well, that's simple…. It's because, uh…. because you didn't think of it, that's why!"
The wind traveled through the trees, carrying an eerie hooting with it. We looked every which way, wondering all along if someone beside the owls was watching us tonight.
"Maybe it's just in our heads…." Rose said. "I mean, really, do either of us even know what we're looking for?"
My heart jumped. For a split-second, I thought I saw something in the brush. Rubies - a pair of rubies, peering through the leaves. But it was gone now. A trick of the light, just my imagination. Perhaps.
"We both know who we're looking for…."
Rose sighed. "Jake…. Do you….?"
"Still have the dreams?" I closed my eyes, trying to tell myself that they were nothing I had to mention, nothing important. But I knew that would be a lie. "Yeah…. Had one tonight, in fact…. He didn't even do anything - he was just talking…. And you? Do you still have the dreams?"
Rose nodded, looking around the dark features of the mountain, fearful of what she find. "I have them every night."
"Then you know where he's been…. A mountain…. A wood…."
Something rustled in the bushes. We jumped, hearts pounding as we jerked toward the mountain's black fur. A hand crept out of the brush. A black figure emerged, cloaked in darkness.
"There you are." A small light rose from the ground, illuminating the scene.
"YOU!" I shouted, not caring who heard me. "WHY THE HELL WON'T YOU LEAVE ME -"
It was Jarrett.
"Oh…. Uh…. I feel like an idiot now…."
Jarrett eyed me awkwardly, stepping forward, flashlight in hand. "Um…. Who exactly did you think I was….?"
"Uh…. Just drop it…."
"How'd you find us?" Rose asked.
"Footsteps. Some cliches do work, you know…."
"But how'd you even know we were out….?" she went on. "Video cameras? Are you spying on us or something?"
"I was thirsty!" he threw up his hands defensively. "I got up for a glass of water and noticed Jake was gone. Now then - keys, please."
"Oh, uh, right…." Rose chuckled nervously as she handed over the keys.
"Um…. We're in trouble, aren't we?"
"We'll talk about it when we get back. I told you guys, there are bears out here - wouldn't want to run into one of those, now, would you?"
"There are more than just bears out here…." I muttered under my breath. Jarrett appeared to have heard me.
"Okay, listen…. You want the truth, I'll give you the truth…." He took a breath for a brief moment. "The truth is…. for the past month, people have been coming up…. and disappearing…."
I blinked. "You mean….?"
"The mountains are big," Jarrett went on. "Most of the people haven't been found…. except for one couple, that is…."
Silence fell, as we listened to the wind blow, carrying the chirps of crickets off in the thick. Finally, Rose asked the question.
"Where were they found?"
Jarrett hesitated. "On this mountain. But come on - we'll be safe inside."
A low growl sounded through the trees.
"Oh, God…." Jarrett spoke in a hush. "Not now…."
A large, hulking figure emerged from the bushes. A bear, moon glistening against its black eyes as it rose upon its hind legs.
"And this was only your excuse for why we shouldn't go out, huh?"
Somewhere, I heard a familiar noise, like a blade rising through leaves, a sound which I had never heard by day, but perhaps in my dreams. But it was drowned out shortly afterward, by the gunshot piercing through the stillness of the night. The bear collapsed upon the ground, blood seeping into the grass.
Our hearts beat fast, uncertain of just what happened.
"Atlas," Jarrett seemed to refer someone. "Where the hell did you come from?"
We heard footsteps approaching, and Jarrett shined his light over at a man, rifle in hands.
"Good evening, Bielle," he said, tipping his hand. "Who is this?"
"My cousin Rose and her friend Jake. God, seriously, thanks…."
"My pleasure," he said. "Rose, Jake, good to meet you."
"Who -?"
"Name's Atlas. Hunter Atlas."
"Atlas?" Rose questioned. "Any relation to the Corporal?"
"Wait, wait, wait!" I interrupted. "You mean your parents named you Hunter?"
"…. Yes…."
"And…. you're a hunter?"
"…. Yes…."
"So…. you're a hunter…. and your name…. is Hunter….?"
"…. Yes…."
….
"You know the Corporal?" he changed the subject.
"He's my dad's boss," I told him.
"Cop's son, eh? Yeah, the Corporal's my brother."
"Well, anyway, we were just on our way back," Jarrett said. "Thanks again, and get home safely."
"You shouldn't be out this late at night, Bielle," Hunter called out as we walked away. "There've been murders by moonlight, you know this! And it all started back at that last full moon! Next one's tomorrow - gotta watch out for yourself!"
"You too!" Rose shouted jokingly as we followed the flashlight to the cottage.
"I'm a hunter!" he yelled, barely audible over the distance. "I was born for this!"

[spideyfan914]

Episode Four: MONSTERS AND MURMURS

I sat there with my mouth hanging open. It was impossible, but it was true. I'd seen so much, had so many supposed truths disproven, but nothing could prepare me for this. Blackout was -
"Are you reading…. comic books….?"
I jerked my head up. Rose was staring at me with a quirky expression.
"It's…. it's When Darkness Comes…. What's wrong with that….?"
"It's 4 PM…." she snickered.
"Well, I woke up a couple of hours ago, and everyone had gone without me…. Look, we had a late night, okay!"
"So you don't remember us waking you up at noon, you grunting and waving us off, and us telling you to meet us outside when you wake up?"
Oh…. Right…. "Hey, I was half-asleep, okay!"
"We have literally been waiting for you for four hours! Come on already!"
"Okay, okay! Can you, um, leave the room while I get dressed?"
"I so do not trust you to get up if I leave the room…. So no."
Ouch….
I jumped out of bed and pulled some pants on over my underwear. Noticing Rose staring on, I searched vitally through my suitcase for a t-shirt.
"You do, of course, realize that this is a massive violation of my personal space?"
"Uh-huh."
"Okay, just checking…."
I threw on the first shirt I found and jumped up. Rose cracked up laughing the moment she saw me.
"What?"
"Oh my God!! That shirt!!"
I looked down - it had a little cartoon triceratops on it, smiling with braces and glasses. I hadn't worn this thing since I was ten - I didn't even know I still had it, much less that it had somehow gotten packed.
"You know, I'm beginning to wish I'd packed more shirts…."
"Come on, let's go."
"In this??"
"Especially in that!"
I should've known she'd say that….
---
"Hey, guys!" Rose said as we went outside. Mrs. Bielle was sitting on the deck, reading a book and talking with Jarrett, as Abby feasted on a bowl of chips.
"Did you find the Sleepy King?" Jarrett asked, standing up.
"Behold!"
Everyone cracked up when they saw my shirt. "Hey! She wouldn't let me change!"
"How many shirts did you pack?" Mrs. Bielle asked.
"Seven."
"Wash is once a week," Jarrett said.
"Wait - you mean I have this again??"
"Sure do!"
"You're so lying!"
"Cross my heart!"
"Crossed your fingers!"
Jarrett laughed. "So, you guys ready?"
"Depends," I answered. "What are we doing?"
"Touring the mountain," Rose replied. "Of course, now that you've kept us waiting, we'll have to split it up…."
"Well, sorry! It was a good issue, if it's any consolation!"
"Wait - you were reading a comic??" Jarrett laughed.
"What do you people have against comics??"
He waved it off, and pointed into the woods. He, Rose, and I began walking up.
"Hey, Mom, are you coming?" Rose asked.
"Oh, I'm fine," she said. "I'll hold the fort down here. But maybe Abby wants to go."
"No she doesn't." Of course, as soon as Rose voiced a protest, Abby jumped up from her chips and ran up to us.
"Yeah, yeah! I wanna come! Let's go!"
Rose moaned loudly. I laughed. "Let her come."
"Are you serious??" Rose snapped.
"Little siblings aren't THAT bad…."
She gave in, as Abby jumped for joy, and Jarrett led us into the woods. Abby came right up by my side and grabbed onto my hand.
"Thanks, Jake! You're the best!"
"Of course," I said. "Why not?"
"You're much nicer than Rose's last boyfriend!"
Jarrett coughed, evidently disguising a laugh. "Actually, uh…. we're not really, um, dating…."
Abby's face lit up. "Really??" she cheered. I immediately realized my mistake.
"You have no idea how big a ditch you've just dug yourself into…." Rose whispered into my ear.
"Help me…."
You'll need more than a little help….
Before I could even blink, Jarrett interrupted us. "So, I hate to interfere in the many entanglements of boy and girls, but we're going to want to speed up if we're gonna make it back by sundown."
The woods were deep and vast, large and mysterious. There was no way to possibly cover the entire area in just one, even if you woke up at dawn. We passed from clearing to clearing. It's funny - when you think of woods, you think of a long, infinite loop in which every part looks the same, but that isn't true at all.
Here, for example, was a tall rock, the kind you see coyotes climb up in movies. In some places, the trees were closer, more crowded, and in others, they were more lenient. In one spot the grass was much taller, creating a large patch of green. We passed by Hunter Atlas' house, too, though we didn't approach it. And finally, we reached a tall cliff. Down below, we could see a narrow river, with jagged rocks sticking out.
"Wouldn't want to get too close to this one," Jarrett said nonchalantly. "Really, really high up, and that river's only a few feet deep at best. When you fall off of this one, you'll go splat, and I'll enjoy picking up the remains…."
I blinked. "What - what did you say?" I stammered, looking into Jarrett's eye with a look of fear.
"I said that that river's only a few feet deep at best…. Why? Is there something astounding about shallow rivers?"
"I…. No, it's…. um…."
"You scared of heights, Jake?"
"Uh, yeah…. Yeah, that's it…." I lied. What did I just hear?
"Aww," Abby cooed. "You're cute when you're scared!"
"Well come on, then," Jarrett said, trying not to laugh. "It's getting late anyway - we should be heading back now."
Jarrett and Abby took the lead. I fell behind, looking around the wood. Someone was there…. I could feel it….
"Jake?" Rose asked, coming up by my side. "Are you okay?"
"You heard that, right, Rose?"
"I…. What are you….?"
"He said that…. that…."
Rose stared at me, a look of belief, but wonder. She hadn't heard it this time. This time, I was alone. But…. if I was alone, then how did I know I'd heard anything at all? What if it was just in my head? What if, after all this time, the pressure was finally getting to me?
"Jake, come on," Rose said. "We can't fall too far behind."
"Yeah…. Yeah, okay…."
I needed to know. I needed to know for sure. I needed to meet him, just to be certain he was really there.
Reaper…. I thought. I don't know if you can hear this, but I'm coming for you…. Don't show me up….
---
Wow…. You dozed off….
You are such an idiot, Jake. You were supposed to sneak out, remember?
Now wake up. Wake up.
I checked my cell phone. 2 AM. Damn…. I missed a few hours there….
The shutters on the window were closed tonight, and the room was pitch-black.
"Jarrett?" I whispered quietly, repeating last night's routine. "You aren't thirsty or anything, are you?"
Nothing. He was asleep.
Quietly, I rose from bed and snuck across the room, feeling for the door. It was slightly brighter in the hallway, as I crept downstairs, remembering to tread extra gently over the bottom step. Rose had taken the key the night before - I took both the key and flashlight. Granted, a locked door wouldn't stop Reaper, if it really was him….
I'll admit I was afraid. I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know if I'd survive. But I'd done crazier things than sneak out at night into bear-infested woods in search of my arch-enemy.
Right?
Flicking on the flashlight, I used it as a guide through the moonlit path. The moon was like an orb of light in the sky, trickling through the trees and dancing its gaze around my flashlight. It was beautiful, yes, but I didn't trust it. Nature's most beautiful is always its most dangerous, like the songs of the sirens, luring sailors to their graves.
I crept through the forest, feeling leaves crunch beneath my feet, following no light but my own. Still, the stars formed large mazes of constellations, which were almost entrancing. For a moment, I stopped looking at my light, and gazed upwards into the sky. The brightest star was almost directly overhead. I think they said it was called Sirius, and it was part of a constellation, Canis Major, the Greater Dog.
It almost seemed to speak - a low howl, like the wind, but lighter, more precise. But that wasn't the sky - that was the path ahead.
Over here!
My heart jumped as I looked forward. Through the thick of the trees, I could see one of the clearings we were in earlier - the one with the tall rock. I must have been following the same path Jarrett had led us through. Only now, there was a lone wolf perched atop the rock, outlined by the full moon shining brightly behind it.
At first, I felt fear - wolves were never known for being the friendliest of creatures. But it was far, and it didn't even seem to see me. Nothing to be afraid of.
Nothing?
He was out there, somewhere. I was so sure of it.
Where are you? I asked. Where are you? Where are your red eyes?
They were right up ahead. One set of glowing red eyes, staring right at me, two bright red bulbs against the large hulking moon. Only they weren't Reaper's - they were the wolf's.
It had seen me.
Perched atop the tall rock, it turned against the moon, turned to face me. And as it turned, it stood. It stood atop the rock. It stood on its hind legs. It stood like a man.

[spideyfan914]

Episode Five: THE HUNT BEGINS

"Yeah, um, we have murders, not werewolves…."
"I know what I saw, Jarrett! And I mean, come on, you know all the stuff I've seen in New York - really, why not?"
"All the stuff you've seen in New York is making you think you're seeing things that simply aren't there," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Well, look who's up bright and early this morning!" Mrs. Bielle arrived in the kitchen, yawning and going straight for the coffee machine. Jarrett and I sat around the table, eating cornbread and sipping hot tea.
"Kid never slept," Jarrett told her. "He snuck out - again."
Mrs. Bielle looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "You looking to get killed, Jake?"
"Well, I thought something was up around here, and I was right!"
"Who's right?" Abby asked, coming down the stairs as well.
"Ugh - how many times do I need to tell this story?"
"Jake thinks he saw a monster," Jarrett told her. "Because you can see so clearly at three o'clock in the morning in the middle of the woods…."
"Well, the moon was right behind him!" I said.
"Oh, so now it's a 'him,' huh?"
"Well, yeah - these things usually are…."
"Slow down!" Mrs. Bielle said, sitting down with her coffee. "Take it from the top."
"Okay," I said. "So, yeah, I snuck out last night - but not for no reason! Something's off about this place - I know that something's off! I thought that Re-" I looked around at them, biting my tongue. "I thought someone I knew was here…. And, well, I found someone, just not what I expected…."
"A werewolf?"
"Yes! Listen, I know it's crazy, but I've seen ghosts, vampires, zombies - you name it. It was only a matter of time…."
"Oh, wow!" Abby declared. "That's so awesome!"
"And how exactly do you know it wasn't just a plain old wolf you saw?" Jarrett moaned impatiently.
"At first, I thought it was," I explained. "But it could stand…. And not just like jumping up for a few seconds, it could stand up and balance itself - puff out its chest and everything. It was like a man - a Wolf-Man!"
"Oh my God!" Abby shouted. "Is it gonna come after us? Are we safe? Jake will protect us, won't you, Jake?"
"Abby," Mrs. Bielle stopped her. "There's no Wolf-Man. Werewolves don't exist."
"So, what?" Jarrett asked me. "You think this is what you saw the other day, when you first arrived?"
"It had to have been!"
"One problem, Jake - that was during the day. And it wasn't even the full moon."
I hadn't thought of that. "Um…. Yeah…. Oh yeah…."
Abby looked back and forth from me to Jarrett. "Well, maybe he doesn't follow the rules!" she said.
Jarrett got up to refill his tea. "We've never had werewolves around here before. Why would they start coming now?"
"Actually, Abby's right!" I went on, ignoring Jarrett. "You see, all the other guys I met used runes to transform, usually made of chalk. Moonlight and nighttime has nothing to do with it!"
"So you're telling me that it just so happened to be a full moon when you saw it? And that someone is willingly transforming into this…. Wolf-Man, and they're stalking you for no apparent reason whatsoever?"
"Um….. Yes."
"I believe you, Jake!" Abby chanted.
"Abby, please," Mrs. Bielle sighed into her coffee. "There are no monsters on this mountain. The last thing we need is for you to start getting scared of everything around you."
"But -"
"It's just a story…. Jake thinks we're just a bunch of gullible little city folk, don't you, Jake?" she said with a smile.
"I -" Mrs. Bielle was giving me that look. The one where you have this really annoying kid who believes in monsters and if you don't shut her up, she'll never give you a moment's peace. Yeah, that's the one. "Can't fool you," I declared, throwing my arms into the air. "Made the whole thing up - never even snuck out."
Mrs. Bielle nodded and smiled. "You see, Abby? Nothing to be afraid of."
Nothing?
"Morning, guys, what's going on?" We all turned to face Rose, having gotten up at last. "Did I miss anything?"
---
I tried looking for the Wolf-Man again. Jarrett went with me this time, though somewhat reluctantly. We waited until it was dark and went out. But we found nothing. "I told you it was just in your head," Jarrett declared as we went back to the cottage.
As the month edged by, I wondered. Maybe he was right. Maybe the Wolf-Man really didn't exist….
Yeah, right. What am I saying? I know what I saw!
I saw the Wolf-Man. He's out there, somewhere - it's a big wood, after all. Perhaps if I just waited it out until the next full moon, I'd find him again….
"You've gotta admit, it's strange," I told Rose.
"Well, yes…. It is…." She seemed…. uncertain….
I couldn't believe it. "Don't tell me that you don't believe me either!"
We stood atop a low cliff, hanging over the lake - a fine diving spot, though we stayed in the trees.
"It's just…. there's something I don't get," she explained. "I mean, you say the Wolf-Man saw you, right?"
"Yup, there was no mistaking it - he stared right into my eyes."
"And…. what happened then….?"
"Um…." I chuckled nervously. "Well, he, uh, kinda just…. left…."
"Turned tail and ran?"
"Pretty much, yeah. Jumped right off the rock and disappeared into the woods."
Rose gazed off into the thick trees. They were all so close, yet at the same time so far away. There was something supernatural about it, almost as though the woods were talking to us.
"You see, that's the part that just doesn't make sense no matter which way you spin it," Rose whispered to me. "Why would a werewolf run away? Why didn't it attack?"
I shrugged. "If I knew, I'd tell you…. Maybe he's a friendly werewolf…. doesn't really want to hurt us…."
"Maybe…." Rose shut her eyes, thinking. "There are six people on this mountain. Me, you, Jarrett, Abby, mom, and Atlas. So, wouldn't it have to be one of them….?"
"I suppose, maybe…. I have met guys who merged their human and demonic forms - it's always possible he did that somehow…."
"Does Shawn know about this?"
I shook my head. "Haven't told him. He has enough on his mind with Doug and the whole eviction thing…. I don't want to sidetrack him - we can do this ourselves, can't we? We don't need Phantom always bailing us out! Listen…." I lowered my voice, making sure no one else could hear. "I'm gonna sneak out again next full moon. I'll see if I can't answer some of these questions. You in?"
"I don't know…."
"I can't do this alone, Rose! I'm really not that good at -"
"Hey Jake! Hey Jake!"
We grunted as Abby ran by, going straight for the cliff.
"Come on, Jake! You've gotta see this! I'm a really good jumper! Watch!"
"Be right there," I had to respond as she ran to the cliff. "Sorry, Rose, but duty calls."
Rose stared at Abby unnoticed, her lips curled and her eyes narrowed.
"Um…. Rose….? You okay in there….?"
She kept gazing at her younger sister, a look of resentment, of hatred, of black heart. Her mood had suddenly shifted upon hearing Abby's pass. Her glare was ominous, frightening, malicious. It wasn't mere annoyance - it was something more. Almost as though she wanted Abby to just go away, go away and never come back.
"Rose….? What are you doing?"
She noticed a stick on the ground - a small sharp stick, fat enough not to break, but pointed on one end. Heart pounding, chest pulsating profusely, it was though the Rose I'd known was gone, replaced with something worse. She began making her way toward Abby, who faced away from us, still calling for me to come.
"Rose!" I grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. The stick landed on the ground as I held Rose still, staring into her eyes. She looked innocent, normal, frightened, confused.
"What….?" she finally said. "What just….? Was I really about….?"
"What happened, Rose??"
"It's…. I'm not sure…." she told me.
"Jake!!" Abby called out. "Come on!!"
"Voices," Rose blurted out. "Thoughts in my head, but they weren't my thoughts…."
"I…." Somehow, that sounded right. "I know what you mean…."'
Abby continued calling out to me.
"I'll be right back," I said to Rose, walking away.
"Jake!" she called out suddenly. I froze, turning back, looking Rose into the eyes. "When's the full moon?"

[spideyfan914]

Episode Six: UNDER MOON'S GAZE

We crept out again. While the others slept, Rose and I went down the stairs, quiet as mice. We tread carefully as we approached the bottom step, knowing if we walk too hard, we'd shake the entire house. Taking two flashlights and keys, we slipped outside into the night.
The moon shone brightly overhead. We'd been in the Catskills a month now, and we knew for certain that something was amiss. The answers lay with the Wolf-Man, should we be able to find him. We carried with us silver knives, just in case the creature attacked. We didn't even know if silver did anything, but it was worth a consideration.
"Do you think we'll find anything?" I asked, as we travelled into the thick of the woods.
"The real question is, do we want to?"
We went through the woods, looking for our answers. We scoured the mountaintop.
He's out there…. I know he's out there….
We checked by the tall rock. We checked by the lake, in case he was thirsty. We checked through every brush we found.
"I'm beginning to wonder," Rose finally said, "if we shouldn't just turn back."
He's out there…. "We have to find the Wolf-Man."
"But why?" she asked. "Why are we looking for a creature which could kill us?"
"Because…." I began. But I couldn't finish. Why were we looking for the monster?
We have to know…. We have to know the truth of these woods….
"If we turn back now, maybe we'll be lucky enough to survive."
"Yes…." I had to agree. "Survival sounds good…."
And so, we turned around. The woods were vast and we'd been searching for hours. It would take a little while to get back.
"Listen, Rose, I'm…. I'm sorry I pulled you into this…."
"Don't be," she chuckled. "I can't say I'm not curious myself, but if there is a Wolf-Man, perhaps it would be better that we didn't find him."
"Yeah, you're probably right," I said, looking through all the tall dark figures around us. The trees were like giants, staring on. It would be a horrible place to die, worse than a dark alley in the city. Out here, you're at the mercy of mother nature, and she is ruthless indeed. "Yeah, I think I'd rather face Nick than the Wolf-Man - and that's saying something!"
Rose laughed. "Nick isn't THAT bad."
"No, he is…."
"Listen, I know he bullied you for a long time -"
"Bullied isn't the right word. Tortured is more like it."
"Okay, but you know he's got a messed-up past."
"Yeah, um, wasn't his dad involved in the mafia?" I snickered. "That isn't exactly helping…."
"Yeah, his dad and his uncle. They were both in the mob. But, well, the mob didn't really like Mr. Sanchez's brother very much…. So they asked him to kill him…."
"Nick told me that," I recalled. "And since he wouldn't do it, they knocked him and his wife off too."
Rose shook her head. "No, not exactly…. Close, but they were the only ones knocked off…. Nick's uncle got away."
"He…. he did….?"
"He got the warning and went to the police. He was even given custody of Nick."
"I thought Nick lived on his own…."
"He does, but he isn't supposed to. That man is evil, Jake, one of the worst I've ever met…."
"Reaper, Goblin, Sorceress, Spectre…."
Rose laughed. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if this guy was next…."
I shrugged. "Still no excuse for Nick. I offered friendship, you know…."
"I honestly don't think Nick realizes what it means to be a friend. He was close with Barney, but that was really about it…. He's not one to open up to many people."
I sighed. "Whatever…."
"There's good in him, somewhere."
"Whatever."
The moon above was like a large orb, a halo of sorts. It floated above the woods, ever-shining, a light grander than our battery-run flashlights could ever emit.
"We still have another month here, you know," Rose whispered, breaking the silence. "That means there will be another full moon…."
"So, what? Better luck next time?"
"Let's stay inside next month, no monster hunting. Please. Let's just enjoy our time left here, without worrying about…."
She broke off. "Dying," I finished. "You have to be curious, though…. We've seen a lot, we know that the Wolf-Man could exist. This kind of thing isn't just a legend anymore. It's real."
"That's why we shouldn't be out here. We're lucky we didn't find him tonight!"
The night isn't over yet….
We froze. There was something up ahead, crouched low in the shadows, staring at us, growling. A wolf. We stared on it in fear, as it rose its head, glaring at us. Glaring at us with burning red eyes. The Wolf-Man. We were still, unmoving, gazing into its eyes as it slowly walked by us, snarling all the way.
It's going to attack! It's going to try to kill us!
It was so close now, almost inches away, as though we could reach out and touch it. It turned its head to the ground, leaning over beside a tree.
Now's our chance!
We moved quickly, knowing it was our life or his. We pounced on top of it, beating it wildly, blindly hitting, not letting up. The monster fell to the floor, struggling to regain its footing, striving to get away from the hurling fists.
Kill….
We kept on pounding, punching, pummeling. The creature kicked, wincing in pain.
Kill.
If we didn't finish it now, the monster would surely take us down. Yes, we had but one choice.
Kill.
Kill.
Kill!
Kill!
Kill!!!
Wait….
Kill!!!!!!!!
We drew our knives.
Kill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But this isn't -
"Jake…."
KILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I stabbed it in its side.
KILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But this isn't the Wolf-Man!
"Jake, STOP!"
Rose grabbed my raised hand, covered in blood. She held her knife in her hand, clean and silver.
"I…."
"It isn't the Wolf-Man."
I looked down at the creature. A deer. It was unmistakable. Before our eyes, the bloody animal rose slowly to its feet and limped away, a trail of blood following it on the ground.
"How…. How did that….?"
"It's not your fault," she told me, tears in our eyes. "I felt it too. It was the Wolf-Man. It seemed to be the Wolf-Man. But it wasn't - it was all in our heads."
"I…. I nearly killed that deer…."
"So did I…. I was about to stab it, when I realized what was happening…."
I gazed at the knife in my shaking hand. It was covered in blood, the blood of an innocent animal. And me, I was the one responsible….
"GODDAMMIT!" I threw the knife across the woods, into the bushes. What had I done?
"It was just like what happened last week…." Rose explained. "It was the same feeling I got when…."
"Abby," I said. "When you were about to attack Abby…."
She nodded solemnly. "I…. I don't like it here…. You're right, Jake - there's something about these woods…."
"Something that's driving both of us to insanity…."
We sat there, lying against the tree, staring up at the stars. Our flashlights lay across from us, shining off into the woods. Those dark and winding woods, with all their wonders. What was happening to us? And why couldn't we control it?
"You know what the scary thing is?" Rose whispered, her eyes shut as the tears slid down her face in the silver moonlight. "Each time this happens…. Each time something overwhelms me, makes me do something I don't want to do…. the scariest part is…. I like it."
We rested against the cold bark, our pants soaking against the moist grass beneath us. The trees were tall and dark, and gently rocked with the breeze. The leaves above rustled quietly, whispering to each other against the silent night.
"It's like…. like you're in power…. in control…." I murmured. "The fate of the world is in your hand. Just one little action - a knife stab, or a gunshot, and you can remove a life from the world, take away some of the light that keeps it running. History is changed, and its irreversible. All because of you."
Rose nodded. "I don't understand it," she explained. "And yet, it's true…. These…. voices in my head…. I'm not sure if I want them to leave…."
"We need to get out of here soon, Rose, or else we may do something we'll regret…."
"Shh!" Rose put a finger to her nose. "Did you hear that?"
We remained silent, listening to the words of nature. The leaves in the wind, the chirps of crickets, the hoots of owls….
"There it is again," Rose said, standing up.
"Rose, what did you -?"
"Something's howling…. He's here…."
I listened again. I could hear frogs, insects, but no, there was no howling….
Rose grabbed her flashlight and walked off. "Rose, don't -" I jumped up to chase after her as she disappeared into the thick.
I ran through the woods, looking for the familiar red-headed face.
"Rose," I whispered. "Rose…."
But she was gone, nowhere to be seen. And then I heard it, the noise Rose had followed, the howl of a wolf at night.
"Rose?" I wandered off, moving toward the howl, hoping she'd be there. I felt the wind blowing against my back and something breathing down my neck.
I spun around, shining my light into the face of the monster. A claw swept in front, knocking the flashlight to the floor, shattering it. A blow landed in my stomach as I stumbled backward. I rolled to the side, narrowly avoided another swipe of nails landing beside me. Leaping to my feet, I laid my own hit against a furry face, but that didn't even slow it down and it sliced my stomach.
I yelled in pain, feeling the sharp wound as blood dripped to the floor. It stood over me now, and there was no mistaking it. The moon crept its fingers into the woods, illuminating the shadowy outline of a wolf standing on it hind legs, tail swinging back and forth, muzzle sticking out, filled with fangs. Its red eyes glared down at me as it leaned in for the kill.
I had but one shot - I grabbed a rock beside me and flung it in front of me, against the Wolf-Man's face. It yelled in pain as I scrambled to my feet and ran. As I stumbled through the overgrowth, tripping over roots, struggling to keep my footing among the uneven ground, I could hear the monster right behind me, keenly adapted for the setting, built to catch its prey - I could not outrun it, I knew that to be true. Yearning to live, I ducked behind a thick tree, and prayed to God it wouldn't notice me.
Closing my eyes, I listened in on it. The Wolf-Man's pace slowed as it neared, moving along the grass, fallen leaves crunching beneath its feet. I was panting heavily - it could hear me. Frightened, I held my breath, stifled my panic and listened intently. I could hear the sound of it sniffing the air. Blood soaked the ground beneath my feet, like an indicator of my position. It would find me for certain. What was I to do? I could not run, and I could not hide…. I had to fight.
I reached into my pocket for the silver knife I'd packed, only to remember too late that I had thrown it away. I was unarmed against a monster, and my fists could not do a thing. On the ground beneath my feet, I saw a small, sharp rock, shaped like a vampire's fang. Leaves crunched around me - the Wolf-Man was moving, getting closer. I reached down and grabbed the jagged rock, as I felt the monster approaching around the tree.
Weapon gripped tightly in my hand, I took a deep breath and peered over to my side, and I could see patches of light shrinking as the monster's shadow approached. As it turned around the corner, I hushed a prayer, and lashed out with the point, slicing the Wolf-Man's stomach. It howled as silver blood leaked out of the wound.
Kill!
I raised my hand, preparing for the final blow.
But no - I couldn't. I didn't know what this creature was, but surely to kill wouldn't be right.
I took the blunt end of the rock and slammed it against the creature's head. Grasping its stomach wound, the Wolf-Man ran off into the woods, leaving me be for now. Shaking and fearful, I dropped the rock to the floor, panting heavily, knowing I'd escaped by the skin of my teeth, but also knowing that I was right, that the Wolf-Man was real.
I heard a scream. Rose? No - no, this was a man's scream….
My head jerked forward, as I gazed into the brush to see someone emerging. Someone with red eyes.
I held my breath, as he emerged - but no, his eyes were merely bloodshot, frightened, tired, drunken. It was Jarrett Bielle, stumbling through the bushes, panting frantically.
"J-Jake!" he declared. "You're - you're here!"
He limped up and climbed forward. "You…. you wanted a glass of water?" I tried to joke, but he couldn't mistake the fear in my voice.
"It doesn't matter," he cried. "I saw it! You were right!"
"What? You saw what? The Wolf-Man?"
"Yes! It's true! It's all true!" He collapsed in front of me, panting as he stared at the ground, gathering his breath. "Well, sort of…."
"What….?" I looked down at him as his body shook. He smelled slightly. "Are…. are you drunk….?"
"I…." He didn't look at me. He just sat there.
I waved it off. "What did you mean, 'sort of'?"
"I was in a small clearing, the moon illuminated everything," he said, chuckling slightly. "It's funny, Jake, but I swear…. it was a woman…."

[spideyfan914]

Episode Seven: WHISPERS IN THE WIND

"Pfft! Okay, seriously, how drunk was he?"
"What? No - I mean, he was serious!"
"But it's a Wolf-MAN!"
"Well, I mean, it's not like the Wolf-Man itself coined the term…."
A week or so had passed since the last full moon. We'd told the family what had happened, though they had some trouble grasping the concept. Mrs. Bielle still denied the Wolf-Man's existence altogether, while Abby's nonchalant attitude was quite unnerving. This morning, Abby and myself were sitting in the living room, the TV playing the last episode of Side-Effect.
"Listen, Abby," I told her, "the Wolf-Man exists. I've got the scar to prove it."
Her face lit up like a torch. "Can I see it?"
"Um…. I mean…." I moaned, but gave in. Raising my shirt a little, I let her see the thin, horizontal slash across the stomach where the Wolf-Man clawed at me. I decided it would be best not to mention the one on my back from my first encounter with Zamxus Zane.
"That is so cool!!" Abby exclaimed, squealing girlishly.
"It really isn't…. I mean, I could've died…."
"But you didn't! You fought it off! That's so awesome!"
"Well, I wouldn't word it quite like that…." Why couldn't she take this seriously? "Abby, there's going to be one more full moon before we go back…. The Wolf-Man could still show up again - heck, we don't even know for certain that it needs a full moon. Please, just try to take this maturely."
"Oh, I am."
"You…. are….?"
"What, you think I'm gonna stay up past dark or something? Hell no!" She smiled. "I'm only immature and annoying around Rose."
I hesitated. She apparently understood the danger of the Wolf-Man, but…. there were stranger things going on here…. Do I tell her?
"Besides, Jarrett was REALLY drunk - there's no way that the Wolf-Man's a girl!"
"Huh? Oh, that…."
"Yeah, I mean, he didn't even remember it in the morning…."
"That was pretty weird…. He seemed drunk, but not THAT drunk…."
"Besides, why does it even matter if the Wolf-Man's a boy or girl?"
Because it may be one of us.
"Abby…." I started. "In all my experience with these things, these monsters are usually actual peo-"
"Ssh!" she interrupted, jerking her head to watch Side-Effect play through. "We're getting to the best part!"
Well, perhaps it's better she didn't know….
Suddenly, my phone went off. I grabbed it out of my pocket and checked the ID - Shawn.
"Sorry, Abby, be right back," I said, walking over to the window and picking up. "Hey, Shawn, what's up?"
"They found him."
I stared down at the phone, uncertain what he meant.
"Doug. They found Doug."
"Oh!" I was a bit taken aback, off-guard. "Um, great! Where was he? How's he been?"
"He was hiding behind a dumpster. The guy who found him was some bum, complaining that Doug was in his spot. He ran away screaming, emphasizing the swirling black eyes particularly."
"Oh…. So, have you spoken to him?"
"I checked the area a few times, but…." He paused, as if not wanting to say the next part. "Jake…. They've been finding bodies in that area…."
Bodies?
"What….? What are you saying….?"
"I…. I think…."
"Hey, what's up?" I looked behind me - Rose had come down, out of the shower. "Oh, phone, sorry…. Uh…. Are you okay….?"
"Who's that?" Shawn asked over the phone.
"Rose - she just came down," I said to Shawn, ignoring her. There was a short break in which I could only assumed he was gritting his teeth.
"Listen, I'll…. I'll keep you posted, okay?"
"Yeah," I said. "Yeah, okay."
"Talk to you later, man."
I hung up and gazed out the window. What was Doug doing….?
"Are…. are you okay, Jake….?" Rose asked again. She sounded concerned, but I didn't really want to deal with it. "What was that?"
"I'll tell you later."
"Oh, hey, Rose!" Mrs. Bielle's voice rang through the room. "You're ready, good!"
"Yeah, we can go now," I jumped in, trying not to talk about Doug.
"Okay, then, come on in, Jarrett!" She threw on a coat as Jarrett came in from the kitchen, putting down a newspaper. "Turn off the TV, Abby."
"What?? But -"
"It's fine," I said to Abby. "We can finish it another time."
"But I never saw the ending!"
"Me neither, but…. Wait, I thought you said this was the best part….?"
"Well, yeah, but, I mean…. Oh, fine!"
Rose gave me an inquisitive look, still wanting to know about the phone call.
"I'll tell you later," I said again. "Let's go!"
Jarrett threw on his backpack as we headed out the door - we were going for a trek today.
---
I think the hikes are my favorite part of the vacation. Walking through the woods, no one section anything like the others. Everything was different and unique. Though the mountain was only a few miles in diameter, it seemed impossible to ever explore the whole thing.
I was born and raised in the city. I hadn't had much exposure to nature. When me and Blake were kids, our parents would take us up to Lake George. Some of my best memories came from there - the long, idle days of just sitting back and lounging around, doing whatever we wished, out of reach of the harshness of life. We were young, naive, and invincible.
Nature is sort of like the great equalizer. It doesn't matter who you are or where you came from - out here, everyone is exactly the same, with the same strengths, the same vulnerabilities. No man is the better, and all is fair, all is the way it should be. No one is targeted, no one is made an exception. Nature is indifferent, and that, perhaps, is what mankind truly needs.
"Oooooh! How much farther??" Abby moaned.
"Oh, shut up already!" Rose snapped.
Abby looked at me and winked. She really was only doing this to annoy Rose…. Blake used to do that to me too.
"So, what do we think?" Jarrett said, making light conversation. "Wolf-Man: truth or myth?"
"Oh, let's not get the kids started," Mrs. Bielle told him.
"What? I mean, if it's going to be an integral part of this trip, we might as well put it out in the open…."
"Truth," Rose said. "A myth can't kill you."
"Yup, and a myth can't give you a scar either," I said.
"You probably just tripped while you were running away from your own imagination," Mrs. Bielle explained, somewhat resigned.
"Naa, it's real," Abby agreed.
"Very well," Jarrett said, always looking forward. "In that case, is it man or woman?"
"Wolf-MAN!" Abby said.
"Could be anything, really…." I figured.
"Wait, weren't you the one who said it was a woman?" Rose chuckled.
"I mean, yeah," Jarrett laughed, "but I don't remember it…."
"Jarrett!" Mrs. Bielle snapped, clearly frustrated by his choice in conversation.
"Okay, okay, fine…. New topic: Loch Ness Monster - truth or myth?"
"Truth," Abby said.
Rose nudged me, pulling me aside. I looked to the others - they weren't paying attention, and so it was easy to fall to the back of the group. We continued walking, but a little ways behind them, out of earshot.
"Honestly," Rose whispered to me, "do you think the Wolf-Man is a woman?"
"I mean, it's always possible…." I said. "I definitely never got a very good look - really just an outline, a shadow. And I wasn't exactly looking, y'know, down there. And, of course, Jarrett was drunk, so…."
"So that's when men get really perverted enough to notice these things."
"That or he could've been drunk enough to think something completely random without any basis in fact."
Rose shrugged, looking around cautiously, making sure that the others were a good distance away. The sun simmered down through the gaps in the leafy canopy. Though it was bright as high noon, the spot was secluded, distant. It was like we were in another world.
"What about the voices?"
Strange thing about these woods….
"I'm…. I'm not sure…." I said. "I haven't told anyone, have you?"
"Nope. Just you, Jake."
It's hard to even know, sometimes….
"…. when it's happening…. It's hard to know what are my thoughts and what aren't…."
"You think the Wolf-Man's causing it somehow?"
"Maybe…."
Maybe….
"Or maybe…." I wondered.
"Jake…. Do you really think the Wolf-Man…. could be one of us….?"
Wolf-Woman….
"I mean…. you've known these people your entire life, Rose…. It's hard for me to think of any of them as the enemy…."
"Abby could be," Rose chuckled.
"She's only immature and annoying around you, y'know."
"Yeah, I kinda figured that."
Abby…. Mrs. Bielle….
"It could be anyone," I said. "It doesn't have to be one of us."
"But what if it is?"
Rose….
"Jake…. these voices in our head…. What if…. they're not being caused by the Wolf-Man, but…."
Rose….?
"I…. I don't know what you're saying…."
It could be anyone….
"It could be anyone, Jake," Rose whispered. We'd stopped walking. The others were so far away. "Even me or you."
The voices in her head…. The Wolf-Man….
"Jake…. Say something…."
"You know what the scary thing is?" Rose whispered, her eyes shut as the tears slid down her face in the silver moonlight. "Each time this happens…. Each time something overwhelms me, makes me do something I don't want to do…. the scariest part is…. I like it."
It could be anyone.
Rose…. Enemy….?
"That's…." I whispered. "Ridiculous…."
But it isn't ridiculous.
Is it?
No.
It could be anyone. Even me or you.
Rose….
It could be….
Rose….
The Wolf-Man.
Wolf-Woman.
Rose.
It all fits.
No….
It can't be….
But it is.
Rose….
Animal….
She could kill us all….
But it's Rose….
Can't bring her back to the city….
Was Shawn right?
Rose….
No….
It can't be….
But it is.
Only one thing to do.
Can't do it.
Can't do it….
And yet….
If I don't….
What happens then….?
Kill….
She'd kill.
Kill….
Only one thing to do.
Kill….
"Jake…. I…."
Kill….
I leap toward her, pouncing her to the ground.
Kill….
I grab ahold of her throat.
Squeeze.
Kill.
Kill!
She writhes and struggles beneath my grip.
Kill!
She kicks and squirms, trying desperately to break free.
Kill!
I tighten my grasp, as she opens her mouth, trying to gasp for air, but finding none.
Kill!!
She looks upward, in the direction of the others, but they are gone, far away.
Kill!!
This is the only way.
Kill!!!
She hits against the ground, clawing through clumps of grass and dirt.
Kill!!!!
But these are the voices….
She hears voices….
Rose is the Wolf-Man.
Only one thing to do.
Kill.
Kill!!
Her face grows blue, faint, obsolete.
Kill!!!!
She raises one weak hand, as the life slips away.
"It's like…. like you're in power…. in control…." I murmured. "The fate of the world is in your hand. Just one little action - a knife stab, or a gunshot, and you can remove a life from the world, take away some of the light that keeps it running. History is changed, and its irreversible. All because of you."
She puts her hand against my cheek, as though reaching out to some inner part of me that I do not know exists. What am I -?
KILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hear a scream. Abby - Abby's screaming. Did she see me? What would she think if she saw me now? What would I think if I saw me now? What am I doing?
"These…. voices in my head…. I'm not sure if I want them to leave…."
I jumped up, releasing Rose as she gasped for breath. We both knew what happened. But how….?
Voices in my head…. Isn't that a sign of going crazy? Was I going crazy? Was I becoming something else? But no, the same thing was happening to her…. Right….?
"Rose, I…."
"S'okay…." she croaked, her chest gently moving up and down as she let the air flow into her lungs. It was over…. for now…. Something had cut us off…. "What was….?"
The scream came again. Abby, Mrs. Bielle, Jarrett - where were they?
We looked up, but they weren't there. The scream came from ahead. Rose and I jumped up and raced after it. There was a small indent in the mountain, a ditch in which we found the three, huddled around something horrific.
"What -?"
"OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod!" Abby was shouting, huddled in a fetal position with her hands over her eyes. Mrs. Bielle stood with her back turned, looking away. Jarrett, on the other hand, was right in the center of the ditch, staring down at the body.
"Oh no…." I gasped, seeing what it was. "I…. We know him…."
Ben Wolf. With a slash through his chest. Dead in the ditch.

[spideyfan914]

Episode Eight: BLOOD RUNE

Why are we here?
"It's a bit vague. I mean, that could mean a number of things - why are we here in this exact spot, why are we here still in these mountains, or why are we here on Earth."
"Answer them all."
"Okay…. Why are we here in this exact spot? Well, that one's pretty easy…. Strange things have been happening on the mountain. It was just a few weeks ago now that I strangled you. And for no real reason. Maybe it's the Wolf-Man - who knows? But the point is that we had to get away. We had to hope that the voices wouldn't follow us. So we've been spending our days here on this adjacent mountain, just the two of us. And whaddaya know - no voices!"
"Now answer the next one."
"Why are here still in these mountains? Why don't we just go home?
"Honestly, it's a tough question…. We get away from the voices by coming to this mountain in the day, but we still need to return to Jarrett's place by night. We're still vulnerable, no matter what we do, until we go home.
"Well, I can't really answer for certain. You could say that we just don't have the guts to tell your folks what's really going on, and thus we can't go home without arousing suspicion. But we both know that's a load of trash - after finding Ben's dead body, we could easily chalk up an excuse on why we'd want to go home.
"Maybe, just maybe, we have a thing for adventure. I mean, from Reaper to Art Casper to Ben Wolf, we've always been tracking down havoc and making a mess of things, and we've always been there to clean things up. So maybe we just want to see this to the end, no matter what. We can't just desert Jarrett, we could say, even though it's technically easy to bring him back home. But I mean, when you really think about, it's Shawn who usually cleans things up, not us….
"Honestly, I think it's what we said at the last full moon. The voices…. we like them…. we don't really know for sure that we want it to go away…."
….
"And…. on Earth….?"
"Why are we here on Earth?
"Hell if I know - I stopped believing in God when I met the Devil."
Rose nodded, looking down at the mountain below. We sat on a cliff, away from all the weird happenings, our half-eaten sandwiches resting beside us. It was a nice spot, with a great view. We could see the entire east side of the mountain, the one Jarrett lived on. It was funny, how peaceful it looked with the yellow rays of sunlight shooting out from behind. You'd never think that it was the home of monsters.
As for Jarrett and Mrs. Bielle, they didn't mind our daily ventures - they trusted us pretty well. We just had to be back by dark.
"What's the time?" Rose asked me.
"Five," I said. "We should start heading back in about an hour."
She nodded, looking over at the mountain. It was so calm….
"Full moon tonight," I said. Rose didn't respond.
She just kept staring off into the mountain….
"There," she said, pointing out into the thick. I looked where she was pointing, but couldn't quite understand.
"What about it?" I asked, honestly confused.
"They found a dead couple there. It was months ago. And then there." She drew her finger along the mountain, pointing near the area of the lake we'd play in. "Another killing."
"You mean…. the Wolf-Man….?"
"No. And they found a camper dead over there. And another one right there." She kept moving fingers from point to point. "A father and his son were killed right there. And Ben…."
"Wait…."
"Ben was killed right in the center of all of it."
She moved her finger from point to point. With Ben in the center, the others drew a star formation.
"I…. What….?"
"I don't know…."
"Wait, how did you even know all that?"
"Newspaper clippings. That and I asked Jarrett. He showed me on a map."
"And they were all on the east side….?"
"Well, not really, but it's easier to point this way."
But why….? Who….? "Who? You said not the Wolf-Man, so who?"
"You know as well as I do who…."
"I…. I mean, I thought we said that he wasn't in the mountains after all…."
"We never said that, just that the Wolf-Man was. Besides, you saw Ben - he was cut."
But if….
"Oh my God…. The voices…."
"What about them?"
"I've heard them before."
"Jake Bradley…. and friend…."
We jumped up, spinning around.
"It's been ssuch a long time…."
"You…."
Before us stood a creature like no other. A spider in shape, an ugly, hairy spider, but much larger, even larger than a man. It creeped toward us on six legs - it had lost the other two thanks to my own interference. Though it had a human name once, now it went by a new calling. Tarantula.
"Jake…." Rose quivered, staring at the creature. "What….?"
"Tarantula, master of fear. He tried to kill me once, back in Season Two."
"Season….?"
"I realized my life would work as a TV show, so I've taken the liberty of splitting it up into seasons."
"Oh…."
I don't like spiders. I don't know what it is about them, but I simply don't like them. But Tarantula feeds on fear. So I wasn't afraid.
"Why are you here?" I asked it. "We've got enough keeping us busy with your little Wolf-Man underling."
"That's what I came to talk to you about, Jake…. The Wolf-Man…."
"Make it fast. I don't have time for you right now."
"As you know, I am now the Highesst Councillor of the True Socciety…. And we of the True Ssociety do not like this 'Wolf-Man,' as you call it, running about…. We do not like having a non-member wield the powerss of Nouda…."
"Wait…." Rose interrupted. "You mean…. the Wolf-Man isn't one of you….?"
"No…. We do not know how thiss Wolf-Man got its powers…. But it iss not one of uss, I can assure you…."
"It's a rune," I said suddenly. Rose looked to me with one eyebrow raised. I turned back to the mountainside, drawing the star formation around the killings. "Runes don't have to be drawn in dust - they can be drawn in flesh, in blood…. One sacrifice at each corner of the star, and a final one in the center…. He's drawing a rune…."
"But…. you'd need the blood to show the lines, the connections…." Rose said, thinking. She spun back to Tarantula. "Wouldn't you?"
"Normally…." it answered without hesitation. "But the moon can ssometimess enlighten the connections for the drawer, if Nouda takess favor with him…. After all, the True Socciety itsself runs on the darkness of the night…."
"And that means…. It really is him…." I stared down at the mountain. He was out there. I was sure of it. "The Wolf-Man," I said to Tarantula without looking at it, "you came here about the Wolf-Man…."
"Yess…. We do not want him running about…. I've come to sseek favor in you, Jake Bradley…."
"You can't be serious…."
"Kill the Wolf-Man."
I blinked. "Kill the….?" I spun toward the spider, and looked it in the eyes. "Why would I listen to you? You tried to kill me!"
"I'm not giving you a choicce, Jake Bradley…. I let you free, I took the reigns of leadership away from Arthur Cassper…."
"And your point is….?"
"You owe uss a debt…. Kill the Wolf-Man, and conssider it paid…."
"Hell no! I'm not going to do it! I'm not a killer!"
Tarantula stared at me, not saying a thing. Then, the spider slowly turned and walked away, disappearing into the woods.
"Yeah, and don't come back…."
---
I didn’t look at him. But I was scared. Without even looking at him, I had to somehow get away.
The head!
I ducked just in time to avoid the scythe slicing above my head.
The feet!
I jumped just in time as it turned to swipe at my feet.
Finish it!
I leaped out of the way as the scythe dug into the chalk inscription on the floor.
After him!
I ran around the room in circles, trying to get away.
Cut him off!
I skidded to a halt and turned around, barely avoided Reaper as he snuck out from the shadows.
Still daylight! Don’t let him get out there!
I ran for the door.
Block the way! Aim for his head!
I dove down as the scythe sliced above me, and I shoved Reaper to the side, running out the door.
Fine then! Just have to kill his friends.... Phantom, too....
The school. He was headed for the school.
---
His thoughts.... That had to be it.... The dreams – they’re evolving. Before, I’d only dream from the victim’s eyes – always the victim’s – Blake and Doug were victims too, after all.
But now, now I could hear his thoughts.
Kill them all.
Even now, I could hear his thoughts.
I remember this girl. She used to make fun of me when I went here. She thought I had a crush on her. Fat chance. Well, she’s dead now, so it’s over with....
It had already begun.... He was killing them.... My classmates....
Oo! Mr. Trainer! My old English teacher! Hey, guess what – I hated your class!
My teachers....
Hey, Urson! Remember me? Don’t worry, I won’t kill you – just everyone around you!
My friends....
---
“Listen, Shawn, we’re gonna make it!”
Kill them!
“How can you be so –”
Kill!!!!
“Trust me.... I know....”
Now!
The scythe comes down and a triangular piece of the door in the bottom-right falls off. It begins to wobble.
“Jake....”
“Yeah?”
“I just.... I just need three minutes.... Please....”
“Alone?”
“Yeah....”
Kill them now!
“I’ll distract him,” I say, and before Shawn can protest, I crawl out through the opening and stand up.
---
I jolt awake. Something is calling…. Calling to me….
Like in a trance, I climb out of bed, ignoring the sleeping body beside me. I quietly creep down the stairs, jumping over the bottom step such that I do not wake the others….
What others?
Outside now. I'm outside.
Something calling…. Calling to me….
Stumbling over the mossy ground, I wade into the woods…. And there he is - the image of death incarnate, staring me in the eyes. Staring with two burning ruby eyes.
"Hello, my Wolf-Man," he says, "ready for one last go?"
I scream in pain as I hunch over. Something's coming over me…. Something….
---
I jumped up. "No."
The room was dark, but I did not waste time. I leapt out of bed and ran for the front door, charging down the stairs with no thought but finding them. I didn't even think to avoid the bottom step, and the loud creak rushed through the entire house, like an elephant crying out to the dead.
Above me, people were coming out of their rooms, shocked awake by my loudness. But I did not care - I slammed open the front door. I looked around the clearing, gazing into the woods. But it was no use. They were gone.
"Jake…." Mrs. Bielle moaned, wiping her eyes. "What are you doing….?"
"It's Jarrett," I declared. "Jarrett is the Wolf-Man."

[spideyfan914]

Episode Nine: WALK ON WATER

"Jarrett is the Wolf-Man," I announced. Abby looked at me in shock, unable to mutter a word, then ran into mine and Jarrett's room. Rose stared down in fear.
"What are you talking about??" Mrs. Bielle shouted, enraged. "That's absurd! THERE IS NO WOLF-MAN! Stop being absurd!"
"No, I…. I have dreams, you see - ever since Reaper attacked me months ago, I've been having dreams. I always know exactly what he's doing."
"So what?? That has absolutely NOTHING to do with -"
"Reaper turned Jarrett into the Wolf-Man. He's controlling him, manipulating him. It's not Jarrett's fault - I've seen this happen before! Multiple times!"
"JUST GO BACK TO SLEEP, GODDAMMIT!!! JARRETT IS NOT A MONSTER, AND YOU WILL STOP ACCUSING HIM OF -"
"He isn't in there!"
Mrs. Bielle spun around. Abby was standing in mine and Jarrett's door, her face red with small tears dripping down.
"I -" Mrs. Bielle stuttered, searching for her words. "He could be anywhere! Maybe he realized that Jake here wasn't in bed and -"
"He was gone when I woke up," I said.
"But…. No - the Wolf-Man is a woman, we discussed this!"
"Mrs. Bielle…. Jarrett's the one who told us that…." His eyes were bloodshot that night…. I'd mistaken him for drunk….
"No, this…. this is crazy - this is impossible…."
"I had the same dream," Rose blurted out. We spun to her. "He woke up, got out of bed…. By the time he reached the door, he wasn't even conscious of who he was or what he was doing…."
"But Reaper was calling to him…."
"In the woods…."
"Reaper…. He's the one behind the killings…. All to make this lousy rune…."
"The mountain's a rune…. to create the Wolf-Man…."
Abby and Mrs. Bielle flicked their eyes back and forth between us. What were they to do….?
"We have to find him," I said.
"No," Mrs. Bielle jumped in. "It - it's dangerous…. Reapers, werewolves…. This is…. THIS MAKES NO FREAKIN' SENSE!!"
"Trust me, I've been there…."
"But…. I mean, he'll come back, won't he?"
"He's under Reaper's control," Rose moaned. "Anything can happen with that guy…."
"I…." Mrs. Bielle went on. "I can't let any of you go out there. It just…. No."
We all stared at her. She was in charge, yes, but this was Jarrett we were talking about…. A friend to me, and blood to them….
"Even if he isn't the Wolf-Man…." Abby whispered. "We can't just…. leave him out there…."
Mrs. Bielle stared down at her daughter. What would a good mother do?
"You stay here," she finally said. "I'm going to find Atlas."
"No way are you going out there on your own!" I shouted, as she came down the stairs, and went into the kitchen to grab a flashlight. "If you run into the Wolf-Man, he'll massacre you! And if you find Reaper -"
"This isn't up for discussion," she told me fiercely. "Now return to your room and go to sleep."
She kept walking right past me and out the front door.
"And what if I dream about you?"
She froze. "What?"
"What if I dream about you…. and him….?"
Mrs. Bielle didn't move for a moment. She just stared down at the ground, trying to be brave as one single tear slipped down her shivering face.
"Then don't come looking for me," she said at last. "I'll call your parents. They'll come get you in the morning, whether or not I'm here."
And with that, she disappeared into the woods.
Rose and Abby came down the stairs. What were we to do?
"I don't care what she says," I told them. "I'm going after her."
"Me too," Rose declared, running up to the door.
"Yeah! Same here!"
We looked over at Abby. She was so young…. the same age as Blake….
"Abby…." I stuttered. "I won't ask you to go to bed, but…. Hey, you never finished Side-Effect!"
"I'm coming with you!" Abby said. "She's my mom, Jake, not yours!"
"Listen, Jake and I have had a bit more experience with this…."
"What are you talking about? The way I hear it, Phantom always had to save your a-"
"Abby!" I grew stubborn. "Please, just…. just stay here…. Please…."
She looked at me with a face of resign, of sorrow, of hope. "Fine," she said. "But you'd better come back."
"I will," I whispered. "We all will. I promise."
Abby nodded, slipping into the family room. Rose and I grabbed a couple of flashlights and silver knives (just in case), and we stepped outside, shutting the door behind us.
"Your mom said she was going to the hunter's house," I thought. "We should make sure she's all right…."
And so, we waded into the woods. With the full moon shining above us, everything seemed so peaceful. A few clouds shadowed the sky, and so the stars were only visible in patches. The months I'd spent out here had had shown me just how much I truly loved the night sky. An infinite plane of beauty, dark and mysterious.
There was a slight breeze, rustling the leaves and shaking the branches. There was an ambience of trees whispering to each other in the wind. As for me, I'd heard enough whispers in the wind.
Jarrett. The Wolf-Man. Jarrett. Reaper. He was out here, too. He'd been out here this entire time, toying with us, playing his games. He turned my brother into a monster, and now, he'd done it again.
"You were right," I whispered. "It was one of us."
"Yeah…. It was…."
"I…. I'm sorry, Rose…."
"Don't be," she said. "It's not like you're the one who did this to him…." She chuckled. "Y'know, I was beginning to think I was the Wolf-Man…."
"What?"
"Ever since Jarrett told us it was female. I thought about the voices in my head, and I wondered if I was going crazy…."
"Well, I thought the same thing…. only about me…."
"What?" Rose looked over at me, perplexed. "But you…. you SAW the Wolf-Man…. He slashed your stomach…."
"And I slashed his. We'd hallucinated before - on the same night, even. I was just…. wondering…."
We fell to silence again, stepping through tall leaves of grass. The woods were thick, and I couldn't even see around the bend. And yet, as frightening as it was, it also beautiful and thrilling. Never had I felt so on the edge as I did walking through the woods.
"Hey, Jake," Rose murmured. "Do you think…. Do you think we're going to survive?"
I looked over at her. The thought hadn't really entered my mind. "I mean…. We've done this so many times before…. I suppose there's always a possibility, but…. um…."
"Shawn's been with us every other time…."
I could probably call him.
He's sleeping.
Why wake him?
"I haven't told him about any of the stuff that's been happening…."
"You haven't?"
"Nope. It's kind of just…. too weird…."
"Weirdness is our specialty," she laughed.
"Yeah…. I guess it is…."
We're not going to die.
We'll make it out. I'm sure of it.
"Do you think there's an afterlife, Jake?"
"After everything that's happened over the past few months…. I'm not about to say there's anything that doesn't exist…."
"But do you believe in it?"
"I…. I don't know…. I asked Shawn about that once, I think…."
"And what'd he say?"
"He didn't know."
Rose nodded, looking forward into the gaze of the flashlight.
"Rose…. We're not going to die…."
"Why not?"
"Because…. Because we just won't!"
"And what if we do….?"
Then….
"…. I guess we'd just…. be done…. No more battles with crazy demons. No more Phantoms or Reapers. No more heroes and villains. Everything would be over, and we'd finally be at peace…."
"I don't want to die, though."
"Neither do I. There's still stuff I have to do in this world. Still stuff I've wanted to do since before any of this nonsense began. I just want to make it through everything so I can keep going."
Rose nodded. She understood. "What…. what do you want to do….?"
"It's gonna sound stupid," I chuckled.
"Tell me."
"I want…. I want to BE somebody…. Not just the guy who everyone picks on, not the butt of everyone's jokes. I don't want to be the victim anymore. I want to be looked up to. That's all."
Rose smiled. "Jake…. You already are…."
"And what about you?" I asked. "What do you truly want?"
"It's kind of the same, actually. I just want someone to really like me. For who I am. No more dirty slut jokes -"
"Wait, people call you a dirty slut….?"
"That's what I get for dating Nick."
"Oh!" I laughed.
"I'm serious! All I want…. is something real. Something like…."
We came into a small clearing in the woods. The trees were scattered, and beneath us, the summer grass was short. There were the spring's fresh flowers growing along the ground, as well as autumn's wrinkled leaves, gently flapping in winter's wind. In the center was a large tree, with a dark mossy trunk and a bright green top. But what stuck out about it was the twisted knot in the center, as though it was two trees, sprouting up from the same roots.
"Something like that," Rose said, pointing her flashlight at the tree. "That was…. yeah, that was actually kind of ironic…."
"The hunter's house is right around the corner," I laughed. "I've seen that tree before."
I kept moving, but Rose lagged behind, staring at the tree.
"Rose?" I questioned, turning back. "What's up?"
"Jake…." Her voice was soft, gentle, and I had to move in closer to understand. "You…. you like me, right? I mean, for real?"
That was an…. odd question….
"I mean, yeah…. Obviously…."
"But what about….?"
She doesn't mean….?
"What…. what are you trying to say….?"
"I…. I don't know if we'll make it out of here, Jake, but…."
Her voice waned out. Whatever she wanted to say, she was having trouble getting it off her tongue….
"Rose…."
"I love you."
I stared at her, uncertain of what to say.
"Do you think…. that we could ever be like that….?"
Where's Reaper when you need him?
"Jake….?" she turned her head to me, her red curls blowing off to the side in the gentle wind. The moonlight reflected off her face, and for some reason, I realized at that moment that she was beautiful.
"Rose, I…."
She's beautiful.
Why did I have to be a guy? Guys are so bad at this stuff….
"I'm sorry," she said, walking over to the tree. "I shouldn't have said anything…." She sat down in the knot and buried her face in her hands.
What have I done this time?
I don't want her to be upset….
She went on. "It's just…. if we're going to die…. I want you to know…. Just if we're going to die…."
We're not going to die.
Are we?
"We're not going to die, Rose. We'll make it through this, and we'll keep going." I stepped forward, coming closer to her.
"But what if we do? People always die in these things…."
"People, yes. But not us." I sat down beside her, putting my arm around her back. "We've made it through everything so far, and we'll keep on going."
Promise?
"I promise."
She looked up at me, as we sat in the knot of the tree.
"I love you too." Suddenly, as though some force had pushed us together, we swept inward.
What followed was vigorous, relentless. We held each other tight, and did as each had secretly longed for ages. Time seemed to stop, just like in every cliche we'd ever read. But this wasn't a storybook, or some Hollywood movie - this was real.
I feel like….
…. like I'm dancing. Or skating on ice. My body is weightless.
All my troubles are gone.
Everything slips away, everything but that moment beneath the cloudy summer night sky.
It's magical.
It's a summer night's dream.
This is the cheesy moment I'd write about for every writing assignment I'd ever had.
This is the day I'd always dreamed about….
…. but which I never thought would actually happen.
This is what I always wanted.
This is what I always wanted.
We're not going to die….
…. because we still have things to do. This isn't the end….
It's the beginning. It is the dawn. The dawn of life, the one I've been waiting for.
And everything before this….
…. was only exposition.
A leaf crunched.
Rose and I looked up. Someone was running away, blonde hair flapping behind. Abby….
"Oh no," I moaned, as we jumped up to chase after her.
We cried out after her, but she just kept running, running down the mountainside.
"That little brat…." Rose sneered. "She was supposed to stay at the the house…."
"Hey, at least you have a sister to spy on you."
"Yeah…. I - I'm sorry…." Rose sighed, sitting in front of the knotted tree. "She likes you, y'know."
"Yeah, I know. But I mean, she's just a kid…."
"I hope she doesn't take it too hard."
"I guess we'd better go after her, huh? Make sure she's all right on the way to the cabin…."
Rose nodded, standing up. "Guess so…."
As we turned to leave, the wind blew against our ears. A low growl sounded itself along the wind. My heart froze.
We spun around to see two red eyes staring at us from behind the knotted tree. Rows upon rows of sharp teeth growled from the brush, saliva dripping down, as the wolf slowly waded into the clearing.
"On the count of three…." I whispered. "We make a break for the hunter's house."
Rose grabbed my hand, as the wolf stood up, leaning its paws against the two branches.
"One…." I started.
"Two…."
"Three!"
We turned and ran, as I heard the branch snap behind us, and the Wolf-Man giving chase. I'd tried this before - I could never outrun the wolf, but if we could just make it to the hunter's cabin…. if we could just get that far….
I heard a scream behind me. Rose - she'd fallen.
I spun around to see her on the ground, facing up. Her ankle was bleeding where the Wolf-Man had grabbed, and she was struggling with it above her, knife in hand. I grabbed ahold of my own silver knife and ran back to the Wolf-Man, getting ready to stab into its side, but its tail whipped around and slapped me in the face. I fell over, knife flying into the bushes.
The Wolf-Man grabbed ahold of both of Rose's hands, and bit into the one holding the knife. She screamed in pain, dropping it to the side. Heart racing, I jumped up and ran forward. The knife - I had to get the knife!
It all happened in a single moment. As I raced toward them, only having a few feet to go, the knife resting beside Rose as her hands went limp, the Wolf-Man dove into her chest, and I grabbed the knife, spinning around as it clenched its teeth down, blood pouring everywhere as I pounced the Wolf-Man, hovering above it and Rose as I held my knife in hand, ready to stab Jarrett in the back.
But…. it was Jarrett….
I thrust the knife into his shoulder, and he howled in pain. And just before he threw me off, as the silver blood leaked out of his shoulder, I stared down into Rose's face, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly open, she gazed forever upward at some unseen light. Her bleeding heart moved up and down in defiance of God, as she held on to life for just a second longer….
But the Wolf-Man threw me off his back. I slammed against the ground headfirst. I could feel the blood leaking out of my skull. I held up my knife, bracing for attack, but he batted it away as though it wasn't even there. Before I knew what was happening, the Wolf-Man was on top of me.
"We've made it through everything so far, and we'll keep on going. I promise."
A shot rang through the woods, and everything faded to black….

[spideyfan914]

Episode Ten: HELL ON EARTH

I remember the first time I met with Nouda.
I had just been mugged. Sort of, anyway. They would have taken my money, but for my taking their life. I wrestled the knife out of my assailant's hand, and stabbed him once, twice, three times. I let myself have fun with it, soaking up the pleasure of fresh blood and vengeance. "Treat me like a common peasant, will you?" I bellowed. "You aren't fit to lick the slime off my feet."
I was a special child, you see. We always knew I was destined for greatness. The day I was born, five other deliveries were taking place. Somehow, I was the only one that made it. My parents thought it to be a sign from God. But we know better now, don't we?
Hey, Jake, what happens when you die? Is there an afterlife? Reincarnation? (Imagine what kind of man I'd be reincarnated into….) Perhaps, death is more of an eternal slumber, a deep sleep, a dream. But you don't dream anymore, do you, Jake? No, you only have nightmares….
Oh, you aren't dead now! Don't be ridiculous! Do you really think I'd let you die so easily? It's far more fun to drag things out, as your entire world collapses around you. I won't kill you. I will make your life a hell on earth, until you think the real deal, an actual field trip to hell, would be preferred to the slings and arrows of life. Only then will I show you just how wrong you are.
Now wake up.
---
The ceiling above me was made of wood, not concrete. I wasn't in the city at all.
The mountains. The Catskills. Yes, I remembered then. I was visiting Jarrett. Jarrett was the Wolf-Man. I was visiting the Wolf-Man with Rose.
Rose!
I jumped up from the couch on which I laid. I was in a small cabin, a few rifles racked on the wall alongside heads of animals. Hunter Atlas sat at a table nearby, but Rose…. Where was Rose?
"Good, you're awake."
She was attacked. I was attacked. We were both attacked. The Wolf-Man.
"Had me worried there. I patched the wound up best I could, but…."
We'd went out because we knew who he was. Because Reaper told us who he was. Reaper lured us out. She told me she loves me. I love her. The Wolf-Man came. Abby was there. The Wolf-Man came. Rose was on the ground. I hesitated. Rose was bleeding on the ground. My head. Rose was staring upward, a blank gaze, trying to hold onto life. We've made it through everything so far, I'd said, and we'll keep going. I promise. I promised. Rose was bleeding on the ground, staring forever upward. There was a shot, a gunshot. I woke up here. Rose was on the ground. She isn't here.
"Where's Rose?"
The hunter looked away from me. I got up and ran toward him.
"Where's Rose??" I said again.
"Listen, kid…. I may be strong, but carrying a guy, an unconscious guy…. That takes something…. I - I could only take one of you…. I thought…. She was bleeding from the chest…. Can't…."
"YOU LEFT HER THERE???"
"And what was I supposed to do?? I SAVED YOUR LIFE!!"
"I don't even know you!! Why didn't you at least go back for her?? Who do you think you are??"
"WILL YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN?"
I stared, breathing heavily, tears in my eyes. Rose. Where was Rose? That's all I wanted to know was where was Rose. The hunter just pointed to a chair. That's all I wanted to know was where was Rose. I sat down.
"Mary came here," he said. "She told me what was happening, about the Wolf-Man. I told her I already knew about him - not much goes by in these woods without me knowing about it. She told me he was Jarrett. That much I didn't know.
"That's when we heard the scream. We knew it had to be one of you. I took my best rifle to go after you. I told Mrs. Bielle to stay here. I followed the scream, found you with the Wolf-Man ready to eat your face off. Didn't want to kill him, but I threw some warning shots to chase him off. Lead. Just lead. Silver or no silver doesn't make a difference.
"You were bleeding from the head. She was bleeding from the chest. Head wounds I can treat. I took you. Mary wasn't here. Must've run off to look for you again. 'Course, she doesn't know her way around the woods one goddamn bit. I ran out to look for her, called out to her, everything. I went by where Rose had been. Neither of them were there.
"I wanted to find them. But I couldn't waste time with futile searches. I had you in my cabin, and you I knew how to treat. Bandaged you up, watched over you. You were out for 'round two hours, you know.
"Sorry kid. Just how it worked out."
No.
She was still there. She was still alive. She had to be.
"Listen, it's dangerous out there, but you'll be safe in here, okay?"
Safe? "What?"
"You can sleep on the couch. I don't mind."
"But Rose…."
"I know it's hard, but -"
"What's to stop the Wolf-Man from just breaking in anyway?"
"Animal instinct. I know it's Jarrett, but in this moon, he's an animal, and he won't come indoors. I first ran into the werewolf myself a few months back and -"
"You have to be kidding me."
"No, it's worked before. You see, I tried shooting it - lead and silver. Both made it bleed, but nothing would kill. Then I came back here to camp, and it wouldn't follow. Stayed outside. Animal instinct, I'd say."
"It's being controlled by Reaper."
He looked perplexed. "Who?"
"Zamxus Zane. Reaper."
"Like…. the Grim Reaper….?"
"No. The Grim Reaper kills only those whose time it is to die. Zane kills whoever he pleases."
"I…. think your brain's still a bit jogged…."
Idiot!
I laughed. "You think your doors are going to protect you from Reaper? Protect you from Nouda? He knows no boundaries, and just because your door is locked doesn't mean he won't cut it down!" I jumped up. Why was I ever sitting down? "Of course, he's done with his blood rune now…. Five points, right? Like the five-point star of the werewolf…. I guess you caught a lucky break."
Rose.
I had to find her. I had to save her.
Rose.
"Kid, please," the hunter begged as I crossed to the door, "don't do anything rash. There's been enough carnage without -"
Carnage! You don't know the meaning of the word….
"I'm going after her -"
- and there's nothing you can do to stop me.
I grabbed a gun off the wall.
"Don't even -"
I pointed it at him.
I'm going after her -
"- and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
He stared at me, at the gun, piecing it all together. And then, slowly, he sat back down at the table, admitting defeat.
"It's loaded?" I demanded.
"Fully. Six shots per round. Do you even know how to reload?"
"I'll figure it out."
"You'll wanna turn off the safety."
"There's nothing you can do to stop me."
I opened the front door and ran outside. A cool breeze hit my back. I was shirtless now. Atlas must've been making sure I had no other wounds. But he forgot to check my heart.
Rose.
The silver moonlight beat down upon me. My head was throbbing a little, but I'd never admit it. I had to find Rose. I had to save her.
The clearing.
Yes. She was in the clearing. That's right. With the knotted tree - that's where the Wolf-Man attacked. Slightly uphill from here. Yes, I knew the way. Rose. Rose was all that mattered.
I went upward, quickly but cautiously. It was maybe a three minute walk, three minutes alone in the woods. Maybe I'd encounter the Wolf-Man. But I had a gun now. Maybe I'd encounter Reaper. But I had a goal now. A reason to be. Rose. I had Rose. And I would keep her there. After all, I promised.
“Hey,” someone said. I looked up. Rose was sitting down next to me.
“Nick’s gonna have my head if he sees you here.”
“I broke up with Nick.”
It's always been about Rose. Even before I knew it was about Rose, it was about Rose. I don't know why, I can't quite explain it, but she is what I've been missing. She is what I need.
Reaper, I swear, if you've done anything to hurt her….
I opened the door, and there she was, staring Reaper straight in the eye. I hate to say it, but I froze for a second. It was the first time I’d seen him in person since that first night.
But I didn’t look in his eyes.
His scythe was raised. He was ready to kill.
I never would've thought it was possible. I never would've thought that I could find someone with whom I'd be truly happy. Even before Reaper, there was always Nick. Or Barney. Or anyone, everyone, just trying to leave a black mark in my life.
I'm not the kind of person who likes people. I'm not the kind of person to looks to understand why we do the things we do. I always thought there were the good guys and the bad guys. But mostly, I only saw the bad guys.
“I’m hoping to get away from him this summer. Go somewhere he can’t find me.”
“Sounds good.”
“Wanna come with me?”
Here. I made it. This is where it happened. A twisted tree in the clearing in front of me.
"And what about you?" I asked. "What do you truly want?"
"It's kind of the same, actually. I just want someone to really like me. Something real. Something like…."
We came into a small clearing in the woods. The trees were scattered, and beneath us, the summer grass was short. There were the spring's fresh flowers growing along the ground, as well as autumn's wrinkled leaves, gently flapping in winter's wind. In the center was a large tree, with a dark mossy trunk and a bright green top. But what stuck out about it was the twisted knot in the center, as though it was two trees, sprouting up from the same roots.
"Something like that."
But it was broken now. When the Wolf-Man attacked, he snapped the tree in two.
"I love you."
I stared at her, uncertain of what to say.
"Do you think…. that we could ever be like that….?" She turned her head to me, her red curls blowing off to the side in the gentle wind. The moonlight reflected off her face, and for some reason, I realized at that moment that she was beautiful.
He attacked her, and she was on the ground…. Here….
And just before he threw me off, as the silver blood leaked out of his shoulder, I stared down into Rose's face, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly open, she gazed forever upward at some unseen light. Her bleeding heart moved up and down in defiance of God, as she held on to life for just a second longer….
The ground was stained with blood. But Rose…. she wasn't there. I spied her flashlight on the ground. The blood ran thin. There was a trail, a path of gore. As though she'd crawled. Crawled away. Trying to find some sustenance.
The Wolf-Man did this.
I could follow the path.
It was the wolf.
I could find her.
What if it….?
What if it killed her?
"We're not going to die, Rose. We'll make it through this, and we'll keep going." I stepped forward, coming closer to her.
But what if it happened? What if I was wrong? People always die in these things….
"People, yes. But not us." I sat down beside her, putting my arm around her back. "We've made it through everything so far, and we'll keep on going."
Promise?
"I promise."
She looked up at me, as we sat in the knot of the tree.
"I love you too." I love you too….
I made a promise. We'd make it through. We'd return home. We'd be happy ever after.
What right do I have to make such a promise?
The wolf did this.
Why did it have to do this?
It isn't my fault.
It was the wolf.
The wolf….
It should pay….
It messed with my life.
It will have to pay.
Kill….
Kill.
Amidst the crimson blood was mixed silver blood. A separate trail. I'd stabbed its shoulder, and it bled in silver. A separate trail leading directly to the wolf.
"The sun is setting, Jake."
"Yeah. We should go back to Jarrett's now."
I stood up from the cliff, the one overlooking the mountain. Rose remained, staring off into the sun.
"I wish we could stay here and watch the sunset," she whispered.
"It's dangerous at night. You know we can't stay here forever."
"But you don't get rays like this in the city."
"It's something to do with the exaggeration of beauty metaphors in flashbacks. We did the same thing with Blake."
She laughed. "Well, I think this actually happened."
"If that's true, then I have to stop looking at sunsets with people. Every time I do that, it winds up in a dream sequence."
She chuckled, and looked out to the golden rays leaking over the mountain. The sky first turned yellow, then orange, then red and purple. A rainbow of light stretching over the horizon.
"I love you, you know." Her voice was almost inaudible. "You aren't like Nick. You care about me. You protect me. You're a friend and more at the same time. You would never let anything happen to me."
I remained silent, just listening, letting it absorb.
"There's something about you, Jake. I know you don't think of yourself that way, I know you don't want to like yourself at all sometimes, but you're a good person. You care about people. You have this way of seeing the good."
No, Rose. I don't see the good. I don't like people at all. Usually, I only see the bad.
"Well that doesn't make much sense," she laughed. "You cry over every man, woman, and child you see in pain. You fight against Reaper, against Zane. It doesn't matter if you even know the person. Human life is precious. I know you know that, even if you don't believe it."
I love you, Rose. Please don't leave me.
"No, Jake, it's only a dream. You still have things to do. You told me so yourself."
The Wolf-Man….
"I have faith in you, Jake. Don't let me down."
The Wolf-Man….
The trail ran downhill. Toward the lake. Toward the monster that did this.
I could see it now in the halo of the flashlight. The silver moonlight was reflected like an orb in the black lake before me. Earlier in the summer, we'd come here to play, to splash around. Now, it was a darker place, and we'd come here only to drown.
A tree overlooked the lake. A man sat against the tree. Or perhaps the image of a man sat against the tree, but I knew better.
Don't be fooled.
It looked like Jarrett Bielle, with straight brown hair and red bloodshot eyes. I came with rifle in hand, but of course, it was the wolf who I was after, not the visage of a man.
"Jake…." it fumbled, staring upward as I approached. "What's happening….?"
"It was you," I told it. "You are the wolf."
It is the wolf.
Its eyes went wide. It was still trying to be human. "What? N-no…. I - I saw the Wolf-Man…."
"Do you remember seeing the Wolf-Man? Or do you remember saying you saw the Wolf-Man?"
"I…." It slowly rose from the ground. "I don't…."
It is a wolf.
"You aren't a man, Jarrett. You're something less than man. Between man and wolf. A demon."
The Wolf-Man….
"No…. I…. That can't be true…."
"It is true. Even now it's true. You only think you're a man."
The Wolf-Man did this.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Jarrett stared at me with great red eyes. It was almost as though it cared. Could he care?
It is not a man.
"Jake…."
It is a monster. A demon. It hurt her, killed her.
"Do you have any idea what you've done??"
I heard a scream behind me. Rose - she'd fallen.
I spun around to see her on the ground, facing up. Her ankle was bleeding where Jarrett had gripped her, and she was struggling with him above her, knife in hand. I grabbed ahold of my own silver knife and ran back to Jarrett, getting ready to stab into his side, but his scythe whipped around and the blunt end slapped me in the face. I fell over, knife flying into the bushes.
Jarrett grabbed ahold of both of Rose's hands, and snapped the one holding the knife. She screamed in pain, dropping it to the side.
"You hurt her."
It all happened in a single moment. As I raced toward them, only having a few feet to go, the knife resting beside Rose as her hands went limp, Jarrett lunged his scythe into her chest, and I grabbed the knife, spinning around as the blade pierced her heart, blood pouring everywhere as I pounced upon Jarrett, hovering above him and Rose as I held my knife in hand, ready to stab Jarrett in the back.
If only I hadn't….
…. hesitated.
"You killed her."
Remember his face. That laughing, maniacal face. He was stripped naked, with a twisted smile reaching out to his cheekbones as he kneeled above her, as he took scythe in his hand and killed her again and again and again!
"You killed Rose."
And I stared down into Rose's face, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly open, she gazed forever upward at some unseen light. Her bleeding heart moved up and down in defiance of God, as she held on to life for just a second longer….
"Jake…." it whispered. "Kill me…."
Remember his face. That laughing, maniacal face. He was stripped naked, with a twisted smile reaching out to his cheekbones as he kneeled above her, grabbing ahold of her throat as she writhed and struggled beneath his grip, kicked and squirmed, trying desperately to break free, clawing through clumps of grass and dirt, her face growing blue, faint, obsolete, as she raised one weak hand, as the life slipped away, as he laughed, laughed, laughed!
"Kill me…."
Remember his face. That laughing, maniacal face. He held her in the water, let her drown, let her die.
I raised the gun.
Remember his face. He kept stabbing and slashing and lunging with his scythe, stealing her life.
Remember his face.
He howled to the moon. It howled to the moon.
Kill.
As I fired the gun, it swiped the gun away. The bullet ran into the forest as the rifle slammed against the ground. My flashlight shattered against the rock, and the visage of man before me faded into darkness. The wolf emerged.
The wolf….
Kill….
I rushed underneath as it pounced forward. I spun around to face the beast as it ran on all fours. A thick branch lay on the ground beneath me. I grabbed it and used it to halt the wolf's momentum, stop it from getting too close. It bit at me, but I leaned back, away from its fighting teeth, and I picked it up and hurled it into the lake.
I doubled back to grab the gun. I stood at the edge of the rock, looking down into the lake, searching for the wolf. Where did it go?
It was right beneath me. It jumped up and grabbed me by the foot, pulling me into the waters. As we plunged beneath the surface, we fought tooth and nail. It slashed with its claws as I used the gun as sword and shield, smacking the demon across the face. I needed air.
I swam upward, to the brush. I opened my mouth and let breath flow in, when the Wolf-Man grabbed me from behind - it had come up too. Grasping the rifle in my hand, I blindly stabbed behind my back, and got a lucky blow against the werewolf's side. It flinched just long enough for me to climb back onto land.
I fired the gun once, just to make sure it was still working, then I spun around to see the Wolf-Man paddling across the lake in the moonlight, surfacing on another bunk across from me.
Kill.
As it shook the water out of its fur like a dog, I took my shot. But it jumped away. I'd missed.
The wolf turned toward me, growling a low growl, and then charged. I swung the rifle, beating it over the head. I kept swinging, kept hitting it.
Kill! Kill! Kill!
It swiped its claws, pushing me back, away. I took aim, when the wolf dove under the gun, tackling me as the shot fired over its head. We slammed against a tree and it opened its mouth, ready to dig into this tasty treat.
I shoved the rifle down its throat. I shoved the wrong end down its throat - the barrel hung out, and as the monster bit into the handle a bullet shot into the tree beside me. The Wolf-Man staggered back, and I slipped out of position, grabbing it by the neck and slamming its head against the tree as I pulled the rifle away.
Kill!!!!!!!
I knocked it over the head once more, letting it drop to the ground. I took my aim and fired once more, shooting the demon directly in its back. It howled in pain.
Kill!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I readied to fire again, when the wolf jumped up over my head. Silver blood sprinkled the ground as the Wolf-Man ran off, ran up the mountain.
It killed Rose.
I took my aim again, but it was so far away….
It deserves only to die.
I couldn't let it get away. I pulled the trigger, yet to an empty click. I was out of bullets.
I can't let it get away.
I quickly fiddled with the gun, trying to figure out how to reload. I popped it open and all the shells fell out.
My one chance….
No….
There has to be another chance….
Perhaps I could follow the trail again. It has to settle at some point.
Or kill it tomorrow, when it's human again….
It's never human.
No….
It's somewhere in the woods.
Have to kill it….
Kill….
Perhaps….
I could….
Yes….
Kill….
"I think it's 'bout time we call it a day," Jarrett said.
"But it's so early!"
"You know why we can't stay up at night, Abby."
"We used to stay up the last time we were here! Now Jake's never gonna get to know a campfire!"
I laughed. "It's fine. We don't need to worry about it."
"You sure?" Jarrett smiled. "I'm known for my exceptional campfire skills."
"I've eaten marshmallows before."
"All I'm saying is that we could make one right now, before it gets dark out."
The lake was at the bottom of the mountain. That would do perfectly.
"These types of rocks…."
….are best for starting a fire. Rub them against each other like this, and they'll spark up soon enough.
But this won't be enough.
The rifle…. That will do.
I opened the hatch where the gunpowder lie. In the woods, trees are all fairly close together. I just sprinkled the powder along the base of one of them.
I took a stick and the rocks Jarrett had pointed to. A small fire, it would be.
A small fire, built to grow.
I set the fire to the gunpowder, and it burst in a ring of flames. The tree lit up. It burned.
Beautiful, isn't it? The embers of death. The embers of love. What's the difference, anyway?
For a while, I just stare, rifle by my side. Watch as the bark turns black, and the orange fingers leap up the tree, engulfing it, spreading, spreading to its branches, to its grassy leaves. Watch as the structure weakens, as it falls, as it lights more afire. More….
More.
I clasped a torch in hand, stealing some fire, spreading some fire. I pass tree after tree, touching each one with the flame. Only one thought on my mind:
More. More! More!!!
I see a small bear peer its head around a tree. I see everything now.
Here to feed, perhaps?
That makes one more tree aflame.
More fire….
I lose all sense of time. It could've been a minute, could've been an hour, could've been three. Soon, the entire wood is lit up, an orange candle burning against the incessant silvery moon. I see the fire dancing its way afar, spreading beyond my reach, stretching its arms all around the mountain as it tip-toes ever upward into the brightened night.
Fight wolf….
….with fire.
Fight fire….
….with more fire.
It killed Rose.
It shall go to hell.
I won't kill you, my Wolf-Man.
I will make your life a hell on earth.
Bring hell to earth.
The fires of hell.
Mountain burning….
….burning with fire.
Fire….
….of hell.
Wolves….
….burn.
Can't stay in fire, though.
Time to go home.
"No way! I'm not going to do it!"
"You have to! That's the game!"
"This game is evil! Like, True Society-type evil! And that's really, really evil!"
"You picked 'Dare,' so you have to do it!"
"But that's -"
"Do it!!!"
I moaned. How did she get me into these things?
Slowly, I steadied myself in the chair, looking to the door at the top of the stairs to make sure it was shut. Maybe we'd be the only two to know….
"As loud as you can," she said.
"But what if I -?"
"Don't worry, my parents are used to this."
Somehow, that wasn't very relaxing. I took in a breath, preparing myself, and then, at the top of my lungs, shouted out, "I AM A LUMBERJACK AND I'M OKAY!"
Rose fell out of her seat laughing. The basement door opened up and I heard Mrs. Bielle call down to ask us if there was a final on children's songs.
"We're studying!" Rose called back, and the door shut again. "Okay," she smiled, "now it's my turn!"
"Oh, come on! Why can't we actually just study?"
"Because this is your chance to get back at me!"
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay, fine," I said. "I'll play the devil's game. Truth or Dare?"
"Dare."
Yes! She was at my command! I could make her do anything I willed! My only boundaries were those of my imagination!
"Okay, Rose Bielle, I dare you to…." I needed something good. Props, perhaps. A yo-yo caught my eye. "I dare you to play with this yo-yo while drinking chocolate milk!"
She blinked.
"While on one foot!"
She just stared. "You're…. not very good at this game, are you….?"
"Um…. Can you pick Truth instead….?"
She laughed. I always loved that laugh.
"Okay, Rose…. Tell me…. your deepest secret…." I'm not very original.
Rose threw her head back and let out a moan.
"I did the lumberjack song, you can do this!"
"Well…." she smiled as she looked around for the words, pushing her hair behind her ear. "For the past month or two now, I've secretly wanted to get inside your pants."
….
"What?"
She started laughing hysterically.
"Uh…. Are you kidding or something….?"
"If I did that with Nick, he'd have unzipped right then and there."
"That's…. um…."
"Okay, deepest secret?"
"Yeah…. Yeah, so that last part…. was a joke…. Okay…."
She snickered a little. "If you say so."
"Deepest secret, go."
She sighed, looking down at the table.
"This is gonna sound crazy," she said, "but sometimes, I wonder…. just what a true friend is…. if I have any…. if people really like me at all…."
I could hardly comprehend it. She was practically the most popular girl in the entire school.
"What about Lauren?" I asked. "Samantha? Ellen? Alicia? Basically every person in the eleventh grade?"
"It's hard to tell," she said. "I mean, it's kinda like…. like what if they're just acting like my friends and they aren't really."
"That sounds like a conspiracy theory. Seriously."
She grinned and looked me in the eye. "You didn't mention yourself."
"Do I need to?"
She chuckled. "You're a great friend, Jake. Don't ever change."
"Thanks, Rose. Same goes to you."
She smiled. "Okay, take off your pants."
"What?"
"I dare you to take off your pants. Let's see how long that thing really is!"
"Wait! I pick Truth! I pick Truth!"
Rose….
I played the devil's game, and the wolf has paid. You may rest in peace.
All around me, the woods were burning. Burning with passion. With anger. With rage.
The mountain was ablaze, as I stepped outside. Jarrett's house was there, just outside of the fiery hell that the Catskills had become. I looked back once at the flames. The Wolf-Man was somewhere inside. It couldn't survive that. Nothing could survive that.
"Jake!"
Someone called to me. Abby. She must've returned to the house.
"Jake! What happened? Where's Rose?"
I opened my mouth to tell her, but nothing came out. I looked back over to the mountain, the infernal mountain I'd created, I'd destroyed.
"The woods just started burning," she went on, "and I didn't know what to do. I was so scared."
What had I done?
"Jake….?"
"I…."
"Where's Rose? Where's Jarrett? Mom?"
They were all out there…. Jarrett…. Mrs. Bielle…. Atlas…. Rose….
"You…. you promised you'd…. bring them back…."
"We've made it through everything so far, and we'll keep on going. I promise."
"I…."
What had I done?
"I…. thought that he was…. I was trying to…."
Abby stared at me, at the rifle, at the mountain, trying to make sense of it all.
"Do you know what started the fire….?"
I closed my eyes, breathing. I started the fire. "I did."
She still looked on, uncertain, confused. "What…. what do you mean….?"
"Abby…. I…. I'm sorry…."
"Wh-what happened?"
"I did it." Tears rolled down my cheeks now. "I…. I wanted to…. kill…."
She looked in fear. Fear. Fear was in her eyes.
"The Wolf-Man…. It…. He…. I…."
"You…. you started the fire….?" Her voice quivered, frightened, praying to be wrong. But she was not.
"Yes," I uttered one solid word. "I…. He killed Rose, Abby…."
She kept flicking her eyes between me, the shirtless bloodied man with a gun, and the fire behind me, the inferno I'd just walked out of.
"You were…. supposed to…. I saw you…."
"I'm sorry, Abby…. It wasn't supposed to be like this…. I…." I trailed off.
"Where are they?" she demanded.
"They're…. out there…. somewhere…." I said. "All of them."
Her eyes went wide. It finally hit. Suddenly, without any warning, she darted past me, ran to the woods. I called out after her, chasing her down, tackling her onto the warm grassy ground.
"Lemme go!" she cried. "I have to go after them!"
I grabbed her around the arms, hugging her tight, locking her in place. "Abby!"
She bit into my arm and scrambled free. Quickly, I grabbed her by the arm and spun her around before she could get away.
"Don't," I told her, our eyes meeting at last. "I…. You'd die too…."
She looked back to the fire, and back to me.
"There's been enough carnage," I said.
We stared into each other's eyes. Mine pleaded with her not to go in, not to give up her life as I had, while were full of what of what I'd never seen in her before. She looked at me with hate. Pure, burning hate.
"If there is a Reaper," she whispered, "I hope he finds you, and kills you, soon."
She yanked free of my grasp and ran down the mountain, away from the fire and into the road. She was gone. Just like that.
And it was all my fault. I had done this. I wanted to blame the voices, but I wasn't sure if I could. All I could do was stare into the hell I'd created, the embers upon embers dancing around the mountain, the small figure standing out in front, the figure with red eyes, two burning ruby eyes.
It was him. It was Reaper.
"You…." I whispered against the night.
He only stared, not saying a word, not making a move. His scythe remained by his side, his hood over his skull.
"You did this!!!"
Reaper continued to stare, as his skeletal mask seemed to shake back and forth, and he raised his bony hand, pointing one accusatory finger at me. No, not me, not this time. I blinked, and he disappeared into the dancing shadows.
---
One new voicemail.
"Hey, Jake, it's Shawn. Listen, I'm sorry for giving you and Rose such a hard time. I know she's your friend, I just could never get past the whole Nick thing. I really do hope you guys are having a good time - I've been dealing with this weird shadow-monster lately. We'll talk, 'kay? Call me back."
I stared down at my phone. I was sitting on the couch, with the morning news playing some story about Iraq, and the mountain fire beginning to die through the window.
"If you'd like to save this message, press 1. To delete it, press 2. To listen to it again -"
I pressed 2, and flipped the phone shut. Mrs. Bielle said she'd called my parents. They must've been asleep - the fire department would be there sooner.
The rifle still lay in my lap. The police would come, too - when a wood is set ablaze, questions must be asked. I couldn't answer them. I couldn't say the answers.
I rested my chin against the barrel. I closed my eyes and uttered a prayer, and fired, waiting for the endless bliss of torment. But all I heard was an empty click in place of a shot, and in the distance, the sun rose up in spite.