Chapter 2
2001 Words
2
"She's not going to smell it."
"She has to."
"She's not a dog."
"She has to learn to smell it."
The two bickering pair were Una on the nay side and Al on the yea. Between them and a few feet back stood Lilly. Her head turned left and right like a tennis match spectator as the two continued their argument.
"She's not going to do it," Una insisted.
"She has to. It's part of her job," Al argued.
Una pointed at a sweaty sock Al held in his hand. "Why does it have to be that thing? We don't even know where it's been."
"It's been on my foot," Al told her.
Una stuck out her tongue. "Now she's definitely not sniffing that thing. It might kill her."
"She has to sniff something of mine so she can go find me," he explained to her.
A sly smile slipped onto Una's lips. "Why didn't you say you wanted to play hide-and-seek? You hide and we might look for you in a couple of months. Or better yet, why don't you get lost permanently?"
"So I can find your brain?" Al quipped.
"Come on, you two," Lilly scolded the pair, but they didn't hear her soft words.
"She has to do it!"
"No, she doesn't!"
"She's a Star, now!"
"She's my friend, not a dog!"
"That's enough."
The stern tone cut through the bickering like a knife. Everyone turned to the open doors of the drawing room. Paul stood in the doorway with one hand on the frame.
"What's going on here?" Paul questioned the three.
Al held up his sock. "I'm trying to see if Lilly has any heightened senses yet, but this hag-" he pointed at Una, "-won't let me get within ten feet of her."
Una wrinkled her nose at the article of clothing. "Why a dirty, filthy, diseased-"
"Una," Lilly warned her.
"-disgusting sock? Why not a block of Gouda or Bree?" Una suggested.
"Because cheese isn't a person so it can't move around the grounds," Al argued.
Paul turned his head to Lilly. "Would you be willing to take Al's sock and use it to find him?"
Lilly looked to the sock and cringed. "I guess I could. . ."
"Then do it and let's get started," Paul commanded them. He dropped his hand and turned away from them.
Una balled her hands into fists and marched a few feet toward him. "Who do you think you are ordering us around? You're not our boss!"
Paul paused and glanced over his shoulder at her. His expression was one of indifference. "You're right, I'm not your boss, but I am your friend's Moon, and she must learn to protect me. Now no more arguing." He walked out of sight.
Una's face twisted in disgust and she made to follow him. "Don't you-" A hand fell on her shoulder. She stopped and looked behind her.
Lilly stood there with a smile on her face and the sock in her other hand. "It's fine. I don't mind."
Una's face fell. "But he shouldn't be able to talk to you like that."
Al folded his arms across his chest. "He can because he is her boss now."
She looked past her friend and glared at him. "Don't you have some place to hide?"
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to a few minutes without you," he retorted before he dropped his arms and strode past them.
Lilly's shoulders drooped. "Una, you're not making this easy."
"Easy? Easy?" Una repeated as she threw up her arms. "My best friend is now a werewolf's toy and his manservant-agent is trying to help change her into something she's not!"
Lilly grasped her upper arms and smiled at her. "But I am something else now. I'm not just a human, I'm part werewolf, too. That's what it means to be a Star."
Una hung her head, but set a hand on her friend's shoulder. "My poor, courageous little Lilly. Still trying to keep a brave face."
Lilly had to suppress a laugh. "It's not that bad. At least the food's good."
Una whipped her head up. "Well, that's thanks to that weird driver of Lupe's. What's his name again?"
"Origa, now come on before I'm scolded again," Lilly insisted as she grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her out of the room.
Night hung heavy over the estate of Paul Lupe, famous actor and secret werewolf. The deep shadows of the woods that surrounded the house were offset only by the columns of light that stretched out the windows and onto the lawn. The two girls stepped out into the cool, dark wilderness and found Paul standing in the gravel driveway. His head was tilted back so that his yellow eyes gazed up at the twinkling stars.
Lilly was mesmerized by the man's handsome features. His expression was soft as he studied the night sky with a look akin to that of a curious child, but with a sad tinge in the depths of his eyes.
Una leaned toward her and lowered her voice to a whisper. "At least you picked a handsome guy to be a Twinkle to."
"Star," Paul corrected her without turning.
Una put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Will you stop listening in on us? It's rude."
Paul turned toward them and his expression cooled along with his voice. "This is my home."
"So what do I need to do first?" Lilly spoke up, heading off her argumentative friend.
Paul held out his hand to her. Lilly blushed, but walked over and set her hand in his. He turned them both so they faced the woods to the right of the house. "The grounds of my estate constitute some hundred acres of woods. Al is hiding in there. You must find him using only his scent."
Lilly held up the sock and sighed. "All right. So I just sniff it?"
He released her hand and nodded. "Yes."
Lilly took a deep breath as Una joined them. "Here goes." She closed her eyes and leaned in. The woolen material tickled her nose, but she inhaled deeply. The stench filled her nostrils and drove her into a coughing fit.
Her friend jumped to her defense and grabbed her arms. "Lilly! Lilly, speak to me!"
"I'm. . .I'm fine," Lilly wheezed.
"Can you still smell? Did it make you blind?" Una shoved three fingers into Lilly's face. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Lilly pushed Una's hand away. "I can still see, that was just-well, worse than I expected."
Paul pursed his lips as his gaze fell on the thick forest. "Al used his strongest socks to make this easier for you."
Una shuddered. "So he wore them for what? Two days straight?"
"Five."
Una whipped her head to her friend and held out her hand. "Hand that thing over. We need to burn it and then salt the earth."
Lilly rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. It's not that-" A soft breeze blew past them, and on its tail was a familiar scent.
Paul watched her with a close eye. "What is it?"
"I . . .I smell-" she lifted her nose and sniffed. "I think I smell Al."
"Inhaling that much nuclear waste fumes would give anybody the ability to smell him for a mile," Una quipped.
The breeze died down, but the scent still lingered. Lilly took a few steps forward and sniffed.
Paul's soft, commanding voice reached her ears. "Follow it."
Lilly took off into the trees following her nose and Paul's command.
"Hey!" Una yelped before she hurried after her. "Wait for me!"
Lilly zigged and zagged under branches and through brush. Una struggled to keep up, but she paused a few yards in and looked over her shoulder. Paul was gone. She frowned. "Now where the heck did he-" The distant crashing of her friend through the woods made her realize she was falling behind.
Una rushed forward and caught up to Lilly fifty yards into the mess. Lilly had paused to take a sniffer as she turned her head left and right.
Una put her hands on her bent knees and tried to catch her breath. "You're. . .you're boss is. . .is gone."
"He's not too far. . ." Lilly whispered.
Una blinked up at her. "Who? Lupe?"
Lilly shook her head. "No, Al. I can smell him."
The scent returned, stronger than ever. Lilly raced forward. Una groaned, but followed. The pair struggled through brush and branch for another fifty yards before they broke through the wilderness and into a small clearing.
"Okay," Una spoke up as she fell onto her rear on the soft grass. "Lupe officially has to hire a gardener or a logging crew."
"Almost there. . ." Lilly murmured.
Una frowned at her friend. "Are you even listening-" Her words caught in her throat. There was a soft glint of yellow in the depths of Lilly's eyes. "Uh, Lilly, are you okay? You don't look so good."
A voice spoke just behind her shoulder. "She's fine."
Una screamed and swung her fist up. A hand grabbed her knuckles. She whipped her head around and found herself looking into the grinning face of Al. He knelt behind her.
"That's a better reaction time than I thought you had," he teased.
"I did smell you!" Lilly cried out, not without a hint of joy.
Al dropped Una's hand and stood. "Yeah, but next time try not to be so noisy. I could hear you coming when you started."
"Give her a break, will ya?" Una defended her friend as she rose to her feet. "It was her first time and she was probably pretty queasy from that sock she had to smell."
"Threats won't give her a break," a voice spoke up. Una yelped when Paul dropped to the ground between Lilly and her. He faced Lilly and studied her with his bright eyes. "How was your vision?"
"My vision?" Lilly repeated. He gave a curt nod. She shrugged. "Good, I guess. I wasn't really paying attention."
Al folded his arms and grinned. "That means that's improved or you would've killed yourself going through some of that stuff."
Una jabbed a thumb in her own direction. "I went through it just fine."
"Yeah, but you were following her," he argued.
"It wasn't that bad a trail."
"You two sounded like a pair of runaway train cars crashing through a china shop."
"Think you can do better?"
"Blindfolded."
While they resumed their bickering Lilly looked up at Paul and cringed. "Was I not very good?"
The corners of his lips turned up. "You weren't bad, but more practice is needed."
Lilly hung her head. "Damn. . ."
A hand settled softly on her head. She looked up to find him staring down softly at her. "I think you'll be just fine after a few more practice runs."
"But not tonight," Al spoke up as he glanced at his watch. "If we don't get a move on we'll be late for your first rehearsal."
Paul dropped his hand and turned to Al. Doubt overshadowed his features. "This better be more successful than your last idea." Lilly cringed as he mentioned that. She was the last idea.
Al grinned. "It will. Besides, you know you like live audiences more than the cameras. They don't clap."
"Then let's go."
Lilly stepped closer to Paul. "Can I. . .can I come?"
Paul half-turned to her and a soft, true smile slipped onto his lips. He looked so handsome that she had to blush. "Of course."
"Then I'm coming, too!" Una spoke up. She raced around Paul and attached herself to one of Lilly's arms as she faced the werewolf. "To make sure you don't get her into any trouble."
Al rolled her eyes. "That was just a little werewolf trouble. These things happen."
"Like you getting tossed over a couch?" she retorted.
Al glared at her. "It surprised me, okay? Besides, I had you to babysit. We don't-"
"You may come," Paul agreed.
Una perked up and her eyes widened. "Really?"
Paul turned away from her and sighed. "Really. Now let's go." He walked away into the woods. Al frowned at her a moment longer before he followed.
Una looked up at her friend. "Looks like the two musketeers are still back in business."
Lilly smiled. "Looks like it, but I wish you wouldn't be so hard on those two."
"They need someone to keep them on their toes," Una argued as she grabbed Lilly's hand and tugged her after them. "Now come on before they leave us both behind!"
- Writer
