Chapter 2: After The Storm
“Touch me I’m cold, unable to control.
Touch me I’m golden and wild as the wind blows.
If just for tonight darling, let’s get lost.”
-“Let’s Get Lost”, Bat for Lashes ft. Beck
I head downstairs, in search of some ice cream, knowing a rich and creamy bucket of Butter Pecan ice cream might possibly help me feel better about Derek leaving. And after retrieving a quart from the freezer, I cradle it in my arms and reach for a spoon, then the whole thing crashes to the ground when I hear a voice say:
“So touching, so very, very touching.”
I bend over, squeezing the toes that got nailed by a quart of Butter pecan ice cream, as I gape at a perfectly turned-out Kate Argent—legs crossed, hands folded, a prim and proper lady, seated right there at my breakfast bar.
“So cute how Derek left a little note for you in that tree.” She laughs, her eyes grazing over me.
I gaze at her, concentrating on my breath, keeping it slow and steady, trying to not to get angry and shift.
“If you’re looking for Derek, he’s not here.” I finally say, my voice scratchy, hoarse, like it hasn’t been used for days.
She lifts her brow. “Trust me, I know where Derek is. I always know where he is. It’s what I do.”
“So you’re a stalker?” I press my lips together, knowing I shouldn’t antagonize her, but hey, I have nothing to lose. Either way, she’s here to kill me.
She twists her lips and holds her hand in front of her face, inspecting her perfectly manicured nails. “Hardly,” she mumbles.
“Well if that’s how you’ve chosen to spend your last 50 years, then some might say—“
“I’m only 32, you dreadful stupid dog!” She looks me over and scowls.
She rolls her eyes and stands. She moves toward me, her smile growing wider with each approaching step, slinking around the large granite counter like a Siamese cat. “Quite frankly, I can’t imagine what it is like to be a werewolf. I mean, it’s because of it that you always seem to suffer. It’s because of your filthy bloodline that you’re going through all of this now. If only you hadn’t lived through that damn fire.” She shakes her head. “I mean, just when I thought it was safe to leave, just when I was sure you were dead, the next thing I know, surprise, you’re alive!” She shakes her head again. “You’d think that after all these years, I’d have a little more patience. But then, you really do bore me, and clearly that’s not my fault. Derek or that other bitch would’ve already attacked by now.”
“You caused the fire?”
She looks at me and rolls her eyes. “Yes, I caused the house fire. Why must everything be so spelled out for you?” She shakes her head. “In the end, it was almost too easy to be any fun. But make no mistake, Meeya, this time Derek’s not here to save you, and I will stick around to get the job done.”
I scan the room, searching for some sort of protection, eyeing the knife rack on the other side of the room, but knowing I’ll never get to it in time. I’m not fast like Derek or Laura are. At least, I didn’t think I was. And there’s really no time to find out. She noticed what I was staring and chuckled.
“By all means, please, get the knife, see if I care.” She shakes her head and checks her diamond-encrusted watch. “I’d really like to get started though, if you don’t mind. Normally I like to take my time, have a little fun, but, today, well I have things I need to tend too.” She slinks forward, each step silent, quick, until she’s standing directly before me, and I’ve had no time to react. I reach for the bamboo cutting board, thinking I can slam it over her head, but she lunges for me so fast she knocks me off balance and slams my body into the fridge, the blow to my back stealing my breath as I gasp and fumble and fall to the ground. Hearing the thwonk of my head cracking open when it slams against the floor as a trail of warm blood seeps from my skull to my mouth.
And before I can move or do anything to fight back, she places her foot on my neck.
“Just give up, Meeya. Go join your happy family; they’re all waiting to see you. You’re not cut out for this life. You have nothing left to live for. And now’s your chance to leave it.”
I must’ve blacked out, but only for a moment, because when I open my eyes, she’s still right there on top of me, her face and hands stained with my blood as she croons and coaxes and whispers, trying to convince me to let go, to just let myself go, once and for all, to just slip away and be done with it all.
But even though that might’ve been tempting before, it’s not anymore. This bitch killed my family and now she’s gonna pay.
I feel my body changing instantly. And as I feel my strength surging inside me I lift her right off me and throw her across the room, watching as she flies right into the wall, her arm jutting out at an unnatural angle as her body tilts to the floor. She looks at me, eyes wide with shock, but soon she’s up and laughing as she dusts herself off. And when she lunges at me, I throw her off again, watching as she soars across the kitchen and all the way into the den, crashing through the closed French doors and sending an explosion of broken shards through the room.
“Quite the crime scene you’re creating,” she says, plucking glass daggers from her arms, her legs, and her face. “Very impressive. Can’t wait to read all about it in tomorrow’s paper.” She smiles, and just like that, she’s on me again, fully restored, determined to win. “You’re in over your head,” she whispers. “And frankly, your pathetic show of strength is getting a little redundant. Seriously, Meeya, you’re one lousy dog.”
I was ready to toss her through her a thousand windows. But I’ve barely completed the thought when I’m sideswiped by a horrible, sharp, electrocuting pain. Watching as Kate steps toward me, face pulled into a grin, paralyzing me so that I can’t even stop her.
She laughs. “Works every time. Though, in all fairness, I did try to warn you. You just wouldn’t listen.”
I try to focus on her, watching as she moves toward me, but my vision is distorted, and my limbs so rubbery and weak, she’s like a fast moving blur I know I can’t beat.
So I close my eyes and think: I can’t let her win. I can’t let her win. Not this time. Not after what she did to my family.
The muted morning light was still new in the sky as I wriggled into my jeans and grabbed a warm black jacket that belonged to my cousin Derek. I knotted my long light brown hair into a makeshift bun and stepped into my boots. It felt very important to be quiet, I had seen the hunters leave, but for all I know they could still be watching my house intently. I grabbed a bag and threw in some clothes, not caring what I grabbed or whether they matched. I grabbed my keys, threw my bag over my shoulder and ran to my car. Early morning fog blanketed the world in a bluish-gray as I walked across the grounds. I glanced behind me at my house, I shivered. Within a few more steps, it began to fade into the fog.
In the beginning, I hadn’t pause to think about it, I just threw myself into the silky leather seat of myMercedes S600 Guard and cranked the engine. The car felt almost airborne as it leaped forward.
It only took seconds to race through the tight, winding drive. The car responded to me like my thoughts were steering rather my hands, I blew out of the green tunnel and onto the highway.
At first, I tried driving sanely on my way to California. I wasn’t in a rush simply because I realized I didn’t want to go where I was going. Back to that house, back to that forest. Back to the memories and reminders that caused that pain I’ve tried so hard to avoid all these years.
But as soon as the images of the hunters coming into my house and killing my family replayed themselves in my head, I couldn’t help but step on the gas pedal.
In a sick way, it was my lucky day. If by lucky you meant taking a well-traveled highway at two hundred without so much as seeing one cop, even in the thirty mile an hour speed trap towns.
My head was spinning. My heart pounded faster. The farther I drove, I felt more afraid, not less. Before, when my mom told me this was what I had to do, it seemed like a good idea. Like it couldn’t and wouldn’t fail. Now that it was real, and I was alone and driving into a wilderness I didn’t know, I wasn’t so sure. Maybe I was running away for nothing. Maybe the hunters would find me and kill me no matter what.
It felt like just yesterday when we had left this place; it felt strange coming back to something we had been running away from ten years ago. And to be honest, I didn’t miss this place at all. I wouldn’t be here if I had another option, but I had no choice. I needed to find Derek and Laura.
I had been driving for hours, and as soon as I passed the “Beacon Hills, California” sign, I knew it was too late to change my mind and turn back.
The skies were dull gray-no clue as to the exact time- it was pretty dark. I watched the trees fly by as I stepped on the gas. There has always been something beautiful about night time; it was like everything seemed to be at peace with itself.
The fragrant smell of rain was clear in the late night air as I drove through the woods of Beacon Hills. I had always felt at ease in these woods. I grew up spending all my time out here when I was little. And even though I hadn’t been in this place in over ten years, I still remembered this area like the back of my hand. It was beautiful here, of course; I couldn’t deny that. Everywhere you looked you would see green: the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it.
I hadn’t been paying much attention to the road, so I was surprised when I noticed a black figure standing only feet away from my car. I immediately hit the brake in panic, the car jolting to a sudden stop making, my body swerve forward instantly.
At once, I took off my seat belt and got out of the car. I zipped up my jacket and pulled over the hoodie over my head; it was just drizzling still, not enough to soak me as I looked for the unknown thing I almost hit with my car.
“Hello? Anybody out there?” I called, bending over and looking underneath my car.
I hadn’t been expecting someone to answer me, so fear jolted through my body as someone behind me said, “Thanks for not hitting me.”
Out of reflex, I instantly grabbed the person’s arm, twisting it and pushing him against the car. I let out a sigh of relief as I noticed it was just a boy, he seemed young, maybe around my age. He was taller than me and broad shouldered. He had wavy, dark brown hair that fell across his forehead. His jaw was strong and angular, and he had a solid, muscular body and dark brown eyes. I let him go, and immediately apologized.
“S’ alright.” He said smiling, and I instantly smiled back.
“Hey, well at least let me give you a ride to wherever you’re going in. You may be okay with it, but my conscience isn’t going to drop the fact that I almost killed someone.” I said. It was true; I was one of those people that couldn’t live with a guilty conscience if my life depended on it. Meaning, I also struggled keeping secrets, but I managed, most of the time at least. He laughed, and nodded.
“Nice car, by the way.” He mumbled, eyeing the vehicle, and walking towards the passenger side. I didn’t respond. Still shaky with adrenaline I opened the car door and hopped in.
Engine snarling like a hunting panther, the car jolted forward so fast that my body slammed into the black leather seat and my stomach flattened against my spine.
“Sorry,” I apologized meekly. “I’m still getting used to this thing.”
The guy chuckled and slowly put on his seat belt. “Mind me asking, but why would you need four thousand pounds of body armor and missile-proof windows for?”
“Too be honest, I really don’t know. It was a birthday present.” I smiled timidly, nudging the gas pedal down one half millimeter, and the car shot forward again. In fact, I did know. My mom, Derek, and Laura all thought it be a good idea to get me this car for protection. Living in a world where you’re a werewolf and spend most of your time running away from hunters with deathly weapons trying to kill you, you needed all the protection you could get.
I was surprised I hadn’t noticed the smell before, but now being so close to the guy, it was impossible to ignore. Blood. It was reeking off him, and I suddenly began mentally slapping myself for letting a total stranger into my car. From the corner of my eye, I noticed him wince and gently touch his right side.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
At first he seemed to be debating whether he should tell me, but he shrugged and nodded.
“Something attacked me in the woods, I don’t know-“He started, but wasn’t able to finish before I intervened.
“Attacked, by what?!” I asked alarmed. I wasn’t sure why, but I was getting this really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach and I didn’t like it one bit.
“It was dark and I really couldn’t make out what it was, maybe a wolf, which makes sense because a while after I heard wolf howling.” He said, looking straight ahead. As soon as he mentioned ‘wolf’, I felt goose bumps on my arms and chills down my back. I could see fear in his eyes, and something told me that he wasn’t lying. “It bit me.”
I tried not to sound too alarmed, but something about this situation was totally off. Already, I sensed that were was more to it than just a ‘wolf’.
“You should probably get that checked out.” I said, trying to keep my voice from breaking.
After that, we exchanged as few more comments on the weather, which was wet, and that was pretty much it for conversation. Soon, thick fog was all I could see out of my window, and I could feel the claustrophobia creeping up on me.
Something was off about tonight; I could feel it in the atmosphere. There were no animals, no chirping grasshoppers, and no warmth. It was like I was surrounded by some spooky forest that I had no claim to. Something was in this forest and it was something that didn’t belong.
Soon enough, the guy was telling me to park in front of a house.
“Hey, well thanks for the ride!” He said as he stepped out of the car.
“No problem.” I said, and waved. I had forgot to ask for his name, but it didn’t matter, something told me I’d be seeing this guy much more than I’d like too.
I pulled out of the drive way, and began to drive to my old home. I was afraid as to what I may find, or better yet as to what I wouldn’t find. What if Derek and Laura had lied and neither of them were in Beacon Hills after all? I wouldn’t know what to do then. I would be alone to fend for myself, but there’s so much a 16 year old girl can do to survive. However, as I thought it over a bit more, I realized Derek had no reason to lie to me. Why would he? Nothing made any sense anymore. But I ignored the voices in my head and decided I would look for Derek, I hadn’t driven hours to get here for nothing.
I made a U-turn and sped up, heading back to the house where it all started.