Surviving the Night - The Quarry

Chapter 19: Werewolf?

Estella's POV

Nick's death gripped my hand as we continued running back to the pool house. There's movement ahead as another shot goes off. I tell him to go to the pool and he leads us there. My heart drops when I see a dead creature in the pool. Please don't be Abi.

Nick holds his gun up when a girl walks out of the pool house. Her hair is in a high ponytail and a bandage is wrapped around her head covering her one eye. She's holding onto a shotgun as she tries to run down the steps, "Who are you?" He asks as she stands with her gun pointed at us, "How did you kill it?" He shouts as she stands there silent. I watch as the body floats along the top, making her water turn red.

"I don't have time for this," she says going to walk off. Nick cocks the gun and she glares at us, "You're counselors, right?" She asks.

I look at Nick and see him nodding his head, "My name is Laura Kearney. I was supposed to work here this summer with my boyfriend Max Brinly," she tells us trying to walk off again.

"Stop moving," Nick yells before I put my hand on his shoulder.

"You were the nurse..." I whisper as she looks relieved I remember, "Kaci and I are here cause you guys didn't show up," I say out loud.

"We did...two nights early. We wanted to check out the place and then the last thing we remember is waking up in a jail cell," she says not making any sense, "I have to go find Max. You guys can follow me or not but I don't have time for this," she says. I go to follow her but Nick holds my arm.

"How do we know we can trust her?" He asks.

"She was supposed to be one of us. She's trying to help her boyfriend just like we are trying to save Abi," I whisper telling him to come on, "What do you mean a jail cell?" I ask.

"Travis Hackett is the sheriff and he had us locked in this run-down jail the entire summer," she says making my heart sink, "We arrived two nights early and saw a werewolf in the basement of the lodge. Max was bit, and now every full moon he turns," she explains making me want to throw up.

"Werewolf? This can't be real," Nick says as she turns to look at him.

"Did you see the thing in the pool?" She asks, "You're covered in blood...you saw it happen, didn't you?" She asks. She pauses when she sees our faces and lifts the eyepatch, "I got too close and this is what happened. The woods aren't safe that's why we shouldn't be wasting time," she whispers.

"Abi...our friend. I shot her and she just exploded. I don't know what happened," I tell her.

"She turned. Every full moon they turn and in the morning they come back like nothing happened," she says making relief flood my body.

"How do we help her?" I ask knowing I'll do whatever it takes.

"How do we know she's telling the truth? Are you with the hunters?" Nick asks making me widen my eyes at how skeptical he's being. His hand is in mine as he pulls us to a stop.

"When full the moon above shines first,
the beast internal shall outward burst,
one by one, leads lambs to slaughter.
It stalks your breath but shuns clear water.
And should you yourself be cursed,
armed with silver, end the first,
when moon is full before its wane,
rend the beast that cursed you slain,
no longer shall you face your blight
or fear the dread of the full moon's light.
And if it's a bite with which you're faced,
cleave limb from torso with great haste,
perchance you'll save your cursed soul,
before infection takes its toll," she recites.

"They made a poem?" He asks in disbelief.

"We don't have time for this. I can explain more on the way to helping Max. If it was her you'd do the same thing," she says looking at Nick. I turn my head and see him looking down at me making me blush.

"Let's just hurry," he says with a sigh, "I'll explain the rest on the way," she adds.