Dawn brimmed the Eastern sky as Bethany followed in silent obedience after Roger,part of her pack trailing behind.Some of them had grumbled for having not completed the mission,but all were completely quiet as they followed suit.
She had nothing to worry about,however.Bethany had done her part and that was that.Once all this messy business with her sister and the dragon were put away with,she could return to the music world.But when was the big inquiry.
Finally they arrived atop the roof of their apartment.Everyone morphed down into their humanoid forms.Everyone,except for Roger.He remained ahead of them in his giant,lumbering form.The three men and two women awaited him.
"Go in,"He spoke after a moment,still glaring pensively to the sunrise.For past reference,this usually meant he wished to be alone.They complied all at once.
Except Bethany,she waited until they had travelled down into the door which lead down into the main body of the building.A middle-aged man glanced up at her curiously but continued down.He wasn't about to ask why she stayed.
"Uncle,"she asked slowly,carefully."Why did the whole alleyway ignite?"
The thought of 'grand escape' came to mind,but she thought better of asking.
"The better question is,"his voice hinted at a growl,causing Bethany to stand a bit straighter."Why did you leap in the way of my attack,child?Why is that?"
"I was going for the dragon slayer,"she answered confidently."But I slipped on something covering the floor,something greasy feeling and gassy smelling."
Roger chuckled at that."Too sharp for your own good,both in the mind and with the tounge.Well,it's a good thing that tounge we'll never again be useful."
"What're you mean by that...?"
There was something in that moment that made Bethany wish she were back with the others,dancing to some hip-hop song or sitting next to Nigel inside of the movies.He turned to look at her from one of his heart chilling yellow eyes.
"I blanked out their minds,child.Everyone except for those you have a strong connection to no longer remember the name,Bethany Bailey.You can't tell me you haven't wondered why no one has asked for a human signature,you can't tell me you haven't looked on those ridiculous Ipods and been in such shock.
No one remembers you as a popstar,no one.The entire world no longer can recall you,only I and the rest of the pack.We're the only ones you have a strong connection to."he leered hard at her stunned expression."Am I right?"
"You,you mean..."
"I do.This pack is your family.You were getting far too out of control being in the human world,you were losing touch with your roots.I allowed you to go ahead with it to give you time to see how horrible the modern earth is today."
"My songs?My computer?My TV?They were my life!"Bethany suddenly felt as she had that night on stage,with no fur,without clothing.In a word,naked.
Multiplied by a hundred.
Shifting into her human form,she quickly fled into the open door of the roof to make her way down the weak,old stairs that lead her through the abandoned firehouse (referred to them as the apartment) in which everyone paid the girl no mind.They either sat around reading a book Roger approved of or slept.
"Watch it!"Paige protested as she prepared fried bread and rice for their breakfeast as always,having to move the dough high up as Bethany raced by.
Out of all of them,she and Beth were the most opinionated.
Her one-track mind prevented her from taking notice as she came to a stop into the room she'd spent a year and a half sprucing up with Leopard Ladies merchandise.It was gone.There were still tacks were poster tips where stuck and aside from a plaining bed in the middle of the room,everything was gone.
"He erased every humans' memory,Beth."Paige told her solemnly."It was just about time you realized how poluated their world is.Oh my word...are you..."
"Where is everything?!"she whirled on the young woman,her temper flaring up as it had a tendency to.This time was different."Where are all my things?"
"Dumpster.Roger contacted a master wizard to concot a potion that was so powerful it could travel with the radio waves to people who were listening to your songs."There was no regret;there was gladness."You are very lucky."
"How am I lucky to have my life thrashed!"
"You're life is saved and you are acting like an ungrateful,blubbering child!"
She touched her eyes and could definitely bet that Rose never cried like that,if at all.Rose probably got everything to her heart's content and got to keep it all.
Tears streamed down Bethany's face as Paige continued unaffected."He has so much love for us that he went through all that trouble to bring you back to us.This is your home,Bethany,all of our home."Beth cringed when she smiled.
This wasn't home,this was hell.And her uncle was the devil of her existence.
The bane of her existence.
To be continued...