Sunday 10PM
[An unusually cold night for summertime unfolds itself after a long day that brought too much mental dread for the four Wattersons. Richard felt too restless and insecure once he had no choice but to stay home with his children after he saw his wife run away last night. He really wanted to go after her, but knew he wouldn't have been able to catch up. The kids did assure their father they managed looking after themselves, no matter how much of a shock is still present amongst them.
Richard lies asleep at the dining table with his head on a bunch of documents and old newspapers. The bunny had been trying his best to find any possible clues of where Nicole would've gone to and how her condition has gotten as bad as it is now. But he couldn't find anything. All his life he knew he was short on statistic knowledge and his brain made him more exhausted than he should've gotten by this. But he did also recently realize his emotional intelligence goes way past that. It's his huge heart that aches most as he wants Nicole to be okay. Besides, she's the one who gave him so much hope and he wants to keep doing the same. Not in return, but because he loves her. No matter the size of her fangs, the color of her eyes or monstrous behaviour, he has always known who she is. He wants to keep holding up that mirror to her, no matter how many times he has to.
Richard's phone suddenly rings. He gets startled awake and gives himself a held back slap on the face to prevent dozing off again. He stressfully reaches out with his paws to grab his phone, only for some papers to fall off the table. He takes a deep breath while putting himself in a calmer state before picking up.]
Voice at the other side: Good evening. Is this Mr. Watterson?
Richard: Richard Watt- Me- Yes, it's me. Who am I speaking with?
Kayla: Kethbourgh, Kayla Kethbourgh. We've met before, but haven't really introduced ourselves to each other.
[Richard gasps as the events from way before come to mind again. His brows rise and he slightly lowers his head.]
Richard: Weren't you the wife of that one canine who got-
Kayla: Murdered by your spouse? Yes, but that's not on topic right now. Besides, that situation had already been taken care of.
Richard: I'm surprised by how easy you're taking that.
Kayla: Your wife knows I had forgiven her, but I sincerely ask not to talk about this right now.
Richard: I understand, my apologies.
Kayla: Although it's your wife who I have to talk to you about.
Richard: You know she ran away? D-do you know where she is?
[Richard feels his heart sinking and his voice develops a tremble from grief.]
Kayla: I don't know her exact location, but I know where she headed to.
Richard: Please tell me... I- I beg you.
Kayla: Listen, the government is out for her. She made a promise and signed contracts regarding her condition, with her having received a second chance, cancelation of punishment and funded supply of medicine.
[Richard's heartbeat speeds up and he nervously fidgets with his tie.]
Kayla: But. They recently got to know she's responsible for another murder, of two toddlers this time, and expectedly any other victims... since more individuals from this region have complained about their pets having gone missing.
Richard: So you're saying-
Kayla: Your wife has broken her promise and governmental trust in heavy amounts, plus with them having extended her label as classified animal and rejected citizen.
[Tears start evolving in the pink bunny's eyes. Is this really happening? He doesn't know what to say.]
Kayla: Now I'm nothing more than a messenger that doesn't pick a side, but the government has leaked quite an amount of information, meaning your wife's situation is now known amongst most citizens of this town.
Richard: W-what's gonna happen to her...?
Kayla: The forces have been commanded to load their weapons.
Richard: But she's bullet-proof in this form, don't they know that?
Kayla: Flamethrowers, Mr. Watterson. The government has control over every single tracking method available and received her medical files. They know her weak spots...
Richard: W-what? W-who has provided all that information?! Both to you and the government. By far the only one I know who possesses those files is-
Kayla: Erin Warrington. You see, he quit his position as psychiatrist due to his children having become victims to the murder. He had his right in court.
Richard: Oh g-gosh! Why didn't anyone tell earlier?! W-why didn't Nicole tell s-she killed his kids... The skulls... Those raven skulls, I should've known!
Kayla: Mr. Watterson, please try to stay as calm as possible. I only just got the chance to, even illegally, reach and inform you about this.
Richard: Illegally?! Doesn't the government care about her loved ones?!
Kayla: All the government wants is a safe place for citizens to live in peace, thus why the warning about her got spread.
Richard: They don't care about her at all anymore, do they...
Kayla: She got classified as feral animal and she will be put down. I advise you to act as soon as you can, Mr. Watterson.
[Richard can't keep it together any longer and tears starts flowing down his cheeks in heavy amounts while he keeps one paw on his head. I don't want to lose her! I've already seen her almost go before... The leporid's voice breaks a slight bit as he can't get his sobbing to stop.]
Richard: C-can you at least tell me where she headed t-to...?
Kayla: I've managed to catch a glimpse of what their force's tracking device found. Apparently they encountered her pawprints that lead into the Forest of Doom. Though they don't know where she exactly is in those huge woods and there's still time to be there before they are, you have to be quick... if you want to save her.
Richard: I'll b-be right on my way. Thanks for telling me everything.
Kayla: Don't thank me soon enough. Like I said, I'm a messenger without a picked side.
[Richard frowns and nods while wiping his tears away. He keeps standing completely still in the middle of the room, taking deep breaths with his eyes closed, the moonlight from outside being all that makes the outline of his silhouette visible. He then opens his eyes while frowning and runs upstairs to his kids' room. There's no time to lose...
The rain had eventually stopped after a long storm that started becoming more and more casual for this summer. Elmore Jr. High decided to close its doors a week earlier for the holiday right after the government's message got received by Principal Brown as well. He knew the blue feline wouldn't be able to keep her promise once he had spoken with her that day, yet he felt like one last bit of hope he still had completely shattered. But no matter how much he tried his best to understand the Watterson mother's situation, total safety for his school's pupils became his first priority despite not always having kept up with that before. The whole town took a dark turn ever since the individual supernaturality got out of hand. One single feline. One cat managed to turn Elmore upside down. If only forgiveness could have been around for a longer amount of time.
Barely anyone feels at least a bit compassion for Nicole now, the caring ones can be counted on two hands. The situation is getting close to becoming completely unfixable, or has it already reached that point? Insecurity and fear is all that rules amongst all the individuals who received the alert only a few hours ago. Despite knowing the threat headed somewhere far away from town, everyone shut their blinds, locked their doors and followed own procedures that would only be expected during apocalypses. Well, not everyone. Besides from a known yellow family wagon racing through the main streets on its way to the border, the Fitzgerald household found it ridiculous to follow the same actions as their neighbours. Patrick actually started reconsidering a lot of his thoughts and finally listened to what Penny had to say after she received the alert as well. Perhaps the government exaggerated in the tone of the message, since everyone treats it like a purge announcement. A purge where one single beast gets the lead to murder. That doesn't sound right at all, was Penny's first thought. She understands what her mother tried to make her aware of, that she isn't the one obligated to help the blue feline, but her refusal to not do anything couldn't be topped. That was the first moment in her life where her parents decided to do it her way. "But only if we're coming with you," had Patrick said. "The more helping hands, the better," is what Penny responded, feeling her former fear turning into courage.
The blue mouser can't feel any worse as soon as she awakens another time. She didn't expect to actually be able to dose off by her continuously aching ginormous system, but her stress returns after managing to get on her paws again. Her fur got completely washed clean by the former rain, but the still very strong metallic smell makes her realize she had been completely covered another time. All she clearly remembers is seeing the silhouette of a wolf approaching her from afar and once she sees its torn apart remnants spread around her on the mossy underground, it hits her. Nothing but unfiltered, burning rage flowed through her while killing the domestic canine, judging by how she didn't simply bite it to death. She completely tore it apart... Its plucks of fur still occasionally floating around by the breeze, its bloody, fleshy remains ripped to pieces, the skull right next to where the beast had been sleeping. The skull... She widens her eyes and sees how a huge bitemark got left on it, giving away she wasn't far from being able to bite the bone in half. Was it really her doing? If her normal senses had returned, there's no doubt she'd have punished herself for the nature-disrespecting brutality. She doesn't understand... She never hated wolves at all. Or any animal with that said. But the other, sickening, half of her apparently did.
"Why does it specifically hate wolves so much?"
"Wait..."
"Why do I specifically hate wolves so much?"
Nicole covers her maw with her large, clawed paws, despite not having spoken out loud at all. But she heard it clearly in her head. Such a terrifyingly distorted and morphed voice... Was that her who spoke? Or it? Or has she... become it? Impossible, she refuses to believe that. But she can't keep it together anymore. She might've awakened in a presumably neutral but numb state, but now she feels the burning feeling in her veins return. It's not over yet. It's far from over. She bends her back while getting onto all fours again and feels it releasing one last painful crack before she starts taking her pace. She takes slow, dragging steps while barely being able to keep her balance and she tilts her head as her pupils disappear, turning her eyes completely yellow.
Vision didn't ever matter most. It's extremely dark in the forest, midnight isn't far away and the moon's light gets blocked out by the increasing density of the trees while she makes her way further into it. Even the glowing mushrooms hold back their small contribution of light and all surroundings seem completely dull. There's complete silence, but the beast knows well it's not on its own in these woods. It closes its eyes and sniffles in full concentration, letting any bit of scent pass through and getting recognized one by one. Glowing patterns appear in front of its eyes while it keeps them closed, concentrating on the species that are present at the end of each path. As soon as its ears sharpened up as well, it knows for sure what it's getting near to once the sound of scratchy paws and distant howling becomes audible. Alpha wolf. A dominant Alpha and its pack.