CAN'T FIGHT THE MOONLIGHT

PART TWO: SEVERAL MONTHS LATER

CHAPTER ELEVEN-PHIL'S MISSING

It's been several months since Gabrielle left. Keely and I stood at my locker. I absentmindedly poured myself some fruit punch.

"Phil," Keely said gently. "Are you still upset about Gabrielle?"

"Yes," I muttered. "I miss her alright?"

"I know," Keely said sympathetically. "But she did what she had to do, Phil. It was the right thing. She didn't belong here."

"Just like I don't belong here right?" I snapped.

Keely's blue eyes filled with tears.

Immediately, guilt flooded over me.

"I'm sorry," I apologized quietly. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

I leaned close and put my face close to hers.

"Accept my apology?" I asked in a soft, gentle voice.

Keely nodded and smiled as a single tear slid down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.

She inhaled and a big smile came over her face.

"Say," I said brightly. "Why don't you come over my house today? We can go for a ride on the Skyak?"

Keely nodded eagerly.

"Sure," she said happily.

I grinned.

We headed to the rest of our classes.

After school, Keely came over. I got the Skyak ready in the backyard.

Mom and Dad just told me to be home by 5 for dinner. Oddly, Pim's 'plan' to dominate the world seemed to be on the backburner now. She's completely different now…she's more caring and compassionate, but she still has that 'evil' streak in her. I had to admit, it was a nice change. I really wondered if the bout with the werewolves didn't trigger this change in her. It probably did.

Keely climbed onto the Skyak behind me and wrapped her arms around my midsection.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Ready," she said adjusting her helmet.

I hit the buttons and the Skyak began ascending into the sky.

We flew around for a bit, and then Keely tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey Phil? Look down there," Keely said gesturing to a section of wooded area below us.

I glanced down.

There were a bunch of people that seemed to be in a fight or something.

Panic settled in and I ended up losing control of the Skyak.

"Hang on!" I cried as the Skyak zoomed all over the place and finally, we crashed into the wooded area a mile from where those people were.

I landed on my back.

I moaned and sat up. I unbuckled my helmet and looked around.

The Skyak was smoking as it lay buried in a rock. Keely was lying on her stomach not moving.

"Keel?" I demanded as I scurried over to her.

I reached her and gently turned her over.

"Phil? What happened?" Keely asked as she too sat up and took off her helmet.

"We crashed. Are you alright?" I demanded anxiously.

"Yes," Keely said as I helped her get to her feet and she dusted herself off. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said.

Keely stood close by me and looked around.

"Where are we?" she asked as I picked up a bit of fear in her tone.

"I'm not sure," I said.

We stayed close to the Skyak.

"I'm a bit scared," Keely admitted. "I've never been this far before."

"Don't worry," I said. "I won't let anything happen to you."

I put my arm around Keely's shoulder and gave her a tight squeeze.

Suddenly, Keely fell forward unconscious for some reason.

"Keely!" I cried rushing to her side.

At that moment, I felt something heavy connect with my head as well. I fell to my side with my head resting on Keely's stomach. Blackness swallowed me up.

KEELY.

I moaned. It felt like someone put a hammer to my head.

I slowly pulled myself into a kneeling position. I rubbed the back of my head where something heavy had been connected with.

"Phil?" I asked looking around.

Phil was no where to be seen.

"Phil?" I demanded more shrilly.

There was no sign of him at all.

I jumped to my feet.

"PHIL! PHIL! WHERE ARE YOU?" I called anxiously.

No reply.

I was terrified. I hugged myself and began sobbing quietly.

Just then, there was a rustling in the bushes.

I froze.

A huge white wolf appeared with these amazing blue eyes.

I wasn't sure if it was a Tyrix or a Landrol.

"Nice wolf," I said in a shaky voice.

The wolf kept walking toward me, a steady walk. Those blue eyes were locked on me the whole time.

I kept backing up and ended up tripping over a piece of the broken Skyak. I fell backward and ended up hitting my head on a small rock. Blackness swallowed me up.

"I think she's coming around," a voice said.

"Poor Keely," another girl's voice said.

I moaned and opened my eyes. I was lying on my back on the couch in the Diffy's living room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Diffy?" I asked. "What happened?"

"We want to ask you the same thing," Mrs. Diffy replied. She had worry etched in her facial expression. "We picked up the Skyak's signal about 2 miles from Pickford in Danelford. That's a rural wooded area. One of the Landrols found you and brought you back here. She recognized you from Gabrielle."

She gestured to a girl about my age with shoulder length dark brown hair and brown eyes.

"I'm Lisa," the girl introduced.

"Hi," I said uncertainly. "I thought all Landrols left Pickford?"

"I stayed behind. They wanted one of us to keep an eye on a Phil Diffy and his family and friends," Lisa replied.

Bless you Gabrielle! I thought relieved.

"Where's Phil?" I demanded.

"We thought for sure he'd be with you," Mr. Diffy said looking nervous.

"No," I said scared. "I was hit in the head with something heavy and I don't remember….I think Phil was hit too."

"Who could've done this?" Mrs. Diffy asked nervously looking to Lisa.

"The Tyrix's," she replied bitterly. "They're still sore after the loss of the war several months ago."

"Would they really hurt an innocent person?" Mrs. Diffy asked looking alarmed.

Lisa looked at us.

"They might," she said slowly. "I'm thinking it would be best to call in Gabrielle and the rest of the pack for this."

"I hope Phil will be alright," I said nervously as tears formed in my eyes.

"I'm sure he will be," Lisa said firmly. "The Tyrix's won't harm him unless their demands aren't met."

At that moment, Pim and Curtis came into the room.

"Where's Phil?" Pim asked looking around.

"We don't know," Mr. Diffy explained. "We think he was kidnapped by the Tyrix's."

"I thought that was over with?" Pim asked looking pale.

"Apparently they're sore over the loss of the war," I explained.

"They'd better no hurt Phil," Pim said angrily.

"Curtis shave wolves," Curtis said angrily. "If wolves hurt Phil."

I felt my lip twitch.

"Same here, Curtis," I agreed nodding.

Curtis nodded fiercely.

"How are you going to contact Gabrielle and the rest of the pack? Where are they?" Mr. Diffy asked.

"Los Angeles," Lisa replied. "I have my ways."

She gave us an eerie smile and headed outside. Once outside, she let out the loudest, most piercing howl we've ever heard.

"That's going to reach LA?" Pim asked awed.

"Wolves have a very distinct way of communicating," I said as a matter-of-factly. "You'd be surprised."

They looked at me.

"What? I read about wolves last week," I said looking defensive.

"Good thinking, Keel," Mrs. Diffy said winking at me.

I grinned.

Lisa came back in after a few minutes of howling.

"That should get them," she said pleased. "I should be hearing a reply back in…five…four…three…two…one."

Sure enough, several wolf howls could be heard in the distance.

"They're coming," Lisa said grinning.

"We're still not sure how that howl could reach all the way to LA," Pim said confused.

"Werewolf howls are different than regular wolf howls," Lisa explained. "They reach farther and longer distances than normal wolves. Tis how we keep in contact with members of our own species in different areas of the state."

We nodded.

That cleared a lot up.

We patiently waited for Gabrielle and the rest of the pack to arrive back in Pickford.

Shortly, around 5:00, the doorbell rang.

Pim and Curtis' expression brightened.

Mr. Diffy answered the doorbell. There standing with 5 other pack members, was Gabrielle. She looked amazing.

"Hi!" she squealed as she rushed into the house and threw her arms around me, Pim, Curtis and Mr. and Mrs. Diffy.

"Hey!" I said happily. "How are you?"

"I'm good!" Gabrielle beamed happily.

"Come on in," Mrs. Diffy said to the other pack members.

They stepped in and we all sat down on the couch.

"So what exactly happened?" Gabrielle demanded looking at me.

I launched into the whole story.

When I was done, she looked upset.

"I can't imagine why the Tyrix's would want Phil," she said slowly. "The war is over. They lost."

"Probably because they're sore?" Lisa offered.

"That could be," Gabrielle said thoughtfully. "But still, why take Phil and not Keely?"

"Hey," I said looking outraged.

"No," Gabrielle said softly as her lip twitched. "I'm just speaking theoretically."

"Oh," I said.

"What's so special about Phil?" Gabrielle mused.

"He's from the future?" I guessed.

Everyone looked at me.

"What'd I do now?" I demanded.

"That could very well be it!" Gabrielle said excitedly jumping to her feet.

"But how? Your pack is the only ones that know right?" Mrs. Diffy asked looking alarmed again.

"Yeah," Gabrielle said. "But for some reason, maybe one of my pack members leaked that information out."

She eyed the members that were with her.

They all shook their heads.

"No, Miss," a guy in his 30s said. "Tis not one of us."

They all nodded.

"Someone had to," Gabrielle said. "If that is the reason why they took Phil."

"Why else would they? He's just a normal boy," Mr. Diffy asked.

"Other than him being from the future, I don't see any other reason," Gabrielle said gravely. "This means, I'm going to have to contact the other pack members and see."

We all looked at each other again.

"Okay," Gabrielle said finally. "Keely? Can you show me exactly where the Skyak crashed?"

I nodded.

"Good," Gabrielle said. "Let's go."

Mrs. Diffy drove us the mile and we got out of the car.

I took Gabrielle and the other pack members to the spot where the Skyak was still lying crashed and burned.

"Around here?" Gabrielle asked carefully scanning the ground.

I nodded.

They carefully searched the area and occasionally sniffed at the air.

"Yeah," Gabrielle said at last. "Phil was here definitely. He was taken for sure by a Tyrix."

"But where?" one of the female pack members asked.

"Not sure," Gabrielle said. "His scent dies down in that direction."

Gabrielle turned to me.

"Listen, we're going to have to go into the woods to find Phil," she said. "Why don't you stay with Mrs. Diffy here at the car? Tis a lot safer."

I nodded.

I headed back to where Mrs. Diffy was standing by the SUV. Gabrielle and the rest of her pack took off toward the wooded area.

"Where are they going?" Mrs. Diffy asked me.

"To find Phil," I replied. "They picked up his scent in the woods and it goes off in that direction."

"I hope he's okay," she said worriedly.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," I said reassuringly.

But for some reason, I had a nagging feeling in my stomach that something wasn't okay. I hoped I was wrong though naturally. I love Phil and hated to see anything happen to him.

We could see Gabrielle and the others disappearing into the woods.

I nervously began pacing around, twirling my hair around my finger.

I had really hoped Phil would be okay and they would find him in one piece.