Tattoo guy steps back, glancing around at the people who came with him. They follow suit. Without saying anything they run into the woods. Only tattoo guy lingers.
Travis hurries over to his parents who glance around with looks of bewilderment. "I have to go, but I'll be back."
Mrs. Briar clutches his arm. "You aren't going anywhere. You heard the howl."
"But Mom, there are always wolves."
"Yes, but they're probably out hunting tonight."
Travis pulls out of his mother's grasp at the same time Hunter is backing away from Hanna. Travis' jaw moves in an eclipse. "I need to--"
"Travis, your mother said no." Mr. Briar wraps his arm around her.
Tattoo guy trades a stern look with Travis before running into the woods. Grabbing his head and shaking it, Travis gives us all a death glare before darting into the house.
Another howl rings through the night.
Hanna grasps my arm. "Do you think they'll be all right?"
"I don't know." Mr. Briar pulls her away from me and engulfs her in a hug. "But it's not your job to worry about them."
"What about Hunter?"
He pulls back to give her a very fatherly, over protective look. "It's not your job to worry about him."
*******
I sit up in bed, clutching the blankets. I never screamed. Travis said he found me because I screamed. But I didn't. I was too scared.
I throw off the blankets and push myself off the bed, stumbling in the dark toward the door. I grab my glasses off the nightstand on the way. I'm getting answers now. I locate the door handle and step out into the hall. He's going to be so mad at me.
Walking toward his room, I inhale and exhale. I stare at his door, unsure of what to do. If I knock I wake the whole house up. But if I push open the door and he sleeps naked. . . That will be. . .bad. I'll leave it at that.
I ease the door open a crack. "Travis?"
No response.
I push the door open more, my eyes adjusting to the dark room. I'm able to make out his comforter pulled across the width of his bed. The only bulges being pillows. "Travis, you in here?" Maybe he went to the bathroom. But I didn't notice a light on when I was in the hall. I shiver and flick the lights on. The window is open.
Not good. Starting to panic, I stick my head outside. We're three stories up as the house is on a hill. There's a ledge he could have stepped on to but after that he's still three stories up. I step back, my stomach churning and my head light.
He snuck out. He didn't jump to his death. But how would he get down from here? Maybe this is a common occurrence. I'll ask Hanna before I wake up the whole neighborhood. First, though, I'll check the bathroom to be sure.
The bathroom is located adjacent to my room and it's wide open. Not good.
"Hanna?" I ask as I step into her room.
"What? What time is it?"
"Travis isn't in his room."
She's silent for a moment. "Sneaking into his room, are we?"
"Hanna, your brother is missing. He could be dead."
"Nah." Her mattress squeaks, and she plops back down under her covers.
"Did you go back to bed?"
"Look, here's the thing." She flips over onto her side to look at me. "I need to be on his good side, so he'll take you on a date."
Is she not worried in the slightest?
"I don't need him mad at either of us." She sighs.
"I'll go get your parents."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Why?"
"Well for one I'll tell Travis that you snuck into his room because you wanted to kiss him while he was asleep because you were too embarrassed to do it while he was awake."
"You wouldn't." I shake my head. "My embarrassment is worth the price to help your potentially dead brother."
"Still wouldn't do it."
"Hanna--"
"You'll give my mom a heart attack. Trust me, Addy, he's done this before."
No help here than. "You're right, Hanna. I should just listen to you." I can't deal with this right now-- it's the middle of the night.
"Exactly."
"Sorry for waking you." I shut her door. He's not getting off the hook this easily. I'm getting answers, and I'm getting them tonight.
I return to his room and lock the door. Hopefully once he returns it will buy me a few moments before he throws me out. That is as long as he doesn't throw me out the window. I grab the remote to his fan and take a seat on the edge of his bed. The clock says three fifty-seven.
At four forty-five I hear a thud. Travis' form slides through his window gracefully.
I press the button on the remote and the light comes on. My eyes want to squeeze shut, but I force them to stay open. "Well, well, well, look what the dog dragged in."
He stares at me. "Addy?"
"I only told Hanna. She didn't seem to care. But Travis, I hate to do this, but I need answers."
"I can't--"
"I'll tell your parents. Like I said I hate to do this. But you found me and lied about how, and I'm sick of being in the dark."
"What? I didn't lie."
"I never screamed. You said that's how you knew where I was."
He swallows, glancing out the window, probably debating if he should run or not. "I don't have an answer, besides I can't remember." He drags his hand down his face, stretching the skin. "Are you going to ask where I was?"
"That is none of my business. But what I want to know is what has to do with me. Why can't I go in the woods tomorrow night? Why does everyone keep bringing up the full moon?"
He continues staring out the window, his face contorting in anger, and he shakes his head.
"What's wrong?"
His head snaps to mine, his eyes slightly glowing yellow. I gasp, pushing myself farther back in his bed. He shakes his head again, his eyes back to normal.
Pulling my knees to my chest, my eyes widen. "What was that?"
"What was what?"
"See, this is what I mean? Everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie." Eyes that turn black flash in my head. I burry my head between my knees. "Why did your eyes change?"
"Huh? Probably a trick of the light. How long have you been sitting here? Maybe you hallucinated."
"His eyes changed color."
His face changes into a wary one. "Whose?"
"Do you know the real reason why I'm here?"
"To hang out with Hanna since she's your friend."
"Hanna and I had never hung out before. Why now?"
"What are you saying?"
"My parents were worried about my mental and physical state, so they sent me with you."
He walks forward a few steps. "Why?"
"Because my best friend was kidnapped while I was with her."
"Addy, I'm— Why weren't you taken?"
"They didn't want me." I shrug, swallowing hard. "Everything about it was weird. They were too strong for me to do anything. They wanted her alive. But as for me--they were debating whether or not to kill me."
Travis' hands clench.
"The one who grabbed her, his eyes-- they turned black. Eyes don't change colors. But then yours just did. I need to be able to trust you. But I can't. Not when you don't tell the truth."
He scratches his forehead. "There's a--a gang. They do some crazy stuff on full moons. I don't want to imagine what they'd do to you. Can you and Hanna please just stay in on that night, please? Especially Hanna. She needs to stay in. She's in the most danger."
"Why her? What does she have anything to do with it?"
"They know her. If they see her, she'll--she'll die."
"Die?"
He nods his head.
"Why?"
"Like I said, the full moon does crazy things to people and their mental states."
"I'll be sure she stays in. You'll probably have to bribe her though."
"I'll tell her I'll take you on a date."
My cheeks redden. He's not serious, right? "Ummm. . ."
"Don't worry. We don't have to call it a date. Just two friends hanging out. Now you should probably get back to your room before my sister sees us and has a heart attack."