An hour later and Reese's back ached from bending over with the rake. There was a lot of lawn on the Sorrentino estate, and he'd covered nearly every inch of it, sweeping the leaves into neat piles then bagging them. Might as well do something useful before he left.
He grabbed something for lunch from the kitchen and ate it outside, trying to avoid Nick. Noah wandered over. "Hey, do you want to play Super Smash Brothers? Grudge match since you beat me last time."
"Sure." It'd be nice to spend some time with the kid before he left, as a sort of a goodbye. He'd gotten fond of Noah - the boy reminded him of his own younger brother. How old would Jonas be by now? Seventeen? Eighteen? He was embarrassed that he couldn't remember.
It was also another way to avoid Nick.
As expected, he failed the game miserably - he wasn't as dedicated as Noah at the best of times, and at the moment he was just too distracted. "Aw, come on," Noah laughed, "This is too good! Epic win!"
"I guess luck's just with you today."
Reese spent the rest of the afternoon at the guest cottage, watching until he was saw Nick and Antonio had left for the evening. Then he packed, hastily. There wasn't much he could think of to take with him - the little money he had earnt from his summer job here, a change of clothes, some food. He tended not to accumulate possessions. Last there was the note to write.
Dear Antonio,
I apologise for leaving so suddenly, but I can't accept the offer to join the Pack. I think you'll soon understand why. Thank you for your hospitality and kindness. Tell Noah I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. Tell Nick -
Tell Nick I love him. Tell him I'll understand if he hates me. I can't bear it if -
Reese scribbled out the lines fiercely, tearing the paper. He threw the note away and made a new version that didn't mention Nick at all, leaving it on the coffee table in the tiny guest cottage lounge. It should be easy enough to spot from the door. Then he slung his rucksack over his shoulder and left.
By dawn, he knew he wasn't going fast enough running on foot. Reese hadn't wanted to steal one of Antonio's cars - it'd be ungrateful, and besides, it'd give the Sorrentinos another reason to hunt him down. Perhaps he could hitch a lift? No, no-one picked up hitch-hikers anymore. Then he saw the obvious solution and Changed, the pain making the bump on his head twinge again. Then Reese ran through the trees beside the highway in wolf form, carrying his rucksack in his teeth.
A couple of hours later and even the light items he'd packed felt too heavy to keep carrying, making his jaws ache. Hell, all he really needed was the money. Reese found it in the rucksack, rooting around awkwardly with his snout, then pushed the rest of the stuff under a pile of fallen leaves. He carried the wallet in his teeth, and kept on running.
As it turned midday, he reached a suburban area, the beginning of the first big city along from the Sorrentinos' place. Reese realised he had to change to avoid attention - there were too many people around, no way he could pull the 'I'm just a big friendly stray dog' trick here. So he stole a pair of shorts hanging on a back yard washing line (leaving a few coins in their place out of guilt) and continued running, as a human this time. The second Change took it out of him. He'd been getting too soft sitting around the past couple of months, only doing farm chores, not running enough. Just keep going. OK, so he attracted a few stares. Maybe he should have grabbed a shirt as well. And some shoes. He tried to keep to the least-busy streets, jogging through the town as fast as he could. He bought some hot dogs from a street seller on the way past, unable to resist the aroma.
Thankfully, he managed to find another patch of woods in the suburbs beyond the city, so he could stay out of sight. Reese skirted the edge of another main highway, he didn't know which. Should really have brought a map instead of just relying on wolf senses. At least he could tell he was going due north from the Sorrentinos', jogging through the forest behind the broad inhabited strip beside the road. Reese should Change again, so he could run faster, but he was too tired to bother. So he just kept going, stumbling along in human form.
As darkness drew in, Reese knew he should be feeling hungry. He hadn't eaten anything aside from the hot dogs, and Changing needed extra energy. But somehow, he wasn't. Or rather, the hunger was there, but it was dull, uncomplaining, easy to ignore. He was bone-weary though, and was forced to stop before he collapsed. Reese made one last effort and Changed into wolf for warmth, then curled up in a nest of fallen leaves under a hollow log.
As soon as he awoke, he started running again, remembering to take the wallet and shorts with him, so he wouldn't have to steal.
Around noon the next day, he came across a clearing near a group of houses that was obviously an unofficial kids' playground. He spotted a couple of 'dens', evidence of a campfire, and a tire swing hanging from a bright blue nylon rope.
Rope.
It came to him in a blinding flash. Why hadn't he seen the solution before? It was the only way to stop running, the only way to release himself from the burden of his secret. He'd never live a normal life, even as a werewolf, so why not just - end it? How hard could it be? A moment of pain, then oblivion. It'd save any of his Pack friends from having to do it if they ever found him. And he didn't think he could stand another fall into thievery to get the credit cards he needed to keep going, another encounter with mutts, another fight, another pointless killing. Another set of hotel rooms, cities, plane tickets ...
He Changed into a human again, (thankful for the shorts) and unfastened the rope from the tire swing. Sorry, kids. Then he made his way with it deeper into the woods, trying to go far enough that no unsuspecting children would find his body. Make it an hour's run, to be safe.
Reese found a suitable clearing, but he was still fumbling with the noose much later, stupid missing fingertips making him clumsy as always. What kind of knot did a hangman's noose need, anyway? Something secure, that wouldn't come loose when he put his weight on it. Reese had seen enough cowboy movies to know that the knot went at the back of the neck, so it'd snap cleanly. He almost had it - then the damned thing came undone again. Reese swore under his breath. He should've stolen one of Antonio's guns when he had the chance, that would have made things simpler. Well, he couldn't go back there now.
Look at him, he couldn't even kill himself properly. It was almost funny.
Finally, Reese got something rigged up and attached to a tree branch. Yes, he'd just grab onto the branch, haul himself up, stick his neck through and let go. It should be quick. Just had to haul himself up...
