In the Doghouse
The helicopter descended through the dense clouds that hung over Elkwood and touched down with a thump in the works yard of the old army base located on the high ridge on the outskirts of town.
After joining Night Watch, one of the soldiers had informed Colin of the history of the base, that it had been built during the Second World War as a coastal outpost during a time when the US was overly paranoid about attacks from the West. The base was abandoned almost as soon as it was built. Once Elkwood became a haven for people with particular gifts, the government took over the base to use as their headquarters. Colin’s girlfriend’s father, Mr. Emerson, was stationed here as the leader of the Night Watch program along with the new commander over Elkwood, Elrick Varson.
Varson was a tall, fidgety man who was quickly balding and always struck Colin as being exceptionally nervous. Which was exactly the way he looked when Colin slid open the chopper door and stepped out. Varson and Mr. Emerson stood by the entrance to the base. Varson looked twitchy and his tie was askew. Mr. Emerson smelled angry, but Colin didn’t need any sort of werewolf sense to make that deduction: he could see it in the man’s face.
Great. Another reason for Mr. Emerson to hate me.
During Colin’s first transformation into a werewolf he had punched Mr. Emerson and knocked him out cold. It wasn’t the best first impression and Mr. Emerson was less than pleased that his daughter, Becca, was dating a werewolf.
“Hi, Varson,” said Colin as he and Silas approached. “Mr. Emerson.”
“Enjoyed our trip to Seattle, did we?” said Mr. Emerson, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
“It was nice,” said Colin. “Very friendly people. I wish we’d had more time to do some sightseeing.”
“Inside, now!” Mr. Emerson growled.
Silas gave Colin a sad sort of look.
He’s going to shout at me, isn’t he?
For at least half an hour, I’m guessing.
I don’t know, that vein on his forehead is throbbing. I’m going to bet he shouts for a full forty-five minutes.
Colin, this is—
I know, I know. This is serious.
The door to the base began to open and a scent Colin didn’t recognize wafted through. Colin knew all the scents in Elkwood. He could recognize everyone by the way they smelled. But this was someone new.
The door opened fully and a kind-looking old man shuffled out. He leaned heavily on a walking stick and was dressed in a tweed suit. Thick glasses rested on a large nose set above a bushy moustache. He was escorted by two of the base guards. The old man grinned at Colin and shuffled off to the helicopter, where the guards helped him in.
“You coming?” asked Silas.
“Who was that guy?”
“The old guy? No idea.”
“I’ve never seen him before here.”
“You have bigger things to worry about.”
Colin and Silas followed behind Varson and Mr. Emerson as they entered the large cargo elevator and descended to one of the many subterranean floors of the base. While it may have looked like a single-building base on the surface, there were a number of floors beneath the ground that housed everything from holding cells and offices to barracks and research labs. One floor existed in a completely different dimension, where a demon named Charles lived.
The doors swished open and Colin recognized the floor as the same one he and Silas had been taken to after the incident when Colin ate his biology teacher. They were led into a small gray room and asked to take a seat.
Here it comes.
“Just what on earth did you think you were doing?” Mr. Emerson shouted.
And there it is.
“Do you realize the danger you placed the team in?” Mr. Emerson said, not waiting for an answer. “What it would have meant for Elkwood and everyone who lives here if we were discovered? We take very precise steps to hide you and the other residents from the outside world, and what do you do the first time you step foot outside of Elkwood? You go on a rampage on a busy city street!”
Mr. Emerson had begun pacing while Varson sat and awkwardly played with his tie.
“What’s the fallout?” asked Silas.
“Beta Team contained the area. The EMP they dispatched knocked out all the power for a square block and everyone in the immediate area has been detained.” Mr. Emerson added, “We’ve had to dispatch Alfred to magic their memories away.”
“Is that who the old man was?” said Colin.
“That’s right,” he nodded. “He lives in a cottage up north. Much like your grandmother, he’s an integral part of this community. He keeps our normal residents believing there’s nothing unusual about Elkwood.”
“Is he a wizard or something?”
“That’s not what we’re here to talk about!” Mr. Emerson shouted, the vein in his head throbbing again. Colin could hear his heartbeat thumping a mile a minute.
Colin filed Alfred the Wizard away; he would ask Becca about him later. The last thing he wanted was for Mr. Emerson’s head to explode.
“Alfred will cast a spell over the detained residents of Seattle,” Varson said while tugging on his tie. “They’ll believe they were caught in an electrical blackout and none of them will have any memory of a young boy turning into a giant werewolf in the middle of their city.”
“Sounds like all’s well that ends well,” said Colin, repeating something he’d heard his grandmother say once or twice.
Mr. Emerson stopped pacing and slammed the palms of his hands down on the table with a bang. Colin had never seen him this upset.
“All is not well!” he yelled. “You lost control in the middle of an operation.”
“He hurt Silas,” said Colin.
Mr. Emerson turned to Silas. “And you! You assured me he was ready, that he was prepared, that he could handle being out in the field. Not only did you lose the man we were tracking, but your young protégé almost destroyed the Night Watch operation before it even had a chance to get started!”
Colin could feel the anger bubbling in Silas, could feel the centuries-old werewolf twitch under the pressure.
“I didn’t lose control,” said Colin. “There was a flying man who blocked my senses.”
Colin felt the fight go out of Silas. Varson leaned forward with interest.
“A flying man, you say? What did he look like? How was he flying?” said Varson.
“He was sitting cross-legged, high in the air above me, when I was in the street. His eyes glowed red. And—”
“Enough,” said Mr. Emerson. “Silas, did you see any evidence of this flying man?”
Silas glanced at Colin.
I’m sorry.
“No,” said Silas. “I didn’t see him.”
“Silas, I promise, I’m not making this up,” said Colin. “One moment I’d almost caught the Butcher and the next minute I couldn’t hear or smell anything. My senses were completely gone. Then all at once they flooded back so much louder and stronger than before. It was him, it was the flying man!”
Silas turned to Colin and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Colin, you understand our connection better than anyone. You know I can see your memories and thoughts, the same way you can see mine. I don’t see anything like what you’re describing. I see you were chasing the Butcher, and then you lost control and changed.”
“Then it’s settled,” said Mr. Emerson triumphantly. “Colin is grounded to Elkwood until further notice. I’ll see if we can track down the Butcher again, and hopefully we can salvage some of this operation.”
Mr. Emerson turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Colin could smell the smug satisfaction waft off him as he left.
“Well,” said Varson as he straightened his tie and edged his way around the table, “I suppose that’s it for tonight. You two should get some rest. If I’m not mistaken, Colin, you have school in the morning.”
Varson nodded politely and exited.
“You really don’t believe me?” said Colin.
“I want to,” said Silas. “But I see what you see. And I don’t see this flying man.”
“It was the strangest sensation. It was like my senses of smell and hearing were gone. I was cut off from my wolf senses.”
Silas sighed. “I should get you home.”
The pair drove away from the base, taking the old forest road around the ridge and down into Elkwood. Colin would have preferred to run home but Silas insisted on making sure he got there safely. Silas’s old Jeep bounced along the rocky service road.
You won’t be grounded forever. Emerson will come around.
Oh yeah, I’m sure he’ll let me off the leash again real soon. Like when I’m thirty.
He’s just concerned for the mission.
Silas spun the Jeep around a sharp corner and accelerated over a small hill. The town of Elkwood sprang into view through the trees. The dim lights of the small downtown core glowed through the fog and Colin could make out the blinking neon sign of the gas station.
You wanted to bite his head off in there. I felt it.
Silas glanced over at Colin.
I’ve been doing this a long time. Centuries. I survived the old west. I’ve been stabbed, shot, hung, hit with multiple vehicles, dropped off a cliff, and set on fire more than once. I don’t like someone who’s 187 years younger than I am talking down to me.
Colin smiled. Mr. Emerson should really learn to respect his elders.
Yes, he should. I’d hate to have to eat him.
Silas laughed at his own joke and Colin couldn’t help but smile. Silas had come a long way from the gruff, angry man he’d been when Colin first encountered him. Now he was a gruff, angry man with a sense of humor and was, thanks to Colin, much more knowledgeable about movies. He’d already watched Gremlins, all three Lord of the Rings movies, and was working his way through the latest series of superhero movies. Colin had tried to get him to watch some classic horror movies like The Exorcist and A Nightmare on Elm Street, but Silas laughed too much. Colin had to admit, after having encountered real vampires, witches, and other creatures of the night, seeing them in a movie was actually boring, bordering on funny.
Silas raced through the deserted nighttime streets and screeched into the small suburban area where Colin’s house was located.
Colin’s grandmother’s house was a small two-bedroom, two-floor, Victorian-style townhome. His grandmother was technically blind but, being an all-powerful witch, she got by with very little problem. Colin had never asked her about it, but as far as he could figure, she had some sort of extra sense that allowed her to get around, cook, and take care of herself.
Her main power resided in the weather. She represented Elkwood’s first line of defense by keeping the weather perpetually grim and overcast so there was no chance of anyone ever spying on the residents with satellites, drones, or other sky-bound technology. The bad weather generally discouraged visitors. Occasionally someone new would move to Elkwood, but they quickly fell under the spell that the rest of the normal people were under. The town was the perfect cover for creatures like Colin and Silas.
The Jeep stopped in front of Colin’s house. “I’m really sorry, kid. We’ll keep training and get you back out there. Don’t think I’m not thankful for what you did back there, chasing that man. We’re a pack. When I get hurt, I know you feel it. Not physically, but in here.” Silas tapped his own chest. “I appreciate your reasons but you’re going to have to get those kinds of feelings under control.”
“Are you really telling a teenage werewolf to get his feelings under control? I’m nothing but feelings. I’m just a big mess of feelings and hormones. Oh, and let’s not forget the giant werewolf lurking around inside me.”
“It’s not just a control issue,” said Silas.
Colin could feel the worry pouring off the older wolf. “What is it, Silas?”
“You’ve been doing so well, I didn’t think I’d need to bring it up.”
“Bring what up?”
Silas sighed and looked Colin directly in the eye. “There’s a reason most werewolves go bad. They get a taste of this new power and they give themselves over to it, they give the werewolf too much control. The six months after the first change is the most dangerous time for a young werewolf. A lot of them can’t handle it.”
“You’re saying I might go crazy? You think that’s what happened tonight?”
“I don’t know what happened tonight, and I’m not saying you’re going crazy. I’m just warning you.” Silas smiled. “You’re a good kid, Colin. Go get some rest. Try to stay out of trouble. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
Colin climbed out of the Jeep and waved to Silas as he sped away down the road.
Pushing open the front door, the smells of home filled his senses. His grandmother had eaten steak for dinner, medium rare, with roast potatoes. His stomach rumbled a little. He could also smell the leftovers in the fridge. One drawback to being a werewolf was the overactive metabolism. He needed to eat every few hours to stay full and keep any urges to eat people at bay.
Moving down the hallway toward the kitchen, he could hear the rhythmic heartbeat of his grandmother.
Is she asleep? Heartbeat is a little fast. She must be dreaming.
The clock on the hallway wall showed it to be a little after one o’clock.
Stepping as lightly as he could into the kitchen, Colin flicked on the light, and had a small heart attack. “Gran!”
The little old lady was sitting at the kitchen table in her nightgown with her hair in curlers, a cold cup of coffee in front of her.
“You scared me half to death,” said Colin. His heart was racing so fast he had to breathe deeply to slow it down before he turned into a werewolf and made a mess of the small kitchen.
A smile played on the woman’s wrinkled face. “You’re back earlier than I expected. Things not go so well?”
“You already know,” said Colin, raising a questioning eyebrow.
“I know everything.”
“So you heard?”
“I chatted with that demon fellow from the base.”
“Charles,” Colin said, taking a seat across from his grandmother.
“He appeared in my bedroom. No man has been in my bedroom since your grandfather. Gave me a bit of a start. I almost called down a lightning bolt.”
“Well, he’s less man, more terrifying-looking demon.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“You wouldn’t have done him any damage, he can only astral project himself into town. He’s bound to an alternate dimension or something like that.”
“I’m well aware of his limitations—and that he’s a political refugee from Hell—but mark my words, he’ll get more than a binding if he shows up in my bedroom again. He told me things may not have gone well for you tonight.”
His grandmother being kind to him still occasionally felt strange to Colin. He had been so used to her being cruel and vicious up until the point he’d become a werewolf that these moments still felt a bit alien. Colin got the sense that since his transformation, the old lady felt some sort of kinship and a need to protect him.
“I’ve been grounded to Elkwood.” Colin glanced at the fridge where the leftovers were located.
“Help yourself.” His grandmother took a sip of the cold coffee while Colin grabbed the food. “So what happened? Tell me everything.”
Between mouthfuls, Colin recounted the whole story: tracking the Butcher, Silas getting injured, the street chase, the floating man, no one believing him, not even Silas, his eventual tongue lashing from Mr. Emerson, and Silas telling him about how werewolves can sometimes go crazy.
His grandmother sat quietly and listened to everything. Colin heard a slight change in her heart rate when he mentioned the floating man.
“Glowing red eyes, you say? You’re sure?” she said.
“Certain,” Colin nodded with a mouthful of steak.
“Interesting.”
“So you believe me?”
The old lady shrugged. “It’s late. You have school tomorrow.”
With that she got up and shuffled out of the kitchen and up to her bedroom.
Well that was weird. Even for her.
Colin finished the rest of the potatoes and helped himself to half a box of cookies and a large glass of milk. Finally satisfied, he headed up to his room.
The bookshelf next to his bed was full of dog-eared notepads, all crammed with Colin’s notes and observations of his changes and experiences as a werewolf. One book was filled with nothing but descriptions of how different emotions smelled. Another he’d filled, with the help of some biology textbooks from the base, with what was happening to his body when he changed. Some were about his wolf senses. Another was full of doodles of different types of werewolves he sometimes saw in his dreams. Colin reached for a fresh notepad and quickly sketched down what had happened in Seattle: the smells, the sounds, the sensation before he’d changed so suddenly. He also wrote down all he could remember about the floating man in the sky.
The cell phone provided to him by Varson in case of emergencies buzzed on his bedside table and showed two missed calls from Becca, as well as a barrage of text messages.
Becca: Where R U?
Becca: Dad’s home. He’s unusually happy.
Becca: I’m worried.
Becca: Overheard Dad. True UR grounded? Totally not fair.
Becca: R U OK?
A surge of warmth rushed through Colin. He’d been dating Becca for around five months and he still got that warm fuzzy feeling when she showed she cared. Even in small ways when it was just a note or a text message.
Colin set aside his notepad and tapped away at the phone.
Colin: True. Turned into a werewolf in the middle of Seattle. UR dad was furious. Not my fault. Weird floating man made me do it. Or I’m losing my mind. Could go either way.
Colin stripped down to his underwear and curled up at the bottom of his bed. He hadn’t been able to sleep normally in a bed since he became a werewolf. He found it far more comfortable to sleep curled up at the end of the bed. His cell phone buzzed.
Becca: ??? Weird floating man? I want to know more. But it’s late. Talk tomorrow. Sleep good wolfboy <3 <3 <3
Colin smiled and let the phone slide from his hand as he quickly slipped into a deep sleep.
His dreams were wolf dreams, shadows of memories from other werewolves that streamed through his sleeping mind in rapid succession. He had them every night. Sometimes they were the same, and sometimes they were different. Colin found them oddly comforting. But tonight something was very different. In each dream, there was something new.
A man would be standing somewhere in the background.
A man wearing a long black cape.
A man who smiled knowingly.
A man with glowing red eyes.