Hopefully this will be a short story. I'm not sure yet. Tell me what you think.
----------------------------------------------------
The consoling familiarity of her desk, symmetrically sprinkled with her own personal paraphernalia, gave little of its usual comfort as she watched the two agents enter the office. Kate knew this day would be coming. She was well aware of the stipulation: three or more reports of the same subject within a six month period required a mandatory investigation by the appropriate department of the Empire.
Kate was hoping that it would be Dep:41, who dealt with wild animal reports; but unfortunately it turned out to be Dep:118, and she already knew first hand how efficient and successful their investigations were. Soon they would find her, and then find out about the change in subject of her dreams, and the prints outside her windows. It was only a matter of time before they learned what she had already begun to know, whether she could bring herself to admit it or not.
And so the obvious question loomed in her mind: what were their intentions? She had no idea how they would handle the discovery, and Kate abhorred the thought of being gunned down â or worse, put on some cold metal slab or in some zoo paddock with forest dĂ©cor so they could study her.
She looked at the agents as they entered the waiting room, making their way to reception. They were again a man and a woman, but they were different agents than the ones she had dealings with before. This man was young, with brown hair and dark blue eyes, heavy eyebrows and a straight nose. He seemed to have shyness keeping him apart from his surroundings, or perhaps some other feelings of alienation dominating his presence. The woman, rather petite with black hair and dark eyes, held herself confidently, and had almost a military posture about her. She would be the one of whom Kate needed to be wary.
Kate wondered on her last thought: she was already figuring that these agents were her enemies. Really, she didnât have to make that assumption, did she? The previous agents were very friendly and respectful, and she had seen others in town before that may have been working for Dep:118. They seemed to behave themselves as well. Was there any reason to believe that these agents would be any different, simply because of her fearful worry over the possible subject of their investigation?
Suddenly, something Ollie said to her once as a passing whim entered her recollection: âkeep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.â Kate wasnât sure that these agents were really her enemies, but the more she knew about their intentions, the better.
With a scoot back from her desk, Kate stood and made her way to Ollieâs office. The agents were already there. As she drew closer, she began to hear the elevated tones from an abrasive discussion between Ollie and the woman agent.
âThree reports of the same subject in six months, Sheriff. You know the rules. Thatâs a mandatory investigation.â
âThereâs only been two reports,â Ollie objected.
âYou sent the missing second report to Dep:41, knowing full well that Mr. Riley Banks claimed it was a werewolf, not a wild animal, and youâd already had one report of a werewolf sighting from Mr. Earl Tippowitz.â
It sounded like this woman had trapped Ollie in a corner. For some reason, Ollie sent one of the reports to the wrong department. Knowing Ollie like she did, Kate could definitely believe that heâd make such a mistake intentionally if he felt he needed to, but she had no idea why heâd feel that need.
âOh; Riley claimed it was a werewolf? Oops; must have missed that.â
âKnock it off, Sheriff; you knew what you were doing when you did it. That alone constitutes misdirection, and can be punishable in Imperial Law. As of right now, the investigation is starting, and you are bound by Imperial Law to grant us your full cooperation. If I get the slightest inkling that youâre misdirecting us or neglecting to supply us information, Iâll throw the whole Empire at you. Do I make myself clear?â
Kate just arrived in time to see Ollie staring at the woman with his hazel eyes. They were burning with frustration and anger at the woman leaning over his desk, her arms supporting her as she glared all manner of intimidation at Ollie. But Ollie could be as stubborn as a mule sometimes; he wasnât going to stop pushing back until she stopped pushing in the first place. Even so, her stare whittled away at his resolve as her threat sunk in, and soon Ollieâs stubbornness relented.
âCrystal,â Ollie said.
âGood. Now, we require an escort to accompany us as we interview Mr. Tippowitz and Mr. Banks.â
âWell, thatâs a problem, because two of my deputies are out sick, and the rest are dealing with other crap since before you got here. Youâre going to have to wait.â
âThen you can take us,â the woman agent pushed.
âSorry; Iâm scheduled for a town council meeting today. No way to get out of it.â
âDidnât I just tell you how important it was for you to cooperate with me?!â
âRachel?â the male agent asked from his standing position to the right of the woman.
âNot now, Chris,â she replied.
âRachel, you mind step in here for a moment?â
âYes!â the woman agent blurted as she looked around at the male agent. However, upon looking at her partner, her face softened slightly, and she sighed annoyingly. âFine, whatever,â she exasperated. She then stood and surrendered the discussion to her partner.
Last edited by Grayle (2009-02-17 16:56:22)
Offline
âSheriff Taylor, Iâm new here, so maybe I donât know about the ramifications of your circumstances here in Loughlin. Still, Dep:118 has been to your town dozens of times without any trouble caused, and yet now youâre set on avoiding this case. The only difference I know of is the subject matter of the investigation. If I may ask, why are you concerned about this case as compared to the others?â
Ollie leaned back in his chair and sighed, visibly calming down. âAlright, like you said, youâre new; maybe you havenât figured it out yet. This town is second only to Roswell in UFO sightings, and is a magnet for alien abductees. Theyâve got several support groups started, and more make pilgrimages here every year. You guys follow up on that stuff regularly; I got no problem with that.â
âThen what is the problem?â
âThe problem is that because of our little quirk in this town, the people who live here are also very susceptible to paranoia and conspiracy theories. If you people come waltzing in here and start interrogating people about werewolf sightings, youâre going to start a riot.â Ollie flamboyantly waved his hand toward the door. âAnd then youâll just waltz right on back out, and weâll have to clean up the mess. Quite frankly, we donât need that.â
âI think I see your point, Sheriff. But if we donât get to the bottom of this now, and there really is some werewolf or other creature out there, youâre bound to have more sightings. If it actually attacks someone, you wonât be able to stop the riot from happening. Wouldnât it be better to investigate the issue now, discreetly, before it goes too far?â
Kate was fascinated by the understanding nature of this male agent. He seemed to be considering Ollieâs concerns seriously, and agreed with them. Of course, it could all be a âgood cop bad copâ performance; it certainly felt that way. Even so, if his understanding nature was sincere, then maybe he would understand her as well. She needed to find out more, and watch these two.
Ollie stared at the male agent for a few seconds, and then almost smiled. He then pointed at the agent. âOkay, you I like. But it still doesnât change the fact that I donât have anyone to send out with you.â
âI can take them,â Kate blurted out before she even realized it.
All eyes turned to her, but it was only Ollieâs eyes upon which she focused.
âKate, youâre not a deputy.â
âWell, n-no, but itâs just taking them over to visit Earl and Riley, right? I know where theyâd both live, and Iâm sure theyâd understand if I explain why I brought them.â
âKatie, I canât use you like that in an official capacity. Youâre not qualified.â
âIf I may, Sheriff,â the male agent interjected, âIf Kate stays in the car and only Miss Blackwood and I go to their door, weâd only be using her as a guide. Would that still be an official capacity?â
Ollie took a deep breath and blew it out his mouth slowly, staring at his desk for a moment. âYeah, I could make that work,â he said out loud, and then looked up at Kate. âAre you sure about this?â he asked.
Kate paused for a second or two, and then shrugged; it wasnât like she could get out of it now. âSure.â
âAll right,â Ollie surrendered. âJust be careful, and stay away from Riley, you hear me?â
âIâll be okay, Ollie.â
Ollie raised his eyebrows and gestured to Kate. âThereâs your guide. Kate Crenshaw, meet Rachel Blackwood and Christopher Hansen from Department 118.â
Kate greeted them respectfully as she shook each of their hands.
âYou ready to go now?â asked Rachel.
âYeah,â Kate answered with a nod.
âThanks, Sheriff,â Rachel offered, and walked out of the office without awaiting a reply.
Christopher stayed behind and shook Ollieâs hand, thanking him once again. He offered to follow Kate out of the office. He seemed to be a gentleman.
âBy the way,â he said as he followed Kate through the waiting room, âItâs nice to meet you, Miss Crenshaw, and you can call me Chris.â
âThanks; nice to meet you too, and you can call me Kate.â
And as they left the building, Kate found herself hoping that she wouldnât have to regret entering a first name basis with this agent from Dep:118.
Offline
I like it! It is nice to see the other side of the mirror. We usually see things from Dep118's perspective, now we see it from someone a different point of view. Good stuff! Keep going!
Offline
Wow! I really like it The storyline thus far seems to be intriguing already. I'm so glad to see some more of your works. I've been waiting so long and I can't wait to see how this develops further. Especially sice I know the main characters already it's not like you're starting from scratch, which is nice. I found the segments easy to follow and I had only intended on reading one post tonight, but I got sucked into two of them
Anywho, bring on more whenever you can. I have a feeling I'm going to be riveted the whole time.
(P.S. I am slowly reading your story, but it's hard to access my laptop all the time to read it, so I would like your permission to print it out so I can read it during my spares and bus rides? )
Offline
Punx, feel free to print away. I will always and invariably hope to receive any feedback you can give me. Heck, if a fellow passenger needs some reading material, that's okay too - as long as you get the copies back from them, of course. I also thank you for your interest in this beginning. I hope the rest meets up to your anticipation.
Thanks for mentioning the difference in perspective, Wolfsong; I thought it might be an interesting change, since almost all the other stories were told from Chris' standpoint.
Here's a bit more, but I'm not sure I'll keep it. I entreat all readers: if you feel ill at ease with any aspect of this next part please let me know - I think there may be some character conflicts here, among other bad things. Also, sorry in advance for the length. Just FYI and all.
-----------------------------------------------
The agents led Kate to an old fashioned ground-bound vehicle: a four-door car painted white with blue trim, and with an open cargo area in the back. The female agent, Rachel, took the driverâs seat. The male agent, Chris, led Kate to the door behind Rachelâs seat. After Kate climbed into the implied seat, Chris walked around the vehicle and took positioning the seat to Rachelâs right. After starting the vehicle and roughly piloting it down the road, Rachel made a comment to Chris to âask Shannon about borrowing her craft next time instead of Dadâs old relic.â Apparently, she was borrowing the vehicle from her father. And as she smiled at the comment, Kate found herself exhilarated by her assignment instead of being nervous around the two agents, like she was expecting.
As they continued, Chris naturally started a conversation by asking Kate what she knew about Earl Tippowitz.
âOnly a little bit,â she started. âI know heâs a scooper like me, one of the more stable ones. He has a big family north of here. He only stays here in the hopes of someday getting some answers, but he makes regular visits to his family.â
âThe report says thatâs where he was heading when he saw what he saw,â Rachel commented.
âSo do you guys really think he saw a werewolf?â Kate asked sheepishly.
Chris shrugged. âStranger things have happened, believe us. We wonât know until we get more facts. Forgive me for prying, Kate, but you said that Mr. Tippowitz was a âscooperâ like you. If I may ask, whatâs a âscooperâ?â
Kate paused as she forcibly refrained from rolling her eyes. This guy works for Dep:118 and he doesnât know what a scooper is? He must have been really new.
âItâs slang for an alien abduction victim,â Rachel explained.
âI see,â Chris said thoughtfully. âMay I ask when you were abducted?â
âSometime when I was a teenager,â she explained, âShortly after I left Serendipity.â
âYou mean the isolation colony?â
âYeah. My mom moved there after the Empire kicked her out of some mutation development project that she was a part of. It was good for her; she wanted out of imperial life anyway. She joined Serendipity and eventually had me and my sisters. We were raised there. Personally, I hated it. Before I even turned 18 I kept saying that my destiny wasnât going to be in Serendipity.â
Chris huffed. âThatâs ironic.â
âYeah, I thought so too.â
âWhat about your father?â
âHeâs still in Serendipity, but on the other side of the colony somewhere. The council wouldnât allow him near my mom or my sisters or me after I turned six; he was being a jerk and a half.â
âSorry to hear that.â
âYeah, well, you canât pick your family.â Kate began to stare out the window, watching the scenery as they passed it by. âAnyway, I started having dreams of being abducted after I made my way to a place called Aisleton. I met an imperial counselor that put me in touch with your Department. Two of your people interviewed me and recommended I come here to Loughlin for support.â
âTwo of our Agents?â Chris asked.
âScott and Emily,â Rachel informed him.
âAh. So how long have you been living in Loughlin?â
âAbout two years or so.â
âYou must know a lot of the locals.â
âYeah, I guess. I know Earl because he was in one of my support groups from early on, but I know Riley only by reputation. Heâs an old coot that almost never comes in to town. He scares away visitors, hunts his own food in the mountains, has his own arsenal, that kind of thing. You know how Ollie was worried about a riot coming from all the paranoia?â
âYes.â
âWell Riley would probably be one of the starters. He keeps his house like a bunker, but heâd spread the word like crazy if he thought the end was coming.â
âIs he an abductâ I mean, a scooper â as well?â
Kate shrugged. âNot that I know of. In fact, he treats all the scoopers like weâre spies for the aliens.â
âAh; hence Sheriff Taylor making sure that you stay away from him.â
âYep.â
Chris turned to look at Rachel. âHeâll be a fun one to visit, kinda like the Owens case; remember that?â
âDonât remind me,â Rachel replied, focusing on her driving.
Kate paused for a moment, uncertain about the wisdom of asking the next question forming in her mind. However, she had to find out something, and so far the information exchange was proving to be only in one direction. She tried to think of some other question to ask, but her mind kept returning to the same one. Before too much time passed, she reinforced her confidence and posed her question.
âSo, you guys get a lot of werewolf sightings being reported?â
âAbout one every other month,â Rachel answered.
Kate was taken back; they had reports of other werewolf sightings! It wasnât often, apparently, but regularly enough for them to consider the issue with callus.
âDo- do you guys find any?â she stuttered. âWerewolves, I mean?â
She watched as Chris looked at Rachel for a moment obviously asking permission but only with his eyes. Rachel responded in kind, only with a look. Kate was not in a position to see her expression, but the reaction from Chris indicated a negative response.
âWe canât go into any detail at this time, but we have made some⊠undeniable discoveries.â
This was far beyond anything Kate could have expected. These simple, unexcited answers spawned a flood of more questions in her mind. Were there actually others out there? Where? What did they do with them? What did they find? Was there any way to lift the curse? And yet once again her fear tempered her excitement, for the answers could bring terror as much as they might bring ease. She would have to wait and see how these two handled the case, and perhaps it would expose how they would treat any werewolves they found.
And hopefully their intentions would manifest soon. Kate was already in the habit of staring at the calendar on her desk, and more so as every day came closer to completing the lunar cycle. Her calendar listed tomorrow as the night of a full moon.
No matter how she looked at it, she only had a limited amount of time, and what time she did have was steadily running out.
Offline
Love it! I can feel tension build; this is going to be good!
Offline
TYVM Wolfsong!
Here's some more. I don't know if this scene works - I haven't written anything like it before. Feedback would be appreciated...
Again, sorry about the length.
-------------------------------------------------
Earl Tippowitz lived in a simple apartment complex, neither gated nor painted nor otherwise maintained. Each of its three buildings were two stories tall, and at least five apartments long. It was a complex that did not aspire to set itself out as different from any other, and such was the case for most of its residents. Chris commented that it reminded him of his old place in Romberg, which was a large imperial city to the Southwest, closer to the coast. When he mentioned the city of Romberg, something buried deep in Kateâs memory tried to stir. There was some reason that Romberg caught Kateâs attention years ago, but she couldnât quite remember what, or why. Kate decided to pay it no mind and focus on matters at hand.
She pointed out the apartment which Earl Tippowitz called home. Rachel parked the vehicle in the visitor parking, which was thankfully in the shade of a row of trees. The heat of summer was beginning to make its presence known on a daily basis, but it had yet to reach the point of discomfort. In line with the conditions Ollie set upon her, Kate stayed in the car as both agents approached the apartment. Kate watched intently as they knocked on the front door and Earl answered it, looking bemused for a moment until the agents introduced themselves.
At a certain point Earl invited them inside and closed his door; and it was at that point where Kate unbuckled her seat belt and made herself comfortable as best she could. She may be waiting for a while, for all she knew. She stretched herself out along the back seat, resting her head on her folded arm, and gently closed her eyes.
She started thinking about her family back in Serendipity, wondering if there was any way for her to obtain a visitation permit through the Sheriffâs office. It would be nice to see her family again, if only for a day or two, but the Empire was not indulgent when it came to any dealings with isolation colonies. As a result, Kate settled for imagining their well being, picturing her mom being the referee as her older sisters fought over a boy, and her younger sister looking on with glee. She thought about their traditional places at the table, ready to eat a meal that Mom and at least one of her older sisters prepared. And once again her mind entertained the idea of a visit; but as it did, her conscious gave way to her subconscious, and she began her journey into the land of dreams.
Her dream was simple enough; it was the thought of driving a rented vehicle along the old highway on her way to see her mother and sisters in Serendipity. She turned on the radio and heard an old folk song about country roads taking the singer home, and it brought a smile to her face. She looked on ahead into the night, noticing that the headlights of her vehicle were very well complimented by the abundant light of a full moon.
It was so bright, in fact, that she was able to see a deer in the middle of the highway, slowly crossing to the right, but not fast enough to make it before her vehicle arrived. Kate tapped the brakes to allow the deer enough time to notice her vehicle, and also allow her to swerve around the animal if it became necessary. Suddenly, she felt the back of the vehicle sink, but her speed was hardly affected. It was like something jumped on the back of the truck. She peered into the rear view mirror on the left, but saw nothing. She used the mirror on the right, and saw a shadow hanging onto the back of the truck!
Reinforced with knowledge of possible deer in the highway just ahead, Kate instantly slammed on the brakes. She looked ahead just in time to see the deer look up and then run into the woods along the right of the highway. And then, after the truck had come to a full and complete stop, the back raised of its own accord, indicating that whatever had hitched a ride back there just disembarked. She leaned toward the right rear view mirror, trying to get a better view. In the bottom corner of the mirror she saw a shadow move.
Without warning a face popped up from the outside of the door and glared at her. It did not make more than a growl as a sound, but the abrupt appearance made Kate vault to the other side of the cab, slamming her back against the driver side door. The figure still glared at her with angry hazel eyes, and had rustled gray fur upon its lupine face. Its jowls began to rise, exposing white fangs among its teeth.
Kate shut her eyes as hard as she could. âGo away!â She cried out.
After a few moments of nothing happening, Kate took a chance; she opened one eye slowly, and then the other. The face that glared at her before was no longer in the passenger window. Ever so gently she pulled herself up to look over the hood of the truck, and saw nothing in the headlights. She peered into the moonlight, and again saw nothing. She exhaled her breath in relief.
And that was when a furred arm crashed through the windshield and grabbed her shoulder.
Kate screamed out loud, but soon heard another voice contrasting with her own. She took a moment to listen to the voice.
âKate! Kate! Itâs all right! Youâre okay! Iâm sorry; I didnât mean to startle you.â
Kate looked around and found herself in the back of the agentsâ car. She looked up and saw Chris holding his hands up in concerned alarm; he was apparently reaching back from the front passenger seat to wake her up.
âMust have been some dream,â Chris commented.
Kate shook off her bemusement and responded. âYeah, just a bit of a nightmare.â
Chris nodded and put his hands down. âWere you remembering your abduction?â
It took a few seconds for Kate to realize that Chris asked her a question. âWhat? Oh; no, I havenât had one of those dreams in a year and a half. This was⊠this was something else.â
âWait a minute,â Rachel said as she looked back over her shoulder from her position in the driverâs seat. âYou havenât had any recurring abduction dreams for over a year?â
Kate thought about her question for a moment while attempting to gain some orientation. âYeah, thatâs right. Why?â
âDid you report this?â Rachel asked sternly.
âWell, no. I thought I was cured. I didnât think anything more of it.â
âWhatâs the problem?â Chris asked.
âScoopers donât just up and stop having their dreams,â she stated to Chris, and then looked back at Kate. âDid you stop going to your support group too?â
âWell, yeah. Ollie suggested once that I take a break from the support group thing, so one day I did. Thatâs when I stopped having the dreams, so I just⊠never went back.â
âAnd that didnât seem the slightest bit significant to you?â Rachel demanded.
âNo, not really.â
âRachel,â Chris interrupted, âCalm down. Whatâs the big deal?â Chris asked her.
âThink about it, Chris. Kate was having the dreams, then she left the group and the dreams went away. What if the support groups are prolonging the dreams for others too; others who want to be free of them?â
âWell, wouldnât we need to get more facts before we jump to that conclusion?â
âAbsolutely,â Rachel confirmed, âand we could have been getting those facts a year ago if Kate reported it.â
âRight; now itâs time to back off, Rachel,â Chris warned, with an air almost as stern as Rachelâs. âIf you think this needs further research, we can inform Scott and Emily when we get back â with Kateâs permission, of course. But in the meantime youâre here to investigate a possible werewolf sighting, not a cured abduction victim, and Iâm here to confirm any findings. Now, letâs go and see what we can find out from Mr. Banks, shall we?â
Rachel stared at Chris for a moment, and Chris stared back. It was a silent battle of wills, each trying to further make the points they had each already made. Finally, Rachel broke the silence.
âWhatever,â the agent said, and then started the car.
Last edited by Grayle (2009-02-25 18:41:36)
Offline
Very nice! I really liked the dream sequence and how she rationalized why she had the dream. I wanted to ask, in the third paragraph from the bottom, was the word âtoeâ supposed to be âtheâ as in, âIn fact, she hadnât killed any human being according to the reports and the townâs population âsurely a missing person would have been reported by now.â Other than that itâs looking great!
Offline
Blasted Typos! Thanks again for pointing that out for me, wolfsong.
I took the last few paragraphs of the previous post and added them to this post, for the sake of congruity of the story. Judging by the replies, I think only wolfsong may be in danger of getting confused, in which case I apologize in advance, buddy.
Here we go.
---------------------------------------------
âSo, um, did you guys find out anything more from Earl?â Kate asked, desperate to change the subject.
âNot really,â Chris replied. âHe pretty much told us everything that was in the report, except added a little more on what the creature looked like when it glared at him. But since itâs been nearly six months since it happened, thereâs the possibility his memory of the event is not as clear as it used to be.â
âWell, donât sell him short,â Kate said as she returned to her view of the passing scenery. âHeâs a scooper, like me. A lot of us got training to hold on to details of our dreams as clearly as possible. Earl signed up for the training; I didnât.â
Chris nodded. âThatâs a good point to keep in mind; thanks for letting us know.â
âNo problem,â Kate offered indifferently.
She tried to let the rest of the trip continue in silence, staring out the window at the familiarity of Loughlin. She tried to keep the awkwardness at bay, but it was the unique nature of this new dream that disturbed her, not Agent Blackwoodâs implication of Kateâs mistake. With all her other dreams she saw things from the point of view of herself as a werewolf, trying to ensure her home was safely secured, bounding over a fence or running off into the forest. This dream was different because the werewolf was outside of her self, and she was playing the role of the victim.
Why did she have this dream? Was it some hallucination, or some trick of her conscience, trying to give her a guilt trip by putting her in the shoes of her victims? That didnât sound right; she didnât kill Earl or Riley. In fact, she hadnât killed any human being according to <THE> reports and the townâs population â surely a missing person would have been reported by now.
So the question persisted: why? Why this dream? Why did she view herself in the same kind of vehicle and in the same kind of situation as what she read in Earlâs report?
Earlâs report; ah, that must be the answer. She was taking the agents to Earlâs place, she had read the report herself, and her subconscious reacted to the tension by adding some of the events to her dream. What a cruel, heartless trick for her subconscious to play!
It was a relief, to be sure; at least she could explain away this dream. But the lingering lack of explanation as well as the recurrence of her lycanthropic nightmares caused her no comfort, and only fertilized her apprehension. Along with that, the presence of these two agents provided the water to nourish her unease. Fortunately the personable nature of Chris Hansen was providing some solace to her discontent. He was rational and willing to listen, even acted with her well-being in mind. It was not enough for her to trust him with the secret she held, for he could be acting out of principle, but it did provide her with a measure of hope, and at this point in her life, she could use all the hope she could get.
A one-story home with little more than a roof and walls served as the home of Riley Banks â at least, thatâs what it looked like from the outside. Ollie has had to send deputies out here more than once, and they all testified to the reinforcements that could be seen through the windows, as well as glimpses of a large and varied arsenal. Although the quantity of the arms raised alarm for many, Riley always had the appropriate licenses and certificates, and kept them up to date as well. If there was ever an invasion, nearly everyone in Loughlin would try for Rileyâs house.
The problem was that Riley was not at all fond of unannounced visitors. Now that she remembered that fact, Kate silently hoped Ollie called him in advance to let him know they would visit today.
As the car came to a halt in front of Rileyâs house, Chris looked back at Kate.
âKate, does Riley know you at all?â
Kate shrugged. âHeâs seen me once or twice, I think. I donât know if heâd recognize me, if thatâs what youâre asking.â
Chris frowned in thought. âStill, things might go a bit more smoothly if he saw a familiar face with us. I know we promised Sheriff Taylor that youâd stay in the car, but how would you feel about coming with us on this one?â
âIâm not sure. He doesnât like scoopers, remember?â
Chris looked up at the ceiling, acknowledging the point. âRight. Well, this time it may take a bit longer; you may be in the car for a while. I was just offering, because-â
âBecause of a bad dream?â Kate asked abruptly.
Chris looked at her and nodded slowly, his expression caught between concern and apprehension.
Kate flashed a weak smile. âWell, it would be nice to get out and stretch my legs. I guess we can give it a try.â
Last edited by Grayle (2009-02-26 17:04:32)
Offline
I am so sorry for the delay. I don't usually visit the story section as much as I use to. I still have to get the gyst of it. I'll subscribe
Anywho, AWESOME job on all additions. I especially loved the dream sequence. You did a great job on the description and making an ominous atomosphere. The character is likeable, and I can't wait to see if there are any good plot twists!
Offline
Wonderful to hear from you, Punx! I'm very glad it meets with your approval so far. As to plot twists, I may have at least one in store - a major one, but it's much, much later. Right now, let's continue with the investigation.
-----------------------------------------
Chris gave her a smile of thanks and the three disembarked, making their way to the front of the dilapidated home.
âThatâs far enough!â they heard from inside the house. They were still several paces away from the front door.
âMister Riley Banks?â Rachel called.
âWho wants to know?â was the reply.
âIâm Rachel Blackwood from Department 118 of the American Empire. This is my associate, Christopher Hansen, and this is Kate Crenshaw, our escort from the Sheriffâs office.â
âOllie said youâd be coming by,â he called out. Looks like Ollie did call ahead for them. Good old Ollie. âWhadda yaâ want?â
âWeâre here to ask you some questions about your wild animal encroachment.â
âNo youâre not; thatâs Dep:41. Youâre Dep:118. You wanna ask me about the werewolf.â
âThatâs absolutely right, Mr. Banks,â Chris said. âWeâre here to get as many facts as we can and let the facts speak for themselves. Weâre not here to prove or disprove anyone or anything because we donât have enough facts to support a conclusion. Can you help us with getting more facts on the case?â
âItâs all in the report.â
âThatâs not true,â Rachel replied. âThe report mentions prints on the ground and scratches on your door, but no pictures. We also want to get the story from your own words, not translated through a deputy that might have a bias. Now do you want someone to finally take you seriously, or not?â
Kate was astounded; how could Rachel Blackwood have so much aggressiveness and so little tact, and still be in a job dealing with the public? Yet even more to her surprise, Rileyâs front door opened and he emerged, a shotgun held with both hands but pointed toward the ground in front of him. He peered at each of the three in turn, obviously uncertain on how much leeway to grant them.
âYou read the report,â he said to Rachel. âWhat do you think it is?â
âI think you were visited by an unexplained creature,â Rachel said. âWhether it was a werewolf, Bigfoot, or some other creature remains to be determined.â
âI know what I saw! It was a werewolf!â
âThen the scratches and prints you found should confirm that,â Chris added. âMay I see them?â
A minute passed by as Riley seemed to slowly dissipate his suspicion. âFollow me,â he finally said, and walked around the left side of his house.
Kate watched Rachel and Chris look at each other. Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head, while Chris merely shrugged and began following Riley. Kate and Rachel followed as well. They came to a small shack made from cinder blocks, much newer than the house. After Riley disarmed or manually set off several of two dozen traps surrounding access to the shed, they safely approached the door.
âWhat do you keep in there?â Rachel asked.
âMy hunting spoils. This is where I clean the meat and prepare it.â
âThat would explain interest in the building,â Chris commented as he took a closer look at the metal door and its locks.
âAccording to the reports, the first visitation ended with the creature crashing through the door to get inside.â
âYeah, thatâs right.â
âSo is this the same door?â
âNo, the first one was wood; it was ruined. I replaced it with this one and reinforced all the locks. The second time it came around it tore the outer latch off, but couldnât get past the deadbolts.â
âLooks like you got a shot at it,â Rachel said, pointing a discolored indentation in one of the cinder blocks on the corner.
âYeah, I got a few rounds off but I never hit it,â Riley confirmed.
Chris stood from inspecting the markings. âMr. Banks, what do you see when you look at these scratches?â
Riley shrugged. âSlash marks.â
âI think youâll be happy to know that thereâs more to see,â Chris said, and pointed to the area around the locks. âWhatever did this slashed the door only after trying the locks first. A common wild animal couldnât know to try the locks first, so a wild animal is pretty much ruled out.â
âWhat about Bigfoot?â Kate asked curiously.
âThose donât have claws,â Rachel answered. âAnd theyâre herbivores.â
âSo this creature is intelligent, has claws, and eats meat,â Chris summarized. âIt doesnât isolate it to a werewolf, but it narrows down the possibilities. What about the tracks you reported?â
âItâs been a month,â Rachel commented. âTheyâd be useless by now.â
Chris shot Rachel a look that seemed to encourage her to hold her tongue; at least that was how Kate interpreted it. Chris returned his attention to Riley. âMr. Banks, could you show me those tracks?â
âThis way,â Riley said, and took them behind the shack twenty meters to the tree line of the surrounding forest. He looked around to get his bearings, and led them to an area with disturbed grass. âThey were around here somewhere; youâll have to look around.â
Chris and Rachel both began looking for any of the tracks, and it was not long before Chris found some. He squatted to examine them and then looked deep into the wood area, probably following an imaginary direction with his mind.
âIt went into the forestâŠâ He said thoughtfully, and then looked at Rachel. âRachel, is my backpack in the car?â
âYeah.â
He stood and exhaled. âIâm going to follow these tracks as best I can, but itâs going to take a while; Iâm probably going to lose them a few times, theyâre pretty old. You might want to drop Kate off and head back to the motel. Iâll contact you if I need you to pick me up.â
âWait a minute,â Riley interjected, âYouâre just gonna waltz out there into the woods with no protection, following the tracks of a werewolf?â
âMr. Banks,â Rachel said to get his attention. âThree things: first, the tracks are at least a month old, and likely wonât lead back to the creatureâs lair. If it does, Chris knows what to do. Second, there are things in his backpack to provide protection. Third, itâs still daylight and the moon isnât full yet. Rest assured, Mr. Banks, we know what weâre doing.â
âBut how is he going to contact you?â Kate asked.
âIâll make my way to town and borrow a vidphone, probably,â Chris explained. âDonât worry, I do this all the time. Iâll be just fine. In the meantime, Rachel, why donât you go over the events with Mr. Banks, and you can go over them with me when I get back?â
Rachel turned to Riley. âWould that be alright with you, Mr. Banks?â
âYeah, I guess,â He agreed as he looked at Chris suspiciously.
âOkay then, Iâll go get my backpack and start on my way. Thanks again for your cooperation, Mr. Banks,â Chris said, offering his hand to Riley.
Riley accepted the hand and shook it. Then, with a smile upon his lips, Chris walked toward the car, leaving the other three to discuss the details of Rileyâs reports.
Offline
No problem there buddy! I just caught up on the updates last night and I think the story is going great! I loved the sequence with Riley, you really captured the paranoid, reclusive, conspiracy theorist there! I just wonder if Chris' Hybreed loin cloth is one of the items in his backpack. Great stuff, more please!
Offline
Thanks, Wolfsong! I'm really happy that the character of Riley came over so well - I was hoping he would.
As to Chris, he keeps a lot of things in his backpack - but for all we know he could be wearing that loincloth under his current clothes, like Truug does, you know? Anyway, since the story focuses on Kate and her grappling, it's not really anything I can put too much detail into.
Here's some more. I'm not too sure I'll keep the product placement in here. Let me know what you think
------------------------------------------------
When Rachelâs abrupt personality and Rileyâs paranoia met across the table, it didnât take long before their deliberations broke into a heated debate, and then became a flaming disaster. After verbally attacking Rileyâs paranoia outright he demanded they leave.
Rachel kept quiet all the way back to the Sheriffâs office, and Kate secretly appreciated her silence. She didnât mind talking with Chris, but Rachel was like a ticking smart bomb, seeking out the weak links in a personâs defenses and liable to strike when they least expect it. She just wasnât the kind that encouraged trust. However, Chris was that kind, and he obviously trusted Rachel. Perhaps Rachel was simply one of those people who took time to acclimate. Whatever the case, at least sheâd be gone soon.
The past day was filled with worries and bad dreams, and it took its toll upon Kate. She clocked out at work, went home to change, and then headed to the local tavern, knowing that some of the office personnel would likely be there. In this town it was just about the only place to go when a person wanted to unwind, besides reading some second-hand books at Garyâs unofficial newsstand. For Kate, the tavern was the best place to let go when the sun began to set.
She sat at a table with Ollie and a deputy named Fred, each enjoying a bottle of beer along with each otherâs company. The tavern stuffy but not smoky, cozy but not cramped, offering any traveler a feeling of welcome. It had a wood dĂ©cor, and was heated by a fire radiating its heat from inside a pot-belly stove. Thereâ werenât very many occupants in the tavern this night - considerably less than usual, even though it was the middle of the week. Yet even with the small number of attendees there was a low murmur of mingled voices humming in the air. As Kate sat there, sipping at her beer, both of the men at her table began prodding her about her experience with the agents from Dep:118.
âTheyâre taking everything about it seriously,â Kate reported, âand they seem to be objective about it too. At least Agent Hansen is; he investigates, but the other one interrogates.â
âAgent Blackwood,â Ollie confirmed. âYeah, sheâs always been that way every time Iâve seen her. Itâs been a long while since she was last here, though; I was hoping she changed, but guess not.â
âGood cop, bad cop,â Fred said with a matter-of-fact tone. âItâs a classic.â
Kate shook her head. âBut theyâre not playing it like that. Itâs more like she clears the obstacles and then he goes in to find answers.â
âWell is he finding any answers?â Ollie asked.
âI think he is. He ruled out wild animals at Rileyâs place.â
âHowâd he do that?â
âNowâs your chance to ask him,â Fred said, causing Ollie and Kate to look at him. Fred gestured with his eyes to the bar.
Walking up to the bar was Chris Hansen, looking around timidly as he approached. If Kate didnât know any better, she would say that his full head of brown hair seemed a bit longer than it was earlier in the day.
âThatâs him, right?â Fred asked. âHeâs not a local.â
Kate looked at Ollie, her eyes inquiring if he was going to approach the agent.
âNo thanks,â He said, holding his palm upright, declining her silent enticement.
âAlright, fine,â Kate said, and took the last swig from her beer bottle and then stood. âThen I will.â
Ollie looked at her as she scooted her chair under the table, his eyes wide with surprise. Kate gave him a wink in response as she left.
She approached the bar on the right side of Chris, barely hearing him confirm with the bartender that they had Anchor Steam on tap. Delighted with the affirmative answer he ordered a glass, and Kate immediately asked for one herself. Steve, the bartender, left to retrieve both drinks. She looked over to Chris.
âHey,â she greeted.
âHey,â Chris responded with a smile in his dark blue eyes as well as on his lips.
âI didnât expect youâd be back so soon.â
Chris shrugged. âIt only took a few hours. I lost the tracks a dozen times, and didnât find much more than a month-old carcass.â
âWas it from the, um, creature?â
âIt was too decomposed to tell, but the marks in the bone indicate something big fed on it.â
âA werewolf?â
âCould be.â
Kate tried to put on a false face, scoffing in disbelief. âSo you really think werewolves are real, donât you?â
Chris nodded and looked her directly in the eye, a knowing smirk barely making its presence known on his lips. âAs real as aliens,â he responded.
His sincerity coupled with his slippery response unnerved her. As Steve provided the drinks and collected the tender, Kate thought about what Chris divulged. Chris was obviously aware that he was talking to a scooper, reformed or not. That meant he realized Kate would believe aliens were real. What's more, he worked for Dep:118, so there was no telling what strange, unexplained things Chris knew about. It became clear to Kate that Chris was saying he believed that werewolves existed â no, more than that, he knew they existed. It's just that he didn't say it in certain terms. But if they truly existed, then why such secrecy? And yet an even more disturbing question: What did they do with them once they find them?
Offline
I'm really loving this story, and the way we know more than Kate does.
It's really interesting seeing the characters from this perspective! Keep going
Offline
Thank you very much, Edo! I felt that visiting the world from another person's perspective might help enrich the world in the mind of the reader, as well as mine.
Here's some more.
----------------------------------------------
âH-Have you caught any werewolves?â She stuttered.
Chris sighed. âIâm sorry, Kate; I canât tell you that.â
âWhy not? I mean, if theyâre real, donât citizens of the Empire have the right to know?â
âCertainly; in good time.â
âWhat? You need to wait until theyâre ripe?â she jested.
Chris let out a weak laugh. âNo, but we donât want to cause a panic either. Look, it took almost two centuries before we had definitive proof that Bigfoot exists. You know what happened when they announced that? Everybody made a mass exodus to the forests and tried to catch one for a pet. The Empire had to step in and put some heavy restrictions in place; they even had to use the GORE a few times. If we prove werewolves exist and make the announcement the wrong way, weâll get the same thing, only this time guns and pitchforks will be involved.â
Kate conceded the point. It made sense, but it still boiled down to the government withholding information, in her opinion. Even so, the tone of his explanation indicated that he did not want werewolves to be hunted or eradicated, regardless of any nature toward monstrosity. It gave Kate comfort that maybe there was a chance of survival.
âSo, why are you on this case, anyway? I haven't seen you here for scoopers before. Are you some sort of werewolf expert?â
Chris laughed again. âOh, I wouldnât say expert; specialist, maybe.â
âBut youâre more than just an enthusiast for werewolf rights, huh?â
Chris once again looked her in the eye for a moment, and then returned his gaze to his drink. âYes,â he confirmed.
Kate was more curious than ever about this man, and more importantly, about his knowledge and intentions. But it was curiosity for certain, not fear or worry. He was hesitant and reclusive concerning his knowledge, but something in his dark blue eyes said he wished it didnât have to be that way. Suddenly a theory came to mind that silently linked Chris to this issue and to werewolves as a whole. She had to find out. There had to be a way to ask the question without asking it.
âItâs personal, isnât it? Something happened to you, something that deals with werewolves, didnât it?â
Very slowly, Chris picked up his drink and forcibly imbibed, taking as much time as he could. He set the glass on the bar, looking down at the surface of the wood. His expression hardened for a second, and then his mouth began to open. Kate was frozen in time, eagerly anticipating the words that were about to emerge from his throat. Suddenly Ollieâs face emerged from the other side of Chris.
âAgent Hansen,â he said, âyou mind telling me exactly what your intentions are toward Kate?â
Chris looked up at Ollie. âI-Iâm sorry; intentions?â he stuttered.
âYou heard me,â Ollie said in a lowered, almost threatening tone.
This just wasnât fair. Kate stepped in before it was too late. âBack off, Uncle Ollie; everythingâs okay. Heâs being the perfect gentleman.â
Chris glanced at Kate, and then retuned his attention to Ollie. He put up his arms in a disarming fashion. âLook, Iâm only here for a drink, and Kate came up to me and started a conversation. I honestly have no intentions toward your niece, Sheriff.â
Ollie leaned in toward Chris, a malicious smile upon his lips. âSheâs not my niece, Agent Hansen.â
No, no, no; this wasnât right! Ollie was ruining it at just the wrong time! She had to win back Chrisâ confidence and get answers.
âHe means Iâm not his niece by relation,â Kate explained, and gave Ollie a warning glare. âOllie and his family took me under their wing when I first got here. I became an estranged member of the family, so I call him Uncle Ollie.â
Chris raised his eyebrows in understanding. âActually I can relate to that,â he said with a nod, and then took another gulp from his drink.
Kate raised her head behind Chrisâ back and addressed Ollie directly. âEverythingâs okay, Uncle Ollie; weâre just two people with mutual respect having a pleasant conversation, and if it makes you feel any better I promise to go home alone, alright?â
Ollie smiled and perked up. âGood. See you tomorrow, Katie dear.â
âYeah, thanks,â She said, uncertain if the sarcasm could be heard in her voice. âSay âhiâ to the family for me.â
Ollie gave an affirmative grunt, continued in saying farewell to the rest of the occupants, and left out the door. When Kate looked back at Chris, he was staring at Ollie's departure with his brows furrowed. Kate leaned in toward him and spoke consolingly.
âSorry about that; he gets a little overprotective at times. Besides, I think he just wanted to ruffle your feathers for fun.â
âThen youâll understand if I start molting,â Chris replied.
Kate laughed.
Chris drained the last of his drink and swallowed it down heartily. âOn that note, I think Iâll call it a night.â
Damn; she was so close! She tried desperately to think of some way to repair the conversation, but to no avail. But there was no doubt now that this man had confidential information on werewolves, and his explanations showed he wanted to understand them, not eradicate them. She had to find out more; unfortunately it would not be tonight - not without looking like she was coming on to him, and she wasn't about to take that route.
âSo are you guys leaving tomorrow?â She asked.
âAh, no; not until the day after, at the soonest. Tomorrow nightâs the full moon; thatâs why we came here when we did.â
Oh, he just had to remind her! âOkay, well, if thereâs anything else I can do to helpâŠâ
Chris smiled. âIâll definitely let you know. And I thank you for all the help youâve already provided, Kate. It was a blessing.â
Kate smiled meekly. âAnytime.â
With one last sincere look Chris turned and exited the tavern, and Kate spent the rest of the night grappling with forgiving Ollie freely.
Last edited by Grayle (2009-03-05 14:18:20)
Offline
I missed more....damn...
Anywyas, great enstallments. I loved how Kate is trying to deflect the blame from her, and I think she has a hand to play in some of these sightings. Just a hypothesis. I really enjoyed the way you described Kate and Chris at the bar together. I could vision it so lucidly in my mind, like a movie playing in front of me. The dialogue flows naturally - it's never forced. And I love Rachel's tenacity. Every character you have adds more to the great plot, and I eagerly anticipate more from you, Grayle
Offline
Wow! Thank you so much, Punx!
Uh-oh; I may have already given away the ending. If I may ask, Punx, what leads to your hypothesis of Kate's involvement? Was it something I said?
I'm very glad to hear that the characters and dialogue are so easily accepted. Rachel has her own adventures in dealing with the Lords of Orwin, of course, but this is the first time I've written her in a prominent role with Chris. As a result, I'm very glad her tenacity came out in this story as well.
Here's more.
-------------------------------------------
D-day. D-day. The phrase wouldnât leave her head, and kept pounding away at her resolve in tune with the beat of her heart. In line with the morbid terror she felt, Kate realized the full moon tonight would bring out less than civilized qualities currently laying dormant deep within her. She considered tying herself up as she did once before, but last time she woke up on the floor with the restraints severed, and dirty paw prints leading into her house through the sliding glass door in her bedroom. Locking herself in a closet had a similar outcome, confirming the futility of restraint. Chris was right; she was pretty intelligent as a werewolf.
If only there was a way to control it, to be conscious as a werewolf, then maybe she could make decisions for herself. But as far as she knew there was no taming the beast.
Yet that was only as far as she knew. Chris Hansen, and probably all of Dep:118, knew much more.
At first, she felt all she could do was await the agents to make an appearance at the office. Then she began to think that if she could come up with an excuse, or contrive some false report to get them into the office sooner, then maybe she could find out more of what they know. At that point despair started to settle on her thoughts, and she even considered simply turning herself in, but she still didnât know what their intentions really were - despite Agent Hansenâs conservative nature.
The two agents finally arrived in the building in the late morning and went directly to Ollieâs office. Kate didnât even try to feign an excuse to listen in; she went directly into the office as innocently as she could, trying to hide her agitated nerves. Ollie, of course objected to her presence; it was both typical and expected.
âCome on, Ollie, you already let me help once,â Kate protested.
âOnce is enough,â Ollie replied.
Chris looked at her, analyzing her silently with his dark blue eyes, and then he spoke.
âBudding interest, or bored behind the desk?â he asked with a smirk.
âThe first one.â
Chris continued his gaze.
âHonestly,â Kate assured him.
His gaze did not falter, and his smirk was accompanied by one raised eyebrow.
âAlright; mostly honestly,â She finally admitted. âItâs both.â
Chris brightened his smirk into a smile.
Kate turned to Ollie. âCanât you let me stay in the loop just this once, please? Pleeeeease?â
Ollie put his hand up to brace his forehead. âIâve created a monster.â
âMonsters are people too, Sheriff,â Chris added.
Ollie looked up at Chris for a moment. He then sighed and looked at Kate. âAlright, you can sit in. But no more field work,â and emphasized his second point with his finger.
âThanks, Uncle Ollie,â Kate said, and gave him a big, embarrassing hug.
ââUncle?ââ Rachel rhetorically repeated in a hushed tone.
âHeâs the Raymond Collins of the Sheriffâs Office,â Chris explained quietly.
âLovely,â Rachel said, not trying nearly hard enough to hide her annoyance.
Chris unfolded a map across the Sheriffâs desk. He explained that they wanted to try to lure the creature in a way that could at least verify its identity if not allow them to capture it. He pointed out two ridges and an imaginary line that needed to be sprayed with a special organic chemical to simulate wolf boundaries. The boundaries would surround the area that included the werewolf sightings, and created a singular travel route: directly into the property of Mr. Banks.
âWeâve already discussed the issue with Mr. Banks, and he agreed to assist â if for no other reason that to prove he isnât crazy,â Rachel reported.
âWeâll need the manpower to spread the chemical, but once thatâs done we can take care of the rest.â
Ollie continued to stare at the map. âYou really think this will work?â
Chris shrugged. âItâs worked in the past, it should work this time too â unless the creature has become self-aware.â
Suddenly Kate was pleased that she took the chance at being in attendance. This was almost too good to be true! âWhat do you mean?â
âWell, a lycanthropic change isnât tied to the full moon, but thatâs what all the stories say anyway. The average person believes a person whoâs a werewolf will turn into a mindless, raging beast on the night of a full moon, and go around ripping peopleâs throats out. So if they actually do become a werewolf, they submit to that idea. Their conscious mind retracts and their subconscious takes over, dominated by wolf instincts. But they never become a mindless, raging beast, because thatâs not a wolfâs nature.â
âSo youâre saying theyâll act more like a wolf, not a monster?â Kate asked.
âYes, as long as they arenât self aware. Once they learn to invoke the shift on their own, they become self aware in their werewolf form, and therefore responsible for their actions. If this creature is a werewolf and has become self aware, then itâs going to see right through this trap. If itâs still primal, then this will work.â
A flood of possibilities threatened to overtake Kateâs mind. It was definitely possible to be in control, to be self-aware in her werewolf form! She just needed to know how to accomplish it. Surprisingly, it was Ollie who asked the question for her.
âHow do they start the change?â He asked sincerely.
Chris looked at Rachel. âTheyâre interested. And theyâre taking it seriously.â
Rachel looked at him almost with disappointment. âItâs your funeral. Iâll get the door.â
As Rachel closed the door, Chris leaned in toward Kate and Ollie, who both responded in kind.
âWhat Iâm about to tell you is considered confidential, but it wonât really mean anything to you unless youâre a werewolf, so Iâm willing to tell you. Even so, I need to make sure you wonât repeat it to anyone.â
Kate nodded in full anticipation, and Ollie did the same.
Last edited by Grayle (2009-03-06 13:12:07)
Offline
How in the world did I miss 3 updates!! Oh well, I'll subscribe to this one so I won't be left behind anymore. Great stuff Grayle!! Is Chris really going to just tell them how or is he doing to shift for them? I am on the edge of my seat with this one.
Offline
Thank you again, Wolfsong! Sorry if I'm adding updates too often - I can slow down if preferred.
Chris doesn't shift at this time - but he has this love of informing and educating others about his people. Once he starts talking about them, he'll answer any question his audience may have. Rachel's had to rein him in a few times during their months together on other cases. He's doing his best to keep his enthusiasm under control during this story, though.
I guess I could just continue the story and show you what I mean...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
âAlright. First off, werewolves prefer the term âHybreed.â Itâs kind of like how people are called humans instead of primates; âHybreedâ is the name of the species. Now, hybreed can listen and adjust the internal workings of their own bodies. They can hear the frequency at which the molecules making up their bodies vibrate. That frequency is different for each form they can take. All they have to do is find that frequency, think of the one they want to change it to, and their entire body will follow suit by changing form.â
âThen why do they change on the full moon?â asked Ollie.
âThatâs because their conscious mind doesnât know that it can do it itself, let alone how. Their subconscious mind knows instinctively. When the full moon rises, the person surrenders their conscious mind simply because they think thatâs whatâs supposed to happen. Their subconscious takes over and invokes the shift. Once they learn to control the shift, however, their subconscious doesnât take control of the shift anymore.â
âSo they get to be themselves in a werewolf body?â Kate asked.
âIn a hybreed body, yes. A self aware hybreed would have every chance to lead a full and productive life, even in the Empire â as long as theyâre careful with their ability.â
The well of hope in Kateâs heart was flowing freely, watering the rest of her existence, nourishing the possibility that she could be in control, and maybe make something useful out of her secret.
âSo, that means there could be self-aware hybreeds walking among us right now,â Ollie commented.
âUh, âhybreedâ actually works for singular and plural, Sheriff; no need for the âsâ at the end. But youâre right; there may be an unknown number of hybreed walking among us, and weâd never know about it unless they wanted us to.â
Ollie leaned back in his chair, rocking slowly as he pondered the revelation. âWhat about silver?â He finally asked.
Chris narrowed his eyes. âWhy would you ask that, Sheriff?â
âPrecaution,â Ollie replied sternly.
Chris sighed. âSheriff, this hybreed isnât a danger. I mean, look at the facts so far: itâs only been sighted by two people and it didnât attack either one â even though it had plenty of opportunity. It went for the deer instead of Mr. Tippowitz, though Mr. Tippowitz was an easier target. It went for Mr. Banksâ food cache twice, probably knowing what was in that shack from being told in human form, and only went for it as a last resort.â
âThatâs all fine and dandy, but Iâve seen wild animals when theyâre cornered. If we're going to try and capture it, we need to take precautions.â
âWe use tranquilizer rounds only,â Rachel interjected. âNo exceptions.â
Kate interjected. âBut silver-â
â-Is not an option,â Chris replied in an uncharacteristically darkened tone. His resilience on the issue was obviously unmovable. He turned back to Ollie. âI want your absolute word on that, Sheriff.â
Ollie nodded, looking at Chris with an indefinable expression. âNo silver.â
Chris sighed in relief. âThank you. Now, a shipment of our chemical should arrive in two hours, and we have sanction to use it on forest vegetation. Weâll need to get it in place by sundown. Can that be arranged?â
Ollie gave a slow, silent nod. âWill an old crop duster do?â
âThat should work. The chemical will dissipate over time, and it wonât hurt the vegetation.â
âIâll call Paul Krauss; Heâs got a duster he doesnât use officially anymore, but he keeps it maintained just in case. Iâll get him to do it.â
âThank you, Sheriff,â Chris said. He nodded to Kate and turned for the door.
âOne more thing,â Ollie called out, causing Chris to stop and give back his attention. âIf you capture this⊠âhybreed,â then what happens?â
âThat will be up to them,â Chris answered. âWe can teach them what they need to know about being a hybreed; we can even introduce them to other hybreed. But if they decide they want to be a monster instead, then thatâs exactly how weâll treat them.â
âThe choice will be theirs, not ours,â Rachel added. âWeâll take appropriate action according to that choice.â
âIf thatâs all, Sheriff, we have a few other things to do before tonight.â Chris added.
Ollie nodded slowly. âIâll get in touch with Paul.â
Chris thanked him once again and said farewell, and then followed Rachel out of the office.
Last edited by Grayle (2009-03-07 16:29:43)
Offline
Very good! I like how Chris handled the situation, though I wonder if this would end with Kate being killed by silver because the sheriff decided to handle matters himself. Nay, I'm probably reading to much into it. And don't worry about the frequency of updates, I subscribed to this one so I will get an email when there is an update. Keep it coming buddy!
Offline
Thanks, Wolfsong!
Just so you know, Kate doesn't die in this story. I try to shy away from death in my stories; If you need to kill people in order to make your story a good story, then something is deficient in your storytelling talents. People keep saying "Well, that's the way life is! Death is a part of life! It's reality!" But readers of Sci-fi and Fantasy are trying to get a reprieve from the realism of life, not a reminder of how dismal it may be! MEH!
There. I said it. I feel better.
And that's not saying death shouldn't be a part of any story - Shakespeare's tragedies wouldn't be nearly as thought-provoking if everybody lived.
Alright, alright - I'll get off my soapbox and carry on...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kate looked over at Ollie who was staring at the office door that the agents closed behind them as they left. His expression was hardened, but his thoughts were clearly deepened. Considering his last question, Kate ventured to conclude that she knew what was going through his mind.
âYouâre wondering who it is, arenât you?â
Ollie looked at her for a moment, and Kate was surprised to see a look of worry in his usual rock-like composure. There was a twinkle in his eyes, and something was hidden deep within that twinkle. It was something like a parent with deep terror of losing its child; but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
Ollie nodded slowly before answering. âIt could be anyone; it could be Fred, or Harold, or Steven⊠Or Janet; it doesnât have to be a guy werewolf. Hell, it could even be Riley, and his sightings are just meant to cover his own tracks. Thereâs just no telling who it is. But what really worries me is that if it turns out to be someone from town, thereâs no telling how the rest of the town is going to take it.â
Kate sat down in a chair in front of Ollieâs desk. âWell, these guys seem to know how to keep secrets. They know a whole lot about werewolves, but nobody else does. And most of the town doesnât know about this anyway; maybe the agents have ways of making sure they never find out.â
âThat scares me too. Keeping a secret like this is going to affect how people involved live their lives. This is the kind of thing that changes your life forever. What if they donât want their lives to change, you know?â
It bothered Kate to hear Ollie speak in such uncertain terms. When she needed the comfort of a sounding board, Ollie was always there for her. For what seemed like an eternity she considered telling him her secret. After all, if they did catch her, heâd certainly know at that point. Yet despite her desire to bear her burden, she could not bring herself to implore his confidence. She decided it would have to wait until Ollie saw her change for himself, so he could not deny it. She resolved to let things turn out the way they would, simply because she believed it wouldnât be that bad.
âI know how you feel, Uncle Ollie, but I really believe that these agents know what theyâre doing. I know that, whatever happens, it will be okay. Whoever it is will get to learn how to cope with being a werewolf, and maybe even meet other ones. I mean, think about it this way: we already know Dep:118 supports scooper communities. Maybe they have werewolf communities somewhere as well.â
Ollie lifted his eyes from wandering around his desk and looked at Kate. âYeah,â he said thoughtfully, "yeah, maybe they do.â He reseated himself in his chair, and his usual rock-like composure was restored as he changed the subject. âKatie, I donât want you there when they catch this thing, it could still turn out to be dangerous. However, I promise to let you know what happens after itâs all done, and Iâll tell you who it is â if anyone.â
Katie smiled; boy, did Ollie have a surprise in store! âI understand. Just whoever it is, go easy on them, okay? Theyâve been doing their best not to hurt anybody, you know.â
Once again Ollie smiled. âUnless itâs Fred; if thatâs the case then weâre all going to have some fun before they take him away.â
Kate smiled as well, and then left the office. D-day. D-day. The phrase returned to her head, but somehow changed from a death sentence to a launching point for a new adventure, a new life.
Offline
Very cool. I can't wait for Ollie's reaction when he finds out.
Offline
Thanks Wolfsong; for now let's just say that his eventual reaction is... extreme.
Here's some more. Not to give away the plot or anything, but this is where things start to go wrong.
-----------------------------------------------------------
At the end of her shift, Kate locked up the drawers of her desk and looked at the contents sitting upon it. She smiled contentedly at the model Tyrannosaurus Rex that Ollie and Nicholeâs son, Tristan, built for her using paper mache. It stared back at her with big pasted-on yellow eyes, and smiled a very toothy smile at her. She patted it on the head and nudged its lower jaw with her finger. Finally she stood and made her way to the entrance, waving a farewell to Ollie through his window on the way.
Outside the air was comfortably warm, the sun sinking under the mountains along the western horizon. She scanned the sky to see if she could find any sign of the full moon, which no longer held any grip upon her fears. Though it did not yet present itself, this was the first time she looked forward to seeing it for many months. She decided to go home and explore listening to the internal workings of her body, and perhaps she would find the frequency that Chris mentioned. If she could do that tonight, then she could be self aware and avoid the trap. It sounded ornery, even mischievous, but nonetheless fun.
As she made her way out of the parking lot, she glanced to her left and noticed the ground-bound vehicle that the agents used for transportation. It seemed odd to her that their car would be here at the office when she knew they left earlier. She decided to head back into the office to see if something had happened; the more she knew the better.
Cautiously she re-entered the building, slowly making her way through the hall and the lobby, trying to get a view of Ollieâs office. As she passed through the lobby she was able to catch a glimpse of Ollieâs door, which was open, and Agent Blackwood was standing just inside having another heated discussion with Ollie. Kate decided to cut through the back hallway on the way to the kitchen, that way she would not be detected and she could sneak up on the conversation.
Kate made her way down the hallway and turned right, traveling through an alcove with doors on wither side. She silently opened the far door and made her way around to the opposite side of Ollieâs office, which also had a window.
âShe had plenty of chances, Sheriff,â Kate heard Rachel tell him. âIf she wanted to come clean she could have, but she kept it to herself the whole time. We know that kind of hybreed sheâll turn out to be, and we have to take action.â
Oh, no!
âYou donât know for sure!â Ollie shouted. âYouâre just making predictions. She could have had plenty of reason for not saying anything!â
âWe know what weâre doing, Sheriff. Weâve had to do it before. The only reason Iâm telling you is because Chris felt you should know since youâre so close. She now knows what she is, and itâs only a matter of time before she uses it. People havenât been hurt because she wasnât in control. Once sheâs in control, sheâll use it, and sheâll use it the wrong way.â
Ollie shook his head vehemently. âNo; no, not Katie. Sheâs not the one. She just canât be!â
âWell, she is. We know what has to happen, Sheriff, and we know what will happen if we donât take her down.â
Take her down, she said. Take her down. Could it possibly mean they intend to kill her? But what about everything Chris had told her, and had told Ollie?
âLook, Sheriff; once sheâs self-aware, she wonât be afraid anymore because the control mixed with the primal freedom will intoxicate her. Sheâll feel unstoppable, and she very nearly will be. Sheâll test her abilities by going into town and creating havoc, which is what you were worried about in the first place. Weâve been through all this before. If we canât capture her tonight, we have to destroy her. And remember what I told you about the importance of cooperating with me.â
Ollie glared at the agent with a savage fierceness in his eyes that Kate had never seen before. It frightened her, but apparently had no affect on Rachel.
âI suggest you look for a new clerical assistant, Sheriff. Kate Crenshaw wonât be a member of this community for much longer.â
The glare from Ollie could have left burn marks on the wall, yet the agent appeared immune it. âGet out,â he commanded with a cold voice, every syllable dripping with menace.
Agent Blackwood stood her ground for a moment, then relented and left.
Kate could barely think over the pounding of her heart reverberating in her head. She thought for certain that there was hope, and that she could deal with this challenge; but Agent Blackwood just said that the control would intoxicate her, make her drunk with power. There had to be a way to stop it. There had to be a way. There was only one person she could think of that might know for sure, but with what Rachel just told Ollie, there was no way Kate could trust him now.
Offline
Golly you are right. It feels like she is going to do something reckless here. I'm on the edge of my seat!!
Offline
Well that's something I wasn't expecting!
Very nice part! I did think that while Kate was thinking about deliberately transforming she'd be a little more nervous about it. What if it would fail and she'd not be in control? Just a small thing...
Offline