And so the story draws to a close. This should be the last chapter, and if not, the next chapter should be. So… I'm apologizing in advance for what is going to happen. That is, if you actually like Scottie Evans…
Mudvayne – TV Radio: "You incomplete me, you turn me into whitewash, spoon-fed, brain-dead, sloth. I'd watch the paint dry before giving in. Blackout, stupor, inferior, insignificant. False stars above keep us sedated. Satellite, astronaut, spaceship, the government. I'm overdosing on reality. Don't stop the feed, no, don't touch the feed. I don't wanna be, wanna wanna be, I don't wanna be here, wanna wanna be here so let's go. Turn off the radio, turn off the TV."
Chapter Twenty-Four—The Book
In September, I got a letter in the mail from Raab. He was in northern Washington, and wanted me to come and visit him. I told Edward I'd probably be late getting home, but he was welcome to hang out at my house. I threw on a pair of jeans and a black collared shirt with tiny green pinstripes and left the house. When I arrived at what I thought was Raab's home, I checked the address on the envelope, just to double check. The house was slightly larger than my own, and it was an off-white color. I got out of the car, and knocked on the door. There was no answer, so I turned the handle. It opened easy, and I went in. The parlor was dimly lit.
"Raab?" I called.
There was no answer. I noticed a dark folder on the coffee table. I walked over to it and flipped it open. It was an old picture album. Inside were pictures of a young boy who resembled Raab, only with blonde hair. I figured it was his family's, so I shut it and pushed it back on the coffee table. A small dark blue leather-bound book fell to the floor. I picked it up, noticing it was Raab's handwriting. I flipped through a few pages and stopped when I saw a picture of a ring. There was a small diagram of a silver ring being melted, and an arrow pointing from the ring to a medical needle, and another from the ring to a werewolf's heart. I skimmed further down to the writing:
"Across the years, I have discovered many things, but none as interesting as this. To get straight to the point, there are now 2 known ways to dispose of a werewolf. One, melt his piece of silver and inject it through his heart. The silver then infects the heart, and thus, spreads through the blood stream as an infection. And two, melt the silver and inject it into the bite-area when the werewolf's body is at its lowest temperature. Injecting it straight into the bloodstream will cause the silver to react with the wolf-blood in ways of terminating it as if it were a germ. After a few minutes, the wolf will become human again, and can then be killed as a mortal.
I am often tempted to turn myself back…But I have a duty, a responsibility, if you will, for being the first werewolf… someone must keep these secrets…"
I felt my heart pounding.
No…No…It's impossible…The silver…The blood…Raab is…No…
I wasn't sure what to think.
"Scottie, you're early."
I turned to him, holding the book. His smile faded.
"Scottie…Please, put that book down…"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Was all I could say through choked words.
"Tell you what…?" He walked slowly toward me. I threw the book at him.
"EVERYTHING!!" I shouted. "You could have easily turned me back human after that night, and I could have gone back to living my normal life, with nothing but a nightmare and a dirty little secret!"
"I take it you have yet to read the remainder of the chapter?"
"I don't care about your stupid book! The information I got from it is all I care for!" I pushed past him and headed for the door.
"Scottie, being a werewolf is better than-"
"Better than what?!" I turned back to him angrily.
"Scottie, please."
"No, Raab. I'm sick of your lies. I always knew you were hiding something from me. And now I know."
"I'm warning you Scottie. I can't tell you what to do, and I can't control you. All I can do is try and explain. If you try to turn yourself, you could die."
"It's better than being this!"
"If you turn yourself at the wrong time, your plan could backfire, and it'll be just as bad as being killed as a werewolf. And if you succeed, vampires will be after you, and you could end up dead or one of them."
"Then I guess I'll have to be careful, won't I?"
"What about Edward?"
"He'll understand."
"You never would have met him, had I not turned you."
"Shut your mouth, you lying bastard."
"Fine. I will intervene no more."
"It's about time." I turned and left.
Three Doors Down – Duck and Run: "So you call this your free country? Then tell me why it costs so much to live."