More Than Human

Chapter 29: Extra Quirky

"Price?"

"Shit." The man hissed, "Shoes, coats, both of you!"

They both moved quickly, neither bothered tying their boots as they stumbled out after the captain and down the path. The path ended in an old metal barn, a lock had been on the front but had been busted out. One of the two large doors had been knocked off its hinges. The glass from the window at the top had been shattered and littered the dirt.

"What the fuck?" Gaz finally voiced Ghost's thoughts out loud.

Price ran inside and spun around, the space was lit by lanterns and glowed in a warm yellow light. The ground was covered in blankets and pillows, and there was a hole in part of the metal wall. Something must have been ripped from it.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Price swore, "I leave for five minutes!"

"Captain, what the fuck is happening?" Ghost demanded, not willing to allow any secretiveness when he didn't have eyes on Johnny.

"I really thought you were brighter than this, Lieutenant." Price grumbled, pushing past him and back outside.

"What?"

"The moon, Simon!"

Ghost looked up, eyes laying on the bright round moon, high in the sky.

"Oh."

Yeah. Maybe he had been an idiot. He should have absolutely thought about that. Why hadn't Soap said anything to him? He recalled a delirious Johnny telling him that he was extra quirky when the moon was full. What did that even mean?

"What's different from when he changes normally?" He asked. Clearly there was something different if he had ripped a hole in metal and tore a locked door off its hinges.

Price didn't answer him just yet, "Gaz, ask your buddies which way."

"Yessir."

Gaz approached one of the nearby trees and knocked on the bark, he let out a puff of air and tilted his ear toward it a bit. His eyes closed before reopening and nodding in a specific direction in the woods.

Ghost didn't wait for further instruction and began booking it into the woods. It was easy to pick up the traces of Soap's scent now. It was more potent, earthier. Whatever had come this direction had been large, and in a hurry. Ghost was worried something dangerous was happening. Why else would Soap have busted his way out of the security of the barn?

He ran until his ears began to pick up some noises up ahead. He heard the babbling of a stream somewhere in front of him, and he very suddenly burst into a moonlit clearing. The sight in front of him made him freeze, Gaz and Price came tumbling out after him.

"Oh, for the love of..." Price huffed.

A large creature was in the clearing. It was definitely a wolf, but a little to the left. It was far bigger than Soap's normal wolf. Longer claws, longer teeth. It looked like it could probably rise up on its hind legs. It wasn't as big as Alejandro's chupacabra form, but it was still mighty. It would be terrifying if it weren't for what it was doing.

It was splashing about in the creek, and chasing around a large white moth. Its tail wagged and it happily pranced around, snapping monstrous jaws at the little thing as it fluttered about. The creature had a belt wrapped around its neck like a collar with a large chain dragging around behind it. Ghost could see a piece of the metal barn's wall attached.

"Soap!" Price called, "Leave it!"

The creature, Soap apparently, snapped his head around to look in their direction. His tail instantly stopped wagging and he seemed to deflate a little bit.

"Get over here, sergeant!" Price sounded annoyed.

Soap's eyes flicked to the side as the moth fluttered closer. His tail twitched, he was clearly tempted.

"No. Don't even think about it." Price warned, getting the wolf's attention again.

The moth landed on Soap's snout, and for an incredible moment of self control, he did nothing. And then that moment was over and he snapped to try and catch it. He spun back around and continued his frenzied splashing and Price groaned.

The Captain let out a shrill and sharp whistle that startled Soap. His ears flattened against his head and his tail tucked between his legs. He crawled out of the water and back onto land, dragging himself across the dirt as he approached the three men, keeping his eyes downcast.

Price tapped his foot, and furrowed his brow, "Really? A moth? You trashed the barn. You're soaking wet and dirty. You had us all worried sick, for a moth?"

Soap whined an apology.

"I understand you don't like being locked up during the full moon, but the doctors said you weren't to overexert yourself! And ripping your chain off the wall, and tearing a metal barn door off its hinges definitely falls under that category."

Soap covered his snout with his front paws, embarrassed, and huffed.

Ah. So this is what he meant by a little extra quirky.

Soap crawled forward and nudged the front of Price's boot. Price sighed and rolled his eyes before crouching down and ruffling the fur on top of his head,

"What are we going to do with you, Soap?"

Ghost took the chance to sigh himself, and that made Soap perk up. Ghost was very abruptly being tackled to the ground and yipped at excitedly. Soaking him with his wet fur from the stream.

"Johnny! Get off ya mangy mutt!" He shoved at Soap's massive head, and the beast rolled over onto its back, chain jingling where it was still attached. Ghost sat up and looked at his now massive sergeant, "Fuckin' hell."

He reached out and scratched where his scruff would be, between his ears, at the base of his neck. Soap's tongue lolled out the side of his mouth revealing his long, spear-like teeth. His back leg began to kick out as Ghost scratched.

"Gaz." Price instructed.

"Aye, sir."

Some roots emerged and hooked Soap's chain into the ground. Soap was too content being pet to protest the restraint.

They would wait out the night here, and tomorrow they would fix up the barn. And they wouldn't make the mistake of leaving him alone for any amount of time again for the next two nights of the full moon.