The Call of the Moon

Chapter Three- The Signs, The Types, and Them

“Secrets have a range of danger and importance. Some secrets are simple such as having a crush on someone you see everyday or even knowing what gift you will be giving someone for an upcoming holiday or birthday. But there are some secrets in this world that hold such a level of importance that if they are uttered to the wrong person, the entire world could spin into chaos. These secrets could be the location of a terrorist or even the name of a person wanted for an unsolved crime. Then there are those secrets that are hard to believe-the ones that sound made up or far-fetched. I suppose “far-fetched” is suiting due to the fact that this town’s secret is that of werewolves. A secret that I was soon going to have to share with those I thought I knew, and those I had yet to know.”

Aurora tore herself up from the ground and deeper into the woods in a desperate attempt to find anything to help her cover up. She would come to use the water of a nearby river to be that very thing as she threw herself into the freezing water. Upon doing so, her gaze caught upon her own reflection as she saw her face to be smeared with blood in an area focused around her mouth. It was almost as if she was dressed up as a vampire for Halloween with the placing of the blood. It was not a joyous event where you would get candy however, the reason for her using a squirrel as a chew toy was the beginning of something she couldn’t bring herself to believe.

“Hello?” A male voice called out as she threw herself further into the water, trying to hide from whoever was trying to seek her out. “Aurora?” The young man called out as she came to somehow recognize the voice just as he seemed to recognize her. “I know you’re probably really scared right now, but I’m just going to toss down some clothes.” He said upon doing just that and tossing her a button down flannel shirt and a pair of gray sweat pants. For a strong desire to feel warmth again, she didn’t question his kindness as she pulled the clothes over her body. The feeling of the warm and dry fabric made her groan as she quickly felt fearful of the man who called out to her. She questioned how he knew her name, how he knew where she was, and even if he happened to know what it is she was going through.

“I am not here to hurt you...I am here to help you.” He called out as he moved over the hill that kept her hidden from him before she saw him standing over her. For a moment, her gaze froze as she could vaguely remember seeing his face before-but not even really his face, but more his eyes. They were a haunting light blue that appeared like smoke instead of a strong pigment color.

“Who are you?” She asked him as she moved up the opposite hill and looked around her in case she would have to run from the man.

“You don’t recognize me at all?” He asked, obviously hurt by her confusion before finding her to only add to the pain as she shook her head “no”.

“We have gone to school together our entire lives.” He said as she glared to him as he stood before her in such a way that was the go-to attire for a serial killer. He had on a dark hoodie with matching pants and kept his hands in his pockets almost as if he was prepared to take out a weapon at any second. This with the fact he called her by her name had made her incredibly hesitant to trust him.

“Sawyer Cassit.” He said as he waved nervously to her.

“Sawyer...Cassit…” She said the name quietly to herself as she mentally tore threw the pages of her High School yearbook before matching his name with the picture she envisioned. She realized that the boy standing across from her was the same one constantly teased for being “strange”. He never had high school easy but Aurora was never among those who made it difficult for him. If not for his timid personality, he would have the potential to be popular. But he would always choose the back corner of the classroom and focus on a sketchbook while never making any attempt in social situations. This mixed with the fact that his family lived in the rundown trailer park on the edge of town made him the perfect target for those lacking morals in high school. The very same people that Troy Hannlin would find fun in poking at.

“I do remember you…” She said cautiously. “But...how did you know I was here?”

“That’s kind of a long story, I thought maybe you would want to talk somewhere...else…” He spoke upon looking around and noting just how creepy the woods was around them. It was not the scene for a duo equally cautious of each other-but for different reasons. “There’s a cafe within walking distance…” She hesitated to move as she thought of all the times she saw a girl’s picture come up on the news of her having gone missing by trusting the wrong people. Her mind thought of her possibilities and due to the fact she saw no one around and she was given enough space to outrun him, she agreed. But only by following him first.

“So tell me...How did you know?” She asked just as they made their way on solid ground the same level so they could have an official conversation without the interruption of nerves.

“I think it’s easier to explain something else first…”

“Okay…” She said cautiously as they made their way from the woods and onto the main street on a part of town barely visited by those of Aurora’s social class. This side of town was referred to as “The Slums” by a very unoriginal group of high schoolers with IQs consisting of football terminology and the ways to seduce girls. The once new buildings had been crumbling with sections of the brick having been knocked out entirely by those without parental supervision. However, among the run down buildings, there had been a cute little cafe right on the edge-just as Sawyer had said. She took comfort in this being the truth as he led her into the diner up a pair of steps and inside where they immediately sat across from each other in the back booth. Before they could speak of her being in the woods or how he knew she was there, they were approached by a waitress who was very familiar with Sawyer. But when she saw Sawyer, she had to do a double take upon seeing him with someone like Aurora who was known to be out of his social class.

“The usual, Sawyer?” She asked as he nodded before looking to Aurora.

“Just a coffee.” She asked as the waitress nodded and left the couple to speak alone.

“Do you have any idea what’s happening?” Sawyer asked as he looked at her carefully.

“No...I’ve been sick the past few days...but...I’ve also been stressed with college and life in general-”

“You aren’t sick...I mean...not normal.”

“You sure know how to make a girl feel special.”

He nervously ran his hands through his hair before using the same nervous tick to quickly lick his lips before his mouth turned to a smirk.

“I’m just gonna say it….” He announced before lowering his voice. “You’re not human anymore...you’re...a werewolf.”

Aurora couldn’t help herself as she busted out laughing. “I know my hair isn’t tamed today but my gosh…” She then looked back up to him, expecting him to have the same humor-but saw how his gaze hadn’t changed in his level of seriousness. Due to this, her laughing subsided until silence was between them. “What?”

“Two nights ago you were scratched in the woods.”

“Yeah…”

“And now you feel like your body is literally changing.”

“If we are going to get that personal I HAVE gone up half a cup size.” She tried to keep humor in front of her fear but noticed how he didn’t fall into this even slightly.

“Aurora…-”

“Look...I know you may have this misconception about me and maybe there are people who are...I don’t know...but I am not. I am normal and popular and fine….” She spoke to him with a tone increasing in volume. The reason she grew so defensive was the fact that a part of her believed it to be a possibility even though every ounce of logic within her brain told her it was impossible.

“I can prove it to you.” He spoke as he looked around the cafe. “There is a wound on her arm right now that is connecting into your blood vessels. It is killing off your humanity and making you stronger...faster...more courageous. I guarantee you’ve noticed a change...maybe it’s the fact you were a vegetarian and now can’t get enough steak….or maybe that you stand up for yourself when you would have usually just kept to yourself.”

“That doesn’t prove anything…”

“Okay...You are having dreams about me.”

Aurora scoffed. “Now you aren’t only a jerk but also arrogant...two for two…”

“It’s because I am the one who scratched you. You kind of...were created by me...because of that...you are drawn to me.”

“Okay...if this is some elaborate way to get me to go out with you-”

“Dammit, Aurora...I’m trying to help you.”

“Or yourself?”

“What?”

“Do you think I don’t know the fact of your reputation?” He kept quiet, feeling hurt by her words. “Do you think I don’t hear what they say about you?”

“I-”

“I understand that you may have come across me that night...maybe you saw something happen and wanted to help or maybe you’re scared of Troy or...I don’t know...but...I’m fine. I’m just dealing with a lot.”

“I know how I can prove it.” He spoke as she prepared to move from the table just as their drinks were brought from them with Sawyers having been an omelet loaded with more meat than there was even egg.

“The night you were attacked by Troy-”

“Sawyer-”

“You were wearing a perfume with lavender and rose oil. You begged him to stop and he covered your mouth. He was bitten on the shoulder and scratched from the head down to the neck.”

“You could have stalked me and known that or read in the paper.”

“You recognized me...not from school...from my eyes. The same eyes that looked up to you after I tore Troy from you.” She froze, as she had thought that very thing when she saw him.

“If you still don’t believe me, I’ll change.”

“Let’s say for argument's sake that I DO believe you or at least...think it to be possible…Why am I changing and Troy didn’t?”

“Because you fed. You took a life within twenty four hours of being scratched.” Her mind then motioned to the memory of seeing the squirrel lifeless beside her and the blood upon her face.

“It still doesn’t tell me why you were out there…”

“I knew I scratched you and have been...watching close to see when you’d change. I tried to keep you from feeding...but...lost you…”

“Lost me?”

He nodded. “Newly scratched or bitten are faster than us older ones…”

“Us?”

Sawyer nodded. “You can’t really think you are the only one...or WE are?”

“I still don’t know what to believe.”

“Well to make it simple. You can always tell if someone is a werewolf by one simple thing. The amaranthine shimmer in their eyes.”

“The WHAT?”

“Purple. It’s a purple shimmer that you see when they turn. It’s only really noticeable by other werewolves-and now since you are-”

She held her hand up.

“Now since you may potentially understand you could be….”

“So am I going to kill people?” She asked with a worried tone.

“No. The worst night is the first. Luckily, you have too pure of a heart to take the life of a person.”

“What about you? Do you kill people?”

“No.”

“But you had to have killed to become one...right?”

“It’s not ALWAYS the case. To make it simple, there are four groups of werewolves.” He spoke upon taking different colored sugar packets to represent the other groups. “There are the blue bloods...us...the ones having been bitten or scratched and forced to learn of the lycan lifestyle without much of a guide.” he used the plain blue sugar packet to show that before then pulling a pink one. “Then there are the carnivores...the “crimson blood”...they hurt anything and everything in their path.” he then slid the white one to view. “Then there are the ones born and bred to BE werewolves. They marry and birth other werewolves...and the forth one...they are the elders..or the silver blood. They help us stay secret.”

“So...what about wolfsbane? Silver? Do those things actually hurt us-them.” She corrected herself, not wanting to believe it just yet.

“Wolfsbane is difficult to be around. It is almost like having an allergic reaction. For silver...we can’t wear it, it gives us a headache if we look at it..and it is the only thing that can really kill us.”

“So werewolves are immortal?”

“No….just...stronger. We are usually too fast and strong to be killed but if put in a position against a silver bullet...it transforms us to our normal selves and that puts our identity and our secret at risk.”

“Anything else I should know?”

“I know this is unbelievable but there’s a part of you that believes this, I can see it. You aren’t alone in this-”

Aurora scoffed as she pulled her hand back as he tried to soothe her. “You aren’t done with your transition...you are going to feel a total change within yourself...you’ll feel like you’re a different Aurora. The smallest thing can change to the biggest such as a dislike for a certain food to changing your entire wardrobe or getting a tattoo when you were always against them…”

Her gaze froze to the counter in front of her as she was truly unsure what to believe.

“There’s a free run tonight…”

“Free run?”

Sawyer nodded. “It’s where werewolves are given one hour to run without being hunted.”

“Hunted?”

Sawyer nodded. “There’s a lot you will need to know.” He saw her fear and nervousness and felt as though perhaps he spoke too much to her too soon. “Just show up tonight, at the same place we met-or re-met...and if you don’t believe me after that...I promise you that you’ll never hear from me ever again.”

“You are luring me back into the woods? AT NIGHT?”

“Here…” He gave her a small black square box as she pulled it to view. “It’s a pepper spray with silver in it. For the crimson bloods…” She took it and put it in her pocket before looking back up to him. “If you don’t believe me after tonight, I won’t bother you again. You just need to have someone to help you through this...And who better than someone who...doesn’t want to see you hurt?”

His eyes locked onto hers as she came to realize that his care came from a romantic place as opposed to one based on friendship. But despite this, she found that his eyes made her feel relaxed, as if she wasn’t expected to do anything but trust him. And without telling him so, she did.