Shadows of the Woods

Chapter 12

The sun was just sinking below the horizon when Astera Ambrosia appeared in the trees. There was a sharp wind that evening, but she didn't bother turning up the hood of her leather jacket - she didn't feel the cold as her bright green eyes scanned the night air above the apartment building. The street was quiet as a lone crow flew and landed on a telephone pole. The only other movement was the rapid blue blinking of the alarm light in one of the parked cars.

The crow fidgeted on the pole, and a cold black eye peered into the apartment building across from it. There was only one window alight in the dusty old building, and it cawed out harshly into the night air.

At Tether Hawkstar's signal, Astera melted out into the open and swiftly scaled the side of the building.

She swung gracefully into the balcony of the lighted window, and glanced back to find that the crow had followed her into the landing. She cracked her knuckles as the crow melted and morphed into itself, and where it had been perching, a dark, handsome man was now standing. His long black hair streamed over his shoulders, and he smiled grimly at Astera as he tied it back with a rubber band he kept around his wrist.

"Ready?" He whispered, his lovely purple eyes glowing in the dark.

"Whenever you are." She replied flatly.

Tether nodded in reply and began to pick the lock on the window. A few moments later, there was a tiny click, and the shifter slowly pushed the window open. He drew the ratty curtain back and looked in; the kitchen the window opened out into was dim, and the source of light came from down the hall.

Tether slipped silently into the room, his movements as agile as a cat's. He looked around furtively as Astera climbed just as quietly in, and they didn't bother closing the window again as they set off into the hallway.

The apartment was dingy, and badly lit. Astera looked coolly at the long scratches in the walls, and gingerly sidestepped wads of light yellow fur. As they approached the long square of light that spilled passed the half closed door of the bedroom, Tether looked back and waved a hand at Astera, his eyebrow up expectantly.

She rolled her eyes dramatically and pulled up the white hospital mask that hung around her neck. When the straps were secure over her  ears, she looked up to see that Tether had already pulled up his own mask.

They paused outside the room and listened. Shallow, ragged breathing sounded from inside the room, and the vile smell Astera and Tether had gotten used to floated out to meet them. The two looked at each other. It was for sure; the room's occupant was definitely sick.

They braced themselves, and slowly pushed the door wide open.

A bare light bulb lit the room, and it was empty except for a bare and soiled mattress on the floor. The scratches in the walls here were deeper and more frequent, but instead of a monster curled up on the floor, the naked figure of a young man shivered on the mattress.

He was turned away from them, but Astera could see that the man's blonde hair was matted with sweat, and his back was heaving with exhaustion. The pale skin there was pockmarked by handfuls of black, rotting spots and were concave as they ate into his skin.

"Are you here to kill me?" He asked weakly without bothering to face them.

Astera looked at Tether to find the shifter looking sorrowful.  She reached out and touched his arm gently, and he glanced at her miserably.

"It's okay if you are." The werewolf coughed violently, finally turning to face them. His brown eyes were too bright, and his handsome face looked anguished. A large black spot obscured his right cheek, and Astera was taken aback to see that a hole was forming in the middle of the spot; the disease had eaten its way through the young man's cheek. His teeth glistened wetly through the ragged opening, and the young man rose a trembling hand to hide it. "You know I can't kill myself."