by Rani Clark
“She doesn’t know you’re with me.”
“No, she doesn’t. Do you just want to say that I ran into you?”
“Sounds like as good a plan as any.”
“You have chocolate sauce on your chin.”
Elias smirked, “Want to lick it off me?”
“Not particularly.” Ty wiped his hands on the napkins and stood, “Ready?”
“Yes.” Elias wiped his chin and followed him, “It’s going to start snowing soon.”
“Probably.” He looked up at the sky as they walked. “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow. My plane leaves at ten.”
“Oh.” He couldn’t help but be disappointed. He wanted to spend more time with Elias rather than only talking to him on the phone.
Elias pulled him to a stop, “I’ll visit again. I can’t get away often, but I can try if you want. You seem unhappy that I’m leaving so soon.”
“I am.”
He smiled and continued walking. Ty didn’t want to think about his attraction to the monster walking beside him. “Elias, how old are you?”
“I don’t think you really want to know.”
“I do.”
“Fine. Keep in mind, being a werewolf means I’ll look younger.”
“Oh god. How old?”
“Thirty-eight.”
Elias didn’t look past his twenties. Now that he looked at him he could see the slight lines on his face. He still looked young. “This is illegal.”
“And? I’m a fucking werewolf, also I’m into little boys. I don’t think I have a huge problem with illegal things. Plus, kissing you isn’t illegal. Sleeping with you would be.”
Ty nodded and led him to the apartment building. “Lilly Ann, Margo?” he called when he pushed open the door.
“In the kitchen! You were out a bit late,” Lilly Ann stepped in from the kitchen, the smile falling from her face the moment she laid eyes on the person with him. “What are you doing here?” she asked with venom in her voice.
Elias smiled, “I’m here because of Mr. Ragnar. He sent me something to give to you from Jaska. Can I come in?”
Lilly Ann stared for a moment, “I guess. Ty, get away from him.”
Ty did as he was told and went to stand by the wall. He thought it rude to say flat out to get away from someone, but he supposed there was a good reason for it.
“You know, the boys I like are much younger than Ty.” He chuckled and reached into his jacket, “I have some letters for you. Jaska wrote them to you and his sister. For reasons not explained to me, you can’t write back but he will be writing regularly. I’ll be delivering them. Lucky me.” He handed them over, “So there you go. I’ll be leaving tomorrow if it makes you feel any better.”
“It doesn’t. Thank you for the letters, but get out. Please.”
“Very well. Anything I should tell Mr. Ragnar?”
Lilly Ann looked at him in silence for a moment, “Yes. Ask him to send someone else to bring me the letters. I don’t want you anywhere near my children.”
Elias smiled and bowed his head, “Fair enough, but I doubt he has anyone else. I’ll see you later then, Ms. Byrne. It was nice to see you again Ty.”
Ty watched him go, wanting desperately to go and bid him farewell. Lilly Ann looked at him, “Were you hanging out with him?”
“What? No! I ran into him on the way in. He gave me the letter Jaska wrote to me.” He ran his fingers through his hair, “You think of me as one of your children?”
Lilly Anna nodded, “Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?”
He smiled widely, tears brimming in his eyes, “Really?”
She hugged him, “Your parents don’t know how lucky they are to have a son like you and I am lucky to get to take care of you. I’ll always think of you as my son.”
He hugged her tightly, “Thank you.” Ty let go, wiping his eyes, “I’m going to take off my clothes. I’m kind of soaked from the rain.”
“Alright honey.”
Ty tried to forget about saying goodbye to Elias. He wouldn’t be able to see him before he left. As he took off his coat he heard a light knock on the window. With a jump he turned to see Elias there with a smile plastered on his face. Ty pushed open the window and spoke quietly.
“I’m glad you came back.”
Elias slipped into the room, “I thought I would say goodbye,” he said in a low voice. He pulled him into a kiss.
“Thank you, Elias.”
Elias kissed his neck in a way that made Ty's eyelids flutter. “Goodbye, Ty.”
He watched Elias climb out the window. Ty quickly got out of his wet clothes and slipped into his pajamas. Lilly Ann was in the kitchen when he walked back out, his hair still wet. She was sitting at the kitchen table, tears in her eyes as she looked over the letter.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes.” She sniffled, “I’m just worried about him. I wish I could write back to him.”
“Me too.” Ty sat across from her, “He’s alright though. We should feel happy about it.”
Lilly Ann looked at him with a smile, “I know.” She raised her eyebrow, “What’s that on your neck?”
Ty reached up, “What?”
“That mark. It looks like . . . have you been seeing someone?”
“No. It must have happened when I fell asleep on my desk at school.” Stupid Elias. He must have given him marks when they had been kissing at the hotel. “I’ll be fine.”
“Alright. If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to tell me, but if you ever want to talk about it I’m here.” She stood, “I’m making brownies.”
He nodded, she didn’t seem to think it was Elias who had given him the marks, she hadn’t even brought it up as a possibility. Ty helped her finish cleaning up dinner as Margo joined them from her study group next door. He listened as Margo read her letter and talked about how much she missed Jaska. For once, his mind wasn’t on his friend. It was on the man who had just left. Maybe the next call would be more than just a pleasantry.
16
Lantern was a curious creature. Jaska smiled as he sat cross-legged on the bed and handed Lantern a hat. Much to his surprise, the creature put the hat on his head and made a cooing noise. “You look cute in a hat,” he said with a smile. This had been the only thing he had focused on for the past day and a half. Lantern slept next to him underneath the covers, cuddling up to him and flicking his antenna. The creature followed Jaska everywhere and delighted in being read a story. He didn’t want Mr. Ragnar to come back if he was going to be told he had to get rid of the creature he was bonding with.
“Jaska!”
Mr. Ragnar was home. Jaska groaned and stood, “Come on, Lantern. Maybe I won’t have to get rid of you. Hopefully not.”
Lantern didn’t understand the words, or if he did he didn’t make a motion like he cared. Jaska opened the door and made his way down the steps. Lantern walked next to him. Mr. Ragnar barely blinked at the creature that walked down the steps with his apprentice.
“So, the Mothman.”
“I guess. Uh, this is Lantern.” Jaska looked down, “I like him. He’s nice and sweet and I-”
“Stop it. I’m not making you get rid of him. Anyway, he seems to like you and you like taking care of him so keep him.”
“Really?” Jaska smiled widely, “I can keep him?”
“Of course. Why would I make you get rid of him? You think so little of me?” Mr. Ragnar looked hurt at what Jaska had implied. “I know I’m not extremely pleasant. I know that things are not the best right now, but I like to think I’m not a complete asshole.”
Jaska glanced at Lantern who was holding on to his pant leg. “It isn’t that I thought you were. I just . . .” he didn’t know what to say about it. “I didn’t know if that man dropped him off for a specific reason that you would need him for.”
“Not really. Since you named him and like him, you can have him. I was planning on giving that thing back to the person it c
ame from right before I screamed at him, but seeing as you like him.” Mr. Ragnar bent down to take a closer look at Lantern, but the creature hid behind Jaska. “He will get bigger.”
“How much bigger?”
“Seven or eight feet. Bigger claws too, but damn if they aren’t cute.” Mr. Ragnar stood to his full height, “How are you feeling?”
Since he hadn’t been thinking about his injuries or exhaustion, he was suddenly aware that he felt better. “We can probably start lessons again except . . .”
“Except what?”
“My Spirit Guide hasn’t shown up.”
“Really?”
Jaska nodded, “I’ve been waiting although I felt something in my room the other night. Beyond that I haven’t noticed anything.”
“Hm. That is odd. I’ll have to speak to Mads about it, see if he can track whoever your guide is down. Head downstairs and work on the books I put on your desk.”
Jaska nodded and turned to go to the basement. Lantern walked beside him down the steps and into the work space. After being killed here he wasn’t sure how comfortable he felt. His blood still stained the floor.
Lantern began to look around though kept well away from a few things. Jaska sat on the chair and began looking through one of the books Mr. Ragnar had placed on the desk. It was a book on symbols. Judging by the ink, pen, and paper beside it he was expected to practice them. With a sigh, he began to do so. Lantern tugged on his leg ten minutes into his practicing.
He looked down at him, “What?”
Lantern pointed to the pen and the paper. “Do you want to draw?” He gave his friend a few pieces of paper and a pen. “Only on the paper please.”
Jaska found drawing symbols relaxing and he wasn’t horrible at it either. He wondered if Leif was any good at this. Lantern grabbed his leg again. “I’m going to make you go upstairs if you keep interrupting me,” he muttered, looking down.
Lantern held up the drawing he had done. It was of a frightening thing. A pumpkin, a sinister smile painted on its face, was looking at him. The pumpkin thing had long clawed hands. “What-what is this?”
But Lantern was already drawing something else. Jaska set the drawing down and continued his practices. Mr. Ragnar came down the steps an hour later. “How are the symbols coming?”
“Fine I guess.”
“Good. I spoke to Mads. He says that your Spirit Guide should have shown up by now and as far as he knows it did.”
Jaska looked back at him, “I’m not lying.”
“I wasn’t suggesting you were.” Mr. Ragnar walked over to the desk and looked at the papers, “That’s fantastic. You’re excellent at this.”
“I’m just copying the pictures,” he muttered quietly.
Mr. Ragnar motioned to Lantern, “What have you been feeding him?”
“Mostly fruits and vegetables. That’s all he’ll eat. He likes juice though.”
“Good.” Mr. Ragnar motioned to his chest, “Have you been keeping it clean?”
“Yes. Did you send my letters?”
“I did. Now, after the symbols comes making them life size. Think you can do that?”
“Where do you want me to do it?”
“Chalk in the backyard. You will have to do it when it’s dark. That’s when these types of spells are cast.”
“Great,” he muttered. He leaned back, “How are the letters delivered anyway?”
“Elias Kircher will deliver them. No one knows I use him for anything and no one is going to question it.”
Jaska shuddered, “I don’t like him.”
“No one does. That’s one of the only things that comes in handy with him.”
“He should be in prison.”
“Yes, he should be.”
“Why isn’t he?”
Mr. Ragnar nodded, “Fair question. Things can get complicated when kids are scared. They can also get complicated when the creature is a creature like Mr. Kircher.”
“Just because he’s a werewolf he shouldn’t pay for hurting those kids?”
“That isn’t what I meant. Leave it be for now.” He went to his own work space and began to do whatever it was that he did. Jaska saw him take a small pair of reading glasses from his jacket.
Jaska didn’t enjoy knowing that if a criminal was a literal monster they wouldn’t be prosecuted. Elias deserved prison for what he knew he did and what he had probably done.
“It’s really bothering you, isn’t it?” Mr. Ragnar shook his head, “Kids are good at making up things. They’re also good at telling the truth. Mr. Kircher is a werewolf, what do you think those kids said? Life isn’t fair, but here we are.”
Jaska still didn’t think it was fair or nice that a man like Elias Kircher was out and about in the world. “How did you meet him?”
“Meet who?”
“Mr. Kircher.”
Mr. Ragnar was concentrating on whatever it was that he was doing. He tapped his fingers on the book, “Oh, uh, I met him when I was visiting Australia.”
“Why did you decide to start using him?”
Mr. Ragnar set his pen down and turned, taking his reading glasses off, “Jaska, why are you so curious? I have work to do and I don’t wish to explain why I use a man like him to do things for me.”
“Sorry.” Jaska returned to his work and didn’t ask any more questions.
He started to nod off as he drew more and more symbols. Lantern fell asleep on the floor. Jaska stood and picked up the creature. “I think I’m done for the day.”
“Very well. See you at dinner.”
Jaska climbed up the steps with a yawn. He set Lantern on the couch before heading into the kitchen. He needed to go shopping to pick up things for Lantern, winging it wasn’t doing it anymore. Leif was doing the dishes, singing to himself. “Do you mind coming with me shopping? I need to get some stuff for Lantern.”
Leif looked at him, “What stuff?”
“I need to get wet wipes, more food, crayons, paper, and a jacket for him. He needs something, its cold.”
Leif nodded, “Alright, we can go. Let me grab my jacket and the grocery wagon.”
Lantern had woken up from his nap when Jaska stepped into the living room. He yawned and stood. Lantern looked up at him with a flick of his ears and a turn of his head.
“We’re going for a walk,” Jaska told him. “You need a few things.”
Leif clomped down the steps, “Should we get a stroller too?”
This wasn’t what he had in mind for his life. Jaska felt Lantern take his hand as they walked down the street. He hadn’t imagined he would be playing parent to some kind of monster. Lantern shivered slightly, only making Jaska more aware that he needed a jacket. Leif took him to a children’s store. They stepped inside, getting strange looks from the shoppers.
“So, what do we buy?”
Jaska stepped over to the clothing section and looked through the jackets. He picked out a gray one and had Lantern try it on. It was slightly too big, but he figured he would grow into it. He took a red scarf and a hat as well, making sure it would fit over his ears. Leif grabbed four boxes of wet wipes and two more sippy cups. He picked up a box of plates and bowls. Thankfully, Lantern had come trained to use the toilet for whatever weird reason, Jaska was just happy about it.
“Anything else?” Leif asked.
“I should probably get a stroller just in case.”
He picked out a small gray stroller. It wasn’t a fully equipped one, Lantern wasn’t a baby, and had a small basket for things underneath. Jaska picked out a gray and black diaper bag that looked more like a messenger bag on their way to the cashier. The cashier rang them up without question, wishing them a good day when they left.
“Now I just need notebooks and crayons.” Lantern tugged on his pants. “What?”
He pointed across the street. Jaska looked where he was pointing and saw a toy store. “Ok. I guess you need some toys, huh?”
The toy store was like any other Jaska had been
in. Lantern ran inside, immediately going to see the massive train set the owner had set up in the middle of the shop. Jaska picked up Lantern so that he could see the trains going around the track. When the creature pointed to the train and then to himself, Jaska knew what he wanted. Leif picked out a train set, putting it into a basket he had grabbed on the way in. Lantern leapt down from Jaska’s arms and ran towards the plastic block sets, the creature wanted one of those too.
