Howl

  ***

  Most of the day, Christopher avoided me. He must have known I was angry at him. I still didn’t know if I was going to go to the dance with him. To be honest, he was the only one that actually asked me to go. But even still, it wouldn’t have bothered me if I didn’t go at all—it wasn’t necessary. But I knew it was necessary to Chris, just the way he talked about being a high school student and the excitement that he had just getting to go to class every day. I think it was the break from the abnormal, the distraction from being a werewolf that motivated him. What I couldn’t understand was why he wanted to go with me. I definitely wasn’t the prettiest choice in the school, he could have easily asked many other girls in the school and they would have told him yes, and here I am giving him a hard time and not saying yes, and there he was just waiting on me. I decided I would give him another chance and go to the dance with him, but just one other chance—any other insults or anything and I would refuse to go with him.

  Evelyn leaned over the front of her desk trying to get my attention. I saw her out of the corner of my eye, but I was hoping if I continued to ignore her then she would just leave me alone. Unlike her, I actually liked to pay attention.

  “Hey, Halle!” Evelyn whispered hoarsely. I turned my head more obviously towards her. She moved her orange hair out of her face and leaned back in her chair slightly.

  “What?” I exclaimed in a whisper.

  “I heard you and Christopher are going to the dance together.”

  I furrowed my eyebrows. I couldn’t tell her reasoning for saying this right away, her expression was friendly and neutral, and so I chose my words carefully. “He asked me.” I didn’t want to necessarily say yes or no.

  “Just wanted to confirm the rumor,” she turned back to the teacher ending our conversation. People were talking about us and I didn’t even know how to feel about it. What was the relationship between us? I knew we were just friends and he was only there to help me, but I couldn’t help but feel like there was something more. I shook my head. I couldn’t let the rumors get to me and let myself mistake their rumors for my truth. I had to hold on to the reality of the situation, and be completely honest with myself, the only reason he asked was likely just because he valued me as his friend, and only his friend and nothing more. There wasn’t a good chance that he would see me as anything more than that, we were more like two people with the same issue, almost like colleagues.

  A voice sounded on the loud speaker and the teacher, as well as the students, fell silent. Something about remaining calm—my brain refused to process the information. Students looked from side to side, they were all either scared or shocked. When the voice on the loud speaker subsided, the teacher turned towards the class. Fearful and panicked chatter erupted in the room. Desk chairs slid out in a hurry as students began gathering their belongings.

  “Alright,” Mrs. Hayes yelled over the chaos. “Everyone, this is not a drill! The school is under evacuation, gather your things and we will continue out of the school in a calm manner.”

  I didn’t need telling twice, I grabbed my pen and pencil and swept them into my backpack with one swift movement of my arm, and slung my backpack over my left shoulder. I was one of the first standing behind Mrs. Hayes by the door ready to go. I didn’t know why the school was being evacuated and I didn’t care, I just wanted to get out. I started to feel lightheaded as panic washed over me. Scarlet stood beside me, her eyes were focused on the teacher and face was drawn. The rest of the students filed in line shortly after.

  Mrs. Hayes opened the door slowly looking right and then left, and then she headed down the hall to the entrance, it was a short hall, but it felt like it was taking forever just to get to the door. The light poured in through the half-glass doors that led to the outside of the building.

  “Whoa—” I started to yell, but someone’s thick hand slapped over my mouth and yanked me to the right. The other large hand held my arm painfully tight. I tilted my head back catching a glimpse of a complete stranger. His skin was dark, his lips were large just like his hands, and his eye were hidden behind large, black Ray-Bans. I’d never seen this person before in my life. How could he grab me out of the front of the line without being seen? How could Scarlet not have seen? Or the other fifteen students behind me? How could they just keep walking?

  The man turned me around and pressed me roughly against the wall of the empty, open hallway. He removed his hand from my mouth and placed it on my other arm pinning me helplessly to wall.

  “Halle Fletcher?” He asked, his voice was so deep and low and threatening.

  “I-I,” I stuttered. I couldn’t find my voice to speak. What would happen if I told him that I was not Halle Fletcher, would he release me? He must have been looking directly for me for some reason. But, I didn’t know why.

  He grabbed me by the shoulders roughly and thrust me into the wall, trying to get his answer. “Are you Halle Fletcher?” He repeated.

  I let out a squeak. My entire body was trembling as I was staring at the face of this madman. “N-no.”

  He looked to his left and to his right and took a hand away from me to scratch his grizzly, white beard. Then he grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hall. He was walking so quickly, I couldn’t get my footing so I could at least try to resist. I clawed at his massive hands trying to break myself free. I screamed, and he let go of my right arm and grabbed my face again roughly over my mouth. He was dragging me like a rag doll with just the strength of his hands. I was too weak to even waver him in the slightest. We came to a doorway, and I put my feet on the wall to the side to get better leverage. The force of my sudden movement pulled my arm painfully out of his hand and I fell to the floor. As soon as my butt hit the floor, I dragged myself backwards so I would be out of his grasp.

  I rotated to my hands and knees so I could jump up, but before I was able, I heard a snarl and he lifted me up from behind. I screamed again, and again his hand went over my face with a loud smacking sound. I kicked at him and flailed my limbs in desperation. My foot found his chin. As my foot came back down his grip faltered enough to drop me. He quickly reached down, still dazed from the hit, and snatched my shirt, pulling the collar painfully against the back of my neck and ripping the front.

  Suddenly, a loud crack sounded with the flash of a dark object and the man fell forward, his head landing on my chest. His unconscious body was heavy as hell. Christopher stood above me moving quickly to shove the man off me. The man’s body still covered my legs, but Chris grabbed my arms and pulled me up into a standing position. “Come on, run!” Christopher shouted at me.

  I took off toward the back exit of the school, running past the cafeteria. Chris lagged behind me, and I didn’t even care. If anyone could handle themselves, it would be him. I was disgusted and scared and angry and all I wanted to do was get away from the situation. My arms ached with the feeling of his massive hands still in the memory of my skin. My face still burned with the way he held it. I turned the corner almost falling and slipping on the smooth floor, but my right foot caught on the tips of my toes and I continued down another hall. I really wasn’t keeping track of where I was going. All I could hear was the sound of my own breathing and feeling of my heart pounding in my chest. I ran faster trying to get away from the scene when suddenly Chris yelled breaking my concentration, “Halle, this way!”

  I ceased running suddenly and adverted myself back to him, ran through the door, and slammed it behind myself. I leaned my back against the door, my chest burning. I lifted my hand to tuck the hair behind my ear, and tremors went through my whole arm with fear I was feeling. The door lead outside—I was standing outside. Chris turned around and grabbed my arm roughly pulling me forward to continue on. We were in a parking lot. We were in the staff’s parking lot behind the school. I had only seen it a few times before, but I knew it as soon as I looked around.

  Chris let go of my arm as we reached a royal blue Buick. Chris pulled keys out of
his pocket and opened the driver’s side door hurriedly, and then slid into the seat. “Get in!” he growled, before slamming the door and starting the engine.

  I hesitated before getting into the vehicle. The police were right in front of the building, and I thought about going directly to them where I knew I would be safe. I opened up the passenger side door and got in, before I could even get it closed properly, Chris whipped the vehicle out of the parking lot, I held my breath as we sped past the many emergency vehicles scattered around the school. He headed off east through the neighborhood. The engine of the car roared as he pressured it to go faster. He looked angry and agitated like I had never seen him before. I couldn’t even speak. There was so many questions flooding my mind, but my fears kept my mouth shut. I’d never seen a car parked anywhere near his house before, I didn’t even know if he had a driver’s license or not—and judging by the way he drove it was certainly questionable.

  We made a sharp turn north on 3rd street, and then I knew where we were headed... Highway 2. He was taking me out of town. If I didn’t already know where all of the cops were, I would have been wondering why they weren’t trailing us yet. But, no, all of them had to be at the school. My fears started to fade as his driving relaxed, but with my mind beginning to clear, I began to put the pieces together. Chris came out of nowhere to get away from the bomber... then I realized, he had to be in with the bomber, and I got in the vehicle willingly with him. They’ve probably been plotting it out all along. What didn’t fit was what they wanted with me. Maybe they wanted me for my werewolf abilities—but then again, he’s one too. Unless he wasn’t even a werewolf at all; he probably lied to me from day one. He probably wasn’t even Evelyn’s brother!

  I glanced over at Chris trying my best to not show that terrible feeling in the pit of my gut that something was terribly wrong. How my parents must be so worried waiting outside of the school with the rest of the parents. What will they do when the police discover that I’m missing? Someone would notice me missing eventually.

  The Buick was a nice and smooth ride, and judging by the interior, it was fairly new and updated too. Chris slowed down significantly, but didn’t even come to a complete stop when he turned onto Highway 2. He headed west—actually going the speed limit now. He eyebrows were pressed together hard, and his grip on the steering wheel was so hard that his knuckles were white. The entirety of his body was rigid. Unable to look at him anymore, I turned my head away and stared out the side window watching my town pass by before my eyes. Past the motels, past the RV park, past the fields and farms… and finally past Wolf Creek, and I knew there was no turning back. This might be the last time I saw it. I tried not to think about the particulars of the situation, but fighting the thoughts of what was going on right now was nearly impossible when the roaring of the car on the road was a constant reminder.

  I had never really been out of this tiny town before. Just once or twice and it wasn’t even that far. It made the situation even more alarming. Wolf Point was my little world, and I didn’t know what lay beyond it, and I wasn’t comfortable with that. I was completely out of my elements.

  “Are you okay?” Chris asked quietly.

  I looked at him. His face relaxed a little from when I last looked at him, but you could tell it was forced. The rest of his body was still stiff. He glanced between me and the road, keeping his eyes on the road more than myself.

  “Halle, talk to me. Are you okay?” he repeated when I didn’t answer.

  I stared at him and blinked. I didn’t know what to say.

  He looked at me full on this time, ignoring the empty road ahead of us, his anger and rage returned to his features. “Answer me,” he growled.

  I flinched. “Christopher,” I managed to gag out with much distaste, and I knew he felt it. “I’ve been kidnapped…” was all I could say.

  He returned his gaze to the road and laughed bitterly. “You think I—” He shook his head. “I didn’t kidnap you—well...” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I kind of would have if you didn’t come willingly. But, that’s just until we get far enough out of town. I have a lot to explain to you, and after you hear it you are free to go—but I’m completely anti-Anthony Dawson.”

  “You don’t have to tell me anything. What’s the point? It’s all lies anyways.” I narrowed my eyes into slits staring into his evil soul.”

  “I’m not lying to you, Halle.” He seemed mad that I would even suggest such a thing about his perfect self. Did he really think he was so innocent?

  “Do you honestly think what you’re doing to me is okay?” I took a deep breath trying to calm my shaking voice. “You can’t just hold someone against their will, it’s not right.”

  He gazed over at me. “You’ll understand… I’m doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.”

  I was quiet for a long time after that. Just watching the wilderness pass by and trying desperately to not think of the inevitable. The silence in the car was deafening. There was a nice looking radio system in the car, but I didn’t dare touch it, and Chris seemed as if he was so into his own thoughts that he didn’t even notice the silence, or at the very least, it didn’t faze him in the slightest.

  Finally I spoke up, “Is Anthony Darwin—”

  “Dawson,” Chris snapped. “Yes. He was the one at the school trying to kill you.”

  His words hit me hard. Trying to kill me? He wasn’t trying to kidnap me, that guy was actually trying to kill me? But then again, how did Chris know that? Was it just an assumption? “Oh, I doubt he was trying to kill me. He was definitely trying to kidnap—”

  Chris looked at me with his steely, cold hard eyes. “Halle. He was trying to kill you.”

  “You don’t know that,” I snapped.

  “YES, Halle. I do.” He closed his eyes as if he was trying to control his rage. “You listen to me… You stay away from him.” He didn’t even look at me as he was talking, and I felt that it was deliberate. “When you see him—if you ever see him again—and, God, I hope you never do—” His eyes locked onto mine. “You run.”

  He was serious. He was so incredibly serious there was no denying it. “Why?” I nearly whispered.

  He shook his head. “I can’t tell you that yet.”

  “Damnit!” I hit the dashboard in front of me with my fist. Dust particles floated up into the air. “You make it so hard to believe anything you say!”

  “Werewolves are complicated creatures, and the circumstances surrounding them are… not believable.”

  “Werewolves, werewolves, werewolves, all of these stupid stories that you’ve spun about creatures!” I said throwing my hands up.

  Chris started chewing his nails, “There isn’t a lot that I can do about you not trusting me, I can just continue being honest with you. It’s up to you if you choose to trust me or not.”

  I held my hand up toward his face. “Don’t talk to me, until you tell me what you have to say,” I shot at him, turning away from him as much as I could with the seatbelt on.

  I noticed the sign on the side of the road Now Leaving Wolf Point and my heart sunk. How far was he going to take me?

  “How did you get this car?” I asked softly, still spitting out my spitefulness.

  He didn’t even look away from the road. “This is Principal Falwk’s car.”

  I buried my face in my hands and did my best to stifle a moan. Not only did this guy kidnap me, but he stole a car as well—and not just any car, the principal’s car! I couldn’t believe the things that he had done, and to think that I would be blamed as an accomplice to the entire thing—I just knew I would. There wasn’t anything I could do to change Christopher’s mind, whatever his intentions were, they were set and I gave in.