MONDAY
"Sometimes out in the country, you get packs of dogs gone feral," John explained to Mom and Dad the next day, "They can do some darn crazy things. Good thing you have two big dogs who'll stand by ya. Ain't nothin' better than a good dog at your side."
He didn't tell them about the Werewolves. He told the children they'd be better off not saying anything either. The evidence was gone. Without seeing it firsthand, it was highly unlikely their parents would believe anything they had to say about Werewolves. Most people didn't. Like he'd said, people didn't see unless they were ready to believe. The world of the supernatural existed in virtual secrecy, because people didn't want to see. They didn't want to believe. Because the supernatural didn't play by the rules. The silver in the bullets was more symbolic than anything. The reason they killed the Werewolves was basically because of "magic".
Unlike television and movies, the science wasn't cut and dried. It was never a matter of saying the right words and simply believing hard enough. That would be a kind of science. Werewolves didn't fit into any science. Which is why the world rejected them, and that which was like them. Because it was too different from the natural way of things. Because there were no scientific explanations for how and why. They simply existed.
"You say you got the whole pack?" Dad asked nervously, holding tight to his wife.
"I think so, and your dogs seem to be agreein' with that," John replied.
He then told how Shadow had led "some of the pack" away from the house, and then returned "for the rest of them." He said that, if there were more, Shadow would know about it, and probably wouldn't rest until he'd taken care of them too.
"I wouldn't worry," John said, "Takes years to build up a large pack like the one which was here. Abandoned dogs tend to die or just become regular strays. Vicious packs like this... not common."
"Well, thank you," Dad said, then shook John's hand.
"Thank your dogs," John replied, smiling, "And your cat too, if she'll accept it. I ain't never heard of a cat that would fight off wild dogs. Pack mentality ain't a part of their makeup."
The three animals lay together in the living room. Later, they would be taken to the vet to check up on them. But for now, they were resting, and simply glad to be alive.
"Let's never have an adventure again," Chance sighed after awhile.
"Amen to that, sweety," Sassy mewed, "I'm never going outside again for as long as I live."
"I don't think I'll ever feel like chewing again," Chance continued, "I'll just sleep for the rest of my life. And eat. Eating is good."
"Don't be ridiculous, you two," Shadow grunted, "You'll both get better, and you'll go right back to what you've always done. That's what youngsters do. They bounce back. Given time, you may even forget about all of this."
"You talk like you're not gonna get better," Chance said, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Chance. I'm just tired. That's all."
"Fine. But stop talking like you're gonna die. That's not gonna happen, okay?"
"Yes, Chance. Yes, it will. Maybe not now. But soon enough. Certainly before you do, if I have my way about it. Everybody dies, Chance. Whether it's injury, illness or old age, it will happen. It will happen to me. And to you. And, yes, it will even happen to Peter and Jamie eventually."
"But I don't want you to die. And I don't want to die either."
"Of course you don't," Shadow told him, "No creature with any sense wants to die. But there's no reason to be afraid of it. It's a fact of life, just like being born, just like growing old. The only thing you need to worry about is not dying before your time."
"I don't follow," Chance admitted.
"Neither do I," Sassy chimed in.
"You'll understand. One day. If you want to."
Shadow was right, of course. Shadow was always right. Whether Chance liked it or not, that was a simple fact he'd learned that he could not deny. For a moment, they were all silent.
"Hey," Chance was, as usual, the first to break it, "I think I smell chicken."
He scrambled to his feet and limped hurriedly to the kitchen, wagging his tail.
"I do smell chicken! Hey, you wanna share that chicken? Some of the chicken? All of the chicken?. Please, please, please? Just drop some, I'll eat it off the floor. Come on!"
"Stupid dog," Sassy purred affectionately.
"All young dogs are," Shadow replied mildly, "He'll learn. In time."
"And with a good teacher," Sassy added, standing and then walking over to curl up next to Shadow, "You're the only dog I've ever known who was worth following."
"Give him time. Chance has more potential than you may think. You see, Chance knew. Right from the start. He may not know he knew, but he did. He knew about Tracy, about the mailman and maybe even about Jim. He knew right from the start what I had to figure out."
"What good does that do him if he doesn't realize it?" Sassy asked.
"He will. One day. When he's ready."
A/N: Thank you kindly for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.