The Dark Gifts
Inheritance
by:
Willow Cross
Copyright 2011 Willow Cross
Smashwords Edition
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Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Dedication
For my brothers and sisters. You’ve protected me, guided me, loved me, and been my friends--even when you didn’t agree with what I was doing. I love you.
Inheritance
Chapter One
Bang, clang, bang reverberated up the basement stairs and throughout the house. Sarah had already attempted to finish her homework in every room available, but the volume of noise remained equal in each. At least the kitchen table offered usable workspace.
Every so often a swoosh and tick tick tick from the portable welder would interrupt the clatter of metal being pounded into place. Then the bangs would begin again.
She took a sip of coffee and sat her cup on the kitchen table harder than normal. Hot liquid sloshed over the sides and pooled under the blank sheet of paper that was supposed to have been an essay on slavery in the modern world. “Crap.”
The sunflower border atop the yellow walls was obviously meant to imbue a happy, even peaceful, atmosphere. However, the intention fell short. It didn't even come close to matching her mood. She stared at the mess on the table as the banging continued.
For the umpteenth time that afternoon, Sarah wondered what Aunt Edna would have done in this situation. Sure they'd never met, but it would've been nice to have a grownup's perspective. A scowl crossed her face as she thought of what the last set of foster parents would have done. Jason would already be in an institution somewhere, if not in jail.
She sighed and grabbed a paper towel. Grownups were usually more trouble than they were worth. Besides, seventeen was pretty darn close to grown up. Close enough anyhow.
Yesterday was the first she'd heard her brother banging away in the basement. Until then, Jason had been meticulous about working on his project while she was at school. And when she'd asked what in the world he was doing, she certainly hadn't been prepared for his answer.
“Ha ha, very funny.” Sarah had rolled her eyes, flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder, and turned to walk away.
Jason grabbed her arm and spun her around. “This is serious! Why can’t I remember? Why do I keep waking up naked in the woods?”
“Do you have any idea how crazy you sound? You were dreaming. It must have been a dream.”
His eyes narrowed. “And I suppose I dreamed the naked run home, cutting between houses, trying to get here without anyone seeing me?”
The thought of her brother running naked through the neighborhood was too funny to ignore. She was unable to stifle the snort that came through her nose.
Jason’s expression hadn't changed, but his grip strengthened. His eyes pleaded with her to listen as he whispered, “Why am I covered in blood every time, Sarah. And why can't I remember?”
She looked pointedly at her arm and he released her. Rubbing the tender area, she said, “Fine. I’ll do this, but when nothing comes of it, you have to promise to get help.”
According to Jason, his blackouts had been occurring three times a month. Coincidently, on the three nights the moon was fullest. He never remembered anything. And although he didn't come right out and say it, she knew he thought he was turning into some sort of monster. He'd been complaining a lot about new hair growing all over him. But geeze, he was twenty-one. Aren’t guys supposed to get hairy as they age?
Her immediate reaction was to call a shrink, but the horrifying events of the last few months stopped her. Newspaper headlines spoke of local police finding several mutilated bodies in the woods surrounding the area. Police and Townies had dubbed the suspected serial killer, ‘The Full Moon Slasher.' However, the thought of his being involved in something so irrational, or supernatural, couldn't be taken seriously. Those kinds of things just didn’t happen. Ever.
She realized the banging had finally stopped when she heard her brother's voice yell from below. “It's time. Come down here and lock the door.”
“Oh for Pete's sake,” she muttered. Sarah rose and glanced at the small notepad on the table beside her history book. Just in case, she thought as she shoved it in her back pocket and slid a pink gel pen behind her ear. She turned and stomped down the basement stairs.
***
Sarah sighed and leaned against the basement wall. The musty smell pervading the air made her nose wrinkle. Her eyes wandered over the dingy room filled with cobweb-covered boxes and finally came to rest on the steel cage in front of her. It had taken her brother two weeks to construct his prison. A prison she was certain he didn‘t need. “It’s been two hours. Are you ready to discuss this rationally?”
Jason stopped pacing, grabbed the bars of the cage, and gave them a good shake. The bars rattled slightly, but remained secure. “It'll happen. Give it time.”
Sarah's hand trembled as she pushed a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear. “Jason, please. I have a number--”
“I don’t need a therapist. I need a loaded gun.”
She moved to the cage door and took his hand. Her fingers only stretched part way around his palm. “Please. Listen to me. For once in your life--”
Jason's face paled as his body began to spasm.
“What's wrong?”
His eyes widened. Wrenching his hand from her grasp, he clutched his throat as if choking on an invisible bone, gagging and gasping for air. His open mouth, somehow distorted, seemed abnormally large like it had grown in the few seconds he’d been choking.
“J-Jason answer me!” The color drained from her face and her heart pounded against her ribcage.
Jason's thick neck and broad shoulders bulged and moved as if something living crawled beneath the skin. His body lurched, slamming his six and a half foot frame against the iron bars before dropping him to the floor with a dull thud. A hand shot between the bars and latched on to her pants leg with an iron grip. His lips moved, but the only sounds escaping his distended throat were grunts and groans.
“W-What the--?” Sarah quivered. Hair on the back of her neck rose as goose bumps exploded over her body. Breath somehow lodged in her chest and refused to come out.
She tried to pull her leg away, but her jeans remained tight in his grasp. She placed her hands against the bars and yanked with all her strength. The sound of the thin denim ripping filled the basement. Pain shot through a muscle in her thigh. Her lungs finally released and allowed the imprisoned air to escape. Dizziness overwhelmed her as she gulped in air and limped backwards.
Jason thrashed on the floor in front of her. His flesh bubbled and stretched as the bones inside him snapped and reformed. Growling, saliva dripping from his mouth, he writhed and convulsed. Full lips turned from mauve to black as his chin elongated. His flesh ripped, only to heal, tear, and heal again. Perfect white teeth yellowed, growing long and sharp as his blue eyes bulged into enormous black globes. Hands and feet melted and reformed into paws with long dark claws. Thick hair burst from his skin covering him in a carpet of grey and white.
Sarah’s stomach churned. Her mind raced to grasp what was happening. Covering her mouth, she fought the rolling wave of nausea that threatened to spew forth. A whimper escaped while she continued to shuffle backwards. One solitary tear slid down her cheek, but her eyes remained fixed on the cage as her hand shot over to wipe it away.
Jason did not remotely resemble the blond haired, blue-eyed, brother she so dearly loved. The Jason-thing beat its head against the iron bars of the carefully constructed cage with such force she wondered if it would hold. Blood. He’d said he woke up with blood all over him, and it wasn’t his. She hadn’t believed him, and even now, couldn't wrap her mind around what he might have done. More tears spilled down her face. “Oh my God. This can’t be happening!” She inhaled sharply and held her breath to prevent threatening sobs from consuming her.
His head tilted back letting out a monstrous roar. Sarah covered her ears as it reverberated through the small basement like a pride of lions. In the farthest corner of the room, flattened against dusty boxes, her body shuddered as she fought to regain control of her emotions.
Jason had never lied to her. Not once in her entire life. She should have believed him.
Her eyes snapped open as the squeak of bending metal filled the room. The beast growled and snapped at the bars, pushing and shoving, desperate for escape. Each time it threw its massive body against the bars, her muscles clenched in fear. Her mind screamed at her to get out, but her heart, yelling with equal volume, told her to stay. Sarah’s eyes remained locked on the snarling wolf as she edged towards the stairway.
As she moved, the animal threw its body against the bars. Sarah paused, forced in another breath, and carefully took another step. Once again, wolf-Jason crashed into the cell door. Quivering in fear, she inched her way to freedom and safety.
By the time her foot hit the bottom stair, the animal's ferocity lessened. She eyed it warily and kept reminding herself this was her brother. Voice and body trembling, she finally spoke, “Jason? Jason, can you hear me?”
The thing went silent.
Still facing him, she took two more awkward steps up the stairs. “Jason, are you in there?”
The wolf sat as if on command and whimpered.
“If you can understand me lie down.”
The wolf thing appeared to be thinking before it quietly settled on the concrete floor.
Sarah let out a sigh of relief. Maybe her brother was still somewhere inside, and at least had some level of control and consciousness. Slowly moving back down the staircase, she slid her body around the wood banister and kept her back against the boxes, staying as close to the wall as possible.
The Jason thing intently watched her move, but remained still.
“Okay. So you’re being good now. Are you all right?” A nervous giggle erupted from her chest.
Jason shifted and cocked his head to the side.
Sarah took a step toward the cage. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid. We’re going to be all right. Everything will be fine, just stay calm.”
The Jason thing whimpered again.
As Sarah guardedly approached the door of the cage, a low growl rumbled from his chest. Her body jerked in reaction. She hesitated. “Don’t get prickly on me.” Her voice remained calm, but shivers continued to run through her body.
Sarah rolled her shoulders and neck and shaking her arms, tried to release the tension built up in her muscles. This was happening and she would deal with it. End of story. As questions, doubts, and fear sought to reenter her mind she squelched them. Always logic, Sarah. Mind first, emotions later. She almost laughed at herself for repeating her favorite mantra in this situation. Luckily it worked as usual and her heartbeat slowed.
The creature yawned and stretched to its full length.
“There’s a good boy. See? You know me. You know you love me.”
Sarah wasn’t positive, but she thought the wolf actually rolled its eyes at her before turning on its back. Certain he had control of himself, she took another step forward.
Jason remained calm. His jaw dropped and a long red tongue plopped out as he panted and watched her.
She took a deep breath and slowly released it. “See? You’re fine. I’m fine. We’re both fine.”
This time there was an obvious, exaggerated eye roll.
Oh yeah, this was definitely Jason. “Well, what do you expect? I don’t know how much of you is in there. I mean you seem to be doing fine, but how do I know? It’s not like I’ve read, ‘So Your Brother’s a Werewolf for Dummies.’ I’m pretty sure nobody’s written that one, yet.”
Sitting up, he barked.
“Okay, let’s see how smart you are. Come sit by the cage door.”
The wolf stood, shook out his coat, and trotted up to the door.
“Good boy! That’s good. See, I knew you were still in there.”
Sarah paced the floor. “What am I supposed to do with you?” She stopped in front of him and gazed into his eyes. “I didn’t believe you, you know? How could I believe you?”
“Woof.”
“Oh that’s easy for you to say. You’re there, and I’m over here doing all the work.”
“Woof.”
“And I was so worried about getting you a counselor. They don’t even have therapists for this,” Sarah muttered and began pacing again.
The wolf watched her as she thought. Its eyes had grown luminous, almost intelligent, and it appeared to be thinking as well. She sat on the floor cross-legged and stared into its eyes waiting for something to happen. Although she had somehow managed to gain control of her nerves, her right knee bounced up and down. She placed her hand over it, pressed down, and stopped the movement. “Can you speak? Do you still have your voice?”
The animal let out another slow growl.
“If I touch you, will you bite me?”
It rolled to its back.
Sarah paused, and then inched forward to the iron bars. A beam of moonlight cascaded through the basement window illuminating the cell as she reached toward him. The Jason thing let out a rage-filled roar, and beat at the bars. She recoiled and fell backwards. Leaping to her feet, she watched for any sign that the bars would give way this time. A few moments later, certain they would hold, she yanked the notepad from her pocket. When she reached for her pen and discovered it missing, her eyes darted over the concrete floor. It lay several feet away resting against the side of a box. She retrieved it quickly and jotted down: Moonlight has aggressive effects on subject.
As he began to calm, Sarah glanced at the small window. The beam had disappeared. Not a speck of light filtered through the dirty glass. Jason sat at the cage door looking like a scolded puppy. His size still intimidated, but he seemed completely docile.
“Okay, are you going to behave yourself this time?”
His eyes remained fixed on her as his head lowered.
“It looks to me like the moon is bringing on a wildness, Jase.”
He sniffed in her direction before lowering his body to the floor. His head moved back and forth as he watched her once again pacing the small room.
“I don’t know what to do with you.”
The wolf stood up and went round in circles.
“Yeah. That’s what we're doing, chasing our own tails.”
It sat on its hind legs and whimpered as it peered at the basement window.
“I know, hun. We’ll just hang out here 'til morning. Once you’re back to normal we'll figure out what to do.”
Chapter Two
Sarah woke with her face pressed against cold concrete. It took a few seconds to remember exactly why she was there. As memory ignited, she rose and made her way over to Jason. Curled in a ball and shivering, he appeared to be sleeping. She unlocked the cage and threw a blanket over him. Using her foot, she pushed his shoulder. “Wake up, Jase,” she said and gave him another nudge. “Dangit, we don’t have time for this. Wake up.”
Jason groaned as he stirred, opened his eyes, and then shot up off the floor with the blanket held tight around him. “What happened? Are you okay?” The words tumbled from his mouth.
“I’m fine.” She brushed a strand of hair from her face. “It happened just like you said it would. Did something bite you?”
“What do you mean did something bite me? No. I haven’t even had a mosquito bite this year.”
“Well, if movies are correct, then something had to b--”
The shocked and appalled look on her brother’s face as his eyes locked on something just to the left of her, stopped her mid sentence. Sarah turned her head to follow Jason’s gaze. About midway up, the bars on that side of the cage curved out and down, making the door look like an old bicycle rack.
“I could have killed you,” he whispered.
“You were fine when the moonlight wasn’t shining in the window. You need to board the window up today so it can't get through. I have an idea; there was something I noticed about you last night. Tonight, I want to try an experiment. When it takes you--”
Jason turned and grabbed her by the shoulders. Face pinched, tears filled his eyes. “You won’t be here tonight, or any night, ever again! Don’t you get it? I could have killed you.”
Although she was four years younger, Sarah had always seemed more like an older sibling than a giggly younger sister. Keeping her voice smooth and steady, she answered him calmly, “You need to listen to me. We don't have time for you to crack up. You have to fix this cage, board up the window with one large piece of plywood, and bring the couch or recliner down here. I am not sleeping on the floor tonight.”
He gave her a gentle shove as he spoke, pushing her away. “There will be no tonight. You will lock me in this cage and you will leave. Period. I’m not arguing about it!”
Already irritated, and knowing they were running short of time, her temper overrode her mouth. Her shoulders squared as her hands settled on her hips. Even if he hadn’t seen the glare in her eyes, her voice was a dead giveaway that she was done playing nice. “Well if you would stop going all big brother on me, shut up, and listen…I could explain why I can be here and why you need me to be here!”
Jason met her gaze for a moment. The muscles in his jaw clenched as he returned her scalding look with one of his own. Without saying a word, he sighed and lifted his chin in defiance. Stepping around her, he made his way up the stairs. He was starving, felt like hell, and was in no mood for her crazy logic. She wasn’t staying and that was all there was to it. End of argument.
Sarah followed behind. No one knew her brother like she did. Once he'd eaten and drank some coffee, he'd settle down and listen.
It felt strange to be cooking eggs and toast in her aunt’s quaint, sunny kitchen after what had transpired the night before. Jason slammed his fist against the table three times without uttering a word.
“Why don’t we just have the conversation instead of you making it up in your head?” she laughed. “You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“I don’t need to know what you’re going to say because you’re not staying. You're going to lock the cage and leave.”
“Quit griping and eat.” The plate clattered on the table sending a few small bits of scrambled egg flying as she dropped it in front of him.
They sat in complete silence for nearly twenty minutes while Jason drank his usual three cups of coffee. Seeing he was finally caffeinated and had calmed some, she broached the subject for what she hoped was the last time. “Okay, before you say anything else, or start yelling again, I want you to listen to what I have to say. First of all, yes, you are very dangerous when you’re in that…condition. But when the moon isn't shining in the window, you’re docile and sweet and seem to know exactly who I am. You listened to me and even tried to communicate.”
“Oh, my God. Sarah, it’s not a pet you can train. I know you’ve always wanted a dog, but this is ridiculous.”
“First off, you turn into a wolf, not a dog. I’m not a complete moron, and I didn’t say I could train you. I said you were reasonable and intelligent.”
Jason’s face turned pink as the muscles in his neck began ticking out an erratic rhythm.
“I think if you spend several nights caged with the moon shut out, you can learn to control it. I’m not talking about letting you out of the cage, Jase. I’m talking about giving you time to get control so you don’t have to spend three nights a month locked up.” He looked so sad and depressed, it nearly broke her heart. Sarah leaned forward and took his hand.
“I'm a monster. I killed people.” Jason‘s voice shook as his eyes pleaded with her to understand.
“You are not a monster. The other thing isn’t even a monster. Even changed, you are still Jason, just a really hairy version.”
It took thirty minutes to talk him into letting her stay and watch. She could hear Jason banging away in the basement making repairs to the cage. When the kitchen was tidy, she headed up to the attic to find their old video camera and do some research.
The stuffy attic smelled like must. Boxes were stacked and scattered over wooden planks that served as a floor. Neither of them had spent much time in the attic. Answers lay in those boxes. Answers to questions they were afraid to ask, although Jason would never admit it. Not that she had a lot of room to talk; she hadn’t wanted to look either.
Neither of them knew much about their ancestry. As children, they had been orphaned and placed in foster care. They were luckier than most, because they'd been able to stay together. When Jason turned sixteen, he found a job and started saving money. By the time he was eighteen, he’d saved enough to rent his own place and take his little sister with him. They lived in the tiny, two-room apartment for six months before receiving notification from the probate office that an elderly aunt had died and left them her home and assets. It was a huge shock because they’d never known they had any family. There was no information available to them about what had happened to their parents, or how they had ended up in foster care. Jason had vague memories of their parents, but Sarah had none. She was only two when they were placed in the first foster home.
The only information they had ever been given was a short cryptic letter written by the dead aunt. The message read:
Dear children,
Sorry I wasn’t around to help you. I didn’t have the time or energy. Sorry I won’t be around for what follows, you will figure out what to do. Know your parents loved you, and in leaving you this house, I hope I at least did my part. When the darkness comes, hide. It is all you can do.
That was it. No muss, no fuss, and it didn’t make much sense at all. Until now. Now Sarah wondered what kind of ‘darkness’ her aunt was talking about. If there was a clue, it could be in the attic. And if it was up there, she would find it.
As she rummaged through boxes and numerous old trunks, she found links to their past. Photo albums filled with pictures, several legal documents, even an old genealogy chart dating back to the fifteen hundreds. Glancing over it, she noticed the main part of her family had lived in Romania until the late eighteen hundreds. She sat it aside with the albums and two small boxes containing paperwork.
The heat of the day warmed the dust-filled room making it hard to breathe. Sweat oozed from her pores leaving trails of clean on her dirt-smudged face. As she continued working through the mass of boxes, an eerie silence settled in the small house. Sarah poked her head out of the small rectangular opening to the attic, and called, “Hey! What are you doing? Did you get everything done?”
Jason peeked around kitchen doorway. “No. I took a shower and now I’m making some sweet tea. Want some?”
“Took a shower? Holy crap, we don’t have time for that! You have things to take care of.”
“I’ll get them done, don’t worry. I’m thirsty. You want a glass or not?”
“Absolutely. It’s gross up here.”
“Well, come down. We’ve already been through a lot of that crap and didn’t find anything.”
Sweat dripped from the tip of her nose, landing on the fold down ladder with a plop. “We didn’t know what to look for then, we were just snooping.”
“You still don’t know what to look for. Come back down and get a drink.”
“I just have one more box to go through and I’ll be down.”
“Suit yourself,” he said, and his face disappeared behind the door.
Jason was seated on the living room sofa, staring out the picture window in a daze when Sarah crawled out of the attic. He looked defeated. “Hey, a little help here?” she asked. Arms loaded with picture albums and a few small boxes, she attempted to navigate the rickety ladder.
Jason jumped to his feet nearly smacking his head against the ceiling fan.
“I couldn’t find the camera; I don’t know where we put it.” She told him.
Reaching out, he pulled a mass of cobwebs from her rust colored ponytail. “It’s okay. I don’t see how it would help anyhow.”
She grimaced as he wiped the mess on his jeans. “Look, what happened was awful, but you didn’t know what you were doing. I don’t think anyone would be able to handle it without reacting in the same way.”
“What if I kill you? How am I supposed to live with myself then?”
“You’re not going to kill me. We’re going to figure this out and you’re going to get control of it. There’s no other option.”
Jason’s gaze became vacant as he stared off into space.
Sarah wiped the sweat from her face with the back of her sleeve, leaving a clean streak of honey colored skin. “Where’s my tea? I feel like I've been chewing on powdered cotton balls.”
He pointed to the coffee table.
She grabbed the glass and gulped it down. “Shew, I needed that.”
Before pulling old papers out of the boxes, she looked up at him expectantly. “Are you going to help, or stand there and watch?”
The couch creaked as Jason plopped on it.
Shaking her head, she handed him the old photo albums, and began leafing through a stack of papers. They worked quietly for several minutes. Sarah had finished ransacking one of the smaller boxes and was working on another when she said, “Check this out. This looks important.”
Taking the age worn document in his hands, he glanced over it. “Whoa. This is a deed. And the place isn’t too far from here. I don't think it is anyhow. Why would it have our parent’s names on it? Something like this should’ve been listed through the courts.”
Sarah shrugged. “How do we find out?”
“We'll have to go to the title office and see if it's any good.” Still staring at the paper, Jason turned his head to the side. “Wait a minute; I think I know this place. Hand me the purple book.”
“This one?”
He pointed. “No that one, under the brown one.”
“Oh for Pete's sake. That's burgundy, Jase.” Pulling it from beneath the pile of albums, she handed it to him.
He thumbed through to a picture of a cabin in the woods. “I think this is it. When I saw this the first time, I thought it looked familiar. I think we used to live here.”
“We need to go there. There may be people still living around there that know us, or at least know our family,” Sarah replied.
Jason looked at the clock on the wall. “No time today.” It was nearing five o’clock and the sun would set around seven.
“Tomorrow then. I didn’t realize it was so late.” Standing, she began stacking the papers and albums in two neat piles. “I’m going to shower and get comfy for tonight. Did you take anything down there for me to sit on?”
“Sarah…please be reasonable. Don’t make me go through this. I don’t want to hurt you.” Gazing into her pale blue eyes, he knew there would be no changing her mind. She was determined to get herself killed and leave him to deal with it. Jason sighed in resignation before grumbling, “Fine, but I'm not springing for a funeral.”
She grinned and patted his arm. “Thank you. And you don't have to; you know I want to be cremated.”
Jason stiffened. “Whatever.”
She chuckled as she left to shower.
Shaking his head at her victorious attitude, he proceeded to make what he thought was her last night on earth comfortable.
When he returned from the basement, Sarah was standing at the kitchen counter with a large towel wrapped around her head. Humming, she swayed back and forth in rhythm to her tune while making a huge plate of sandwiches. The baggy sweats she wore made her petite frame seem even smaller. Without makeup on, she still looked fourteen. It's just like her to make sandwiches like we're having a picnic or something. Exhaling, he asked, “Company coming?”
Ignoring the sarcasm, she answered, “No, but I was starving last night and so were you. I’m going to throw some of these to you while we are working. Hey, take that pile of stuff down there and set it up for me, okay?”
“You’re seriously going to sit down there, eat bologna sandwiches and drink coffee while this is going on?”
“Yes.”
“Seriously?”
“We’re running out of time. Quit being a jerk and help.”
At 6:15, Jason was locked in his newly-refurbished cell, with Sarah standing at the door. Both of them were nervous, but Sarah refused let Jason see the anxiety she felt. With carefully calculated movements, she calmly strolled to the mattress and busied herself with looking through a picture album. A red thermos of hot coffee lay on the table next to her and she thought about pouring a cup, but didn’t think her nerves could handle a dose of caffeine just yet. She flipped to another page of unfamiliar faces while looking at her brother sideways. He paced back and forth, occasionally stopping to rattle the cage bars, or check the board he’d nailed over the window.
After a few moments, she couldn’t take it anymore. She stood and paced with him. He glanced at her but didn’t say anything. All he did was walk, walk, stop, rattle, walk, stop, tap, walk.
“Would you stop it? “
He flipped his head around. “What?”
She stared at him pointedly. “Doing that. Just take a breather.” She grabbed an old yellow blanket off the mattress and tossed it to him. “Here. Take your clothes off.”
“Why do I need to take my clothes off?”
“Those are your favorite jeans. If you stay dressed, we are going to have to buy you new clothes. You’re already going to miss three days of work and we are not even remotely rich. Now take off your clothes before they get ruined.”
When she felt his jeans smack into the back of her legs, she turned around. Although the situation wasn’t funny, she had to laugh. Seeing her brother behind bars, red faced, with a blanket wrapped around his waist was funnier than it should have been.
“Ha Ha Ha. Yeah, laugh it up little sister, it’s really freaking funny.”
She looked at the clock again, it was 6:45pm.
Jason sat on the chair she had insisted he put in the cage and waited for the change to begin.
Sarah, also seated, began showing him old photos from the albums. “Do any of these people look familiar to you?” she asked curiously.
He leaned closer while she turned the pages. “Wait. There.” He pointed to a pretty girl with flaming red hair and a friendly face. “She looks familiar. You know and something about her. Maybe bringing cookies or something.”
Turning the page, she gasped.
“What?”
She turned the album towards him. “Look at this. How weird is that? Do you think this is mom?”
Shrugging, he answered, “Could be. It must be mom at your age. Who else would look so much like you? She has the same pouty lips, long rusty-looking hair, and a huge beak of a nose.”
Narrowing her eyes, she stuck her nose in the air, and answered, “I have a tiny, nymph-nose thank you, and my hair is auburn. Maybe if you weren't color blind you'd know that, Mr. Purple.”
“Hey, it looked purple to me.” Jason smirked.
For the next hour, Jason and Sarah looked through the album. Few people seemed familiar. Just a man with jet black hair and another woman with a narrow nose and tiny eyes. Before Sarah knew it, it was 7:30. She took out her notebook and began to write.
“What are you writing? Nothing has happened yet.”
“Oh really? Look at the time. It’s 7:30 and you haven’t changed. I think keeping you out of the moonlight may stop the change from happening.”
They talked about the pictures and old documents for a few more hours. At 10, Sarah made Jason eat a few sandwiches and gave him some coffee. By midnight, she was convinced that as long as he stayed out of the moonlight, the change would not occur. As the grandfather clock in the upstairs living room chimed the last stroke of midnight, Sarah smiled at her brother and walked to the cage door. “I think it’s safe to let you out. As long as you stay down here, you’ll be fine.”
Jason turned and smiled at her. Something about his face didn’t look right. It wasn’t changing, but the expression on it wasn’t his. “Yesssss, you should let me out now. I am hungry.” He hissed. Grabbing the bars in his hands, his entire body grew rigid. The muscles in his face and neck pulsated as he threw his head back. A guttural human growl forced its way out. Just before his metamorphosis began, his terrified eyes locked on hers. With a raspy voice, he ordered, “Sarah, get out!”
Head shaking in refusal, she quietly sat on her mattress, and waited for his transformation to end.
It was almost the same as last night, but this time it happened faster, and he did not try to break the cage door, or attack her. This time when his change was over, he sat on the floor in front of the door, watching her.
“You’re getting better at this,” she told him.
Still watching her, he shook his head and laid down.
“I want to try an experiment to see how well you understand what I am saying, okay? I’m going to ask you yes or no questions, if your answer yes, bark once. If your answer is no, bark twice. Understand?”
The Jason-beast watched her and then let out a, “Woof.”
“Good job, Jase. See, I knew you could keep control.”
Two barks this time.
“Yes, you can. You just have to try.”
Sarah began a round of questions. Asking him things he would know the answer to in his human form. It appeared the essence of her brother was still conscious inside the beast.
She hated to call it a beast, or even a monster. Although he was close to the size of a small pony, he was beautiful. The terror he evoked came simply from his massive size and teeth. He looked like he could easily rip her to shreds. His coat was a thick dark grey with light undertones. His belly was almost completely white, but his eyes…the eyes were giant black globes without pupils or irises. The eyes were completely alien; she’d never seen eyes like that before.
Jason listened intently and answered every question she asked. At one point, he looked up at the covered basement window and whimpered. Sarah assured him the moonlight would not come through and everything would be fine.
At 3am, she heard his stomach rumble and tossed him a few sandwiches. An unexpected giggle burst from her lips as he devoured them whole. Wolf or human, his eating habits remained the same. He wagged his tail in between bites and waited for more. Over half the tray was gone before he finally had his fill.
By 4am, she'd moved her mattress up to the side of the cage and had been petting Jason while talking to him. Just like any normal, domestic dog, he seemed to enjoy the attention and if she moved her hand away, he'd nudge her through the bars until she continued. At 5 am, an hour before sunrise, Sarah unlocked the cage door to let him out.
Jason sat just inside the door. His muscles rippled with tension as a low rumble issued from his chest. Not an ‘I’m going to eat you’ growl, it was more like a ‘How stupid can you be’ growl. Regardless of her intentions, her brother would not come out of the cage. He lay down and watched her intently. Even as an animal, he was stubborn.
Curious as to how much control he had, she stepped inside the door.
Jason barked.
She took another step closer, he barked again. Certain he had total control of himself now; she walked right up to him, reached out, and patted him on the head.
Jason growled. Placing his head in the center of her chest, he gently pushed her toward the door.
She anchored her feet and pushed back, but he was stronger and managed to ease her from the cage. Then grabbing the bars of the door in his teeth, he pulled it shut.
“Fine. I’ll stay out here, but I think we just learned a valuable piece of information. You are not a monster. Something about the moon makes you lose control. Now we know and can prepare.”
When they woke, it was already noon. Jason opened his eyes and saw Sarah lying right beside the cage with her narrow arm wedged between the bars. Her hand lay inches away from his own. “What the hell do you think you're doing?” he bellowed as he leapt to his feet.
Sarah’s eyes snapped open and she sat up.
“This is not a freaking game, Sarah. That thing I become is not a pet. I knew I shouldn’t have let you stay here last night.” Red faced, he kicked the chair and sent it flying into the wall.
“You want to cover yourself up, please? I mean really. I’m your sister for Pete’s sake.”
Jason grabbed the blanket, wrapped it around his waist, and pushed at the door ready to demand she unlock it so he could strangle her. When the door swung open, he really had a fit. “I cannot believe…Of all the stupid…Do you have any idea? Oh my God, Sarah! What have you done?”
“Oh shut up, and quit having a cow. I’ll tell you all about it Mr. Smarty-pants. You think you know everything just because you’re older. I’m starving, let’s go have breakfast and I’ll tell you what happened.” She ordered. Doing her best impression of a military about face, she tossed her disheveled hair over her shoulder, and began to climb the basement stairs.
A few minutes later, Jason entered the kitchen fully dressed, and still angry. He sat at the table brooding and barely offered a “thank you,” as she put down his cup of coffee.
Ignoring him, she grabbed her own cup, and began to discuss what had happened the night before. When she got to the part about opening the cage and coming inside, he jumped out of his chair, knocking it over and yanked her out of her seat by her shoulders.
“Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” he asked as he shook her. “What’s wrong with you? You just don’t get it. I have already killed several people. Do you get that? They are dead. Dead! I ripped them to shreds, and left them rotting in the woods.” Then seeing he was hurting her, he pulled her close and hugged her.
Even as tears rolled down her cheeks, she tried to comfort him, “You wouldn’t hurt me. Don’t you remember anything at all about last night? You knew exactly who I was and what you were doing. It’s different when you can’t see the moon.”
“Sarah, we are all the family we have left. If you can’t promise me you'll never do it again, well…then I am going to have to send you away.”
Placing her hands against his chest she shoved him away. “That’s just stupid. You can’t send me away. Who will take care of you? Who will help you? Besides, if you try it, I-I’ll tell people.”
“Harrumph. Who in their right mind is going to believe you? Go ahead, tell people. Tell everyone you meet. They’ll lock you in a mental ward. That’s probably the only damn place you‘ll be safe from me.”
Sarah sat back down her tears once again flowing. Seeing her so upset brought him out of his rage. They’d always been close. He’d always tried to protect her and be a good big brother, maybe even her father. He couldn’t stand to watch her cry. Jason picked up his chair and took his seat, waiting for the waterworks to subside. As she pulled herself together, he thought about what she’d told him of last night’s events.
He could remember some of it. He hadn’t realized until just then, but when he started thinking about it he could remember bits and pieces. He definitely remembered being angry with her for coming in the cage, and pushing her out. He even remembered some of the questions she'd asked, or at least he thought he did. Looking at Sarah in amazement he asked, “Did you ask me about Amy Sanders last night?”
“Yes. You always said she wasn’t your girlfriend, but I knew she was.” Sarah chuckled as she wiped her eyes.
“You asked me if I ever kissed her.”
“Do you remember? You are remembering aren’t you!”
“I’m starting to, I think. Maybe. I don‘t know it‘s kind of fuzzy, but a few things stand out.” he answered.
“Holy crap, Jase! Do you know what this means? You're getting control. You can beat this. Maybe you can’t stop the change, but you can at least stop killing!”
They were making huge progress. If she could just keep working with him, and keep him out of the moonlight, they could manage this thing. “I know we don’t have time today, but tomorrow, we need to wake up early and go find the house. We need answers and at this point it’s pretty obvious there are things about our family we should know. I don‘t believe you’re the only one this has happened to.”
Chapter Three
The sky was black, as if a velvet blanket hung behind the moon and stars. Tiny sparkles punctuated the deep emptiness of space with glittering brilliance that dulled close to the low hanging moon. Shana had grown to hate the moon. In her youth, she’d anticipated its coming with excitement; the thrill of the power it evoked was beyond measure. That was years ago, before she knew love was optional and fleeting. Long before she had become Seer and passed sentence on her own family. Safety equaled power and power resulted in a heart as empty as a starless midnight sky.
The pack leaders had finally arrived. Shana waited impatiently for everyone to settle and begin the meeting. For twenty-two years, she had been the pack Seer. Although Thomas was the leader, more times than not, decisions about current and future events were based on Shana’s visions. What she needed to tell them tonight would bring about enormous change, possibly even upheaval among the Lycanthrope people. Last time, they hadn’t listened. This time, well this time they’d better.
As the others quieted, Thomas took the floor. “Shana called the meeting tonight. I'll not take up much of your time, but I'd like to address a few stray issues while we are gathered.” He cleared his throat, and his dark eyes became cold and angry as he continued, “Rashuk clan…It has been brought to my attention that your young ones have been wreaking havoc on the national parks in your area. You will put a stop to this immediately. My sources tell me there are two; lock them up and keep them safe until they have control, or we will send out the Hunters. They are making headlines.”
Thomas leaned against the mantle of the massive stone fireplace. Running a hand through his thick, dark hair, he sighed. “People, I shouldn’t have to keep reminding you of these things. You know the laws. Indera clan, your houses are in need of repair. We cannot possibly hope to keep our cover if we live in hovels. Fix it. Also, a hunter has informed me a human family has taken up residence in your area. Do not hurt them and don’t let them see you. You should have purchased the property the moment it came up for sale. I've already set things in motion to have the father transferred to another position much further away. If all goes well, they will move. Buy the property,” he ordered. Giving Shana a quick nod, he took a seat.
Shana took a deep breath. She knew the minute she spoke the atmosphere of the room would change. Many would be thrilled with her news, but many others would be enraged. With any luck, there would be more of the latter than the former.
“I’ve seen them. They are ready. He has already been changing, and somehow with no help from us, he has managed to gain partial control. He is of monstrous size and power. It is exactly as foretold.” Silence filled the room before agitated voices disrupted the calm.
“How can that be?” asked a man leaning against the far wall.
“Shana, are you positive?” said an older woman sitting in the corner.
“Send the Hunters and take them out!” The leader of the Rashuk clan yelled as he stood.
Thomas raised his hand for silence and the room went quiet. “What is to happen?” he asked Shana.
Brushing her platinum-blond hair from her face, she answered, “They are coming. They will be here tomorrow.” After glancing at her feet, she raised cold blue eyes to glare at the crowd. “I warned you when the hunters terminated the parents, this was to be. The children should have died then. If you'd done what you were supposed to, and looked harder for that traitorous bitch Edna, we'd have known where they were and could have prevented this.”
An elderly white haired man spouted from the back of the room, “Even if we’d found her, she wouldn’t have given up their location.”
Several gasps disrupted the silence that followed his outburst.
As Shana’s fierce eyes glided over the group, she had to wonder how intelligent humans could really be. Those gathered possessed various shades of red hair, with similar honeyed skin and the same blue eyes. So few had dark hair that they stood out in the crowd. Only the eldest Lycans differed greatly with their snow-white locks. And she was the only blond. After years of living in this small Ozark community, no one had seemed to notice. Shaking off her ruminations, she continued, “He is already stronger than the best of you. There is no stopping this now. We either bring them in and hope they are in a forgiving mood, or hide and hope they leave us alone. We cannot stop him now.”
“And the girl? What of the girl? Has she become?” the older woman asked as she pulled at the collar of her blouse.
“No. It is not time. However, she has already become enlightened, although she does not realize her full potential. She has no fear.” She looked around the room repeating her previous statement with fervor, “She has no fear.”
“Thank you, Shana.” Thomas said as he waved his hand in dismissal. He looked them over one by one. His mouth broke into a slow malicious grin. “As this affects the entire pack, I will not make a declaration on this matter. I was against this from the beginning, so you all know where I stand. Those in favor of taking them in, stand and say aye.”
Several in the room stood. “Aye.”
“Those opposed?”
***
The drive to the cabin took longer than expected. On the map, it appeared to be an hour or two away, but with all the winding country roads, the drive stretched to three hours. The view was a panoramic kaleidoscope of fall colors that gave a sensation of driving out of reality and into a fantasy world. As they drove down the long wooded driveway, both Jason and Sarah expected a jog in their memories. If they'd ever lived here, something should seem familiar.
The cabin was as beautiful as the surrounding forest. Its cedar exterior had aged to a rich dark brown. The lawn was well manicured, and the flowerbed surrounding the wraparound porch had been weeded and brimmed with beautiful burgundy and white mums.
“Someone must live here,” Jason said.
“Okay, if this was not our parents’ place, then why do we have the deed?” Sarah asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t understand it. The title company assured us the property was ours.”
“Well, whoever has been paying the taxes must be keeping it up. Maybe they’re relatives. Maybe we have more family and they just didn’t know about us.” Sarah said.
He flashed a cynical look in her direction. There was no way anyone living on this property wouldn’t know about them, but seeing her enthusiasm, he kept quiet. He’d never needed a family. She’d always been enough. Protecting her from the other foster children, and even some of the parents, had been a full-time job. As he grew larger and stronger, it had become easier.
At fifteen, his size alone was enough to intimidate those who’d wanted to hurt her. And there were many. Glancing at her, he wondered how he’d managed to keep her body and spirit intact. Her long auburn hair, pale skin, and bright blue eyes were enough to attract unwanted attention from men and boys alike. Perfectly symmetrical features, plump pink lips, and a sculpted lean body, added to the trouble. Thankful the latter had come after his first growth spurt, he sighed. Yes, she’d always yearned for family, but past interactions with people in general left him wanting nothing more than for the two of them to be left alone.
As Jason parked the car, the front door opened and an older, blond version of Sarah stepped on the front porch. She waved excitedly, motioning for them to join her. “Come on up. I’ve been waiting for you for hours. I thought you’d be here early this morning.” she said with a smile.
“Uh… Hi,” Jason answered.
“Hiya!” Sarah was so full of excitement, she could hardly contain herself. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she was positive this woman was her aunt. It was more than the resemblance to her mother’s picture, or herself. There was a pull, a feeling of recognition from deep within. For the first time since they found out about their dead aunt, she knew they were not alone in the world.
As they stepped on the porch, Shana held out her arms welcoming them. “Do you remember me? I'm your Aunt Shana.” She took Sarah by the shoulders, looked deep into her eyes, and said, “You know me. I can see it. I've been waiting a long time to see you two. Well, let’s not just stand here, why don’t we go inside and have some lunch? I made your favorite, Jason.” Turning, she entered the front door.
Sarah grinned, grabbed Jason by the arm, and pulled. “Come on.”
Looking down into her brightened face, he exhaled and allowed her to drag him across the threshold.
Large and open, the living room had a homey feel. Eight evenly-spaced, cedar beams spanned the ceiling sporting rows of baskets filled with dried flowers and herbs. A massive stone fireplace on the East wall was the focal point of the room. Three blue gingham couches arranged in a U shaped pattern surrounded an oversized coffee table and offered a cozy view of the fire.
The fireplace sparked Jason's memory. He vaguely remembered sitting by the fire with his father roasting marshmallows, while his mother told stories.
Shana left the room for a moment, and returned with a large wooden tray holding a plate piled with sandwiches and three glasses of lemonade. Placing the tray on the coffee table, she said, “Here we are. You two look starved. Have a seat and we’ll catch up.”
Jason and Sarah looked at each other in confusion, before sitting as requested. Ridged and unmoving, Jason glared at the woman. If she was related to them, why did she leave them to fend for themselves instead of taking them in? What kind of family did they come from? The more he thought, the more his anger began to build.
“Well let’s don’t all talk at once, shall we?”
Uncomfortable in the permeating silence, Sarah shifted in her seat.
Jason turned his gaze to the fireplace.
Smiling, Shana continued. “Sarah, you look so much like me, it's uncanny! Why, except for our hair color, you're the spitting image of me when I was your age.”
Sarah returned her smile and nodded. Now that she had an honest to goodness living family member sitting in front of her, she couldn't find words to say.
Not receiving the desired reaction from the girl, Shana turned to work her charms on the brother. “And Jason, what a strapping young man you've turned out to be. You know, even as a small boy, you were big for your age. We always thought you'd be a big man when you grew up, but I don't think any of us ever thought you'd be this huge.” Her voice grew soft, almost caressing in its tone, “You look so much like your father. But you have other features as well. See that picture on the mantle?”
His eyes moved over the many silver framed photos resting on the mantle.
Pointing, she said, “That one on the end. That's my daddy, your grandfather. You bare a resemblance to him, too. I think you get your size from him, and your dashing good looks from your father.”
“Aunt Shana, Who is the dark haired man in the photo with our grandfather?” Sarah interjected.
“Oh, he's my husband Thomas. He was a looker in his younger days, don't you think?”
Jason made a grunting noise, but offered no conversation. Still scanning the pictures, he was surprised there were none of his parents. I guess it's out of sight out of mind with them. If they don't have to look at us, they'd never have a reason to feel guilty about being such worthless human beings.
Shana spotted the change in his expression. “Jason, you must think we're a horrid bunch to leave you two alone for so long. We are not. You were left where you were for your own safety. I am your mother’s youngest sister. What has happened is a tragedy, yes, but you must believe it was set in motion solely to safeguard the well being of our people.”
“There‘s more of us? I mean more than just the three of us?” Sarah asked.
Eyebrows rising, Shana nodded. “Oh my, yes. Oodles and gobs really. It’ll take you two awhile to remember everyone’s names.”
“But if,” Sarah paused, “if there are so many, why would you…well…”
Shana’s eyebrows drew together in a barely masked look of disdain. “We had no choice. It is simply a matter of survival. I’m sure you can grasp the precariousness of our situation.”
Shaking her head, she answered, “No. I don’t understand at all. I mean, there are tons of people in our family, and no one ever--how could they never come for us?”
“I don’t know if I want to understand any of this,” Jason leaned forward in his seat and pointed his finger at the woman across from him. “You left us to live in one foster home after another. Completely alone. Do you have any idea what they tried to do to us, to her? Look at her,” he pointed to his sister, “can you imagine what she went through, what I went through, trying to keep her safe. At least Edna gave us a home when she died. That was something. Something more than the big fat nothing you’ve done for us.” He stood. Enough was enough. Anger clouded his thinking and it was getting late in the afternoon. Tonight should be his last transformation in this cycle and he was not going to be caught outside in the moonlight again. “Come on, Sarah, we need to go. It’s getting late.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you just got here. This is your home, you own it. The basement here is already set up for your needs. You will be perfectly safe down there. There are no windows and the cage is well fortified.” Shana assured them.
Shocked, the siblings stared at her. For some reason, it had not registered with either of them that she knew what had been going on. Jason‘s jaw muscles grew tight and twitched as his teeth clenched. His eyes narrowed as he spoke. “Are you freaking kidding me? You know everything, and have done nothing to help us?” he bellowed.