The Rules of the Red - 2nd Edition |✓|

Chapter Six, Part Two - No New Friends

The trailer had ragged furniture, ugly carpet, and cracks in the walls. But that still didn't dismiss its "homey" feeling. Pictures and mismatched decorations hung from the walls and fat, white candles gleamed from black votives. Most surfaces in the trailer were covered in these candles and the rest were scattered with books covering subjects like Witchcraft and alchemy.

Gingerly I took a seat in the least lumpy arm chair and picked up a book with an illustration of a black, red-eyed Wolf on the cover-'Werewolves: A Concise History'.

Claudia walked into the living room from the kitchen. In her hands was a large, green mug. "Well, now that the gang's all here, let's get started, shall we?" Even from this distance I could smell the drink's harsh odor. The Human part of me found it odious. The Wolf considered it interesting.

I raised an eyebrow. "That's not for me, is it?"

Claudia took a seat opposite from me. "Nope, it's all mine. It's a black tea infused with belladonna—a herb that Witches use for seeing auras and inducing psychic visions."

Nervous, I cleared my throat. "So you're gonna try and have another vision? Of me?"

"Yep, that's right... but I'll need a drop of your blood in order to do it."

"And the fun continues," I grumbled.

"Aw don't be such a baby." She produced a small pocketknife, but no sooner had Claudia flicked it open than the screen door to the trailer opened and closed. Confused, I looked at the door and then around the living room, realizing Tidus was gone.

Claudia glanced at the door. "He gets like that around blood sometimes. Doesn't like to be around it."

"Why – because of the bloodlust? He can't deal?"

"Yeah," said Claudia tightly. "Something like that." She jabbed my finger with the blade.

"Ouch!" Resentful, I stared at the red drop that formed and began to swell. "Hey! I didn't mean that in a bad way."

"Well you sound like you got your facts from a fairytale or some shitty b-movie." She directed my finger over her steaming cup, squeezing in the drop. With a single hiss it landed in the mug and the dark brown liquid turned a bright red. "In-ter-esting..." Claudia brought the mug eye level, carefully swirling its contents.

"What?"

"It's just I've never really seen this potion turn red... unless I was reading for another Witch."

"Maybe it turns red for Werewolves too?"

"Yeah. Maybe."

We both jumped as the screen door banged open.

"Are we ready?" In the blink of an eye Tidus was standing next to Claudia, looking down at us expectantly with his hands in his pockets.