The Rising Azimuth

by D D Mathews

Joseph nodded and answered some basic questions; name, address, and age. Kyle asked, “What insurance do you have?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied.

  “No problem, I’ll look into it. Do you need anything else?” the nurse asked.

  “Are the people who found me still here?“

  “Maybe, I’ll check and send them back.” He got some sanitizer from a bottle, wiped his hands together and disappeared back into the hallway.

  Joseph drank down two more glasses of water and tried to collect his thoughts. Should I go back? Should I stay away? Where should I go? How will I survive? His thoughts were interrupted when a sweet-faced girl appeared at the doorway. She was short, overweight with round breasts and hips.

  “How you doing?” she asked.

  “Good, I think. Thanks for saving me. And thank your boyfriend,” Joseph said.

  “He ain’t my… you’re welcome. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.“

  “I will be. Where did your friend go?” he asked.

  “He’s my brother. He had to work; Third shift at the seven eleven,” she answered.

  “How are you going to get home?” Joseph kept asking Samantha questions because he didn’t have any answers to his own.

  “I walk; it’s only a couple miles.“

  “Will you stay with me for a while?” he asked.

  “Um. Okay, I guess,” Samantha said. She walked into the small room, collected a chair from the corner and sat down facing Joseph. “Where’d you come from? We found you near the middle of nowhere.”

  Unsure how to answer, Joseph told the truth, “The Indian reservation, Pine Ridge.“

  Thinking he was lying, Samantha said, “That’s over a hundred miles from where we found you. Did you run all that way?“

  “Yes,” Joseph answered.

  “Naked?” Samantha asked still not understanding.

  Joseph started laughing hard; the entire day was a series of events so ridiculous, he wouldn’t believe it either if he were her. The laugh was contagious and Samantha started to giggle so hard she honked like a goose, which only set Joseph off more. Their laughter was cut short by the doctor arriving.

  The doctor was an older woman in her fifties. She was fake pleasant and all business. “Well…” she started saying while looking at the chart, reading his name, “Joseph. We gave you fluids through IV, and we also took some blood for tests. Everything is better now, but I’m worried about you. How did you wind up on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, with no clothes?”

  Joseph still didn’t have an answer. The truth was insane and anything Joseph made up on the fly wouldn’t make any sense. So, resigned, he told the doctor, “I don’t know.” The doctor thought his answer was an unacceptable lie. “Since you are under eighteen, I’ll have to call your parents, what are their names and contact numbers.“

  Joseph didn’t lie, “My mother’s gone; it’s only me and my Dad. His name is Lootah. He works at the Indian Casino. I can’t remember the number; I lost my phone.” Everything he said was true, but it wouldn’t help her find his dad. Lootah wasn’t working today and the doctor wouldn’t be able to track him down. She squinted at Joseph and decided to try to track down the runaway’s dad before calling him out. She replaced the clipboard and left to do some research on Joseph. After she was gone, Joseph jumped up and announced, “I have to get out of here.“

  Samantha asked bluntly, “Where will you go?“

  “I don’t know, but I can’t stay here.” He turned to Samantha and pleaded, “Please help me.” Samantha instantly nodded as her faced turn red.

  “I’ll find clothes, you wait here,” she said leaving Joseph in the hospital room alone. His nervousness increased at the seconds ticked by. He knew he had to flee. He was about to run away again in the paper dress when Samantha returned with a pile of clothes in a white plastic bag.

  “These will be a bit big but should work,” she explained.

  Joseph grabbed the bag and dumped the clothes on the bed. He pulled out the IV, causing blood to trickle down his arm onto the ground. He stared at her for a long moment, then shrugged and pulled off his gown exposing himself. Embarrassed, Samantha turned around hiding her scarlet face in her hands. He pulled on the jeans, grabbed the maroon t-shirt with some band name Joseph had never heard of and pulled it over his head. She was right. The guy Samantha stole these from was probably three inches taller than Joseph and maybe seventy pounds heavier. Joseph’s waist was so thin compared to the belt; he had to tie it like a shoelace before leaving. Samantha stepped out of the room to ensure the coast was clear. Escaping the hospital was easy; however, once the two teens were outside, Joseph’s plan evaporated. He didn’t know where to go next. He looked around the street next to the hospital. He had never been anywhere near here and he didn’t know anybody so he turned to Samantha again.

  “Do you know somewhere we could hide out for a while, maybe the night?“

  “We’ve got a barn. You could hide there,” she added helpfully.

  Joseph had nowhere else to go, so Samantha led the way, east.

  ***

  Industrial music assaulted Nuri’s brain as she stood in the nightclub bathed in neon with Tamara and her new ‘sisters.’ The décor was metal on metal. Ceilings exposed showing pipes while wire fencing was nailed to black walls. The music changed to a popular dance mix as the women knocked back another set of shots. The high top table was covered in so many glasses they had to be stacked to create space. Nuri was intoxicated. But when Tamara ordered another round, she went along and slammed down another vodka shot. Instantly, Tamara ordered two more shots for everyone at the table. This wasn’t the woman Nuri had grown up with.

  Nuri didn’t understand any of the other women any better. Justine was the oldest, by twenty or thirty years. She looked like a grandmother: short, squat, and kind. She smelled like hot chocolate. Her grey hair had come loose from a bun making her look younger, almost wild. She was putting away the shots even faster than Tamara. Nox was the pale woman with black hair and burn scars. She didn’t say much and slowly sipped her shot. She wasn’t going to be rushed into anything. Nox had a dark dangerous energy that scared Nuri. The upbeat blond was named Gretchen. Nuri detected sweet honey and rusty iron scent from her.

  Tamara shouted over the music to the group standing around the table, “Did you see how our new sister finished that guy? She was amazing. He never saw it coming.” Tamara finished her brag by acting out the killing blow.

  Justine followed up the boast, “And her height, holy Christ, I’ve never seen a Were that tall.“

  Her aunt shot back, “That’s my fucking niece, biggest Were in the entire fucking world!”

  Everything today freaked Nuri out, but her aunt’s foul mouth was maybe the most shocking. After her parents died, her mother’s sister, Tamara took her in. She was always so strict. Everything was off limits: no cussing, no drinking, no late nights, no clubs, and especially no boys. Tonight everything had changed. Nuri nodded her head to the beat, wondering if this was her real aunt or was the other one. She also tried to figure out which one she preferred. She hadn’t come up with an answer when the song ended and the new drinks arrived.

  Gretchen said to the group, “It was a shame to let that man go to waste, did you see his… Schwanz?” She was drunk, slurring her words and slipping back into German.

  Nuri decided Gretchen was referencing his penis. She didn’t know how to respond so she kept quiet. Nox knew exactly what Gretchen meant and responded, “Disgusting, Gretchen.“

  Gretchen came back with, “I’m just saying, it’s a shame to let a ‘man’ like that get away.“

  “I would never let myself be violated,” Nox said.

  Tamara yelled, holding up another shot, “I did!” The whole table burst out laughing, even Nox smiled some. Her aunt continued, “Couldn’t let him meet God, without a little fun first. I popped that cherry!” This bought more laughs from the girls; even Nuri.

  It was weir
d laughing so soon after killing someone, but since her new ‘sisters’ were so blasé about it, Nuri went with the flow. She knew she belonged with them. No one else would accept what she had done.

  Tamara handed her and Gretchen another shot while Justine grabbed another off the table. “This is your party Nuri, drink,” demanded her aunt. Nuri shot back the ice-cold vodka without thinking. It burned her throat.

  Her aunt asked, “What did you feel when you killed that Vandal shit?”

  Nuri was unable to explain what it felt like because she wasn’t sure what she felt. She knew her aunt wanted a positive response so she gave it.

  “It felt good,” she said barely loud enough to be heard over the music, though she didn’t mean it.

  “That’s my girl, let’s dance!” hollered her aunt.

  Nuri embraced the volatility of the evening. It was distracting her from the events of the day. She didn’t want to think about what she did or what she was. Tamara pulled Nuri onto the dance floor, while Gretchen pulled Nox. Justine stayed at the table and ordered two more shots for herself.

  The women danced as a group for a song, jumping and working up a sweat. She had never gone to a club like this with a group of women like these. Tamara’s face under the strobe looked like a banshee. She screamed so Nuri mirrored her and screamed back. Nuri enjoyed the release of emotions. After a second song, Tamara broke from the group and found a new partner, a tall, hairy man with a substantial gut. Nox danced by herself in a space created by her attitude. No one came to take Gretchen away, which Nuri found odd so they danced together. Gretchen was a much better dancer than her, even though it was wild club dancing. She danced like a swan, while Nuri was a bull. After two more songs, Nox headed back to the table. Nuri looked around and saw Tamara making out with the large hairy fellow. Disgusted by her aunt’s choice in men, she looked back to Gretchen who smiled at her. Her grin hid a secret, poorly. Nuri was about to yell a question to her new sister when someone tapped Nuri’s shoulder.

  She turned and saw a guy with a cute smile and a goatee; he yelled something as the next song started fast. Nuri couldn’t hear what he said but understood what he wanted. She usually didn’t dance with random guys, however, today she had already done a lot of things she normally wouldn’t do. She nodded. Gretchen made a dirty gesture with her hand and mouth. She winked and laughed at Nuri then returned to the table to rejoin Nox and Justine.

  The man took Nuri’s hand and pulled her to the center of the club. They started dancing fast and close. This new attitude she wore like an ill-fitting pair of shoes. She loved what the new shoes would become, but right now she was uncomfortable and unbalanced. She looked at this guy in front of her. His cute smile kept her in the moment, distracting her mind from thinking about the last guy she grappled with. The man stepped in close, taking her hips, and swaying with her. He smelled like cigarettes and rain. She focused on his eyes, which shined when the flashing club lights hit them. The effect of the lights and the drinks made him more exciting than he probably was. She smiled wickedly when she felt him thrust against her. Nuri lost who she had been before today on the dance floor; she also lost her worry and fear. The sweet-faced guy went in for a kiss when the song slowed down and Nuri allowed it and kissed him back hard. She was changing. The kiss was full of passion and she was enjoying it until her aunt out of nowhere yelled in her ear, “That’s my girl!“

  Tamara’s fat partner had disappeared and was replaced with two more vodka shots. She handed Nuri one of them. They drank them down and her aunt pulled her away from the young stranger. She never got his name.

  “Let’s hit another bar, bitches!” Tamara yelled to the girls, collecting them up and heading out of the club. The night was a blur of drinks and dancing which would have made the old Nuri’s head spin, but the new Nuri enjoyed it a lot.

  Chapter 5

  The Rise started with the pups from the first Rille and wound around to the less important second Rille. Colin would be last to Rise. Osmund escorted Colleen to the edge of the hill to stand before the entire clan.

  “Colleen McCarthy is ready to be introduced to her clan. She is ready to fight, love, and die for her clan. She is young but wise and will be a blessed addition to our clan. Now change,” Osmund intoned.

  The first task of the Rise for a young Celt was changing to a Were on demand, which Colleen did easily. She stepped out of her human form like stepping through a stage curtain. Both sides of her human form peeled apart. Her clothes fell to the ground behind her. The cast off human flesh melted away like ice. Proudly, she stood before all the other families. Her eyes were blue, her fur was reddish brown, and her werewolf face looked more fox than wolf. While her height was below average, she didn’t slouch, so she seemed taller. The changing on demand was child’s play for one as well trained as her. Osmund demanded her Revert, which was accomplished even easier. Reverts varied, some were pretty, some were gross, but each showed the human form discarding the Were. Colleen’s Revert was spectacular. Little bubbles of light floated off of her Were body and popped revealing the woman underneath. Growing up knowing werewolves were real had dispelled the magic for Colin. Watching Colleen’s Revert gave some of it back.

  “Do you swear fealty to your clan, Council and King?” asked Osmund

  “I swear to honor my clan, my Council, and my King. I will fight for them to protect our lands and our lives,” she responded

  “We welcome you daughter,” announced Osmund as he embraced her. She hugged each member of the Council, including her grandmother, Sarah. Colleen dressed and returned to her few family members.

  The next to Rise was a short, fat, boy from family Daly. Colin didn’t know his name. The Dalys were respected and his father, Killian, was on the Council. The kid slipped getting out of the ditch right in front of Colin. His underwear was exposed. He used his hands to climb up the small rise. Everything about this kid seemed sloppy.

  “Seth Daly is ready to be introduced to his clan. He is ready to fight, love and die for his clan. He is young but stout and full of fight and will be a blessed addition to our clan. Now change,” intoned Osmund.

  Seth struggled for a few seconds and grimaced before finally morphing into his Were form. Fitfully, the werewolf crawled out of his human chest. The boy fell slowly as the Were slipped and stumbled outward. It was a terrifying effect to reveal a terrifying Were. Some in the clan gasped. He was taller than Colleen but not lean. His Were form was thick in the arms, chest, and hips. His legs looked unbalanced with such a round body. His placid, round human face was replaced with a cruel, violent, ugly visage. It looked like what a Were nightmare of a werewolf might look like. Colin was impressed.

  Osmund demanded he change back, which went better. His Revert looked like dust falling off his Were showing the boy underneath. In his human form, he was undersized in one area which brought a few snorts from the clan families and caused him to turn red. He stood as firm as he could and waited for the final oath.

  Osmund continued, “Do you swear fealty to your clan, Council, and King?“

  Seth’s voice, a little timid, responded, “I swear to honor my clan, my council, and my King. I will fight for them to protect our lands and our lives.”

  “We welcome you son,” announced Osmund as he used both hands to shake Seth’s. Seth smiled and walked to each Council member shaking hands; his father Killian wept. After the presentation, Seth dressed quickly and returned to his spot.

  Ryan and Phillip Riley were called up next by Osmund and went through the same process. Ryan was a spectacular looking werewolf; he had large claws on long arms with strong shoulders and abs. He was a born fighter. In Were form he stood tall which would also help in any physical altercation tonight or in defense of the clan. Half of the young women in the ditches admired Ryan’s Were. After Ryan, came Phillip. Phillip was an average man and an average Were. After his brother, his introduction was underwhelming.

  After him, came a young girl from the Connelly’s. She wa
s petite with a brown ponytail down to her lower back. She moved with childlike energy up the Hill of Tara, almost skipping.

  Osmund introduced her, “Mandy Connelly is ready to be introduced to her clan. She is ready to fight, love and die for her clan. She is very young but quick in mind, body, and spirit and will be a blessed addition…” Mandy changed into her Were form early, she burst apart. The similarities between her controlled transformation and uncontrolled were exactly the same. Only some from the clan knew this, the others panicked. Osmund took control easily, “Everyone calm down.”

  She was lean in the shoulders and chest but taller even than Ryan. Her head was small for a Were, looking more like a dog than a wolf. The effect was still imposing on her lean frame. She unbent to her full size which added to the awesome effect. Colin was fascinated when the human form didn’t warn about the Were form underneath. Mandy’s elfin features and size didn’t warn about her werewolf. Osmund asked her to change back. Mandy didn’t respond and the mood on the hill got tense. The desire to stay in Were form tugged every werewolf. It was a little nagging pull to surrender to the wolf spirit and lose control. A raging werewolf with no control Mandy’s size could kill many before being taken down, even when surrounded by sixty werewolves. The collective sigh when she regained control and morphed into her petite human body was louder than the snickers Seth got earlier. Colin was pretty sure Mandy’s face turning crimson was from fear, not shame. She almost lost control of the beast and was afraid of what might have happened. Mandy shivered. Osmund approached cautiously before finishing the ritual.

  Osmund continued, “Do you swear fealty to your clan, Council, and King?“

  “I swear to honor my clan, my Council, and my King. I will fight for them to protect our lands and our lives,” Mandy rushed through the response.

  “We welcome you daughter,” announced Osmund as he embraced her quickly and guided her to the Council. She hugged each member. Having no family up there made the hugs curt on both sides. Mandy was impressive, but her youth made her dangerous and everyone knew it. Her clothes were shredded so she walked back down to her family naked, who had spare clothes for her. After she pulled on her shirt and shorts, her mother embraced her with tear-filled eyes. Her father, Oliver, collected them both in a tight hug. Colin thought they seemed happy.