STAND BACK
CHAPTER Three-THE FIRST ATTACK
Clark heard a 'thud' coming from the guest bedroom where Elizabeth was staying.
He carefully pushed the covers off of him and got to his feet. He padded out into the hallway and stood in front of the door that led into the guest bedroom.
He knocked on the door.
"Elizabeth?" he called.
No reply.
He thought he heard a muffled growl or something.
"Elizabeth? Is everything okay?" he asked again.
Still no reply.
Suddenly, something huge and hairy broke through the door causing Clark to be thrown back against the wall.
The door was broken into two planks. Clark scooted back against the wall and stared at the thing that was sitting on its haunches watching him with jaundice eyes.
It was a black wolf. But one of the biggest wolves Clark had ever seen.
It had to weigh about 200 pounds and the paws looked like the size of human hands.
It just sat there, staring at him with those eyes. In the cast of the silver moonlight from the window behind the wolf, the eyes seemed to glow like gold coins. It just sat there watching him.
"Elizabeth?" Clark called again looking over the wolf to the room.
There was no sign of Elizabeth in the room.
"What's going on?" Mr. Kent's voice suddenly came from the other end of the hallway. "I heard a crash."
Mrs. Kent appeared beside her husband and then they froze when they spied the wolf.
"Clark…" Mrs. Kent began slowly.
"It's okay mom," Clark said. "It's not hurting me."
The wolf got to all fours and then took several steps closer to Clark. Mrs. Kent grabbed Mr. Kent's arm in fear as they kept their eyes on the wolf and Clark.
The wolf's face was right in front of Clark's.
Clark didn't move but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mr. Kent slowly reaching for a broken piece of door.
"Dad, no," Clark said.
The wolfs head snapped toward Mr. Kent.
It rolled up the top lip of its snout exposing white canines and incisors and let out a low warning growl.
Mr. Kent slowly dropped the piece of broken wood door and then the wolf turned and tore down the hallway, jumping cleanly out of the window at the end of it.
Glass showered the ground outside and the wolf took off galloping down the driveway.
About two miles down from the Kent residence, Mrs. Reynolds was lounging in her living room watching TV.
Her little white Scottish Terrier Willie was yapping at the door.
"What do you want?" Mrs. Reynolds asked irritably.
She was just getting into this romance novel and she hated to be bothered during it.
The dog continued to yap.
"What? You want out?" Mrs. Reynolds asked putting the book down.
She got up off the couch and opened the front door. The dog took off into the darkness.
There was a doggie door so he could get back in when he was finished doing business.
Mrs. Reynolds sat back on the couch and picked up her novel again and began reading it.
About a half an hour later, Willie still hadn't returned and she was getting worried now.
"Willie?" Mrs. Reynolds called as she closed the book and got to her feet.
The flap to the doggie door arose and the white terrier just came into the house before collapsing to its side.
Mrs. Reynolds dropped to her knees beside the door. Blood stained the collar of the dog. The dogs' neck had been broken. Something had dropped the dogs' body back in the house.
At that moment, something jumped through the living room window. Mrs. Reynolds screamed and leapt to her feet. The animal was huge and it was a wolf.
There are no wolves here in Smallville, she thought before the panic and terror set in.
The wolf shook its body sending small shards of glass all over like a dog shaking off water.
Then, it looked at her and pulled back the purple lips exposing white canines and incisors. It snarled at her. The ears were pinned out sideways. The jaundice eyes were locked on her.
She took off running up the stairs and she could hear the animal behind her.
She frantically tore down the hallway and ran into a closet. She closed the door behind her and locked it.
Outside, wind howled loudly and it began to rain. Thunder boomed and lightning lit up the house momentarily. She could hear the rain hammering against the glass. She heard the animal go by the door.
After a few moments, she slowly pressed her ear against the door to listen in case she heard the wolf.
3 seconds later, something thrust its head through the door and clamped its jaws around Mrs. Reynolds head.
Mrs. Reynolds scream was cut short as she felt the wolf's jaws clamp down harder on her skull and the pressure was instant. Blackness swallowed her up.
Elizabeth woke up in the morning. She realized that she was nude and in front of the Kent residence. She frantically looked around for something to cover herself with. If Clark or Mr. Kent found her, well that would be totally embarrassing. Plus she had no idea how she got outside and in this condition.
Luckily, Mrs. Kent was taking out the garbage and spied her.
"Elizabeth!" she cried as she rushed over to her.
Her red hair caught the sunlight.
Immediately, Mrs. Kent pulled off her sweater and pulled it tightly around Elizabeth as she led her back into the house.
Mrs. Kent got Elizabeth a nightgown and quickly pulled it on her. Mrs. Kent sat her down on the couch.
"Mom? Did…" Clark's voice floated downstairs and he appeared at the foot of the staircase.
"Elizabeth!" he cried as he came over to her and hugged her. "We were worried! What happened last night and why is there blood on your chin? Are you hurt?"
"Take it easy, Clark," Mrs. Kent said gently.
Clark sat down beside Elizabeth but kept his arm around her shoulder.
Mr. Kent appeared shortly.
"Elizabeth! Are you alright?" he demanded.
Elizabeth nodded. "I think so. How'd I get outside and without clothes?"
Clark felt the heat rising in his cheeks.
"You don't remember?" Mrs. Kent asked gently.
"No. The last thing I remember was staring out the window at the beautiful full moon," Elizabeth said shaking her head.
Clark gently touched Elizabeth's chin.
"You're wounded?" he asked wiping the blood off with the sleeve of his shirt.
"No. I don't know whose blood it is," Elizabeth said looking terrified. "Am I going nuts?"
Mr. Kent sighed and sat down across from them.
"I don't think so. I think you're as sane as anyone here," he replied.
"Then what's happening to me?" Elizabeth asked as tears formed.
"I have an idea," Mr. Kent replied.
Clark, Elizabeth and Mrs. Kent's eyes were glued to Mr. Kent.
"Have you heard of werewolves?" he began slowly.
"Werewolves?" Clark asked. "But they don't exist…right?"
"I'm afraid they do son," Mr. Kent said gravely. "And I have a feeling that beast that attacked her was the cause of it. The only thing is…who is the original werewolf?"
"Dad, I can't believe a werewolf is responsible for this," Clark said.
"Believe it," Mr. Kent said. "Because that's what's happening here. Isn't it odd that she was attacked by a wolf of some sort and then on a full moon something happens to her and she doesn't remember anything but the moon?"
Clark and Mrs. Kent exchanged glances.
"I think I might've killed someone," Elizabeth said as the tears began streaming down her cheeks. "If that wasn't my blood…then whose was it?"
They were silent.
"Listen. We won't tell anyone about this. Each full moon you're going to have to be chained in the barn," Mr. Kent said. "Right Clark? You won't tell Chloe or Lana or Pete?"
"Pete knows about the other situation," Clark said meaningfully. "I don't see why he wouldn't keep this."
"This is different, Clark," Mr. Kent said. "This is more dangerous."
Clark looked at Elizabeth. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me,"
Elizabeth smiled gratefully.
"What about my mom?" she asked fearfully.
"I'll call her and tell her you're staying with us," Mrs. Kent said. "Don't worry."
Elizabeth wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"How do I stop this?"
"We've got to find the original werewolf and kill it," Mr. Kent replied.
"What about silver?" Clark asked.
"That is a myth. Silver might not work all the time," Mr. Kent said. "We need the meteor rocks."
Clark looked at his father puzzled.
"It will destroy the wolf. Elizabeth, I'm afraid I'm going to have to use you as a guinea pig for a moment," Mr. Kent said.
Elizabeth looked at him bewildered as he got up and left the living room. He returned shortly with a small old antique box. He opened it. Inside it were small glowing green rocks.
Suddenly, Elizabeth's body went limp and she slumped into Mrs. Kent in pain. Like Clark when he gets near the rocks, her veins seemed to glow green and grow bigger as if they would explode. Clark too slid off the couch. Immediately, Mr. Kent snapped the box shut.
"Clark? Are you okay? Sorry son," Mr. Kent said apologetically as he helped Clark back on the couch.
"It's okay Dad," Clark replied.
"Elizabeth? Are you alright?" Mr. Kent asked as he placed the box on the table.
"Yeah. What are those? I felt like my whole body was going to explode," she asked and then looked at Clark. "And how come it affected him too?"
The Kents looked at each other. They hesitated.
Clark was the first one to speak.
"We kind of owe it to her," Clark replied. "After all, we know her secret. She should at least be told ours."
Mr. Kent and Mrs. Kent exchanged looks.
"I trust her," Clark continued. "Like I trust Pete."
"I don't know…" Mr. Kent said biting his bottom lip.
"Mr. Kent," Elizabeth said slowly. "I can tell you are good people…Clark especially. I trust you with this horrible thing I'm cursed with. I can guarantee that I know what it is like to have secret. Why would I tell anyone about a secret that you are carrying?"
Clark looked at his father. Mrs. Kent smiled.
"I think we can trust her," Mrs. Kent said softly. "She's right. What would she gain if she told anyone about Clark? She might risk telling about her own secret."
Mr. Kent sighed. "Fine,"
Clark looked at Elizabeth.
"Those were meteor rocks from the shower that fell several years ago," Clark began. "They are made of something that makes me sick because I have special powers."
"Powers?" Elizabeth asked tilting her head.
Clark knew he was going to have to show her.
He got up and went into the kitchen. He came back with a long steak knife.
He sat back down beside Elizabeth and pressed the tip of the knife blade into his palm.
Elizabeth looked terrified at first, but when the blade bent back leaving no mark whatsoever on Clark's palm, the terror turned to amazement.
Elizabeth took Clark's palm and held it in her own. The skin was smooth. No scratch or anything.
"How did you do that?" she asked.
"It's one of my powers," Clark said as he looked at a piece of paper sitting on the coffee table.
It burst into flames. Mr. Kent jumped up and tossed the flaming paper into the sink and turned water on it.
"I can also start fire with my eyes, see through buildings and I'm learning to fly," Clark replied. "Oh. And I can run faster than a bullet."
Elizabeth's eyes were wide. "Am I the only person you told?"
"No. Clark's best friend Pete also knows," Mr. Kent said.
Clark studied Elizabeth.
"Are you okay with this information?" Mrs. Kent asked gently.
"Yeah. I'm just grateful that no one will find out what I am," Elizabeth said. "I appreciate everything…but what about my mom? I can't go home. Suppose I change and hurt her or…"
"We'll let her know that you're best friends with Chloe and you're going to be staying with her for a while until we can figure out who the original wolf is," Mr. Kent said. "But it is best if you stay here with us. You could be chained in the barn."
Elizabeth nodded. "I just couldn't live with myself if I found out that I killed my own mother,"
At the thought, Elizabeth swallowed and felt a faint glimmer of tears forming.
Clark put his arm around her.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine,"
Elizabeth smiled and gently slumped against Clark.
Suddenly, realization formed on her face.
"What is it?" Mrs. Kent asked leaning forward.
"The wolf…when it attacked me…it was on fire. That was you wasn't it?" Elizabeth asked turning to Clark.
Clark nodded.
Suddenly, Elizabeth threw her arms around him.
"If it weren't for you, I might be dead right now," she said hugging him tightly.
Clark smiled and hugged her back tightly.
Elizabeth felt really close to Clark. Not because he saved her life, but there was something else…more like an understanding between them. He had a secret of his own and Elizabeth now had a secret of her own.
When they pulled apart, Elizabeth was slightly flustered.
"I'm sorry. I'm just so grateful,"
"Don't apologize," Mr. Kent said smiling. "You're sort of part of the Kent family of odd balls."
Everyone laughed good-naturedly.
Mrs. Kent called Elizabeth's mother and told her. Liz's mom sounded so happy that Elizabeth made friends and it was perfectly fine that Elizabeth wanted to stay with Chloe.
Of course, Mrs. Kent called Chloe and told her that Elizabeth was staying with them and if Liz's mom called to let them know.
Chloe was a bit suspicious at first but when Mrs. Kent assured her that nothing was going to happen between Liz and Clark, Chloe calmed down.
"She really loves you huh?" Elizabeth asked softly.
Clark smiled. "Yeah,"
Elizabeth smiled back hoping that she could have what Clark and Chloe had with Lex.
The next day at school, everyone was talking about some accident.
Clark and Elizabeth entered school and met up with Chloe, Pete and Lana by the lockers.
"What's going on? What's the buzz?" Clark asked giving Chloe a quick squeeze.
"Didn't you hear?" Pete asked.
"Hear what?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
"Mrs. Reynolds was killed," Lana said seriously turning to Clark and Elizabeth.
"How?"
"Her head was crushed by something. They found two puncture wounds on either side of her head as if some kind of animal crushed her skull,"