Second Chances (Brett Talbot)

Monstrous Things

"I'll go see if he's alright," I say surprising everyone, including myself.

I make my way outside just in time to see Brett kick the side of the building in frustration. He's breathing heavily while mumbling the same mantra over and over again. "The sun, the moon, the truth." He leans with his back against the brick wall, his eyes shut.

"Brett?" I say, cautiously making my way toward him.

He ignores me and slides down the wall to sit. "The sun, the moon, the truth," he repeats.

I slowly sit down next to him, but he still doesn't acknowledge me. He just keeps repeating the phrase over and over again while taking deep breaths.

We sit there for a minute in silence until he speaks up. "He was right, you know," he utters.

"What?"

"I am a monster," he mutters. "I've always been one."

"No, you're not, Brett," I tell him.

"I grow claws out of my fingers and fangs come out of my teeth," he argues. "Hair grows on my face in seconds and my eyes glow yellow. I'm a monster." He hangs his head running a hand through his light brown hair.

I bite my lip remembering something that Scott told Liam.

"Not all monsters do monstrous things," I say softly.

"What?" He lifts his head to look at me.

"It's something Scott told Liam," I tell him. "Not all monsters do monstrous things. Liam was saying the same things you are right now. Just remember, you're not a monster. You're a werewolf, but if you still think that you're a monster, just keep Scott's words in mind, okay?"

He bites on the inside of his cheek, mulling over my words. It's silent for a while as we watch the cars go by.

"Thank you," he tells me, softly after a while. "You know, I was a lot different two years ago."

"How so?" I ask, kind of intrigued.

"Well, for one thing, I wasn't as much of a dick," he says with a ghost of a smile.

I let out a small laugh. "I wish I knew you then," I say, cheekily.

"I'm glad you didn't," he replies. "I was actually really short until a little over a year ago."

"No way," I gasp, laughing a bit more as I imagine a short Brett.

"It's true," he says with a grin.

We fall silent again as two of the deputies leave the building and walk to a squad car. They get in and pull out of the parking lot.

"What does it mean?" I ask, still pondering many questions I have about Brett.

"What does what mean?" He asks.

"The sun, the moon, the truth," I reply. "What does it mean?"

"What three things can not long be hidden? The sun, the moon, and the truth," Brett tells me. "It's a Buddhist saying that Satomi taught me when I was having trouble shifting after my brother died. It helps me calm down and focus."