Bark (The Werewolf Journal's Book 1) (8 page)

CHAPTER 22

Arnie could hear the leaves crunch against his shoes as he made his way through the forest.  The sun shone through the branches of the trees, sending a stream of light to the center of the forest, as if God was looking through.  This is where it all began, he thought, kneeling down to the spot where he had been attacked.  The person he had been died that night.  Jay almost died the night before coming to these woods, kneeling on one knee, he fumbled through the leaves on the ground.  He had told Jay to stay away from here.  If something had happened to Jay, he would never forgive himself.  What is it about this place?  Why here?  Arnie looked at his surroundings.  He walked slowly through the wooded area as the wind blew through his hair.

“What are you searching for, boy?” a voice said, startling Arnie.

“Who’s there?” Arnie asked, looking around for the voice that seemed to be using some kind of voice changer to talk.

“In time, it will all be revealed,” the voice replied.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” Arnie asked.

“The question is, who am I?  Is that not what you and your troublesome friend are trying to find out?”

“Why me?” Arnie asked.

“Why not?” the voice replied.

“It’s far too boring being the only one doing all the killing.”

“What do you want?” Arnie asked.

“I want you to leave me alone,” the voice replied angrily.

“Accept what you’ve become and do yourself a favor and rid yourself of your friend before I do it,” the voice told Arnie.

“You stay away from him.  He’s only trying to help me.”

“By chaining you up every night and starving you?  It’s useless to fight.  In the end, the beast always wins.”

“Not if we kill you,” Arnie replied angrily.

“Is that what you believe?  You believe that killing me will cure you?” the voice said with a laugh.  “You truly are a silly boy.”

“Maybe, but we’ll find you no matter where you hide.  We’ll find out who you are.”

“Who says I am hiding?” the voice answered.

Suddenly the tone of the voice changed as a vicious growl roared into Arnie’s ears.  Just as Arnie turned to react, a huge claw grabbed on to his head, sending his head crashing into a nearby tree.  Arnie screamed in agony as another claw crashed through his chest.  The beast slammed Arnie’s head against the tree, cracking his skull.  Blood flowed down his face, into his eyes, blinding him.  The vicious beast slashed his face ripping the side of his cheek open, revealing Arnie’s teeth through the wound.  The beast ripped Arnie’s chest open with its claws, tearing away at Arnie’s flesh.  The beast then slammed Arnie’s head against the tree again, sending three of his teeth flying out of his mouth.

After a few moments the pain stopped, all Arnie could hear was the tearing of his flesh, until finally there was nothing but the cold darkness of an inevitable death.

CHAPTER 23

Sarah’s mangled body lay drenched in blood as Arnie walked into the room.  Arnie screamed in anger and sorrow, looking at a huge snarling wolf sitting on the floor of the room.  Elena sat smiling and ran her fingers through the beast’s black hair, as if it was a pet.  Then to Arnie’s disbelief, he found himself feeding on Sarah’s body.  Elena began to laugh and laugh as the beast beside her flung its body at Arnie, and as it did, Arnie screamed in terror, only to find himself screaming in the sanctuary of the woods.

Arnie looked around, not believing what had happened, instinctively running his hand across his chest, searching for the huge hole that had been made.  To his relief, his chest was intact, except for a scar in the middle.  His clothes were in shreds, and his body was stained with blood.  Arnie ran his fingers across his head, where it had cracked, and could feel a fresh scab across his skull.  I have survived somehow, and I didn’t just dream my encounter with the wolf, but I have died a second time.  Arnie struggled to get up.

Daylight, Arnie thought thankfully.  His gratefulness ended with that thought, for the wolf had attacked him when there was no full moon – only a sky filled with light, sunlight.  Arnie continued to think with a sick feeling in his stomach, for one part of the legend of the werewolf had just been proved fiction.  He had come to realize that other parts, even the one important part to him, might be proved to be equally false.  He finally had word with the one that had made him.  A lot of what it had said made sense, and a lot of it also scared him.  What if he was right and eventually the beast would take him over?  He had to admit that the dreams he’d been having were disturbing because in many of them he’d been enjoying himself.  Then he realized what he’d been doing and woke up. 

Arnie can’t explain the rush he has in the dreams, but it’s exhilarating.  It’s almost as if a part of him wants to accept what he’s becoming.  That part would be the wolf, he thought.  That part isn’t him.  Somehow he would have to fight the feelings and ignore his inner cravings.

The beast could have killed him again but didn’t.  Jay must have really pissed that guy off because he wanted Jay dead.  If he knew who they were, then he must be someone they had known, unless he’d been watching and studying them.

Arnie took off his bloody, ripped shirt.  He threw it to the ground, thinking how close he had again come to dying.  He had escaped death a second time.  This time was different: he didn’t fear what might have come, he welcomed it.  One thing he knew was that the wolf he had kept inside had grown more and more impatient.  With every day that passed he could feel it inside him, changing who he was.  He would have to find this mystery person and kill him.  What reason would this person want him alive?  What if he was just waiting for Arnie to accept what he had become?  The voice said eventually it would happen.  Maybe that was why he didn’t kill Arnie.  If this person knew who he was, then this person not only knew about Jay but also knew about Sarah and his parents.  It was only a matter of time before the beast would go after them.

Time was running out.  They needed to find out who this person was before someone else close to them died or before the beast in Arnie took over and hurt someone he cared about.

Jay walked toward his dad’s car, which he had borrowed.  Arnie started the engine, looking in the rearview mirror and finding the scar the wolf had made.

Maybe silver was the only thing that killed a werewolf.  The whole legend that the horrors happened only when the moon was full was proved false.  He hated to think what other things might not be true and how many awful truths he had yet to discover.

CHAPTER 24

“Hi, Sarah,” Jay said, letting Arnie’s girlfriend into his room.  “What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” he asked.

“I don’t know.  Arnie’s become very distant,” she said, sitting on Jay’s bed.

“He’s just going through a lot, Sarah,” Jay told her.

“I know, but I wish he’d be more open with me.  Ever since Danny died, it’s almost as if he’s another person.”

“We all are, Sarah.  Losing Danny was like losing a brother.  We all knew each other since kindergarten, and now he’s gone.  It really isn’t easy, not to mention the fact that he was there when it happened.  Arnie could be just as dead as Danny, but he’s not.  He can’t remember what happened, and he keeps on asking himself why he was left alive.

“He’s had a couple of near-death experiences in the last couple of months.  It’s a lot for one person to handle,” Jay said, patting Sarah on the back.

“I know, but I just can’t help but think that there’s something he’s hiding from me.  I just want him to trust me,” Sarah said with a frown.

“He does trust you.  He just doesn’t want to burden you with his problems.”

“I know, Jay.  You would tell me if you knew something, wouldn’t you?” Sarah asked.

“Yes,” Jay replied, giving her a hug.

“I hope he never leaves me.  I love him more than anything.  I sometimes dream that one day we’ll get married and be together forever.  Stupid dream, huh.” Sara turned red.

“No, it’s not.  You love him,” Jay replied.

“Yeah, I do.” Sarah giggled.

“Speaking of love, when are you going to find somebody, Jay?”

“That’s not my best department.  Ever since Jasmine left me, it’s been pretty hard for anyone to compete with her.”

“She left you for some bum in the service.  I warned you when you started dating her.  She was way too old for you.”

“She was only twenty-two.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t even have a job, and girls that age, well, they need something more.”

“I thought my body was enough,” Jay said jokingly.

“Wow, you still have this picture,” Sarah said, changing the subject and walking over to Jay’s desk.

“Yeah,” Jay said as she picked up the picture of Arnie, Danny, Jay, and her.  It was a picture of them hugging on the sands of Padre Island.  “That was such a good summer,” she replied with a smile.

“I agree,” Jay said, smiling.

“I kissed Arnie . . .”

“I know, for the first time,” Jay said, interrupting.

“He told you?” Sarah asked.

“We are friends,” Jay said, bumping her with his arm.

“What else has he told you?” she asked suspiciously.

“Oh, just everything,” Jay said, laughing.

“You guys are such pigs,” she said, embarrassed.

“Relax.  All you and Arnie’s dirty little secrets are safe with me.”

“They better be,” she warned playfully.

“How are you doing?” Jay asked seriously.

“I’m okay.  Like I said, I’m just worried about Arnie.”

“I’m sorry about Elena.  I know she was a good friend to you,” Jay said sincerely.

“Well, it’s been hard,” Sarah replied, wiping away the forming tears.  “She was a good lady; she didn’t deserve to die like that.”  Sara walked over to Jay’s window, which was still broken.  “What happened here?”  Sarah asked, referring to the window.

“I don’t have air conditioner, so I made me one,” Jay answered with an uneasy laugh.

“Sure you did.”  Sarah looked outside.

“I went to her funeral, and seeing her lying in that coffin just made me realize how short life really is.  It was different when Danny died; we didn’t get to go to his funeral.  One day he was here, and the next day he was gone.  We never got to tell him goodbye,” Jay said.

“Thanks for talking to me,” Sarah said, excusing herself out.

She stopped outside Jay’s door and turned around to look at Jay.  “I hope Arnie knows how good of a friend you are to him because if he doesn’t, he should,” she said, waving goodbye.  Jay waved back, closing his door, thinking how lucky Arnie was to have someone loving him so much.

CHAPTER 25

Officer Talley opened the rotten old wooden door and Inspector Rodriguez followed, covering his nose with a white handkerchief.  He and four other officers walked into the old deserted barn.

“Jesus Christ!” Inspector Rodriguez said, looking up as half a dozen bodies hung lifelessly by their guts.  Flies and maggots infested their decomposing bodies, which filled the barn with an unbearable smell of death and rotting flesh.  Several other officers walked out, trying to block out what they had just seen.  Officer Talley puked all over the dirt ground and wiped his mouth in embarrassment, covering his mouth with his hands.

“Who the hell would do such a thing?” Officer Talley questioned, not being able to comprehend how anyone could ever be driven to commit such an unspeakable act.

“A monster, Talley,” Rodriguez said, frustrated, knowing that they still had nothing to go on.  The farm was vacant; there were no owners.  If it weren’t for those two kids, Bobby Hanson and Tommy Fox, they would have never had found these bodies.  Hell of a thing for a couple of eight-year-olds to find.  Rodriguez’s adult mind could barely handle the images he had been forced to see lately.  How could a couple of kids cope with this?  Rodriguez wondered.  A few months ago he thought he was on to the killer, but he checked all of Arnie’s alibis.  They all checked out.  Fifty-seven bodies in the last year.  It’s amazing Stallison Valley even has anybody living left, judging by how small the town is, Rodriguez thought, walking out of the barn as reporters surrounded him.

“So are you going to tell me what happened yesterday, or are you going to just sit there and look in dead space?” Jay said to Arnie as he sat on his couch in his room.

“I saw it,” Arnie said with a cold expression.  “Except it was daylight.  There was no full moon, and he still changed.”

“You bumped into our friend, the wolf?” Jay said, running his hands through his hair in frustration.  “What happened?” Jay asked.

“I talked to him,” Arnie replied, biting his bottom lip.

“Did you recognize his voice, what did he say?”

“No, he had some kind of voice changer.”

“Did you see his face at least?”

“He changed before I could see his human side.  He told me that eventually I would change.  That eventually the beast inside would win.”

“You can’t believe that.  Whoever it is wants you to think that,” Jay said, pacing up and down his room.

“It knows who we are Jay.  It knows who you are.  It wants you dead.  It knows what we are trying to do,” Arnie told Jay hoarsely.

“How could it know?  It has to be somebody close to us,” Jay said, sitting next to Arnie.

“Who though?” Arnie asked.

“I don’t know.  Someone at school maybe,” Jay said, confused.

“Look, Jay, maybe you should get out of this while you still can.  I mean we don’t even know if killing him will cure me.”

“It has to,” Jay said, refusing to hear what Arnie was trying to say.

“You don’t understand; it beat me to the point of death, and then when it could have killed me, it left me there.  It wants me alive.”

“Why you?” Jay asked.

“I don’t know.”

“I’ve been thinking as bad as you might not want to hear this, did you ever stop and think that the person that might be responsible might be Sarah?” Jay said.

“What the hell are you talking about?  You have known her just as long as me.  You know better than accuse her,” Arnie said angrily.

“I know.  It’s just that she came over the other day and – ”

“And what?” Arnie asked.

“She was just asking questions like she knew I was hiding something.  She was the last one you saw before you were attacked.  Why is it not possible?” Jay asked.

“We know her.  I think we would have known after all these years,” Arnie said, defending her.

“You hear her on how she always says that she wants to be with you forever.  What if she really means it?” Jay said, getting up from the couch, again continuing to pace. 

“Look, Arnie, I’m sorry.  I suppose I was out of line thinking that.  I just can’t think of anybody we know that would fall into suspicion of being a wolf.”

“So you blame my girlfriend.  I think you need to get your mind off this for a little while.  You’re already in this far deeper than you should be,” Arnie said, rubbing his hands together.

“That’s why I can’t just get my mind off this.  What if this bastard tries to come after me and my dad?  You already said he wants me dead.  I need to find out who he is.”  Jay looked at his shattered window.

“I thought you were gonna get that fixed,” Arnie replied, referring to the window.

“I need to save a month’s worth of allowances before I can do that.”

“If I get some money, I’ll help you,” Arnie said, trying to change the subject.

“I know what you’re doing.  It’s not working,” Jay replied.

“What am I doing?”

“You’re trying to change the subject,” Jay said with frustration.

“It almost worked,” Arnie said with a laugh.

“You should know better than to try those Jedi mind tricks on me.” Jay laughed.

“It’s funny, isn’t it?  How we can still laugh in the middle of all this hell.” Arnie leaned back on his couch.

“Yeah, well, I suppose even hell has a sense of humor,” Jay said with a smirk.

“I gotta go.  I’m supposed to meet Sarah later.  I need to freshen up.”

“Please do.  You’re beginning to smell like a dog,” Jay said jokingly.

“Good one, Jay, but you always smell that way.  Take care of yourself,” Arnie said, shaking Jay’s hand.  “Listen, before I go, I was wondering, the other day, how the hell did you find silver bullets?” Arnie added.

“Where else? eBay,” Jay answered.  Arnie walked out laughing as Jay sat back down on his couch with an uncomfortable feeling inside him, knowing that all the jokes in the world couldn’t help him take his mind off what was happening.  But he sure could be a good actor when he needed to be.

CHAPTER 26

“I’ve been thinking,” Arnie told Jay.

“About?” Jay replied.

“Well, it’s just I’m not sure that the whole silver bullet crap is true.  We need proof.”

“How do we do that?  We don’t know who the other guy is,” Jay said.

“The way I figure it is that the other wolf couldn’t kill me after the last attack.  What if silver doesn’t?  The only way I can see us finding out is for you to shoot me with one.”

“Wait a minute, we can’t give up yet,” Jay replied sternly.

“I’m not going to just yet.  Just graze my arm.  If there’s a scar when I wake up, then we’ll know,” Arnie said, looking in Jay’s eyes.

“I don’t necessarily have to shoot you.  I could use your dad’s knives.  We’ll cut your hand and wait till tomorrow.  Besides it’s cleaner that way,” Jay said, heading over to the kitchen, retrieving one of Arnie’s dad’s silver knives.

“Think this will do?” Jay asked, waving the long sharp shiny blade.

“Yep, definitely.  Better get a towel too.  There’s going to be a lot of blood.  Can you get me one, Jay?  It’s in the rest room.  Second cabinet on your left.”

Arnie ran the knife across his palm, cutting his skin.  “Fucking shit! That hurts,” Arnie said, putting his hand under the sink and running water over his bleeding hand.

“Here you go,” Jay said, giving him the towel.  “Wrap your hand in that till the bleeding stops, then we’ll get some bandages.”  Jay asked, “How long’s your dad gone this time?”

“Two weeks.”

“Your mom doesn’t mind leaving you here all alone?”

“They trust me; besides, if I went with them on all his trips, I’d never get out of school. That’s the life of having a dad that’s in charge of over fifty oil companies around the state,” Arnie said sadly.

“You never have spent much time with them,” Jay replied softly.

“No.  I wish I had, especially lately.”

“Don’t really know how much time I have left.  This isn’t some horror movie where the good guy wins; this is real life, Jay.  This story very possibly won’t have a happy ending.”

“I’ve been thinking maybe we should go check out Elena’s house,” Jay said, trying to think.  “Maybe we can find something.”

“You mean break in?” Arnie replied.

“We sure as heck don’t have a key,” Jay repeated sarcastically.  “Look, Arnie, tonight you don’t have to worry about wolfing out.  I’ll go by myself over to Elena’s.  You go see Sarah.  You need to get your spirits up, pal.”

“I just don’t want to drag her into this.”

“You’re not, Arnie.  Tonight’s a safe night for you.  Like you said you don’t know how much time you really have.  Best you make every second count,” Jay said, clearing his throat, trying to hide his emotions.