Grady couldn't believe it when he heard that they were returning to Fever Swamp. He was sure he had to be dreaming, but excitement filled him.
Of course, Emily was dismayed. She hadn't stopped complaining about their visit there ever since they returned to the city. "Dad! You can't be serious," she complained.
"I'm sorry, honey," said Mr. Tucker, looking genuinely remorseful. "I don't want to, either. But I've been personally asked to. There have been strange things going on there... even more strange. Terrible things."
"Then why do we have to go there, if it's so terrible?" whined Emily.
"Honey, I really don't think it's necessary," Mrs. Tucker agreed. "Can you not be a scientist for once?"
But it didn't matter how much they complained. He had made up his mind. The only person excited about returning was Grady. He couldn't stop thinking about his experience in Fever Swamp - not the surrounding town, but the swamp itself. And the mysterious hermit he had met there. He had wanted to return for ages, to meet the hermit again. But he had thought they never would, and he hadn't dared to ask his father. Maybe he could meet John again. He had discovered the hermit wasn't nearly as menacing as he seemed, and they had become close after John saved his life. He had also learned a secret about him, but even that hadn't scared him off.
His family didn't think it was out of the ordinary that he was so excited to return. Emily rolled her eyes, calling him a geek.
"Of course you're excited," she griped, packing her entire makeup collection into her bag. "You'd be excited if Dad said we were staying in the desert with no food or water."
Grady barely heard his mother and sister's complaints. He packed the dog carving that John had sculpted for him as a memento. He hadn't showed it to anyone, and kept it hidden, but it was a reminder of their time together. In all his visits to John's shack, he felt that they really understood each other, despite being different species. They were both outcasts, picked on by the members of their species. He also took along his silver watch, the one that he had lost in the swamp and John had returned to him despite the silver burning his skin. It reminded him as well.
Mr. Tucker was vague about why they were returning, not giving many details. He said they wouldn't need to worry, since he'd be doing all the work there.
"You don't need to do a thing," he assured. "Actually, I want to keep you all out of it. Not even you, Grady. I know you like investigating as well, but I don't want you to get into danger." Grady wondered what he would say if he knew the kind of danger he had been in last time.
When they arrived at the rundown little house they had stayed in last time, Mr. Tucker was very strict about staying out of the way. "I mean it," he said sternly, staring at Grady. "I let you mess around and explore the swamp last time, but this time, it's too dangerous for you to help me with my research. Stay far away from the swamp."
Grady didn't take his warnings seriously. He had nearly been killed by vicious werewolves last time, so he didn't know how it could get any more dangerous than that. He decided he'd sneak off to the swamp as soon as possible.
But something his father said caught his attention. After all the pressuring, he finally let some details loose. "I guess I should tell you why it's so important to stay away," he said. "You kids have probably heard this, but there's a rumor that new people who move into this place go missing each month."
Emily rolled her eyes, but Grady listened intently, even though he not only knew, but knew exactly why. "Just some dumb rumors made by the town kids," Emily said.
"A few months ago, two more kids went missing," continued Mr. Tucker. "Two kids who lived here, and then were never seen again." Grady's heart sank. He suspected he knew exactly who the kids were. "But ever since then, no new kid has gone missing here."
"Isn't that a good thing?" asked Mrs. Tucker.
"Well, yes," admitted Mr. Tucker. "But it's not just that. They suspect that they've caught the person responsible for the disappearances, and that he lives right in the swamp."
Grady dropped the glass he was holding, sending it crashing onto the floor. Emily cried out, backing away.
"You klutz!" she cried.
"Grady, clean that up," scolded Mrs. Tucker.
Grady knelt to the floor, barely feeling the sharp glass cutting into his skin or the water seeping into his jeans. His heart was pounding. He barely heard the rest of the words his father said. He remembered how John had saved his life last time, and how he had revealed that not only was he a werewolf, but the rest of the kids who had used to be Grady's friends were as well. They had only pretended to be friends with him to fight over who would have him as their monthly prey. John, in werewolf form, had fought off the two younger werewolves to save Grady, despite never fighting them over any child before. Grady hadn't been frightened of him even after that - well, partially, but he soon got over it after John explained. But the new information filled him with unease.
Was it possible that John had killed those two other werewolves, and that was why they had gone missing? Why no other kids had afterwards, since John never hunted people like his "companions"? Even though he was terrified of Will and Cassie, and resented that they had pretended to be his friend, the thought filled him with fear.
I kind of want to write an original story about a werewolf and human relationship. I imagine them having a father/son relationship. I've written lots of scenes for them. But it's similar enough to the book for now.
