DARK CRESCENT

Things given and things forgotten

She dropped her head in sorrow. It took everything in my being not to step out into the light of the back porch, but I knew I needed to stay hidden until she went inside.

“Please?” Maggi sobbed.

            I whimpered and dropped my muzzle. This pain in my chest was excruciating. It felt like my heart was being ripped open. Maggi laid the slab of meat down on the ground, stood back up, sighed, and went back into the house. Not being able to go to her when she called was killing me. Not being able to wipe her tears and comfort her felt worse than dying. Not much longer now, I’d be me again and I can go to her, I had to go to her. I let out a long, mournful howl.

            The next morning, I was sitting on my bed, looking down at the large brown duffel bag on the floor. I couldn’t understand why Moses had gotten such a big bag, when there were only a week’s worth of clothes in it and some toiletries. I could hear giggling from outside. I got up, walked over, and looked out the window. Moses, Paige, and Liam were loading up the van downstairs for all of us to go to Sitka for the week. I’d found a part-time job in a coffee shop there, but we had to do some groundwork before they let me out to job search. Apparently, my missing persons flyers had gone some distance.

            Enough to where Moses demanded I change my look. He wanted to cut my hair and dye it. I almost wolfed out on him for even suggesting it. My shoulder-length black hair was one of my favorite attributes; even more so being slightly longer now. Liam brought me a pair of non-prescription glasses he’d acquired. So, I brushed my tresses up into a beanie or hat, leaving some to either fall over one eye, or give me straight, wet-looking bangs. To him I looked like an emo Clark Kent.

            To secure things, Moses called in a favor and slid some hush money to a guy he knew who owned a bookstore/coffee shop. So here I was, a month in working there. Paige was tossing the last of her things in the back of Moses’ huge Astro van, while Moses and Rodney were huddled together talking. More than likely, they were discussing Rodney staying behind to keep an eye on the twins. Almost four months and they were still fighting the rage behind lock and key.

            Once they were done talking, Moses walked over to Paige. She threw herself into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He began covering her face with innocent lip pecks and she giggled. I groaned in disapproval. It was a rather disgusting display of PDA. I looked down at my solid black converse, with the white out lyrics and dark gray laces, that were finally returned to me. Beaming up at me in all its glittered glory, was Maggi’s hair clip. In my head I could hear her infectious giggle. This was torture. I looked at the new cellphone Moses had given everyone and cursed under my breath that I didn’t know her number by heart.

            Just then there was a tap on my shoulder, making me nearly jump out of my skin. I jumped and so did Liam. He leaned down, putting his hand on his knees and let out a breathless cackle.

“Dude, the fuck?” I frowned.

“My bad, you were like staring at the floor dude” Liam snickered.

“You scared the hell out of me” I informed.

“All these new senses and still clueless” Liam smiled.

“Human though” I replied.

“In form, but you know you can channel your senses” Liam said.

I looked at Liam, scrunching up my face in confusion. Biting his bottom lip, Liam smiled and nodded, as he started exiting the room backwards.