Chapter 5 - Unedited First Draft

5 The bitter cold swirled all around the young girl as the reflection of a billion lights glistened on the new fallen snow. Since her arrival, she could only recall a few minutes here and there where there wasn’t some type of frozen precipitation pelting her from all directions. She was slowly getting used to it. Tonight none of it seemed to matter much. It affected the mission in no way whatsoever. Besides…with her face covered in a light fur…it rarely touched the skin enough to make her even remotely aware. The events of the previous evening had sent her reeling to the point that she knew it was definitely time to move on to the next level of the plan. As the day had progressed, she had gotten little catch up sleep due to the returning memories of a sweaty night involving her new found friend Willow. Every time she closed her eyes, visions of the beautiful yet odd young lady beckoned her to hastily come to a conclusion. Was this indeed the most disgusting thing that had ever happened to her or an experience that could possibly alter her young life forever? Shaking the haunting visions from her head along with the accumulated snow on her cheeks, she knew that now was not the time to think of such things. Revenge and survival were to come first…and neither of them were jockeying for position of importance. Regardless of consequence…they were equals in her mind. Her first stop of the evening had unfortunately been the Central Park Zoo. Animalistic hunger had finally caused her to succumb to the unthinkable. In the early morning hours, subscribers to the local media would be slapped with the news about the discovery of a slaughtered deer inside of its enclosure. She hated it…but the act’s ranking would’ve been nothing compared to that of an uncontrolled transformation and similar treatment of an unsuspecting and innocent human being. It’s not like Manhattan could offer the comforts of home where she could just easily walk out the back door and run off into the woods. Necessity was a bitch. The second stop of the evening had been to Saint Patrick’s Church to speak with Father McCormack. With all that was destined to ensue, she wanted to make absolutely sure that her soul was clean enough to endure her final moments with confidence and acceptance. Shockingly, he giggled at the misfortunes of last night and sent her away with his blessings. As a ghost, she guessed, it wasn’t the first unexpected lesbian experience confession he’d bore witness too…regardless of whether or not the poor soul offering up the confession knew he was even there and listening. Ultimately, it was the excessive drinking that he’d had a problem with offered up an ‘everything in moderation’ speech that sounded much rehearsed. He had become a good ally and an important part of her life lately. She hoped he’d be a shoe in reference if things turned increasingly bad. Finally, she stopped by her apartment to coax her mother in attending the night’s stake out. Sneaking around the normal people of this world undetected had become sort of a hobby for Katie…but werewolves were a different thing altogether. Only having to deal with one of them in anger before, she wasn’t aware of how easy or difficult this was going to be. For a fact, she knew all to well of how easily she picked up on scents and the likes. She had also never been successful in sneaking up on her father after he had the curse bestowed upon him either. This was a saddening part of her life. Gone were the days of sneaking up on him in the shower to flush the toilet or cover him with a tall glass of frigid water. His senses where way more in tune that hers. More than likely with age, she guessed. Unfortunately, someone had forgotten to include the handbook with the package when it had been delivered. Jessica, as a spirit, would have a lot more luck sneaking amongst the unknown. She was a perfect scout for an imperfect situation. Although she’d never tell her, this was one of the main reasons she had brought her along to begin with. Granted, it was nice to have company from time to time that wasn’t going to wake up naked next to you with fuzzy thoughts about how it happened. Following a set of familiar tracks around the Central Park lake, she now sat motionless and quiet in the tallest tree she could find a mere hundred yards from the entrance of Belvedere Castle. In the distance, children’s voices and laughter carried on the wind from the ice skating and Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center. Unbeknownst to them all as they played carelessly, monsters of the night once thought to be imaginary figments in the minds of Hollywood writers lurked at the edge of the tree line of the darkened park in the hopes they would come and join them eternally. If they only knew of the nightmarish fate that possibly awaited them all upon the misfortunes of a nocturnal visit to Central Park, other than the criminal element of course, they’d build a ten foot tall fence for their own safety. In the end though, it was the criminal element that kept them all at bay and they knew nothing of the bloody myth that lay beyond the mental edge of their reasoning. To be young and uninformed was a luxury that no longer belonged to Katie Liberman. She was one of the monsters. Jessica had been gone for nearly an hour now with no sign of immanent return. With little argument, she had followed the trail allowing her daughter to assume a more secluded position within the foliage. Ignoring her father’s teachings that he had passed along via the information from Jimmerson, she knew all too well that any passing werewolf would be able to spot the ghost from a mile away. She’d gone invisible…which meant that she could actually be sitting beside her on the tree branch at this very second…but knowing her mother like she did, there was no way possible that she could’ve kept her mouth shut long enough to stay hidden for long. Would a passing pack of those like her just pass her off as a random wandering spirit? Did her mother even possess the stealth to talk her way out of a jam if she were to be discovered? It was a definite chance she was taking, for sure! Detecting a cold spot in the weather of the evening was a useless gesture. As a matter of fact, with the time that had passed in her absence, the once fresh trail leading to the castle had been long covered up by the celestial snowfall. This was definitely going to make things increasingly difficult. Willow had mentioned that Kurt Jimmerson had been interested in the restoration of Belvedere Castle for quite some time but her observation gave no signs that anyone was there on this night. Research had said nothing other than the fact it had been a museum and a weather station in its prime…but its beauty and grandeur was a heavily visited attraction during the hours of daylight! It had even been used as a set piece in a few movies before. She could guess of his obsession for restoration with that in mind. History and tradition seems to mean more to those with wealth for some reason plus…being a well known philanthropist would definitely throw off the dogs or gain him sympathy with the media and in public if ever his intentions were to be questioned or his reputation tarnished. She couldn’t wait to meet him. For all she knew, though, she already had. She couldn’t wait to kill him. Sheriff Werewolf back home and his odd daughter would be making a return trip to normalcy when she did so. Seeing that all was clear with the passing time, she closed her eyes in deep meditation. Slowly, her unusual abundance of body hair began to retract into her body to reveal the image of a young girl once again. Claws returned to fingernails as a slight tingle of pain twitched throughout her fingertips and she could feel the itch of retracting skin on her ears as they rounded. She had eventually grown to ignore the pain that usually went along with a slow transformation. It was the sudden, emotion fueled ones that were still excruciating but nothing compared to the searing fire that accompanied the very first one that night at the Myrtle County fairgrounds. Would she miss it when the power was gone? It wasn’t like it made her feel special or cherished among those around her because, unlike her father, she wasn’t allowed to speak or reveal herself to anyone. Repeated reflection upon his reasoning had told her time and again that it was indeed the proper thing to do when it came to the general public and she obeyed without interrogation. Sure, that was good for the tiny population of Twin Oaks who couldn’t keep a secret if their lives depended on it…but in a city the size of New York, she could easily become a comic book worthy super hero the likes of which had never been experienced in reality. The fear that usually accompanies the unknown with it comes to the mentality of humanity easily squashed that delusion quickly though. For now, she was Katie Liberman, abused puppy extraordinaire…and that would have to suffice. The crack of a crashing tree branch under the weight of the accumulating snow startled her back into her on guard state but all soon returned to quiet. Since the werewolf’s hair was no longer a luxury to her body in human form, the cold had seemed to sneak up on her suddenly. Pulling the hood from her sweatshirt over her wind blown hair and giving the drawstrings a hard tug shut out the intruder swiftly. Sniffing the air around her, she detected no hint of anything unusual anywhere nearby and the constant noise of the city around her masked any hopes of catching any approaching foot traffic. “Damn” she said allowed as she shuffled her butt along the tree limb for a more comfortable seat “Now I’m just bored!” This was definitely not the excitement and adventure that she was promised in the brochure imagined in her mind when she agreed to endure the burden of this trip… “Katie…” came the soft voice attempting to remain stealthy. “Katie…” came the whisper again. “Kathrine Liberman!” came Jessica’s voice booming directly in the young girl’s ear. Startled awake from a sleep brought on by severe discomfort, Katie flailed her arms in an attempt to regain her balance. Nearly falling from her heightened perch, she glared at her mother disapprovingly with fire in her eyes. “Damn you, Mom, I told you to keep it down!” she scolded “I’m trying not to give us away!” “Oh pipe down” Jessica replied “Nobody but you has been able to hear a word I said in five years! There’s no need to get all snippy!” Katie grinned slightly with her head bowed in anger. Sometimes, she thought that her mother didn’t completely understand the severity of her situation and how the slightest miscalculation or risk could end up in tragedy. Why would she? She was already dead and had absolutely nothing to lose. “You just don’t get it, do you?” the Katie continued while brushing the snow from her sweatshirt that had fallen from the treetops during the commotion “The people I’m looking for CAN hear you…maybe…hell, I’m not sure. Anyway, there is a possibility that they can hear you and I don’t want to take any risks. From now on, pretend as though they can hear you!” “Look” Jessica attempted to retort “You were the one that was asleep on the job while I’ve been out in the snow looking at footprints for an hour! You’re the one not taking this seriously!” It was at this point that Katie Liberman stopped caring about stealth. “I’m not taking this seriously” she stood in anger attempting to keep her balance on the frozen limb “Right now, I have a faceless nemesis that could be ten feet away from me or in the same room at any given time…and I’d never know it. I know that he is definitely my nemesis because I never think much about his demise or what he has planned for my ending if he were to ever get the upper hand…but I often day dream about the battle. If that doesn’t qualify for the title of ‘arch enemy’…I don’t know what does. I’m not taking this seriously? Comic book heroes don’t have shit on me right now!” The stinging cold burned her throat as she attempted to catch her breath from the argument as the winter steam escaped from flaring nostrils. Katie had been trying to keep it together the best she could over the last few days but now it had seemed as though the breaking point was in sight and tangible. So far, the only two good things that had happened to her were soul preparation from a holy apparition she’d met and possible soul destruction from a bi-sexual Irish girl that may or may not be the new proud owner of her virginity. Using those two examples on a sliding scale, the goodness factor was exactly where it started when she first reached New York. She’d been nowhere…and she was getting desperate. “Look” she started again in an attempt to remain calm “I’m not going back empty handed, mother. I’m either going to be successful in killing this Kurt Jimmerson guy or I’m going to die in the process. I’ve just about blown every bit of money that was set back for my first year of college in order to get here, eat, and survive and I’m lying to the people that gave me that money by not telling them where I’m at and what I’m doing. I’m too damn old to get grounded but Dad will damn sure try to make life difficult if I have to go back home and live under his roof…especially after he finds out what I’ve done. Most importantly, I refuse to spend the rest of my life cursed as a werewolf. I want to live like a normal girl, work a normal job, marry a normal guy, and have normal babies. I’m never going to have any of those things or be able to live that way if I don’t put a stop to it here and now. If I die trying, so be it. I’m no better off…” “Oh listen to yourself” Jessica came at her “I’m Katie Liberman and I’m a werewolf! I’m Katie Liberman and I’m miserable! I’m Katie Liberman and I’ve got problems!” Her mother’s mocking was beginning to anger her and she could feel the tingle of separating flesh around her fingernails. Unfortunately…there was nothing she could do to shut a ghost up. Jessica’s rant continued. “Regardless of how you may have to live out the rest of your days…at least you’re still alive. That is something I can’t say and will never be able to say again! I miss being able to touch people or speak with random strangers! I miss the taste of food and the smell of flowers! Hell, I’d give anything for a freaking cigarette right about now! You’ve got some kind of weird death wish thing going on and don’t care if tomorrow comes or not. Baby, you don’t want this. You don’t want to exist this way. At least with the ‘family curse’ as you call it…you have choices in the matter. I have no choices left. My soul is scraping the bottom of the barrel and I’m not even sure how much longer I’ll be attached to this world. One day I’m not going to be able to jump to you when you need me, I’m sure. One day I’ll be gone for good. Your rule book can still be written. You can make yours up as you go. My pen ran out a long time ago…” Katie couldn’t argue the points her mother was making. She was absolutely right. In the end, it all came down to personal choices on where she wanted her life to go and how she wanted to live it. There were ways around the werewolf issue…it was just going to make things a lot more difficult. She felt sorry for her mother and everything she had been through over the years but…it was her fault. Most of the things that were wrong with Katie and the bad things that had happened to the other people she loved were because of Jessica’s actions. She wasn’t going to be able to opt out of the conversation at hand easily. She wasn’t going to be able to play the sympathy card or gain victory in a mother and daughter disagreement. In life or death…Katie had to win. There was no way she was going to give up an ‘I told you so’ in this or reveal the epiphany of a life lesson to her mother’s satisfaction. Something had to be said to stop the direction of the talk. Something had to be said in order to slam dunk the point in a way that her mother would treat her like an adult that had her own agenda. Something had to be said to shut her up for good…or at least for a while. “Mom” Katie sang sweetly “I had sex with a lesbian last night!” Game point. The awkward silence was broken by the rush of rapid footsteps in the snow below them. Jumping to the ground quickly, Katie inspected them closely to reveal that they indeed didn’t belong to humans. The shoe prints were too far apart for a normal stride and the clawed handprint in every other indention was a dead giveaway. This was it! There was no time to finish the inevitable conversation at hand. “Mom, get back to the apartment and wait for me!” Jessica flinched, still in shock from the previous statement “You had sex with a lesbian?” Before Katie could even tell her to shut up, the ability to use her human voice disappeared and the painfully quick cracking of her tiny bones echoed throughout the nearby trees. Like a bolt of fur covered lightning, she pursued the pack of fleeing werewolves with determination. Dodging in and out of the coming trees, she flung fallen snow in all directions beneath her feet. The tracks were becoming much sloppier meaning that they were now moving quicker then they were before. Either they knew someone was following them or they were getting in a bigger hurry to reach their destination. From what she could tell, there were four of them. Three sets of tracks where all that could be seen by the untrained eye but the middle set was much larger than the ones on the sides. It had been stepped through by the one following it making it only look like three. With one in the lead and three following, it was a definite sign that there was an Alpha leader present in the group. If that were truly the case, he’d be the worse to deal with and the first one she’d have to take out. Once that was accomplished, the other three would attack in unison or flee from fear of not having a leader anymore. It was a gamble…but a gamble she’d have to take. Slowing her pace, she began to notice that the prints had gotten closer and closer together. Now, only shoe prints were visible because they had returned to their human form and were walking upright. Doing the same, Katie stood as tall as she could in all directions to see any sign of their presence. Slightly ahead of her in the distance, she recognized a large green set of shrubs that had no snow covering them amongst the white background. They had been cleared upon being walked through and, as she guessed, the shoe marks led directly to them. Cowering down quietly, she snuck through the bushes as they revealed a hillside clearing. Her targets stood down below. Standing in a diamond formation around a park bench, four average looking young men surrounded what looked to be a fifth person that had no affiliation whatsoever. Whoever this other person was, they showed no signs of fear or even any realization to the presence of the others. Either this person was sleeping deeply or Katie had arrived too late. Patiently, she awaited the next clue looking down on the events that were about to unfold. Glancing around in all directions to maintain their secrecy and safety, the four creatures of the night moved slowly closer. All of them seemed to be dressed the same with flannel jackets and torn blue jeans as though a clothing purchase hadn’t been a part of their recent activities. Their long, straight hair showed it’s darkness against the pure, white surroundings of the fallen snow. This was definitely a pack like she had imagined. They could’ve easily passed for a quadruplet which was what had more than likely brought them together in the first place. They were moving towards the odd person out like a well rehearsed team…as though they had been through this ritual a million times before. Katie was starting to get nervous. Just then, the person on the park bench came to their senses and screamed out sudden terror. It was a woman! A homeless woman that had been covered against the snow by newspapers and a tattered blanket now clung to the armrest of the park bench for dear life looking on to her approaching reapers in fear. It was a victim that no one would miss, more than likely. This was it. This was how the packs in Central Park survived. Katie was sickened almost instantly at the realization of what was about to take place. In the grand scheme of things, this had little to do with the mission at hand. She hadn’t come all this way to be the savior of homeless people. She came to kill werewolves. The dilemma banged around in her head until she could almost feel the soreness against her temples. This wasn’t her normal line of thinking. No, this was the way of her father and his quest to defeat all the forces of evil that surrounded their home town at any cost just in order to keep his people safe and sound. Why was this happening? Why, at the crucial moment of reckoning, was she pausing in her efforts? Was her mother right? Was the family curse a gift in disguise? What if she did decide to live with this curse and use it to help others? What if it was fate? Shaking her head violently causing a temporary dizziness to wash over her, she removed the visions from her head and focused yet again on her prey. If she waited for them to attack, she could surprise them while they were feeding. But…if she could somehow delay their advance and give the outnumbered woman a chance to escape… What would Toby Liberman do? What would Kurt Jimmerson do? What would Father McCormack do? Giving in to her final question, she exhaled deeply in near disappointment. Being a girl that never really cared much about the masses or how they perceived her, she was hesitant. The last few years, when she should’ve been socializing with other’s her age, she had pretty much spent all of her time caught up in her own little secret world being held prisoner in her room for fear of how the public would react regarding her condition. Why would now be any different? Why protect those that would fear or harm her if they got the chance? Walking up slowly behind the closest member of the greasy pack of men, the soon to be victim was the first to catch on to her presence. With eyes that Katie could only compare to that of hopeless prey, the homeless lady mouthed two tiny words through frozen lips that made her blood boil. ‘Help me’. Nodding silently in agreement, the would-be hero pulled the hood from her sweatshirt tight over her head again to hide her face. It was time for the festivities to get underway once and for all. She cleared her throat aloud causing all four men to look her way in sudden excitement. “Don’t mind me, boys…I’m just here to watch the show” she announced sarcastically “Proceed.” Fanning out in a straight line in front of their victim as though they were protecting a meal from a stray dog, the alpha stepped forward to confront the unexpected challenger. “Leg it, you manky bitch…this doesn’t even concern you” the leader spoke with a harsh Irish accent. Giggling at the curse thrown her way, she began to pace back in forth in front of them in a gesture of taunt. She showed no fear. Her body was electric. “Leg it, you manky bitch?” she inquired “I’ve only been in town for a handful of days and so far everyone I’ve met has either been Irish or fell asleep watching ‘Darby O’Gill and the Little People’ too many times.” “Well then feel free to bugger off, young one, before you find out all to fast what thickness will get you in the wee hours here!” “Hmmm…” she mocked, still pacing “Well there lies the dilemma, boys…I’m all kinds of interested in what my thickness will get me in the wee hours in this city facing down four leftovers from a 1992 Seattle grunge experiment…so I don’t think I’ll be buggering off anytime soon” Shocked at her defiance, the three followers looked on at their designated spokesman in confusion as though they had never encountered anyone that had the nerves to stand up to them. To Katie, this was pure gold. It meant that they had little fighting experience underneath their belts and were use to overtaking their adversaries without much resistance. “What?” she continued the taunting “You’re not scared of a little girl in a hoodie are you?” Again, the other three looked at their leader for the answer he was obviously having trouble formulating. Finally, he managed to open his mouth again. “Not counting this morsel behind us, lass, I would say that you were outnumbered four to one in a place where no one is going to come to your rescue. Why don’t you just go about your business before you get a bad dose of what we’re offering? Run off to your mama before you get grounded for being out past your bedtime?” The four of them simultaneously broke out into hysterical laughter at the joke that had been fired at Katie’s expense. Just for the sake of joining in, Katie began to laugh also, slapping her knee in delight at the fact that a fight was definitely looming on the near horizon. Finally, her chuckling ended and she glared at them seriously. Planting both feet firmly on the ground to prepare for a charge in their direction, she readied herself for the confrontation. “What do you mean ‘the morsel behind you’?” she asked “That ‘bitch buggered off’ just as soon as all of you started laughing. I guess she wasn’t a fan and didn’t care to hear the rest of your act.” The four of them suddenly quieted their jesting and looked around each other in confusion. The young stranger wasn’t lying at all. In their distraction, the unfortunate drifter had taken the first chance and ran for her life in an unknown direction. Katie could almost feel the sudden anger in the air as the four of them lined up facing her once again. These were definitely bottom of the barrel henchmen for a much bigger organization because they far from being the brightest individuals imaginable. If packs were indeed running unnoticed in a city this size, more intelligent people were calling the shots. Stepping forward from his cohorts again, the elected leader glared at her with eyes aflame. “You stupid-ass hoor!” he cried in disgust “That piece of slime was ours fair and square and now we’re going to have to take down your scrawny bones instead!” Fanning out again in a formation to circle her, Katie knew that she indeed had the upper hand. Not only did they not know what they were about to be dealing with…they also were unaware that their target was well informed of what they were. She had been waiting for this moment for as far back as she could remember. It was as though a five year addiction was about to be fed for the first time in ages. She remained calm and studied their movement for the precise moment to reveal all. Slowly, the three underlings sprouted their fangs and began to growl ferociously as they circled. A deep feeling of satisfaction came over her and she grinned in excitement. She had found her happy place again… “Oh please mister” she mocked “please don’t sick your puppy dog men on me! I promise I’ll be a good girl!” “Keep cracking on, little one” the man dared as he continued to circle with his minions “you’re only going to make things worse on yourself.” Lowering her head even more and spreading her legs in a defensive posture, she locked eyes with the leader as his face covered itself in a fine, black fur. It was time to move. “Oh…you think this situation is bad?” she asked sarcastically “Mister…you haven’t seen anything yet!” As though a bolt of lightning had struck in the middle of the circle, Katie’s alter ego came to life with a deafening howl. Reacting in both shock and pain from the ear piercing sound, the four of them focused on the spot of which it originated. It was already two late. With a flash, the young wolf attached herself onto the neck of the closest adversary and ripped his flesh in a shower of blood with undiscovered strength. He fell to the snow with a deadly thud, lifeless. Readying herself for the inevitable attack of the other three, she spun around to face them with glowing eyes against the darkness of the night sky. With their defensive formation now broken, the other two followers lunged in unison as the leader watched on curiously. In an attempt to overpower her, their attack came suddenly from both sides. Taking a quick step backwards, Katie gripped their flowing hair with her clawed hands slamming their faces together in a crimson explosion. Dropping to her knees with a spin, she slashed their bodies with frantic precision. Falling unconscious to the ground beside her, she sprang forward like an armed swordsman tearing their skin from bone revealing the pink of their internal organs as they spilled from their casing. Flipping onto her feet with ease and precision, she flung her arms in a ready manner sprinkling her pure, white surroundings with fresh blood. She locked eyes once again on the only target that now remained. In a gaze of what could only be interpreted as desperate panic, he fled. Katie followed, flying quickly on all fours through the trees and brush of the abandoned park. Leaping gracefully into the nearest set of trees, she listened closely for any signs of movement that would give away presence of the fleeing monster. Closing her eyes slowly and deeply, she concentrated on the various noises surrounding her. The sounds of laughing children and a thousand passing cars engulfed her senses again as though she were standing amongst them. Blocking them out to the best of her ability, she focused on the direction of the castle on the lake near where she left her mother’s side. Momentarily, she picked up on the rustle of underbrush heading away from her current location. Judging the closest tree for strength, she jumped. She landed with ease, sinking her blood stained claws deep into the bark. Eyeing others in the area, she made another move…and then another as though she was scouring the woods of Twin Oaks again in search of prey. Was this any different? Smiling from pointed ear to pointed ear revealing sharpened teeth, she moved forward on into the night. The falling snow had stopped long ago. Due to the circumstances, she had barely noticed the calm that had taken over her surroundings below the glistening moonlight. She descended from her arboreal perch landing softly on her feet in a mound of deep accumulation. Fresh, sloppy footprints of an individual running for dear life lay just before her. Slowly, she hunkered down again following the trail and preparing for any type of trap the desperate man may have lying in wait. Katie was ready. Staying to the thick foliage that lined the sidewalk of the park, she paused again to gain clues to her surroundings. He was near. Heightened and uncontrollable breathing could be heard on the wind from the direction of the frozen lake that normally licked the walls of Belvedere Castle. Sneaking to the shore, a dark figure could be seen scooting carefully along the icy surface of the lake in an attempt to throw off anyone or anything that would prevent his escape from danger. Standing tall amongst the winter dead reeds that lined the banks of the lake, Katie withdrew her disguise and began to follow. “Hey!” she shouted “Where in the hell do you think you’re going? You were going to teach me a lesson, remember?” Realizing that he was no longer alone and in definite peril, the long haired man quickened his pace in panic. He had long ago changed into human form again also no longer being able to concentrate on his transformation. With an echoing smack against the ice, he lost his balance as his feet were suddenly taken out from under him. Lying motionless and moaning in agonizing pain, he glanced at the approaching girl as she drew ever closer. Katie paused. She was going to draw this out as long as she possibly could to build the fear within him. It would make for an easier kill. “Ouch!” Katie exclaimed humorously “I guess that would explain why you have to eat homeless people in the park at night. That tryout for the all Irish hockey team didn’t work out to well for you, huh!” “Stay the hell away from me gammy bitch!” he screamed as he began to crawl closer to the opposite shore “I’m not slagging!” The young Texan couldn’t wrap her head around all the slang and wondered how these guys ever made it long in an intelligent conversation. Then again, it would probably explain why they were running in packs and feasting on anything that didn’t have the good sense to stick to the streets after dark. It was almost as though they were orphans of the darkness with a speech problem. This last one was going to have to be dealt with quickly before he alerted anyone else to his problems or her presence. She was almost certain that there were cops in the park at night that would come running to the type of disturbance he was making. “If you mean ‘joking’…I don’t think that there is anything I’ve shown you or your friends tonight that could even remotely be confused with anything funny.” She informed the frightened thug “I don’t know how long you’ve been involved in the whole lycanthropic lifestyle but you can’t just go around killing people at random to fit your needs!” “Oh yeah, child” he called back to her “Then tell me how you stay alive without taking the lives of the scum that litter the streets of this town! Tell me how you stay alive!” Thinking back to earlier in the evening, Katie thought back to her scaling of the Central Park Zoo wall in order to take down an unsuspecting deer in the safety and quiet of its enclosure. She shuddered slightly as the thought of the animals metallic tasting blood had flowed down her throat quenching the feelings that had been intensifying since her arrival. “That’s none of your damn business” she told him matter-of-factly “and I would be more worried about my own survival right about now because I’m not really one to leave any loose ends.” Exhausted and injured from the fall atop the ice, the man halted his journey towards safety and awaited his deserved fate. As she reached the edge of the man’s feet, Katie could tell in his eyes that he knew the end had finally come. She had witnessed this look once before. This was the silent plea for life that Jessie McGee had exhibited on the rain soaked grass of the Myrtle County fairgrounds on that October night of destiny. She was tired of conversation and playing. It was time to finish the job. By the light of the moon, she could see the odd twist of the man’s ankle as he stared at her in agony. Breathing as though he were attempting as many as possible, savoring all for fear that one might be his last, he gasped loudly against the quiet of the night. Jerking suddenly as Katie reached towards him, he signed in relief as he realized that she was only going for his wallet chain. Peering at her with disgust, he broke his silence once again…even if it meant his last vocal stand. “Oh, it’s not bad enough that you’re probably going to off me in a bit but you’ve got to go off and swipe my wallet as well?” Removing the stack of money from its leather shell, she tossed the empty projectile straight back into the man’s face with a pop. “Hey…gammy bitches have to eat too!” she whispered quietly. Softly she removed the sweatshirt’s hood from around her stringy, sweat soaked hair revealing the remainder of her face to the man in a show of finite. Sharply closing his eyes and tightening his body to the point of shivering, he braced for the worst…and the end. Katie finished counting the money and tucked it deep inside her back blue jeans pocket for safekeeping. Three thousand dollars was quite an amount for such a nasty thug and quite a haul for her. This would keep her afloat a little bit longer in the city that never sleeps…and she was sure the remains of the other three creeps had a little bit of money on them as well. “Wow, moneybags” she spoke surprised “If I knew you guys were rolling in it like this…I would’ve started killing all of you days ago!” Her waiting victim found no humor in her discovery. Without warning, a light came on in the opaque blackness of her head that nearly caused her to laugh aloud. If she insisted on living every day from here on out as though it could possibly be her last…then she might as well give it a cause. Something to live for, so to speak. Something to strike both curiosity and fear into the hearts of those that were soon to oppose her. Suddenly, the internal conflict from an hour before faded away. She had discovered her answer to the questions that clouded her young brain and it contained just enough purpose to keep her motivated enough to pull it off…and to keep her enemies guessing. Locking serious eyes with the freezing man one last time, he spoke for the sake of clarity. “Who in the hell are you, girl? Are you the finder of the lost? Are you some kind of wayward hero that just hasn’t been unlucky enough to meet the right villain? Are you the savior of Central Park?” “Not really” Katie finally confessed “I’m not even from around here. I’m just a girl that was in the wrong place at the wrong time…and I’m here to set things right. I know all too well who the villain is and I hope to meet him soon.” Chuckling in discomfort, the man pleads for one final bit of information before meeting his untimely end…just for the simple sake of his need to know. “I just wanted to know why I was lucky enough to fit into your story, love, and was I just in the wrong place at the wrong time as well. What do you call yourself?” “No” she replied “You were exactly where you needed to be when you needed to be there. They call me The Howler…and you’re my messenger.” Slamming him hard across the bridge of his nose with her boot, he lost consciousness almost instantly. The board had now been set with its various pieces and the first chess move had definitely been made. Leaving him alive, her pawn would soon be informing the other players of her existence. Now...You have to wait for the book lol - Chad

12/14/12

12-14-12 - I awoke this morning to illness. Sure, I’ve had the flu for the past week…but I’m not talking about that. Actually, there is no physical illness existing on the planet that compares to what I witnessed on my television screen on this day. It took a few minutes to settle in. In today’s world…that says a lot. As a matter of fact, today’s world has taught me that time can heal the news of airplanes flying into buildings and killing thousands or a student walking into a college or high school and opening fire on random people. Violence has become such a part of our daily lives that our minds have learned to block it out…but nothing could prepare me for visions of innocent elementary school children being gunned down in the hallways by a currently nameless adult. Doesn’t this kind of thing just happen in the Middle East? If we give the person responsible a racial or religious identification…does it make it easier to swallow? If we send in boatloads of troops to annihilate anyone in the affected area that even physically or religiously resembles the person responsible and blast it all over the news every night…do we sleep better at night? If we make up fake playing cards with the perpetrators faces on it…can we even laugh about it here and there to lighten the mood a bit so our children can feel safer in their own homes? How much ocean do you have to cross before you can label a senseless act of violence ‘Terrorism’? No one wants to hear it…but terrorism is alive and well within our own country and has taken giant leaps past the war zones of the media in regards to how evil it can truly be. How have we, as patriots, allowed this to happen? Lack of retention. Americans can’t stay angry for long periods of time. We preoccupy ourselves and change the channel when we just can’t take anymore. We invent contingency plans to deal with the aftermath of tragedy but our laws won’t allow for prevention. Legal experts now call it profiling. We are no longer allowed to deal with problem people and are forced to show sympathies and solutions for their ‘issues’…even though repeated attempts to do so have failed miserably and catastrophically in most cases. Our legal system tries desperately to fix in our society what can’t be repaired. Our society insists on rehabilitation of those that can’t be rehabilitated. It insists on putting criminals on probation which is just a fancy legal term for delaying the inevitable. At what point in our civilization did we give up on trying to stop wrong doing dead in its tracks…and start turning a blind eye and praying for the best? This is no longer the America from our history books. This is no longer the super hero country of stories past. We’ve become the world’s counselor while ignoring our own problems. Why? Because it makes for better media coverage on the nightly news. Psychotic individuals like the elementary school shooter do not develop such mental issues overnight. Someone, somewhere, knew who this person was and what he was capable of before this event took place and, even though nothing is official yet, it was more than likely someone in the legal profession. We couldn’t call him on it or try to prevent it because the behavior wouldn’t be politically correct and it could be considered profiling. They’ll protect his identity until the last minute and until he has reached near celebrity status…and THEN introduces us to all the professionals, friends, and neighbors that knew him personally and thought he was crazy…but just couldn’t say anything ahead of time because it wasn’t NICE. The only thing good that will come of this is the fact that the gunman is dead and we won’t have to watch him deteriorate before our very eyes in a jail cell awaiting trial with bright orange hair or refusing to shave a beard for religious reasons. When you refuse to meet violence head on with equal or greater violence…you are destined to lose the conflict. Contrary to popular belief…it doesn’t teach our children that ‘violence is the answer to everything’…it teaches them that monsters are real…and they live down the street or right next door to us…and they look just like everyone else. They don’t have to live thousands of miles away and claim different gods. Our troops don’t need to be on foreign shores kicking in doors in search of terrorists because they’re right here in our own neighborhoods in our own country. Why can’t we stay angry? Why do we forget the wrongdoings on our own soil so quickly? Does it all heal at dinner time when the news stations show footage from the inevitable candle light vigil? Will it all be gone in a week when some rock star donates a lot of money to the families and plays a concert in honor of the fallen? Finally, when the media bores of the repeated coverage…will they start showing footage of Lindsey Lohan in court again to take our minds off of things? Anything to fuel the beast within, I guess. To prove my point, in the short time that I have been writing this, the channel has been changed on the television to one that isn’t showing coverage and I’m desperately searching for the emotion that was initially present at the beginning. Don’t change the channel. Keep watching. Get mad. Stay mad. Protect those around you today and in the future regardless of the tragedies destined to occur that will soon take the place of the one we all witnessed today. Any leader or elected official can make a phone call offering his condolences…but our fore fathers would have ridden a horse to Connecticut and continued to kick the corpse of the man responsible long after his was dead to show the world that we are tired of putting up with shit like this by our own. Man up, America. Stop shaving the monster in order to make him look like the rest of us. Don’t change the channel. I came from a broken family. I was bullied sometimes in school. I have military and martial arts training. I've had two divorces. I play violent video games. I watch violent movies. I watch violent television shows. I own guns. I shoot guns. I have never hurt or threatened anyone with a gun. Ever. Gun control is a myth. People control is the only answer. It starts with parenting and ends with education. It's like blaming the airplanes for 9/11...

12/3/12

12-03-12 – Okay, guys…shut down your parentally taught misconceptions and listen for a second. When someone writes the word Christmas with an ‘X’ in front of it instead of ‘Christ’…they’re not being satanic, evil, childish, uninformed, uneducated, or disrespectful. ‘X’ is the Greek letter that represents Christ in that language. End of story. Now…I’m sure the people that have started the smear campaign against the almighty Xmas are also responsible for saying that AC/DC stood for ‘After Christ, Devil Comes’ and KISS stood for ‘Knights In Satan’s Service’! If you try hard enough…and are talented enough…you can turn almost absolutely anything at all into something that fits your needs. For example…let’s take, oh I don’t know, the BSA. You and I both know that it stands for ‘Boy Scouts of America’ but if I wanted to turn it into something sexual and disgusting…I could shoot for it’s meaning being something along the lines of ‘Boys, Sex, and Adults’ or ‘Bobby’s Sore Ass’! Ooops…wait a second…both of those acronym explanations were already taken by creepy scout leaders decades ago! Ok…here is another example then. Let’s take a name that most of us can associate with and turn it into something totally different. GREENVILLE! Taking my rather unique talent and mixing in a teaspoon of loathing…I get ‘Greedy Racist Egotistical Election Nabbing Villains Inheriting Lady Like Emotions’. All too easy! It doesn’t necessarily give our beloved city an entirely new meaning…it just says what we’re all thinking! Let’s do another one because this is fun! How about GEUS…another one of our favorite local acronyms! Generally Expensive and Useless Service! Wow! See…you can turn anything into whatever you want if you want it bad enough. Little old church ladies thought rock and roll was evil so they came up with names for the rock bands to scare away the young little fishes. On top of that, I’m almost certain a few hundred sermons or two have been preached over the years using those as subject matter and it was just heard, absorbed, accepted without question, and passed along. I think I’ve sat through a few of them myself! This whole world is full of acronyms and shortcuts around saying things for the sake of space, time, and the false impression that we are indeed smarter for using them. I’m not sure how the Xmas bashers started out…but I’m sure that it had something to do with a nagging old preacher’s wife having an epiphany and then not shutting up about it until her husband agreed to preach it to the masses! Since the Greek alphabet has been around far longer than the English alphabet, it’s only fair that the Greek alphabet has first dibs on what we call things! Xmas wins by seniority alone! Who are we as a society to strip someone of something that they’re entitled to? Oh yeah, we’re Americans. We’ve been doing that since the beginning if you think about it. We could no longer handle the rules and laws of England (criminals can’t handle rules and laws), hop in boats (that we probably stole), land on a foreign continent and set up residency (squatting and land snatching), and then killed off the native population (murderers)! Our forefathers, essentially, were mostly repeat offender, thieving, squatting, murderers by that logic so it’s no wonder why changing up someone’s language would be a minor thing. Actually…it kind of explains why society is the way it is today in this country. We haven’t changed or gotten worse or gotten lazy. We, as a society, are just leading by the examples set forth by the ones that founded our great nation to begin with! Of course our children glorify bad behavior and sexual practices set forth in pop music! We, as a nation, glorify our constitution…which was signed by the people who were obviously the best at thieving, squatting, and murdering. They lived long enough to sign it, didn’t they? Only the strong survive and our situation is no different, really. Hell, we even carved the best of the best’s face into a mountain side and elected him our first official leader! If you think our current leader is bad…wouldn’t you like to see the skeletons in George Washington’s closet? Of course…if you stuck with me and read this entire rant, you’d know that I’m just making stuff up and using it as an example on how easily we are influenced by people who have the talent to write and the gumption to stand up and speak. It means what they want us to believe it means. Evil is in the eye of the beholder. Good is a point of view. Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you personally believe in…and…above all else…have a Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays. I'm not God bashing at all. Even though I've never personally seen him...I HAVE seen the devil. This proves to me that God totally exists because there wouldn't be one without the other. I’m not trying to keep Christ out of Christmas either…tons of theologists are. The majority of them believe that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th. It just so happens that the 'loudest' theologists are the ones we normally hear first and listen to... Howl, Growl, Snarl...

The Howler 11/28/12

11/28/12 – You know…this is something that has been long overdue. When I first began my writing career…it was built on exactly this. Emotion, passion, and life experiences littered my early writings that eventually became my first two novels. Granted, there were a few ghost stories mixed into it for flavor…but ultimately…it was the story of ME. Tons of people read it when they could because they could relate so easily. Hell, it wasn’t even my idea to turn them into novels! One of my readers suggested that…and then it kind of just took off running by itself. By then, I was a monthly columnist for Black Orchid’s Manor magazine and I could use it as my outlet to reach others when I needed to. Then…I tried my hand, successfully I might add, at fiction. If Chad’s world is as crazy as he claims and he’s living the things that he says he lives…imagine the stories he could make up! I’ve been so preoccupied for so long with fiction that the truths have backed up like a mental traffic jam behind the imaginary world I have created regarding the Liberman family and the town of Twin Oaks, Texas. Don’t get me wrong, the Taste Of Home Trilogy is a passion of mine, but it was originally fueled by my real world. When reality was flowing freely, the fiction easily followed. It is time to clear that jam. When the mental waters of my mind are allowed to flow freely again…just imagine the other things that are destined to follow. Newspapers won’t hire me because I’m too controversial and tongue in cheek. That’s fine. Welcome to the new world. The internet reaches people faster and freely compared to dead timber covered in black ink. When this is all said and done, it will be like it was in the old days. I’ll look at the world through clear eyes once again not mucked up with a thousand thoughts fighting for position to jump from my razor sharp tongue. I’m a man of extremes. You’ll either want to fuck me or fear me. Rarely will there be an in-between. My fence isn’t wide enough to straddle comfortably. You’ll pick a side to stand on and linger. I guarantee it. For the past two years, rarely a creative word has escaped the confines of my mind because I ignored my roots for delusions of grandeur regarding my fiction. Sure, it’s floating around in Hollywood…but so are tons of other undiscovered stories. In the end, it may find its destination…but I can no longer wait on it. It’s time to move on. It’s time to go back to the roots that made people want to read me to begin with. I feel what they all feel but say what they’re afraid to say. It’s the truth from my point of view. I am not responsible for spreading the fuel but the spark that ignites it will be a different story. This week, I can pretty much sum it all up in one sentence. White, attractive, rich American women are the downfall of modern society. Think about it. Can you name one woman that is trying to offer a solution to the horrible state of things in this world that is a combination of all three of those characteristics? Keep thinking…don’t get mad just yet like I know you’re trying to do. I’m not talking about white women. I’m not talking about rich women. I’m not talking about attractive women. I’m talking about white + attractive + rich women. You can’t think of one, can you? Even if they’re not directly responsible…then they have a powerful man that they’re using as a puppet to spread their disease. Think about it. They sugar coat it from a young age in the form of a bait doll called Barbie to model little girls into little mini Barbie’s. A plastic army of pure evil .Put a trigger on an attractive vagina and any heterosexual man will do your bidding regardless of his wealth, stature, or welfare. Every single bad idea brought forward by a politician more than likely originated as pillow talk the night before by one of these above mentioned ‘goddesses’! What are the consequences of not complying? You already know the answer to that. It’s not so much the thought of losing access to said vagina…it’s the reoccurring nightmares of what their best friends and random strangers will be doing to it privately if they fail to obey the master. Sucks, doesn’t it? You can’t think of anyone. If you did…then you’re either overlooking the evil or spreading tasty frosting on the truth…and you’re probably a white, attractive, rich American woman. I feel so much better now. Howl, growl, snarl…

Unedited Chapter 4

4 Becky Liberman sat alone on the front porch swing amongst her snow covered surroundings wrapped in a thick, fleece comforter. Sipping on a steaming cup of straight, black coffee, she inhaled deeply the stinging cold air that was attempting to invade every hidden flaw of the warm blanket. As the sun barely peeked above the leafless trees that displayed the boundaries of their property, birds began to sing a signal that the daily hunt for food had begun. It was the definition of peaceful. In the many years she’d lived in Twin Oaks, Texas…this was a first. Sure, it had lightly snowed from time to time every now and then, but this was altogether unusual. She loved it. An easy two feet of fresh powder now glistened blindingly in the rising sunlight causing her to squint tightly towards the coming day. She imagined momentarily that heaven was supposed to resemble the sight laid out before her. Then again, when you’ve stared at hell first hand, heaven was easy to spot. When she had returned to town on the news of the Sheriff’s corruption and Toby’s hospitalization, she had no idea whatsoever of the circumstances that had really transpired or the revelations to follow. For what seemed like an eternity, she had sat in constant vigil with the unconscious body of her current husband not knowing the unusualness that lay just beneath the illusion of normalcy. All these years later, she still wasn’t entirely sure that she understood everything. Finding out that Katie had been infected with the silent curse had been the worst news of all. Luckily, they mostly kept it to themselves but she couldn’t help but feel safer than most people that don’t have the luxury of a werewolf for a spouse and adopted daughter. It was a sense of immortality only dreamt about in fairy tales. She had become the den mother. Toby had chosen to flaunt his secret as an aid to bring the town back under control after the tyranny of Jessie McGee. Those that accepted it voted him in as the Myrtle County Sheriff while those that opposed, mostly criminals and the leftovers gang from the before mentioned mad man, moved away never to return. Even though his gift was rarely exhibited in public, the citizens of the town adored and celebrated him every chance they got. It resembled a pride and appreciation only witnessed in old western movies…and life was good because of it. Katie, on the other hand, had been forced to hide her gift from everyone other than the residents of her own household. In regards to her safety for fear of retaliation regarding the death of the lunatic former Sheriff, she was never allowed to so much as even speak of the similarities between her and her father in public…and rarely in private as well. Granted, throughout her last few years as a high school student, she excelled far beyond the abilities of her classmates when it came to sports and physical activities but never, either in fear or excitement, did she ever exhibit the animal behind the innocence. This silently frightened Becky often. Most teenagers, especially girls, experience an increase of feelings upon getting older due to repressed emotions while growing up. Society’s eyes and the expectations of the community around them are usually enough to keep such things in check but, the second that no one is looking, they emerge to the surface in a confused rush of feelings that are often self destructive in nature. She was sure that the primitive instincts of the werewolf were no different. Allowing her to change from time to time in the privacy of the forest with her father always within arms length was not always going to be the case. She had grown up and moved away from that reach. Any day now, the concerned mother was nearly certain that the inevitable phone call would come. So far…she’d been lucky. Living with the Liberman’s had been far from normal life and it resembled nothing of what she had imagined before the tragedies of five years ago. It seemed like only yesterday that she was heavily involved with Toby’s best friend and brother in law Johnny Haynes. Even though she loved him deeply, it was a constant fight day in and out regarding his attitude and dedication to their being. She remembered fondly the last days in which she had seen him alive. Marching off into uncertainty upon the discovery of Jessica Liberman’s infidelity, he paused briefly on the stairway to joke with a thirteen year old Katie to ease her mood. He had loved Katie so much. They resembled each other quite a bit when it came to their wit and way of thinking. Although the young lady inadvertently used it from time to time as an unstoppable weapon…it was nice for their conversations to contain a familiar tone that often resulted in uproarious laughter. Johnny had been killed at the hands of the Sheriff for trying to do what was right in the eyes of his niece, his brother in law, and his sister. His sister…what a twisted mess she was… Toby’s late wife, Jessica, had been Becky’s best female friend for what had seemed like an eternity. Granted, the dominoes had already been set in motion long before their initial introduction, but no one could foresee the destruction brought on upon their destinies at the hands of Katie’s mother. Becky often wondered if this entire scenario was the sole responsibility of her once fun and carefree friend. Living a secret life behind the back of her husband and daughter, she had basically let Jessie McGee into their lives in order to feed her private drug addiction and ever growing need to be the center of attention. She had been beautiful once…and witnessed it like an old home movie stuck on repeat when she looked into the eyes of Katie. Just as she was doing her best to redeem herself and set things right, she was killed by order of the Sheriff at the hands of one of his Deputies. It had all taken place only a few feet away from the young Katie Liberman. She was sure revenge lay dormant in the young girl just behind her innocent eyes and could swell to the surface easily anytime, anywhere. She hoped it was only a mother’s paranoia. Falling deeply in love with Toby Liberman had been something else that was unforeseen to everyone in the town also. To be honest, the love for the Liberman family had existed long before then due to the relationship between Becky and Katie…but the feelings for the young girl’s father didn’t develop until after the family had nearly fallen apart. It just happened. There was no other way to explain it. He was a great man regardless of the confessions from her former best friend that used to take place like school girls sitting Indian style on the bed in the back bedroom. Jessica had just been attempting to rationalize and validate her behavior that was taking place behind Toby’s back. He had been the ideal husband, the greatest father, and the ultimate protector of their family and everyone else’s family in Twin Oaks. The only thing that could make things a little nicer in the tiny slice of heaven they’d made for themselves would be if the other creatures of the night would quit coming to town one by one to take him on. This was the part of the relationship she couldn’t stand. Kicking down the door of a drug dealer from time to time was something that every wife of a law enforcement officer could come to terms with after time and prayer…but other werewolves coming to town in an attempt to end his life was almost too much to handle. Every few months, a stranger would roll into town unannounced in an attempt to defeat the man that supposedly fought and defeated the most powerful man in the region. After that, if only for a mere second or two, Toby had been responsible for revealing their once private world to the public. Granted, most people outside of Twin Oaks refused to believe it or ignored the news altogether…but the town itself celebrated and flaunted it locally. Few outsiders stayed for extended periods of time due to this. In reality, it was an easy subject to blow off as odd fiction. Time after time, the chosen warriors would either be killed easily or sent back to their leader, whoever he was, with their proverbial tail tucked between their legs. With any hope at all, they would one day get the message that Toby was trying to portray regarding the place where he lived and the people he loved. With any hope at all…they would just give up. “Have you heard anything out of my rascal of a daughter lately?” Toby asked breaking the silent reminiscence going on inside of her head “She hasn’t called in at least two weeks now” “Dammit, Toby” she gasped “You startled the shit out of me! I’ve asked you to stop doing that!” “I know, sweetie, I know” he half apologized “but I have to stay on my toes. Don’t want the big, bad wolves to sneak into town and blow our house down. We’re not even done paying for it yet!” With the Liberman house burning to ashes and the horrible memories associated with it, the three of them had stayed in Johnny’s old house. When Becky’s memories could take no more of that, a two story farm house on the outskirts of town had been constructed. Backed up to some of the same bits of forest that had protected Toby so many years before, it now served as a nice and convenient hunting ground for when the unspeakable pains of the werewolf emerged. It definitely beat ripping off the head of a random and unfortunate Jehovah’s Witness any day. Sort of. There were several signs posted up and down their long and winding driveway to make sure any solicitor thought twice before knocking. “No. I haven’t” Becky finally got around to answering his question “I’m not really worried all that much though. This is her freshman year in college and it’s a little hectic. She’s probably just bogged down in her studies or hanging out with some friends. She’ll call when she needs something.” “Katie Liberman?” Toby asked cynically “My Katie Liberman? I can’t imagine her being bogged down in studies and I sure can’t believe that she is hanging out with friends. Granted, I never went to school with her while she was here but, if you recall, she didn’t make friends easily.” Toby wiped off a bit of snow that still remained on the porch swing and sat down next to Becky. Turning to face him, the time had come for the two of them to have a serious conversation. Sometimes, she thought that Toby had forgotten that his unusual daughter was still a beautiful young woman on the outside. “Sweetie, quiet your brain for a second and let an expert take over in the conversation” Becky lectured “When you remove the image of what you believe to be a stone cold killer super hero…your daughter is a drop dead gorgeous young woman. She is away from home for the first time in her life and in a very big place where they don’t view her as the strange, smart mouthed girl that had her family slaughtered before her eyes…not to mention the daughter of the town Sheriff…not to mention that he is also a paranormal freak of nature. She was probably dying to introduce herself to the first normal girl she ran into there. It’s a chance for her to start over and be someone else for a change.” She could almost see a word slip from Toby’s mouth with a hint of warm breath on the cold morning air…but he restrained himself from doing so. Mentally, she could see the wheels begin to turn in his over analytical mind and a sudden realization in his eyes as her words began to sink in. Who said that you can’t possibly teach an old dog new tricks? “You know…I haven’t really thought much about it in that manner” he finally continued “When I think about her being alone in Dallas going to school, I imagine her sitting atop the downtown high rises wearing a hoodie to hide her face looking down upon the masses like Bruce Wayne. I imagine that she’s doing things behind our backs that we will never realize until she gets sloppy enough to make the evening news. I imagine her getting into a pillow fight with some other girls, getting hit, and tearing them to shreds…” “Baby, stop right there…” Becky interrupted “You just want to think about barely legal girls giggling in their panties while feathers fly everywhere. You and Johnny were best friends for a reason, remember?” “Well, I’m not going to argue with you there” Toby laughed under his breath. “You’d lose if you did” she concluded. Another long silence sprang up between the two of them as they stared off into the snow covered woods beyond their country home. The rising sun had begun to melt the snow on the highest branches and the occasional crack of a tree branch echoed all around them as the weight became too much to handle. From Toby’s standpoint in the conversation, it was almost as though he could relate. His shoulders resembled the branches…he just wished that the weight could slide off just as easily. He couldn’t help but be a little worried. Becky could see this also. “Toby” she spoke softly “I know you’ve had it rough. I know these past few years have been a reoccurring nightmare that I couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Sure, I had a small part of this…but the two of you saw all of this unfold with your own eyes. I didn’t.” Slowly, the scarred man looked up into her eyes and almost began to speak in his defense. He was shushed softly as Becky continued. “You can’t go through life thinking that everyone you meet is going to try to sneak up and stab you in your back. You can’t go through life thinking that your daughter is going to take on the worst part of Jessica’s personality and give in to every dark temptation that comes her way. Most importantly, you can’t go through life trying to protect the past image of a little girl that needed you for every little thing she encountered. At some point, you’re going to have to move on and let her begin a life of her own away from your sight and every bad thought that crosses your mind.” Glancing down to the ground as tears began to form in the wells of his eyes; her soft and caring hand gently gripped the base of his chin bringing them back to meet with hers. She continued again. “At some point, you’re going to have to start living for yourself again. At some point, you’re going to have to start living for the two of us. I know that our relationship developed out of near necessity and heartbreak…but it’s traveled far beyond that now and I don’t want it to stop traveling. Let her go, Toby. Give her a chance to live outside of your shadow and see what she becomes. Whatever that may be…I think you’ll be proud of it.” She was right. She always was. Toby’s parents had barely been there for him, not to mention the fact that his parents had rarely been there for each other. Their house had been split in two pieces long ago due to the difference of religion and it had never been bridged. His father constantly battled with his Jewish heritage at the hands of his Grandfather and the fact that he’d married outside of the religion had ripped the family in half. When Toby’s father had fallen in love with and married his Protestant mother, the rest of his family instantly turned their back on them. The guilt had caused an unspoken uneasiness between the family members that you could almost feel as though it were something tangible. When Toby’s grandfather had passed away along with his beliefs, it had nearly felt like a cause for celebration in their home rather than a time of sorrow. Years later, at the time of his own death, Toby’s father had been plagued by a guilt that could only be traced to his own wife. It was the simplest of explanations. When his mother passed also, Toby agreed at that point not to introduce religion into his own household. He viewed it as something personal and not something to be shared and forced on other people under the same roof. His last name, and memories of horrible jokes at the hands of Johnny Haynes, was all that remained of his Jewish heritage. When he married Jessica, it was a subject that was rarely discussed. Upon Katie’s birth, the subject had become a complete taboo. Never converting to another religion, he often wondered what God thought of his current state of affairs. All the killing by his own hands, regardless of the situations that caused them, couldn’t be something that he was proud of. At age thirteen, Katie had been forced to kill also. What did God, Jewish or otherwise, think of that? How did he feel about involving his daughter in a situation that had made her commit one of the worst sins imaginable? What if she did it again? “It’s different between a Father and Daughter, Becky” Toby finally explained “I know that she has you…and everyone knows how wonderful of a job you’ve done with her over the past five years and for a little bit before that when the two of you were together at Johnny’s place…but I can’t help but feel partially responsible for anything and everything that happens to her from this point on. The life that she lived at the hands of her mother wasn’t something she deserved…and the life she’s lived since due to my issues hasn’t been much of an improvement. I know at some point, and regrettably soon, that I’m going to have to let go of her. I just wished that I could’ve provided her with more of an understanding of the ‘right’ way of doing things rather than the darkness she’s known for most of her life.” Toby had never really had a serious conversation with Becky regarding his own personal childhood but she had gotten the general idea by just merely watching his actions and how he insisted on running his household. As far as she was concerned, he would bring up that subject just as soon as he felt comfortable enough doing so…if that moment ever came. For all she knew, he had never broken the real story to Jessica either. Regardless of the reasoning, it was she thought it was nice to sleep late on a Sunday rather than getting visually picked apart by the townsfolk that attended the local churches. It’s not like they were rushing to the Liberman mailbox to extend the invitation. “Toby…” Becky finished “Katie is just fine. I don’t think you have anything to worry about and, if you do, it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. If I’m wrong, you can slap me with a big ‘I told you so’ and we can all move forward.” Smiling ear to ear, Toby hugged her tightly bringing a rush of warmth to her now frigid body. It was a deceptive gesture taking into consideration the sorrow that inhabited his soul… “I hope you’re right, Becky” Toby spoke with his voice muffled against her blanket “but if I know Katie Liberman…she has her hands full…” 1400 miles away, Katie Liberman had her hands full…at least one of them… She had been lying awake with eyes wide open in terror for nearly an hour…although it felt like it had been much longer. Waking in a drunken haze from the night before, it didn’t take long to realize that those were her clothes crumpled up on the chair across the room and that someone was breathing on the back of her neck while obviously sleeping peacefully. Carefully she had reached out behind her to get the general idea of what she was dealing with and, even though she had never felt the sexual organ of a man before…she knew that what was now cupped in her once innocent grasp was not at all what she had imagined. Instead, the baby smooth skin in the lower region of that person lying next to her was slightly creased, shaven, and all too familiar. Now, she was scared to remove her grip in fear of waking that person up… Attempting desperately to recall the events of the previous evening, very little came to mind. The two of them had entered a tiny Irish pub around the corner from the Jimmerson & Wolf law firm where Katie had been introduced to a motley bunch of young to middle aged men and women that Willow had called friends. Katie didn’t even recall a single one of their names but each and every one of them spoke with a strong Irish accent as though they hadn’t been in this country for too terribly long. Perhaps they all just stayed within their own ethnicity’s particular neighborhood? Anything was beginning to seem possible in this crazy city she’d landed in. This was nothing at all like Twin Oaks. To broaden the thinking…this was nothing at all like Texas! As time went by, Katie also had noticed Willow’s own accent become stronger and stronger with each conversation and each passing drink. Occasionally, she would glance around the room and catch one of the people staring at her as though they were trying to size her up. Deep down…she knew that she had nothing to worry about for any of them and could easily take them down if the situation arose. No one had any idea who she truly was…therefore the drinking continued. In a way, it had been nice to let her guard down for a change. She had been so on edge since she arrived in Manhattan that it was beginning to stress her out. Around every corner, she half expected to be mugged, raped, or a combination of both thanks to all the movies regarding The Big Apple that she’d viewed while growing up. Within a week, it had been easy to tell that she wasn’t going to run into Bill Murray chasing a ghost or mutant turtles fighting in an alley. For the most part, people were quiet and kept to themselves as though they all had life altering secrets to hide that resembled her. It was nice to let her hair down for a change. Unfortunately…she never realized at the time that her pants were soon to follow. Although she wasn’t completely sure what had taken place after blacking out from the over abundance of alcohol, this wasn’t at all how she imagined her first time would be. Even stranger than that…she had never imagined that the first time in question would involve another girl. There was a large chunk of her that wanted to immediately get sick with the very thought of what had taken place…but why? Back home, those types of relationships and activities would get you ran out of town! A tiny piece of her, however, was whispering the undeniable logic that she was no longer home. This was the hub of the entire world. It was the city to which all other cities look to for guidance. If she was going to succeed in her mission, it was something that she was going to have to move past. After all…the killing hadn’t even started yet. She was almost certain that when the blood started flying…a night in bed with another woman would pale in comparison. On the brighter side of things, at least Willow was attractive. Waking up next to an ugly girl would’ve been unforgivable. As her mental flight of fancy returned to logic and brain function began to knock on her forehead like a fed up neighbor at a loud tenant’s door, she could feel the confusion, disappointment, and anger begin to overpower her body. No, this wasn’t how it was supposed to be! She had only known this girl for a day and she had been taken full advantage of! Granted, she was cute, but dammit…Katie Liberman didn’t swing that way! She liked guys in hockey jerseys and calendars with wet firemen! Sure…she had been known to give credit where credit was due every now and then and tell another girl if she was beautiful or not…but never had she looked upon one with lust or desire! Honestly, she’d never really had the chance. Katie had grown up without many friends in school because she was different. She, being the product of her father and uncle, had been a much darker child than those around her. Early on in her school years, she had shown them all that her sharpened, witty tongue wouldn’t put up with much when she was being attacked and it had driving most of the other children away from her. With a few simple words, she had made kids cry to the point that their parents had to be called and taken home for the day. Even the children that she’d never go after had been warned of her abilities by those that had. It had made for a very solitary and lonely existence from her point of view but there was no changing who she truly was. It wasn’t long after she had come to accept her gift and began to find humor in her classmates' fears that the incident with her family happened. Suddenly, she was the school celebrity…and it had all been due to absolutely nothing that she was responsible for. When her father had revealed his ‘talent’, the locals had celebrated him to extremes. Unfortunately for Katie, she possessed the same gift but was never allowed to display it for fear of those that could be possibly watching their every move. No one outside of their own family actually knew that she had been the hero of that night at the fairgrounds and Toby insisted that she keep it that way. Just in case there were ever to be retaliation on their family, he didn’t want her to be a specific target. Also, if she had been taken hostage again in order to draw her father into a confrontation…the would-be kidnappers were in for a big surprise. When the retaliation scouts finally began showing up in Twin Oaks, she realized that her father had been right all along. She was glad that she never told anyone. High school had been hard enough to get through socially without having to fight for her own life every night of the week side by side with regular homework! Taking a few deep breaths to calm her nerves, she finally exhaled all of her current frustrations. If she had stayed along the same line of thinking, a transformation would’ve shortly followed that was an explanation she didn’t want to deliver to her new found friend. Hell, for all she knew, the hardened New Yorker slept with a gun underneath her pillow and would’ve shot her out of fear before an explanation could even arrive! Regardless of affiliations and situations, she was in a strange apartment with a semi strange girl and didn’t know exactly what could be hiding around the corner. Tact was going to be a definite friend in the near future because the girl sleeping soundly behind her wasn’t going to be doing so forever. Some type of confrontation was going to happen very soon but Katie wasn’t too sure about revisiting all of the details. Walking away right now without so much as looking at Willow would be just fine with her. Then again, was it? Her mind kept repeatedly asking her conscience what the big deal about the whole situation was. This was a new world taking place in a new time where nothing at all to be experienced resembled anything from her childhood values instilled by her family. Her father introducing his lesbian daughter was one thing. Introducing his lesbian werewolf would be another. Was she even considered a lesbian? Why doesn’t the homosexual community offer some type of pamphlet or conversion chart that explains exactly where you stand between definite and experimental? She took another deep breath. The red tint of her surroundings was slowly beginning to fade with her continued breathing from the near transformation. In the end, she thought to herself, who really gives a damn what I do here? It was inevitable that one of two things is going to happen to her when the time came. Number one…she was going to kill the man responsible for cursing her family, fly home to Twin Oaks, Texas, and have to explain to her father why he couldn’t be Sheriff Werewolf anymore…and why all of her tuition money was gone with nothing to show for it. Number two…she was going to die trying in the process and it wouldn’t matter one way or the other if she’d woke up next to a pretty, young girl after a night of drinking once. As a slight smile crossed her once confused and disgusted face, she held back a slight giggle not wanting to wake the girl who was obviously her new best friend. With any luck, she imagined, the potential to have crazier nights would be in her near future and this would just be a mere ‘incident’ compared to the catastrophes to come in Katie Liberman’s party future. Why not get is started? It was time to move the hand. “Easy, Tiger” Willow groaned “I don’t think I can handle round two until you learn to do something with those fingernails. I’m going to have to invent ways to put bandages in places that they were never originally intended to go.” Katie almost shuddered at the thought. With all the raw emotion that probably took place the night before…did the unsuspecting girl discover something that she shouldn’t have? Surely not…or she wouldn’t still be lying in the same bed willingly. “Willow, what happened last night?” Katie asked in an attempt to sound innocent “I mean, I guess I’m pretty sure I know what happened because we’re both spooned up in the same bed with no clothes on…but what actually happened?” Willow chuckled aloud at the young girl’s charade. “Look…you can try to sound like little miss innocent all you want. You displayed some experience last night that taught me a thing or two! I’ve been with a few girls before…tons of guys…but a few girls, but we had each other making noises last night that aren’t necessarily possible by humans!” Katie’s mind raced for flashes, even traces of memory that would reveal the events of the previous evening. Nothing but blackness would come to mind. “No, Willow…I mean what actually took place that would lead to what we did last night.” “Oh…well that is the easy part to explain, Kitten” the tone in her voice changed to a cheerier level “We were taking shot after shot of Bushmills until one of the guys at the table dared us to kiss each other. Before I could even protest, you did! Remind me to thank him when we see him again!” Katie had never been much for alcohol. Sure she had snuck a drink of her father’s stash every now and then but, without an abundance of friends, she had never came across the opportunity to sneak behind her parent’s back and get completely inebriated. There were no hot nights with another boy at a popular parking spot taking advantage of her after a bottle of Boone’s Farm or a couple of girlfriends giggling in the bushes swapping sips of a wine cooler. These were things that the cheerleaders at her school whispered about in the bathroom between classes and in silly little folded notes. This, in itself, was unbelievable. “So…we did…IT” Katie tiptoed “We actually went and did one of the craziest, or most natural depending on who you are and what you’re into, things that two girls can do…and I don’t even remember doing it. I feel cheated. Maybe even raped.” “No. No. No!” Willow interrupted “Don’t start throwing the ‘R’ word around little missy…you initiated this…not me. Don’t think for a second that I didn’t think about screaming it a few times. You were absolutely out of your mind last night…and you can’t rape someone who is willing to be raped…so I kind of just laid back and enjoyed it!” Gently, Katie slipped out from underneath the covers and stood before the near stranger completely naked. Reaching down to grab her pants, she couldn’t help but notice that Willow was a little to excited to be viewing what stood before her. One leg at a time, she eventually ruined her peep show. “Look, you can believe what you want to believe…but I was a virgin until last night, Willow” Katie informed her “I have barely seen what a guy looks like with his clothes off with the exception of a few movies and magazines and I always though that I would’ve had one of those sweating all over me long before I tired of them and switched to chicks like you.” Getting angrier by the second, Katie slipped the hooded sweatshirt over her messed hair and noticed a slight and sudden growth in her fingernails as she did so. Closing her eyes tight and slowing her breathing in search of a happier place, the sudden redness of her surroundings started to fade back to normal again. Either she was truly mad or in dire need of a feeding. Either way, neither of those problems would be solved if they strolled down the street to the closest donut shop together. She had to wrap up this conversation soon regardless of her lack of information and get somewhere safe. “Speaking of guys, who were all of those Boondock Saints wannabees that were at the bar last night. I was digging on their accent but there were a little too rude with the staring and all.” Willow followed suit by rolling out of the bed but didn’t give Katie the luxury of putting on clothing. She just began to walk around the apartment as nude as she could be but, then again, it was her apartment after all. She entered the bathroom, barely leaving a crack in the door for the two of them to continue speaking through. “Those are some people that work for Jimmerson here and there. They’re pretty cool.” “They didn’t look a lot like lawyers to me” Katie picked “I thought Jimmerson was all into the high life and stuff like that?” “Ouch” Willow barked interrupting the young girl’s inquiry “Fingernails, Katie! How are we gonna keep seeing each other if you don’t do something about those claws?” Katie slightly blushed at both the realization of the situation and the fact that she had caused it. In all fairness…it was kind of funny…she just wished that she remembered more of the act. Attempting to get the conversation back on track, she asked her question again. “So why don’t lawyers in New York dress like actual lawyers?” “Oh, they’re not lawyers” Willow explained “They’re a little more hard core than that. They’re security guards, construction guys, dock workers…stuff like that. Mr. Jimmerson has a soft spot for Irish immigrants because he lived there on and off as a child. I think he kind of misses it. On top of that…there is nothing like a bunch of drunken Irish to liven up a party!” “Well that’s interesting. I don’t remember coming across any of that stuff in my internet research before applying.” She attempted to sound impressed instead of curious “I didn’t know that Jimmerson and Wolf was into so many things…” Willow had tired of the change of subject a few minutes before it had even occurred. Flushing the toiled and revealing her soft, pale skin once again to the streaks of light coming through the bedroom window, she stood before Katie in a manner of anxiety. “Yeah” she stopped the interrogation “It’s all completely fascinating. Lots of money flying everywhere. I just work in the mail room, sweetheart, just like you. It would probably be in both of our best interest to keep it that way. If we don’t ask the answer to questions, then we don’t have to lie about it when we are asked by people wanting to get in their business. It’s better for us not to know. I take the elevator downstairs when I feel like working. As long as the work doesn’t pile up down there…no one ever even bothers me. I show up when I want…I leave when I want…and I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember because I don’t get in anyone else’s business there. I get a check every Friday, they get mail, and everyone is happy.” Katie felt a little on the bad side for asking so many questions and obviously upsetting the already frustrated girl. She was beginning to believe that Willow had been looking for a little bit more in their relationship than Katie was willing to offer. From the looks of things…it almost seemed as though she had been standing in this same place before going through similar situations with others before. She almost felt sorry for her. Had Katie really been the aggressor the night before? If so, this entire situation was completely her fault. “Willow, I’m sorry” Katie apologized sincerely “I don’t know what came over me last night for me to do those things…but I’m not quite sure that this is what I was looking for in my first relationship.” Tilting her head to the ground to keep the tears from being seen, the hurting young woman spoke behind the hair draped in front of her face like a scolded child. “Its okay, Katie…” she sniffed as she spoke “You’re not the first person to do this to me, guy or girl, and I’m almost certain that you won’t be the last. I’ll get over it. I always do…” Slowly taking steps toward her, Katie could see her sparkling eyes and twisted smile behind the vale of stringy blackness. It was almost creepy. Reaching around her waist with both arms, Willow pulled her tight into her breasts and hugged her both sincere and deep. “I didn’t mean to ruin you” the naked girl apologized “I should’ve had a little more restraint than that too. I can’t honestly put all the blame on you. I just thought that there was something special inside of us that connected when we met yesterday. For a few hours last night…I thought that I was right for a change. Do you hate me?” Katie wasn’t sure if it was a display of sympathy or affection, but she put her arms around the girl also and held her tightly. What would seem almost repulsing to some other girls almost felt natural and erotic. She was so confused. She had to get back on track. Willow was definitely beautiful. There was a slight scent of lavender being emitted from her soft, almost flawless skin that almost reminded her of home somehow. It was soothing to her soul. Was it wrong? “Willow, I don’t hate you” Katie spoke softly in an attempt to calm the troubled girl “You’re the nicest and coolest person I’ve met since I got into the city. I just think we had a little bit of an understanding last night that led to some things that are probably illegal in most states…” Willow laughed aloud in Katie’s ear almost splitting her brain in half. Regardless of what had taken place between the two of them, she was an amazing girl. Right now, she needed to be around amazing people. “I don’t know, Kitty Kat” she spit out another pet name “I could always run back the camera and find out…” “Are you freaking serious” Katie jumped back away from her “Did we freaking film it! Oh my God, that totally had to be you because I know absolutely nothing about…” “Sweetie, I’m kidding” Willow calmed her “That is taking things a little too far…even for me.” “You’re crazy!” Katie exclaimed “You’re freaking crazy!” Honestly, Katie had always wanted a friend just like Willow. Granted, sex on the first night after they met was a perk she wished she’d missed out on. Nothing about this trip was supposed to be in the range or normalcy anyway. “Kat” Willow calmed the hysterics sincerely “Virginity is a frame of mind, sweetie. Try not to kick yourself over what happened. Take the day off to do whatever it is you need to do because I’m going to do the same...which is sleep. Someone kept me up all damned night…” The shy, young girl blushed in near embarrassment at both the situation and the comment. Truly, there were things that needed to be done when the sun decided to go down for the night and sleep was the perfect idea to begin it all. A few gallons of water to wash all the alcohol out of her system probably wouldn’t be such a bad idea either. If she didn’t spend some quality time in Central Park tonight doing some reconnaissance and finding something to eat, the wolf’s hunger would take over in a way that would most certainly get someone hurt…or even killed. She had enough on her conscience right now without adding that to it. Hugging Willow one more time, she kissed her softly on her cheek in parting. Strolling, almost gliding across the hard wood floor of her apartment, she looked back over her should one more time at the odd girl that was just standing there revealing everything. She was unlike anyone she’d ever met before. She was special. Maybe Willow wasn’t quite as special as what she found Katie to be…but she was special nonetheless. With a gentle wave of her hand, the new friend bid her farewell to tend to her private affairs. Katie paused. “Willow…” she asked shyly “Did I like it?” The question must’ve caught her off guard because she hesitated slightly before answering. “Kat…” Willow spoke surely “If you weren’t enjoying yourself…there would’ve been no way for me to enjoy myself. If there is such a place as heaven…you were there.” Unsure of what had just occurred, Katie exited the apartment leaving behind what remained of her coveted innocence. There would be no way to ever gain it back. It now belonged to a twenty five year old, gothic, yet beautiful stranger who hadn’t the slightest idea of Katie’s true identity and agenda. There was a never before felt emptiness inside of her now that couldn’t be compared to anything else as horrible in recent memory. Katie Liberman had experienced a lot of horrible memories to use as a basis of comparison. This feeling was new.

Unedited Chapter 3

3 Inescapable voices in the darkness flooded the young girl’s mind in a barrage of horrible memories as the blowing snow of the outside world slapped the high rise apartment’s glass windows in vain. If only similar protection could be offered by the window into her very soul… “Daddy, who was that man?” her younger voice asked in the echoes of her mind. “Baby, that’s a very bad man and he’s here to do very bad things. I’m going to take care of him but you’re going to have to be cool and let me do my thing.” Her father spoke in desperation. His name was Reed. That was all she remembered of the chubby intruder that had entered their home that night on a mission. Somewhere between her mother’s secret nocturnal activities and her father’s accusations of murder, this man had inadvertently drawn the shortest straw to carry out the evil deeds of Sheriff Jessie McGee. Seeing only through her mind’s eye, the two of them ran up the stairs for the protection of her bedroom like a realistic movie stuck on ‘repeat’ night after night. “I’m going to try and bluff him, baby” Toby told her “If I can keep him busy with conversation, maybe I can buy us the time to go out of a window or something” Her younger voice was obviously not impressed with the decision made. “Bluff him?” the teenage girl questioned “Dad…you’re a damned werewolf! Go out there and eat him, don’t bluff him!” She could almost feel the chill in the house from the October wind and rain that blew just outside what she once considered to be the safest place in her world. Shaking her back to a near sense of reality, the pressure on her shoulders from Toby’s hands felt realistic. “Honey” Toby explained “If there were more, they would’ve knocked. This guy isn’t here to arrest me…he’s here to kill us! Go do what I say!” The sincerity in her father’s voice was unlike any she had heard before from Toby Liberman. Struggling to open her bedroom window in order to escape into the night, the argument in the hallway continued… “You mean to tell me that you, Toby Liberman, is going to bare handedly take down an officer of the law, who happens to be armed, and save the day in front of your slut wife and smart mouthed daughter…and bells will chime…and birdies will sing…and the good guy wins and the bad guy falls?” The overweight law man screamed from the bottom of the stairs with confidence. “Well…yeah…” Toby thought aloud “That kind of was the thought that was going through my head right about now. Why? You don’t think it’s possible?” her father bluffed hopefully. She could sense the nervousness in his reply. Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. Awakened by the commotion in the next room, her mother awoke. Realizing that she was suddenly alone in her own bed, she made her way to the only thing that separated her from the dangerous condition her husband and daughter were already deeply involved in. The bedroom door. With a twist of the knob and the creak of ancient hinges, the number of individuals in the home that were at risk of not making it out alive became three. “Toby…are you still here?” she announced in the darkness, not knowing of the danger that awaited her only a mere ten feet away in the shadows “What’s going on out here?” “Jessica…GO!” her dad screamed in vain at the top of his lungs only to be drowned out by the recognizable crack of a gun blast. A single strobe of blinding light had bore witness to the surprised look in Jessica Liberman’s eyes before she collapsed helplessly onto the floor. Almost as though it had been rehearsed time and again, the intruder spoke six words that instantly changed Katie Liberman’s life forever… “One Liberman down…two to go.” Everything from this point on in her memory existed as quick flashes in her subconscious because of the terror that unfolded before her very eyes. She had seen massive amounts of blood before on television. What the television never explains to you is that it comes with a smell and a substance…and, as she would soon find out shortly after this…a taste. It was a taste that would eventually come to consume her life. A taste of home… “Don’t kill me Toby! Please don’t kill me!” Toby’s image shrank suddenly from the animal’s full height and his human features showed through the darkness towards the pleading, dying man. “Don’t kill you?” Toby spoke maniacally “You mean…don’t kill me like I did your wife? Don’t kill me like I’ve done to so many others before her at the orders of that lunatic you call a boss?” It wasn’t necessarily the visions of the man’s destruction that effected her…it was the sounds. The desperate begging for his own life and the gurgling of the blood in his throat as he fell limp on their living room floor in the shadow of the roaring fire place caused her to twitch ever so slightly…even in memory. The fireplace’s shadow soon became a bright, roaring, and controllable mean’s to and end for this chapter in her young life. Dodging flame and falling debris and escaping the choking smoke, she and Toby emerged onto the front porch only to be confronted with another hopeless situation. The death of the Deputy didn’t quiet his call for backup quick enough. As though everything was playing out in slow motion, her father turned to her with a fateful ultimatum. “Do you feel like giving up?” he asked calmly and seriously to Katie. “Do we end it all here? I’m leaving it up to you, kiddo…” Finally, the answer came…and it was much to his new found liking. Much like the raging fire that had been shut just beyond the barrier of their front door, Katie burned with an unusual and never before felt desire for vengeance and danger. Nothing else mattered in her young mind anymore. The visions, smell, and sound of the dying man’s blood had awakened something over all unusual to her and she was overpowered with the thoughts of making the same thing happen to all involved in the events of that evening. “Mom wouldn’t want us to give up” she replied angrily “How fast can you run?” Her father replied with a smart assed smirk that could’ve put Harrison Ford’s trademark to shame. “Pretty freaking fast, baby” Dodging red and blue flashing light as well as sporadic gun fire, her mind now raced to visions of the deep, rain soaked forests of Twin Oaks, Texas. Suddenly, the two of them entered a clearing as she hung on to her father for dear life and passed through the iron gates of an old cemetery. Descending into a dank structure that Toby had been using for a hideout, she soon slipped into a deep slumber that, unfortunately, didn’t end too well… She remembered his words of comfort just before everything around her faded into black. “Katie, honey…” he gained her attention “It’s okay to cry now. You don’t have to play the role of the untouchable big girl. I plan on doing the same here in just a little while…” Crying her young eyes out was really all that she wanted to do at the current time but the before mentioned fire raging inside of her wouldn’t allow it. “If we cry…they win” she boasted, forcing anger again to the surface of her face. In dreams, all that the young girl could think of was great feats of vengeance that could only be carried out in movies like The Boondock Saints…cool prayer and slow motion actions sequences included. In just a matter of days, her mother and uncle had been taken from her suddenly with no means of return…or so she thought at the time. Rudely awakened and thrown into the trunk of a police cruiser, she screamed for any and all that could hear her…but no one came to her aid. Her visions soon jumped to that of an open field amidst the rides and attractions of the Myrtle County Fair Grounds soaked in pouring rain restrained with freezing chains. Her captor, the now mortal enemy of the Liberman family paced like a caged animal waiting for a feeding. Her usual witty back and forth banter had only earned her a slap across the face and a promise of her demise once Toby’s inevitable rescue efforts came into play. From that point on, all she could deliver to the Sheriff was, at that particular time, empty promises. “Now…you’ve gone and screwed yourself. If my father doesn’t kill you…I sure as hell will. Mark my words.” Jessie couldn’t help but notice the seriousness in her voice but it fell away almost unheard. She was nothing more than a child delivering empty promises in desperation. “Young lady…” he spoke bending down, looking her deep in her moistened eyes “I can almost assure you that the only people that will be dying tonight will be those by the last name of Liberman. Consider your words marked…and ignored.” The fear that would normally exist on a thirteen year olds breath at this point in the situation would normally be overpowering to some that had never been placed in a similar event. Katie Liberman, however, was exhaling nothing but vengeance and anger. When her father finally appeared at the edge of the clearing for the final confrontation of the evening, she searched her mind frantically for a means to assist him in any way possible. Hell, if the situation were to arise, she was going to attempt to make it happen on her own without anyone else’s help. “Welcome back, Mr. Liberman” the Sheriff announced aloud. “Glad you could make it to my little party!” “Daddy!” young Katie screamed out loud, still tied to the power post. “It’s a trap, daddy…run!” Fortunately…her father was well aware of the situation and had come prepared…somewhat… “I know, baby…I know” What followed was a frantic fight for life and a revelation of secrets the likes of which even a Hollywood movie would have to struggle to invent. During the argument, she had managed to sneak out of her restraints and put the events of that fateful night in motion. Both of them now lingering on the narrow footing of death’s edge, she stared hopelessly down the barrel of Jessie McGee’s gun awaiting eternity. As though the man were answering a comment from an unseen player in the game, he chambered a bullet with her name on it and answered the unheard comment. “No sir…I’m going to enjoy this. She won’t be as lucky as you were…” With the velocity of the bullet that never reached her, Katie sprang from her bed into the cold night air of the New York apartment with blankets flying in all directions. Gasping for relief from the memories that plagued her sleep, she sat upright in a field of temporary confusion. As she inhaled deep and frantic, the chill around her brought the young girl back into a sense of reality. Searching around the room for some recognizable signs of truth, the blue tinted, glowing vision of Jessica Liberman sat in a bedside chair next to her in observation. Even though there was no physical substance to the lady’s being, it almost appeared as though the entity had tears forming in the wells of her eyes. A mother’s love for their daughter and the desire to comfort them in times of uncertainty knows no boundaries…even in death…and the life that possibly waits beyond… “You know…I never wanted any of this.” the ghost whispered “I wanted you to grow up, go to college, and spit out a few kids of your own. Not this…” “Well, Mom…” Katie began, stretching sleepily “None of us have much control in the hand that was dealt to us. I’m sure if we could restart the game, you and Uncle Johnny wouldn’t be dead, Dad wouldn’t be a creature of the night, and I wouldn’t be freezing my ass off in a tree in Central Park every night looking for the bastard that did all of this to us. I’m doing what I feel needs to be done in order for the dreams of yesterday to still have a fighting chance tomorrow.” The last things in the world that the young girl wanted was to let her mother, living or dead, know of the fear that was currently living deep down inside of her soul. Katie had it all figured out…up to a point. Fly to New York and spend every last cent of her freshman year money on a lush apartment and find Kurt Jimmerson in thirty days? Check. What to do with him once she had found him? Not a clue. Stretching her arms above her head lightly scratching the headboard, she peered hopelessly at the snow that was once again falling onto the world below. For most girls her age, this was a dream come true. The big city sprawled out two dozen stories below her covered in white as far as normal eyes could see. “You know, you didn’t have to come with me” she began the argument again “I mean, I don’t know what it is you would’ve been doing otherwise...ghost crap, I guess…interrupting kids parked in the cemetery while they were making out and fun stuff like that…but there isn’t a whole lot that you’re going to be able to do to help me when the time comes other than watch me or the other guy get shredded to pieces.” “Shredded to pieces?” Jessica shrieked “Kathryn Rene Liberman, could you please be a little gentler with the terminology when it comes to speaking about the future?” “I’m just trying to keep it real, mother” she barked doing her best New Yorker impression “Did you like that? I’m trying to sound like a local!” “You’ve got a long way to go, honey” Jessica responded “That East Texas draw in your voice isn’t easily overlooked in this part of the country…” The fact of the matter is, Jessica Liberman wasn’t about to let Katie strike out on her own. She had been wandering around in the foggy abyss of her burial ground for what had seemed like an eternity. Speaking occasionally to the other entities that chose to remain near their bodies, she had learned a thing or two…but not how to contact the living. Sure, she could see them come and go through the graveyards going about their daily lives but they never so much as acknowledged her presence no matter what she tried in order to get their attention. Suddenly, like a beacon in the opaque darkness, Katie had appeared next to her headstone to have what was to be the final conversation. Without warning, Katie had looked up from the ground while speaking and recognized her image. Jessica wasn’t quite sure how it had happened...she only knew that it did. She could only imagine that it had something to do with the unfortunate curse that had been bestowed upon her young daughter and, for a few days, it was pleasant. Honestly, she didn’t know how much longer she was going to be able to handle not being able to physically interact with her. One last hug would be enough. “…the choice is yours, though” Katie continued during Jessica’s recollection “I’ve got to hit the shower and get to work if I’m going to make this happen. Don’t wait up. I’m going back to the park tonight to see what I can come up with. These guys have got to show up sometime. The priest I spoke to last night verified that it’s a part of Jimmerson’s story that isn’t a lie.” “A priest? Come on, Katie…you’re Jewish! You weren’t worried about bursting into flames by going into a Catholic church?” Jessica attempted to joke. “Not really” Katie started to retort “Grandpa was Jewish, Dad is nothing, and before you died…you were a Methodist. That’s what they call people that worship meth, right?” “Funny, dear” Jessica exaggerated half heartedly “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” Katie paused momentarily before closing the bathroom door, searching for the proper come back. “Mommy dearest, I hate to be the bearer of bad news…but your chances of “living” anything down from this point on is minimal.” Visually disturbed by the comment, Jessica swooped towards the girl’s location in the blink of an eye. “It’s not funny, Katie! You need to give the ghost jokes a rest!” “Yeah, sure I will…” Katie winked “I’ll be more than happy to give them a rest…in peace…” Slamming the door behind her, Katie quietly giggled behind the noise of the falling shower leaving her mother outside to cringe. It was times like these she was glad that there was no possible way for her mother to physically interact with her. She was going to have fun at her expense while there was still fun to be had… Her mother’s existence in this situation hadn’t been something that she originally planned for. She had been told by Toby that her Uncle Johnny had come to him in a time of need by stating something personal and sincere that only belonged to the two of them. As time went by and the curse lived on inside of her veins, she was slowly learning that everything going on from her father’s point of view wasn’t entirely true. It wasn’t that he had lied to her…it was just what he had been instructed in the beginning. I’m sure there had been things he’d discovered on his own that made him come to the realization of being led down a false path also…but there was always the slightest possibility that he was keeping it to himself. Even though he had been more than willing to try and steer Katie down the easiest path to werewolf acceptance, there were some things that she had to figure out on his own. He was always a little cryptic when it came to certain details. Either he didn’t know the entire truth himself or there were some things that he just didn’t want his darling daughter to know. The interaction with ghosts was one of them. She was sure that the last thing her father wanted was for her to be in the cemetery trying to seek guidance from her mother. He wanted her to live for the future and not live in the past. Quite frankly, it was the past that was destined to control each of their futures. It was during her final attempt to make contact…when she was needed most…that she appeared to her. The Catholic Priest had been the same way. The other ghosts she’d encountered on her journey belonged to something altogether different that she hadn’t figured out yet. Maybe it was ‘they’ that needed her? Finishing her shower and stepping out onto the floor, she was thankful that she had chosen the Rockefeller Center apartments as her dwelling. No matter what the temperature was outside in the harsh conditions of Manhattan, she stayed toasty warm with the heated floors. Five thousand dollars a month for a place this luxurious had damn near cleaned her out but, if there indeed existed a possibility that she might not return to Twin Oaks in one piece, she was going to live it up the best she could. It was absolutely perfect as a base of operations. Ten minutes away from Central Park, as the human runs, and barely five minutes away from the Jimmerson and Wolf law firm where she was now gainfully employed. If things went to hell suddenly…she didn’t have far to go for most people would consider to be safety. The only drawback was that five thousand dollars didn’t leave much to the imagination when it came to meals and a party budget. If she pulled a victory in the situation at hand, it was going to be a long walk back to Texas. Exiting the bathroom, her mother stared her up and down with a smirk upon her transparent face. “This is what you’re wearing to work at a law firm?” the apparition inquired. “I’m working in the mail room, Mom.” As though she had prepared for the conversation at hand “No one of any importance is going to see me sorting mail in the basement and I doubt, if they did, they wouldn’t be quick on their feet to recognize my radiant beauty and propose marriage to me.” Glancing up and down again slowly, Jessica stared disgusted at the ripped knee holes in a pair of two year old, faded jeans and the black hoodie that draped loosely over the body of her eighteen year old daughter. “It’s all about comfort, mother” she attempted to explain “I’m not climbing trees in the snow wearing a business suit” Exhaling non-existent breath out of pure habit, Jessica hung her head to the floor “Why, oh why, child did you end up with your father’s fashion sense? First impressions last a lifetime, Katie.” “Coming from the expert on lifetimes, I’ll have you know that I probably don’t have much more of one left” Katie informed her mother hopelessly “Now…sit tight…let me do my thing…and watch a Ghost Hunter’s marathon or something. Hell, you might learn something…” With the security and warmth of the high rise apartment far behind her, Katie pushed head first into the oncoming bitter cold of the city. Today, she infiltrated the wolf’s den, for lack of better terminology, in the hopes that she could find some small clue to end her family’s curse forever. With any luck, there wouldn’t be much opposition in the form of fact finding. Her main concern was the physical battle that was destined to ensue if she was caught. It’s not every day of your life that you have to battle for mere survival and she hoped beyond all hope that she wasn’t too rusty with her skills to do so. After all…it had been five years since she’d stared at death face to face… A couple of years of internet research had given Katie a tiny bit of a prepared feeling when she first reached the 52nd Street entrance of Jimmerson & Wolf but the tall shadow of the fifty story building brought on an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness when she first reached for the door. Constant viewing of satellite maps and web cameras in the area had revealed nothing at all unusual and the charitable contributions towards the Central Park area of New York, especially the Belvedere Castle restoration had kept the business in the positive media with article after article in her computer’s search engines. This was the marker for what could very well be the rest of her life. All actions, consequences, and futures of the Liberman family from this point forward in history would be traced back to this exact moment in this exact spot. Upon entering the lobby, the building looked like typical Manhattan money. Chocolate colored, marble floors reflected the images of priceless chandeliers as though they were stars shining on a river at midnight. The smell of lavender filled the air with a hint of cinnamon from an adjoining bakery. People rushed from everywhere headed nowhere. When the snooty, elderly lady at the front desk directed her to the elevator, however, all signs of luxury and importance came to a screeching halt. When the doors opened to the basement that housed the mailroom, it was the closest thing that Katie had ever experienced that resembled a medieval dungeon. Flat white cinderblock walls lined the dimly lit hallway and the pleasant smells of the world above were no longer existent. Mold and ancient water now filled her nostrils unpleasantly with a small hint of aging papers and computer exhaust. Oddly enough, she felt a little more like it was somewhere she belonged. There were no suits and ties in the underground. Instead, a gothic looking girl in her mid twenties was all she could find of a living presence. This mystery was obviously the one meant to be her boss. She had snatched the job application from Katie’s hands as though it was an annoyance. Jet black fingernails flipped pages curiously while dark eyes scanned the information hidden behind long, stringy, dye bottle colored hair. Somewhere, a Hot Topic store was missing a manager…or a favorite customer. In this town, it was getting harder and harder every day to tell the difference. As the girl thumbed the last page, Katie couldn’t help but almost feel an instant connection with the girl. She was far beyond attractive regardless of her initial appearance and a similar sense of fashion existed. Torn jeans and hoodies were obviously the dress code for law firm mailrooms. Glancing up between opaque bangs, the dismal girl finally spoke. “Kathryn Rene Haynes” she sarcastically read from the stack of papers “What brings you to my personal hell?” Katie loved her already. “I’m just interning while I’m in school” she explained off the top of her head “I put in an application and got lucky I guess. Columbia University…” “Columbia?!” the mid twenties girl exclaimed “Damn, girl…you’re a long way from 116th Street! Couldn’t you have found anything closer? Do you like getting mugged or something?” Katie was really in love. “I just wanted to work somewhere that I could tell was more interested in the greater good rather than lining its own pockets with wealth. From my research…I figured that this was the place.” It was at this point in the conversation that the young lady removed her hair from in front of violently dark and shadowed eyes. “Honey…screw the research. You want to know what really happens in a law office? This is the place to do so. Every half wit piece of trash in trouble with the law within a hundred miles of this town comes through this place first in the form of court writs and letters begging for help. Charity? The greater good? You have no idea.” Katie could tell suddenly that any positive thoughts of a work environment had left this girl a long time ago. Who was to blame her? Sure, her father had come home from time to time complaining about the minor law breakers from back in Twin Oaks but a city this size was sure to bring them out in droves. Murders, rapists, and child molesters could fill the streets around her at any given time and she would never know the difference. It was time to turn on some charm or this girl was going to be the death of her at some point before anyone else got a chance to be the death of her. “Oh, I totally get what you’re saying” Katie began “To a point anyways. My dad is sort of involved with the law back home and we’ve been ran out of a store or two by guys he’s had to deal with before. It kind of sucks, really. Never knowing from one minute to the next if you’re going to be safe or not…” “Kathryn, this isn’t Dallas…regardless of how ‘big’ you think that place is.” The boss interrupted “I went there once when I was a kid. It was a joke. This is New York City. This is the hub of the entire world. Trade. Immigration. Crime. The worst of the worst of the worst come here looking for a quick fix or a helpless victim. If you stay here long enough…you’ll see what I’m talking about. You’ll be sick of it soon enough, dropping out of Columbia, and running back home to the land of hicks and snuff rings in the boy's back pockets before you know it.” Katie didn’t know why the young girl had picked this particular time to vent out possibly years of frustration…but she was starting to get a little nervous again. Maybe she was trying to scare her away but maybe…just maybe…she was also trying to save her from whatever wholesome visions of the world that an eighteen year old still possessed. What this nameless, troubled face didn’t understand was that the young Texan had lost her innocent hopes of the world years ago. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, the black haired girl caught her breath and took the conversation into an entirely different direction. “Well, regardless of how I feel, I guess you’re here Kathryn. Welcome to Jimmerson & Wolf.” Standing up sharply and pulling her dark hair from inside of her hooded sweatshirt, she extended her pale hand in welcome. “This is basically a bean flicking job so you’re probably going to like it. Letters come in, we read them, and then we send them upstairs. It’s sort of like a written version of daytime trash television shows so…wait….” The young lady paused “you’re not a LUG, are you?” “I don’t even know what a LUG is…” Katie responded “so I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.” The dark haired girl snickered under her breath “A LUG is an acronym for ‘lesbian until graduation’. I don’t…well, not since that one time, swing that way so I just needed to know if I should be worried about being alone with you down here in this lonely, soundproofed, almost abandoned, and darkly lit basement.” Katie couldn’t help but smile a little bit at the question being asked but she could tell that the other girl in the conversation was dead serious…almost as though it had been an issue in her life before. If ever there were a chance for an icebreaker regarding her sense of humor and attitude, this was it. She took her shot. “Lesbian? No, not me. I mean, sure…I’ve sat there at the silverware drawer before when no one else was home looking at the utensils wondering which one’s would hurt me, if I’d get an infection, and if I ever planned on using them again to prepare food…but I’ve always been partial to guys. I think you’re safe with me.” The hair fell in front of the girl’s face again as she bent forward in what seemed to be painful but welcomed laughter. Smiling for the first time since meeting one another, she looked up at Katie through new and sparkling eyes as though they’d just found their first friend in a long time. It was an instant connection. “Girl…you are sick!” the stranger responded “I like that in a chick. My name’s Amdrea, by the way…but I prefer that my friends call me Willow.” “Nice to meet you, Willow” Katie responded “I’m Katie Haynes. I don’t have any friends…but if I did, I would want them to call me Kat.” The two girls continued to giggle and stare at one another for several minutes as though they were long lost sisters that were meeting for the first time. With one cynical joke after another, they traded verbal licks on into the afternoon and beyond as though they’d known each other forever. As the work day ended and Katie began to gather her belongings into her backpack, she had completely forgotten that she had gone to this place with a purpose to fulfill. It would have to wait. Right now…this was something that was altogether unusual to her since the passing away of Johnny Haynes. She had discovered someone else in this crazy world that was just as odd and terrible as her. Throwing the pack over her shoulder with a shrug, she smiled at the first potential friend who had come along since first landing in the city that never sleeps. “Goodnight, Willow…” She bid farewell “I guess I’ll be seeing you in the morning…” “Oh, no way, Kat” Willow exclaimed in disbelief “There is no way I’m going to let you out of my sight tonight! I know a little Irish pub just around the corner…” Katie interrupted her right back quickly out of habit. “Willow! I’m only eighteen! I can’t drink…” Willow pressed an extended index finger softly across the lips of the teenage traveler and shushed her in mid sentence. Looking Katie deep in her eyes as though she could read her very thoughts, the new found friend made it all sound simple and honest. Simple and honest was within reason at this point. “Kittie Kat…this is Manhattan. Eighteen or eighty…no one gives a shit here. C’mon…lets go get drunk, shake off the stress of the day, and wake up with matching tattoos! Deal?” …and with that, Katie Liberman’s adventures in New York City were successfully kicked off…regardless of the fact that they were being kicked off in the opposite direction of her original intentions. “You know this job doesn’t pay, right?” Willow added as they strolled towards the elevator “I don’t want you to get hard up for money and start having to rub peter to pay Paul…” “You mean ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’?” Katie inquired half confused. “I wish” Willow confessed “I owed money to a guy named Paul once. I had to do a few things I’m not proud of…”