Chapter 1 Out After dark
Over thirty years ago . . .
A full moon was over-watching the neighborhood outside of Manassas, Virginia.
The neighborhood was naturally quiet. This night was no different from the others before.
One house was just as silent as the rest. It was dark inside the family that lived there had gone to bed.
Upstairs two boys were lying in the twin beds of their shared rooms.
Aaron Hotchner, aged thirteen, was lying in his bed. His eyes were closed, however, he was not asleep. Trying not to make too much noise, he turned in his bed to look at his watch. The dial stated that it was almost midnight.
Slowly he slid out of the bed.
Standing up he looked over at his brother, Sean, in the other bed.
Sean was fast asleep. Aaron shook his head at his younger brother as he let out a groggy yawn.
Aaron got dressed and then grabbed his shoes.
Making sure not to make any noise, Aaron opened the door to the bedroom. He looked back to make sure that Sean was still asleep.
Seeing that Sean wasn't stirring, he tiptoed out into the hallway.
Aaron carefully made his way down the stairs. He sat on the last step and slipped on his shoes.
Now that he was on the ground floor Aaron made his way towards his father's office. He turned on the small desk light. Legal books were everywhere in the office, several papers littered the desks. On the desk was a bottle of whiskey. The bottle was about only a third full.
Cautiously, Aaron opened the desk drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He grabbed a few and placed them in the pocket of his shirt.
The teenager than turned off the light and moved to the back of the house. He opened the door and slithered out of the door.
Aaron went over to a bush on the side of the house and grabbed his bike where he had parked it earlier. He mounted the bike and headed down the street.
He rode about a mile, stopping where another thirteen-year-old stood waiting with his own bike.
"Hey," The other boy said. "The old man let you out?"
"Yeah, right," Aaron replied. "Where's Mike?"
"He's grounded." Scott, the other boy, answered. "No way he's getting out. You ready?"
"Yeah," Aaron said
The two boys got onto their bikes and took off down the street.
They stopped when they came to a billboard that was just off of the main road.
"I got these," Aaron said pulling out the cigarettes. He took the lighter from his back pocket and lit his before lending it to Scott.
The two boys climbed up the ladder to the billboard with their cigarettes. Scott opened up his backpack and handed Aaron one of the spray cans he had inside.
The two boys then started to spray paint the billboard.
"I wish I could see the old man's face when he drives by this in the morning," Scott said.
Aaron laughed along with Scott.
They were interrupted by a strange sound.
"What the hell was that? Aaron asked.
"Sounded like a dog," Scott said.
They both continued defacing the billboard.
The sound occurred again.
"Okay, that was not a dog," Aaron said. "We need to get out of here."
The two boys climbed down from the billboard and went for their bikes.
They both froze when the strange howling sound started again. This time it sounded closer.
Aaron was about to ride away with Scott when he saw something.
In the bushes, there were two small red dots that looked almost like they were glowing.
Aaron wasn't sure what he was looking at. But he couldn't look away.
"Hey, we need to get out of here," Scott said punching Aaron in the arm.
The figure with the red eyes then moved quicker than what anyone would have expected. The creature, large and grotesque flew through the air at the two boys. It had managed to tackle them both.
Scott had managed to roll away.
Aaron though was completely under the dark horrid looking creature. He cried out when the beast scratched him.
Scott picked up a nearby rock and threw it at the monster.
It merely growled in response.
Suddenly there was a bright light shone on the creature.
The boys looked and saw the headlights, then the car screeching to a halt.
The strange creature let out a cry and then dove back into the bushes where it had come from.
Aaron laid on the ground, cradling his shoulder where he had been scratched.
A man jumped out of the car. "Stay still." He commanded to Aaron looking over his wounds. He then turned to a dumbstruck Scott. "Help me get him in the car." The stranger demanded.
Scott and the man helped the bleeding Aaron into the car.
"Keep him still and put pressure on the wound." The man ordered. He quickly drove to the local ER.
Scott remained in the back with Aaron with his hands applying pressure to the wounds.
When they arrived at the hospital, the man had carried Aaron in.
"Stay with us, Aaron." The man said to the boy. "It will be over soon. You already went through the worst." He kept his words calm and reassuring for the injured teen.
In the ER, Aaron was placed on the gurney and sent behind a curtain for triage.
The nurses had quickly started evaluating the wounds.
In the commotion that took place someone placed a call to the police.
Scott and the man, named Jack Givens remained in the emergency room.
The police were taking statements from Scott and Mr. Givens.
It did not take long after the police were called for Sebastian and Catherine Hotchner to make their way to the hospital.
Sebastian Hotchner was a tall and formidable man. Even in the late hour of the night, he showed in a suit and tie.
Catherine Hotchner has a handsome woman. She had come in a simple dress and had her hair tucked into a messy bun.
The two approached the front desk.
"I demand to see my son." Mr. Hotchner said in a stern voice. "Aaron Hotchner."
"Mr. and Mrs. Hotchner?" The doctor asked from behind the desk.
"I am Sebastian Hotchner." Mr. Hotchner said. "I want to see my son, now."
It was clear the Mr. Hotchner was a man that got what he wanted when he asked for it.
"Sir I need to speak with you." The doctor wasn't going to allow himself to be intimidated by Mr. Hotchner. "If you would step in the office. We can speak in private."
The Hotchners reluctantly followed the doctor to the office just past the ER. Catherine took a seat on the couch. Mr. Hotchner stood staring at the doctor. His face alone demanded an answer. He remained like that until Catherine had gently pulled on his arm bringing him down to sit on the couch with her.
Mr. Hotchner sat on the edge, not at all with his wife.
"I need to know if either of you are familiar with the condition of Lycanthrope." The doctor asked.
"O God," Catherine said placing her hand over her mouth.
"What is going on?" Mr. Hotchner said.
"Someone in your family was affected?" The doctor asked Mrs. Hotchner.
He was clearly not at all intimidated by Mr. Hotchner.
"Yes," Mrs. Hotchner answered. "My uncle. No one else."
"I've never heard of it." Mr. Hotchner said. "What does it have to do with what happened? I heard he was attacked by a dog."
"It wasn't a dog," Catherine answered. "It was a full moon tonight."
Mr. Hotchner stared at his wife.
"Mr. Hotchner, your son has a condition now, that you will need to fully address."
"What do you mean address?" Mr. Hotchner said.
"The wound was deep enough, from the attack. Your son will become a werewolf." The doctor said bluntly.
"What kind of a joke is this?" He was clearly irritated.
"I can assure you that it is true. This is what has happened." The doctor said. "It won't go away by you ignore it or being angry."
"What do we need to do?" Catherine asked. "They placed my Uncle in a ward, said it was a mental deficiency."
"There is medication, therapy, specialists." The doctor answered. "What we know now is better than what existed in the past. There are options now."
"There are doctors that specialize in this?" Mr. Hotchner was still not accepting what he was being told.
"There is also a boarding school that specializes in this." The doctor said. "They have had a very high success rate and an academic program to boast of."
"We'll do what we need to," Catherine said. She obviously had a clearer head than her husband.
"I want to see him," Mr. Hotchner said. "Now."
"He should be ready for visitors." The doctor said. "I will keep him overnight, for his own safety."
The doctor led the Hotchners to the private room.
The room was padded and there was a single bed, nothing else.
Aaron looked up at his parents when they entered the room. For a brief moment, the teenager's eyes turned a glowing red. They returned to their normal color as quickly as they turned.
"We'll send Aaron to the boarding school." Mr. Hotchner stated. He was not taking another answer.