Blood Moon

Chapter 7: Cedarwood and Vetiver

~ A dream becomes a reality ~

After a fleeting nap both me and my little sister awake to the sound of a roaring engine coming from outside. I grab Scarlett's small dainty hand and lead her downstairs where Rue and Kyra are already there waiting for us. We make our way outside to meet Jacques who lightly leans against his large black truck. 

"Sorry it took longer than expected" he apologises, a small smile still present as always on his face. "The town centre is only about a 10 minute walk from here, I can point out everything as we go along" he states, beginning to walk away from the house. We all plod along behind him, taking in the lush evergreen trees and the fresh air free of any pollutants on the way.

"Oh and don't worry about the you know what, it begins with a p and ends with a k. I just told them that I was asked by the local council to show the new residents around" he shares, whispering the p and the k. Why can't he just say pack? There's no one else around. I guess you can't be too careful can ya. "And they won't be... suspicious?" Rue questions, raising her eyebrow slightly. "I've volunteered for the local council in the past, no one will know" he answers. They're gonna know. 

Before I know it we have already arrived at the town centre where many humans are currently walking about freely, just going about their day and minding their business. The road is lined on either side with rows of moderately sized red brick buildings all attached to one another. "This is the town hall, I think I mentioned that I've volunteered there a few times before. And this is Monty's Bookshelf, the local bookstore. Oh, and this is the laundromat, life saver if you ask me. Right next to that is a couple of small locally owned shops filled with some random trinkets, you get these types of places anywhere you go, there's not really much in them. And..." he points out every building that we pass by, smiling broadly. I begin to zone out, his voice fading into the background. 

I focus on the slight breeze against my skin, easing any anxiety that I may have had prior. Not doing anything. Just being, for a short moment. I bump into Jacques not realising that he had stopped. "Here is Harris Finds, the local thrift store. Everybody loves this place; you'll never have to worry about what to wear again!" he beams before leading us into the rather charming shop. 

We make our way through the numerous racks of clothes all pushed tightly together to get as much in as humanly possible. "Pick out some stuff, I'll wait for you all at the register" he says before making his way to the back of the shop and out of our sight. I run my fingertips along the fabric on the racks. The sensations range from soft and velvety to rough and leathery. I decide to just pick up a few items similar to what I am currently wearing - a few black tops, a couple of black hoodies, some black leggings, a set of black pyjamas and a pair of black jeans. I pick out some similar plain clothing for Scarlett and go to meet Jacques at the front.

"That was fast! Is that... all?" he asks, eyeing the pile of clothing in my hands. I nod before passing the clothes over to him. He heads over to the counter and places the pile down. "What an... interesting choice" the woman behind the counter chuckles faintly. Werewolf. This is the first werewolf I have seen here so far, besides Jacques of course. "These must be the newcomers! Talk of the town! We don't get many visitors either so it's always a pleasure to see some new faces" she says, her voice loud and high-pitched. "You look like you could be the same age as my daughter! She'll be so excited to get a new classmate!" she continues, flashing us a friendly smile. "Sarah here will be attending Elmbrook High starting tomorrow. The young one Grace will be going to the local elementary" Jacques mentions, matching her exuberant energy.