I'm very glad you like it, Punx! This whole sequence was difficult to write; it kinda scared me because it's such a  sensitive situation. We'll see how it fares as we continue the story, though.
--------------


  “How? w-what-?â€� Chris stuttered, and then took a breath. As he did, Phillip continued with renewed determination.

  “Look, Chris, please don’t be alarmed. We won’t harm you in any way. We don’t want to capture you or dissect you or clone you, or any of that crap. We want to respect you and appreciate you for who you are. We’d like to help you, and maybe get to know you as an individual, if you let us. We can even help you learn about what you are, and help you to find the others like you.â€�

  Chris stared at Phillip. He wasn’t sure if he could feel betrayed or intrigued. His exhale was shaky as he narrowed his eyes at Phillip.

  “When you say ‘we,’ you mean Department 118, don’t you?â€� he asked carefully.

  Phillip fidgeted in his seat before he answered. “Well, yes, but please believe me when I say we don’t necessarily represent the Empire, especially this time. You see, since you’re a contributing citizen of the Empire, we don’t have authorization to take affirmative action toward you, and we wouldn’t want to anyway. All we really want to do is find out more about you and your kind, and what we can do to help. But it’s up to you, not us.â€�

  Chris needed a moment. He simply was not prepared for this situation. His identity was discovered but not revealed; that was very courteous, at least. The person he had considered his only friend turned out to be the one that discovered his secret – no, Julie discovered it, and relayed the information to Phillip. So, apparently the Angel of Loneliness was at least in contact with Phillip, if not Dep:118 itself. Chris looked again at the message on the napkin.

  “Julie said that my secrets were safe with her, but she told you about me anyway.â€�

  “Ah, not exactly,â€� Phillip carefully contested. “Julie told me that she helped someone ‘interesting’ on the roof of a library in Romberg. I asked her if it was the Howler. She turned to me and said ‘why would a werewolf want to go to a library?’ and then left. I thought about it and realized that anyone who became a werewolf would probably want to get as much information as they could, and what better place than a library? I wrote up a hypothesis, passed it by my boss, and he told us to check it out.â€�

  “So if she didn’t tell you exactly who to look for, how did you find me?â€�

  “That was my doing,â€� said a voice from behind him.

  Chris turned to face the newcomer, already recognizing the voice. Passing the table from behind him was the woman who was using station fourteen before him, Shannon Steele. Shannon grabbed a chair from a nearby table, placed it at the edge of Chris and Phillip’s table, and sat down. She abruptly offered a hand to Chris.

  “Nice to officially meet you, Chris.â€�

  Chris shook her hand mechanically, numbed with bemusement as Phillip unnecessarily attempted to introduce the two.

  “I bet you want to know how I found you,â€� Shannon asked, and continued without his response. “I checked our records for anybody researching lycanthropy from within any libraries in Romberg. Three people were far above all the others, and you topped the chart. I found out you always use the same library, so I went there and had the administration put you on station fourteen if you showed up. I admit that I didn’t expect you so soon, but so much the better. When I scanned you, I was able to confirm who and what you were, and I told Phil.â€�

  “You wouldn’t believe how excited I was when she told me,â€� Phillip added, emphasizing his enthusiasm with wide gestures. “I played around with the idea of who you might be, of course; who wouldn’t? But I never gave it much thought because I didn’t want to lose your friendship – and I still don’t, so I really hope you don’t turn us down.â€�

  Chris looked at Shannon suspiciously. “So, then, you both work for Department 118?â€�

  “Yes,â€� Shannon replied bluntly.

  “How come you didn’t just tell me that at the Library?â€�

  “I didn’t want to risk your pulling out of meeting with Phil. I figured you might take it easier if you knew a friend was with you in this. I scanned you to confirm your identity and left it to him to explain the situation to you.â€�

  Chris reviewed her explanation. “What do you mean when you say you ‘scanned’ me?â€�

  Shannon’s deadpan expression didn’t soften in any way as she responded. “That depends. Are my secrets safe with you?â€�

  Chris noted the reference to the sentence on the napkin. It appeared that keeping secrets was a regular part of this department. Perhaps that was a good thing. Chris nodded an affirmative answer silently.

  Without warning, a thought appeared in his conscious mind. It was a thought that he knew did not come from himself. It was a thought from another source, a location foreign to his mind, and yet the thought took residence there in his head. The thought was a simple statement:

  I’m telepathic, Mr. Hansen. I can read people’s minds and manipulate their feelings.
     
  His dark blue eyes never left contact with her dark brown eyes, but his brow furrowed from the experience – the term ‘bizarre’ simply didn’t do it justice. The first thing he was inclined to do is test the truth of the thought, but he needed something that Shannon wouldn’t know about. He considered asking about one of his drop-off points, but for all he knew, they’d been watching him for some time and already were aware of those. It occurred to him that he could test her with something that happened when he was on the streets.

  “Yeah, that would work,â€� Shannon said with a nod. “There’s know way I could find out about personal experiences that happened to you on the streets.â€�

  Chris shook off his concentration and looked at her inquisitively. She seemed to know what he was specifically thinking.

  “Go ahead,â€� Shannon said with a smile, accepting the challenge. “Think of something from that time in your life. Ask a question about it in your head, and I’ll answer it.â€�

  It only took a few seconds before Chris decided on what was the perfect memory to test her with. He closed his eyes and began remembering a morning, a little less than a year ago, when his life changed forever.

Okay, flashback time. It's kinda long, so prepare yourselves.
---------------

  Chris was hungry, and that’s why he was heading toward the public baths. If he wanted food, he’d have to go to the baths first. The Empire didn’t mind providing for cleanliness freely, in an effort to keep its cities clean. Those that bathed regularly got a credit for a hot meal at the kitchens with every visit. Since Chris felt he could use the shower, the privacy, and the meal. It wasn’t a bad thing at all, but it still didn’t raise his spirits any.

  He shuffled down the streets to the public baths and got in line. The stench from the people in line was overpowering, and he was one of them. It usually didn’t bother him, but this time the odors nearly made him gag for some strange reason. He silently thanked the Empire for the public service.

  Chris was processed and given a plastic card. He reported to the appropriate bathroom and swiped the card in the reader, unlocking the door. He went inside, locked the door, and began to disrobe. His nasal passages began to tickle, and to his surprise, Chris knew exactly why: the bathroom had recently been cleaned, and whatever they used was excessively strong. He got a similar bathroom yesterday. Apparently the Empire had recently changed to a cleaning agent that was much stronger. He turned on the hot water of the bath and let the steam begin to fill the room, but did not plug the drain for the bath quite yet.   

  It was the imperial baths that gave Chris the only chances he received for peace away from others. He was always around other people on the streets, never lonely but always alone. It was a harder life than the orphanage. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, taking note of the frown etched on his face and the matted brown hair on his head. No one could take his belongings while he was in here, or cheat him or extort him. The bitter world outside could not get to him here. For the next hour or so, his world was a small room perhaps two meters by three in size, filled with vapors from water and unknown chemicals, which were unable to fog the treated mirror before him.

  He closed his eyes, internally calming his frustrations. He felt the difficulty and aggravation of his life seep out of his pores into the cloud that was beginning to engulf him. He listened to the workings of his heart, and found that he could almost hear the blood flowing in his veins. Suddenly he heard something else from inside his body. It was like a low hum, or a pulse; and yet something told him that it wasn’t supposed to sound that way. It was supposed to sound higher, with a little bit more of a whine…

  And as Chris was imagining what he though the hum should sound like, he heard it begin to modify into that sound. As it did, he heard his pulse quicken and the blood of his veins begin to rush. Suddenly he felt as if he was going through his teenage years again, but all those years only in seconds, and this time it felt like all of his muscles were aching at the same time. His bones began to feel the same way. Without warning, his stomach clenched. He started to feel dry heaves trying to eject what was not there.

  Chris grabbed either side of the sink and positioned his face above the basin, and then felt searing waves of heat pass through him, one after another. His arms, legs, chest; every part of his body started to convulse. He lost his sense of balance to the point where he didn’t know which way was up or down. Every tooth in his mouth and even his jaws burst with pain. His sinuses began to drain – no, they weren’t draining, they were lengthening. His entire face felt like it was contorting and expanding at the same time. He looked down at his hands and saw them changing. His fingers started to lengthen and his palms began to harden before his very eyes. He heard a large bone-shattering crack as his hips dislocated, and it almost sent him to the floor.

  Desperately he tried to raise his head to the mirror to look at his self, but what he saw was not him. He saw a long nose and lips growing out to a muzzle. There was hair all over his face. His eyes were reddened with irritation. His skull itself was receding, making his ears look like they had moved closer to the top corners of his head. Another burst of pain caused him to wince, and as his eyes cleared, he saw long sharp fangs housed in his mouth. He saw a bestial form writhing into existence where his reflection once stood, a form that looked like a cross between a man and a wolf.

  The pain testified that this was no dream. Chris had actually turned into what could only be a werewolf.

  And then the panic set in. How did this happen? What the heck was he supposed to do now? He began to hyperventilate, looking around for any clue as to what caused this, yet to no avail. He took a few breaths, calmed himself as best he could, and began to think. Chris couldn’t go outside the bathroom; he couldn’t let anyone see him like this. Small-scale genetic manipulations were common in the Empire, but if he came out of the bathroom as a werewolf, there’s no telling how people would react. It wouldn’t be pretty, that’s for sure. It’s was still daylight outside, which meant that it wasn’t the full moon that changed him. There had to be a way to change back; there just had to be. How did he change in the first place?

  Chris tried to remember what he was thinking of when he changed. He was listening to his heart and his blood, and then he heard that hum in the background of his internal workings. Could that be it? When it changed pitch and tone, when the hum changed, is that what caused the change of his body?

  Chris once again listened to his heart and his blood, and tried to find that hum inside of his body. To his surprise he found the sound, currently at the pitch and tone that something told him it should be. And so he tried to remember the sound as it was before, when he first discovered it less than twenty minutes ago. He tried to remember the sound specifically, with the low tone and pulsing effect. He tried to imagine the hum taking that previous pitch and tone, and then he heard the hum change to match what he was remembering. Again his heartbeat increased, and his blood began to rush through his veins, and the sequence of events continued outside of his ability to stop it.
Here we go again, he thought to himself.

  The heat was first, followed by the aching and pain, but the aching and pain didn’t last as long this time. He still felt awkward as parts of his body asymmetrically shifted back to a humane form, but the discomfort was easier to endure than the pain, and he knew what to expect. In truth, he was a bit thankful that he was able to shift back at all, let alone on command.

  When it finished, he found himself on his hands and knees on the floor of the bathroom, breathing heavily and feeling like he had been stretched on a rack. The floor was covered in hair. With strained effort Chris gathered as much as he could and incrementally flushed the remnants down the toilet. His entire body felt the strain and trauma of shifting into a different form, and it made him unsteady even on his hands and knees. Fortunately, there was still time to take a bath and perhaps soaking his limbs would help their recovery. Finally, Chris plugged the drain of the bathtub, climbed inside, and allowed the soreness in his limbs to bleed out into the hot liquid.

  He woke up two hours later in a quiet room on an uncomfortable bed with an IV in his arm. After a few minutes a nurse entered through the drape surrounding his bed and informed him that he was found passed out in the bathtub, severely dehydrated and apparently malnourished. Her demeanor indicated that she had seen this kind of thing before, and there was no reason to ask questions as to how he got in such a state. Once he was stabilized, he was dismissed from the hospital and allowed to go on with his life; in whatever way he decided to live it now.

Thank you very much, Punx! I was hoping that would come across well because, as you know, his memory is being monitoured by someone else, as we'll be reminded of next.
  It's kinda funny, Punx - I think you're the only person still commenting on this story here, so it's like you're getting a personal preview of what I'm going to post in that 'other' place, if you know what I mean. Cool, huh?
-------------

  Chris opened his eyes. Across from him was Phillip, looking on with mild interest, attempting to curb his impatience at not being privy to the internal musings of the others who were present. He looked to his left and saw Shannon, sitting with a furrowed brow and closed eyes.
 
  “Oh, man,â€� she exclaimed softly, and then looked at Chris with empathetic, dark brown eyes. She shook off the empathy like it was an embarrassing disclosure, and returned her attention to Chris. “So now think of a question about what you just remembered, and ask the question in your mind.â€�

  Chris thought for a moment, and reviewed the images in reference to the memory. He remembered the number of the bathroom on the door, and on the plastic card. He formed a question in his mind as to what the number was.

  “Sixty-three,â€� Shannon replied with a smirk. “Are you convinced yet?â€�

  “Yeah,â€� Chris nodded, “you convinced me.â€�

  Chris reviewed the current circumstances, as he often did habitually. He was sitting with two people, only one of whom he knew on a semi-personal level, but they both knew his lycanthropic secret. And yet, he could instinctively tell that he could trust them both. What’s more, there was no denying how good it felt to finally share his secret with someone! It made it easier, albeit mysterious, that somehow he knew he could trust them; after all, they had been firm about their knowledge of his secret, but respectful enough to be discreet about it. They had successfully proven their worth, at least to his satisfaction.

  “Chris,â€� Shannon looked at him inquisitively, “When you change… is that what it’s like for you every time, with the pain and all?â€�

  Chris thought for a second about the change before he answered. Simply out of habit, he was inclined not to answer at all, but the softened look on Shannon’s face told of the utmost sincerity. Phillip was also very attentive, awaiting his reply. He felt that he could explain what it was like to both of them, and not worry about any repercussions. He gathered his resolve and answered Shannon with confidence. 

  “Not as much anymore. It’s still painful at first, but I can handle it and it goes away after a few seconds. I can change a lot faster now, too.â€�

  Shannon looked as though she was fighting back a grimace of disbelief. “But you don’t have to change; you can control it. You’re not forced to change with the full moon. If it hurts so much and you can avoid it, why go though all of that?â€�

  “Well, like I said: it doesn’t hurt as much anymore. Besides, it’s a fair price to what it’s like when you’re, um, in that form.â€� Chris leaned in on his elbows to augment the confidentiality of his account, and the other two emulated his example.

  “See, when you’re in that form, it’s like the world is opened up to you. You can smell and hear so much more, and it clarifies what you can see, too. Everything becomes so much more vibrant and… and understandable. It’s one thing when you’re stopping a couple of burglars in a city, but when you’re in a forest…â€� He closed his eyes and his voice trailed off for a moment as the memories reinforced his description, and then he continued. “In a forest, there’s nothing like it. Everything is alive, everything; and you’re a part of it. It’s like you’ve come back to the meaning of life. There’s times when I wish I could stay that way and never return.â€�

  “Then why do you come back?â€� Phillip asked, now as totally in the conversation and just as riveted to Chris’ explanation as Shannon.   

  Chris shrugged. “Well, two reasons. First, there are times when it’s just more convenient to be in a human form – like if I need to hide, or open a door, or shower or whatever. And second, because even as wonderful as it is, sooner or later I realize that there’s nobody else. I’m the only one. At least there are people in the city, even if I can’t let any of them know who I really am.â€�

  Both Phillip and Shannon paused, pondering over what Chris was telling them, slowly beginning to understand the plight hiding deep within his predicament.

  “Jeez, Chris,â€� Phillip exclaimed, but couldn’t bring forth anything else to say.

  The silence lingered around the table until the arrival of the food broke the spell.

  “You didn’t wait for me?â€� Shannon protested.

  Phillip shrugged. “‘If you’re not there, you don’t share,’ right? Anyway you can order something now, so it’s no big deal.â€�

  Shannon shot Phillip a look that told of the most profound annoyance at his lack of understanding.

  “Oh, no! Not the famous annoyed look!â€� he cried. Phillip shrank in his seat, and in pure mockery acted like he was melting.

  Shannon kicked him under the table. “Knock it off,â€� She commanded.

  Phillip sat back up and composed himself, chuckling mischievously.

  Chris realized that he was smiling again, and he liked it.

  Shannon proceeded to order a Cobb salad and an iced tea with lemon after the waitress put down the rest of the food, and also made sure to tell the waitress to put it on Phillip’s tab. Phillip responded with an indifferent shrug as he bit into his sandwich.

This is a weak attempt at humour. Let me know if you find it funny or confusing.
---------------
 
  “Okay, your turn.â€�
 
  “Alright, let’s see… Okay, I got one. Cats always land on their feet, right?â€�

  “Yeah.â€�

  “And bread always lands buttered-side down.â€�

  “So they say.â€�

  “So, what happens if you strap a piece of buttered bread on the back of a cat?â€�

  Phillip thought for a moment before his answer, stroking his clean-shaven chin.

  “The Apocalypse.â€�

  Chris laughed at the audacity. “How on Earth do you figure that?â€�

  “Chaos Theory,â€� Phillip replied summarily.

  “Wait – what?â€�

  “If a butterfly’s wings in Peking can affect weather patterns in New York, then putting those two absolutes in direct conflict would be downright... catastrophic.â€�

  “Ooh, bad pun!â€�

  “Thank you.â€�

  “Alright, connect the dots, here. How does strapping buttered bread on the back of a cat lead to Chaos Theory and the Apocalypse?â€� Chris asked.

  “Simple: The cat and piece of bread would hover over the ground in defiance of the laws of gravity. The result would be a paradox within the laws of physics that would escalate through the natural order, causing the immediate area to be out of sync with the rest of the universe. The water cycle would break, trees would die, the tectonic plates would shift uncontrollably and the seas would again rise in temperature. This would cause the continental glaciers to break away and drift into the ocean. Pole Shift theory says it would make the planetary spin lopsided, causing the earth to fall off of its axis, decay in orbit and eventually plummet into the sun.â€�

  There was a stiff, awkward silence that filled the cabin of Shannon’s craft.

  “Now you’re just being cynical.â€�

  “No, I’m not.â€�

  “Yes you are. Do you realize how many years that would take?â€�

  “No, it could happen within a couple years.â€�

  “What?â€�

  “No really; it would-â€�

  “Enough, already!â€� Shannon announced. “You’ve been at this for hours now. You two are going to give it a rest or so help me I’ll make you get out and walk!â€�

  “Oh, yeah, right!â€� Phillip contested. “At twenty thousand feet?â€�

  “Try me,â€� she challenged. Without waiting for Phillip’s response, she turned to Chris. “Please tell me you don’t think this end-of-the-world crap he’s spewing comes from our investigations?â€�

  Chris laughed through his smile. “Not a bit,â€� he assured her. “We’re just having a good time.â€�

  “At least you two are,â€� Shannon mumbled.

  Chris couldn’t wipe the smile away from his face if he tried.

Last edited by Grayle (2008-03-06 18:11:56)

Why, thank ya' kindly, Punx! Here's a bit more, though it's rather bland, so I'll try to post a bit more tomorrow.   
  By the way, the Dragonheir story is finished for now, in case you're still interested. I think the ending is a bit dis-satisfying, but there's plenty more to tell in that world, that's for sure.
Anyway, enjoy.
-------------------

  The increase of clouds and the turbulent weather announced their arrival into the vicinity of Culmna City. Culmna was located at the base of a steep mountain range that curved around the Eastern outskirts of the city. The location was about two-hundred kilometers away from the Pacific coastline and well within the path of a regular jet stream. The result was regular thunderstorms and windstorms that often wrought havoc as they ran through the city and its citizens. The aggressive weather was a trial for most, but more of a challenge for others. Living in the city was seen as an unofficial medal of accomplishment to many in the Empire. Even though Culmna City was small in size, often attaching the buildings with catwalks and subterranean tunnels, it was prosperous enough to support a population of nearly a hundred thousand. 

  Shannon descended the craft to ninety meters, and eventually soon skimmed the streets of Culmna to safely navigate through the rainstorm. She entered the craft into an unmarked parking garage and made her way down two levels to her designated parking spot. The three travelers disembarked and began to stretch the stiffness of the trip from their limbs. Phillip and Shannon removed a few of their belongings from the back of the craft and then escorted Chris to the lift which took them up seven stories. This brought them to the fourth floor. They exited the lift into a beige hallway with glass sets of doors periodically set along the walls. At the end of the hall they took a right, and entered the only doors that were not made of glass at the end of the hall.

  The doors opened to an expansive floor, with a maze of cubicle walls dominating the floor, hiding the contents of the cubicles from any onlookers. A few steps away from the doors sat an administration desk. An older lady was at the desk, typing away at a keyboard. It seemed to be the only sound; the rest of the room housed a silence that was unsettling.

  “Welcome back,â€� she greeted without looking up.

  “Hey Martha,â€� Phillip replied. “Is Gareth back yet?â€�

  “Not yet; he’s still in Idaho somewhere,â€� Martha mentioned indifferently. A slight British accent brought a certain smoothness to her words.

  “I forgot about that,â€� Shannon said as she snapped her fingers, and then turned to Chris. “Gareth is really going to want to meet you, Chris.â€�

  At that point Martha looked up, and the three returned her gaze. Phillip made the introduction.

  “Martha, this is my friend Chris Hansen. He’s visiting from Romberg.â€�

  Martha looked Chris over as he greeted her, and then looked at Shannon. “If you’re worried about Gareth meeting him, I guess it’s safe to assume he’s hybreed?â€�

  “Yeah,â€� Shannon replied succinctly.

  Martha looked back at Chris. “Well if they all look like you, love, I’d be happy to meet as many as I can. Welcome to Department 118.â€�

  “Um, thanks; nice to meet you,â€� Chris replied, and looked back at Shannon. “Wait; what’s a hybreed?â€�

  “You are,â€� Shannon answered. “The few werewolves we’ve actually got to talk to call themselves ‘hybreed’ as opposed to ‘werewolves.’â€�

  “Okay; and when were you going to tell me that they had a different name than werewolves?â€�

  “After we showed you around and got to work on educating you about your people,â€� Shannon replied, as if it was nothing less than common sense.

  Chris looked at Phillip inquisitively, silently asking him if what Shannon said was true.

  “Hey, don’t look at me; I told her she should just implant the information we have directly into your brain, but do you think she listens to me? Noooooo!â€�

  “Shut up, Phil,â€� Shannon commanded, and began to lead them around the cubicle walls to the right side of the floor.

  Chris looked once again at Phillip, who only rolled his eyes in response, and they both followed Shannon around the corner.

Meeting the family can be boring, I know, but we're almost done. Hang in there.
-------------------------

  In the break room sat two people, a man and a woman. The man had short blond hair, a receding hairline, and a nose that indicated it was broken some time in the past. When he looked up at the woman across from him, Chris noticed that the man’s eyes were a vibrant green. The man was slim, and looked to be tall if he was standing up. He was working on finishing a plate of pasta.

  The woman sitting across from him had her black hair cut short as well, but not as short. It was straight, and brought back behind her ear on one side, offering a better view of her mild Polynesian features. She was smiling and discussing something about time travel with the man. She was apparently satisfied with the deficient amount of attention that he was giving her.

  “Want a soda?â€� Phillip asked Chris.

  Chris brought back his attention and focused it on Phillip’s question. “Yeah, sure.â€�

  “What kind? We got cola, diet, root beer, and some kind of power drink.â€�

  “Cola, I guess.â€�

  Phillip went to the nearby refrigerator and retrieved the drinks as Chris noticed the two occupants were now noticing his presence.

  “Phil, you gonna introduce us to your friend?â€� the woman asked.

  “Yeah, but I didn’t want to interrupt. It would be rude.â€�

  The woman rolled her eyes.

  “Like that’s ever stopped you before,â€� the man commented.

  Phillip handed a can of cola to Chris, not paying attention to the man’s accusation.

  “Guys, this is Chris Hansen. He’s visiting from Romberg. Chris, this is Scott and Emily. Scott’s a field researcher, and Emily’s our resident medical expert. They’re kind of a couple.â€�

  Emily stood and shook hands with Chris. Scott merely wiped his hand on a napkin and offered his hand from his seat.

  “So you’re from Romberg, huh?â€� Scott asked. “You know anything about the Howler?â€�

  “Uh, yeah,â€� Chris admitted, “you could say that.â€�

  Emily looked at Phillip, and then looked at Chris again. “You are the Howler, aren’t you?â€� she asked with polite sensitivity.

  Chris sighed. “Yeah,â€� he replied.

  “So, is it safe to assume that you’re also actually a hybreed?â€� she asked.

  Chris nodded.

  “Heh – wait ‘til Gareth meets you,â€� Scott commented though his mouthful of food.

  “Yeah, really,â€� Emily agreed enthusiastically, and turned back toward Chris. “Anyway, welcome to Dep:118, Chris. How long will you be here?â€�

  “Not sure,â€� Chris said with a shrug.

  “Well, if it’s okay with you, I’d absolutely love to ask you about what it’s like turning into a werewolf – oh, is it okay to call you that?â€�

  “What?â€�

  “A werewolf. Gareth told us that most hybreed don’t like that word because of the reputation that it has, or something like that.â€�

  Chris shook his head. “I don’t have a problem with it; but yeah, we can talk about it if you want.â€�

  Emily smiled. “Thanks; I’ll be looking forward to it. I’ll talk to you later, then, okay?â€�

  He nodded, and Emily sat back down across from Scott.

  Chris reviewed the events since his arrival. The unrestricted acceptance of whom and what he was, along with the mild reactions as opposed to the expected over-reactions, made Chris numb with the experience. He felt like he had fallen into a different world, one where all of his past dealings with people and their inherent responses meant nothing. The people here simply accepted him, and did not attribute any special recognition or concern to his nature. He couldn’t help but wonder if Dep:118 was always like this, or whether these were the only the off hours.

  “Hey,â€� Phillip said, baiting Chris’ attention, “There’s an Air Hockey table in the game room. Wanna play a few rounds?â€�

  “Sure, I guess,â€� Chris said, uncertain of what else to say. It’s not like he ever played Air Hockey before, but it seemed inappropriate to decline the offer. Chris amiably followed Phillip out of the break room. Once he emerged, the corner of his eye caught something to his left that he didn’t recognize, and it was moving directly at him. After he turned to get a better look, he cried out in surprise.


----------------------------
Can you guess what he saw? Can you?

Well, thank you, Wolf! I'll post some more. Let's see what made Chris cry out in surprise - though if you read the other Dep:118 story, you probably already know...
--------------------------

  Walking right up to him was a large, black creature, taller than Chris. Its skin was black and leathery like a gorilla, and it was covered with ebony fur. Both features were as dark as the shadows that Chris frequented as the Howler. The creature had light brown eyes that were staring at him intensively, and a leafed nose with flaring nostrils. It had very large ears which had points that spanned above the top of its head. The most disconcerting features of all, however, were the leathery wings that were folded behind its back.

  Its pupils began to glow red, and it smiled a devilish smile at him which revealed two rows of sharp teeth, accompanied by a set of intimidating fangs.

  Chris jumped backward and took a defensive stance before he even realized it. He had a strong desire to snarl a warning at the creature, though he wasn’t sure as to why, but he suppressed the inclination and focused on watching the creature’s every move.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!â€� Phillip called out, putting his hands up between the two, and turned toward Chris.

  Scott and Emily soon emerged from the break room to find out the source of the commotion.

  “It’s alright, Chris; Jake won’t hurt you.â€� Phillip assured him, and then turned his attention to the creature. “Jake, your eyes are glowing; time to stand down, buddy.â€�

  As the creature, Jake, looked over at Phillip, the scarlet glow in his pupils subsided. He suddenly looked surprised, and then embarrassed. He looked back at Chris, put his open palms together in a humble, prayer-like gesture and bowed his head, apparently pleading an apology.

  Chris didn’t move, but stared at Jake in astonishment. He had never seen anything like Jake before. He looked like the dark side of a gargoyle; no, that was a bit much. After a second glance tempered with reason, Jake looked more like he had many characteristics of a bat. Yes, that was it; Jake looked like a bat. That must be his mutation: a merger with a black bat! Chris had never heard of such a drastic mutation before!

  “Chris Hansen, meet Jacob Trenton, son of Raymond Collins. You can call him Jake.â€�

  “Jake,â€� Chris repeated aloud as he relaxed his defensive stance. “You, ah, startled me. Sorry.â€�

  “Oh, I’m sure he knows,â€� Phillip said through his laugh. “Remember how I said that Shannon was not only telepathic but she could affect people’s dreams and aspirations?â€�

  Chris nodded.

  “Well, Jake is kind of the polar opposite. He’s telepathic too, but he can also affect people’s fears and nightmares. He can feed off of that energy; he was instinctively feeding off of your fear from being startled. Don’t worry, though; it was just the turn of events. He didn’t mean any harm.â€�

  Chris thought for a moment, trying to put the pieces together in his mind as he calmed down. He seemed to recall rumors on the streets as he began his career as the Howler. He remembered people wondering if ‘The Nightmare of Culmna City’ had moved to Romberg. His howling eventually invalidated that claim. However, the memory jolted information about a certain rumored saviour of the lowly and downtrodden in Culmna City; one that actually inspired Chris to pursue his crime fighting career. When adding the fact that Jake was a cross between human and bat, and could affect people’s nightmares, the resulting conclusion was practically obvious.

  “The Nightmare! You’re the Nightmare of Culmna City!â€�

  Jake cocked his head and twisted his foot into the rug in an attempt to look timidly embarrassed, and nodded.

Very interesting stuff Grayle!I finally got a chance to catch up,and this is just some insanely awesome work i've been missing out on!
Your use of characterization seemed to really come out in this story,like all the sudden I am watching a high definition film!Not that your other wasn't great,but you seemed to step it up even more here,especially with Chris and Jake.As usual,your descriptions and details were excellent,grabbing the readers attention and keeping it.Great work,can't wait to buy this at the book store!

Thank you all very very much for your comments! I've really tried to focus on character development since this may be the beginning for the entire story, and it's great to hear that the characters are believable. It's still coming along, but I've got a ways to go before it's ready for the final draft, and therefore publishing.
  That being said, we'll soon be getting into a bit of meat on the subjects of the 'who', 'what', and 'why' of the hybreed. I think it asks more questions than gives answers, so any input on that part would be appreciated. It's a bout 3-4 segments in the future.
Nonetheless, here's some more.
-------------------------------

“The Nightmare! You’re the Nightmare of Culmna City!�

  Jake cocked his head and twisted his foot into the rug in an attempt to look timidly embarrassed, and nodded.

  “That’s him,â€� Phillip confirmed happily. “I guess in a way you two have a lot in common; I mean, you both are human-animal crosses, you both chose similar starting professions, you both have fur...â€�

  Jake looked up in surprise, deviding his glance between Phillip and Chris multiple times, and then suddenly began to make complicated gestures with his hands.

  “You got it, Jake,â€� Phillip answered, and gestured to the appropriate persons as he continued. “Nightmare of Culmna City, meet the Howler of Romberg.â€�

  Jake smiled a toothy grin that inadvertently made anyone looking upon it wonder what diabolical mischief he was up to. He offered his hand to Chris. After a second’s hesitation, Chris accepted the offer. The squeeze from Jake’s hand felt like a vice.

  Jake broke the handshake and made more complicated gestures toward Phillip.

  “Okay,â€� Philip continued, “so that’s one thing you don’t have in common, but still.â€�

  Chris looked inquisitively at the two.

  “He prefers to speak in ASL,â€� Scott explained with an amused look on his face. "That's 'American Sign Language,' in case you don't know."

  “Actually I got that part,â€� Chris explained, “but I was curious as to why.â€� He turned to Jake and addressed him directly. “If you’re telepathic, can’t you just plug your thoughts into my head, like Shannon did?â€�

  “He doesn’t like to do that,â€� Emily replied. “He feels it’s rude – though if the discussion is complicated enough and you give him permission, he will. He’s just a bit more sensitive and considerate than his big sister.â€�

  “Shannon’s your sister?â€� Chris asked Jake.
 
  “Not by relation,â€� Emily explained. “But they sure do act like they’re related, and their telepathic abilities seem to be two halves of a whole. So, everybody considers them brother and sister.â€�

  “But you all refer to Dr. Collins as ‘Dad’ anyway, right?â€� Chris asked.

  Everyone smiled and nodded reminiscently, some giving a verbal affirmative answer.

  “So, I guess the family tree around here has just been grafted a few times,â€� Chris commented with a jest. “Nothing wrong with that. I grew up in an orphanage, so I’m familiar with non-genetic families.â€�

  Phillip laughed quietly with admiration. “Water off a duck’s back,â€� he commented.

  Jake grinned at the sentiment, and then signed something else to Phillip.

  “Yeah, he’s hybreed. He’s here to find out more about himself and his people.â€�

  Jake signed something again.

  Phillip chuckled, and turned to Chris. “He said-â€�

  “-wait until Gareth meets me, I know,â€� Chris interjected, failing to hide his growing irritation at the repeating comment.

  Jake looked at Chris with compassion flowing from his eyes. He signed something for Phillip to translate again.

  “He wants to know if you’d like to join him on a run out to the foothills when you’re in your other form; he thinks you’d really enjoy it. He says the offer stands any time.â€�

  Chris perked at the offer. “Really? Sure, I’d like that; that would be great!â€�

  Jake smiled again, and signed something at Phillip.

  “I wasn’t going to,â€� Phillip said. He looked at Chris, and translated again. “He told me not to make any comments about taking you out for a walk. I wasn’t going to.â€�

  “Not in your presence at least,â€� Scott commented cynically.

  “Oh, come on, now,â€� Chris said, “give him a little credit.â€�

  “Why, thank you, Chris,â€� Phillip said, and looked at Scott and Emily as if he was offended.

  “No problem,â€� Chris replied. “I mean, I can see you saying something about keeping me away from fire hydrants, but ‘taking me out for a walk’ is too direct for you.â€�

  “Ha!â€� Phillip jabbed at Scott. “Take that!â€� Then, Phillip contemplated the comment further. “Wait a minute…â€�

Great...as always, Grayle. I like the dialogue between Jake, Phillip, and Chris. I also enjoy the sarcasm you create between characters. Not only does it add humor, but it also adds to the realism

Oh, and to answer your email, while I was reading, I must've intepreted something wrong...but upon reading it again, I realize that segment wasn't there. I have difficulty getting onto my hotmail from my home computer because I have dial-up and it takes forever to reply, but it's faster here. Anyways, I can't wait for the next installment!!

Very nice addition Grayle.  The doctor seems quite the character indeed.  Not the first encounter I had excepted.  You always keep me guessing with your work.  Great job!!

Thank you very much! Dr. Collins is a fun character to write, and I did have a few reference points in creating him.
Recipe for Dr. Raymond Collins:

1/3 cup        Albert Einstein
3 TBSP    Abraham Lincoln
2/3 cup       Mr. Miyagi
1 1/2 cups      Yoda
1/4 cup       "Weird Al" Yankovic
1 full, ripe Jim Henson
a dash of Layson A. Williams

Add all ingredients and allow to simmer for 2 years. Garnish heavily with the 10th Doctor from Doctor Who. Mixture may appear unstable, but will coalesce nicely. Spread mixture over the top of Dep:118 and allow to soak in.

  The next few segments are going to add a bit more understanding to the underlying themes, but it may be too wordy. I'll divide it up into 3 segments and post them throughout the weekend. Let me know if you feel it's too much, or if there's any part that raises unanswered questions, okay?
------------------------------


  “Chris, I know you came here of your own accord to find out more about your people, and I thank you for your trust. I’m hoping that by now you realize what kind of subject your people are to us. Do you know what I mean by that?â€�
 
  “You don’t want to exploit werewolves, you want to learn about them,â€� Chris explained.

  The emerald eyes of the man across from him brightened. “That’s exactly right. You see, Chris, every single report of a werewolf sighting eventually makes it here, and we investigate every one we can. Now, according to the records that Phil has found, there’s been a distinct increase in the amount of reported sightings in the last century. Most of them are genuine, and yet we almost never make contact. In fact, we’ve only talked to three others of your people, and one of those was a fluke. Now, why do you think it’s so difficult finding your people?â€�

  At first, Chris was inclined to think that the question was an accusation, but when he looked into the doctor’s eyes again, he realized that it was more of a test.

  “Well, Shannon and Phil said that they think werewolves try to stay as far away from humanity as they can.â€�

  “I agree; but then why the increase in sightings?â€� Dr, Collins asked, parting his hands to emphasize a loss of understanding. “Forest logging is strictly regulated, and human encroachment is kept to a bare minimum. We’re not endangering their territory, so why are people seeing so many werewolves in the last century?â€�

  Chris thought for a moment, but the answer seemed too obvious. After dousing his uncertainty with determination, he gave his conclusion. “Maybe there’s too many of them to hide as well as they used to.â€�

  Dr. Collins beamed with delight. “Very good, Chris! By the way, I think you should probably use the term ‘us’ instead of ‘them.’ But you’re right; the numbers of your people are growing; not quickly, but steadily. If they continue growing, there will come a point when humanity as a whole will be forced to acknowledge your existence. If it happens all of a sudden, then it will be a rude awakening, for sure. The question is: what will humanity do when they get that awakening?â€�

  “Panic,â€� Chris said succinctly.

  Dr. Collins surrendered the point. “I think you’re right; I think they’d even go so far as to try to eliminate your people because of that panic.â€� After a deep breath, the doctor repositioned himself and sat forward, bringing attention to his next statement. “Quite frankly, Chris, I don’t think we should let humanity react that way. I strongly believe that your people are here to fill a role on this Earth of ours – oh, by the term ‘ours’ I mean all living things on this planet. Anyway, I want to do everything I can to make sure your people, the hybreed, can fulfill that role.â€�

  Chris looked at the doctor inquisitively. “So what role do you think they – I mean, we – are supposed to fill?â€�

  Dr. Collins smiled. “Well, I’ll explain it to you if you promise not to laugh.â€�

  Chris cocked his head in curiosity, and shrugged his shoulders. “Sure.â€�

  Dr. Collins nodded and took a moment to compose himself, and then continued.

  “Alright, here we go. Chris, almost every werewolf case we have ends with us following tracks into a forest or wilderness. Most of the sightings are in small towns or villages. The ones in cities sometimes lead to an abandoned building or structure and then the trail disappears; but even with those, we eventually find evidence of travel into a nearby forest. It’s hard to explain just sitting here, but when you go through all of our cases, you start to see patterns.

  “What I’ve noticed is that your people are always returning to the forest instead of hiding in a human community. You are the only one – the only one, Chris – who has been regularly sited in a city. You choose to stay and make your living amongst humanity, whereas others always run away. They return to the forest every time. Do you have any idea as to why?â€�

  Chris suddenly felt waves of apprehension overtake him. The question made him feel like he was an outcast, like he was betraying his own kind by staying around humans. With tremendous effort, he forced himself to control the feelings and answer honestly.

Last edited by Grayle (2008-03-28 16:14:11)