Part 14
Tony was beginning to get worried. They had searched, what seemed the whole town, and there was still not a single trace of the crystal. The hope that they had gained from achieving the first crystal was slowing diminishing and wearing away. The people in the town were very friendly, but had no idea where something, such as a crystal, could possibly be found in their town. It was beginning to seem hopeless.
They briefly talked with the mayor, but there wasn't anything he said that helped them. They checked the library, a few bars, and even knocked on a few houses, only to lead them to another dead end. Tony was beginning to feel very doubtful, and Wolf wasn't helping at all.
Wolf was looking very bad, and it was only mid-afternoon. As they sat on a bench in the Town Square, Tony watched Wolf for a few minutes, trying to decide what was the best way to deal with him. He was perspiring and was frantically looking around every few seconds. These signs were not new to Tony; he remembered them well from the last moon.
As Wolf glanced at him, Tony caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were hollow and full of fear and anxiety. His skin was pale and his breathing was in short patterns. Tony gazed up at the sky, a few more hours, and then it would be dusk. Not too much time before Wolf would be totally unhelpful and out of control.
"Wolf?" Tony asked calmly, trying not to set him off into angry fit.
"What?" Wolf turned back to Tony and waited a moment for a reply, and then began to look around again.
"Where else to look is there left in this place?"
"I don't know. We've looked everywhere. Let's get something to eat!" When he said that, it was more of a demand than a comment. Tony obliged; it was hungry too, even if he knew he really shouldn't stop. Tony nodded, got up from the bench, and straightened out his clothes. By the time he was finished, Wolf was already half way to the restaurant.
By the time Tony caught up to him, Wolf was enjoying a large steak in the back of the restaurant. As he made his way over to the table, he motioned to him to slow down and stop creating a scene. Half the people were already staring at him, and whispering amongst themselves.
Tony sat down and watched, mesmerized by how fast he could actually eat and entire steak. He shook himself out of his stare and decided to create a conversation to keep his mind from straying back to his doubts about that evening. The last thing he wanted to do was become paranoid about him.
"I was thinking, maybe the mirror was wrong, maybe we're in the wrong town or something." Tony sighed and took a glance around and looked at his surroundings. This didn't seem right. Kissingtown had many more options more hidden places that the gem could be, this town was so small. "Or, ya know, maybe it's all a scam and the town's hiding it from us. They probably don't want to give it to us, or they probably stole it. Bunch on con artists, that's what they are!"
Wolf seemed to ignore Tony's bazaar accusations and continued to eat, not even acknowledging him by a quick eye contact. Wolf was tuned into only one thing, food. They sat there for a while as Wolf gobbled down more and more food. When he finally shoved his large plate of bones to the side, Tony knew the next problem they'd be facing with him. They left the restaurant and walked down the street, hoping some kind of object or anything would stick out. That's when it happened.
Wolf nearly collapsed in the street, clutching his side. His face was scrunched, an obvious sign of pain, and he was sweating even more. Tony tried helped Wolf from falling to the ground, but he was only successful in slowing down his tumble. Wolf hit the ground and curled into a ball, letting out a series of painful moans.
Tony quickly turned to a nearby spectator and asked him where the nearest barn was. There was no way Wolf would like to being put in an Inn, and a barn seemed to work the last time the moon came. Worst comes to worst, he thought, he could always tie him up in the barn as Virginia told him she had done before the competition. He thought over that again, he remembered that when he was caught, he had been out of the barn. How did he--- He stopped that thought, now wasn't the time. The young man pointed down the road to a large red barn. Tony nodded his appreciation and turned back to Wolf.
"Come on, up you go. We just need to go down the road." Tony put Wolf's arm around his neck and helped him off the ground. Wolf could barely walk. Tony ended up dragging him most of the way. The things he did for this guy, he thought to himself.
When they reached the barn, Wolf fell onto a bed of hay and stayed in his rolled up position. Tony watched, not sure quiet what to do with him. If only Virginia was there! She had been with him during almost all of his 'full moon time' and knew now what to expect. This was about as far as Tony's knowledge went.
"Can I get you anything?" Was all that Tony could think of to say.
Wolf didn't answer. He just rolled back and forth on the hay, clutching his sides in agony. After a few minutes, he finally began to slow down, and his face began to look calmer and is thoughts seemed more organized. It was strange, but it began to frighten Tony a little bit. Wolf stopped groaning and finally let go of his sides.
Tony stood motionless, unsure of how to handle him, trying to imagine what he was going to through to understand. Wolf just stayed, lying on his back in the hay, his eyes staring up at the beams on the top of the barn.
"Do you want anything?" Tony repeated, perhaps Wolf didn't hear him before. "Can I get you some food, water," he paused, "a rabbit?"
"No. I don't want anything." He was talking through clenched teeth and Tony could see a glint of yellow in his eyes from where he was standing. "Just leave me alone!"
Tony was startled. He took a deep breath and made his way for the exit, deciding to leave Wolf. He knew Wolf would probably stay there for a while, from what he could remember, he wasn't mobile again for a while after the cramps. He glanced back as he reached the door, and Wolf turned his head slowly and made eye contact with him.
"Make sure you get as far away from me as possible, Tony." His voice was strained, but it sounded like him, the normal Wolf. It was like he was fighting himself, and losing. His expression suddenly changed into a menacing glare and his eyes were laughing as if he enjoyed tormenting Tony. He continued with a deeper tone that was filled with a sense of warning, daring him to stay. He licked his lips and said, "You never know what I might do."
Tony was beginning to get worried. They had searched, what seemed the whole town, and there was still not a single trace of the crystal. The hope that they had gained from achieving the first crystal was slowing diminishing and wearing away. The people in the town were very friendly, but had no idea where something, such as a crystal, could possibly be found in their town. It was beginning to seem hopeless.
They briefly talked with the mayor, but there wasn't anything he said that helped them. They checked the library, a few bars, and even knocked on a few houses, only to lead them to another dead end. Tony was beginning to feel very doubtful, and Wolf wasn't helping at all.
Wolf was looking very bad, and it was only mid-afternoon. As they sat on a bench in the Town Square, Tony watched Wolf for a few minutes, trying to decide what was the best way to deal with him. He was perspiring and was frantically looking around every few seconds. These signs were not new to Tony; he remembered them well from the last moon.
As Wolf glanced at him, Tony caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were hollow and full of fear and anxiety. His skin was pale and his breathing was in short patterns. Tony gazed up at the sky, a few more hours, and then it would be dusk. Not too much time before Wolf would be totally unhelpful and out of control.
"Wolf?" Tony asked calmly, trying not to set him off into angry fit.
"What?" Wolf turned back to Tony and waited a moment for a reply, and then began to look around again.
"Where else to look is there left in this place?"
"I don't know. We've looked everywhere. Let's get something to eat!" When he said that, it was more of a demand than a comment. Tony obliged; it was hungry too, even if he knew he really shouldn't stop. Tony nodded, got up from the bench, and straightened out his clothes. By the time he was finished, Wolf was already half way to the restaurant.
By the time Tony caught up to him, Wolf was enjoying a large steak in the back of the restaurant. As he made his way over to the table, he motioned to him to slow down and stop creating a scene. Half the people were already staring at him, and whispering amongst themselves.
Tony sat down and watched, mesmerized by how fast he could actually eat and entire steak. He shook himself out of his stare and decided to create a conversation to keep his mind from straying back to his doubts about that evening. The last thing he wanted to do was become paranoid about him.
"I was thinking, maybe the mirror was wrong, maybe we're in the wrong town or something." Tony sighed and took a glance around and looked at his surroundings. This didn't seem right. Kissingtown had many more options more hidden places that the gem could be, this town was so small. "Or, ya know, maybe it's all a scam and the town's hiding it from us. They probably don't want to give it to us, or they probably stole it. Bunch on con artists, that's what they are!"
Wolf seemed to ignore Tony's bazaar accusations and continued to eat, not even acknowledging him by a quick eye contact. Wolf was tuned into only one thing, food. They sat there for a while as Wolf gobbled down more and more food. When he finally shoved his large plate of bones to the side, Tony knew the next problem they'd be facing with him. They left the restaurant and walked down the street, hoping some kind of object or anything would stick out. That's when it happened.
Wolf nearly collapsed in the street, clutching his side. His face was scrunched, an obvious sign of pain, and he was sweating even more. Tony tried helped Wolf from falling to the ground, but he was only successful in slowing down his tumble. Wolf hit the ground and curled into a ball, letting out a series of painful moans.
Tony quickly turned to a nearby spectator and asked him where the nearest barn was. There was no way Wolf would like to being put in an Inn, and a barn seemed to work the last time the moon came. Worst comes to worst, he thought, he could always tie him up in the barn as Virginia told him she had done before the competition. He thought over that again, he remembered that when he was caught, he had been out of the barn. How did he--- He stopped that thought, now wasn't the time. The young man pointed down the road to a large red barn. Tony nodded his appreciation and turned back to Wolf.
"Come on, up you go. We just need to go down the road." Tony put Wolf's arm around his neck and helped him off the ground. Wolf could barely walk. Tony ended up dragging him most of the way. The things he did for this guy, he thought to himself.
When they reached the barn, Wolf fell onto a bed of hay and stayed in his rolled up position. Tony watched, not sure quiet what to do with him. If only Virginia was there! She had been with him during almost all of his 'full moon time' and knew now what to expect. This was about as far as Tony's knowledge went.
"Can I get you anything?" Was all that Tony could think of to say.
Wolf didn't answer. He just rolled back and forth on the hay, clutching his sides in agony. After a few minutes, he finally began to slow down, and his face began to look calmer and is thoughts seemed more organized. It was strange, but it began to frighten Tony a little bit. Wolf stopped groaning and finally let go of his sides.
Tony stood motionless, unsure of how to handle him, trying to imagine what he was going to through to understand. Wolf just stayed, lying on his back in the hay, his eyes staring up at the beams on the top of the barn.
"Do you want anything?" Tony repeated, perhaps Wolf didn't hear him before. "Can I get you some food, water," he paused, "a rabbit?"
"No. I don't want anything." He was talking through clenched teeth and Tony could see a glint of yellow in his eyes from where he was standing. "Just leave me alone!"
Tony was startled. He took a deep breath and made his way for the exit, deciding to leave Wolf. He knew Wolf would probably stay there for a while, from what he could remember, he wasn't mobile again for a while after the cramps. He glanced back as he reached the door, and Wolf turned his head slowly and made eye contact with him.
"Make sure you get as far away from me as possible, Tony." His voice was strained, but it sounded like him, the normal Wolf. It was like he was fighting himself, and losing. His expression suddenly changed into a menacing glare and his eyes were laughing as if he enjoyed tormenting Tony. He continued with a deeper tone that was filled with a sense of warning, daring him to stay. He licked his lips and said, "You never know what I might do."