by E. S Night
about my answer.
“Did you tell Grayson what he looked like?” He fixed his eyes on his brother.
Grayson sensed Isaac’s anger. “She told me.”
Isaac scoffed. “And that description doesn’t remind you of anyone?” He raised his hands to his head, outraged at Grayson’s relaxed attitude.
“I would have told dad when he got back; there was no need to scare anyone if I wasn’t sure about what Abigail saw.” Grayson defended himself.
“What are you two on about? So, you know who saved me?” I stood up, knowing Grayson was keeping something from me - again.
“Saved you? He probably caused the damn thing –” Isaac yelled.
Grayson interrupted. “You remember when I told you about the Lasair, the person you described sounds a lot like the leader's son – Leopold.”
“Leopold.” I muttered, quietly to myself. Something told me that this wasn’t the first time I’d said that name before.
Isaac glanced into the hallway. “Where the hell is Colton?”
“He’s with Riley – Abigail’s best friend. I’ll give
him a call now.” Grayson said, reaching for the phone.
“Of course, he is. You should keep an eye on him.” Isaac sighed.
“He’s a year younger than me, he can look after himself.” Grayson mumbled, unfazed by his brother’s criticism.
“Tell him to come home now.” Isaac seemed to take his big brother role more seriously today.
I couldn’t listen to the rest of their childish conversation. In my mind, I only saw the man in the woods, his face flashing inside my head. It was as if he was protecting me. I couldn’t believe he would harm anyone, with every fibre of my being; I believed this Leopold hadn’t murdered anyone.
Chapter Twenty-One
It’s Time
The phone in the kitchen rang, pulling me back to reality. Grayson got to it first, irritating Isaac as he raised the phone to his ear.
“Hello.” Grayson smirked at his brother.
Isaac turned on the speaker-phone enabling us all to listen in on the call. Grayson was too interested in who was on the other line to care about us eavesdropping.
“Grayson? Are all of you at home?” the voice said worryingly.
“Mum? Yeah – Isaac is here, you’re on speaker-phone. Colt is out at the minute, what have the counsel said?” Grayson asked, leaning his elbow on the breakfast bar.
“They have determined that it’s too difficult a situation for us to handle on our own. Considering what happened yesterday morning, they have decided to send two council members back with us to take care of it, they want to investigate it for themselves and then decide. We always knew this could happen.” Maria sighed.
“You mean you’ve heard about the other four murders already?” Isaac jumped in.
“We saw it; all of us had the same vision.” She explained causing Grayson’s posture to rise.
Grayson glanced at Isaac. “What! Why didn’t you ring one of us, we could have done something? Neither of us got any vision, what’s going on?”
“It wouldn’t have made any difference son, our vision was too late – we saw the time on one of the men’s watches when they were being attacked, it said 1:13pm. Collectively, we only got our vision about eight last night; it didn’t matter anymore because they were already dead.”
“It’s not a mutt.” Isaac muttered under his breath.
Maria hesitated. “What was that?”
“I said it’s not a mutt! We all know what this is, but everyone’s just too scared to admit it to themselves. Abigail saw Leopold.”
“It is one possibility, a notion we have already discussed with the counsel. Why do you think two of them are coming back with us Isaac? None of us are running from the fact it could be the Lasair, we’re not stupid. Are you sure she
saw him?"
"No, we are not sure." Grayson stated, looking at his brother.
"Then please find your brother and just stay inside until we get back. You know what to do with your phones if it is them. We’ve been held up here, we should arrive tonight before ten.”
Isaac nodded to his brother. “Okay, I’m just glad you’re on the same page as me. See you soon – be safe.”
“I Love you.” Maria said, hanging up the phone.
Isaac’s mobile hummed through his pocket. He reached down to his pants to grab the phone. “It’s a text.” He stared at the screen.
“Who from?” Grayson asked eager for new information.
Isaac looked up. “It’s a mass circulation text; I think it’s been sent to everyone on the island. Town Meeting! St Mary’s Police Department will hold a public involvement meeting this evening to discuss the tragedies that have happened on our island over the past couple of days. The meeting will be held 5:30 to 7pm in the High School sports hall, Hugh Town, St Marys. Representatives from the Animal Wildlife
Association will be available to discuss strategic safety plans and answer any questions, as will the police department, we hope to see you all there.” He spoke, reading the text aloud.
“Oh, God they’re going to tell everyone about the four murders at the meeting?” Grayson jumped in.
I was confused. “Why is that a bad thing, I’m sure their families have already started telling people, anyway?”
“Abigail, one murder is unfortunate. Five murders in total is a massacre on a small island like this - people will panic.” Isaac said pulling his head back. “This is bad, this meeting will be a brawl. How could the station not tell me about this? It’s such a bad idea.”
After listening to Isaac I knew I had to find Riley. I moved around the kitchen in a fluster trying to find my phone. Grayson noticed what I was searching for and he spotted it first on the windowsill. He threw my phone down the sink and hit the waste disposal button on the side of counter - in seconds my mobile was obliterated. I stared down at the sink, my hands placed firmly against the cold, granite edge. I looked up to see Grayson’s face staring right back at me.
“What did you do that for?” I screamed, shoving him out-of-the-way.
“I’m sorry Abigail, but it’s a precaution – you can’t use any phone. If it is the Lasair doing all of this, then you can bet they have listened in to all our phone calls, anything to do with technology, they will have seen and heard. We can’t risk giving them a bigger advantage than they already have. No more phones or computers, okay?” I sat down, trying to deal with what Grayson had just said.
“Okay, here’s the plan – I’ll go find Colton and Riley. I'll bring him back here and tell Riley to go back to Abigail’s house. Grayson, you take Abi home and then come straight back here so we can figure out how we will handle the town meeting.” Isaac ordered, he sounded exactly like my grouchy gymnastic coach all those years ago.
“Wait, do I not get a say in any of this? I want to go to the town meeting too – can’t I help you?” I stood up, hoping to show my loyalty to Grayson’s family.
“Fine, we’ll pick you and Riley up at five, we need to get there early.” Isaac rushed off into the hallway.
“Your brother is definitely something.” I glanced up at Grayson.
“Come on I’ll take you home.” He said, putting his arm around my waist.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Building Bridges
Grayson dropped me off back at home. I could see he hated the fact I was away from him at a time like this. Twenty minutes later Isaac showed up at my door and urged Riley out of his car. He rammed her body through the door, livid with her behaviour. Riles was still drunk from the craziness of last night – I wondered where she’d been for all of this time.
“She’ll be fine, just let her sleep it off – be ready for five.” Isaac repeated, thinking I was incapable of remembering such a complicated instruction.
“I heard you before, we’ll be ready.” I responded hoping to patronise him. Isaac helped me carry Riley to the
couch in the living room. Thankfully, my mum was nowhere to be seen or she might have given him a well-deserved telling off for his earlier attitude towards me.
“Okay, see you in a bit.” He snapped, leaving my house.
Moments later I heard footsteps backtrack through the entrance of the hallway. “I just
wanted to let you know, I don’t dislike you or anything.” Isaac said, appearing from outside the lounge.
I was taken aback by his unexpected declaration of guilt. “Well you could have fooled me.”
“It’s just – Grayson’s abilities are so much more developed than anyone I’ve ever seen before and you worry me, I think he’d give everything up for you.”
“I don’t want him to give anything up for me; I want him to have everything he’s ever dreamt of. Understand though, I’m not going anywhere, I love him and we want a chance.” I couldn’t believe it; I had finally made Isaac smile.
“I get it - I think. I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you and it won’t happen again.” He nodded, showing his approval of our relationship, before he left my house.
I heard my mum’s high heels clicking down the corridor; I knew I would get in trouble for Riley’s idiocy.
Mum came charging into the living room, she saw Riley’s hand hanging off the couch from the hallway. “Rough night?” She asked, realising how ill Riley was.
“I have no idea, I’m fine but Riley couldn’t handle her drink – she left with Colton last night, I thought she would have come back here.”
“She did. They both came back here, and I was having a drink with your dad in the kitchen, so we asked them if they wanted a game of cards with us - they didn’t understand that we were trying to sober them up.” Mum laughed.
“So how did she end up outside again?”
“Well when it got late, we asked Colton to leave – which he did and then I took Riley up to her bedroom. I didn’t count on Riles sneaking out, I finished clearing up and then went to check on her again and she was gone. Konrad’s been out looking for her since dawn, I’m just glad she’s home.”
“I’m sorry she drank so much mum.” I apologised on Riley’s behalf.
“It’s fine, I’ll text Konrad now. Oh, did you hear about the town meeting?” I crossed my arms, uncomfortable with her question.
“Yeah, I’m going later with Grayson.” I wanted more than anything to tell my mum about the other four murders.
“Good! You can tell me what happens. I’m going out to that restaurant, Adeline’s tonight, it’s
always booked up and tonight it’s not because everyone is at that meeting.” She confessed, grinning like a schoolgirl.
“Wait! What, have you got a date or something?” I was confused at her timing with everything that’s been going on.
“I wanted to tell you with your dad, but you’ve been with Grayson these past few days and I didn’t want to ruin it. Your father is taking me on a date.”
“What!” Logan yelled, sneakily listening in on our conversation.
“Oh Logan, I’m sorry darling – I wanted to tell you, but I knew how you would take it.” Mum tried to comfort him.
“Logan, if mum wants to date dad again and see where it all goes - that’s up to them. Don’t be like Grayson’s family, judging them before we know how it will end. They’re both different people now, it’s been over three years - can you please just give dad a chance.” I said realising that dad was silently hovering behind my brother.
Seeing how unfairly the Hales had treated me for loving their son, I was not about to do the same thing to my dad. I realised that – yes, he’d made some horrendous mistakes but everyone
deserves a second chance.
Logan hesitated. “Fine, I’ll give it a shot.”
“That’s good to hear son.” Dad said, moving past Logan in the doorway.
“Thank you both for being so understanding.” Mum showed off her excitement.
Logan and I looked at our parents flirting with one another, there was a part of me that couldn’t believe it was happening, but I was glad. I hadn’t seen my mum this happy in years and now with my brother on board, we had the makings of a happy family.
“Logan, do you want to go fishing tomorrow?” Dad braced himself for his son’s rejection.
“Sure.” Logan said quickly. “I’ll go fishing if I can go with Abigail to the town meeting tonight and not get stuck with a babysitter.”
“Abi, are you fine with that?” Dad asked me, his eyes pleading me to say yes.
I sighed. “Well it doesn’t look like Riley is coming now, so yeah – he can come with me and Grayson on the condition you drive to the restaurant tonight and not walk. I don’t want you walking anywhere.”
“Of course, Abigail, what’s wrong darling – you worried about the wolves? It was just a fluke
honey.” Mum assured me. I tried to smile back at her, but I already knew the horrible truth.
“Good, our plans are sorted then. How about we play one of your old board games in the kitchen till we have to get ready? We can let Riley sleep off her embarrassment in here.”
Dad was in high spirits. I really didn’t want to ruin their date, but I had to tell them.
“I heard that.” Riley slurred, before falling back to sleep.
“Sounds weirdly good.” Logan answered, smirking at Dad.
“Wait – I need to tell you something first. When I was at Grayson’s before, his brother told me there had been another four murders on the island, that’s why you can’t walk anywhere tonight.” I spoke.
“What! Who? I haven’t heard anything.” Mum cried out in fear.
“Mr Potter, Deacon, Norris and Timmins, they were searching the forest for the wolves yesterday and they were found murdered in the woods in the afternoon by Grayson’s brother and some more officers.” I sat down.
“I used to fish with Mr Deacon when I was a kid, I can’t believe he’s dead – I’m so sorry but I
think we should go to that meeting Kathryn and see what they say.” My dad suggested.
Mum nodded her head. “I agree, Abi you can still go with Grayson, just be careful please – you get in the car and go to the meeting that’s it and we will meet you there.”
“What about me? Can I still please go with Abigail?” Logan asked, his eyes were begging mum.
“No I want you with us, I’ll ring Konrad and tell him what’s happened and we can pick him up on the way to the school.”
Logan scoffed. “Please, I’m not a baby, I’m thirteen! I think I can manage getting in and out of a car. Please, you’ll see me there, anyway.”
“Just let him Kat, Abigail’s not stupid.” Dad said, jumping in on the conversation.
“Fine, but Abigail – you watch him, okay?” She didn’t want to disagree with my dad.
I smiled. “He will be fine, I’ll take care of him – I promise.” After all, the safest place for my brother at the minute was with two werewolves’ hell bent on protecting us.
“Thank you.” Logan looked excited about hearing the gruesome details of the murders. I spent the next seven hours playing Monopoly
and watching television with my family. They were all hoping to forget what I’d just told them. I was trying to get ready in-between family time and eating my whole weight in chocolate. I couldn’t stop eating sugar. I saw that Riley was still fast asleep on the couch, there was no way on earth she was coming with us, I could only hope that Isaac wouldn’t give me grief about bringing my little brother along.
Logan and I were both ready on time waiting as Isaac pulled in the driveway. Grayson, being a gentleman, walked straight to our door to escort us to the car.
“Is Logan coming with us?” He asked me, looking puzzled.
“Yeah, is that okay? My mum and dad are going a bit later to the meeting, they need to pick my uncle up first and Logan wanted to come with me, so I’m looking after him.”
“Abigail, please be careful.” My mother yelled from the hallway.
/>
“I will, I’ll see you there.” I said, trying to calm mum down.
“Yeah, it’s fine. Hello Mrs Lawson – Mr Lawson.” Grayson looked back at my parents. He probably only said it was okay because my
mum and dad were perched behind us listening to our every word.
Logan threw himself into the car, claiming shotgun at speed, excited to be out of the house. I climbed into the car after him expecting Isaac to moan about my brother’s presence.
“Where’s Colton?” I asked wondering if he felt as bad as Riley did.
“I need him at home, but don’t worry about him – he’s fine.” Isaac said sharply. “You must be Logan; it’s nice to meet you properly.” I guess he really was attempting to be nice to me.
“Yeah, you’re Ella’s brother aren’t you – Isaac.” Logan asked.
“I certainly am, let’s go, shall we? Put your seatbelt on Logan.” Isaac continued to be polite.
Grayson’s face was a picture, he couldn’t believe how well his brother was behaving, and he turned to look at me, grinning as he grabbed my hand in the back seat.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Difference of Opinion
We arrived at the High School. I’d not been inside for at least three years. There were so many people entering the doors of the sports hall, I’d never seen the town come together like this before. Isaac tried to compose himself, but I could see in his eyes he was worried. Grayson’s brother led the way to the entrance. I looked up into the crowd and caught a fleeting glimpse of the faces of people waiting for the meeting to start.
They seemed scared about the whole thing and who could blame them. I’m sure they wanted this all to end - me included. I turned my head to look back at the growing number of people waiting to get through the doors. I wondered how they were all going to fit in here.
