In over your head

2



Chapter 1: In Over Your Head



It all began when someone left the window open.



It was in the middle of the night… or maybe it was the beginning of tomorrow. I could not tell. I was too engrossed with my grandmother’s last gift to me before she passed away. She said that I should open it when she was gone. Problem was I had forgotten it in my closet for a few months after her death. She was three months dead now of course, which was why I was up reading it in the first place. Yes, her gift to me had been a book, an old book that was hand written in a long spidery scrawl cursive and very, very difficult to read. Of course, it may have been the fact that I was used to printing and reading print that made her text seem foreign. To be honest it was foreign in a sense it was written in an older way of speaking, also the book was from a time before even grandmother. It had me enthralled, the particular passage I was reading said as follows:



Take heed, what yee enter, shan’t be turned from lightly

Yee seek a guardian, one loyal and mighty,

Servant to thee unto death.

Be wary, yee who enter this pact.

For death awaits the one who turns back.

Loyal devotion, for shelter and love,

Bitter betrayal rebuked with bitter destruction,

Oath breakers beware.

Loyal love shalt be replaced,

With vengeance blood.

Thou hath been warned.

As you probably may be thinking, my grandmother sounds like a nut. However, one should also remember that this is not her writing. Thinking ahead of her grandsons

Non-Shakespearean mindset she was kind enough to translate with footnotes the same passage translated read thusly:



If you invoke this guardian, he will be loyal to you through out your life just as mine has been to me. However if you do not love him and shelter him in your home or with yourself he will grow to hate you, and eventually if you treat him poorly he will turn on you and kill you, so be careful.



Sounds encouraging huh? Well at any rate, I had gotten to page thirty-seven of this five hundred-page book, when I decided I had the gist of it down and was ready to call on a guardian. It sounded fun and I had it in my all knowing sixteen year old mind that warnings were just there because someone goofed up some where along the line and expected everyone else to be susceptible to the same error as them. Yah right, I thought to myself. Skipping ahead to the chapter talking about what would be required for attracting one. I was alone in the house, tonight and no one would notice me gathering what I needed. I went to the garden down stairs in the backyard. The book instructed that a garland of lavender jasmine and rose thorns would attract a potential guardian and then all that was left to do was hang it in your bedroom window leaving the window wide open for the creature to enter, my grandmother had her own twists and warnings on this mix however. Along with the three plants, she suggested including a few locks of hair and if you wanted, something extremely loyal to include wolfs bane and nightshade in the mixture. Whether it was coincidence or my grandmothers foresight playing into affect I wasn’t sure but I found all the plants she was recommending and proceeded to get myself a good many clippings of each before going back up to the third floor attic room which was where I slept. The room had been grandmas and still sported her tastes in the corner where my room’s one and only window was located. Aqua marine blue with vibrant green vines decorated the walls a countless numbers of doves rising amidst them. Her old dresser stood by the window as well, and I went to work arranging the fresh cut plants in a hanging bouquet. As I hung the wreath of fragrant greens above the window with some twine, a worry crossed my mind. It lasted for a few moments and I hesitated before opening the window, “what if this is more than you can handle,” whispered the small voice of doubt. I swiftly checked it, telling it to shut up, and that I could handle anything I wanted to. Lifting the window open, the warm summer’s night wind entered into the lofty room, circled once and then carried my invitation out into the night, on its buoyant flow. This would be fun.





As Fruanc made his way through the evening forests, a feeling of exhilaration seemingly tingled and pricked over every inch of his taught body. Something new was in the air tonight, something that hadn’t been there before. It tugged at Fraunc’s nose torturing him with a hunger to find where it came from. Some kind of carnivorous lust arose in him making the sweet yet spicy smell all the more desirable. It was a simple mater either he would go and find it or he wouldn’t, he could sniff out the inviting aroma or turn tale and flee from it till it’s vibrant heady odder could no longer be found. Coming to a decision, Fruanc turned to fixate on the delicious smells origin. Without a thought more he started his trot forward, taking an easy pace to warm up his legs, he could start running in a few minutes. It was good to feel the sinews and fibers of his hind and front legs heating up with the stretch of their renewed use. The smell was not far, three or four miles at best and he could cover that in minutes if he so chose. Increasing the gate of his stride, Fruanc was soon shooting through the woods like an arrow speeding towards the bulls eye mark. The countryside was changing rapidly. Slipping from forest to fields, brushed with roads here and there the target remained constant. And so it was that Fruanc the wind streaking over his fur coat, found himself at the edge of a small town by a large body of water. The source of this ambrosia delight that tickled his nose was very near now. Individual scents were now discernable in that mixture of sweet intoxication. Roses lavender and a few other things as well, but the most tempting of all even more tempting than the viperous nightshade was the minty teasing of the wolfs bane, just on the verge of bloom. Practically drooling now the enthralled Fruanc continued his approach. The house he came upon was older than the others around it, different in design and appearance from the others. Where most in the area were one story high, this one was three, and where most were of whitewashed brick recently painted from the smell of things, this house was shingled on the sides with faded grey boards. The houses of the town were mostly of a square or rectangular shape and clustered around the towns main road with the property behind them divided up by wooden stake fences making pens for the livestock that some of the town’s people kept. The house that Fruanc stood before however was of a different shape, like a large L that a second and third story had grown out of, the third story was more like an attic but it had a window. This was definitely, where the tantalizing air was coming from. The back of the house was home to a good many more plant smells flowers of all kinds including those that he had initially come upon. A quivering came over Fruanc just then, starting at the base of his spine and then spreading over him like his very nature had given a shudder of anticipation. Salivating on what savory taste might accompany the arrangement that hung above the wolf made the change. Reaching into the depths of his being the wolf Fruanc started to feel around for the consciousness in him that was similar to that of the men folk. Finding the man sense in its blissful slumber of repose, the wolf Fruanc leaned towards it and gave the man sense a gentle nudge. “Wake up friend its time we met this sweat plant weaver, wake up friend.” The man sense stirred inside of them, their body, which currently reflected the animal side of their combined existence. Giving a playful shove to the wolf the man sense came to wakefulness greeting his other half with the warm embrace that they shared with one another when they chose to run together as one. Their body began to alter so to reflect the new image of them standing together yet at the same time one. The man’s image came into play reshaping the wolfen body to resemble that of a man while still maintaining the wolf’s fur his beautiful paws mixing with the strong fingers of the man. Their hind legs lengthened body becoming erect, expanding into the chest and shoulders of the mans sense, their front legs also lengthened, the wolf hind feet becoming like man feet while retaining the paw pads and sharp nails as well as the look of the wolf toes. The hands did similar as they stretched out into wolf padded and clawed fingers. The hind legs bent forward then popping in quivering ecstasy. Fruanc’s head remained that of his wolfen side and their tale stayed present wagging, pleased with having tracked down the source of the mystery that had so enthused them both the wolf in particular.



Now it was for climbing to reveal the man creature who had made the inviting arrangement. Hunching down the werewolf Fruanc tested the distance with his eyes judging how much power would be necessary for this jump to the roof of the first level. Tightening down a little more hands on the ground knees bent the wolf Fruanc began the release. Pushing his upper half off with his hands their legs giving the final momentum propelling them up both upward smoothly in glorious release. The air passed by them and they were landing on the roof of the first floor soundlessly. Repeating the action again increasing the force even more the wolf Fruanc launched up to grab the sill, sinking his claws into the wood. Hoisting himself the rest of the way up to the sill the wolf-man eased in. coming to a rest in a crouch on the floor.



The room was dark, and the snores just before him indicated the sleeping state of the man creature who had created the sensually inviting bouquet. Knowing it was safe to turn his back on the man creature, Fruanc did just that and proceeded to examine the arrangement. Turning the flowers about he spied something that wasn’t green, it was hazel, long and stringy putting his nose close Fruanc inhaled deeply the hazel strands were next to the wolfs bane. The man creature had put some of it’s own hair into the arrangement, they were including themselves in the invitation. This brought great delight to the man in Fruanc and the wolf understanding the new excitement having felt something similar from time to time himself stepped aside letting the mans conscious rule them both happy for his good friend.



The man named Fruanc stood in the room now the image of the wolf fading deep into his core leaving the image of the man who was Fruanc in his purest form. Going to sleep now, to give Fruanc the advantage of full conscience for this the wolf sense wished him well, just as he would do on the occasions when they were around a she wolf who happened to be in heat. It was a kind of mutual understanding they both had for one another that went past the things that each did which were strange to the other. “thanks little buddy,” the warm wolf sense resting in him gave a brief swelling of affection for his other half and then reseeded into his deep comfortable sleep. Reaching down to his left calf Fruanc unwound the stretchy cord that held a pair of shorts there when Fruanc was sleeping within the image of the wolf. They needed replacing, the pants that had been the guard of modesty in public. That would have to be later though. Grass stained and worn though they were they covered him decently below the waste, to a point just above the knees. Now to meet the wreath weaver who had enticed him to come here so masterfully.



It had been a while since Fruanc had been in the company of humans. The art of inviting wolf-men had gone to the wayside for mankind in the last decade or so and those who would welcome a brother-wolf were hard to find now, yet here lay just a one who would, and from the smell of things, it was a young one who had garnished the invitation. Coming forward Fruanc looked on the smaller figure with his excellent nocturnal vision. The humans back was to him but the hair was long, and lay loosely about the humans head. It was good to be in a female’s presence again with the potential promise of a sharing a few nights in one another’s arms. Leaning down to have a closer look, Fruanc took the young maid by the shoulder and rolled her onto her back. She was flat chested; obviously not very far into her years of womanhood, perhaps she would bloom later than most did. Still if she was putting up garlands to attract one like him then there had to be some kind of passion of a fiery nature resting beneath those eyelids that lay obscured beneath some strands of hazel that had fallen over the young maidens face. Even she would probably appreciate a good smooth kiss to waken her. Taking her in his arms, he lifted her towards his face and his eager lips. Something did not smell quite right here, but consumed in his own passion he brushed the thought aside and went for it. Instantly he realized his error something was most definitely wrong with this. The taste in his mouth “Uh,” he felt like puking. This was so very wrong it went against the laws of nature and he’d been the one to brake them. On more than a few levels, this was just plain out wrong. This was no female. This was a male like him! What the hell was this! Revolted that he’d sought to have relations with this, Fruanc pushed the Young man away and scrambled for the wash stand. Disregarding the fact that the guy had been awoken by the tossing down, Fruanc seized the pitcher and taking water into his mouth swished it around furiously trying to get the taste of another male out of his mouth, going to the window he spat out the water and then proceeded to repeat the process. Shuddering then he looked up to see the bouquet, still hanging where its maker had hung it the hair was hazel! The teenager behind him had made it, feeling the wolf awaken with in him feeling the heat of anger swelling in his chest, the wolf inside him was snapping as if another male wolf had tried to mount him in the dominance act of mating that was for males to do with she’s! Fighting to keep the wolf suppressed, he told it that it was a bad dream and that it had not really happened. Trusting him the wolf sense relaxed a bit and laid down starting to fade back into sleep warily waiting to challenge and kill the dream if it returned to violate him again. The anger was still in Fruanc, but it was directed at himself partially now, because he had initiated the activity. Turning around after rinsing his mouth out for a third time guzzling what was left of the water, he turned on the boy who he had mistaken to be a young maid. Was this kid interested in males for mating? Was such a thing even possible? It probably was possible, and the very thought of it caused fury to rise in Fruanc. Among wolves those that sported such tastes didn’t last long, the moment they made the fact of their fancies known the pack would turn on them and rip them apart. The boy was looking on with a mingling of emotion displayed on his face. Wonder, fear, uncertainty, and a disgust that was all too understandable. Perhaps this one was all right after all. Still the only way to be certain would be to ask so he did. “What did you intend by this?” Fruanc indicated the hanging bundle of plants with a jerk of his thumb. For a time, the boy stood there unanswering, moving his lips in an attempt to make words. Fruanc waited trying to be patient, with the boy. Finally he croaked out an “I don’t know.” Sitting down on the edge of the bed the boy looked away from Fruanc. The wolf-man began to walk over not all that certain what he was going to do with the boy now that he had revealed himself, to him. “Do you know what these generally mean?” the boy shook his head, and scooted farther onto the bed as the wild looking man approached.





“What was going on!?!” I thought to myself. Here there was a man in my room who had just kissed me like I was to be his lover. I shuddered still tasting his saliva in my mouth. He was approaching me now, a question he then uttered to me. “Do you know what these generally mean?” I looked to what his gesture indicated; the wreath that I had made from the instructions in my grandmothers book. I was utterly decided now she had been nuts and I was going to burn that book the moment this guy left. Then another thought crossed my mind. The nagging voice from before, the doubt as to whether this was wise, was back reminding me that it might have been a good idea to have finished the book before attempting anything. I was afraid now. This wild man looked like he could snap my neck if he wished so I decided to be honest with him. I literally had no idea what this thing I’d made was for, and if I lied now he was likely to know it and call me on it, because from the sound of things plus how he’d acted before he had known my sex he knew exactly what these things meant. I shook my head, he started to come towards me then I was sitting on my bed, and moving farter back I tried to get away in the feeble way one does when they know there’s no escape. He was huge, easily twice my size. Sitting down on the bed next to me he looked over at me I turned to look at his face. It was amused in a bitter sort of way, “well from my experience when a person hangs one of these in their window leaving it open, it’s usually an invitation for me to spend a few nights with the one hanging it, and they’re usually a woman if you know what I mean.” I felt the color drain out of my face. What had my grandmother gotten me into? “So you thought I was a girl?” I asked backing up, or trying to. He smiled a bitter smile. “Yeah kid I thought you were a girl.” I felt myself going red now and all I could really say was “Sorry,” he put one of his hands over to me then and gave my shoulder a light punch, “Hey kid it’s all right, my fault for not looking before I leaped, and I’m sorry too.” Still a bit red I felt a little reassured that things would be turning out all right. “What was it you were trying to do by putting that thing up there any way?” Shit I thought as the bottom of my gut felt like it had dropped through the floor. “Well, I, uh… I was trying to…” I trailed off feeling his mood darkening. “It’ll be easier to show you than to tell you.” I said getting up and going to get the book from my dresser. Bringing it back over I showed it to him. “Uh this was my grandmothers…” he took the book from me and started thumbing through it. His eyebrows rising at a few of the pages farther in, that I hadn’t read. He looked at me then cocking his head to one side then the other, almost like a dog would. “I guess I should have read all of it.” I said, dreading what ever it was that he’d seen in there. “I’ll say you should have, you know this is a book of sorcery right?” I could only stare at him. “It’s not exactly big stuff or anything but it still is a form of it.” I felt the guilt rising within me and knew I’d be having to get to confession, for this and soon. The wild man put a hand on my shoulder. “You don’t look like you planned on that.” I shook my head feeling crummy now. “Well how about I take this off your hands, that ok?” I nodded, knowing it was for the best. He took the book from me, and said, “Lie down, try and go to sleep and in the morning this will all be just a bad dream.” I obeyed and in the next few minutes, I was unconscious.





Fruanc waited until the boy had fallen asleep before he performed a mind wipe on him erasing all memory of Myra’s book from the lad’s memory. For a time, Fruanc just sat there looking at his old lover’s grandson. He had warned her about the book. Now it was too late. She was dead there could be no mistaking this fact. That her grandson had it was as good of an affirmation as seeing her grave stone would be the following morning, when he went to pay his respects. As for the book, it was soon after a pile of ashes being scattered over the sea. The wolf that left the town that morning was not noticed by any one accept for the single bird of prey that circled wide over head in the dawn of the new day.



And it all ended with a closed window.