Very funny.
Where is he?
Still in his office.
Where are you?
I’m on the roof of the gymnasium.
How did you get up there?
I floated.
You can float?
Of course I can’t. I used the ladder.
Witches are confusing.
Said the werewolf.
I’ll be there in a moment.
Colin detoured around the school and into downtown, and loaded up on snacks at the gas station and left the store carrying two full bags of food.
He carefully made his way around the back of the school, ducking under windows. He could hear the school janitor clattering around somewhere inside and smell a few construction people working in the biology classroom.
The gymnasium sat adjacent to the main school building and was connected by a covered walkway, so the roof offered a good vantage point. Colin tucked a bag under each arm, glanced around, and listened carefully to make sure no one was around. As he was listening to the construction crew he picked up on Becca’s heartbeat.
Colin crouched, muscles tensed, and jumped from the ground to the landing on the roof’s edge. He hopped down from the small wall that ran around the top of the building and jogged over to where Becca sat.
“Hungry?” said Becca as he approached her.
“It was either this or I eat you,” said Colin, tearing open a package of beef jerky. “Is he still there?”
Becca and Colin peered over the wall. The sun had fully set and the school was dark except for one window to the right where the construction crew was working on the biology lab, and another to the left where Principal Sampson sat with his back to the window.
“What’s he doing?” asked Colin.
“I have no idea. He’s been like that for hours. This has been the most boring stakeout ever. How was Terry?”
“Scared. Terrified. Confused.”
“Poor guy.”
“They’ve put him next door to Burnie.”
Becca stared at Colin. “Who on earth is Burnie?”
“The fire imp,” said Colin through a mouthful of beef jerky.
“You named it?” Becca rolled her eyes.
“It suits him.”
“You shouldn’t have named him. You’ll get attached.”
Colin tore open another bag of jerky and quickly started to chew down the pieces of dried beef. He did this partly because he was hungry and partly because he didn’t want to have to tell Becca that he already felt a weird attachment to the little fire creature. There was already enough going on as it was.
Another bag of jerky, three bags of potato chips, and six chocolate bars later, Colin started to feel his hunger slipping away.
“I’d kill to be able to eat like you,” said Becca, still looking over the wall at the school.
“Why don’t you?”
“Because I’d be a blimp! Do you not understand girls at all?”
“That’s a silly question. Of course I don’t.”
“He’s moving!”
Colin scrambled into a crouch and looked over the wall. The office light was now off. “Where did he go?”
“I think he left the office but I don’t see him!”
Colin’s wolf eyes cut through the darkness but he still couldn’t make anything out. And unfortunately he couldn’t hear or smell the principal.
The front door of the high school swished open and the short, round form of Principal Sampson stepped out.
“Anything?” said Becca.
Colin focused on the man as he walked down the steps from the entranceway. He cast out his senses like Silas taught him. There was a family of mice living under the steps of the school and Colin could hear them as perfectly as if they were sitting right in front of him, but nothing from the principal.
“Nothing. Does he drive?”
“I don’t think so, I’ve never seen him in a car.”
The principal crossed the schoolyard, exited through the gates, crossed the street, and headed for downtown.
“Now what?” said Becca.
“We follow him,” said Colin, standing up. “Come on.” He picked Becca up and without warning, stepped off the roof. Becca gasped and Colin landed lightly on the ground, placing Becca on her feet.
“Your heart rate just skyrocketed,” said Colin. “Are you okay?”
“You just jumped off a roof!”
Colin looked up. It was high. “Sorry, I know it’s only been a few months but I sometimes forget things like that aren’t normal.” And it was true. After years of being awkward and uncoordinated, as a werewolf Colin finally felt comfortable in his own skin. Jumping off a roof? No biggie. Hunting a deer? Totally normal. Howling at the moon? What’s weird about that?
“Looks like he’s heading downtown,” said Becca. “You should go. You can move quicker and more quietly than I can. I have my phone; call me when you find out where he goes.”
Colin nodded and took off. He picked up speed and turned outside of the school gate, taking a slightly longer path to downtown. He cut through Richard Baker Park, which ran adjacent to the north end of the town and led to the back entrance of Town Hall. He began to pick up the scent of people. He glanced at the clock tower above Town Hall. It was almost seven o’clock, meaning downtown would still be busy. Someone would likely notice him sneaking around.
How do I get around without being seen?
He looked up at the clock tower again. “Oh. Of course.”
He made sure no one could see him and leapt onto the Town Hall roof. From there he jumped over to the bakery and snuck up to the edge that looked down on the main street. A few people milled around, meeting friends at the coffee shop, visiting the grocery store, ordering pizza at the only pizza place in town. Each person had their own scent except one person: Principal Sampson. He walked happily down the street, keeping his distance from other people but offering a friendly hello or a wave as he passed. He rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.
Can’t lose him.
Colin leapt over to the hardware-store roof, then onto the thrift store so he could see down the street. The principal was gone.
Oh no! Where did he go? Maybe he went into a store?
Colin jumped down to a small dumpster at the side of the thrift store, dropped to the ground, and casually walked out to the street, following the path of the principal. He had almost reached the other side of the downtown core and was worried he’d totally lost his quarry when he saw Principal Sampson a block over. He was crossing the street, heading away from downtown and toward Elkwood Cemetery.
But there’s nothing there. It’s just a graveyard.
“Hey, Strauss,” came the voice of Gareth Dugan, followed by the smell of garbage.
Colin turned and came face to face with his former bully. “Hi, Gareth. Listen I really don’t—”
“You think you’re pretty tough, don’t you?”
“I honestly don’t have time for this right now.”
Gareth took a step closer and jabbed a finger into Colin’s chest. “Just because you’re some big old monster, you think you can just push me around and humiliate me.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. How about we talk it over another day?”
Colin looked around to see Principal Sampson enter the graveyard. “Got to go.”
Gareth clamped a powerful hand around Colin’s arm. The werewolf inside began to growl. Colin could smell the fear and uncertainty on Gareth.
“We’re not done talking,” said Gareth.
Colin took a deep breath. “What is it exactly you want, Gareth?” He could see through the darkness that Principal Sampson had reached the farthest corner of the graveyard.
“I want … I want … I—” stuttered Gareth.
Colin was shocked as he recognized a sharp scent that cut through the garbage smell. “You want to be friends?”
Gareth looked surprised, then embarrassed, then angry. “No I don’t!”
“You do!” Colin was still in shock.
“No I don’t! Unless, ya know, you wanted to hang out sometime?”
I really must be going crazy.
What on earth was happening? Colin couldn’t tell if Gareth wanted to hit him or give him a hug. “Yeah, great talk,” said Colin. “I’ve got to go.” Colin shrugged off Gareth’s grip and ran to the graveyard. He zigzagged between the gravestones—some small and simple, others marked by large statues of angels, many of which looked more creepy than heavenly—but he couldn’t find any sign of the principal. He reached the corner where he’d last seen the man and almost tripped over a small gravestone that was partially covered by grass and crawling ivy. Something about the stone caught his eye. He looked closer and what he saw turned Colin’s blood cold in his veins.
He jumped when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered.
“Are you still following him?” said Becca.
Colin looked around the graveyard and back at the gravestone in front of him.
“I found him,” said Colin.
“Awesome, where is he?”
“He’s dead.”
“What? How?”
Colin crouched down, brushed away some of the ivy, and read the gravestone.
Ivan Sampson
Loving Husband
A Teacher to All
1883-1941
“Apparently our new principal has been dead since 1941.”
Chapter Ten
The Wizard in the Woods
Colin held two pairs of underwear in his hands and tried to decide which to pack. He’d barely slept through the night. He and Becca had stayed out until almost ten o’clock discussing Principal Sampson, and the only conclusion they could come to was that he was either immortal or dead.
“How about undead?” Colin had suggested as they sat on the couch in his Grandpa’s old garage.
“Like a zombie?”
“Yeah. He died and then came back to life.”
“We have a zombie in Elkwood.”
“No way! Who?”
“The janitor at the high school.”
“That explains the smell of rotting flesh.”
“He’s really quite pleasant,” said Becca. “Zombies aren’t all that bad as long as they’re well fed. But they’re fairly stupid. Only able to do simple tasks. So that rules zombie out as a possibility.”
“Maybe he’s a ghost?” suggested Colin.
“Please, there’s no such thing as ghosts.”
“I have history class with an asthmatic boy who is half dragon. We have a school bully who’s half ogre. Tori is a man-eating siren. You’re a necromancer and a witch. I’m a werewolf. You’re telling me a ghost is out of the question?”
Becca rolled her eyes in a way that suggested she knew far more about things than Colin. It was an amazing talent that Colin couldn’t wrap his head around. “You said it yourself. I’m a necromancer. I can raise the dead. I’ve seen people die, people I couldn’t save. They don’t become ghosts.”
They’d ended the night no wiser than they’d started. All they knew was that Principal Sampson wasn’t human, had a gravestone in Elkwood Cemetery, and was always around when trouble started.
Colin settled on the blue pair of underwear and packed it into his backpack. He’d spoken to Varson late last night and let him know that he was going to go and camp alone rather than be locked up in the prison. While he was sure that Terry could use the company, Colin had no intention of being locked in that prison ever again. And with Becca and Jeremy joining him on Friday night, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. There was way too much weird stuff going on, and with Silas away, Colin wasn’t afraid to admit that he was a little scared. Getting away for a few days seemed like a good idea.
Varson insisted that Colin call every morning and evening to check in. The base commander claimed it was so they’d know that he was okay but Colin suspected it was to make sure no one got eaten. Colin had conveniently not told Varson that his girlfriend and best friend were going to be joining him on the second night.
In a way, Colin was looking forward to being alone the first night. It would feel good to change and to hunt. He drooled a little at the thought of hunting wildlife.
The front door slammed, shaking Colin out of his thoughts. He looked at his alarm clock; it was 7:00 a.m. The sound of his grandmother shuffling down the hallway to the kitchen floated up from the bottom floor. She was muttering something about it all not making any sense. Colin had wanted to speak with his grandmother about Charles and Principal Sampson, and ask about hellstones and the recent attacks at the school, but she just hadn’t been around lately. It was strange behavior, even for her.
Colin zipped up his backpack and double-checked that he had everything. As an afterthought he picked up his latest notebook and slid it into his backpack. This being his first trip alone, he’d want to take notes on his changes and hunting patterns, and he wanted to write about the past few days so he could talk to Silas about it all when he got back from Europe.
Colin slung the large backpack onto his shoulder and headed downstairs. He dropped the pack with a thump in the hallway and went to the kitchen, where his grandmother was puttering around.
“Hi, Gran,” said Colin.
“Oh! Colin!” she exclaimed. “Yes, of course.” And then she continued making herself a cup of coffee.
She looked exhausted, like she hadn’t slept in days, and smelled faintly like the forest. Her hair stuck out at odd angles.
“Are you okay, Gran?”
“What? Oh yes, yes. Of course. Well. No.”
Colin pulled out a chair and sat down at the kitchen table.
“You seem like you’ve been distracted lately,” said Colin.
The old lady let out a sigh, added cream to her coffee, and sat down opposite Colin.
Colin couldn’t decide whether she was waiting for him to say something or if she was building up to speak. It quickly became clear when she started snoring softly that she’d actually fallen asleep with her eyes open.
“Gran?” Colin said, and shook her arm softly. She awoke suddenly, and lightning flashed across the sky outside the kitchen window. Thunder crashed and Colin’s grandmother rubbed her temples.
“Sorry, Colin,” she said. “It’s been a long few days.”
You’re telling me.
“Did you hear about the school attacks?”
“School attacks? What school attacks?” she asked, clearly surprised.
“There was a vampire attack two days ago, and then yesterday a telekinetic kid destroyed the biology lab. You didn’t hear about any of this?”
“I’ve been busy,” she snapped defensively.
This was all truly surprising, as Colin’s grandmother was an integral part of the Elkwood community. She knew almost everything that went on in the town.
Her shoulders slumped slightly. “I’m going blind.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Gran, but you’ve been blind for some time.”
“Not like that!” she snapped. “I’m finding blind spots in my powers.”
This was new territory. Colin’s grandmother never really talked about her powers.
“What do you mean?” asked Colin.
“My power is rooted in the elements. I’m blind. But if I concentrate I can see large chunks of Elkwood as if I’m viewing it from above. Like a map. But ever since that damned demon showed up in my bedroom the other night, I’ve started noticing blank spots.” She twisted the coffee cup in her wrinkled hands and for the first time Colin could sense fear in his grandmother.
“He’s gone.”
“Who?”
The words were out of his mouth before he’d really thought about it. “Charles the demon. He disappeared. Two nights ago.”
“What?”
And then Colin c
ouldn’t stop himself. He hated keeping things from his grandmother so he told her everything that had happened so far.
“Hellstones,” said his grandmother, more to herself. “You’re sure that’s what he said?”
“Yes. Have you heard of them?”
“No. But I don’t venture into that side of things very often. I understand my power but I prefer to stay out of everyone else’s business. There are others in Elkwood who might know more though.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier,” said Colin. “Varson told us to keep it to ourselves.”
“That idiot barely knows his head from his rear end. Now you tell me this new principal is a mystery in himself. I miss the days when Elkwood was simple and less complicated. Wait, why aren’t you going to school?” she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“It’s a full moon tonight,” said Colin. “I’m going to leave this morning and hike north to the spot where Silas and I normally go.”
“Alone?”
“I’ll be fine, Gran. I promise not to eat anyone.”
“I’m not worried about you as a werewolf. But with everything going on, are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Colin momentarily thought about telling her that Becca and Jeremy were going to meet him out there tomorrow night but he caught himself. Chances were she wouldn’t approve.
“I’ll be fine. With all this craziness, I’m looking forward to getting out of town. But what about you? Are you going to be okay?”
His grandmother pushed back from the table and waved her hands dismissively. “I’ll be fine. I may even do some poking around to see if I can find out more about this principal of yours.”
“Please be careful, Gran.” Concern crept into his voice.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m an all-powerful … well, mostly all-powerful witch. I’ll be fine. You’d better get going. Be careful out there. Watch for anything strange.”
Colin stood up. “Strange in Elkwood is just a normal day.”
The old lady patted Colin on the shoulder and shuffled down the hallway to her chair in front of the television.
Colin ate a good breakfast including a full box of cereal, some leftover bacon, several pieces of toast loaded with peanut butter, and a box of orange juice.
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