This morning, I've already spoken to three cops, six family members, two teachers, and the head of Animal Control, and it's only about noon. My Uncle Chris has agreed to watch over Toby and I until we can find where my parents went. He got here an hour ago, and is currently talking to some cop up in my parents' room, probably trying to figure out where they could have gone to. Chris is my dad's brother, and they've been very close for years even after moving out of the house. I hope Toby and I are going to be like that one day.
Toby's a mess. He's clinging to my arm with a death grip, refusing to leave my side. When he found out Mom and Dad are missing, he completely lost it. He kept saying how it was all his fault for letting the wolf in. I'm still trying to tell him there was no wolf, that there couldn't have been and he was dreaming, but he won't hear of it. He just keeps mumbling about the wolf seeming so nice. I wish I could understand what he means. But at least I got him to stop crying.
I'm sitting on the living room sofa with Toby at the moment, and I notice another black car weave around the cop cars and park across the road from my house. Toby sees it too, and squeezes my hand nervously. I look over at him and give him an encouraging smile. He can't tell I don't really mean it.
"It'll be okay, Tobe." I tell him softly, and stand up.
Toby immediately follows suit, so I pick him up and place him on my hip. He's getting big, and I don't know how much longer I'll be able to pick him up like this. He wraps his arms around my neck and rests his head on my shoulder, still clutching his stuffed wolf in his left hand. He woke up just after I found my parents missing, and hasn't slept since. He's completely worn out, but refuses to sleep.
I bring Toby over to the door, but stay out of sight of the window. I can hear voices as people, at least two by the sound of it, approach the door. I look at Toby and put my finger to my lips and press my ear against the door.
"You sure about this one, Sammy?" A gruff voice asks unsurely. "I dunno, it seems like some sort of drunk thing. Like when I got seriously smashed in Vegas and I-"
"Be serious here, Dean." Another slightly higher voice cuts in sharply. I raise an eyebrow. Getting drunk in Vegas doesn't seem like a police officer-like thing to do. Anyway, the second voice continues. "The kid says he let a wolf in. The police haven't found any traces of a wolf, and suddenly the parents are missing too? Sounds like a-"
"Yeah, yeah. Well, we'll find out soon enough." The other voice grumbles, and suddenly there's a sharp knock on the door that almost causes me to jump.
I stay to the side of the window for a moment, so it won't be blatantly obvious I've been eavesdropping. I glance at Toby and nod. He buries his head in my shoulder. Then I open the door and I can feel my brother tense up.
Two black-suited men stand before me. One is very tall, with long brunette hair that stops just above his shoulders. I don't exactly think that's regulation, but I ignore it. His face is narrow and he smiles pleasantly. The other man isn't as tall, but certainly isn't short. His shoulders are broader, and he sports a dirty blonde crew cut. His angular face smiles as well, but I can't help but find the two intimidating. What can they be here for?
"Hi there," The blonde one says, and I recognize his voice as the deeper one. "I'm Agent Meyerwich, and this is my partner, Agent Paul. We're with the FBI."
They both flash their badges, and sure enough, FBI is plastered on each of them. Toby gives a small whimper and I reach over to smooth down his hair. I'm worried too, I want to say.
"It's alright, Tobe," I mumble softly, trying to calm him down. I look back up at the agents. "I'm Lisa Wilson." Something changes in Meyerwich's face changes, but I pretend not to notice. "This is my brother, Toby. Can I ask why the FBI is uh, being involved?"
"Well," Agent Paul begins, turning to look at his partner. "Sometimes if there aren't enough federal cases, we get sent to local high priority cases. Like missing persons."
"Oh," I drop my eyes to the ground.
"We're here to help out, Lisa," Paul continues, giving me an encouraging smile. "We just need to start out with some questions."
"Oh, uh," I open the door wider and step to the side. "Yeah. My uncle's upstairs, talking to the chief of-"
"We'd actually like to talk to you two, first." Meyerwich cuts in. "If that's alright."
"Um," I glance down at Toby, who refuses to look up at the men. "I'm okay with it, but I'm sure how much you can get out of Toby today. He, uh, he's very tired."
"That's alright," Paul nods kindly. "We'll do our best."
They follow me inside. I take a seat on the couch, while Meyerwich and Paul sit in the sofa adjacent to me. Toby climbs up and sits on my lap, but still won't look at the men.
"Can I get you guys anything?" I ask, not entirely sure what to do. I've never had the FBI at my house before.
"No, thanks." Paul smiles again. It's beginning to creep me out. "So, you were the one who called animal control?"
"Yeah," I nod politely. "After Toby said he let a wolf in, I checked and saw the front door was open. I mean, I thought he had been dreaming until then. So I called 911 just to be sure, and they sent Clem over."
"Clem?" Meyerwich asks, moving forward in his seat.
"The um, animal control guy. He didn't find a wolf, and didn't see my parents." I squeeze Toby's hand. "Then I checked their room, and they were gone. Y-you can go look at their room. It's just upstairs and down the hall."
"We will in a moment, Lisa," Paul tells me politely. I study his face but can't read it at all. "So your brother saw the wolf?"
"Yeah, Toby," I look down at my brother and find he's hiding his face. "But sir, it can't have been a wolf. We live in the middle of the suburbs, so unless one escaped the zoo or something, he must have been dreaming."
"It's just that we have to pursue every lead, miss." Meyerwich shrugs, staring at me. "To be safe."
"Of course," I reply slowly. "If you really think it'll get you anywhere."
Sure, that's not the most respectful thing I could have said to federal agents, but I find it kind of ridiculous they think Toby may have seen a wolf.
"We do, actually." Meyerwich replies curtly. "So, Toby, what'd you see?"
Toby says nothing, but buries his head into my shoulder yet again. He must be terrified still.
"He's, uh," I try to find the right words. "He thinks this whole deal is his fault. He won't say much."
"Well, to do the investigation, we kind of need to know all the facts." Meyerwich tells me gruffly.
"Dean," Paul warns his partner. So now I know one's first name.
"Right," Meyerwich nods. "Sorry."
"Toby," I pry my brother's face away from my shoulder, but he has his eyes shut tight. "Tobe, can they ask you some questions?"
He shakes his head violently and hides his head under a couch pillow. I glance over at the agents, who are watching with raised eyebrows.
"Toby," I coo softly. "The only way to find mama and daddy is if you answer their questions. There's nothing to be scared of. I promise."
"Hey, kid," Meyerwich adds in, voice suddenly soft and kind. "I can swear to you right now that if you help us out, we'll find your mom and dad."
Toby brings the pillow down just enough so he can see the agent.
"Swear it?" He sounds shaky. Nervous.
"We swear." Paul and Meyerwich pledge at the same times. I give a small smile.
"What do you say, Tobe?" I ask him, taking the pillow from his small hands. "Deal?"
Toby nods slowly, and sits up next to me. He takes my hand in yet another death grip, but I find it heartening. I watch my brother for a moment, taking him in. He's so small, still a baby in my mind although at eight years old, he's not so much of a child as he was. He's dressed this morning in a red tee shirt and jeans, and he has a frown on his face.
"Alright." Meyerwich nods. "Toby, right?" Toby nods back. "Okay, Toby. What'd you see last night?"
Toby takes a moment, staring at his sneakers and pondering his answer.
"I saw…" I can tell he's trying very hard to concentrate, and as luck would have it, my uncle appears at the top of the steps, along with police chief Turner at his side.
Chief Turner is a big guy. He's rather stocky, and only about 5'6. His uniform is, as most officers', black with his golden badge pinned to his chest. He has a kind face peppered with gray stubble, and has short gray hair on the back of his head. His receding hairline left a shiny bald spot smack dab in the middle. My uncle Chris is a very tall, very thin man with curly black hair and coke bottle lenses. Dressed in a nice button down and black slacks, he looks rather professional. He's very nice, but at the moment he looks confused, and a little bit angry.
"Who are you?" He asks sternly, and the two federal agents turn to face him.
"I'm Agent Paul," Paul says, standing and getting out his badge. "This is my partner, Agent Meyerwich. We're with the FBI, just here to ask a few questions."
"These kids have been through a lot-"
"When did you guys get jurisdiction?" Chief Turner cuts Uncle Chris off.
"I can give you my supervisor's number, if you want." Paul replies politely.
"I do, actually." Turner's eyes narrow.
"Agent Paul can give you that." Lancaster adds in curtly. "But I have to get some answers, which Toby here was going to give me."
"Toby, don't tell him anything until we get proof they're-" Chief Turner begins, but Meyerwich stands angrily.
"Listen," He growls, taking his badge from the inside pocket of his suit. "Maybe you don't believe us, but you can call our supervisor and have him prove it. Until then, bucko, I won't allow you to keep me from doing my job. This kid's memory could start to change at any minute, and I'm not risking finding his parents because you don't want someone else butting in on your case. And if you find out we're lying, cuff me and send me to the clink."
"Dean." Paul warns again, but Meyerwich bats a hand, not bothering to look at his partner.
"Quiet, Sammy." He continues, still glaring at Chief Turner. "I'm not letting any chance of finding these kids' family to go to waste, got it?"
Uncle Chris and I are watching this conversation, dumbfounded, while Toby returns to hiding his face under a pillow. I'm not sure who's going to win this particular argument, but I can almost smell the testosterone in the air. There's a moment incredibly tense glaring twixt Turner and Meyerwich, and then Turner finally speaks.
"Real dedication to the job, there." Turner says, smiling. It seems a bit forced to me. "I'll allow it, but I want your supervisor's number. Now."
"Of course," Paul intervenes before his partner can reply. "I'll be right on that."
Meyerwich stares at the chief for a moment or two before sitting down and slowly turning to Toby again while Paul heads over to Chief Turner and Uncle Chris as they descend the staircase. Toby unhides his face a little bit yet again, and I squeeze his hand gently.
"Ok, Toby, let's try this again." Meyerwich smiles. "What'd you see?"
Toby looks up at me and I smile. I'm beginning to like these guys, maybe even trust them. I want Toby to, as well, just in case. Meyerwich especially seems keen on helping us find my parents.
"I was in my room and I heard scratching and it woke me up." Toby says quietly, picking Wolfy up from the couch cushion and bringing him to his chest. "And I went to the door to see what it was."
He stops, looking down at Wolfy with an intense frown on his face. He kicks his feet nervously and begins to stroke the stuffed animal with his thumb. I tilt my head to the side, confused.
"Tobe?" I prompt him softly.
"It couldn'ta been a wolf." He mumbles to himself, not looking up. "You said it couldn'ta been a wolf."
"Toby, listen here for a sec," Meyerwich leans forward in his chair. "Whatever you could possibly say, I've heard a thousand times crazier. Hell, a million times crazier. So no matter what you say, I'll believe you. I promise."
This comment causes Toby to look up at the agent and smile trustingly.
"I saw a wolf at the door. He was big and gray and looked exactly like Wolfy." He looks at his stuffed animal and studies it. "But his eyes were wrong. And he could talk."
"What'd he say?" Meyerwich raises an eyebrow, and I glance over at my uncle, the police chief, and Agent Paul. They seem tense, but Paul seems to be talking them down. Chief Turner takes out a phone and begins dialing.
"He said…" Toby concentrates incredibly hard on Wolfy, trying to remember. "He said that he wanted to help Mom and Dad... and that if I invited him in, he would make sure they were safe."
"Anything else?" Meyerwich asks, frowning slightly.
"When I let him in, he told me to go to my room." Toby frowns and looks at me. "But I wanted to tell Lisa I saw a real live wolf, and I didn't." He pauses, and turns back to Agent Meyerwich. "Do you think that's why my mom and dad are gone?"
"Toby, I already told you none of this is your fault." I tell him gently, putting my arm around his shoulder and hugging him.
"Your sister's right, kid," Meyerwich nods. "You didn't do this. But we'll find who did. I swear."
Toby nods, but has begun to tear up anyway. I pull him closer to me and rub at his back, trying to comfort him. I can see Chief Turner is still on the phone, and I can hear him ask,
"I'm sorry, did you just say 'balls?'"
and I want to laugh but I can't. Whoever their supervisor is, he must be funny. In a few seconds, Chief Turner hangs up and nods at Agent Paul. Apparently they'd been verified.
"Can we see your parents' room?" Meyerwich asks, standing up again. I nod, and get up as well. Toby clings to me, so I pick him up again and set him on my hip. As I pass by my uncle and the Chief, I tell them where I'm headed. They nod, and Paul joins our group. I head to the top of the stairs, then to the room down the hall. I stay outside my parents' rom, because it makes me sick to my stomach. Not like there's anything in there.
"We'll only be a minute." Paul informs me, and I nod. I head back down the stairs and back to my Uncle and Chief Turner.
"Why's the FBI here again?" Uncle Chris asks the chief, who frowns.
"I guess they just ran out of federal cases. Not that it's awful having them around, but I'm not used to not being in charge around here."
I hold back a snort, and let Toby back down to the ground.
"Go get yourself some juice or something, Tobe," I tell him. He nods and follows my suggestion. I fold my arms and look at my uncle.
"Were you courteous to them, Lisa?" Chris asks, frowning. So much frowning around here. But there's not much to smile about.
"Of course," I roll my eyes.
"Did you offer them drinks or something?"
"I asked if they wanted anything and they said no," I explain. They're just feds, I think. He doesn't have to suck up so bad.
"Well, go ask again." He sighs, pointing at the stairs.
"Uncle Chris, I literally just asked, like, fifteen-"
"Go." He orders, and I obey. However reluctant I may be about it.
I walk up the stairs, careful not to stomp because I know that would cause a riot with my uncle, especially in front of the chief. As I walk to the door, I hear them talking in hushed tones, and can't help but listen in rather than interrupt.
"What're you thinking?" I hear Paul's voice ask quietly.
"Kid saw a wolf, and the wolf asked to be invited inside. There's no trace there was a wolf here at all." Meyerwich replies slowly, as if he's thinking. "First thing I can think of is a skinwalker."
"In this part of the states, Dean? Are you sure?" Paul sounds unsure.
"It doesn't make a load of sense, but something supernatural's going on here. This isn't a normal disappearance."
"A skinwalker though…" Agent Paul's voice trails off for a moment. "They normally eat their victims, though. Not drag them away. And last time we fought one, it turned into you and got us into loads of trouble."
"Like I said, something funky's going on here, Sammy. We need to get to the bottom of this, or those kids are going to wonder how their parents ended up dead for the rest of their lives."
Both of their words are cut off as I pull the door open, walk in, and shut it behind me. They look up at me, startled, and Meyerwich is about to talk when I say in a low but menacing voice,
"What's a skinwalker, and why did you lie to my brother about finding my parents if you think they're dead?"