Things that Go Bump in the Night

Chapter 47: Part 3: The Final Answer

A/N: An Update? From THIS story? I think we all had given up hope! I feel that you all deserve an explanation as for the reason that this update is severely late.  The most important reason why I have not updated in so long is that this part of the story is pivotal (or at least for me it has always been) AND I strongly believe that you all would wish me dead if I left you hanging for another extremely long time after this particular chapter in the journey.  So without further adeu, brace yourselves... 

Chapter 47: Part 3: Final Answer

I was never good at waiting.

My father told me over and over again that patience was a virtue, but the advice, while accepted, was hard for me to apply. My inability to wait patiently was one of the many qualities that I possessed, which my step mother did not find endearing. I sometimes felt that my ears were still ringing from her shrill voice, chastising me for my incessant pacing, finger drumming or pin clicking. Once, she even tried to prove to my father that I was wearing holes in the floor from my constant treks back and forth in front of the living room window; a premium spot to demonstrate my pacing vice.

What wouldn't I give to be able to pace right now?

It had been maybe twenty minutes since the Beta stepped out into the rainy street from the back door of the human dwelling he hid me in, repeating for me to stay inside and out of sight until I heard the border signal. He said no other words to me. No parting farewell, no pleasantries. It gave me the impression that his stoic and blunt behavior was truly part of his own persona, not just the beast that controlled him. In reality though, it would have been weirder if he had given me a familiar farewell. We were past the realm of false gestures and meaningless assurances. The humans that lived in the apartment had not returned in his absence, but I was sure they were somewhere close by, keeping their distance and waiting to see how this all transpired.

The wait was killing me.

The ache, from previous strain and the tension of the current situation, seemed to bite into my whole body like a clamp of a vice. My leg, which was still wrapped tight in a bandage, hurt too much to be pacing on. It took clenching my teeth together until my jaw groaned in protest, to be able to stand without holding onto something.

I was also ninety percent certain I had a concussion.

The world around me was still slightly blurry around the edges and it took all of my attention to focus on the objects around me. Cold metal became sticky with sweat as I readjusted my grip on my father's gun. I had already loaded the weapon and put the extra ammo in my back pack. Somehow, the backpack had made it through the night in better shape than I was in. I found it surprising that the Beta thought to bring my belongings when he carried me off of the street. Maybe he thought leaving it behind would leave more of a trail.

The rough cut wood of the door frame dug into my skin as I leaned against it for support. I had already hobbled myself to the doorway of the apartment, trying to be as ready as I could to make a run for it when the time came.

Would I even be able to run?

The pain in my leg and the fuzziness of my mind were not good indicators of a positive response to that question.

In my paranoia, I was quietly going over the numbers again, actually having to whisper to myself to stay in focus. I wasn't supposed to leave the apartment for three minutes past the communal howl that would signal a breach into the city territory. Then, I would have to make my way back to the river, which was under half a mile away, and find some sort of craft to at least be moving away from the city before the Beta could no longer distract him or the patrols slow the Beast down.