Outsiders. Chpt 5. Finale.
Outsiders.
Chapter 5
By Roofles
As the night grew on more and more of the town seemed to light up, as if it was only now beginning to wake up for the festival at hand and the hour of the wolf was on them; this was something Jayden pointed out to his friend walking at his side.
"We use a lot of sayings like that. Have a lot." He corrected himself moving down the street with the wolf at his side. Still dressed in the oversized werewolf outfit, he had to take a slower step unable to see fully. It might've been for the best. There were so many sights and sounds and smells and tastes to take in, it was easier to take things one step at a time. Literally. "Animals idioms and description."
Logan just nodded along still ignoring everything around him. The smell still made him both hungry and sick to his stomach. The smell of food made his muzzle drool, which he kept having to wipe away with the back of his arm hoping Jayden wasn't watching. There was still car exhaust, traces of oil on the ground and the vile smell of machinery working and spewing fumes into the air.
Logan preferred his home, in the wild. In nature. In the "real world" as he put it. Where things weren't fake. They were how they were. And the strong devoured the weak... and got to choose who to be with. A world Logan could rule.
"You speak highly of nature and animals, and yet you live in such a big...town." Logan looked around, with a frown embedded on his face. Even a small little place like this made his skin crawl and his head spin from all the sights and sounds. His animal side was telling him to just get up and run, run now and out into the forest.
"My dad used to take me out camping, hunting and fishing." Jayden said reminiscing on the matter. "I sort of grew up in nature during my childhood."
"You always speak of him in the past tense." Jayden stopped at that and Logan soon followed suit, looking back at the smaller man dressed in a silly werewolf outfit. Logan thought it looked good on him, however. "Has he passed on?"
The man looked down at the ground, the cobblestone pathway was a deep blue like the ocean floor, almost black but in the right light you could see that it wasn't. "Something like that," Jayden finally spoke up, his voice hollow and dry. "Come on," he quickly changed his tune brightening up as he spun around to take Logan's paw once more. "Lets' see the rest of the sights! The night isn't getting any younger."
"How does a night get young?" Logan just asked as he was dragged along in tow once more. Logan was staring down at Jayden's hand, holding his large paw. No one had taken his hand, ever, before.
Cobwebs draped over the nearby roofs and lamplight street lamps and dangled down in places to the misty covered ground. It was an eerie place; and fit perfectly on Halloween night. The air was chilly and a fog had begun to set, even if no one else seemed to notice. It made it more difficult for Jayden's human eyes to see.
"Everything alright?" Logan asked, looking at the human who had stopped.
"Yeah." Jayden said with a chuckle, ignoring the fear welling up inside him. That primal fear that was engraved into every human being. To be fearful of the dark. To avoid things with sharp teeth, fur and claws. To stay on the beaten path. All things Jayden had ignored this night.
It was all a good distraction from the reality of his life.
"Just getting hard to see is all." Jayden smiled at Logan but held his hand a bit tighter.
"We can always leave, whenever your ready." Logan replied watching the man. The large red wolf kept ignoring everything else here.
"Whenever?" Jayden asked.
"Whenever your ready." Logan nodded.
"Ok," and with that Jayden continued through the festival. Knowing he had an escape plan if or when he'd need it. For now? For now, he could at least enjoy the strange sights.
Even though everyone here were creatures of the night, monsters and demons that haunt children nightmares... everyone at least attempted to wear a costume. The tradition of wearing masks and outfits during Halloween had been invented to blend in and fool those who would hunt wayward children on this night. A custom that the monsters themselves adopted, so they too wouldn't be eaten by other things of the night.
One reason, Jayden figured, there was so many food stands and candy booths. Fill up everyone so they wouldn't be hungry for anything else. Free food was hard to pass up; still Logan judged which was ok to eat and what wasn't.
Jayden had heard enough stories about being offered free apples from creepy old hags to know better than to question Logan's judgment. The wolf did seem to have his best interest at heart. Even putting up with this festivities for his sake.
Jayden did thank the wolf, once more. "Ok, Logan. Thank you for this. It has been a great evening. But I think I'm-," and before Jayden could say anything further fireworks went off.
Explosions rang out overhead, party noise makers were blown and everyone in the area began gathering around a large stage that had been set up at the far side of town. Jayden could see a corn maze behind the stage, sure that hadn't been there before this night.
"The night is growing late!" Someone on the stage said. A lovely lady wearing a stunning dress. Not a single person was looking directly at her; the snakes on her head hissed at anyone who drew too close. "Let us start the final festivities for the night!"
"Oh, no." Logan muttered eyes widening a bit. "We should leave. Now." The wolf growled at Jayden. Only now noticing that the human had headed over to join the crowd.
"As we do every year, it's time to pick the scariest costume!" The snake hair lady said, spinning around once and speaking into the microphone she carried. "Come up. Come one. Come all!" And with that she moved to the side.
People, or rather those who looked like people, began piling up on the stage. One after the other. Some of the others in the crowd were picking them out, pushing them towards the stage. And before Logan could get Jayden's attention, the human dressed as a werewolf was pulled up and pushed onto stage. Jayden just chuckled a bit, standing at the very end of the line.
"First up!" The snake woman cheered, and with long sharp nails ripped the mask off the first person. Underneath was a hideous, foul smelling goblin. She booted him off stage. "Nope!"
The crowd laughed at that.
"Next," and she quickly ripped the next mask off. Logan began making his way around the crowd and towards the side of the stage where Jayden was.
The next person looked human enough but her skin was a faint green color and her hair were made of vines, leaves and flowers growing from them. She opened her mouth and instantly teeth sharper than a shark hissed at the crowd, her once stunning face twisting into something ugly and deadly. "Too lovely," the snake woman said very spitefully and gave the dryad a painful shove off stage.
The crowd cheered once more. Jayden didn't see a problem with it, figured he too would just be pushed off stage. Logan on the other hand knew better.
One by one, people were unmasked to show the monster underneath. A cyclops, a harpy and just next to Jayden was a rather large Minotaur. Jayden wasn't sure how anyone could mistake that, the mask the bull wore didn't even fit fully over his face. Jayden tried not to focus on the smell of the large bull that smelled... like a very large bull that hadn't ever known what a shower was. Stinking like ten barnyards all in one.
And finally, it was Jayden's turn.
"Jayden!" Logan hissed at the side of the stage, trying to get up.
"Sorry, sir." The snake woman said placing a heeled shoe between Logan's eyes and pushing him off the stage. "No last entrees! And now for our final, contestant!" She said towards the crowd, who once more avoided looking at her. They cheered loudly, already knowing no one ever won. Medusa just loved to be center stage during this event.
And with her black nails, Medusa pulled the mask off Jayden's face. Silence fell over the crowd.
"What a poor sport," the snake woman said, a fork tongue slithering out of her mouth. "Show us your true form. Give the crowd a show!"
"Well..." Jayden said, getting embarrassed. He wasn't one to stand in the spotlight.
"Come now!" Medusa said, getting angry now that people were laughing, figuring it to be some sort of joke. She hated anyone stealing the moment. "Show us!" She hissed violently, striking out with her hand and those sharp finger nails.
Jayden moved back, but not quick enough. And one of those nails cut his cheek. A line of blood was drawn.
The silence that fell was deafening. Not a single thing moved as every eye turned towards Jayden.
"Shit," Logan managed to curse leaping up onto stage and grabbing Jayden by the back of his suit with his teeth. Logan pulled him out of the way, behind Medusa, and any eye stupid enough to follow him was instantly turned to stone.
Logan had already made a run towards the corn maze behind the stage before anyone could react. Hissing, screeching wails filled the air.
"Let the hunt begin." Medusa said, shuddering in delight. The lower half of her body had turned into a serpent tail. Black scales with a bronze underside. She moved as quickly as anyone else, chasing after the free game and fresh blood.
Logan was already back to his four legged form as he whipped his head around, Jayden still clenched in his teeth, and threw the human up and onto his back. "Hold on!" Logan shouted as he bolted forward on all fours. A stampede following behind them.
"Idiot!" Logan cursed hitting the ground with all four paws at once and running towards the other side. Making the turn so quickly that the first group following behind slammed right into the corn maze. The corn stalks twisted and the corn grew mouths filled with sharp teeth and each plant began tearing into anything they could reach.
"Foolish, boy." Logan continued to snarl. The area ahead split into three different paths. Logan wasn't used to this. He couldn't smell where to go, he couldn't look up at the stars to see his position. He hadn't a clue where to run too. Only knowing that he had to run, for Jayden's sake.
"I'm sorry." Jayden just said, holding onto the thick mane of fur tightly with both hands. He kept close to the wolf, sliding his legs just behind Logan's front legs. "Who'd have thought a monster festival would get violent?" Jayden joked, trying not to worry too much even with a blood thirsty mob after him.
"Har, har." Logan growl deepened as he moved quickly, weaving down the paths and turning at random odd angles. Completely lost. If nothing else, Logan hoped to back track and leave through the front entrance where they had come from instead of trying to find the exit.
"If only we brought a ball of yarn," Jayden said as if reading Logan's thoughts.
Logan cursed loudly as they ran into a dead end, stopping so suddenly Jayden was nearly thrown off. Logan turned around to see a rather large set of hooves catch up to them. The minotaur.
"I thought something stunk!" The large bull snorted. Jayden didn't want to point out that that stench was just coming from the bull, not him. The minotaur was wielding a very large axe, neither of the two could figure how they were caught.
In fact, Logan just asked him. "How the hell are you the first one to find us?"
The bull frowned. "I'm a minotaur. It's sort of what we do. Eat people in mazes."
"Ew," Jayden gagged. "That's nasty."
"Humans are very high in trans fats." Logan just said. "Reason why I don't touch 'em." Logan lifted his nose, turning his muzzle to one side and scoffing. Jayden didn't want to inquire further about that.
The bull just got angry at that. "You just want the boy to yourself!"
"Obviously." Logan chuckled and then moved towards him, quickly. "Hang tight,"
"Hang left!" Jayden said seeing a half dozen more monsters coming from the right side.
Logan jumped to one side as that double edged axe came down, easily dodging the slow weight weapon. Logan didn't leave it at that. If the minotaur could find him once, he could find them time and time again. So the large wolf bit into, tearing the hamstrings of the minotaurs legs.
The bull howled in pain, swinging the axe at Logan. Just in time for the wolf to jump out of the way, and just in time for the dozen or so monsters to run right into the path of that weapon. It was more than enough to cause infighting and every one of them turned on each other, fighting over the prize to be had.
"Fools," Logan just laughed looking over the scene. "Like children. They should know their better," and with that the prideful wolf turned away and began heading out once more. And running right into another dead end. Jayden wasn't foolish enough to point this out to the wolf, who turned around quickly, not wanting to damage Logan's ego let alone risk being tossed off and left behind at the insult.
"You're faster and stronger than any of these beasts." Jayden just said, patting the side of Logan's thick neck. "No one can catch us." The man figured it was best to keep Logan spirits up as they ran into another dead end, as if the maze itself was trying to stop them.
"This place is beginning to piss me off." Logan snarled at the plants. The corn showed their teeth and snarled right back. Logan folded his ears back, blinking several times at that. "Lets...lets go this way," and he lifted up one large paw to point in a random direct.
"Any many miny moe, might work better..." Jayden laughed abit, ending up scratching Logan's head in apologies. Logan splayed his ears out, hating the fact he enjoyed the feel of the scratching. If it had been anyone else, Logan would have torn their very arm off. "I have full faith in your abilities to not get us killed." Jayden said in encouragement, even if it didn't sound like it.
"Thanks," Logan said wavering a bit in his step. "Your confidence in me... means the world." Logan groaned a bit, shaking his head. Jayden patted his head some more. Logan just frowned more at that, even if Jayden hadn't meant too it felt as if the man was mocking him.
And then they heard a voice. Not just a voice, but a song being sung. There was even someone playing a flute along with it.
Jayden frowned at that.
"That can't be good." And the man looked down at the wolf. "Logan? Hey, Logan?" And he shook the wolf the best he could. The wolf's eyes had glazed over and he was beginning to walk directly towards the side of the maze. "Logan!" Jayden shouted, shaking the wolf even more now. "Wake up! Going to get us killed," Jayden said jumping off and moving in front of the large wolf.
Logan's eyes were fully glazed over and the giant red wolf didn't even appear to be capable of hearing Jayden's voice. Jayden tried to stop him but the wolf was far stronger and his feet were just pushed back in the muddy ground of the maze.
"Damnit; they were right. Sooner or later the music will get you." And Jayden pulled on Logan's whiskers, even pulling one out! The wolf didn't even notice. So Jayden did the next best thing, thinking back to all the mythological books he had been forced to read in English class.
Jayden scooped up handfuls of mud and began stuffing Logan's ears with it. Beeswax worked a lot better, but this was all Jayden had available. He didn't question why he himself wasn't affect by the song. Maybe, it could only focus on one species at a time? The instrument reaching an octave only dogs would be able to hear.
Logan finally stopped, only a whisker's breath away from the maze. Each piece of corn was smiling evily, waiting for the fresh meat to walk in. They frowned as Logan suddenly pulled back, blinking his eyes and looking around.
"What the?" Logan said loudly, shaking his head and trying to use a paw to wipe the mud from his ears.
"Don't," Jayden said loudly stopping the wolf. Logan's muzzle slid down Jayden's chest and his nose brushed between his legs as the two stared eye to eye with each other. "You can't. Not now." Jayden said slowly, letting Logan read his lips. He could use sign language but doubted the wolf would be able to understand.
Logan seemed to get the picture and crouched down once more, motioning for Jayden to get on.
The two were off once more. Logan going twice as fast to make up for the lost time. It didn't matter.
No matter how fast he ran, no matter which way he went the two ended up just running around in circles it seemed. "This maze is crazy," Jayden said looking around. Logan was beginning to pant, having to fight off monsters and carry the man around.
Most of the mud had drained from Logan's ears at this point, and Jayden had helped clear them out the best he could. "The maze creates and feeds off the fear of those inside it." Logan said, stopping and listening. The two heard someone scream on the other side of the wall they were standing next too.
"Fear?" Jayden asked a bit skeptical.
Logan nodded. "It's the main source of energy monsters draw off of. To make people fear them, to know them and to never forget." Jayden pet he side of Logan's neck.
"I'm not afraid of you, though." Jayden said softly down to the wolf. Logan splayed his ears, looking away from the man.
"Well, any normal person would be." Logan muttered under his breath. "The fact of the matter is, I'm afraid of being lost." Logan growled now.
"And because of that you aren't able to find a way out." Jayden said with a bit of a frown. He got off the wolf and headed forward. "I'll lead then, that might help?"
"So long as you stay within sight." Logan growled loudly, more at his own weakness. A human shouldn't be leading a wolf around. Logan wanted to stop him, to argue that it'd just be best for him to lead but he had to swallow his pride this one time.
"Why hasn't the maze effected me yet?" Jayden asked.
"The same reason the sirens or the pied piper didn't?" Logan shrugged. "What are you afraid of? So I know what to expect." And Logan lifted up one side of his muzzle, baring his teeth and growling. "Can I tare it apart?"
"Well..." Jayden began but the two got interrupted even before he could start.
The ground erupted underneath Jayden's feet and several black hairy legs shot up around him. There were thick strands of silk between each one and Logan only noticed at the last second that Jayden had walked over a trap door spiders nest.
The massive wolf moved with blindly speed, only a red blurr as he snatched Jayden's leg between his teeth and pulled him up and over as all eight legs snapped down like a bear trap; where Jayden had been a second before. Jayden was tossed overhead as Logan back pedal to avoid getting caught himself.
Jayden landed with a roll on the muddy ground that soften the landing.
The spider hissed at the wolf, showing off it's fangs before quickly retreating and digging back into the ground.
"Shit," Logan cursed turning back around. "Oh, come on!" The wolf shouted as Jayden was, quickly, moving away from him. Still laying down but being carried by what appeared to be several oversized rodents.
The rodents reached the fork in the road they had come from, stopped and promptly turned back around. Running as a massive snake slithered out from one of the path ways.
"The hell!" Logan said stopping in his tracks. He swatted one of the oversized rodents into the corn maze, ignoring the shrieking pleas of help it made as the corn devoured it alive, and repeated the process twice more for the other two rodents. Thankfully they were blind and didn't see Logan's paw coming.
The snake turned towards the two of them. It's mouth gaped open and it charged forward.
"We have no luck," Jayden managed to shout as Logan pounced ontop of him, forcing him down into the mud with a hind paw as the wolf rose up and caught the snakes jaws. The snake continued on it's course, carrying Logan with it as it made it's way over Jayden and leaving him behind in the dust... in the mud.
Jayden sat up, spitting mud out of his mouth and looked behind him.
"Snakes, it had to be snakes." Jayden sat up and tried to lean himself off. It was just easier to take the werewolf outfit off, glad he had warn some cloths under it. Unsure where else to go, he followed after Logan.
The path curved up ahead and there was only one path. That lead into a dead end. Jayden confusion only grew as he turned around to find the way he had literally just come from was now blocked.
"I hate this place." Jayden muttered looking around the small box he found himself in. The only thing there was himself, and as he took another full spin, he found a mirror. A long body mirror resting in one of the corners of the dead end. "Oh, that isn't ominous at all." Jayden frowned at it, walking over.
He didn't see his own reflection in it. It just reflected everything else. Jayden rolled his eyes.
"Mirror, mirror. On the... uh corn maze wall," Jayden began before laughing and shaking his head. "This is stupid." When he looked back up the mirror had changed, showing not his or the corn fields reflection. Instead it showed him a bedroom.
There was a large queen size bed with a large hand carved bed frame. It was an older style canopy bed and a cloth hid the person laying in the bed from view. Even so, Jayden knew who it was. His heart was pounding, painfully so in his chest now. And tears were in his eyes as he looked away.
"Damnit," Jayden cursed not wanting to see any more. "Don't show me this." And he moved away.
Then he heard a voice from the mirror. And it was calling his name. "Jayden. Jayden. Come here, Jayden." And it only grew louder as he covered his ears. It was an older, females voice. And she kept calling him.
"Damnit," Jayden said once more, hot tears beginning to run down his face. "Stop it already. Just stop! I know, ok!" And he shouted now. "I know! It's my fault. Just... just stop..." And it did.
Only to be replaced by the sound of a telephone ringing. It rung and every time it did, it grew louder. Until it sounded as if the phone was right next to him.
Jayden covered his ears, still crouched down with his eyes shut. He was shaking now, tears running down his face as he sobbed, crying at his own failure. His own mistake. The thing that had haunted him ever since he left his childhood home; the reason why he left it! And he didn't want to deal with that.
Not now. Not when he had come back to the house. He didn't want to deal with that.
Everything had been such a nice distraction. Meeting Logan, exploring the woods, coming to this festival. It all had been such a nice way to... to forget why he had even gone back to his childhood home.
Jayden didn't notice as a muddy front paw came closer, not until it wiped at his face a bit. Jayden looked up to see Logan looking down at him.
Jayden broke down then and there and hugged the massive wolf tightly, just crying against Logan's chest now. Logan didn't say anything as he placed a paw on his back and just held the man, looking up to see the mirror.
"Who?" Logan asked looking down at Jayden. Jayden wiped his tears away, but they kept coming.
"My mother." Jayden said in a whisper. "She... she got sick. Sick in the head. She would have violent mood swings. One second being the kindest person you'd ever see, the next crying over the fact you forgot to pick up your cup. Then angry that you had done it." And Jayden just shook a bit more, trying to hold back the tears.
"It was a long term, terminal illness. I can't even recall the name," Jayden chuckled softly. "My father couldn't handle it. He... he left us one day and I never saw him since. We were left in the care of our mother, unaware of her sickness until years later when our Aunt came to take us away.
"We moved to the big city from there. And she... our mother would call us. In the middle of the night. And at first... at first we'd answer. We'd humor her and then just go about our lives, pretending nothing was wrong. It went on like that for years." Jayden went silent for a full minute. "Until we were older and we began just began ignoring the calls. The messages. The letters. Just... just ignoring it. Until she called that night." And Jayden looked away from the mirror as it reflected his turmoil.
Of him there, standing in his flat in the city. Jayden was about to head to work, he was already late and was looking himself over in the mirror one last time. Then the phone rang. Jayden knew who it was, he was in a rush and he didn't want to deal with that...
"Unaware the call was from the doctor. To tell us that she finally had...." And Jayden went silent just staring off, lost in his own haunted memories. "Logan," he said looking up at the wolf. "I'm ready, to go back home."
And the wolf nodded.
Jayden wasn't sure how but Logan easily led the way from there, heading for the exit as if knowing this full time and just waiting for him to ask to leave. And the exit? The exit led to the very edge of Jayden's back yard.
He didn't question it and just headed back inside. It was the middle of the night as he made his way up the creaking stairs, Logan walking behind him. And stopped at the master bedroom. The door he had ignored since he had first come back home.
And when he opened it up, Logan could see the very same bed from the mirror. It was empty now and dust had collected on the mantel piece.
There were several boxes pushed in front of the bed. The old wardrobe had a cloth thrown over it and the rocking chair next to the window did as well. Jayden took each off before sitting down on the floor and beginning to look through the boxes. Logan joined him, laying down next to him and offering Jayden unspoken support.
Photo albums, pictures, old school projects filled the boxes. Memories of their childhood.
Jayden opened one of the photo albums, tears already building up in the corner of his eyes as he looked over the pictures. Just of them, as kids. Before their dad had left, before their mom had succumb to the illness that plagued her. Just of times long since passed.
And finally, with Logan's aide, was Jayden able to put those memories to rest.
....
"Are you sure you want to return to the big city?" Logan asked, sitting down on the front porch of the house and watching Jayden load his stuff, the boxes and other things into the back of his truck.
"Yeah." Jayden nodded. Logan didn't say anything but the look he gave Jayden, one full of worry, made the man explain. "I need to take these things to my sister. To the broker and to make sure they are carried out as the will specified."
Jayden headed back over, hesitated, before offering his hand for the wolf. Logan looked at it then up at him. Jayden crouched down.
"Will you look after the place, while I'm gone?" Jayden asked Logan with a soft smile.
"I did it before. I was planning too, without being asked." Logan just said flatly in reply.
"Thank you," Jayden said and gave the wolf a big hug. Logan blinked a few times at that before placing a paw on his back and returned the hug. "It'll be about a week, at most."
"At most, until what?" Logan asked with a raised eyebrow looking at the man who pulled away.
Jayden gave him a confused look. "Duh," and he smiled at the wolf. "Until I return. I do own the house. No point in letting it go to waste."
Logan's eyes brightened at that. "Oh?" Was all the wolf said, making sure not to wag his tail.
"Yeah, I figured if I repaired the place and add a new coat of paint, fixed the floor boards and back door... maybe it might be liveable." And Jayden just shrugged. "I'll need help of course."
"You'd be lost without me." Logan just returned the smile with a smug one of his own.
"Thank you, again." Jayden said, exchanging a hand paw shake with the wolf. "I'll be back."
"Like you could stay away." Logan said and waved him off.
Jayden took off down the road in his truck, not too surprised to hear the loud thunk in the back. He opened the back window and a red canine snout poked it's way into the truck. "That took you longer than I thought," Jayden just chuckled.
"Zip it." Logan growled. "I told you'd be lost without me."
"I never doubted you for a second." And Jayden scratched under the wolf's chin, as the two drove back to the big city before returning to begin their lives anew.