The Timber Effect

by Jacklyn Reynolds

  "This is actually great," said Timber as she started rummaging through the pile of miscellaneous clothing items on her bed. "I've needed to go through all this stuff and toss out my old junk. Look at this." She held up an old newspaper article from 2002. "See? I've got too much junk."

  "Same here, though I'm sure I have more junk than you," said Xianna, grinning.

  "I don't doubt that." Timber refolded some of her jeans and put them in a drawer. She tossed aside the torn pants and the ones that were too short in the leg.

  "Which article were you holding on to?" asked Xianna, going back into the throwaway bag and pulling out the yellowed article. "The one about the mill?"

  "It was such a big loss for the town, I wanted to try to get it running again. I saved it to see it there was information I could use. I never thought they would tear it down. I'm sorry I never got to hear the shift change whistle."

  "Well let's see," said Xianna. She scanned the page. "'The timber industry blames government meddling and environmental lawsuits. Environmentalists blame poor timber management and market forces...' I blame both. There should have been a compromise. 'Founded by lumber baron Charles Russell Johnson in 1885, the mill once employed two thousand...' I didn't know that many people lost their jobs! '...garages won't service as many trucks, the grocery store will sell less food. The county, city, and schools will lose about three hundred and eighty thousand dollars in tax revenue. Fewer patients with health insurance will support the hospital..." Xianna looked up at Timber. "When both of us are filthy stinking rich, we have to find a way to get this town on the map!"

  "I'm with you on that one," said Timber. "I've thought the same way myself." Feeling like she should change the subject, Timber asked, "So you're sure you're okay with sharing a room with a wolf?"

  "As long as that wolf is my best friend," said Xianna and Timber smiled. "So the first time I saw your real self it was pretty dark. Can I actually get a good look at you?"

  Timber transformed her body into her wolf form and stood very still so she didn't startle her best friend by accident. Xianna looked at Timber, letting it sink in and asked if she could pet her. Timber smiled the best way a wolf can smile and nodded. Xianna was a little hesitant but she reached out and petted Timber's back. When she backed up a step, Timber became human again.

  "I'm happy you told us your secret," said Xianna.

  "I'm surprised that you guys took it so well," said Timber. "I thought you'd never want to talk to me again."

  "Well, now you know," said Xianna. "I have one more question. Since you're a wolf, do you ever get the urge to hunt?"

  "Not in years," admitted Timber. "The last time I had no choice but to hunt, my parents had just died and I was alone. I was hungry but I wasn't very big, I was tired, and I couldn't shift so I settled on rabbit. Last time I went hunting, we were camping two years ago and Uncle Chad said he wondered what freshly cooked deer tasted like. So I went to find one. I took down a buck, and we made deer steaks. I was able to climb a tree and snuck up on it from above. He roasted it over the fire after I skinned it. At home, my aunt and uncle make sure I'm well fed which is probably why I'm as fat as I am."

  "You're not fat Timber, you're huggable. There's a big difference."

  "Says the girl who wears size six jeans," said Timber sarcastically.

  "Who cares about what pant size you are? Mr. Santelli is attracted to you," said Xianna pointedly.

  "I highly doubt that," said Timber as she started hanging up her clothes in the closet. "I mean, I know he loves me, but I'm not much to look at. Not like you. You're tall, thin, and beautiful. I'm short, fat and average."

  "There has to be some level of physical attraction in every relationship," said Xianna. She started throwing things into a trash bag and heaved a deep sigh as she became overwhelmed with the large number of unused items she needed to throw away. "Aren't you physically attracted to Mr. Santelli?"

  "Of course! Have you seen him? The man is absolutely gorgeous! You're attracted to him for crying out loud and you're picky! More than half of the girls in the school are attracted to him too. I'm normal. There's nothing attractive or special about me at all. I'm not lucky enough to look like you."

  "Well he has to be physically attracted to you otherwise, he wouldn't look at you the way he does."

  Timber stopped working and gawked at Xianna. "How does he look at me?"

  "He looks at you like you're the most beautiful girl he's ever seen," said Xianna with a smile. "I've seen him look at you in class when everyone is concentrating on their work. He smiles a little when you furrow your brow in frustration. His eyes get a dreamy expression when you laugh. The man is head over heels in love with you."

  Timber smiled and blushed. She didn't know that Henry was that much in love with her. The knowledge that he was looking at her lovingly during class even, though she was frustrated at her work, made her feel marvelous.

  "I'm jealous of you Timber Brogan," said Xianna. Timber stared at her in disbelief. "I'm serious. I want what you have."

  "Xia, you're confusing me," said Timber.

  "You have a loving family who took you in and cared for you, and you have a man who I'm pretty sure will go to the ends of the earth and back for you. I want that. I want all of that."

  "But you've had boyfriends before," said Timber. "So have Ashley, Kendra, and Gina."

  "And none of them have looked at us the way Mr. Santelli looks at you," said Xianna. "We've been flings, and ways to pass the time. We've had guys that have genuinely cared about us, but it's never been real love. The first guy that actually had the guts to approach you and get to know you ended up falling head over heels for you."

  "If it makes you feel better, Henry is twenty-four and I'm his first relationship too," said Timber. "Your prince charming will come when you least expect it and when you're not looking."

  "Whatever," said Xianna. "I'm glad you took me in. I've talked to my brother. I called him while you were getting my stuff. I finally told him what happened. He said that he and his fiancé have a studio apartment in their backyard I could have to myself. They just need to clean it up and fix a few things. He said it should be ready by the beginning of next week. It's on the south side of town so it's not too far."

  "I'm in no hurry to get you out of my room, Xia." Xianna smiled and embraced Timber tightly.

  "Girls, come down please," called Grace from the first-floor landing.

  "Coming," Timber called back. "I wonder what they want."

  "They?"

  "Henry is here. I can smell him."

  "Okay, I realize that you're a wolf and all, but that's still the weirdest thing you've ever said to me. Hands down."

  Timber and Xianna giggled as they went down the stairs. They found Grace and Henry sitting in the living room. Henry was looking rather nervous about something as his hands were fidgeting but Grace looked as calm and poised as she usually did.

  "I didn't know you would be off of work so early," said Timber to Henry.

  "It's after four," said Henry with amusement. "It may be that the time went by quicker for you since you were being productive and enjoying the day with Xianna."

  "There is an overwhelming chance that you may be right," said Timber with a smile.

  "Henry and I have had a little chat during lunch today and we have both agreed that since Henry and Timber are together and Xianna knows about Timber, she needs to know about Henry too."

  "What? Whose idea was this, I would like to know," demanded Timber, putting her hands on her hips.

  "Mine," stated Henry. "I was concerned about not being able to speak to you with the freedom that I have been able to enjoy recently now that Xianna is part of the household. I would assume that you told her only part of the truth the night you told her that you are a wolf."

  Timber nodded and Xianna was looking from Timber to Henry.

  "Okay, so there's more? You said there was no more."

  "It wasn't you who asked me that," said Ti
mber. "Ashley did. There was nothing else I wanted to tell the rest of the girls."

  "Okay so.... What?"

  "Timber, you need to start from the beginnin'," said Grace. "I'm goin' to go pick up Emily from her play rehearsal. I'll be back in fifteen minutes unless they are runnin' late." She left in a hurry and Timber turned to Xianna.

  "Okay, so the reason I'm not human is because of my parents. My parents were both werewolves."

  "You're serious?" Xianna was looking at Timber like she was expecting a punchline to a bad joke.

  "Yes. They conceived me during the full moon, and as a result, I was born a wolf."

  "But werewolves don't exist," said Xianna. "They're only fairy tales made to scare little kids."

  Timber looked at Henry and grinned. "Well, I guess you're not real, Henry."

  "What?"

  "I'm a werewolf, Xianna," said Henry calmly.

  Xianna stood there frozen in shock for a moment, then ran her hands down her face. Timber could tell she was becoming overwhelmed by all of this new information.

  "So my best friend is a wolf and my teacher is a werewolf?" Xianna started pacing back and forth between the back of the couch and the kitchen island. Her face was screwed up with deep concentration. After a few moments, she stopped pacing and looked at Henry. "Are there others?"

  "There's no one like Timber that I know of," said Henry. "Werewolves are not allowed to breed. It's against Haven law. Before the law came about, when werewolves made children, they were wolf like humans. Unfortunately, many of them never made it past the first few months of life. The transformation on the full moon removes a person's sense of self and self-control and a parent would kill the children. When they became themselves again, they would be so devastated and angry with themselves, they would end up committing suicide. Timber is the only child that was conceived by werewolves on the full moon. It's never happened before. But there are other werewolves and different creatures that live inside the borders of Haven."

  "You don't live in this - that - Haven - place," Xianna pointed out.

  "I was deemed fit to leave," said Henry. "Timber's parents escaped to save her life. How they did is still a mystery because there are powerful enchantments placed around the borders to prevent escape. The only way is to have outside help. There are werewolves who have not left Haven since they were bitten because they're dangerous. I am too but I take a special medication every night that keeps me from becoming a full-fledged monster on the full moon. Not everyone makes that choice. You notice that I have to use a cane sometimes? That's due to the effect my transformations have on me. I've very weak for a day or two after the full moon. Transformations take a lot out of me."

  "So what kind of creatures are there besides werewolves?" asked Xianna.

  "There's the ones most people have heard of like werewolves, vampires, centaurs, and mermaids. Then there are other things like berzerkers, pontianak, dearg due, sluagh, and caorthannach. The castle is home to these fluffy creatures called Bouffies too. They look like white fluff balls with giant eyes. The kids love them. Haven also has a Nephilite and a Cambion, both of whom I have had the pleasure of befriending. They have kind souls but because of appearances they cannot live outside the gates."

  "Why?" asked Timber.

  "A Nephilite is half angel half human so she was born with pure white wings. If she were to leave it would cause trouble because, unlike you and I, she cannot hide the fact that she's not human. The Cambion is half human half demon. She can hide her demon, but she's deadly in her second form."

  "Can humans visit Haven?" asked Xianna.

  "Yes," said Henry, "but it is generally discouraged because of the dangers involved. There are monsters there that would not hesitate to kill a human. Humans have been hunted and killed for sport in the past. However, you can't go in alone. If Timber wanted to go she would have to travel with me and she would have to assume a new name because her name is very well-known. Timber is actually something of a legend in Heiligdom. As I said before, she's the first and only one of her kind."

  "Is that why you weren't shocked when I told you?" asked Timber.

  "Yes, I already knew you weren't human as soon as I learned your last name though I didn't know what animal you were at first. I only knew you were a shapeshifter," said Henry. "When you told me your first name, I thought it was a coincidence. It's not a very common name but I suspected you were the famous Timber Brogan when you said both of your parents died. I found out you're a wolf during the second week of school after your fight with Josh. Your hair was changing to silver and white, and your teeth and claws were growing while I was carrying you home in your half conscience state. I suspect that you were using all of your energy to stay conscious and remain in your human form. You did fully shift when I put on the couch but it was only for a moment so didn't get a really good look at you. I only saw that you were a canine with a grey color but that was all I had time to register. Emily was so hysterical, she didn't notice.

  "Anyway, your parents are considered traitors amongst werewolves because they had you. The Highers will not punish you for being born, but there are werewolves out there who still consider you an abomination. They would kill you."

  "I'll make it a point to never go back to Haven," said Timber.

  "Good," said Henry. "It's a terrible place. It's beautiful, but it's dangerous. I wouldn't go back there even on the full moon. I've seen enough danger and been in enough battles as a soldier within the gates to never want anything to do with Haven ever again."

  "But you said that no one would touch you because of your size," said Timber.

  "True, but I still don't like it there. I don't like having to constantly look over my shoulder."

  The front door opened and a loud squeak met Timber's ears. Emily came bouncing into the room with an immense smile on her small face. Her pink dress and blonde hair were bouncing with her. "I got the role! I got the role!" She ran around the couch for a moment then stopped to catch her breath.

  "Who are you playing?" asked Timber.

  "I'm going to be the Queen of Hearts and yell OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!"

  "Isn't that a little out of character for you?" asked Xianna with a smirk.

  "Yes, but the drama instructor said that it's the sign of a good actress who can play a role that's the opposite of her natural character," said Emily proudly as she fixed the bow on the top of her head.

  "I think I'll make a pitcher of sweet tea in celebration," said Grace. "Henry, would you like to stay for dinner? I made too much spaghetti and Xianna's birthday cake is too large for five people. I need someone to help us eat it."

  "I will be happy to," said Henry. "Spaghetti is my favorite food."

  "Really?" asked Timber in surprise. "I didn't know that."

  "Well we've only known each other for four months," said Henry, looking at Timber with a smile. "We're still in the 'getting to know you' phase."

  "Good point," said Timber with a grin.

  "How often is Mr. Santelli over for dinner?" asked Xianna.

  "Almost every day," said Timber. "You know Aunt Grace usually makes way too much food so she likes to have him over to help eat it. She thinks he's too skinny. The man practically lives here but he sleeps at his house across the street."

  "It's a good thing you guys have a large dining room table then," laughed Xianna.

  "Well let's see," Timber counted on her fingers, "there's Henry, me, you Emily, Aunt Grace and Uncle Chad. Just enough chairs. Good, that means I don't have to go to the garage and get the two extras."

  "Where is your uncle by the way?" asked Xianna looking around as if she suddenly noticed that he wasn't on the first floor.

  "If he's home he's in his office," said Timber. "He's been spending a lot of time either in there or at work. We hardly ever see him anymore. It's been like that for several months. He used to join us for dinner though but I haven't seen him much in about two weeks."

  "Timber, could you please set the table? Emily,
could you please make the salad? Xianna, could you please put the spaghetti into the large blue bowl that's in the bottom cabinet beside the refrigerator? I need to go wake up Chad. He may have fallen asleep at his desk again, bless his poor heart. I'll slice up the bread when I come down."

  "I can do that for you, Grace," volunteered Henry.

  "Thank you! You're a peach, Henry," said Grace and she disappeared up the stairs.

  Timber got six plates, cups, forks, butter knives, and dinner napkins out of the cabinets and drawers and set them on the table the way that Grace had taught her. Xianna and Emily came into the dining room with a salad and a large bowl of hot spaghetti and set them on the table. Henry had just come in and set the sliced bread on the table when a loud crash came from the office. Timber jumped and Turned, panting heavily. She cowered under the dining room table as Grace's furious voice filled up the house.

  "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

  "What happened?" asked Emily, looking alarmed. "Mama never yells."

  "YOU COULDN'T TELL ME! I HAD TO FIND OUT LIKE THIS? - WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN? - WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOIN' TO HAPPEN? - NO, THEY'RE NOT GOIN' TO BE OKAY! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY THINK THAT THEY'RE GOIN' TO BE OKAY WITH THIS? I'M NOT OKAY WITH THIS!"

  The office door slammed shut and Grace came into view. Her normally gentle eyes were streaming with angry tears. She passed them without saying a word and went straight out the front door, nearly closing the door on her dress and petticoat. They heard her car start, roar out of the driveway and down the street.

  "Where is she going?" asked Xianna.

  "I have no idea," said Emily. "This has never happened before. What do we do Timber? Timber?" Timber was still under the table curled up and shaking.

  "What's wrong?" asked Xianna. She was visibly worried.

  "She doesn't like the sound of angry yelling. That's why she always left if an argument started breaking out," said Emily. She crouched down and held out her hand. "Come on Timber, it's quiet now." Timber crawled out and into Emily's arms. Emily pet her head and Timber became human again.