FSE

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Getting Acquainted with the Local Wildlife

Why…the hell…do televisions…have to be so heavy?! The plastic box in my hands feels like it’s been filled to the brim with lead as I wiggle my way through the front door and into the quaint living room. I trudge over to the television stand I had the foresight to move in first and align the TV with it. As gently as possible I set the expensive mass down onto the stand and lean back up, my back popping as I straighten it. God. I'm going to be sore after this. I’ll have to find out which box I put my medicine in and down the entire bottle of aspirin before the end of today.

I let out a tired sigh and look at the blank face of the television. Hell, after all the work I did bringing it in here I might as well check to see if it still works. It better have not gotten damaged during the move, I'm not exactly swimming around in cash these days and Trinitrons are expensive. After plugging it in I press the power button and am greeted with a high pitched whine as it starts up. To my relief the blue standby screen comes to life and no cracks in the screen appear with it. Good, given my new location getting another one of these may prove difficult. Living in the ass end of nowhere sure has it’s downsides. But it does have a couple things I’ve been craving for the past several years, peace and quiet.

After moving in the rest of the boxes I take a seat on the couch and run a hand through my sweaty hair. In retrospect I really should have hired some movers to help me out. The boxes were one thing but maneuvering all this furniture by myself was a total nightmare. Lessons for the future, I suppose. I move towards the window and view the outside. Sunlight gently streaming in through the trees, birds chirping away, branches gently swaying in the breeze as their leaves turn yellow with the first colors of fall. Oh yeah, this place is exactly where I need to be. No stress, no noise, no deadlines, no traffic, no stuffy suits or hollow corporate slogans. Just me.

My stomach rumbles.

No better time to drive into town and get a bite to eat than now, the moving van’s unloaded so I might as well return it and pickup my personal car. After climbing into the van and starting it up I’m making my way through the long and curvy road into town. It takes just over thirty minutes but I eventually make it onto main street and roll into the parking lot for the rental company. The middle aged man at the counter greets me with a smile as I walk in.

“I hope you had no issues with the van?”

“Nope, drove just fine.” I say, sliding the keys across the counter.

“Glad to hear it, if you don’t mind me asking what brings you to Silverglade? We don’t exactly see many new faces around here. Not to pry or anything.”

“I’m moving in actually, a few weeks ago I saw a cabin up the road for sale and I managed to snag it. Just finished moving my things in before I got here.”

He nods his head in understanding.

“Oh, the cabin up on Gifford road? Second turn after you pass the lake? With the red and green mailbox?”

My eyes widen in surprise.

“Ya, that’s the one. How did you know?”

“I knew the man who used to own it. Good guy, heart attack got him in the end though. Guess there’s a time for everyone.”

“Oh, I'm sorry, I had no idea. Guess that’s why I never got to meet the original owner.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He says with a laugh. “Like I said, we don’t exactly get many new faces around here so a new one every now and then is a welcome sight. Old man Jones was getting long in the tooth anyway, it was hardly unexpected. So, welcome to Silverglade. I hope you enjoy your new home.”

“Thank you, I'm sure I will. Speaking of the town, what’s the best place to get some food around here? I'm absolutely starving after moving in and my kitchen’s practically empty.”

He leans an elbow on the counter and points out the window.

“That would be the diner across the street. Called Lexy’s, they have your usual grub. Burgers, fries, soup, baked potatoes, steak. Pancakes and omelets in the morning too. Just don’t get the coffee, they always leave it sitting too long on the warmer and it tastes burnt unless you order it fresh. To stock your kitchen you’ll need to go to the grocery store over by the church. There you’ll find all the necessities. Anything else I could help you with?”

“I believe that’s it. Thanks!”

With that I turn towards the door but his voice stops me.

“Wait! Just one more thing. Since you’re new around here I’ll guess you don’t know about the wolves.”

“Wolves?”

“Oh yeah, the woods have been crawling with them for the past several years. Forest service released a whole bunch into the wild to try and restart their population but, well, let’s just say that they’ve been a lot more fruitful than they anticipated. Just be sure not to go outside after dark, especially if you live in a remote area like your new cabin is located in.”

Gulp.

“Sounds dangerous. Have they ever…you know? Killed anyone around here?”

“No, no reports of it happening. I just don’t want you to be the first. Don’t be surprised if you hear wolf howls late at night. And again, don’t go outside after dark if you can help it.”

“Don’t go outside after dark, got it. Anything else I should know about living around here?”

His eyes trace the ceiling as he thinks.

“Uhhh, not really. Just be careful driving at night. Most of these old roads tend to have a lot of sharp corners and the occasional deer when you least expect it.”

“Understood. And thanks for the advice by the way.”

“No problem!”

I wave goodbye and exit the rental office. Geez, wolves? I wasn’t expecting them to such a problem around here. Not like I ever had to deal with hostile wildlife back at my old place, privilege of living in a city I suppose. Then again I'm not sure what’s more dangerous, a mugger coked out of his mind in a dimly lit subway tunnel or a wild pack of ravenous man eaters. At least in the city there’s always emergency services around to help you out of a bad situation. Not so much at my cabin. Having to learn a little self-reliance isn’t a bad thing though, I came out here for a change in pace after all.

After walking across the street I come to the entrance of the diner, right under the sign proudly displaying “Lexy’s Diner” in bold red font. The inside has no major deviation from any other diner I’ve been to, made up of a long countertop in front of the kitchen with padded booths lining every other wall. Seeing no one inside I walk towards the counter, picking up a menu and choosing my lunch. Hamburger and fries? Or maybe the country fried steak? But there’s also the-

“Hello there! You’re lucky you beat the lunch time rush, what can I getcha?”

The voice is so sudden I flinch and almost drop the menu. I slowly lower it to see a young waitress standing on the other side of the bar, pen and notepad in hand. Her long red hair is tied up in a bun and a grease stained apron covers her uniform. I try to put on a friendly face to cover up my embarrassment.

“Oh, still looking actually.”

“Take your time.” She says with an amused smile. “Just give me a howl when you know what you want.”

“Sure.”

She retreats back to the kitchen and I return to the menu, eventually settling on nice simple cheeseburger and fries, the litmus test of any good diner.

“Excuse me, I'm ready to order.” I shout towards the kitchen.

The same waitress returns with her notepad in hand.

“What’ll it be?”

“The cheeseburger with fries, no pickle, and do you all have milkshakes?”

“Sure do, what flavor?”

“Chocolate.”

She shakes her head.

“Sorry bud, we don’t have chocolate milkshakes here. We do have vanilla, strawberry, and peanut butter though.”

Really now? What kind of place serves milkshakes but doesn’t have chocolate?

“Peanut butter is fine.”

“Excellent choice, I’ll send your order in.”

She rips a page out of her notepad and sticks it onto the ticket holder before moving to the register. She glances at me a couple times while working the machine.

“So, Encom huh? Weren’t they in the news for something?”

Encom? How the hell does she know I used to work for-oh. I look down and see I’m wearing one of my old work shirts, a silver ‘Encom’ stitched onto it below the company logo.

“Oh, ya. I used to work for them before the scandal broke. Turned out our accountants were playing with numbers to make our profits look more impressive than they actually were. Made our investors very happy, before we were audited anyway.”

“I’m guessing they laid you off?”

“They sure did, along with everyone else in my department.”

“Oh that sucks.” She says with a pout. “Did they at least give you a nice chunky severance bonus before cutting you free?”

I look down and clear my throat, the bonus situation was something I had been trying to forget about the past couple weeks.

“Uhh, no. Nobody got their severance pay. The company was bankrupt when everything got found out, they literally didn’t have any money to pay us.”

She gasps and turns around, her hands on her hips.

“Well that’s shitty!”

“I know right?” I say with a pained chuckle. “They just told us we were no longer employed and locked the doors. I never even got to clear out my office, the assholes.”

“Un-freaking-believable. And I'm guessing that’s why you wanted to move out here? To get away from all that madness?”

She already knows I’m here to move in? Word must travel fast around these parts.

“You would be correct. I wanted a change in scenery. Something to take my mind off of everything. The hustle and bustle of a big city gets tiring after a while and me getting laid off was the last straw.”

“I’m a little surprised you would want to move here of all places given the town’s history.”

I pause.

“History? You aren’t talking about the wolves are you? Guy at the rental place mentioned them to me earlier.”

She waves a hand dismissively.

“No, no. The wolves aren’t a problem as long as you don’t go out after dark, they’re really only a danger for those that live out in the sticks. What I'm talking about are the rash of disappearances that happened ‘round here a few years ago. Really more like abductions though, given everyone that disappeared eventually came back.”

“Abductions? Like…aliens or something?”

“No one that disappeared reported that they had anything shoved up their butts, so no, probably not aliens.” She says with a chuckle. “It was about a couple dozen or so people that went missing. They would always wake up days later in the middle of the wood with no explanation of how they go there. They said they couldn’t remember nothing about what happened.”

“Sounds strange. Was it ever found out what caused it? Were they kidnapped by some psycho? Had some kind of bad medication? Drugs maybe?”

She shrugs.

“No one is really sure. Like I said everyone that disappeared eventually came back so the feds weren’t too motivated to get involved and the poor sheriff was confused beyond all hell.” She shrugs again. “Maybe it was something related to sleep walking, I don’t know.”

“Weird, really weird. Then again stranger things have happened throughout history. You ever hear about that convent full of nuns that wouldn’t stop meowing? Or the city that suddenly had a bunch of people dance until they died right there on the street?”

“No, that’s pretty weird too I guess. But about your move, did you-“

She cuts herself off and shifts her gaze out the window behind me. Hearing the growing rumble of engines I turn around to see what the commotion is. A line of half a dozen black armored trucks are making their way through main street, their powerful engines echoing off the brick buildings. They’re unmarked and their windows are heavily tinted.

“I wonder what that’s all about.” She says, eyes glued to the last truck as it passes beyond our vision.

I turn around.

“Those trucks look like the ones the banks use to transport all their money around. Maybe they’re just passing through? Government maybe?”

“Ya, just passing through.” She says softly, eyes still fixed out the window. She shakes her head and looks back to me. “What were we talking about?”

“I think you were going to ask me something about my move.”

“Oh yeah! You bring a pretty girl with you?” She says, a curious eyebrow raised.

“No. I had an ex but we were on thin ice for a while. We both worked for Encom in different departments and when we got laid off things reached a boiling point. We agreed to part ways and I moved my things out. Then I found a cabin out here for sale and the rest is history.” I end with a forced smile.

“Aww, I’m sorry about that. You seem like a nice guy, not the asshole yuppie type. And hey, if you’re ever looking for work we got an opening for a cook in the back. We don’t pay as much as that big corpo job but on the other hand living out here is cheap. And you don’t have to wear a suit and tie either!”

“I’ll…keep that in mind. Thanks.”

“Order up!” Shouts s voice in the back.

There’s a ding and a plate of food and shake is placed below some warming lights. She sets the food in front of me.

“Here’s everything. I hope it’s to your liking.”

“Thanks.”

“Oh, and don’t worry about the check hon, it’s on the house. Consider it Lexy’s Diner’s contribution to your severance bonus.” She reveals with a wink.

I smile back at her.

“Thanks, umm, I don’t believe I ever got your name.”

“Oh! How rude of me. I’m Monica. And you are?”

“Max.”

“Pleased to meet you Max. If you need anything just yell.”

I shake my head and she disappears into the kitchen. My food both looks and smells delicious. Perfectly cooked crispy fries, a nice juicy burger with fresh toppings, they even buttered the buns. Yet it’s the shake my taste buds are drawn to first, that frosty peanut buttery mixture sitting in a nice glass cup. I take a sip and-wow! It’s amazing, more than makes up for not having chocolate. I think I could get used to this.

Late Night Frights

It’s been a few days since I first moved in. Every box is unpacked, every item is sorted and put in it’s place, even my fridge is now fully stocked. The cabin is nice and cozy with it’s oaken aesthetic and humble size. After a thorough inspection I’ve found no trace of mold, mice, or leaking water much to my relief. The cabin is clearly relatively old with it’s lack of modern amenities and well worn appliances but I expected that going in. The only real curiosity I found were a few gouges in the wooden floor in the bedroom. They’re long, deep, as if made by a claw. I assume the previous owner must have had dogs.

The TV flickers as I click through channel after channel. With no cable hookups I’m left to browse whatever was on the air, good old public programming. Of the few channels my bunny ears can pick up I’m bored to tears of all of them. Yet at the same time I can’t fall asleep, the outside windows have long since turned dark as I continue my fruitless search for either sleep or something that’s at least mildly interesting to watch. I shift my position on the couch and continue to listlessly bang on the remote.

*Click*…*Click*…*Click*…*CLINK*-heh-heh-heh

I flinch at the sudden noise and shoot up, my eyes scanning every window for signs of movement. It sounded like someone just threw a pebble at my window then laughed. Or am I just going crazy? What kind of troublemaker would travel all the way out into the middle of nowhere just to annoy someone? I get up and look out each of the windows in the living room, my eyes struggling to pierce the darkness. Trees in the distance. Fluttering leaves. The full moon peeking through dark branches. Not a soul in sight. I give a tired sigh and rub my eyes. Maybe I’m going a little stir crazy, or maybe it’s just sleep deprivation. In either case trying to catch some sleep ought to do me good. I turn the TV off and move to the bedroom as the screen fades to black. After turning off the bedside lamp I get under the covers and find a comfortable position as the wind gently blows outside.

My mind begins to wander.

I’m going to need to find a job soon, my savings won’t last forever. But what to do? I doubt any places here would have a need for a junior financial analyst like what I did at Encom so that means a new career is in my future. Ya know, that waitress at the diner did seem pretty nice, and they did have a position open. What was her name? Monica, I think. Sure is a downgrade in status from my previous career though. But didn’t I come out here for a change in pace? Maybe working there won’t be so bad, maybe I should just try it out for a little-

*AAAWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo*

A wolf call, sounded pretty close too. A couple seconds later it’s joined by a few more wolves. As their voices pierce the air I tuck myself under the covers a little tighter. Nothing to worry about. Wolves can’t open doors. Probably. And I do have an old revolver sitting in the bedstand right next to me if things get dicey. I just have to remember what the guy told me at the rental place, don’t go outside at night. I just need to stay insid-

*CLINK*

Another pebble just hit my bedroom window! Okay, so I’m not going crazy, someone out there is trying to fuck with me. While a bunch of wolves are stalking the forest no less! This is absurd. I lean up and open the bedstand snatching a flashlight from it. I walk over to the window and shine it outside. Just more trees, leaves, ominous shadows and pale moonlight. Nothing out of the ordinary. Huh. I turn it off and almost immediately hear the rustle of leaves and pitter patter of feet. I turn it on again and survey my surroundings, once again I don’t see anyone.

Alright. Someone is definitely out there. Not only are they out there but they’re also trying to fuck with me. In the middle of nowhere! While surrounded by ravenous wolves! With no flashlight or anything!

I shake my head and move back to the bedstand. I take out my revolver and flick open the cylinder. Yep, all six chambers are loaded. Sure, the rental guy said not to go outside at night, but I do have a weapon, a light, and a motive. I don’t want to kill whoever’s messing with me, I’d rather just scare them off so they don’t try this kind of tomfoolery again. I tuck the revolver in my pocket and move to the front door, flicking my porch lights on before stepping outside. With the flashlight dancing across the forest I once again survey my surroundings and see no signs of any troublemakers. Cautiously, I begin walking around the perimeter of my house. After stopping by my bedroom window I look down and yep, there’s a pebble laying right underneath it. I lean down and pick it up, as if looking at it may give me some clue as to who threw it.

Another pebble hits my head.

“Ow!” I exclaim, wildly waving the flashlight around as I look for who threw it. “Hey! I don’t know who’s out there but you need to stop damnit! This is harassment and I will contact the local authorities if you don’t stop.” I shout into the woods, my voice low and hopefully commanding.

In response I hear nothing but…silence.

Clearly the troublemaker has heeded my call to stop and is now shitting his pants in fear at what may happen to him if I were to call the cops! Ha! Silence is, after all, compliance. Satisfied at my undisputed victory I begin walking back to my front door.

Until another pebble hits my head!

I turn around with a newfound hate and stomp a few steps into the darkness.

“Hey you fucking asshole! I swear to god I will call the cops and they will lock you up! Now quit screwing around and run back to your mommy you little ingrate!”

In response I see a pebble shoot out of the forest right towards my head. I'm able to dodge it and finally my hate boils over.

“Oh you little shit! Reveal yourself!”

I whip the revolver out of my pocket and begin marching into the forest, shining my light at every dark corner and possible hiding spot. I’m well into the tree line by the time another pebble hits my back. I turn around with righteous anger and level my revolver at the troublemaker that threw it.

The troublemaker that’s at least seven feet tall.

And has fiery red fur spilling out of the collar of her t-shirt.

My flashlight drifts upward to illuminate her face.

A canine muzzle below a pair of reflective yellow eyes. Two wolfish ears that twitch and angle towards me. The beast cocks her head and grins revealing two rows of large, spiky teeth. Welp. That’s definitely not the snot nosed teenager I was expecting.

I'm frozen in fear as we stare at each other. The sounds of the forest seem to die and the air suddenly feels chillier. The revolver in my hand begins to shake as I’m overcome with dread at the sight of this strange beast. Not a wolf. Not a human. Something in between. Before I know it the beast reaches a paw out and plucks the revolver from my grasp, tossing it into the forest behind her. Her grin turns smug as she puts her hands on her hips and leans forward.

“That’s no way to greet a lady, Max.”

S-she knows my name? How does she know my name! So many questions! My mind suddenly turns to full on panic mode as she takes a step towards me. In a flash I turn around and begin sprinting back towards my cabin, desperately trying to get away from the walking furry nightmare no doubt about to give chase to me, probably desperate for some of my supple man flesh. I jump over tangled underbrush and slide past tree trunks as I scramble towards the lit porch of my cabin. The porch grows close as I near it. Just a couple dozen feet away from the safety of a solid oaken door! I run as fast as my legs will carry me and-

The beast jumps onto the porch from the shadows, blocking the door when I was less than a dozen feet from making it! She stands to her full height and looks towards me. Ah shit, it’s all over.

“Max, come on, it’s me. Ya big scaredy cat.” She says, waving a hand across her shirt.

Now that she’s lit by the porch lights I manage to make out the design on her shirt. It says ’Lexy’s Diner’ in a curvy font.

Fiery red fur.

Lexy’s diner.

Could it be her?

“M-Monica?” I shout over, my voice cracking with fright.

She shakes her head in an affirmative.

“Sorry for spooking ya back there. I just couldn’t help myself, the thrill of the chase and all.”

I walk a few feet closer, fear of the lumbering wolf woman gradually dissipating as I hear her familiar voice.

“You’re a…what? A werewolf?”

“Well I think this furry body of mine and the full moon above us is proof enough of that, don’t ya think?”

I look upwards and sure enough, a bright full moon is nestled behind a drifting cloud.

“Jesus Monica, I-I almost shot you back there! I thought you were out to kill me! You could have died!”

She crosses her arms and laughs heartily.

“Ha! Really? You think that little peashooter could harm a werewolf? Come on Max, aren’t you forgetting something?”

Oh, right.

“So all the myths are true then? The only thing that can harm a werewolf is silver?”

She shakes her head.

“Yep, those lead bullets of yours wouldn’t have even phased me. Only weapons coated in silver can pierce werewolf hide.” She motions to the door. “Aren’t you going to let a lady inside? It’s awfully cold out, and there are wolves of the feral variety roaming about.”

“I have the strangest feeling that a regular wolf doesn’t pose much a threat to you considering you’re a seven foot tall wolf lady, no offense.”

A shy smile comes across her muzzle.

“None taken, but it’s not me I’m worried about. Now let me inside and I’ll answer some of the burning questions I’m sure you have.”

I walk to the door and look over the petite waitress turned hulking wolf woman standing on my porch. Her loose t-shirt is littered with holes with tufts of red fur sticking out. A pair of basketball shorts are tightly cinched around her waist and her bare feet, no, bare paws are covered in a thin layer of dirt. She must have walked over here. I open the door and she hunches down to fit through the doorway. She takes a couple steps in then stops, surveying my new place.

“So, this is your bachelor pad huh? Pretty nice, a little spartan though.”

I have to agree with her, the only things populating my living room are a TV, couch, and a coffee table littered with empty pizza boxes and soda cans.

“I didn’t bring much more than the essentials with me when I moved in from the city. I was content letting Sarah keep most of our things. Didn’t want to bring those memories with me. I came out here to get away from all that.”

“Sarah? Your ex?”

“Yep.”

Monica nods in response and moves towards the couch. She plops down in the center and sniffs the air, opening one of the pizza boxes near her. She retrieves a slice of pizza and looks to me.

“May I? It was quite a run over here and I'm starving.”

“Ya, go ahead.” She almost takes the first bite before I put a hand up to stop her. “Wait, it may be a little old though, just want to warn you.”

She looks at the pizza, then to me, then back to the pizza. She then takes a massive bite and quickly swallows.

“Tastes good to me Max. Then again I do have the palate of a dog when I'm in werewolf form so almost everything tastes good to me.” She pats the seat cushion next to her. “Now have a seat and relax. You can ask me whatever you want. Fire away!”

I sit down and take a deep breath. Was this really happening right now? Or was everything that’s happened the past several minutes just been a fever dream? I look to the werewolf currently devouring a slice of pizza next to me and come to the conclusion that if this is a dream I might as well ride it out. And if not, then, well, I guess my life in Silverglade just got a whole more interesting. I pick out one of the questions that’s swirling around my head.

“So, uhh, if you’re a werewolf then how many other werewolves are there? Is it just you, or like your family, or what?”

“About half the town.” She answers nonchalantly.

“That many?! How do you all keep from being detected? I thought werewolves were a complete myth before seeing you!”

“Number one, even the people that aren’t werewolves themselves know about the lycanthropy that’s around town. We’re all in on it, you see. The local sheriff, mayor, local authorities, they’re all aware of what’s going on so they keep our existence on the down low. And the fact that Silverglade is pretty damn far away from any other towns makes keeping secrets easier than you may think. Number two, the feral wolf infestation in the backwoods is no joke. We just so happen to have a few people in the forest service so they managed to come up with the idea to ‘repopulate’ the woods with predators. And of course they made a few honest miscalculations and oops! Wolves all around the town! Gives us plausible deniability if anyone from out of town sees something big and furry moving around at night. The town’s been keeping itself safe from outside interference for a few years now. Until a few days ago that is.”

“What happened?”

“Remember those black trucks we saw in the diner? We’ve been keeping an eye on them ever since they arrived. From what we can tell they’re from some no name government agency, a bunch of spooks. They’ve been crawling around the woods setting up these weird antennas and recording devices.”

“So you’ve been found out?”

“Maybe, maybe not. It seems they’re just trying to figure out what’s going on, so to make them go away all we have to do is give them what they want, a whole lot of nothin’. Stay out of their hair and eventually they’ll pack up and leave, or at least that’s what the mayor’s been telling us. So until then all of the lycans around town just have to stay in their houses every full moon.”

“Except for you, apparently.”

She puts on a guilty smile.

“Don’t worry about me, I know where they set up their devices and know how to avoid them. Lycan senses are no joke.”

“So why’d you come out here in the first place Monica? Surely you didn’t walk all the way from home just to throw pebbles at my window?”

She scratches her head.

“No, heh, of course not. I was…just…uhhh…making sure that you stayed inside at night in case of a feral wolf attack!” She playfully punches my shoulder. “And you failed the test by the way.”

I put my hands up in surrender.

“Okay, okay, you got me. And I’m guessing you give the whole ‘stay inside at night’ spiel to everyone that settles down around town? To keep them from accidentally stumbling upon a werewolf and freaking out?”

“Right. We do usually wait a bit before telling them about what’s going on, make sure they’re acclimated.”

“Makes sense, but how did the lycanthropy start around here in the first place? And does everyone have to become a lycan or is it voluntary?”

Please say voluntary-Please say voluntary-Please say voluntary

She leans in.

“First of all, it’s voluntary. You don’t have to accept the gift if you don’t want to. But if you do, just let one of us know and we’ll be happy to walk you through the process. I think being a werewolf is pretty great, though I am a little biased.

“I think I’ll stay human for the time being, thanks.”

“Now about your second question, it all starts with this man named John Smith. I know what you’re thinking, John Smith? Isn’t that a little generic? The truth is no one knows his true name, that’s just the name he gave us and what he signed all his paperwork with. So a few years ago this guy just drives into town and books himself a room at the motel. That’s when those disappearances around town started. Turns out he was a lycan, the first one in town. He was going out every full moon and kidnapping people from their houses then turning them into werewolves against their will.”

“He doesn’t sound like a very upstanding gentleman.”

“Absolutely not! He was a total asshole! Apparently, he had some great master plan to turn the whole town into werewolves then lead us all into some cult he was trying to make. Called it the cult of the blood moon or some other nonsense. So he manages to get a couple dozen people turned then decides it’s time to begin stage two of his plan. Stage two being the part where his minions begin to forcefully turn everyone else in town into werewolves and murder the ones that refuse.”

“So he wanted to take over the town for himself?”

She shakes her head.

“Yep, typical cult leader behavior, if you aren’t with him then you’re against him. Now the werewolves that he turned obviously weren’t very happy about this. So just before the next full moon they made a plan to stop John before he could continue his plan.” She raises an eyebrow. “And one of the people he turned? Well he just so happened to be the sheriff.”

“They arrested him?”

“Let’s just say that after the sheriff arrested John and threw him in a cell they made sure that John Smith, or whoever he actually was, was no longer a danger to anyone.”

“So after he’s gone then what?”

“The town had a big meeting where the truth was revealed. Obviously, we couldn’t let the outside world know about the lycanthropy or the government would be up our asses so we decided to keep everything a secret. Over the years the number of werewolves grew as more and more people became interested in the gift.”

“So how did you get it?”

“My mother was one of the originals turned by John. After a big family meeting she ended turning me and dad as well. Figured we might as well show a little solidarity with her, we’re all in the same basket now anyway.”

I breath out and rub my aching forehead.

“Man, of all the towns I could have moved to it just had to be the one populated with freaking werewolves. What are the chances?”

Monica leans in and whimpers.

“Oh come on Max, it’s not so bad! If you don’t go outside on every full moon then it’s like there’s nothing strange going on at all!”

“I know it’s just, this is a lot to take in you know? One second you were just the friendly waitress I talked to at a diner and now you’re a turned into a giant wolf lady, sitting on my couch, eating my old pizza, and apparently half the people I’ve talked to in town are also werewolves. Like that guy at the rental place! Was he a werewolf too?”

“Mark? Ya, he’s a lycan as well.”

“And what about the guy who lived here before me? Is he the one that put those scratches in my floor?”

“Old man Jones was one too, yep.”

“Great.” I slide down in my seat and stare blankly at the television. Eventually a dark thought creeps into my mind, one that I might as well get the answer to now as it may carry consequences in the future. “So now that you’ve told me Silverglade’s dark secrets what happens if I were to leave the town and tell everyone that Silverglade’s infested with werewolves? Not to imply that I’m thinking about doing such a thing, that is.”

Monica leans in closer, her dark canine eyes burning holes in me.

“Well,” She starts with a lick of her lips. “if the town ever felt that you would betray us we would have to take measures to ensure the secret never gets out. In other words, we would have to…” She suddenly parts her lips revealing pointy rows of enamel and brings her arms up, her hands positioned to grab me. “…eat you!” She shouts, maw open and fangs bared!

“Ahhh!” I scream and recoil away from her.

I cover my eyes as she draws closer but to my relief I don’t feel teeth or claws pierce my skin. I uncover my eyes to see Monica with a hand covering her mouth, a look of surprise on her face.

“Oh my god, you didn’t think I was serious, did you?”

I lean back up on the couch and cross my arms.

“Well you’re pretty damn convincing when you say it like that Monica, sharp teeth and all.” I spit out with a touch of anger.

She looks down at herself then puts an apologetic paw on my shoulder.

“I am soooo sorry. Sometimes I forget how frightening my lycan appearance can be to someone who’s not used to werewolves and I got a little carried away and-“

I put a hand up stopping her.

“No need to apologize and further ruin my pride, just tell me what happens if I were to leave town.”

“Of course we would wish that you stay with us, every town needs new blood from time to time, and everyone I’ve talked to loves you! You’ll be a great addition to the town. But if for whatever reason you did decide to leave us you’ll need to promise that you’ll keep the lycanthropy here a secret.”

“And if I didn’t what would happen? Would you send out someone to get me?”

“No, no.” She says with a laugh. “No point to it. Just think about it, if one person suddenly started saying that Silverglade has werewolves everyone would call them crazy. It’s just that we would strongly prefer that anyone that leaves town keeps our existence a secret.”

“Then what about those government vehicles that arrived in town?”

She shrugs.

“We really aren’t sure what prompted their arrival. Like I said they’re from the government so who knows what tipped them off that something strange might be going on here. In either case they’re fumbling around in the dark so it should be no trouble keeping them out of our hair.”

“I see.” I feel a yawn coming on and check my watch. Two in the morning? Geez, I got to catch some sleep. “Well Monica, it was nice talking to you but I’m afraid I’ve got to hit the hay. It’s been a long day.”

She shoots up from the couch.

“Of course, sorry to keep you up so late. I know this is a lot to take in right now so if you have any questions feel free to hit me up at the diner. I’m there Monday through Friday, eight to four.” She turns to leave but I swallow my pride and stop her.

“Wait! Just one last question.” She turns around, her ears perked up curiously. “That position you mentioned earlier, the one at the diner, is it still available?”

A smile comes across her muzzle as she shakes her head.

“Sure is, I’ll even put a good word in for you with the boss. Come down anytime and we’ll get your paperwork sorted.”

I smile back.

“Thanks. Talk to you later Monica.”

“Toodles!”

She turns around with a swish of her tail and exits my cabin. I get up with a newfound tiredness and stumble my way to bed. My head hits the pillow and I'm out cold, dreams of strange talking dogs filling my consciousness. For some reason all the dogs want milkshakes.

Tearing into the Night

It’s been a few months since I’ve moved in. Working at the diner ended up being a better gig than I thought it would be, mostly due to the fact that I get to be around Monica if I'm being perfectly honest though. The vibrant little redhead manages to cut through the greasy monotony of work like a hot knife through butter. And when the day is done it isn’t uncommon for one to spend the rest of the day at the other’s place. We’ve gotten close, just shy of being outright boyfriend/girlfriend. Maybe we’re both just too timid to make it official.

Despite half the town being werewolves daily life is surprisingly normal. The only time I’ve been caught off guard was when I pulled into a gas station for a late night fill up and had to do a double take when I saw the clerk was seven feet tall and wolf like. I’ll get used to it eventually, I suppose.

Speaking of late nights, Monica has a bad habit of using my cabin as a hangout on every full moon. We usually stay up late and watch something on TV together but last month we finally had the bright idea to make a little bonfire and roast marshmallows in the cool autumn air. I think she enjoyed it a little more than I did, we couldn’t make the fire very big or risk tipping off the spooks still lurking around so I had to pretend to not be cold in my light jacket while she had a full coat of fur keeping her warm. At least tonight I’ll be better prepared, I bought a nice thick sweater to wear under my jacket this time around. Not to mention the graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows I also purchased for tonight’s festivities.

I lay on the couch and absentmindedly flick through channels, a bag of smore ingredients and my jacket laying in a pile next to me. I look down at my watch. Eleven o’clock already? She should already be here by now, she must have turned hours ago. I sigh, and resume flicking through channels.

A public talk show?

Yawn! Next channel.

A rerun of something they’ve been airing since I was a child?

The killer is the maid. Next channel.

An infomercial for a fantastic set of genuine Japanese knives?

Not folded enough times, next channel.

There’s nothing on the screen but static.

Next channel.

More static.

Another one.

Just more static.

I lean up out of my seat, is my television broken or something? I flick through a few more channels only to be met with more static. Well that’s just great! I toss the remote onto a seat cushion and stare out the window, that is until I hear garbled words make their way through the static.

*SSSSHHHector breaSSSSHHHHis moving to theSSSHHHHpossible contact tripped theSSHHHHHunknown at this time overSSSSHHHH*

Sounds like…someone talking on a radio? I lean forward and try to decipher more words through the static but it proves fruitless, whatever signal I was receiving is too weak.

*BANG BANG BANG*

Three gunshots ring out through the surrounding forest. My heartrate skyrockets and I can only think of one thing, is Monica alright? I rush to my bedside table and retrieve my flashlight and revolver, running to the front door and throwing it open. But it looks like I already have my answer. Monica appears out of the darkness, limping as a large metal beartrap bites into her calf.

“Max! Max you got to help me!” She shouts, voice shaky and desperate.

“Come in! Quickly!”

She enters the house and I shut the door behind her. The injured wolfess makes it to the couch and sits down. I gaze down at her leg and it looks pretty bad. The metal teeth of the beartrap are lodged several inches into her flesh, her wound gushes blood and the surrounding fur is dark and wet.

“What happened? Who did this?”

“It was those asshole government agents! They started putting traps in the forest to try and catch something. Look at the fucking teeth on this thing!”

I lean down and see the edges of the trap’s teeth coated in a thin layer of silver.

“Oh my god, can you heal from this?”

“Well I kind of need it off my leg first!”

“Right, you get that end and I’ll get the other. We’ll pull the jaws apart then you can get your leg out.”

We each hold onto one of the jaws and pull with all our strength. The trap’s jaws slowly come apart and Monica pulls her leg free. We let go and the jaws slam together again with a loud metallic bang.

“Fuck, god this hurts, fucking assholes.” Monica simmers through gritted teeth, looking at the cuts from all angles.

“You need bandages and disinfectant; I’ll go get some.”

A few minutes later and Monica has her entire calf wrapped in bandages and has devoured every pain killer I have in the house. We’re seated on the couch with the TV turned off, both of us on edge.

“So, like, is it healing? I know silver can damage you but you’re supposed to heal super fast too right?”

She solemnly shakes her head.

“Well I'm supposed to, I think it feels a little better already but it still hurts like a bitch.” She says, rubbing her bandages.

“You might feel better if you try to sleep a little. My bedroom is available, only one window so if you close the curtain no one can see you. I’ll keep watch until morning comes.”

She stops rubbing her calf and looks up to me.

“Thanks Max, you have no idea how much this means to me. I’ll have to pay you back somehow.”

“You can think it over tomorrow, after the heat’s died down. If any agents come to the door I’ll say I didn’t see anything.”

She stands up and limps past me, patting me on the shoulder.

“I’ll have to do that.”

I hear the bedroom door close behind me and I shut the curtains on all the windows in the cabin, just to be sure I wouldn’t have any peeping toms tonight. I make myself some cold smores and sit idly on the couch, just waiting for something to happen. I’ve almost fallen asleep when-

*KNOCK* KNOCK* KNOCK*

My eyes shoot open and I check my watch. Five past seven in the morning. The sun should be up soon but not quite. I get up and hear heavy footsteps come from the bedroom. Monica pokes her head around a corner, ears perked up.

“Who’s that?” She whispers.

“I don’t know, go back into the bedroom.” I whisper back.

She disappears back around the corner and I walk to the door, looking behind me to make sure she was nowhere in sight. The door opens and I'm greeted by two men in dark blue jackets and baseball caps. Their eyes are obscured by large reflective aviators and I can spy the telltale hints of pistols at their hips. The one on the right has a bushy moustache and the one on the left is weighed down by a large messenger bag.

“Hello, sir.” Starts the one on the right. “We’re with the department of the interior. We’ve received reports of unusual wildlife activity in the area. Have you seen or heard anything unusual lately? Any strange animal calls? Unknown tracks? Odd smells?”

I rub my neck and shake my head.

“Nope, I’m afraid not. Nothing unusual at all lately.”

“Really?” He says incredulously. “Because we’ve been scouring the area and it just so happens that one of the traps we laid has moved.”

“Moved? What do you mean?”

He looks over his shoulder at the other agent.

“What does it say now?”

The other agent takes out a bulky handheld device out of his messenger bag and turns a couple knobs.

“Tracker says it’s somewhere within fifty meters of our current location.” He answers.

The agent on the right looks back to me, my dumbstruck face reflecting in his glasses.

“It’s moved from several hundred yards from the South East to here. Right to your house. A little curious don’t ya think?”

“I, uhh, have no idea what you’re talking about. I haven’t seen any traps around here and if I did I would have remembered. Are you sure that tracker of your isn’t experiencing some sort of equipment malfunction?”

“An equipment malfunction is highly unlikely.” He replies flatly.

There’s a commotion from somewhere behind me. The agents lean forward to try and peek inside but I move to block them.

“What was that?” The one on the left says.

“It’s, uhh, just my girlfriend. She’s always been a little clumsy without her morning coffee if you know what I mean, heh.”

They seem satisfied with my answer and disarming grin. The one on the right crosses his arms.

“Still, we’re going to need our trap back. It’s government property.”

“Well I have no idea where it is.’

“Yes you do.”

“No I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t.”

The man sighs and moves a hand towards his holster. Seeing what was about to happen I think quickly.

“Actually wait! You mentioned strange animal activity? I actually have seen odd things in the woods lately.”

He raises an eyebrow and glances towards his partner who takes out a pen and notepad.

“Tell us everything you saw.” Orders the moustached man.

“Okay, well I was out by my cabin chopping wood when I heard the woods quiet down and a most foul odor come across the air. Smelled like rank BO mixed with wet dog. Almost knocked me down.”

“Wet dog huh? Tell us more.”

“Okay, so I got a little curious and went to the edge of my property to see what might have been causing the smell. That’s when I saw it!” I pause for dramatic effect. “It was big and hairy, at least eight feet tall and had ears that poked out the side of it’s head. And it walked on two legs too!”

The man on the left begins writing with an increased frenzy.

“What kind of anatomical features did this creature possess? A muzzle maybe? Did it have plantigrade or digitigrade legs? Any claws?” Asks the moustached man.

“Yes!”

He shakes his head.

“Yes to what?!”

“It definitely had legs.”

“But what kind?” He growls back.

“The normal shaped kind, like a humans. No muzzle though, and I don’t remember seeing any claws. I’m telling you guys it was big foot! I saw big foot with my own two eyes!”

The man on the left stops writing and rolls his eyes. The moustached man rubs his forehead.

“Okay, so you’re sure you saw big foot?”

“Yes!” I reply confidently.

There’s a pause, then the moustached man reaches down and takes out his pistol.

“I'm sorry sir, but we’re going to have to search your property so we can get our trap back, please stand aside.”

He marches forward and shoves me to the side with surprising strength, he’s trailed by the other agent.

“Hey! You can’t do that! You need a warrant!” I shout, yet it’s no use as they walk further into the house.

I hear the backdoor open and a voice call out.

“Max? Honey? Look what some asshole poachers put on our property.” Shouts Monica.

Monica? But it’s-

I look out the open door to see the first faint rays of sunlight skim across the treetops. I walk to where the agents stood to see Monica in human form holding up the bear trap, this time it’s closed around the neck of a very dead feral wolf.

“Hey honey.” I say.

“Hey Max.” She responds. She then looks to the agents. “Are you the dumbasses setting up traps on our property? I go out for a morning stroll and see this morbid curiosity right on one of my favorite walking paths! Are you going to dispose of this yourselves? Because if not I have no issue boxing it up and shipping it to whatever headquarters you government lackeys work out of.”

The moustached man purses his lips and takes the trap out of her hands.

“We’re very sorry about this ma’am. We’ll make sure to double check the placement of our traps in the future.”

“You better!” She fires back.

The agents walk to the door and turn around.

“Sorry about this folks, whole situation seems to just be a misunderstanding. We won’t trouble you again.” Says the moustached man.

They then begin walking back into the forest, bloody trap and dead wolf in hand. I see the man with the bag take out a radio and make some kind of report, something about another false positive. Me and Monica stand at the doorway and watch them until they disappear into the trees. Eventually I hear a pained grunt from Monica.

“Does it still hurt?”

She shakes her head.

“Yes, not as bad as before but it still hurts.”

“Let’s get you to the couch.” I put an arm around her shoulders and help her limp to the couch, laying her down on it. “So, did you seriously just-“

She cuts me off.

“Run out into the woods, kill a feral wolf, put it in the trap, then run back here just before I changed back into a human?”

“Yes, that.”

She shakes her head proudly.

“Sure did! Even a wounded leg can’t stop a wolfess like myself from prowling the woods. Still, we should consider ourselves very lucky that there just so happened to be a wolf lurking near the cabin. Now that they think a wolf of the four legged variety was caught in their trap they should be out of our hair for a while.”

“Good, I would hate for Silverglade’s big secret to come out all because little miss Monica wasn’t looking where she walking.” I chide her with a smirk.

“Hey! They did a really good job of hiding it! Covered it with leaves and removed their scent from it and everything!” She looks up to me with a saucy smile. “Now what was that I heard earlier? About a girlfriend?”

I decide not to call out her sudden changing of the subject.

“I was just putting on a show for the spooks. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Shame.” She suddenly puts both arms around my neck and pulls me down to her level, looking me in the eye as her tone turns low and sultry. “Because I wouldn’t mind having you as my boyfriend. A small town needs new blood every once in a while, after all.”

Our faces draw close as we stare at each other in silence. Seeing the opportunity she’s giving me I lean in and kiss her on the lips. She returns my kiss with one of her own and pulls me closer. Keeping our faces together I carefully get on top of her on the couch, keenly aware of the fact that a bump to her leg is all that it would take to ruin the mood. I place both arms around her sides and lower myself onto her warm body. Deciding to move things along I begin lowering my kisses. First her lower lip, then her chin, then the top of her neck, all the while my affections eliciting soft giggles from her. Just before I reach the top of her chest she places two fingers under my chin and raises my head.

“Before we get too intimate there’s one last thing I should let you know about werewolves. Just like our feral brethren, we mate for life.” She whispers.

I put a hand up and rub her cheek.

“Good, because I think it’s going to be at least two or three lifetimes before I get tired of you.” I whisper back.

I lower my head against her soft skin and resume planting kisses, down, down, down…