Strange and Twisted Tales of A WolfMan

*Note: I don't know the first thing about narcolepcy, so don't take anything this story presents as the truth.*


         If you could see me right now, you’d probably think I was crazy. And you wouldn’t be far off. It is a clear, sunny day outside, really beautiful I guess. But I’m inside, sitting on my kitchen table talking to a parrot. The parrot, as it turns out, is my Grandmother.
I told you you’d think I was crazy.

         “School is fine Grandma. No, I’m a junior now. Next year I’ll graduate,” I said as I held out bird food for her, hoping the seedy morsels would tempt her enough to stop her impatient squawking.
         I groaned as I heard the door open in the living room, my brother Seth. Or at least, Grandma said he was my brother.
         My brother and I look nothing alike. I’m medium build and height, black shaggy hair, and brown eyes. He is tall and lanky; almost bleach blonde, bright crystal blue eyes and two years younger than me.
         “Hey Seth, how was school?” I asked with a bit of a snicker. Freshmen like my brother went to school a day earlier than anyone else, so they could “get used to the High School experience”. Yea, good luck with that. It’s taken me two years to get used to it.

         He glared at me as he stomped by in his huge black boots.
“My name is Mort, not Seth, how many times do I have to tell you?” he said menacingly. I smiled sweetly.
         “And what does More mean?” I asked. He rolled his eyes and let out and exasperated, overused sigh of indignation.
“Not More, Mort, spelled M-o-r-t. Pronounced M-o-r-e. It’s French for Death so you have to say the r weird,” he grumbled as he stomped down the steps to his coffin in the basement. Or at least that’s what he would like you to think. My brother wants to be a vampire. No, I’m not joking. He’s on a slightly Goth kick because apparently, that’s about as vampire as you can get. Black, chains, black, spikes, black, pale makeup, black and last but not least, a black trench coat. Though obviously no crosses. I shook my head and hoped he wouldn’t turn into a vampire. I know some and it’s not as fun as he would think.
         I yawned and stretched. Grandma eyed me warily and chirped.

         “What? I’m just going to go to my room and take my usual nap,” I said defensively. She whistled and flew over to her perch in the living room. I rolled my eyes and went to my room.
We have a pretty cozy house, a bathroom, kitchen, living room and guestroom downstairs. My brother lives in the basement and I get the attic that is fixed up for me. We use the guest room for my Aunt when she comes over and visits. The house belongs to Grandma and we live with her I guess you could say. Our parents died right after my brother was born, I don’t remember anything though so I didn’t know them. I don’t know how or why or anything about them, no one in our family will talk about them or how they died. It’s basically taboo to mention it. So my brother and I live here, take care of each other and Grandma and our crazy Aunt comes to check every now and then. More about her later.

         I climbed the ladder up into my room and looked around contently. I had a hammock for a bed, hanging from the rafters. A small dresser for my clothes, a chest for junk, a decent stereo and my pride and joy, a laptop. It had taken me 3 years saving Christmas, Birthday and odd-job money to get it and I loved it.
I slipped into my hammock and sank into all the blankets I had heaped in it. I curled up and instantly fell asleep.

         I must have been more tired than I thought because when I woke up I didn’t see 5:03 PM flashing on my digital clock as usual; I saw 3:57 AM. Oops. I turned on my laptop and while it was loading went downstairs to see how my brother had survived supper all by himself.
Usually each night we took turns making supper and cleaning up after ourselves. I had been his turn to cook and clean, which really meant it was my turn to take a damp washcloth to the counters. I walked into the small kitchen cautiously flipped on the light. As the brightness flooded the floor and counters, I was surprised to see only the cranberry juice left out for me to pick up. Cranberry juice was all that kid would drink; he thought it looked like blood. Again, the vampire thing.
         I put away the juice and made myself a chicken sandwich to take back upstairs. As I passed grandma’s perch where she stood with her head under her wing, she coo-ed slightly and rustled her feathers.
         I got in my room, finished my sandwich and took a quick shower. After turning off my computer I lay in my hammock and dozed lightly until morning, where my first day of school started.

**************************************************************

         It was a dark muggy 1632 night. A small boy crept across the grass to stop under a small window in the side of the wooden house. He reached his hand up and tapped lightly on the glass with his fingernails. Almost instantly another small boy head popped out.
         “Is thee ready Jonathan?” asked the small dark haired boy quietly.
         “Oh course I am,” whispered the blonde haired boy, who began to climb out the window. With a soft thud he landed on the grass damp with dew and they set out at a swift run, behind the house and into the woods.
         After a quarter mile or so, both boys slowed down and crouched behind a fallen log. In front of then they saw the same house they had seen yesterday. Although now it was dark, it was still the same house no doubt about it. They had seen it while gathering kindling and decided to come back in night. During Puritan times children were kept close watch on. If either boy were caught tonight, they would be whipped by their fathers and burdened with chores for several days.
         The house looked old and unused but in the darkness there was a faint reddish glow of a fire showing from the cracks in the windows and door; which was odd because no one know of anyone living there.
         Jonathan gulped nervously, “Is thee sure thee want to do this Elliot?”
Elliot took a deep breath, “Yes,” he said, his small voice quivering in the crisp wind that had just begun. The boys slowly crawled closer, being careful to avoid any small sticks. The closer they got to the house, the more the shadows seemed to move and twist about in the moonlight.
         They reached the side of the house and were caught with the dilemma of getting as close as possible to avoid detection or running away as fast as they could to their houses and beds, to rush under their covers and quake with fright until the morning sun shown through their curtains.
         Their hearts pounded as they began to hear noises inside the house. Metal clanks and laughter ran through the wood as clear as could be. There was a person inside, a woman it sounded like.
         Both boys took a deep breath, looked at each other and stood up until they’re eyes were just above the window sill. Jonathan slowly pulled open the window and a small ray of light shot out into the darkness, illuminating a small slice of the forest behind them.
         Inside the cabin was dirty and cobweb-ridden; it looked as though it hadn’t been used for human occupation for years. There was a fire in the hearth though, and a large cauldron simmering on it. Inside was also a young woman. She was dancing around, mumbling soft gibberish words under her breath. Her hair was down, something that startled the boys, who had only seen their mothers and sisters without their hair tightly tied in a bun at the nape of their neck. She was wearing the common long black skirt and blouse all the other women did, though it was ripped and torn in several places, another thing neither boy had seen before.
The boys stood in terror, unable to move. Their eyes wide and staring, their hands gripping the wood of the sill so hard splinters began biting into the boys’ hands.
         The young woman stopped moving and concentrated on the cauldron. She began to sing louder and louder, almost shrieking now; her hands held above her head, her feet planted squarely apart. She began rocking as the cauldron began to move up, out of the fire. Both boys, now realizing what was going on, gasped and dropped to the ground each with loud thuds.
         The woman turned as the cauldron dropped to the ground, spewing the boiling liquid on her feet, causing her to scream in pain toward the direction the boys had run. Her feet burned and blistered, cracked and scarred horrendously as she tried to escape the oozing concoction sprawling across the wooden floor.

         Both boys by this time were running as fast as they could. Pounding through the wet grass, tripping over the log, their hearts in their ears, their throats gone dry. They could still hear the witch’s scream echoing in their heads, her face of agony and horror flashing before their eyes on every turn. They parted ways and reached their own houses, diving into their beds and pulling the covers over their heads, trembling with fear. They both eventually fell asleep, soaked in sweat and tears.
         The boys went back to the house two days later, trying to find any clue to what had happened to the witch. There was no cauldron, no hearth and no beautiful flame-haired woman. They did see scorch marks on the floor, where it looked as through scalding hot water had been dropped carelessly on the floor. In the middle of the disfigured wood there was a spot that hadn’t been burned as long; it was lighter. It was shaped like a pair of feet. Both boys knew what had happened, but they never spoke another word about it until a week later.
         Over the next week or so, every single blood-related Goodbourne and Binks became ill. Headaches, fever, nausea and a strange blistering of the feet no one could explain. When the symptoms started to go away, the feet of every blood-related family member was scarred, the flesh raw and red, like a burn mark. A curious thing was that only the left foot of the Binks’ family remained scarred, while it was the right foot for the Goodbournes.
         After the boys saw what was happening, both confessed to their families and an immediate witch hut was organized. Nothing ever became of it, no witch was found and both families were looked upon as cursed. Eventually both the Binks’ and the Goodbourne’s were run out of town, the Binks’ to the East, the Goodbourne’s to the West, never to meet again.

         Good story wasn’t it? I wrote that for English the first day of school. The assignment was the write a scary story, I was the first one done. I know this story by heart. Because it’s all true, it’s my family’s history. I know, Amazing! You’re thinking, this kid can trace his family linage all the way back to the Puritan times? Unbelievable! But no, I can assure you, it’s all true. Jonathan Goodbourne is my great, great, great, great, great (and so on) Grandfather. And there is more.
         Remember how the town’s folk thought the families were cursed? Well, they were right, we are. After that fateful night, any child born of Goodbourne or Binks’ blood had a special “Personality Trait” if you will. A special power of some kind. I was told one of my great, great (and so on) Grandmothers could start fires just by thinking about it and rubbing her fingers together. That ended up causing a lot of trouble. She died in a house fire, the police had no suspects as to who did it but our whole family knows.

         That “Crazy Aunt” I was talking about earlier? That’s my Aunt Cleo; she’s telepathic. No jokes please, we’ve all heard them already.
         I’m not quite sure how Grandma became a parrot. I think we just woke up one day and there she was, molting in her bed. After being dive-bombed a few times we knew it was her. Most of us can even understand her when she squawks and whistles and such.
         I don’t know what my parents’ curse was. The taboo about talking about them gets in the way of talking about them you know?
         Seth, my brother hasn’t gotten his powers yet, it can happen at any time so we’re just waiting for him to burst into flames or something. We have no clue. He doesn’t show it, but I know it upsets him. To be a teenager is bad enough as it is. He figured out young he wanted to be a vampire, and he’s trying to influence the curse into that. Hence the cranberry juice, the dark clothing, pale makeup and dark atmosphere of his room. Or dungeon as he prefers to call it. What an odd child, I swear we’re not related.
         Speaking of being related, we never have family reunions. We figure all that “weird” in one place and it would just blow up or something, no explanation needed.
         And uh… oh yea, I’m a werewolf.

********************************************************

         Yea, a werewolf. Once a month, during the full moon I start to get really, really cranky. Nothing can please me, I get temperamental, moody, restless, and feel like curling up in the fetal position until it all goes away. Again, no jokes please.
         The three days before the full moon my hair gets thinker, and my fingernails, toenails and teeth become harder, sharper. My hearing and sense of smell increases. My cravings for meat go through the roof and I can barely look at a salad or vegetable. On the fourth day, the day of the full moon, I actually do turn into a wolf. I don’t go around on a killing spree though, I just run around in the woods behind our house. I do kill things like rabbits and squirrels, but only when I get hungry.
         Depending on how stressed I am at the moment determines how long I stay a wolf. My records are only 3 hours and up to 3 days. The next three days are like de-tox days; I calm down, return back to normal and become a regular human again. I get excused for my wolf days and the day before and after from school; Aunt Cleo writes me a note, I think my Grandpa has died around 4 times now.
It’s not as bad as it sounds, I’m used to it. It’s been happening to me since I was Eleven years old. But anyway, enough about me, let’s get back to my first day of school.

         I had a pretty good first day; all of my teachers but one were super cool and nice. I thought everything was going fine until I got to 6th hour. My 6th hour Algebra 2 teacher, Mr. Sterling started the downward spiral of my day. He teaches Math, I hate Math, I hate the class, Mr. Sterling hates me.

         “Hello. My name is Mr. Sterling and this is Algebra 2. This is not social hour, this is not gossip time, this is not time to do your English. This is my time and you will not waste it…” the man went on like this for 35 minutes. Then we did the “Go around and tell your name, something fun you did this summer and what you hope to accomplish in this class” game. The same one every teacher does the first day. He predictably went first.
         “I’m a teacher, I like red pens and I used to be a dog catcher. I have two cats, Ginny and Binky; I’m not married and I don’t have a girlfriend.” I snickered and choked at the same time. He used to be a Dog Catcher? Great, I thought, I sure am going to rack up the “I Hate You For No Reason” Points with this teacher. Mr. Sterling’s head snapped toward me during my cough/sneeze/hack thing.
         “Perhaps,” he said icily as he searched his alphabetical seating chart, “Rowlf, you can tell us a bit about yourself.” The class turned toward me expectantly.
         “Okay,” I said as I sat back in my chair confidently. “My name is Rowlf, I like dogs, my Grandmother is a parrot, my brother is trying his damndest to become a vampire and,” I paused, “I loath Math with a passion matched only by my flaming hatred for cats.”

         The class was silent for a few seconds, then began to titter nervously. Mr. Sterling’s face turned a delightful shade of red as my peers began to whisper.
         “Why thank you Mr. Goodbourne, now you get 20 lines for lying, 20 lines for swearing, 20 lines for being off-topic and 50 lines for being disrespectful,” he sneered, “did you get all that Mr. Goodbourne?” I smirked and nodded. First freakin' day of school and I’m already screwed, I groaned inwardly.
         “Good,” he said curtly, “then you can write your paper on the topic of “Why I will enjoy this Math class and how it will benefit me as a student and overall person”. He quickly moved on, searching the room for any sign of movement or trembling amongst the rows of students. I heard a sneeze and saw Mr. Sterling’s eyes snap from the perpetrator to the seating chart.
         “Excuse me Miss May,” he said with a smile, “would please enlighten the class with your narration?” Oo, 2 points for use of big words, I mocked silently in my head.
I turned around with the rest of the class to a girl in the back row. She had red hair down to her ears, a nose piercing and freckles adorning her cheeks.
She smiled, cleared her throat and began.
         “My name is Amber, I was born in Wisconsin, I like to dance and also share an extreme, burning hatred for Math along with Rowlf," she said smoothly, without blinking an eye.
         Only a few people snickered this time, not wanting to have the wrath of Sterling
upon them. His face did another “Look at me I’m almost Scarlet” number which was topped off by a beautiful dismount of,
         “Then you can also share his assignment. Same topic, 70 lines,” he said through clenched teeth. Luckily there were plenty more victims and he quickly moved on.
As soon as Mr. Sterling’s eyes were off her, Amber looked at me and winked. Then she sneezed and giggled.
         “Miss May, 20 more lines if you can’t keep quiet,” Sterling barked. She turned to me and rolled her eyes. This may not be so bad after all, I thought with a grin.
         The bell rang some 5 minutes later and Amber and I walked out into the hallway together.
         “So how do you think you are going to do your paper?” Amber asked me with a grin. I chuckled.
         “I thought I might use my time wisely and sleep so I could be properly nourished and rested,” I replied. She laughed.
         "'I’m going to use my time by doodling, so that when I grow up and become an adult, I can work as an artist for Walt Disney and simply sit on my ass and draw all day long, no Math required’ was more of my route,” she said with a raised eyebrow.
         The girl is good, I thought to myself.
After a few more minutes of chitchat we parted ways and went to our next classes. After a few minutes of pulling my abused, crumpled schedule out of my pocket and studying it intently, I realized I was going in the completely wrong direction. I quickly pulled a “U”ie and got to my class on time. Almost.

**I have to edit and adjust this last part, please be patient**

         I walked in the door and was immediately set upon by a flurry of feathers and talons.
         “Ouch Grandma! Get off me!” I yelled as I scrambled up to my room. I almost didn’t make it, as I closed the door I saw her bright red and yellow body shoot around the corner, murder in her eyes. I locked the door, panting slightly. I shook my head, kicked off my shoes and turned on both my stereo and laptop.
         While humming softly I checked my email, I had gotten one from Aunt Cleo.

Hey Rowlf,
I am extremely busy this week, it being the first week of school and all so I won’t be able to make it over for our weekly chats. If you would like to stop by some day after school, however, that would fine.
Thanks, lot of love,
Aunt Cleo


         Great old Aunt Cleo, crazy and unpredictable. She worked at the All-Girl High School across town, Ashton Academy. She was a school counselor, so the telepathic trick came in handy; though she assured me she used her powers only for good.
         I shrugged, sure I could make it, I would take the city bus tomorrow after school.
No other mail. I flipped off my laptop and rolled over to take my nap.

         I was jolted awake by Seth; oh excuse me, Mort, pounding on the trapdoor.
“HEY! GET DOWN HERE! GRANDMA WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!” he yelled, probably getting air bombed by Grandma as he was shouting.
         I sat up, fixed my shirt, ran my hands through my hair and stood up, walking over the trapdoor.
         “What does she want?” I yelled through the wood.
“I DON’T KNOW! JUST GET DOWN HERE NOW!” he screamed, as I could hear him stomp back down stairs. Probably to sit in the dark, gloomy and sad. Listening to whiny, high-pitched music while thinking dark deep thoughts. I took a deep breath and jerked open the trapdoor, closing my eyes and bracing myself for the ball of feathers and beak to launch herself at me from her hiding place. Right now she was probably just perched somewhere, chirping evilly to herself, waiting for me to leave myself unprotected, she had done it before.
         Not seeing or hearing anything, I stepped all the way down the ladder and shut my door, locking it. I was carefully into the living room, on alert. Grandma was perched on her stick on the living room. I took a seat on the chair furthest away from her, not making any sudden moves. I was ready to bolt at any given second. If she rustled a feather threateningly, I was ready to bolt for the door to scream to the neighbors to call 911. Except we didn’t have any neighbors for a few miles around so I was on my own.
         I cleared my throat and Grandma slowly opened one of her little black eyes. Pissed off birds are scary if you aren’t used to being glared at by a Macaw.
         “I heard you wanted to talk to me," I said softly and calmly. I was still ready to dodge anything. She rustled her feathers and chirped.
         “I didn’t really feel like talking, especially after being attacked as I walk in the door,” I answered. She whistled and chirped twice.
         “Apology accepted,” I said graciously, relaxing a little. She eyed me warily, clucked and whistled.
         “Mr. Sterling called?” I said my voice rising nervously. She squeaked and rustled her tiny scarlet cheek feathers, irritated.
         “Disruptive?” I said unbelievingly.
She clucked.
         “Disrespectful?!”
She blinked twice.
         “A Smartass!!? I was not being a smart ass!” I yelled, the man had gone too far.
Grandma just stared at me, not making a move.
         “Oh so alright I was, but he started it!” I whined.
She closed her eyes and sat still. Her right leg balanced up and began to quickly scratch the side of her head, where I think her ears might’ve been.
         “Fine!” I cried angrily, “I will!” I stood up and stomped up stairs. With each step I thought of Mr. Sterling’s face under my boot begging for mercy. I almost walked back down the steps just to walk back up but figured he was worth my time. Or at least, the image of him wasn’t. I spent another night alone in my room with my laptop and homework for company. It wasn’t as fulfilling as I had thought finishing all my homework would have been. I was very disappointed.



         The next day of school passed uneventfully with me getting to classes on time, acquiring more homework, waiting in line for runny food and making it through Sterling’s class with clenched teeth.
         After school I rode the city bus to Ashton Academy to talk with my Aunt. I had been there many times before so I knew my way around, no problem. I walked through the main entrance and to the elevator. I pushed the button, for a moment wondering how clean the button actually was and how many diseases I could catch from it when the elevator doors mercifully interrupted my train of thought.
         The doors opened and I had the quick flashback to some dream I had once had, standing there, in the elevator was a girl with an armload of books. She was wearing only a towel.
         After I grabbed my jaw from the floor I stepped inside and pushed “9” for Administration. I saw that “8” was already lit, the library as I remembered.

         “Aren’t you a little overdressed for the library?” I asked, making my first attempt at humor. I looked at the girl for her response and was shocked at how pretty she was. She had long blonde hair, dark brown eyes and creamy white skin with freckles dotting her nose. She smiled,
         “Aren’t you a little Male to be here?”
I grinned. She was right, this was an all-girl boarding school after all.
         “I’m visiting my Aunt, she works here,” I explained.
The elevator had sailed past the 3rd floor by now, at the 5th the books she had been carrying slipped from her hands and tumbled to the floor.
         “Shit,” she said as she dropped to her knees and began gathering the books up.
Now I’m not some hormonal, driven-by-his-pants kinda guy, but the view I got as she bent over I mean, I saw the front of her from a new perspective and it was nice.
         But anyway.
I, like the gentleman I am then began gathering books also and took the books from her, so I was carrying them all.
         “Here, how about I help you carry these to wherever you’re going and help you do whatever you’re planning on doing with them,” I finished lamely.
         She smiled and a faint tinge of pink graced her face. She was cuter when she blushed.

         Right about then I knew it was getting to be that time of the month. I started to sweat. See, when I’m about to turn, I need to get rid of the human scent of me. So I sweat and wolf scent comes oozing from my pores. It only happens a few times before and after I change so when it does it happen it happens really intensely.
         Another odd thing about this sweat is the ladies really, really like it. It attracts girls like flies; I can’t keep them off me. Love Potion No. 9.
         I can’t help it, I can’t control it, and it’s not my fault.

         So anyways I start to sweat. I start to give off these huge doses of pheromones, trapped next to a girl in a towel in an elevator. Shit.
         Right about then the elevator arrives at floor 8 and the doors ding open, revealing a mob of girl who basically start to salivate as soon as the scent of me waifs out of the doors.
The girl in the towel was practically growling at the mob of girls batting their eyelashes and winking at me. Wait…

         “So what is your name?” I asked the towel girl sheepishly as we stepped out of the elevator. She turned toward me and giggled.
         “Paige,” she said grinning, “What’s your name?”
“Rowlf,” I said with a flourish, grinning devilishly. She giggled as we walked down the hall. We got to the library doors and she opened them for me, leaving me to walk in with both hands focused on the stack of books nestled in my arms. Walking pas the rows of tables spattered with girls I could feel all their eyes on me. Literally every single head was turned and watching my ass as I walked by. I was flattering and disturbing at the same time. We got to the book drop slot and Paige took the books from me one by one and pushing them into the dark opening. Ours hands brushed a few times, each time I watched her face turn more and more red without her even knowing it.
         As we walked back to the elevator I heard mumbles of “He’s cute” and coughs of “nice ass”. Paige unconsciously bared her teeth at any girl trying to make eye contact with me.
         We got back to the elevator and stood in silence, waiting for the elevator to come to our floor. Paige nervously turned to me and said,
         “I would really love it if you could come back and hang out with me sometime if you know. You uhh…wanted to. Of course if you don’t that’s totally fine too, but you well… it would be great,” she finished, her eyes on the floor.
         I gently put my finger under her chin, lifting her face with my finger and smiled.
“I would love to come back and hang out with you sometime,” I said smoothly. And I honestly meant it to, the girl was cute, sweet, had to be smart for going to this school and she was nice. What could I say, I liked nice girls.
         She smiled and blushed. The elevator doors dinged open and we stepped inside, alone again. I pressed 9 for the second time that day as she pressed 4 for the dormitories. My floor was closer so we went up. Right before the doors opened she leaned over and kissed me lightly on the cheek. I could barely register it as I stepped out of the elevator in a haze. I snapped out of it when I heard my name.
         “Rowlf? Is that you?” I knew that voice. It was my Aunt. I quickly snapped my head around and checked the elevator. Damn, the doors had already closed and it had gone. I whipped my head back around and saw my Aunt standing there.

Behave yourself before we both get in trouble, she thought to me. Although that was really cute.

“So what you can see through steel walls now?” I asked, still a bit out of it I was so overcome with surprise. Aunt Cleo raised an eyebrow severely.

I heard that my Great, Great, Great Uncle could, she thought smugly. I rolled my eyes and followed her to her office as she briskly turned and walked away.
         My Aunt was an intimidating woman. Tall with dark skin and crystal clear blue eyes, she had shirt gray hair and medium build. She looked like she could laugh with you, lecture you or scold you until you cried. And all three were true. You never knew quite what was going on inside her head, though she could know what was going on in side you head whenever she wanted to.

         We walked into her room and while I shut the door she walked to her desk and brought out a can of root beer and a chicken sandwich from the small fridge she had hidden behind her desk. She handed me the sandwich and without a word we both sat down and began to eat.
         About 5 minute later, right after I finished telling her about Seth and his vaparistic ways, my Aunt sat straight up and closed her eyes. I stopped talking, I knew what was happening. I had seen it before.
My Aunt’s telepathic abilities are kind of like a police scanner. All the students (the police) are connected to her (the speaker); she can listen to all their thoughts. She has her station, as she explained it, tuned to “thought s of self mutilation or extreme distress”. If any thoughts of that sort come from the students, she picks it up, a red light goes off in her head and she figured out what’s wrong and what to do, how she can help calm the girl. I had seen it happen twice before; the other times went exactly as this one had gone.
         We both stand up, knowing what’s going on, she grabs her coat, I open the door and we both rush to the elevator. She pushes the button, the door closes, I ask if I can help in any way, she says no, she runs off at her floor, tells me to come back tomorrow or email her and I am left with the elevator doors opening at the 1st floor, me staring at the main double doors leading to the outside.
         I sighed and walked outside into the sunshine. With such lovely weather like this, Seth would for sure be in his room, hiding and hissing at the sunlight streaming from the crack at the bottom of the basement door. I shook my head and began to walk to the bus stop. I had no idea what time it was, so I had no idea how long I would have to wait for the bus. I sat down on the bench and pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil, making a list of things I had to do when I got home.
         When I got home I did all the things on the list, did my homework and then decided I needed to acquire some kind of social life.



         I knew today was going to be a bad day. My nails hurt, my teeth hurt, my scalp hurt. I was going to turn tomorrow, I knew it. I decided to go to school anyway because I was tired of Grandma watching me around the house, sitting in rafters. I was tired of my room; I was just tired of being home. So I went to school. Big mistake. Today was the worst day of the entire month. I spent all day trying to keep from whimpering form the cramps, snapping at people for asking simple questions or showing my teeth too much; they tend to get rather pointy around now.
         I woke up, put on the baggiest clothes I had, clean or not and walked out of the house without showering or brushing my hair or teeth. Hygiene, what good is it?

         I went through all my classes a zombie, I didn’t speak, and I didn’t raise my hand. I took catnaps in every class.
During lunch I sat at my usual table all alone. I’ve never really minded not having friends; friends ask too many questions I can’t afford to answer. And besides, the average High School Scholar is an ignorant moron anyway, so no big lose on my part.
         I’m sitting there; chewing my chicken, roast beef, ham, salami, bologna, turkey, bacon, Canadian bacon, sausage and pepperoni sandwich when the two guys behind me started talking really loud. Or at least, loud enough for my new sense of hearing to pick up on.
         I took a quick sniff to figure out who it was who was talking. I smelled Old Spice, hair gel, sweaty clothes, new shoes, the smell of the gym lingered on them. Jocks. After a few more seconds, I even knew which ones. Charles Fadness and Bobby Johnson. I was right, they both were jocks. Charles played basketball, Bobby football. Both were large, muscular and had unibrows. Pimples adjourned their faces and the stench of being ignorant that they had pouring out of them could knock a guy over if he got too much of a nose full.
         They were talking excitedly to the gang of their buddies clustered around the table. Bobby began:

         “So we go to the all-girl school yesterday to see how far we can get right? We’re walking around inside and decided to take the elevator, just for the hell of it. We push the button and waited here or a bit. The elevator reached our floor and the doors open.”

Charles took over, jostling Bobby in the elbow as he cut in:

         “Standing there is this girl in a towel. She’s breathing but not moving, standing up but resting against the wall. And she’s asleep. The doors close behind us and we’re left alone of alone with this almost naked, sleeping upright cute little piece of ass chick. So this pervert,” Charles nudged Bobby with his elbow,” He decides he wants to see her naked. So he goes up to her, waves his hand in front of her face, asks if she’s awake and then as the doors open to a floor, we didn’t know which one, he snaps the towel of the girl, she wakes up, screams and goes crying down the hall, trying to cover her ass up. I, being the gentleman that I am,” Bobby slaps Charles upside the head at this point, “decide to return the girl her towel and so I throw it at the door the girl went it. So we lit out of there before we could get in trouble and took the stairs down until we were outside.”

         The bell rang; we now had six minutes to get to class. The lunchroom all simultaneously began to stand up and filter through the door to the hallway.

         The entire time I had been listening I was steaming. What they had done to Paige, what they had forced her to go through was terrible. Yes, I found it a little weird she was sleeping in the elevator but I didn’t care. It was what they did that got me mad. I was furious. I had gripped the table so hard that with my new stronger fingernails and hands, I had left large dents in the tabletop. My hackles… err, I mean the hair on the back of my neck rose and I struggled to keep my lip from curling up in a snarl that would expose my teeth. I stood up as they did, able to control my impulse knock them across the cafeteria. I shoved my lunch bag into my backpack and whipped the zipper shut. I was now starting to growl softly under my breath. I was going to make it. And then Bobby Johnson had to say it.

         “And man that chick was hott, I would have loved to get a piece of her-doggie style!” I could just picture the pumping motions and pelvic thrusts he was doing right now. All his buddies snickered and went to their classes. Now it was just Bobby and Charles ahead of me, walking down the hall.

         I snapped. I was snarling now, my upper lip curled, exposing my gums and longer than normal canines. I ran forward quickly and pushed both the boys, one with each arm. They went flying, stumbling, though both caught their balance. The common question out of both their mouths was,

         “Who the hell?!” or, “What the hell!?” They both snapped their heads around, trying to find the group of people who had pushed them. They saw me standing in the middle of the hallway glaring at them with other students pouring passed and around me. They looked at each other and grinned. It was me who had pushed them. Rowlf Goodbourne, who hated gym, Rowlf Goodbourne who wasn’t in any sports. I had dared to challenge them.
         “Goodbourne was that you?” Bobby snarled as they stalked toward me menacingly. Before I could answer they rushed me and had me pinned up against the wall. I couldn’t move as they began punching me in the face, the stomach and the chest. My hands were at my sides so I had no means to defend myself. After taking a few hits to get my adrenaline pumping, I quickly demonstrated my monthly strength by bringing my arms from being pinned under the wall until I had each in one arm, in a mini bear hug. Twisting them around until they were up against the wall with my hands on their throats, I put my face right next to theirs. I let them get a full glance of my teeth, bared and ready to rip if need be.

         “If I hear that you ever mess with that girl again, if I see you messing with her, if I hear you talking about messing with her, if I even think you thought about it, I will hunt you down. I will make you feel pain that you have never known,” I snarled.
         Boys’ eyes were bulging out, they were struggling to get away, the more they struggled the more I tightened my grip the more they couldn’t breath. I didn’t care, I was protective of those in my pack, and anyone who messed with them would be warned and hurt. I continued,
         And if you ever tell anyone I threatened you, I will deny the whole thing. And my school record is cleaner than both of yours so I will be the one believed.” I sneered.
         As the last syllable left my mouth I heard my name barked by Mr. Sterling. He was running down the hallway, his face a deep crimson. I smiled to both of the boys as I let them go. Both had red hand marks on their necks, both were gasping for air.
         I was roughly spun around and gripped by the shoulder.
“I don’t know what’s going on here Goodbourne, but I intend to get to the bottom of it,” Sterling growled in my face.

         Four hours later I was at home, sitting on the couch across from Aunt Cleo and my Grandmother. Both were studying me, looking for signs of guilt and regret.
         I had none.

         Nothing happened really, Mr. Sterling charged us all down to the Administration Office, who couldn’t get anything out of anyone. All three of us played dumb. The jocks just sat there and said they didn’t know what was going on, nothing had happened. They got suspend for 1 day for not co-operating or something. I was suspended for 3, for fighting in the halls. I didn’t care; I would have missed the next 3 or so days anyway.
         They called my Aunt, the person labeled as “Emergency Contact” as she rushed right down to the school. She knew everything by the time she walked into the door, I had been thinking to her since they called her.
         Then I had gotten dragged home for although she knew the situation and how I would’ve felt, also felt a strong moral obligation to chew me out for fighting, because “violence doesn’t solve anything.” And then Grandma squawked at me for an hour about it all. After they had both lost their breath and ran out of steam, they just sat and stared at me. I knew from the way Grandma’s eyes were flickering that they were talking telepathically, trying to figure out what to do with me.
         My Aunt nodded and spoke in a calm voice. “Because of your actions Rowlf, you will be grounded from the internet for one week.”

         “Whatever,” I said moodily,” I need to go change.” Cleo and Grandma didn’t say a thing, they knew what I meant. I stood up and walked outside, into the woods without looking back.
A quarter of a mile into the woods, there is a special tree. At least, it’s special to me. Every month since I began to change, I came to this tree to stash my clothes until I was ready to go back to a human again. 12 times every year for the past 6 years. That’s 72 times I have been to this tree and changed.
         I stripped of my clothes, hid them carefully in the branches and sighed. Looking up at the moon, I could feel it coming, a warm tingle spread throughout my body. I looked up at the full white moon and let it happen.

         Fur sprouted from everywhere on my body, my bones struck and rearranged, joints popping and grinding together, my spine enlarged for a tail and I dropped to all fours. My nose pushed out my face until it became a muzzle, bristling with whiskers and small thin hairs. None of it hurts, it never has.
         I stood and shook myself vigorously. It felt good to be in this body again. To be free.
         Stress is the main factor of how long I stay a wolf. The records of 3 hours and 3 days are examples of that. I didn’t return to human form until 3 and a half days later.

         Monday night I walked in my house, fully clothes but smelling pretty bad in my human opinion. Set was nowhere to be seen, as usual. Grandma was chirping contently on her perch, dozing.
         I quickly took a shower and got as clean as I possibly could, I came out scrubbed raw and red. But it felt really good to be clean again. My senses were already dulling, along with my teeth and nails.
         After my shower I went upstairs and went to bed. No homework, no Internet. I didn’t sleep very well, tossing and turning from the nightmares that plagued me in my sleep. I don’t remember any, but I can remember waking in a cold sweat several times throughout the night.

         I woke up around Noon, got dressed and decided to go visit my Aunt, I had nothing better to do. Suspended until Thursday I had no homework or anything to do, and I wasn’t going to stay home with Grandma, no freaking’ way.
         I took the bus across town again and encountered no girls in towel in the elevator. I got to my Aunt’s Office and knocked on the door.

It's me, Rowlf, I thought to her. The door opened and there stood my Aunt, behind her sitting on the couch was Amber.
Wait… Amber? From Sterling’s Math Class? What is she doing here?
         Aunt Cleo winced.
“Oh golly, I’m sorry, for thinking so loud,” I said as I thought.
         “No problem Rowlf, come on it,” she said rolling her eyes and opening the door wider.

         Amber turned around,
“Rowlf, Rowlf Goodbourne?” she asked, amazed that I would be here. “What are you doing here?”
         I pointed to my Aunt who was just standing there, amused by the whole thing.
         “That’s my Aunt, “I said explaining my presence. She sat back in disbelief and sneezed.
         “Bless you,” my Aunt and I chimed together.
“Thanks, that is so crazy. I am transferring here tomarrow, that’s why I’m here,” she replied.
         “My Aunt checked her watch. “Well Rowlf, I don’t mean to be rude but we have to finish this interview so you have to leave. How about you go get lunch down in the cafeteria or something and I’ll be done in a bit?” she suggested. Her room is 447 by the way.
         I nodded, said goodbye to Amber and left for the elevator. I got in, pushed 4 and proceeded to Paige’s room.

         Hesitatingly I knocked on room 447’s door. After a few seconds it opened and there stood Paige, fully clothed and looking slightly puffy-eyed. She gasped, obviously at my presence and smiled.
         “Hi,” she said quietly.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, concerned. She sighed.
         “Yes and no,” she replied. We stood for a few awkward moments in silence until she noticed and asked whether I would like to come in. I said yes and walked in, feeling more comfortable and yet more nervous at the same time. I sat down on her bed, the only thing not covered with clothes or other debris.
         “Sorry about the mess, my roommate is really messy,” she apologized.
“No problem, you should see my room,” I said as I reassured her. She smiled, sighed and I waited patiently.
         She began, “You remember the last time you saw me, I was in a towel?” I nodded and held back a grin at the memory. Such a pleasant one it was too.
“Well after you got off the elevator, I was going down to my floor and I fell asleep on the elevator,” she paused, some kind of reaction. When she didn’t get one from me she continued,
         “I’m narcoleptic,” she explained, “I can lose consciousness at any moment, like sleeping and can’t control it. For me personally, the more stressed I am the more likely I am to conk out.
         “How do you wake up?” I asked, curious about the whole thing.
“Well for most people, you just do, like you just fall asleep and you just wake up, it’s unpredictable. But for me, I wake instantly when I hear someone sneeze,” she replied becoming more and more relaxed in my presence since she knew I wasn’t going to make fun of her.

         “So you were in the elevator, you fall asleep and when you wake up you’re in the elevator with two teenage boys who have your towel, making you naked,” I said in a soft voice.
         Her eyes grew wide and moist.
“How did you know that?” she asked panicking.
         “I was at school and I heard two boys talking about a girl in a towel at the all girl school across town and how she was in an elevator. I figured it was probably you,” I explained. Her eyes dropped to the floor and her hands clenched one another embarrassed.
         I continued sheepishly,” I was suspended for 3 days for beating them up in the e hallway.” Her head snapped up in amazement.
         “Are you serious?” she squealed.
Anyway, the rest of my visit with her included me describing in detail how I beat up the two guys and uhhh 3 of their jock friends in the hallway, stopping only when the 3 teachers pried me off their fetal position bodies.
         As much fun as I was having, I figured I should get back to my Aunt and hang out with her, she is technically what I came here for.
         I asked Paige if she wanted to come to lunch real quickly with me but she just looked around her room and said she really needed to clean it before lights out. After sharing a long hug and another short peck on the cheek from her, I excused myself and left her room, closing the door behind me.

         I walked toward the elevators when I heard a door shut behind me and a startled voice cry out,
“Rowlf?” I smiled.
“So you can go get some lunch now?” I asked confidently as I turned around.
         Amber’s freckled face framed with red hair smiled back at me.
“How did you know it was me?” she asked, suspiciously pleased.
         “Uhh, I just you know, know you’re voice, that’s all,” I quickly stammered out. Close Call. She sneezed.
“I would love to come to lunch with you right now but I have to get finished getting unpacked and homework and such so I’ll take a rain check,” she said sadly.
         “Bummer and Bless you,” I gulped, another close call.
“Okay, I’ll see you around,” she said smoothly turning around and going in her room, the door clicking behind her.
         I took a deep breath. That was way too close.
I decided not to use the elevator and took the stairs down.

***********************************************

For the next part of the story, go here:

"Strange and Twisted Tale... (continued)"