A/N: Well, this one took a while to write. Mainly because I had a few difficulties finding time to write. I apologize for the extremely late update. I meant to update this story a whole week ago, but…stuff happens. Anyway, I put up a poll asking which story I should focus my time on. Please vote on it, it is a blind poll, so only I will see the results until I close it on June 30th. In the meantime, I will be writing this story until I close the poll.
Anyway, I won't bore you with this Author's Note any longer, so that's all.
Please Review! I'd like as much criticism as possible, especially on the human characters. I wanna make sure I'm writing them as close as possible to their actual character, but I happen to keep forgetting their history. (Oops, Lol.)
Chapter 2
Voices
Sawtooth National Park, Present time
Stinky and Claudette were standing at the top of the hill, staring down towards the direction Runt had disappeared in. "Uhh…" Stinky muttered, "…sh-should we go after him?"
"You want to get in trouble with Mom and Dad?" Claudette asked, "We're going, end of story."
Claudette started making her way down the hill, then Stinky sighed in annoyance at his sister and reluctantly followed her.
Mike held Runt in his arms, while they stared at each other with shocked expressions. "Puppy!" Maggie exclaimed, "Can we keep it, Mommy?"
Runt quickly looked over towards Maggie with a scared expression, then jumped out of Mike's arms and ran into a hollow under a tree. Maggie laid down outside the hole with a warm smile, "It's okay, puppy." She said, "We're not going to hurt you."
Runt cautiously poked his muzzle out of the hole, "There you go." Maggie said.
"We should get out of here." Mike said, "His mother could be nearby."
"How do you know it's a he?" Beverly asked, "It could be a she, you know."
Mike frowned in disgust, "His, uhh…" He muttered, "…you know what, was rubbing against me."
Ben burst out laughing and Runt scampered back inside from fright, then Beverly smacked him upside the head. She made a motion to be quiet, "Sorry." Ben muttered, then whispered with a smile, "…but that was hilarious."
"Also, Mike…" Beverly said, "…he fell from the sky. I don't think his mother is anywhere near here. He could've been taken by a hawk or something, then it dropped him."
"Well, I'm not sticking around to find out." Mike replied, then turned around to go back the way they came, but stopped, "On second thought, it's best that we stick together."
Maggie pulled out a small piece of beef jerky and held it just inside the hole, "Come on out, puppy." She said, "I won't hurt you."
Runt stuck his muzzle out and sniffed the jerky, then snatched it out of her hand and scarfed it down. He stuck his whole head out once he was finished, and sniffed Maggie's fingers before licking them clean. She giggled, as she felt his tongue cover every inch of her fingers, then gently brought her other hand behind Runt's ears. His mouth opened and his tongue fell out, as he became lost in the pleasure he was receiving from the little girl. Maggie stopped scratching behind his ears and Runt looked at her in confusion as to why she stopped, then she backed up a few feet from the hole.
"It's alright." Maggie said, "Come on out."
Runt started retreating back into the hollow, but stopped when Maggie pulled out another piece of beef jerky. His nose twitched at the smell of the marinated meat, then he slowly approached her as if he was in a trance. He sniffed the meat in her hands, then started to bite it to grab it. Maggie held the piece in one hand, while she brought her other hand behind his head and started scratching him behind the ears again.
"Good puppy." Maggie said, as Runt laid down on his side, while she moved her hand down and rubbed his belly.
This is quite nice. Runt thought to himself.
Stinky and Claudette searched around the bottom of the hill, where Runt supposedly should've been. "He's not here, Claudette." Stinky said, "…and while I want to find him as much as you do, it's hopeless for just the two of us. We should head back to the pack and get Mom and Dad's help."
"Yeah, then we'll be grounded for the rest of our lives." Claudette replied, "Now, I don't know about you, but I don't want that, or…"
"Or…what?" Stinky asked.
"Uhh, nothing." Claudette said, "Let's just keep looking."
"Unh uh." Stinky replied, "What is it?"
"Nothing!" Claudette exclaimed, "Fenrir, can't you just leave me alone for once?"
Stinky eyeballed his sister, as she peered over a bush, "You miss Fleet, don't you?" Stinky asked, then she inhaled sharply.
"Umm…I-I, uhh…" Claudette stammered, as she turned back towards him, "I-I don't know…what you are talking about."
Stinky smirked, "Oh, come on, sis." He said, "Ever since you met him during the Great Wolf Games, you've been trying to sneak away to him every chance you could get. In fact, if we were older and able to take care of ourselves, I'd bet you'd try to sneak out at night to be with your precious boyfriend."
Claudette laid her ears back, as she lowered her head, then he sighed, "Look." He said, getting her attention, "I have no idea what you're feeling now…because I don't have a girlfriend."
"Well, he's not my boyfriend." Claudette replied.
"Riiight." Stinky said, sarcastically, "…and trees don't have leaves."
"In the winter, they don't." Claudette pointed out.
Stinky scoffed, then chuckled, "Okay." He said, "You got me there, but I don't believe for a second that you don't have a crush on Fleet."
"Can we just look for Runt?" Claudette asked.
"You still haven't told me why you don't want to be grounded." Stinky said, then shook his head, "Well, other than the obvious punishment."
Claudette nervously shuffled her feet and Stinky's face lit up with understanding, "Ohh, I get it." He said, "You were going to try and head back."
"That's impossible." Claudette replied, "I don't know how to fend for myself out there with lone wolves. I'll never make it."
"True." Stinky muttered, "Then…maybe you snuck him here with us."
"Can we just stop this gabbing and continue searching for Runt?" Claudette asked, annoyed, "For all we know, he could be in danger."
Runt had his tongue hanging out with a pleasured expression on his face, as Maggie gave him a belly rub. The adults were standing a few feet away, discussing what to do…
"We can't take him with us, it's against the law." Ben said, firmly.
"Yeah, but look at our daughter." Beverly replied, as she watched Maggie play with Runt's ears, while he licked her face.
"Maggie, sweetie, don't let him lick your face." Beverly said, "We don't know where he's been."
Maggie giggled, then gently pushed Runt away from her, "Stop it, puppy." She said.
"His mother could be anywhere around here." Mike said, "We should leave before she gets here. Mother wolves will do practically anything to get their pups, even take on a fully grown bear if they have to."
"Maggie!" Beverly called, "We're heading back now."
"Can we take the puppy with us?" Maggie asked.
"No, sweetie." Beverly answered, "He has to stay here."
"Aww…" Maggie whined, "Does he have to?"
"Yes, he does." Beverly said, "Now, let's go."
"Okay…" Maggie replied, reluctantly, then petted Runt on the head, "Bye-bye, puppy."
"Do you have any more of that delicious meat?" Runt asked, but the adults only heard a small yip and whine, while Maggie pulled out more beef jerky with a smile and set it down in front of Runt. She stood up and took her mother's hand, then they followed Mike in the direction they came from, while Runt watched them leave with a wistful expression. Runt watched the humans disappear around a bend in the trail, then he looked around before retreating back into the hollow under the nearby tree to eat his jerky.
Kate and Humphrey had gone off searching for their pups, but couldn't find them anywhere. In the mad rush to get the new dens dug, hunt breakfast, and mark the territory, the pups' scents were obscured by the dozens of others spread around the territory, so they couldn't track them. The two parents managed to pick up the faint scent of Stinky after many hours of carefully searching. It led them out of the territory until they came to the top of a hill with noticeable marks on the side, indicating a log-sled had gone down.
Kate sighed, "You don't think they did what I think they did, do you?" She asked her mate.
Humphrey nodded, "Possibly." He answered, then they started heading down the hill to find their pups.
As they walked, Kate couldn't help but examine her mate's physique, or lack thereof, which she didn't care about. She loved him for who he was, not what he could or couldn't do. Humphrey noticed his mate was staring at him with interest and nudged her, snapping her out of her trance.
"What?" She asked.
"You're staring at me." Humphrey said, "Normally I wouldn't mind, but you're acting a little strange."
"Oh." Kate replied, "I'm just formulating my plan to keep Mom away from Lilly this year."
"Don't you already have a plan?" Humphrey asked, confused.
"I do." Kate answered, reassuringly, "I'm just making sure that there's nothing that could go wrong."
Humphrey chuckled, "Alright." He replied, "What's your plan?"
"Umm…" Kate muttered, "You'll find out in time."
Humphrey didn't feel comfortable with that answer, but he trusted his mate, so he just shrugged it off. They eventually reached the bottom of the hill and found Stinky and Claudette's scents all over the place, as if they were searching for something…or someone.
"You know, I don't mind them going off to have fun on their own…" Kate said, "…I just wish they would tell us where they're going, so we know where they are."
"Yeah…" Humphrey muttered, as he looked behind a bush, "…where do you think Runt is?"
"What do you mean?" Kate asked.
"I mean, we found Stinky and Claudette's scents, but where's Runt's?" Humphrey asked.
Kate sniffed around, trying to locate their youngest son's scent, but found nothing, "Huh…" She muttered, "You're right. Where is he?"
"Well, wherever he is…" Humphrey said, "…we better find him soon, it's getting dark."
"I'll howl." Kate said, "Maybe they'll hear it."
Kate raised her muzzle in the air and let out a loud howl that echoed throughout the territory.
Ben and Beverly, along with their daughter, were walking along the trail back to their campsite, when they heard the howl of a wolf. They stopped walking and listened to determine how far away it was. Mike stopped walking as well, as he listened to the she-wolf's howl.
"I wonder what it wants." Beverly said, after the howl ended, "Looking for a mate, maybe?"
"Could be signalling it's pack mates of a fresh kill." Ben suggested.
"It's a mother she-wolf." Mike corrected, "She's looking for her pups."
"She must be the mother of that pup we found." Beverly said, "I hope she finds him."
"Wait, how did you know that?" Ben asked.
"It's a bit of a long story." Mike said, "Now, let's get moving. I don't want to be out here after dark. I'm sure Bill and the others have cooked dinner by now."
The three adults continued walking, but soon realized that a certain three year old girl wasn't with them. "Where's Maggie?" Beverly asked.
They spotted her a few yards behind them, kneeling down and looking into the trees at something, "Oh, there you are, sweetie." Beverly said, "Come on, let's go. Dinner should be ready by the time we get back."
"Okay, Mommy." Maggie replied, as she went up to her parents, then took their hands and followed them back to the campsite. Little did they know, a young gray pup with blue eyes was following the little girl, hoping for more of that delicious meat.
Kate stopped her howl and listened for an answer, but one didn't come and Kate grew worried. "Where can they be?" She asked, "They always stay close enough to hear us howl."
"Stinky, I'd guess is chasing a female and doesn't want to be bothered." Humphrey said, "Claudette…I don't know. You know her better than I do."
Kate raised her eyebrow at Humphrey, hinting at something, and he groaned in disgust, "Ugh, why would you think that, Kate?" He asked, "If I think it's disgusting, it's disgusting."
Stinky and Claudette suddenly ran out of some bushes nearby and skidded to a stop in front of their parents. "There you two are." Kate said, "Where's Runt?"
"Uhh…" Stinky stammered, "You tell 'em, sis."
He backed up behind Claudette, while she scoffed, "Some future Pack Leader you're turning out to be." She muttered.
"Well?" Humphrey asked, "Where's your brother?"
"He's, uhh…" Claudette stammered, then growled at her brother, "You're the future Pack Leader, you tell them!"
"I don't care who tells me, as long as someone does!" Kate snapped, then calmed down, "Where's Runt?"
"Mmm…" Bill muttered, as he stepped out of the RV to find Richie cooking something over a fire, "Something smells good."
"Well, I hope it tastes as good as it smells." Richie said, as he sprinkled some parsley into the contents in the pot, "This is a little out of my comfort zone."
Bill chuckled, "Well, what are you making?" He asked.
"Spaghetti and meatballs." Richie answered, "It's about the only thing I know how to make."
"Hey, you two!" Beverly greeted, as she and Ben emerged from the forest with Maggie between them, Mike followed after them. Beverly took a whiff of the aromas coming from the pot over the fire and smiled, "Something smells good. Whatcha cooking?" She asked.
"Hopefully, dinner." Richie answered, as he took the pot off the fire and set it down on a nearby stone beside the pasta he had cooked a few minutes prior.
"Alright, dinner's ready." Richie said, "Come and get it!"
"We're right here, Rich." Bill said, "No need to shout."
Richie chuckled, "Just getting your attention." He replied, then Ben came by with six plates and they dished out.
"You know, this smells really good, Rich." Beverly said, "You seem to be a good cook."
Richie scoffed, "Don't judge it until you've tried it, Bev." He replied, then they dug in. A few minutes into eating, they heard a small whimper nearby.
"What was that?" Bill asked with a spaghetti noodle hanging off his mouth. They looked around, but didn't see anything, until Maggie squealed in delight.
"Puppy!" She exclaimed, then the adults turned to where she was looking to see a small gray pup hesitantly emerge from the bushes.
"Well, what do you know?" Mike muttered, sarcastically, "He followed us."
"Well, now what do we do?" Ben asked.
"Wait, I'm confused." Richie said, "What's going on here?"
"We came across that pup, while we were exploring the trail." Beverly answered, "Maggie…may have given him some of her beef jerky."
Bill chuckled, "Well, it seems she has made a new friend." He said, as he gestured over to the pup, who was licking Maggie's face again in excitement.
Beverly sighed, "Maggie, sweetie, I've already told you not to let him-" She said, but suddenly stopped when a golden-tan she-wolf jumped out of the bushes, growling at Maggie.
"Maggie!" Beverly screamed, then took a step forward, but the she-wolf growled at her as a warning. The she-wolf turned back to Maggie with a snarl, who was scared stiff, but the pup yipped at his mother and she calmed down slightly.
"Isn't there something we can do?!" Beverly panicked.
"She won't hurt your daughter." Mike said, "She only wants her pup."
Maggie held the pup close to her, as the she-wolf approached her. The pup started licking the underside of Maggie's chin and she giggled, making her loosen her grip on him. He jumped out of her lap and ran up to his mother, who lightly growled at him in a motherly manner. Beverly watched the mother and her pup, then she looked up into Beverly's eyes and stared. The she-wolf turned towards Maggie and sniffed her hair, before turning back towards Beverly. She then nudged her pup with her muzzle and the two of them headed into the trees.
"Bye-bye." Maggie called after them, as she waved goodbye, then they disappeared. Beverly ran up to her daughter and picked her up with a relieved sigh.
"Don't do that again, missy." She scolded her daughter.
"Sorry, mommy." She mumbled.
Beverly smiled, "It's alright, sweetie." She said, "You're safe. That's what matters."
Runt followed his mother back towards the pack with his tail between his legs. Kate was furious that Runt had followed humans to their campsite just for a little snack, but she was also relieved that he was safe.
"I'm sorry, Mom." Runt muttered, as they approached the newly dug Alpha Den, where his father and siblings were waiting for them.
Kate sighed, "It's fine, dear." She said, as she nudged Runt's side with her muzzle, "Now, let's get inside. There's a whole caribou leg inside, just for you."
"Really?" Runt asked, excitedly, wagging his tail.
Kate nodded, "I'm sure your father won't mind giving up his leg piece to his son, who stood his ground against five deadly hunters." She said with a smile.
Runt looked up at his mother with a confused expression, "…but they didn't look like hunters." He pointed out.
Kate chuckled, then leaned close to his ear, "Yeah, but your siblings don't know that." She whispered, then held her claws up for Runt to see, "…and your father will believe anything I say with a little…persuasion."
Runt chuckled at his mother's mischievous side, then ran into the den, while Kate followed after him with a smile.
That night, everyone was sleeping either in the RV or in the tent they set up. Ben and Beverly, with their daughter, got the RV, along with Bill, while Mike and Richie were outside in the tent. While the family of three were fast asleep in the bedroom, Bill was sitting by a side table with a lamp and a glass of scotch. There was a photo of him and Georgie from thirty-two years ago, before he was killed by Pennywise the Dancing Clown, one of It's many forms.
Bill sighed, as he stared at himself and his younger brother in the photo, "You know, Georgie…" He said, "…today, there was a wolf pup that came by our campsite, while we were having dinner…"
"…his mother came by shortly after, while he was in Maggie's lap." He continued, then chuckled.
"I don't think I've ever seen Beverly that scared since…" He started, then trailed off when the memory of It terrorizing them all those years ago came back.
Bill sighed, "I think it's time to go to bed, Georgie." He said, solemnly, then finished his scotch and placed the glass back on the table, "I'm very sorry."
He turned out the light, then got up and went over to the bed that was pulled out of the couch. Within minutes, he had fallen asleep.
Bill woke up the next morning and climbed out of the pull-out bed, expecting to find Ben and Beverly already awake. He knocked on the door to get their attention, but there was no answer. Hesitantly opening the door, Bill took a peek inside and found the small room was empty. Confused, Bill turned around, then came face to face with Pennywise and he stumbled backwards in fright, falling to the ground.
"Hello, Billy." Pennywise said, then frowned, "You haven't forgotten about me, have you?"
Bill realized he was holding his breath and he let it out, "Y-Y-You're dead." He stuttered, then shook his head, "Th-Th-There's no w-way that you're h-here."
Pennywise chuckled in a high-pitched voice, "Oh, but I'm always here, Billy." He replied, "I feed off of your fear."
"No." Bill said, firmly, "We killed you."
Pennywise gave him his wicked smile and retreated into the darkness, then Bill let out a sigh of relief.
"Billy." Georgie's voice called. Bill turned around and saw his younger brother standing in the small bedroom. His right forearm missing with the chewed off end covered in blood, staining his yellow raincoat.
"You lied and I died." Georgie accused.
"No!" Bill shouted, "This isn't real! He's dead! Just like you are!"
Georgie chuckled in Pennywise's voice, as he opened his mouth, revealing thousands of sharp teeth. He suddenly launched himself towards Bill with his maw outstretched. Bill grunted, as he slammed the door shut, then It's teeth poked through the door.
"This isn't real enough for you, Billy?" Pennywise asked, then Bill quickly turned around to see It standing a few feet away in the room. It was holding the right forearm of a child, as blood dripped onto the floor from the dismembered limb, while It's face and chest was soaked red with blood.
"I'm not real enough for you?" Pennywise asked, then gestured to the forearm in It's hand, "It was real enough for Georgie."
Bill gasped in shock, as Pennywise laughed, then he turned around and opened the bedroom door. Only for the Georgie clone inside to jump out at him with It's maw wide open.
Bill gasped, then shot awake with heart beating a mile a minute and sweat pouring off of his brow. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then looked outside to see it was still dark.
"That's the last time I have scotch before bed." Bill muttered, once he calmed himself down.
Oh, it wasn't the scotch. A voice echoed.
"Who's there?" Bill asked, "Show yourself!"
The voice chuckled, You'll see me in time. It said, Uhh…Billy? Was it?
Bill grew a nervous expression, "Who are you?" He asked. A huge form of Pennywise suddenly jumped out of the darkness and landed on the bed, hovering over Bill.
"It's me, Billy." He said.
Bill scoffed, "Like I told you before…you're dead!" He shouted, then punched It in the forehead, but It didn't even flinch.
"Don't like this form, do you?" It asked, "No matter."
Pennywise retreated back into the darkness, then Bill heard a low growl nearby and a pair of glowing red eyes appeared. He gasped in shock, when a huge black wolf jumped out of the shadows and pinned him to the bed. It's fangs inches above his face, dripping with drool.
"How about this form?" It growled in a deep voice.
"Bill?" Beverly's voice asked, then a light was turned on and It suddenly disappeared, leaving no sign of its presence. Even It's drool that fell onto Bill's face had disappeared.
Bill looked over to see Beverly standing in the doorway, "Oh, Bev." He said with a relieved sigh, "It's you."
"Are you alright?" Beverly asked, as she approached him, "I heard you shouting."
Bill nodded, then sat up, "I'm fine." He answered, "Just a…nightmare."
"Want to talk about it?" Beverly asked, then she sat down beside him, after he had swung his feet around to sit on the edge of the bed.
Bill chuckled, "Uhh…no, not really." He said, "It was…nothing."
"Oh." She replied, "Are you sure?"
Bill nodded, "Okay." Beverly said, then they sat there in silence for a few minutes.
"Well…" Bill said, breaking the silence, "Are you hungry?"
"It's only four in the morning, Bill." Beverly pointed out.
"Oh, yeah." Bill replied, mentally smacking himself in the head, "That's right."
"Are you sure you're alright?" Beverly asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Bill answered, "Never been better."
"Well, alright." Beverly replied, then yawned, "I'm gonna go back to bed."
"Alright, Bev." Bill said, "I'll see in the morning."
Beverly went back into the small bedroom, closing the door behind her, but leaving the light on. Bill sighed, then stood up and grabbed a flashlight.
No way am I going back to sleep. He thought to himself, then headed to the door and exited the RV, after turning out the light.
Somewhere in Maine, Two years earlier
A man woke up from his slumber and opened his eyes before rolling over to shut off the alarm clock that woke him. He got up, out of bed, and headed to the bathroom to get ready for his day. Picking up his toothbrush, he looked at himself in the mirror and began brushing his teeth.
For thirty years, he was tormented by voices in his head. Thirty years of agony, listening to children's screams and a taunting voice. Whenever he told someone, they thought he was hearing things or going insane, so he learned to keep it to himself. Over time, he got used to them and eventually ignored them, but one day…they stopped. No warning, just whispers, then…nothing, as if they were silenced, and he didn't think twice about it for three years. He had no idea why he had those voices in his head, all he cared about was that they were gone.
In fact, he didn't even know who his family was, no one did. All he remembered was waking up in a hospital bed with his right forearm amputated. Later, he was told that he was found unconscious in the woods with his arm looking like it had been chewed off. Some of the doctors had said that it might've been a wild animal, like a wolf, based on how mutilated the remainder of his arm was. From then on, he was wary of wild animals, especially the larger carnivores such as wolves and bears, because of what he believed had happened to him.
After brushing his teeth, he set his toothbrush down and wiped his face with a damp cloth before heading back into the bedroom. He picked up his phone and found a text from his former social worker during his childhood years, asking how he was doing. After replying he was doing good this morning, he headed downstairs to make himself some breakfast. About thirty minutes later, he had made himself a pot of coffee and a plate of bacon and eggs. Once he finished eating, he took care of his dishes and headed into the living room with a second cup of coffee. He suddenly froze in shock, then dropped his mug and it smashed on the kitchen floor, dousing the tile with coffee, as he heard them…
Whispers… Screams… Bones crunching… Flesh ripping… that taunting voice… the voices had returned.
A/N: Well, that's Chapter 2. Next chapter will have a "session" between Lilly and Garth, but I will most likely cut it out before it gets too "suggestive", if you know what I mean. Please Review, and…
Till next time,
-Demonwolf102
