Chapter nine of 'Thou shall not kill'. For disclaimer see chapter one.
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Wolfmoon
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Rising moon, unknown enemy...
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Sam shivered while watching how a huge moon hung close above the horizon, almost like a bad omen -- and it was almost full. It omitted an eerie light, which was not quite dark but not daylight either, a gloomy kind of red lighting. In truth it was very early morning, almost early enough for him to meet the Frog boys to join them on their way to school.
Yet, he couldn't help wondering why he got up this early for a moment then was reminded by a cheery bark from his dog why he was here. Nanook had needed to go for a walk and was now waiting with him.
"Come," he said mounting his bike. It was just a few minutes until he saw Edgar and Alan, just like him on their GMX bikes.
"There you are," Edgar said impatiently. "Took you long enough, class is starting in fifteen minutes."
"Yeah, got to hurry, Sammy." Alan added, teasingly and moved swiftly out of the way to avoid being hit by an annoyed Samuel Emerson.
"I'm not that stupid." The blonde teen pouted. "It's not that late yet." Sam added while pointing to his wrist watch. "We've at least half an hour until we have to be in class."
"Um," Edgar murmured checking their watches then nodded. "You're right. Mine is going behind." He pointed at his own watch and cursed under his breath. "Gotta to correct it later."
"Yeah, no worries, man." Sam said calmly and gestured towards the first sunrays appearing at the horizon. "Well, we need to go now."
"Yes, we do." Alan and Edgar replied at once and started their bikes. "Come, let's go."
Thank fully they arrived at school in time, for they had a very restrictive teacher, who seemed to be even scarier than any vampire at times. Well, there was something strange about Ms. Rosswell indeed. It was just in the way she acted – but she couldn't be a vampire with the way she used to bark in the sun when not teaching or when waiting for her pupils finishing tests.
Whatever, Sam strongly hoped she didn't turn out to be some kind of monster because he really liked her, no matter how grave serious she felt about teaching rules and all.
"She's certainly quite the teacher," he murmured to himself after school was done today, but not quiet enough for the Frog boys not to overhear him.
"Hmm, yes, you're right." Alan agreed, moving closer to Sam while his brother followed behind him.
"What about you come for a visit to the shop in the evening, eh?" Edgar asked with a twinkle in his eyes but his voice sounded quite serious for this to be a joke.
"Um, why not." Sam replied uneasily for he felt a little awkward around the two other boys ever since that night. Well, there was little he could do, right? He simply couldn't decide between their kind of justice and his brother's well-being be he vampire or not. He was still his brother no matter what happened.
"I don't have any plans for today."
"Fine, see ya later then." Edgar said in return. "We've got a job to do." He nodded towards his brother Alan. "We'll meet you at the boardwalk. Don't be late."
"Yeah, sure, I won't," Sam nodded but felt a little surprised at their sudden exit. "Come, Nanook." He said to his dog, who had been waiting for him to leave school. Strange, he thought, remembering that Ms. Rosswell didn't seem to mind him bringing his dog to class. No, indeed, she seemed to like Nanook very well and even went so far and brought treats for the dog to eat.
Oh, okay, Santa Carla was still as strange as always then, even if it was now almost boring without Max and his boys.
Sam was really glad that school was over sooner than he had expected it then, because he found it rather boring. Well, aside from Ms. Rosswell's biology class. That class wasn't boring at all but the other topics were. Yeah, boring indeed, after what happened this summer, what was school indeed but boring?
So, after eating lunch he went back to the comic shop, like almost every afternoon before -- only now he felt strangely uneasy about it. He hadn't told them about his brother right? Not, that he had lied to them, no, he hadn't, but he had simply kept quiet, lying by omission.
"Sam?"
"Yes, what now?" He asked the Frogs.
"Here read that!" Edgar handed him another comic, sprouting a large beast with way too big teeth -- short um a werewolf.
"What we've got werewolves, too?"
"Yeah, sure, or did you really think that vampires were the only ones being real?"
"So, why now?"
"Idiot, look into your calendar." Alan added, snorting in disgust. "It's almost full moon."
"Yes, I can … indeed see that." Sam nodded slowly, feeling like things were going to take another turn to the weird. After vampires, now werewolves?
"Werewolves are a rather difficult species." Edgar said pausing for effect. "There are two kind of them actually. One are like those out of the movies, they've been bitten by an other werewolf and survived it."
"And the other?" Sam asked.
"They're born ones -- and far more dangerous and difficult to discover Sam."
"Yeah, they've got almost all the advantages of being a werewolf with next to none of the disadvantages. They can even change when ever they want and the full moon doesn't enslave them ... much."
"What about silver?"
"Harms them of course, but only if it gets in contact with their blood." Alan chuckled. "Yeah, silver doesn't burn their skin like in those silly stories."
"It doesn't?" He blinked in surprise since so far almost everything had been like the things he had known from movies and legends.
"No, it doesn't -- but that's only so with those ones, who were born like that. Bitten ones … they're a complete different matter."
"And they tend to turn pretty mad too." Alan added with a serious look. "Much like rabid dogs only much bigger."
"Oh, okay." Sam nodded then took another look at the comic the Frog's gave him to read. "What about this? There's a cure … for werewolves?"
"Um, no, it's not really a cure, Sam." Edgar explained slowly then sighed. "It's more like a drug, which suppress the bestial urges, you know -- but there's a price. It turns the werewolf in question almost human."
"But that's great, isn't it?"
"Yes, no, because it's not good in the long term. It's pretty much a loose cannon, blowing up sooner or later." Edgar chuckled dryly.
"Yeah, only way for a were to do this is letting the beast out from time to time." Alan added then frowned. "Werewolves are rather kinky creatures too."
"Kinky?" Sam raised his brows. "In what way?"
"Well, they turn eccentric." Edgar snorted. "All possible kinds of that too. Having strange hobbies, jobs, behaviour and all -- nothing specific known though."
"That makes it rather difficult to spot them, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, we just said that." Both Frog brothers chuckled at that.
"But, but ..." Sam muttered in return then shook his head. "Why?"
"Why what?" Alan asked then nodded to his brother. "Why we told you this?"
"Um, yes, why? If there's nothing I could do anyway ..."
"Well, not nothing but keep your eyes open Sam." Edgar sighed and looked almost sad. "Werewolves are such sad creatures, you know?" He gestured to another page to explain his words. "Look here, all it takes is being bitten or scratched by another werewolf and survive it, which most don't. They're the lucky ones indeed."
"Yes, and they are better off dead than cursed by the moon to turn into mindless beasts during the full moon." Alan added with another nod.
"And?"
"Well, there are signs of being a werewolf, especially this close to the full moon, Samuel Emerson. They get uneasy and bad tempered. Really itchy indeed." Edgar nodded and scratched his chin demonstratively.
"Yes, itchy,"
They talked some more but nothing spectacularly happened that day and Sam went home as every other day.
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xox
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That night he woke with a shiver deep in his bones – cold, yet there was something exciting about it in, like something in him was looking forward to something unknown to his concious self.
"The light looks beautiful," he heard him whisper to his self, maybe to get over the unrest in him. No, Michael thought, shaking his head. He needed action, needed a ride, no matter the risks.
He had spend the day at the house, trying to spend some time with his brother, awkward as it was, he needed that contact to keep himself going. Sam was still his brother no matter what happened otherwise, even Michael felt himself drifting more and more away from them, from his human family. He was close, no, he was already lost in the night. He had been only too stubborn to admit that fact. More, he wasn't even sure if he would go back if he could.
He'd already went too far into this new world of shadows; had become one of them and taking the last step was only a matter time.
So he found himself prowling the boardwalk, not so different than David and his boys had done, he realized. Michael looked around and shivered again, realizing how unknowing people were.
They did not realize what danger walked among there midst.
"Hey, you there, dude, gotta have a smoke?" He heard some guy calling out.
Michael ignored that voice, barely. While that guy smelled not exactly nice, the lingering scent of fear and sweet blood was very inviting.
Michael Emerson kept walking, until he felt a familiar presence and stopped, waiting what the other had in mind.
"You've waiting for me, haven't me?" He asked calmly – and almost didn't recognize his own voice. It was so calm, icy calm – predatory calmness.
"Yes, you could say that Michael." The platinum haired vampire replied with a broad grin.
"David?" Michael blinked, surprising by the exited tone in the older vampire's voice. What was he up to now? He thought and felt his own heart responding with speeding up.
"Come with me, this night, Michael." David motioned towards his machine. "Ride with me."
"Why?" He asked in return but he knew that his resolve was already weakening as he asked this. Michael knew that he wanted to go with David, even knowing that he shouldn't.
"To have some fun, Michael." David purred. "The night's to young for us to do nothing." His voice had a strange undertone to it, almost like he wanted Michael to come with him for more than just having fun, but for a far more important purpose – almost like he needed help with something.
"Come," he said again and watched the younger vampire's resolve crumble in front of his eyes.
"Okay." Michael nodded finally and went to get his bike.
They went on a ride a while, shorter than he liked yet Michael didn't ask why because then he noticed the people over there, just on the other side of the boardwalk, near the water line. They were far enough from the more lively places here so that he hadn't seen them before now and they were pretty drunk too, yet, that wasn't what put his senses off.
No, it was their scent, no, it was only one of them for the others smelled pretty ordinary to him. That guy stunk – that's the only word he found for that. It was pretty bad and for a moment Michael had trouble breathing.
"That guy," he whispered finally, "what is he? He doesn't smell right."
"So, you noticed?" David raised an eye brow and smirked at him. "He's a monster." He explained and then silenced Michael with grave serious look. "It's true. We have at least some control of who we kill, but he hasn't or ... he won't have when he changes."
"When he changes ..." Michael repeated then swallowed. "He's one of them, werewolf."
"Yeah, that he is, my child." David agreed inaudible to all but the two of them.
They watched in silence for a while, which wasn't easy because, well, while that guy stunk his companions did not – and were very human. Michael was really glad now that he and Star had managed to hunt last night.
"Why are we here?" He found himself asking several moments later.
"To put a rabid dog to rest." David explained and laughed manically then motioned Michael to follow him.
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Thanks for reading and sorry for the long wait. I hope there not too many typos in here but I couldn't wait anymore with this.
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