Chapter 8
Maddy and Rhydian's laughter was contagious. It hadn't taken Sarah long to crack as the werewolves of Ginger Snaps Back started making their appearances. Ginger's gradual transformation was also a cause for intense scrutiny.
"You know, they're actually pretty close with how it all actually happens, just over a longer period." Sarah muttered before bursting into another fit of laughter. "But my god, those practical effects are just awful!"
"I know! I often just pretend that these are made by Wolfbloods to ensure no one ever believes anything like us exists." Jana said.
"You know, that's an interesting point." A look crossed Shannon's face as she considered Jana's words.
"Shan, tell me you aren't thinking of an experiment to find out!" Tom stared at her in a mix of wonder and horror.
"So, when did you two find out about what we really are?" Sarah asked them.
"It wasn't too long ago, actually." Tom mused.
"There was a thing with Rhydian's mum and his little brother that led to him, his mum and Maddy all transforming in front of us and getting ready to fight." Shannon told her. "When it actually happened, it was scary as hell. Looking back in hindsight, it was probably the most amazing day of my life."
"It was certainly a frightening day." Tom shrugged, sitting back and letting out a sigh.
"So, have you seen the others in this series?" Maddy asked Sarah, trying to change the subject. The memories of that day were still incredibly painful for her.
"I've seen the end of Ginger Snaps 2 when Mum was ill and the neighbour was looking after me." Sarah shrugged. "I remember the monologue at the end of it like it was yesterday."
"So is your mum okay now?" Tom asked.
"If you want, we'd be happy to drop by if she needs company." Maddy offered.
"You wouldn't find her." Sarah's voice took on a hard edge. "I live alone now. I've got a job making about three-hundred a month less rent and food, but it's actually a surprisingly good life."
"So you're self-sufficient at sixteen?" Shannon looked over in amazement.
"I'm seventeen." Sarah corrected her. "My birthday was two weeks ago."
"So what do you do?" Jana asked.
"I'm working at a bakery just across from the butcher." Sarah shrugged. "It's a handy job."
"Well, it's great to hear you're managing." Maddy smiled warmly across to her. It was one of those genuine smiles that reached her eyes and Sarah couldn't hide a look of uncertainty.
"Anyway, I need to look at getting home once this movie finishes." She stretched out and everyone heard multiple clicks going right down her back. "God, I've been sitting still too long."
"Ginger..." Brigitte gasped on the screen. "I'm cold."
"Ooh, bad acting!" Tom cringed.
"I'm not." Ginger shrugged as Brigitte reached up and took her hand. Sarah stood up and grabbed her rucksack as the final monologue started.
"The day of reckoning. The day the curse grew stronger in the red and the black. Sisters, united in blood. Together forever." As the screen faded to black and the credits started rolling, Sarah turned and headed towards the kitchen. Maddy just about heard her opening the fridge to retrieve the bag of meat, walking briskly back in as she finished zipping her rucksack back up.
"Well, I have to be off now or next door's cat might think I'm not coming home. I put scraps out for him whenever I do a meat pickup. Thanks for this though. I'll have to watch the other two at some point."
"I think I've got one of them knocking around somewhere." Rhydian shrugged. If you like, I could-"
"No, that's fine." Sarah said quickly before turning it into a laugh that sounded slightly forced. "I'm decent with computers. I'm sure I can stream them. It'll be a laugh."
"If you're sure." Shannon shrugged as Maddy moved to see Sarah off. Sarah hugged Maddy goodbye and then left without another word. Maddy watched her leave down the road before shutting the door. As soon as the door shut, Maddy sighed and went to go back into the living room. It had been great seeing Sarah again but she'd definitely changed a lot. It was hardly surprising considering how her life had turned upside-down, but she seemed to have bounced back well. Maybe she'd be up for staying in contact.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Emma growled from behind Maddy. Maddy stifled a shriek and spun round to see her mother glaring at her with her eyes blazing yellow. She hadn't heard her coming up behind her. "We're here trying to keep you safe! Emma fumed. "We've uprooted our lives for you! We've been forced to live here with twelve of us in a three-bedroom house so that a ruthless killer can't find you, and what do you do? You invite people from outside our pack into the house and let them store stuff in the fridge! For all we know, she could have been the killer and the whole thing could be blown!"
"Mum, she didn't even know we were here!" Maddy defended. "Out of everyone in this city, I think she's the one who's least likely to be the killer.
"It's a bit early to be ruling things like that out, Maddy." Shannon piped up from the sofa. "But I see where you're coming from."
"She seemed a bit uncertain with me and Jana." Rhydian observed. "But then she's never met us before. What was she like when you knew her?"
"She was a lot of fun." Tom grinned at the memory. "You know, it's only now that we know she's a Wolfblood that it explains how she could do all the stuff in our early school years. She used to drive the teachers insane. She was always hiding on the rooftops away from them. Her mum really wasn't happy."
"Oh god, I remember that!" Maddy rolled her eyes as it came to her. "I remember you were chasing her when we were playing tag and she pretty much ran up the wall to get away from you. She was up on the top of the teacher's window ledge for nearly ten minutes before one of the lunch staff noticed and ordered her down."
"Yeah, and I bet you can guess how well that went." Shannon laughed. By the end of it, Emma was the only one not laughing.
"Right, well I'm sure it's great for you to see her again, but we need to decide what we're going to do from here on out. Dan and I will be talking to the Segolia agents. Maddy, you're going to go and amuse yourself for a few hours as you've proven you obviously can't be trusted to keep yourself safe."
"What?" Maddy spat furiously. "Mum, were you not paying attention? We know her!"
"She's an outsider, Maddy and you let her right in." Emma shrugged. "I'd hardly call that taking care."
"Well it's not like she's that creepy postman we used to have!" Maddy shot back.
"Oh god, I remember him too." Shannon grimaced. "Whatever happened to him?"
"Do you remember when Katrina came to school in tears because her uncle Martin had a heart attack and didn't make it?" Tom asked.
"He died of a heart attack like Katrina's uncle?" Shannon looked confused. "I didn't hear about this."
"Yeah, you did." Tom told her. "You heard about it when Katrina came to school in tears because her uncle Martin had a heart attack and didn't make it."
"You're joking!" Maddy turned to him. "That was him? I never knew his name and I honestly never wanted to."
"Every time my mum got the post off him, she always washed her hands." Shannon struggled to suppress a shudder. "I don't know why. I was the one he was always looking at."
"I remember him." Emma nodded. "We rung the post office and told them we wanted someone different in the end. You're well within your rights to do that."
"I'll have to remember that." Shannon nodded.
"Anyway, this isn't the topic!" Emma snapped. "The fact is, Maddy, that you let someone from outside these four walls inside and could have ruined everything! I'll probably have to smooth this over with the Segolia team that are giving their time to keep you safe and the last thing we need is you doing things like this again. Get to your room!"
"I don't even have a room here!" Maddy protested. "We're all sharing bedrooms here and just because I'm sleeping in it doesn't mean it's my room. This place isn't home. It's not our territory, it's Sarah's by right. She moved here and she claimed it. By our laws, that means she can come and go as she pleases. She's not the outsider, we are!"
"Maddy, this property is Segolia territory and she is not coming here again!" Emma's eyes briefly flashed yellow.
"Well tough luck to that because she's dropping food around tomorrow." Maddy scoffed. "You should have said something sooner."
"Well I'll be meeting her at the door for that, and I'll make the point known that we need some privacy." Emma growled. "Now get upstairs until I call you!" Her eyes flared fully yellow as black veins raced up her arms. Maddy let out a furious growl and violently shoved past her. She cleared the steps in a single leap and stormed across the landing to the girls' room. Not even the gel packs and heavy floor insulation could fully cover her footsteps. Emma was rubbing her shoulder where she'd hit it on the doorframe. Rhydian got up and made his way over to help her.
"Okay, I've seen Maddy upset before, but never like that!" he said, craning his neck to see behind Emma. "You've torn your shirt on the door catch."
"Thanks, pet. I'll get a fresh one." Emma tried to smile reassuringly, but Rhydian couldn't help but feel it was directed more at him than to him. "It hasn't broken the skin has it?"
"No, there's a bit of a mark but it's nothing serious." Rhydian shrugged.
"I'll give it a minute and then go and talk to her." Shannon offered as an almighty crash came from upstairs.
"Oh god, she's kicking doors again." Emma sighed. "She hasn't done this since the first time we got rid of that girl. I'd make it five minutes, Shan."
"I've definitely never seen her this angry." Jana muttered. "It's totally out of character for her." As she spoke, a scream came from upstairs accompanied by the sound of splintering wood.
"I'm human and I can hear her up there." Shannon was turning pale.
"The first time we got rid of Sarah, Maddy took it hard." Emma said, looking to Jana and Rhydian in turn. "She blamed us, and rightfully so. We did what we had to for the sake of our territory, but there's no way she'd have understood that at her age. I'd hoped in time that she'd come to accept it and know that we did it because we were thinking of her. Sarah's mother would have had to challenge us if she wanted to stay on our territory and that's usually a fight to the death. Sarah's mum didn't want that and neither did we. Nowadays we realise that the rules can be altered for special circumstances like the ones Sarah's mum had, but at the time they were set in stone. Hoping it would blow over in time was clearly optimistic. If they'd bumped into each other on a trip out or something, I wouldn't have had a problem with her coming back to ours, you all could have a movie night, hell I'd even order takeaway! Maddy wants Sarah back in her life now, and she probably always has. It's just come at the one time we can't let her have it for her own good. Think of me as you will but at least tell me you understand where I'm coming from!"
"I never said I disagreed." Jana shrugged, prompting shocked looks from Shannon and Tom. "What? I can see where she's coming from. I like Sarah, but I can also see that this has come at totally the wrong time."
"If I'm not overstepping though, I think you did go a bit far saying that Sarah, might be the killer." Rhydian pointed out. "Don't get me wrong, I agree that in a city with nearly a thousand people in it, it's too early to rule out anyone at all, but if you wanted to avoid an argument when we're all on edge that wasn't a good move. The last thing we need right now is-" Suddenly, there was another crash from upstairs accompanied by vicious scratching noises. "Well, exactly that, really." Rhydian finished with a sigh. "Shall I go up and see if she's okay?"
"No, you don't know Sarah like Tom and I do." Shannon got up and headed over to the door. "This is a girl thing. I'll sort this out." Shannon was about to reach for the door handle but the unmistakable noise of the door being torn off the sturdy antique wardrobe in the girls' room made her think better of it. "Actually, you know what? I think I'll give it a bit longer."