As I was getting ready to leave, I glanced over toward Kyran, who was walking away accompanied by Alexis and Josephine. The absence of the tender giant Gage struck me as odd, but I dismissed any uneasiness right away. Gage’s whereabouts were no concern of mine. Before climbing into the blue Corvette, Kyran took one good look at me. The expression on his face was completely unreadable. Something had changed in those silver eyes of his.
Seconds later, Josephine slid inside the passenger side and started to holler at him. He slammed his hands against the steering wheel and turned to look at her. She didn’t relent in whatever she was saying to him. Instead, she pointed toward the road. Kyran sped out of the parking lot looking as angry as I’d ever seen him. Alexis followed closely behind in the red Lexus. The entire scenario seemed strange to me, but I couldn’t sit to think about it. For the time being, I had a mission to accomplish.
Tracy returned, and twenty minutes later I was unlocking the front door of my house and stepping inside. I made sure to lock the door and ran upstairs, also locking my bedroom door. It was close to one in the afternoon. Vicki usually got home between five and five-thirty. I needed to get as much done by then as I could. I felt like I was fighting the biggest battle of my life and I needed—no, wanted—to win.
My laptop lay in the same spot on top of the desk where I’d left it several days ago. I opened it and turned it on. Five minutes later, I was navigating through Dr. Lowenstein’s webpage. I overwhelmed myself by reading all the supposed facts the doctor had written down in his werewolf blog. The countless stories this man had recorded, as narrated by the alleged witnesses, blew me away. Reading those stories along with the hypothetical facts piqued my interest deeper than before.
So far, the many physical descriptions of the beast that witnesses described matched what I’d seen. Their accounts of their dangerous encounters with werewolf creatures were closer in consistency with my experiences than I could’ve imagined. Like me, most people chose to stay silent for fear of public ridicule, among other things. So I wasn’t completely losing my marbles. From that point on I knew it was safe to say that I was being stalked by a werewolf.
Trying to find Beatrice Smith, however, proved to be harder than I thought. I felt a sense of urgency to find this woman and speak to her. She knew something, and I needed to hear what she had to say. Problem was how to convince her that I wanted to hear her true story. I didn’t want her to think I was just another person looking to ridicule or shame her.
It took me a while to find her posts on the forums. Many people had replied to her comments and her original post was pushed back to almost the very last page of the thirty-eight-page forum. Dr. Lowenstein designed his pages perfect for my convenience. At the bottom of her post there was a link that, by clicking on it, you could send a private message to her. I clicked on it, not knowing what to write, but determination had swelled within me and I needed to find out if this B. Smith was in fact Beatrice Smith, the same one who had witnessed her husband’s murder and later claimed werewolves killed him.
Ms. Smith, you don’t know me but I’ve read your post, and I have to say I’m truly intrigued by what you wrote. I have to be honest and say that I don’t know if I believe in it, but I have seen some things lately that have me pausing to think differently from what I normally would. At this point, I’m confused and quite frankly scared. I also believed there was no such thing as monsters, but that’s really hard to continue believing after you’ve seen things that aren’t supposed to be real. I wish to further discuss this matter with you, because I have no one else that would give me as much as a second thought. I wish to relate to you my own frightening encounter and hopefully we’ll be able to exchange stories and facts. Please, if you can help in any way, answer my plea.
I knew I sounded desperate, but by this point I was. I had no one else to turn to and if this woman couldn’t help me or at least give me some kind of clue, no one could. I silently prayed she would answer me. Whether she read her private messages or not I had no idea, but I had to take the risk.
Deciding that I wanted to see what images were available when it came to this particular subject, I typed in werewolf in Google and waited as the search engine loaded hundreds of potential sites. What I really wanted to see were the physical characteristics these animals/humans were said to have. As I scanned the magnitude of pictures of the alleged werewolves, I realized that my beast closely resembled those pictures, drawings, and photos. The biggest difference lay in the eyes. The beast I’d seen had eyes that looked back at you almost in recognition. They were intelligent eyes, human eyes.
I typed in werewolf encounters just to see what would come up, and I wasn’t prepared for the huge number of websites with links to stories upon stories of supposed encounters with werewolf creatures in different parts of the world.
There were stories that dated back hundreds of years, and I read through as much of the information as possible. Many people related hearing strange noises in and around farms, especially where cattle were present. Reports of a missing person who was later found mauled by an unknown predator in the middle of nowhere were also a common tale. If I wasn’t actually reading all of those stories, I wouldn’t have believed it myself. There were literally thousands of posts, reports, and eyewitness accounts from people who claimed they’d had some kind of encounter with a werewolf or werewolf-like creature. The most famous one of them all was the Beast of Bray Road.
“I just can’t believe this.” Even after everything I’d been through, I just couldn’t fathom that this could be a very real possibility. After all, how did one prepare for something like this? Werewolves were supposed to be supernatural beings, or in other words, not real. But what I saw was real, very real. For Christ’s sake! I’d even hit it with a bat and quite possibly reduced its eye to nothing but pulp.
However, the worst of it all was that this thing, creature or person, was stalking me. Since I had already seen it on more than one occasion I had a feeling it would come back, and soon. I didn’t know and couldn’t possibly begin to imagine what the hell it wanted. Why did it keep coming back? Why didn’t it hurt me when it had the chance? Why was it allowing me to see it?
I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly in an attempt to calm down. I needed to settle my nerves and relax. There was no point in getting all worked up over nothing. Since I was more than likely in danger but unable to aid myself, I couldn’t afford to lose my sanity. It was the only weapon against my stalker I had left. If only I could find out who his human side was, maybe I could find a way to save my life, or at least try to. My phone jingled several times but I ignored it. Angela kept texting me but I was in no mood to speak to her. I had more important things in my head.
Noting the time, I decided to make dinner so Vicki could come home from work and relax. I was home early anyway, might as well make myself useful. With some effort, I managed to make spaghetti and meatballs with baked garlic bread. I only hoped it tasted as good as it smelled. I hadn’t cooked in a while, so I was a little nervous.
Vicki was extremely happy when she walked up through the front door and saw dinner was ready. She was even happier when she tasted it and found it as delicious as it looked. Quite frankly, so was I. Feeling the need to keep busy, I washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen afterwards. After showering, I curled up in bed and soon was fast asleep.
The following morning, I got an unexpected but pleasant surprise. Kyran didn’t come to pick me up, but his equally gorgeous twin brother Alexis did. He was driving the blue Corvette Kyran usually drove. At first, I hadn’t even noticed it was Alexis. It wasn’t until I got inside the car and saw the lock of silver hair at his left temple that it finally dawned on me that Kyran wasn’t the one driving.
“What’re you doing here?”
He cocked his head to the side. “It’s nice to see you too, princess.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just that…” I stopped, embarrassed by the harshness of my voice.
Alexis didn’t seem to be bothered by my obvious disappointment though. “You were expecting my brother.”
“Yes.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, but Kyran couldn’t come. He’s…indisposed at the moment.”
“Oh, is he all right?”
“He’ll be fine soon, hopefully by tomorrow.” His forehead creased with worry lines as he said that and my heart responded by picking up pace.
“Um…is it because of that condition you told me about?”
“Yes. He asked me to take you to school since he has this sort of commitment to you.”
He added nothing more afterwards so I settled back in the seat as he drove us to school.
Alexis seemed a little troubled to me. Despite the fact that I hadn’t exactly associated with him much, I could tell this wasn’t his usual behavior. Since I first met the Rousseau’s I’d never seen him so quiet or grim-faced before. Usually he wore a big, flirtatious smile on his face.
After a few minutes however, I couldn’t take the silence anymore so I shifted in the passenger side seat and said, “You’re worried.”
He opened his mouth as if to say something but then zipped his lips together.
What kind of condition caused Kyran to be sick one moment and then better the next? “Is his condition very dangerous?” I tried, hoping he would shed some light on the mystery behind Kyran Rousseau.
“You have no idea how much,” he murmured.
By the look on his face, I felt pretty confident he had not meant to say that.
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing.” He kept his gaze on the road.
“When Kyran and I went on our date the other day, I—”
His eyes snapped in my direction. “What? You went out on a date?”
Kyran didn’t tell them? Why? “Yes. I thought you guys knew.”
Alexis didn’t seem too happy and I was seriously regretting opening my mouth. I should have kept quiet.
“No, we didn’t. He’s not supposed to do that.”
Okay, now I was seriously confused. “What? Date?”
“Yes.”
“Why not?”
“It’s…he can’t…he just shouldn’t.”
I actually glared at him. His anger made no sense. And his explanation made even less sense. “Oh, forgive me. I thought he was an adult.”
“He is.”
“So why does he have to ask your permission to go out?”
“That’s not it. Kyran…he…he’s special.”
What the hell was going on? What was up with Alexis? What was he trying to say to me? Because he was definitely trying to say something. “Okay, so he’s special. I get it.”
“No, Marjorie, you don’t, and that’s the problem. You’re extremely vulnerable and you don’t even know it.”
“What are you talking about? Vulnerable? I have no idea what you’re trying to say! Why don’t you speak clearly instead of rambling?”
“Just, please, don’t go out alone with my brother. It…damn it!”
“It…? What? Tell me!”
“I can’t! Just don’t go out alone with him, okay? I can’t tell you any more than that.”
What was he so scared of? “You’re confusing and scaring me.”
“I’m sorry, Marjorie, I didn’t mean to.”
Yes, he did, he did mean to scare me, but why? “The night Kyran and I went out on our date, I mention his condition and he got angry. I didn’t mean to give away any information. I just mentioned it by accident—”
“What did he say?”
“He said you have a big mouth.”
Alexis actually smiled then. “He’s right, I do.” He turned to look at me. “In this case, I only meant to tell you to avoid situations where you two are alone together.”
“You know, I’m getting a little sick of everyone always telling me what to do.”
“I don’t mean to tell you what to do, Marjie, I just…it’s safer that way.”
I didn’t understand why, but I decided to let it go for now. “Fine, whatever you say. Since I have to avoid situations where Kyran and I are alone, does that mean that stopping by on Wednesday for dinner is out of the question?”
“No, we’ll all be there.”
“You all have to be there?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Okay, then I’ll be there.”
Alexis drove up to where Tracy and the rest of the group were waiting beside her car. Before I got out of the car, he grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently.
“Remember what I told you, Marjorie, and please take it to heart.”
It didn’t make much sense to me, but his eyes told me he was serious. “Okay, Alexis, I will. Just stop looking at me like that, and for God’s sake smile!”
His mouth widened in a smile so stunning, it would’ve knocked the socks straight off an old lady’s feet. I smiled back and he leaned forward and kissed my forehead, causing my skin to break out in goose bumps all over.
“Bye. I’ll pick you up after classes.”
“All right.” Before closing the door I said, “But you don’t have to. I can always carpool with Tracy.”
“No, I want to.” He drove away, smiling as he waved goodbye.
I exited the car and met up with my group of crazy friends as we headed toward class.
“Well, which twin are you dating now?” I turned to find Tracy standing next to me, beaming.
“Neither, we’re just friends, nothing more.”
“Sure, if you say so.”
“I do say so.”
“So, ah, when are you going to speak with Angela?”
“I don’t know, but not today.” I wasn’t feeling like speaking to her just yet.
“You can’t avoid her forever, you know.”
I could if I set my mind to it.
It was essential I continued to live my life as I normally would because if I didn’t, I feared how the mental state I was in could affect the rest of my existence. However, trying to do so was easier said than done. The environment around me didn’t feel the same; something felt off-balance. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I had a feeling it had something to do with the abnormalities occurring at Wolf Creek Hollow. With all the people disappearing, animals being found mauled and partially eaten, and me being stalked by a possible werewolf, it was a wonder I hadn’t begun to lose it again. All of that was having a negative effect on me where I no longer felt like myself. My nerves were on edge, the lack of sleep was causing me to be grumpier than usual, I was neglecting my friends, and my schoolwork was also suffering.
Adding to my turmoil was the fact that the entire time I spent in school, I felt as if I was being watched. Every time I turned, I expected to see someone lingering around me, watching my every move, but there was never anyone there. However, the nagging feeling that I was being observed wouldn’t leave me alone. The possibility that perhaps I was imagining things due to too many stressful encounters with the unknown crossed my mind.
Finally home after a long day at school, I finished with my chores and headed up to my room. A little alone time could do wonders for me; at least that’s what I was hoping for anyway. As soon as I arrived and connected my phone to the charger, I noticed the little red light, which indicated I had a message, blinking. I picked up my phone, opened it, and listened to a voicemail from Dr. Lawrence. I’d missed my weekly appointment with him again. For the time being, I had other pressing matters to worry about so he would have to wait a little more time to see my face, if he ever did. Failing to show up for my weekly appointments with Doctor Funny Pants wasn’t proving how responsible I should be, but in my defense, I was being stalked by a werewolf, so I was completely justified.
As I sat on my bed, I opened my laptop to navigate through Dr. Lowenstein’s website. This particular website was the only link connecting reality to mythology I had, aside from my backyard of course. So I made sure to study the stories and the information given as much as poss
ible. I read several documented stories that I hadn’t had time to catch up on yet. As I began to read, I started to regret that decision because by then several stories stuck in my head, causing a combination of fascination and horror in my already confused mind.
Cases in France such as those of Pierre Burgot, Michel Verdun, Gilles Garnier, and Jean Grenier—the boy lycanthrope—were among the many that caught my attention. All were believed to be werewolves from the late 1500s and early 1600s, and they were accused of some of the most heinous crimes I’d ever heard of. Were these people really werewolves or were they just natural born killers?
After a couple of hours of staring at the computer screen, my head began to hurt due to the overwhelming information I was feeding my brain. I was in the middle of another story when a light started to blink on the bottom of the page. I clicked on it immediately and a direct message from B. Smith popped up.
Girlintheshadows, I have read your message and after giving it some thought, I decided to message you back. I don’t know if what you wrote is true or not, which is why I’m being cautious. I can’t begin to count how many people message me only to make fun of or ridicule me. As upsetting as it is to me, I still read each message, hoping to get one like yours. Even so, it is hard for me to trust. If you wish to speak, I’ll speak to you. If you wish to just message me, then we can do that too. Just tell me what can I help you with? And why are you so desperate to find answers? Answers to what?
I read the message two more times just to convince myself that it was actually there. Could this be the same Beatrice Smith from Iowa? For many people it would be quite obvious, but I couldn’t assume they were the same person just because they had the same initials. I messaged her back, including my phone number, hoping she would call soon. To my utter surprise, my phone started ringing almost at once and when I picked it up the caller ID displayed Private Call. This had to be her, no one else called me private, ever.
“Hello?”
Secrets of the Moon Page 21
