I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING!! the way i've been doing updates (i don't remember if i've explained before) is that i write two chapters...say X (yes X, i've stolen your name for this purpose) and...T (twicked, i hope you don't mind either) - anyway, chapters X and T, i post X then write chapter...C (just guess you URF people) - and once i finish C i post T. does that make any sense? no, it probably doesn't sigh but anywho, i'm slightly ashamed of this chapter, but that is ok. i hope you don't mind it
Though the street must have been noisy the only sound Maureen registered were those of her and Joanne's dry footsteps, a soft click against the cement. Joanne kept glancing over her shoulder as they walked. Every time Maureen would squeeze her hand a little tighter, a silent signal that everything was all right. In all honesty, Maureen couldn't actually promise her girlfriend that, as much as she wanted to. Joanne turned her head yet again, and Maureen once again gave her hand a little squeeze. Ignoring the sideways glances they were getting, Maureen pulled them along a little faster. Joanne pulled back, reminding her without words to keep the pace human. She slowed down, if only a little. She wouldn't panic. They were only walking to their friend's apartment, a perfectly natural thing to do, right? Maureen felt someone pinch her arm. She yelped, and released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding - so much for not panicking.
"We're almost there, right?" Joanne asked, her voice an octave or two too high.
"Yeah, only like three more blocks." Maureen answered. Joanne had only been to the loft once when she was helping her move out, and while Joanne's sense of direction was good, it wasn't that good. They relapsed into uncomfortable silence. Joanne glanced over her shoulder, Maureen groaned. "Jo, there is nothing there."
"Of course not," Joanne said, her voice not quiet back to normal. "I just keep thinking…there!'" Joanne grabbed Maureen's arm, spinning her around. Maureen stared…at the empty sidewalk.
"Oh, Joanne, you scared me. Don't do that." She scolded, and began walking again. She stopped a couple yards ahead when she realized Joanne wasn't behind her. She turned again, slightly exasperated, slightly scarred. Joanne stood stalk still, staring intently around her like a hawk scanning a field for that one mouse. "JO! Come on!"
"No, I saw something," At the slightly forced sigh Maureen gave, she grunted. "I did!"
Maureen sighed again, but stayed with her. They must have looked odd, standing still in the middle of the sidewalk, just staring. She would admit it to herself, though never Joanne, but she was still nervous. Joanne wasn't a liar and god knows she wasn't imaginative enough to call up those monsters out of her mind. But after twenty minutes she began to get tired.
"Jo, come on," she said unenthusiastically. "We're obviously wasting our time, we should go."
"Oh...ok," Joanne said, defeated. They began to move, but of course Maureen saw something move in the corner of her vision. Her breath caught, she'd never actually seen one of them before now.
"Uh, Jo…I see it now." Joanne turned and grabbed her hand, squeezing it hard. Roger was right - it was terrifying. A great black-ish wolf padded forward on huge, clawed, silent paws. Its enormous puruple-ish tongue lolled out of its mouth lazily, easily avoiding the gleaming black teeth. Though she couldn't quiet make out its eyes, Maureen felt it was starring at her. Maureen tugged on Joanne's hand, planning to whisk them away faster than that thing could comprehend, but Joanne didn't seem to want to move.
"Come on," Maureen hissed. The wolf's ears pricked towards the sound and it took a step closer.
"No," Joanne said. She was using her special voice, the one Maureen always hated when it was used on her. Though at the moment, she felt the slight bliss of obeying it. Joanne then directed her voice at the creature. Slowly, hesitantly, she spoke.
"Stop." It stumbled for a moment, then froze and Maureen got that same feeling that it was watching Joanne.
"You will not harm us or anyone else unless I tell you to." Still slow, but now with more power behind it, Joanne's words seemed to slid into each other - sweet and sticky like honey.
"You will do whatever I tell you to. You will be kind, helpful, and loyal to The Chosen. You are not going to be called a Voglia Ed Uccida any longer. Now you will be called…" Here Joanne paused, turning to Maureen. Maureen wavered, considering, for only a moment.
"Buster." She said decisively. Joanne rolled her eyes, but said nothing for fear of breaking her control.
"Buster." She repeated, and broke eye contact. As soon as she did it gave a large shudder and began to shift. For a moment, Maureen panicked, thinking it hadn't worked. But 'Buster' merely seemed to shrink. His muzzle got smaller and rounder, eyes appeared, shining and intelligent, and his fur, legs, body, and tail all became much shorter. Now, standing before them panting, was a not quite black lab. He barked once, and Maureen flinched.
"Great, now what are we gong to do with it?" Maureen muttered to herself. Joanne hesitated.
"Let's take it to the loft,"
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" she shrieked. Luckily only about five or six people seemed to notice.
"Think about it," Joanne said. "It should be 'good' now."
"Oh, fine, let's just go." She was getting impatient. She took three steps forward and glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough Buster was following behind, tail wagging. If it weren't for the swirling colors on his back and all the shape-shifting mojo than he would have looked like a normal dog. She and Joanne began walking again, not quiet as paranoid as before. They made it another two blocks before Joanne broke the silence.
"Buster? Honestly Maureen…"
i had fun with the ending! that was fun to write - a note for the next chapter, Maureen changes her mind about Buster.