Shadow and I appeared in a cavern. We were alone there except for Ren. He was sitting in crash position against a stalagmite. “I had hoped you wouldn’t come,” he said to us, not looking up. “Well, we did, so deal with it,” Shadow retorted. He shook his head. “No. It would have been better for you if you hadn’t come. There is too much at risk right now, with all three of us here.” “What do you mean, too much at risk?” I asked. “You’ve figured it out by now, Acwulf. Some werewolves... Well, the bite isn’t easy on them.” “And you’re included in that group,” Shadow guessed. He nodded. “I am. So was the werewolf who bit me.” “How did it... pass on to you?” I asked. “The bite is like a gene. It gets passed down through the werewolves who bite other people, turning them into werewolves. How do you think your bite was so sensitive that day, Acwulf?” I stumbled back, his words like a stone. “How do you know about that?” I whispered. “I was there. Maybe not in control, but I was there.” Shadow gave me a puzzled look, but I wasn’t going to share. It happened when I was 8 and Raza was 2. He and I were playing, and the sun went down. I turned into a werewolf then, instead of midnight like usual. I almost bit Raza, but I had a little bit of control left. You can guess at the rest. “My point is, the one who bit me had a similar problem as to what I have. Just, he didn’t have the moments of clarity that I have,” Ren said. “Then how do you have the clarity?” Shadow asked. He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve just learned to be grateful for them.” He hadn’t looked at us at all for the full time we’d been here. “Why won’t you look at us?” I asked. He laughed without humor. “If I were to look at either of you right now, it would trigger the monster. And none of us want that.” “Both of us? Even Shadow?” “Well, I can see you, Acwulf, when I look at Shadow, so yes. Both of you.” I debated stepping away from Shadow’s side, but decided against it. “So. I asked you a question back at that clearing, Ren. What’s your answer?” Shadow asked. Ren sighed. “You think it’s that easy? You do realize that if I even look up right now, it would trigger the monster. You think moving in with you and Julia - next door to Acwulf - would be safe?” “Well, can’t we just get rid of the monster?” He was silent for a minute. “Maybe. I’m not sure. I’ve never tried.” “Why not?” I asked. “Would you try to banish a monster that lives inside of you if you weren’t 100% sure it would work and wouldn’t turn you into a monster?” “Well, you kind of already are a monster,” I retorted, then regretted it. The goal was supposed to be banishing the monster, not triggering it. Ren took a deep breath. “I know. And I’m sorry about those times. Especially when I shot the pain curse.” Nobody needed to ask what time he meant. “It’s worth a try. Banishing the monster, I mean. I don’t know how, but it was good that Shadow came along also. She plays - well, probably does, anyway - a key part in this.” Shadow had been silent, but then she spoke up. “What if you look up, but only focus on me? Then you can, I don’t know, think about whatever makes the monster back down? That might work.” He shook his head. “No. I need Wolf, too.” “Uh, why?” I asked. “Balance. You trigger the monster, Shadow makes it back down.” “But we want more - never mind.” What use was arguing with the person who’d lived with this monster? “So we use my plan, but add Wolf in there too?” Shadow asked. Ren nodded. “Let’s try. Also, be ready if something goes wrong.” He looked up at both of us, and his split personality seemed to shift sides a hundred different times as he did so. I could tell that there was no monster, because, 1, he would have attacked us already, and 2, I could see that he was in control. After a few minutes of this intense staring contest, Ren looked back at the ground, breathing hard. “Did it work?” Shadow whispered. He gulped. “I-I’m not sure.” “Try triggering the monster?” I suggested. He shrugged. “Worth a shot.” He looked up at me, and nothing happened. No personality shifts or anything. “It worked?” He breathed. (Cont. Below)
Story Cont.) I nodded. “Pretty sure that it did.” Ren let out a breath that no one knew he’d been holding. “I can’t thank either of you enough for that.” Shadow shrugged. “You don’t have to. Just don’t attack us or try to kill us again, and we’re good.” “You’ll still turn into a wolf, right?” I confirmed. Ren nodded. “Yeah. It just won’t be so sudden, and not so fierce either.” “That’s good,” Shadow said. “So. You’ll come live with us? Me and Mom?” Ren hesitated, then nodded again. “Yes. I’ll try.” “We should probably head back, since we didn’t explain anything to the others,” I jumped in. Shadow nodded. “Do you want to come with us?” Shadow asked her father. “I guess. Might as well start now with asking forgiveness.” “Alright. Let’s go, then.” And the three of us teleported away, leaving the cave - and the monster - behind once and for all. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Notes/Credits: So, I am writing a story. It's called the Wolf Boy, and it's about a werewolf. This is Chapter 23. New chapters will come out every Sunday, Friday and Wednesday. Chapter 1: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/534060010/ Chapter 2: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/534063855/ Chapter 3: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/524407102/ Chapter 4: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/535116523/ Chapter 5: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/539191166/ Chapter 6: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/541091515/ Chapter 7: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/542478639/ Chapter 8: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/543943477/ Chapter 9: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/545518981/ Chapter 10: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/547310742/ Chapter 11: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/547908874/ Chapter 12: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548716751 Chapter 13: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548720777/ Chapter 14: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548720823/ Chapter 15: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548720878/ Chapter 16: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548720909/ Chapter 17: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548720955/ Chapter 18: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548720993/ Chapter 19: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548721015/ Chapter 20: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548721051/ Chapter 21:https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548721077/ Chapter 21.5: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548721102/ Chapter 22: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548721149/ Chapter 23: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/548721182/ Credits: Me, for writing it. @aqua_di_angelo for being the first reader & giving feedback. J.K. Rowling for some inspiration.
