Skankzilla rolled her eyes. “Of course, you agree with her. When haven’t you agreed with her?”
I ignored her comment because it didn’t matter anymore. I would leave soon and this would all be over with. The children came in from the other room and were reunited with their families. The quiet whispers of each family showed how scared each was. Everyone began to disperse to their homes, to get ready for bed. Billy led me from the pub out to the dark evening. I pulled away from him and inhaled the sweet smell of night and basked in the moon’s glow. I closed my eyes and stopped walking. I love the night.
Billy laughed. “I swear, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a vampire or something.”
“Yes, let me suck your blood.” I said in a mock accent.
Skankzilla smiled. “I bet he has something you could suck.”
I turned to her and let my anger loose. “Shut up you dirty whore! I’ve had enough of you!” I started to move towards her, and then smiled. “You know what…it’s not worth it. I’ll be out of here in a week anyway.”
Billy frowned. “A week? Where are you going?”
I was about to answer him when Darren came up. “Tomorrow we are waking up early to start preparing, so we need to go home.”
“What are we preparing for?” I asked.
Darren sighed. “Come on, girl, let’s get home.”
Billy kissed my cheek then waved. “Later, Chicky.”
I smiled at him. “Later, B.”
Bret growled behind us. “Great, she already found someone else.”
I ignored his comment and started walking towards home. Darren smiled and spoke to the teens, “Five a.m. we are doing shooting practice. I expect you all to be there with your gun of choice.”
Bret saluted Darren. “Yes, sir.”
Darren shook his head and walked after me. He smiled at me as I walked beside him towards the house. The streets were still eerily empty, but a soft glow fell from each house’s porch light. We walked in silence, as we always did at night, enjoying the smells and noises only available in the dark. I looked up at the moon and smiled. Only a few more days until the full moon. Darren had said the reason I was named Artemis, Goddess of the Moon, was because I had been born on a full moon, and every milestone I ever reached was on a full moon. I think he just wanted to make me feel special.
We arrived home, and I hurried to bed. The image of the three dead teenagers was still in my head. I sighed and prayed Koda was right and the town would be okay, even after I was gone.
“Artemis, get up.” Darren said.
I opened my eyes and looked at the dark sky. “Dad, it’s still night time. I just went to sleep.”
He laughed. “Come on lazy. You just have to shoot once, to show that you can handle your gun, and then you can come back to bed.”
I sighed and got up, changing into my jeans and putting a bra on under my shirt. I hurried through my morning routine and walked out to the kitchen, where Billy, Bret and Darren were eating breakfast. I smiled at Billy’s excited face. Billy patted the chair beside him, but I shook my head and took my normal chair across from Darren. I ate the eggs, bacon and toast which were already on my plate. Bret had added strawberry jelly to my toast as usual, which made me feel sad that we weren’t really friends anymore. The milk was a little warm, but still delicious. Darren and Bret placed their plates in the sink and started towards the door. I sighed and followed their leads. Billy followed behind me. I pulled on my boots and grabbed the hunting rifle Darren had given me last year for Christmas. Bret held his hunting rifle down by his leg. We had been taught since we could walk that you never point a gun at something you aren’t willing to kill. Billy followed us with two revolvers. I looked at Darren’s empty hands and asked, “Where’s your gun, Pop?”
“I’m teaching, not shooting. I’ll practice later tonight.” Darren answered.
Bret shook his head. “I don’t understand how you and Artemis can see those targets at night.”
Darren and I shrugged then walked out the door with Billy and Bret following closely behind. The entire town sat on our front lawn, waiting to start the lesson. The children had already started playing in the tree house and swinging in the tire swing my father built for me and Bret. Bret smiled at the children and nudged me with his arm. “That used to be us.”
I nodded and felt a twinge of sadness at the thought that I wouldn’t see Bret again for a long time, if ever. “Yeah, used to be.” I walked away from him, with Billy following me, around the back of the house to the shooting range Darren had set up. Darren believed that everyone needed to know how to use a gun in case of emergency. Now, with the threat of some unseen monster, it was even more important.
I stood at the mark for the first target and chambered a shell. I sighted down the barrel at the beer bottle that had been set up and exhaled. I pulled the trigger and smiled as the bottle shattered. I heard Trixie say, “Wow” from behind me. I lowered my gun and walked to the back porch, setting my gun in the safe and locking it with the key. Bret walked to the next mark and aimed his gun. He pulled the trigger shattering another bottle just like I had.
Skankzilla clapped her hands and cheered, “Yay, Bret!”
I fought the urge to take my gun back out and end her miserable existence.
Bret pointed his gun at the ground, ignoring Skankzilla, as he walked towards me. He motioned at the gun safe and smiled.
I unlocked it and waited while he put his gun inside.
Billy waved at me. “I’m going to go listen to your dad.”
I nodded and walked into the house, Bret following closely behind. Darren rolled his eyes at us and began instructing the rest of the town who did a lot less shooting than Bret and me. I sat down on the couch and turned on the television, flipping through the channels in search of cartoons. Bret sat down behind me, stretching his long arms along the back of the couch. I groaned as every channel was a news alert. The light in my head clicked on, and I stopped on one of the channels. Bret leaned forward beside me, his mouth dropping open.
The reporter spoke softly, standing in the middle of Oregon, surrounded by dead bodies. “The scene here is a duplicate of every other city. No one saw it coming and whatever has done this has vanished with the morning light. Every human found is dead. Hundreds are missing. The only clues as to what monster has done this are the claw marks we found on one body left beside a dumpster in an alley. Police from surrounding states have come to investigate this tragedy. Thousands are dead, leaving us to wonder what or whom is doing this. We found one surveillance tape, but please be warned, this tape contains graphic scenes not suitable for some audiences.”
The view changed to a grainy surveillance camera. A man stood pressed against a brick wall as a large, dark shape moved towards him. It looked like mist, but moved unlike any mist I had ever seen. The mist covered the man, who screamed in terror. A sharp crack resonated through the alleyway, and the man stopped moving. The shadow disappeared. The reporter from our local news came back on, “This is replayed footage from New York. We have been told that there are indeed no survivors living in New York City, or any of the surrounding cities. The President has issued a warning to all states, saying, ‘We need to prepare for the worst. There is no way to tell where it will strike next.’ The reports are conflicting, but with the mist and claw marks, we do know that something is killing and kidnapping people. Yes, you heard right, not all of the bodies are accounted for. We can only assume that with no signs of any of their personal belongings that they’ve been taken.”
Bret stood up and ran outside. He yelled for Darren who came running into the house. I changed the channel to another station that showed the same scene all over again.
Darren sat down beside me, shaking his head. “Shit.”
I felt my body begin to shake with fear, and Bret pulled me up, wrapping his arms around me. He whispered, “It’s going to be alright, Artemis. I’ll be here for you.”
Darren stood and walked outsi
de, telling the rest of the town what had happened. I pushed Bret away. “It won’t matter, because neither of us will be here. I’m leaving in a few days, and so are you.”
He frowned. “I love you, Artemis. Why can’t you see that?”
I felt the tears in my eyes and turned away, walking to my room. I laid down on my bed, facing the wall, and closed my eyes. Bret climbed on the bed behind me, and pulled me against him. I shook my head and tried to pull away from him, but he held me tight. I whispered, “I can’t Bret.”
Bret nodded against the back of mine. “I know that you feel betrayed, but I love you. I always have.”
I sighed. “You’re my friend, Bret. That’s it. I can’t date my friend. It never works out. Especially when that friend has been trying to screw me.”
Bret shrugged and hugged me tighter. “What doesn’t work about this?”
I pushed against him. “Just leave.”
He sighed and stood up. “Fine, but just know that I’ll wait for you. I love you.”
I waited until he shut the door, and closed my eyes. I focused on relaxing my body and fell into a deep sleep.
Billy softly shook me awake. I opened my eyes to the dark and rolled over so I could see him. He whispered, “Your dad is outside shooting right now, but you need food.”
My stomach growled with vigor anyone could hear.
Billy snickered. “It’s been doing that for fifteen minutes so I figured I should wake you up.”
I looked out the window and saw the dark sky. “What time is it? How long have I been asleep?”
Billy stood up. “It’s eight o’clock and you’ve been asleep for a long time. I’m sure you will be awake all night now.”
Why had I slept so long? I didn’t usually sleep so long.
I stretched my arms and legs then sat up throwing my legs over the edge of the bed. Billy extended his hand to me, and I took it to stand. He pulled me against him and kissed my lips. I stood frozen as he pulled away and smiled at me. He laughed. “What’s wrong?”
I pulled away from him. “I can’t, Billy. I’m leaving soon.”
He smiled. “So, that means I can’t get a few last kisses in?”
Bret walked into the room and glared at Billy’s arms around me. He pushed Billy off of me and kissed my lips hard. I pushed against his chest, but couldn’t do anything. He pulled back and asked, “Who’s do you like more?”
I groaned. “Why? Why are you doing this?”
Bret reached for me, but I dodged his hand, running towards the door. Bret grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back, hugging me against him. “Just admit that you liked mine more. Just admit that you want me to do it again without him here.”
Billy yelled, “Let her go, Bret!”
I shook my head and fought against Bret, but he was much stronger than me. I suddenly felt trapped, and fought as hard as I could against him. I kicked at him and tried to elbow him, but he juggled me around so that I couldn’t make contact. I pushed at his arms and they started to give.
He exclaimed, “What the hell?”
I pushed his arms off of me and ran away into the kitchen. I turned back towards them and panted and fought to control my emotions. I was no longer trapped and felt better, but I had a strange urge to fight Bret.
Bret walked into the kitchen staring at me in shock. “What is going on with you, Artemis?”
Billy smiled. “Obviously, she doesn’t want you touching her.”
I shook my head and held out my hands. “Don’t come near me, either of you. I don’t…I felt trapped.”
Darren walked into the house and stared from Bret to Billy to me and back. “What’s wrong?”
“I was holding her, and she started attacking me and got some burst of strength. She pushed my arms away and says she felt trapped,” Bret said.
Darren frowned and stared at me, but talked to the boys. “Bret and Billy, I think you both should leave.”
Bret frowned. “Why? She’s fine now. I think I just scared her.”
Billy scoffed. “No, he kissed her, and she didn’t want him to.”
Darren set his gun down on the table and walked towards me.
I took a step back and hit the wall. I shook my head as the urge to run tried to take over. I whispered, “Stop.”
Darren stopped moving and whispered, “You want to run, don’t you?”
I nodded and stared at him. “How’d you know that?”
He sighed. “I can’t explain right now.” He turned to the boys. “Look, you know I’ve never had a problem with you being here before, but we have family matters to discuss.”
Bret nodded. “I understand.”
Billy nodded, too.
Bret walked towards me and stopped a few feet away, raising my instinct to flee two notches higher. Bret asked, “Can I get a hug or are you going to go all crazy again?” He finished the last part trying to hide the hurt in his face.
I shook my head. “Both of you, please, just leave. I’m sorry.”
Bret smiled. “Night, Chicky. Night, Darren.”
Billy waved, with an obvious look of concern on his face. “Bye, Chicky.”
Darren watched them leave. I plopped down into one of the kitchen chairs and put my face on the table. “Dad, what’s happening to me?”
Darren rubbed his face with his hand. “I can’t tell you everything yet, but you are coming into adulthood. It’s a transition period for our family that few others here have to go through. It’s because of your interactions with Ares and Koda. You are going to have to stay indoors for the next week and I’m going to have to forbid anyone from coming over here until your transition is finished.”
I gasped, “But Bret is leaving in a few days!”
He sighed. “I’m sorry.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “What are we?” I asked, fear creeping up my spine.
He smiled. “We’re human, but with a little extra spice in our blood. I told you I can’t explain it yet. You’ll understand in a few days.”
I asked, “Are we like the things that have been killing all of those people? The mist?”
Darren shook his head, his hands fisting on the table as he scowled. “NO! We are nothing like those things. I promise, in a week or so, you’ll know everything.” He sighed heavily. “Whether you like it or not.”
I stood, wanting to ignore the jumbled new information in my head, grabbed some food, and walked to the television. I turned on the TV. “Dad, there’s another video.”
He walked over and sat on the couch beside me. The news reporter showed video of a city being wiped out by the mysterious monsters. No new information was available, and the same signs had been shown. Claw marks, two puncture wounds, blood completely drained and broken necks. I wondered what these things were, but knew Darren wouldn’t tell me.
“Can they be killed?” I asked Darren.
He smiled a purely evil smile. “Yes, but not very easily.”
“Why won’t you just tell me what they are?”
“I fear that speaking their name will bring them to us. They have spies everywhere and can be almost anywhere. I would rather they left our town alone, but I fear they will be here much sooner than I wanted.” He picked his gun up off the table and walked towards the door. “I’m going shooting, but stay here. If either of the boys come back, don’t let them in.”
I shrugged. “Whatever you say, Dad.”
He smiled. “That’s my girl. I’ll be back in a few hours. Do some chores or something to keep yourself occupied.”
“Alright.” I stood and headed towards the kitchen. I turned on the water, and started doing the dishes. Something was going to change my life.
But what? What are these things, and how does what I am relate to it?
I kept myself busy for the next two hours cleaning the kitchen and scrubbing the floors, but I grew bored. I hated staying inside the house. I went to my room and cleaned everything. I started a load of laundry. I walked into Darren’s room, b
ut was careful not to touch any of his books or research. He was always researching something, but I never knew what, because he kept his door closed and told me I couldn’t go in his room.
However, curiosity overrode the warnings in my brain, and I picked up a stack of papers and read the title. “Lycanthropy and Its Effects on Humans, by Darren Smith.” I gasped.
Dad had written this? What the hell is lycanthropy?
I sat down and started to turn the first page when I heard the front door open and close. I set the papers back down and hurried out of his room, closing the door quietly. I ran into the bathroom across the hallway and turned the water on, splashing my face. I grabbed the towel and walked out of the bathroom, drying off my face.
Darren frowned. “The cows are missing, but your horses are fine.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
He smiled. “Yep. Hey, you want to play a board game?”
I stared at him. “We haven’t played a board game together since I was ten.”
He nodded again. “I think it’s time we played one then.”
I shrugged and walked towards the closet that held all of our games. Darren had always kept an abundance of board and card games around in case of bad weather. I pulled down Risk and set it on the table. He locked his gun up in the safe and walked back, smiling. I pulled out the board and set it up. We played for a few hours, but I started to grow sleepy again. I yawned and stretched my arms. “Why am I so sleepy?”
He smiled. “It’s all part of the transition. Don’t worry. When the full moon gets here, you’ll be as good as new.” He tried to smile, but it didn’t reach the corners of his mouth or his eyes.
I nodded and walked to the bathroom to change my contacts. I hurried to my bedroom and fell asleep faster than ever before, dreaming of wolves running together in a pack, playing and hunting.
I stretched my arms as I woke up with the sunrise. I sat up and looked around my room. Everything was where it should’ve been, but something felt wrong. I walked to the bathroom, changing my contacts, and then toward the living room. I stopped moving when I saw the television. Darren sat, watching the news report of another attack. This one was in Nevada again. Darren sighed as he heard me walk up. “You better sit down for this kid. Someone got a glimpse of the beasts.”
Artemis Lupine- The Complete Series Page 8
