Warning : More, violent scenes ahead !
When Dusk Falls
Chapter 8: Resist
Max and Dana woke up early as the storm passed and sunlight started to dully enter the multi coloured ornamental windows of the church.
They slowly and tiredly glanced to each other, then almost instantly flushed red at their positions.
Dana still embracing Max; Max had her head on Dana's chest. The huntress' cloak still bundled around her.
They shifted apart, chuckling awkwardly.
"Uh, did... Did you sleep well"? They both asked. Then coughed a bit with another awkward laugh.
"Um, yeah... I did. Thank you, for the... you know, this", replied Max. She unwrapped herself from the cloak and passed it to Dana.
The cheer leader rubbed the back of her head a little, with a quick laugh as she accepted the cloak.
"No problem", she replied and pulled it back on herself and hooked the clasps together again.
"So uh...How's the, shoulder"? Asked Dana worriedly.
Max briefly looked confused then she remembered her injury and checked her shoulder.
"I actually forgot all about it...It hasn't been bothering me. Lets see", replied Max calmly.
She reached into her shirt and pried up a strip of the gauze wrap, she squinted into the raised gauze a bit.
"Its, gone ? The bruise and the cuts... Theres nothing there anymore...", stated Max in confusion.
Dana moved to Max's front and knelt down. She reached over; Max briefly glanced to her, before moving away her own hands so Dana could re-examine it herself.
Dana gently pulled aside her shirt and checked under the gauze herself, clarifying Max's words.
"Looks like it. I'll give those mutts one thing, they definitely have regeneration abilities down to an art... However there is still a small part of the bruise there, but its pretty light. Their healing doesn't work for humans as effectively as it works for them...", stated Dana calmly.
Dana started untying the gauze and getting it to unravel, before she pulled it out from under Max's shirt and wrapped the surprisingly clean wrap around her hand, before slipping the bundle of gauze back into her cloak.
"Alright, you're good to go Max. I recommend you wash out that blood on your clothes as soon as possible though. Especially if you now look unharmed. It'll set off alarm bells for people", stated Dana calmly.
"I will... But Dana something confuses me... If that was werewolf saliva...Why didn't it turn me when it got into my open cuts"? Asked Max curiously.
"The disease doesn't get transferred by the saliva. Think of the mutts like snakes. The, venom, that turns you, is inside their fangs. When they bite, if they feel like it, they can release the disease into the bloodstream that way". Started Dana calmly.
"Being bitten alone won't change you, being bitten with the mutt deciding to release the disease into you, does. Spoiler alert, they pretty much all want to do that...", She finished firmly.
"Oh...", replied Max looking down unsurely.
Then she sighed and looked back up at Dana.
"I uh, guess we should head back to the dorm"? Asked Max calmly.
"Yeah, lets get going. Hopefully we can sneak in without notice", replied Dana calmly. She flipped up her hood once more.
They got up and made their way to the entrance way; to put their barricade back in the items' rightful spots.
Then they started to make their way out of the church.
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Chloe tiredly, laid on the roof, still in her Dire Wolf form. Her eyes half open groggily. She had her head still laying on her paws as she watched the sun start to slowly rise.
She had long since watched the last of the wild ones vacate the streets and run back into the woods.
She sighed tiredly.
"I'm going to need a nap later... These sleepless nights are going to wear on me pretty soon...", she thought tiredly.
Her ears twitched as she heard the church doors creak open.
She lifted her head and looked down to see the two figures of Max and the Huntress leaving the building and racing across the parking lot.
She watched them reach the side walk and she slowly stood up; her tired muscles briefly twitched at her back.
She focused in on Max's figure, a little sadly. Then closed her eyes.
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Max chased after Dana when she slowed down to a stop and looked a bit alert. She furrowed her brow and had a weird feeling on her back.
She quickly glanced back at the Church's roof.
But she saw nothing there. A light morning wind played with her bangs.
She looked around on all levels of the building's roof, but still saw nothing. She looked skeptical a moment.
"Max ! Come on ! We need to move"! Called Dana. She paused and was looking back from further up the sidewalk.
Max snapped out of it and looked back at Dana.
"Right, sorry. Coming", called Max. She ran after Dana once more and they both kept running toward the school.
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Chloe stood in her human form, hands pocketed as she leaned against the church's far side wall in the shadows.
Her eyes were closed calmly.
She opened her eyes once more and looked around the corner of the wall.
She watched Max slowly disappear from her sight.
Then looking down and closing her eyes once more. She took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
Taking one of the white sticks in her mouth, she lit it up and slipped the box and lighter back into her pockets.
Then stuffed her hands into her pockets once more and pushed herself away from the wall and walked out from behind the wall; making her own way to the sidewalk, slowly.
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Dana and Max managed to reach the Academy campus in relatively good time, since they didn't have to fight this time.
They snuck their way back to the dorms and waited for the shutters to lift up.
"Alright Max, remember, last night is our little secret. Okay"? Asked Dana quietly.
Max nodded.
"I won't say anything...", Max replied quietly.
They heard the shutters start to obnoxiously lift and cringed at the sound.
"Ugh, will I ever get used to that sound"? Asked Max.
"Fuck no...I'm going on year five... But hey, you'll never need to fight with an alarm clock again, so thats great, isn't it"? Asked Dana a little teasingly.
"I'm not so sure", grumbled Max.
Dana chuckled and pat her on the back.
Then they quickly and quietly slipped inside the doors.
They went to their separate rooms with a quick wave to each other. They shut their doors.
Max dropped herself tiredly onto her bed. She sighed.
"Go to splash my face, and I end up locked outside and spending the night in a church with a cheerleader vigilante... The shower room is like seven feet from my dorm room and around the corner...", mumbled Max quietly.
"Well, time to have a perfectly normal day at school; as though I was never outside all night in a storm, fighting werewolves with Van Helsing...", sighed Max pushing herself up and climbing off her bed.
She halfheartedly stretched. Then instantly regretted the strain on her shoulder. She cursed under her breath.
"Guess the bone is still sore and likely bruised...", muttered Max quietly rubbing gently at her shoulder.
She made her way to her closet for fresh clothes, well what bit of her wardrobe she had. She looked at the lackluster remainder of clothing.
"I really should raid a thrift store soon, like I originally planned...I'm running out of clothes to wear... And with all the blood I've seen... They aren't lasting much longer...", she sighed quietly.
She grabbed a set of clothes and snatched up her containers of shampoo and conditioner. Then made her way to the door.
Exiting, she pulled her door shut and made her way to the shower room.
She snuck inside and quickly checked the room cautiously.
Once she confirmed she was alone, she made her way to the farthest shower and entered; pulling the curtain closed behind herself.
She put the new clothes on a shelf with the hair products. Max moved to undress and paused.
"...I don't usually shower in my clothes, but I should wash off this blood, or at least try to. Something tells me the laundromat won't turn a blind eye to a teenager giving them blood stained clothes...In the middle of a werewolf infestation...", thought Max calmly.
She turned the shower handle and turned on the warm water and let it re-hydrate and wash off the blood. She used the bloody clothes to scrub themselves free of the blood stains.
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Chloe walked alone on the nearly empty streets. Anyone that was out, paid her no mind.
After all, by this point her white muscle shirt, was no longer one hundred percent white; it was a brownish dark red.
Thanks to the heavy rain the previous night having rinsed off most of of the blood; her shirt pretty much resembled a tai dye pattern.
No one could really tell it was stained by her own blood from last night.
Though Chloe could still feel a couple wounds on her back that hadn't entirely sealed, but they were minor.
Chloe walked along lost in thought, her cigarette having already been put out a block ago behind her.
She wasn't entirely aware of her surroundings as her thoughts wandered to Max every so often. As well as all of her fights last night.
She remembered the cold wind and rain vividly as she recalled scrapping with wild ones...
The memories of the fangs flashing, the snarling, the roars of pain. Droplets of blood spraying in all directions; she recalled the bites on her scruff, the hard impact of being slammed to the concrete.
The memories blinked through her mind like a twisted slideshow.
The wild ones just kept coming, one after the other and she fought them all, she needed to...Or they could've stumbled across Max and that other human.
Against her will she imagined the outcome of them finding Max.
Chloe closed her eyes and covered them, along with the semi dark circles under them, with her palm tightly; trying to shake the images away. She grit her teeth.
"No damn it...Stop...She's fine... Calm down", She muttered irritably. Her heart still pounded thickly in her ribs...
Then other thoughts slowly faded into her mind, things she never saw before.
She imagined them, her eyes blurred and zoomed in on Max on the ground, the other human over her.
"...What... the fuck..." ? Asked Chloe quietly, opening her eyes half way, furrowing her brows in confusion.
She saw a flash of her claws swiping at the woman. Then another of her striking her and throwing her far.
Then she saw herself looking down at the woman on the ground unconscious.
Then she saw Max, arms spread, standing between her blurred vision and the woman on the ground.
"Chloe stop" ! Max's voice echoed, but it sounded low; almost muffled and distant.
Then her thoughts were torn away by the sound of something jingling nearby.
Chloe uncovered her eyes and stopped. She followed the sound.
She looked over and she froze; her eyes wide. Then they darkened.
A middle aged woman was fumbling with some keys in front of a restaurant door.
She had almost ash-blonde hair, in a high partial bun, wearing a blue blouse and skirt to match.
"Darn it. You'd think by now I'd know which key is what...", the woman muttered in a southern belle accent.
Chloe watched the woman and felt a low growl building in her throat, her eyes narrowing a bit.
Chloe subconsciously gripped a scar on her arm, which almost felt like it was burning.
Her grip slowly strengthened until her nails pierced the skin and started a thin trail of blood down her arm.
She had her teeth tight together.
The woman, then paused and blinked uncertainly, she straightened up and reached a hand to the back of her neck.
She quickly turned around and looked both ways in the street.
But saw no one. She stepped away from the door.
"Hello"? She asked curiously.
Upon the roof of a building across the street; Chloe walked on, hands pocketed. Her eyes were shadowed over, a frown on her lips.
The woman continued to search the area.
"Is anybody there"? The Woman asked.
Though she received no answer.
"I must be startin' to lose my mind...", the Woman stated quietly before returning to unlocking the diner door.
Chloe put distance between them, then jumped back down on to the ground and continued walking.
Though a couple blocks down, she became alert and stopped .
She looked up at a man, standing in the middle of her path, wearing a leather jacket and thick gray jeans. He had short ash blonde hair and a small beard to match.
A fairly large brown dog sat at his side. He didn't move any closer to her and crossed his arms.
Chloe approached him. But kept some space between them.
"Frank...", greeted Chloe calmly.
"Chloe. Glad I ran into you", he greeted back almost charmingly.
"What do you want"? She asked firmly.
"Permission. If thats alright. Pompidou and I need to restock our supplies. And as we both know, what we need, is on your turf...", He stated looking serious and calm.
Chloe sighed closing her eyes. She continued walking passed him.
"Granted. Do what you need to do but don't linger beyond sundown...", answered Chloe firmly as she walked off.
"Thanks kid", he replied with an amused smirk closing his eyes.
Then he walked on continuing on the path and passing the threshold he had been keeping distance from.
The dog followed after him.
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It wasn't long before Chloe was walking through the forest, hands still in her pockets. Her nail induced scratches on her arm were still trying to seal.
She came across another waterfall, more narrow than her previous bear fight's back ground.
The waterfall was clearer, and thinner than the last. It poured into a well shaded clear water pond.
Many tall trees circled it, their branches of pine needles, provided a high roof to the pond; with each gentle breeze, the shadows of the branches danced and swayed along the water's surface.
Chloe jumped up onto the large row of rocks next to the falls and looked at the water flowing calmly and naturally.
She watched the water splash onto the moss-covered rocks below it; spraying off in all directions. It streamed smoothly down the sides of the stones as well.
Chloe stepped onto the wet rocks under the waterfall and let the cold water run over her heated skin, briefly; before she noticed a cave behind the water and side stepped inside it casually.
It was decent sized a little rounded out, but had a slightly narrow opening to it.
She took off her beanie and muscle shirt, dropping them to the dry cave floor; then she stepped under the falls again and washed her minor back cuts as they slowly sealed.
She faced the cave, and pressed her left hand to the corner of the rock wall by the cave.
The water streamed coldly down her bared skin.
She closed her eyes and hung her head; The cool liquid splashed against her neck and then flowed through her blue hair, and it's magenta top.
She relaxed, enjoying the showering refreshment, breathing contently through the icy sensation pricking her scarred, battle honed skin.
The water rained into all her remaining wounds and rushed down her body in a fast fading crimson tinge; before long, even if the water was connecting with the open marks, it ran clear as it washed down her body.
Chloe opened her eyes partially and sighed lightly as she gazed at the hydration splashing down around her boots on the moss covered stone beneath them.
The water rapidly dripped off her brow, dragging strands of her hair to hang passed her eyes, streaming beside them.
She was indifferent to it, too lost in thought.
She glanced up above the falls, letting it race down her front clearing out any missed scratches.
She watched a lone eagle circle in the blue and gray above her. Subtly hinting her of her own sinking sense of loneliness...
Chloe faced back to the cave in front of her, eyes closed and frowned lightly.
She pulled her hand back from the wall and stepped back inside the cave and grabbed her discarded clothes.
She rinsed them of the blood under the cold water, as much as she could.
Then put them on once more and leapt out onto the dryer rocks along the pond shore and dropped down on the grass behind them; shoving her hands into her pockets once again and walking off; her eyes closed.
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Max stealthily snuck away from the shower room with the wrung out clothes folded in her arms.
She now wore a black t-shirt with a white moth design on it and some grey jeans.
She quickly returned to her dorm room and shut the door behind her, locking it.
She dropped the clothes and towels into the hamper and went to her desk to grab her camera bag.
She paused and looked at Chloe's black leather jacket draped over the back of her desk chair. She saddened and reached over; picking it up and gazing at it.
"Chloe... She was so, quiet last night... Sad almost, then she got so angry and aggressive... Protective too... At least, I think thats why she acted out...", Max thought sadly.
"What is going on in her head ? I wish she'd talk to me... But I guess thats selfish of me; how many times could she have needed to talk to me before, for five years and I wasn't there... I lost that right a long time ago...", mumbled Max regretfully and sadly.
After a moment, she slipped Chloe's jacket on, since her own jacket was slightly worse for wear from last night with the now faded blood stains.
Then she pulled on her camera bag over her neck and shoulder and gathered up her phone and ipod from her nightstand, equipping them.
Hesitantly she attempted to text Chloe again, only to be informed for the umpteenth time that it failed to deliver; though she knew the result was likely to repeat, she still attempted once more to call her and it wouldn't connect.
She sighed pocketing her phone and checking her schedule.
"Looks like I have a spare block first thing in the morning... Meaning I could have slept in... Then again I did still need to get back and sneak in before anyone else was up... And somehow I think people would be suspicious of a teen napping under the church bleachers covered In blood...", muttered Max.
She sighed and left her room, shutting and locking the door.
She yawned tiredly and started making her way down the hallway; when she was grabbed by the arm. Instantly jolted awake; before she could even look at her assailant, she was dragged into another room.
The door shut, trapping her. She was thrown onto a couch and quickly sat up trying to get her bearings frantically; when she was pinned to the back of the couch and locked eyes with...
A glaring Kate.
"You know too much"! Kate declared darkly.
Max swallowed nervously.
"Now Kate, Max has promised me, that she'd keep it a secret. Lets be civil", replied Dana calmly stepping out from the corner of the room; her arms crossed.
Kate glanced back at her with a beaming smile.
"Oh I know~ I've just always wanted to say that to someone"~ She teased innocently and gave Max space.
Dana and Max sweat-drops. Then Dana cleared her throat lightly.
"Right... Anyway. Max we can't have last night repeating. I don't want you out there with me again. Its too dangerous; especially if you show sympathy for the enemy like you did with that giant dire. It just can't happen", stated Dana firmly.
"That said... You're staying inside tonight, thats it, no discussion. Understood"? Asked Dana calmly and sternly.
"R-right... the, enemy...", mumbled Max quietly looking down. She gripped the couch seat tightly.
"Max, what were you thinking ? Those monsters are evil incarnate; why would you protect one"? Asked Kate.
Max sighed in slight exasperation. She stood up , closing her eyes.
"I wasn't thinking alright. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone; and I won't follow again, sorry for giving you two grief... Am I free to go now officers"? Asked Max a little colder than she intended, making her way to the door.
Dana and Kate watched her, a little stunned. Dana stepped toward her a bit.
"Max we're only trying to protect you", She tried.
"Yeah you're not the only ones; I know I scream damsel in distress...", sighed Max she opened the door.
"I'm sorry, for snapping I just... Never mind. Thank you for your concerns, I do actually appreciate them...", replied Max calmer.
She left shutting the door behind her. Dana and Kate looked at each other worriedly.
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Max sighed, opening her eyes a bit as she looked down.
"I can't believe that pissed me off so much...", thought Max sadly.
She then started once more making her way through the hall, again losing herself in her thoughts.
"But still, Chloe is not a monster"! Thought Max defensively.
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Chloe in dire wolf form, out in the forest still; tore apart some bunnies she found and ate hungrily.
She paused and looked around. Ears twitching slightly.
"I swear it just felt like someone was talking about me a moment there... My ears are burning...", She thought.
Her tail flicked a bit.
Then she shook out her golden brown mane and continued ripping open and devouring her breakfast.
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The day carried on slowly. Max was quiet and kept to herself mostly; every so often trying to contact Chloe again, in the off chance something changed.
When Chloe ran off last night to distract the wild ones, Max still had the distant fighting sounds ringing in her ears; there was no way Chloe fought that hard and got away without injury...
So despite it seeming like a lost cause trying to get a hold of her, she still tried out of worry and hope.
But she still gave up after a couple failures, but not permanently of course. The situation still frustrated and depressed her though.
At lunch time she didn't eat her food, and simply leaned her elbow on the table; resting her cheek in her raised up palm.
She pushed the food around the lunch box in an uninterested manner. She sat alone at a lunch table, ignoring the other talkative students in the room with her.
"I really screwed things up with Chloe... I can't blame her for being pissed at me... I wish there was something I could do to earn back her trust and friendship... But what the hell can I do, if I can't even get her to talk to me...", Max thought sadly.
Her train of thought was mildly interrupted by, Dana, Kate and Juliet sitting down with her at the table. She spared them a glance and weak smile, before staring down at her food again.
They looked between each other in confusion before looking to Max again.
"Max you okay"? Asked Juliet worriedly.
"I'm fine...", Max replied indifferently.
"You, sure about that"? Asked Juliet lightly.
"Yep... Sorry just, feel like zoning out today thats all. It happens", replied Max calmly trying to get the subject to drop.
"Er... O- kay...If you ever need to talk, we're here for you", replied Juliet skeptically but taking the hint that talking was not an interest to the photographer.
Max nodded.
"Thanks, I appreciate it...", She replied calmly, still not taking her eyes off the food she played with.
Dana and Kate watched her regretfully, thinking back to their morning exchange with Max, but were unsure if them saying anything would change Max's mood, so they kept quiet and decided to give her space.
It wasn't long before lunch ended, the other three had talked among themselves, and did try to include Max, but she didn't give any lengthy replies; too wrapped up in her worry for Chloe.
Max was first to get up and gather her things.
"See ya later... Sorry for being a buzzkill today, I'll make it up to you some time", stated Max quietly and still distant.
"No worries Max, we get it. Hope things get better soon", replied Juliet.
"Thanks, I hope so too", replied Max quietly. She walked off looking down, giving a halfhearted wave, and they watched her worriedly.
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Max sat through Science class with the same enthusiasm.
She'd been ignoring Nathan and Victoria along with their posse, all day.
She was partnered by Ms. Grant, with Warren and Brooke for an experiment.
Brooke was rather bored with it since she preferred technical science. Warren was acting like a know it all, that could kinda back it up. He watched Max.
"Yo, you doing okay ? You look totally out of it", He commented.
Max shrugged. "Sorry, I guess I'm not really feeling it today...", replied Max calmly.
She did attempt to get interested on the work, not wanting her partners to have to carry her through it, but it was hard to focus.
Warren kept trying to cheer her up, or get her to talk while they performed the science experiment.
Brooke wasn't very thrilled and returned the cold shoulder to Max.
Though Max tried, she really just didn't care about school work today and would catch herself glancing to the pocket that held her phone.
"Desperate times", Warren stated. He pulled the beaker over to him and grabbed a couple different vials of liquid, popping off the corks.
"Wait Warren-", Brooke alerted along with Max looking to him.
He poured some of the vials into the beaker of other powders.
There was a moderate explosion of smoke. Everyone else gasped at the sound also looking over to the puff of smoke.
When it cleared, Warren grinned at Max, with pink powder covering his hair and face, some even clinging into the shape of a partial mustache and goatee. His face glittered somewhat.
Brooke groaned and face-palmed. Max looked on in shock then gradually started to laugh quietly, covering her mouth. Warren just grinned more as if he just won the lottery.
Then a shadow over-lapped him. He froze and slowly looked up at Ms. Grant standing over him, arms crossed. He laughed sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"Uh... Sorry, Ms. Grant", he stated.
Ms. Grant shook her head and smiled lightly.
"Honestly Warren, if you put as much effort into your work as you do into being a class clown, you'd have earned that A+ by now. Now get a fresh beaker and try again", stated Ms. Grant in slight amusement.
"Worth it", Warren lightly chuckled. The rest of the class seemed to start laughing louder.
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Frank sat at a diner calmly eating a bowl of beans. Multiple bags of groceries and a few other supplies, sat next to him in the booth and under the table.
He finished up and dropped some bills on the table.
"It broke again ? Thats the third time this month...", He heard one of the waitresses speak up in a southern Belle accent.
He paused, glancing over to the counter at the waitress speaking to a dish-boy.
"Yeah. But I can stay after to finish up", the man offered.
"No no, I'll stay, you go on home to your family George. I'll, think of somethin'", The woman replied.
Frank watched the man walk away and the woman ran a hand through her hair, with the other hand to her hip.
"Better see if Joel can come in tomorrow and have a look again...", She mumbled to herself.
Frank closed his eyes and gathered up his things and headed out.
The woman noticed.
"Thank you sir, please come back around sometime", she called cheerfully with a smile.
Frank waved. "Thanks for the grub", he stated casually.
Then left, instantly greeted by a big brown dog outside. The dog was immediately walking right by his leg as he walked down the side walk.
Frank reached down and pat the pup's head, before walking on with his bags.
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When class ended, Max left slowly but fairly instantly; She was still troubled by Chloe's silence.
She walked through the halls and Warren ran up beside her, touching her shoulder.
Max paused to look at him.
"Hey Max, um wanna come and hang out with Brooke and I after school"? Asked Warren.
Max looked over at Brooke, who was leaning against the wall, in her usual grey hoodie, red jeans.
Her brown eyes were subtle as they glared behind her glasses. Her long black hair with red streaks, held up in it's usual long ponytail.
Her arms crossed and her Caucasian skinned hands gripping tightly at her opposite arms.
"I'm willing to wager, the hang out was his plan and only his...", thought Max awkwardly.
She directed her attention back to the brown haired, Caucasian skinned boy in front of her; wearing his usual long sleeved green shirt with white sleeves and dark brown loose jeans.
His brown eyes looked at her hopefully, and eager. She became more aware of the lack of space between them. Now Brooke's cold shoulder was starting to make even more sense to Max as she clued in.
"Oh... Could he be... But we've only just started talking today... Yeah we met before but...", thought Max awkwardly.
Max stepped back from him.
"Um sorry, but I can't today; just kinda want to be on my own for awhile, no offense. But Thanks anyway and thank you for making me laugh earlier, I uh appreciate it", Max replied.
She saw the sinking disappointment on his face. "Oh...", he replied.
"Y-yeah, I'm really sorry. Just, going through some drama. But I do appreciate the offer", replied Max quickly a bit nervous.
She turned away and walked on. He watched her leave and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"O-kay, well if you change your mind. Let us know", he called.
"I will", replied Max waving back at him. She rounded the corner.
Brooke came up beside him. "Come on Warren, we'll be late for class", she stated calmly, but a bit bitterly.
"R-Right", he agreed. They both walked back the other way.
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Max's last class passed by even slower. Zachery and Logan were sitting next to her on either side; but keeping space between them.
Max felt their eyes on her, she rolled hers. She focused on her work, they didn't do the same.
By class end she got up abruptly, gathering her stuff up, her eyes closed in irritation.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer creeps", she stated in annoyance.
She left and they glared sharply after her.
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Its nearly dusk as Chloe walked the streets. She was lost in thoughts about Max again.
"Yo Chloe... Come over here a sec kid...", Frank's voice called.
Chloe froze her step, snapping out of her thoughts and looked over to her right.
She saw Frank leaning against a wall deep in the shadows of an alleyway. He was playing with his switch blade knife, keeping his attention on it.
His dog sat down by his far side, panting. The bags of supplies were placed around him.
Chloe glanced around for onlookers, before pocketing her hands and walking into the alley, approaching him. She stopped in front of the dealer.
"What do you want man..."? Asked Chloe indifferently.
Frank kept his eyes on his blade.
"A curtsy call... Your old lady is workin' overtime today. Doesn't look like she'll be getting home before the sun sets. Whether you care or not is up to you kid, but I thought I'd let you know; call it thanks for lettin' Pompidou and I dine on your turf today", He stated calmly.
Chloe narrowed her eyes a bit at the mention of her mother. Frank however wasn't listening for an answer.
He pushed away from the wall, put away his blade and gathered his bags again; then walked off down the alley, his dog following at his side.
"There you go. See ya around kid. Don't get yourself killed", he called back with a halfhearted wave.
Chloe watched him go until he was out of sight.
She glanced up at the sky starting to change colour. Then turned away closing her eyes and walking back out of the alley.
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
Max went straight to her dorm room and shut herself inside; she had dodged as many people including her friends, as possible.
She knew her mood would be questioned, and she really didn't want to keep answering...
She propped her bag down on her bed and placed her phone on the desk, nearby where she would sit. Taking off Chloe's leather jacket and draping it over the chair.
She took out her books and note paper from her bag and went to her desk and got started working; though she'd glance to her phone every so often, even as the shutters lowered...
After a time; She shook her head and slammed her pencil down; getting up and went back to her bed where her bag was and fell back onto the mattress bitterly.
"Give it a rest Max she's never going to message you or call... Just give up already you desperate idiot, this is just fuckin sad...", She muttered sadly and bitterly.
She held her hands over her closed eyes and slowly slid them up and over her short brown hair. Then she let her hands drop to her sides and her left hand bumped her bag.
She looked to it, her expression saddened further and she sat up; pulling the bag closer and rooting through it.
She took out a hard cover book, pushing aside the bag and holding the book, titled Memories, in front of herself.
Slowly she opened it to the first page; looking at the picture of her and Chloe when they were children.
Chloe was six, Max was five. They were smiling big, embracing each other, Chloe in a t-shirt and shorts; Max in overalls and a t-shirt.
Max gave a sad smile as she flipped through the pages of pictures; lingering on each page.
She started hearing the wild ones waking up and plugged in her headphones; turning on some nostalgic songs.
Max turned the page and paused on a picture of them at their old tree fort. The picture's lighting saying it was close to night fall.
They were getting ready to climb the ladder, Chloe was half way up it, hanging off with one hand, her other giving a thumbs up, she had a sarcastic smug grin on her face.
Max was taking one step on a lower plank on the rope ladder. Both looking at the camera, Max smiling happily with a goofy grin.
Chloe was fourteen and a half, Max was thirteen and a bit. It was the fifth to last time they were in that tree house together. Long before William's death.
Max recalled it was William that took that photo. It was the night they wanted to sleepover in their tree fort in the woods.
William had set up his own camping area out in front of the tree house, in fact some of his navy blue tent was visible at the picture's corner.
Max smiled nostalgically as the memory of that night played through her mind.
The games they played. Though suddenly Max recalled something else and felt her cheeks heat up instantly.
"Wait wasn't that when..."? She mumbled to herself. Then she silenced herself blushing more.
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
Joyce was practically speed walking down the street carrying her bag. Her eyes darting around everywhere as dusk spilled in.
"Darn it, if I had known it would take this long to get this far, I'd have camped out in the Two Whales. Figures David's car is up on blocks at a time like this", she muttered.
She could see the house coming into view, but knew there were eyes on her. She could hear the swift movements, and banging sounds every so often behind her.
She reached the driveway and froze at the sound of fast paw prints. She looked back and saw a black, scarred Dire wolf racing up to her in hunting mode.
She saw hybrids leaping on to other houses in the distance, trying to dig their way in through the roofs.
Joyce quickly bolted towards the front door and banged on it.
"David ! David Open the door"! She called in a panic.
She saw the dire wolf was feet away and lunging, she quickly sidestepped out of the path, and it bashed it's body against the door but instantly, turned to her and stalked after her again.
Joyce turned to run but froze her first step as a wild hybrid towered her snarling.
It swiped and she bailed to the side fast, but it's claws sliced open her hair tie.
Her ash-blonde hair sprawled loose over her back as she cried out in fear.
She landed hard on the ground, but didn't linger, as quickly as she could, she was back up and trying to run.
"David"! She called out fearfully.
Another hybrid and dire wolf blocked her path. She stopped and looked around as the four cornered her in the middle of her own yard.
She frantically looked for an opening, but every direction led to her seeing gaping open jaws or bright feral eyes.
One of the hybrids took one final step closer, when it was slammed to the ground by a massive Dire wolf.
It snarled and yelped in pain, it's comrades quickly snapped attention to the fight; until blood splattered as it's throat was ripped out.
The others gathered, snarled angrily as the massive golden brown nearly beige dire wolf turned to face them, it's mouth bloodied, its spiky bangs tipped blue and magenta.
Joyce stepped back and was horrified at the gruesome scene.
The massive dire didn't wait for the other three to react and lunged at them, biting into them and throwing them into each other and into the ground.
They yelped in pained panic, snarling and growling, trying to defend themselves.
The golden dire wasted no time drawing pint after pint of blood.
One of the other dire wolves, the scarred black one, managed to escape and ran off limping in terror.
The other two were torn apart mercilessly.
Once they were motionless; The golden Dire's eyes locked onto the fleeing black one and sprinted after it, pouncing onto it's back, slamming it to the road and ripping out it's throat; finishing it.
The golden dire stepped off the limp corpse panting, blood dripping from it's muzzle, it's shoulders heaving with each breath.
It turned back to Joyce and cautiously walked back over, Joyce was frozen in shock at the slaughter she just witnessed.
The dire wolf stood in front of her, standing to its full height.
Joyce snapped out of it and craned her neck to look up at the wolf, the moonlight silhouetting it from behind.
"I 'spose you wanna eat me in their place"? Joyce asked angrily and fearfully as she knelt quickly and grabbed a good size rock and threw it at the wolf.
It pegged the dire wolf in the forehead and it staggered back with a yelp of pain, growling. It shook its head as if trying to shake off the pain.
It regained its composure and stared her down coldly a moment, Joyce staring it in the eyes with a fiery hatred. Then it turned it's back on her.
"I'll pass thanks. Traitors give me indigestion", Growled Chloe coldly and bitterly.
Joyce's eyes widened in realization.
"Ch-Chloe"? She asked uncertainly.
She steps toward her, reaching out.
Chloe's eyes alert and she sharply glares back at Joyce, her head instantly bowed and fangs bared as she snarled.
"DON'T TOUCH ME"! She snapped coldly and angrily over her snarling.
Joyce freezes, stepping back.
"Just because I saved you, it doesn't mean a damn thing has changed ! I'll give you a pass for the rock just now, but I will NEVER forget, that you tried to kill me", Chloe snaps angrily.
"Chloe I-", Joyce tried to speak.
"SHUT UP ! I don't want to hear your sorries, or your excuses"! Chloe snapped cutting her off.
Chloe stepped away and turned to face her.
"That bastard had hurt me in so many ways, I showed you the evidence. You. Did. Nothing"! Growled Chloe angrily.
All her years of rage bubbled into the pit of her chest, choking her.
"I stood up for myself, one time ! And I'm labeled the monster for it ! YOU'RE MY MOTHER ! And you, YOU SHOT ME, for PROTECTING myself, when you wouldn't"! Snapped Chloe, her voice starting to break.
"Do you, have any idea how much that hurt !? Do you have any idea what it felt like ?! To have your own mother try to kill you"?! Called Chloe. Tears started to swell in the corners of her dire wolf eyes.
Joyce lowered her hand looking regretful.
Chloe's tension relaxed as the tears started to slip free.
"You're... My mother...", Chloe states in a softer sad tone. The tears started to burn her eyes as a thick lump seemed to manifest itself in her throat.
Joyce tried again to approach Chloe, reaching out to her. Chloe was hesitant, but then after a minute, she cautiously approached her a few steps.
The house door busted open and a man stormed out with his shot gun.
"JOYCE ! Hurry get in the house ! I've got it in my sights"! He hollered and took aim at Chloe.
Chloe alerted as did Joyce and they snapped their attention to him.
"David NO"! Joyce called out.
But the gun clicked and a bang rang out.
The narrow pointed bronze bullet drilled into Chloe's shoulder and she cried out with a yelp, staggering back.
Blood streamed down her foreleg and she painfully hovered that paw, eyes closed tight from the pain.
Joyce looked back.
"Chloe-", She barely got out before Chloe shook her head and ran off again down the road and into the night.
A stray tear catching on the wind and flying behind her as she ran away.
Joyce teared up and reached after her, trying to take chase; when David grabbed her arm and hurried her inside as more wild werewolves gathered at the sound. The door slammed shut and locked; the shutters instantly lowered.
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
With blood leaking down from the wound, Chloe changes to hybrid form and pries out the bullet throwing it to the ground.
She climbs up a tree, high and changes back to her human form, gripping her bloody arm, with thin tears streaming down her face.
As the wound starts sealing, Chloe reaches the gripping hand up to her beanie and threads her bloody fingers through her bangs, eyes closed. Shadow cast down over them, hiding them.
"Every... Fucking...", she starts choking up a bit.
"TIME"! She yells in a growl, thrusting her hand from her hair, clenching it and smashing the side of the fist into the tree behind her, hard, creating a deep dent in the bark.
Soon some blood streams from her fist's side and down the rough bark. She's panting angrily from the adrenaline; ignoring the bark biting into her hand sharply.
A light tremble in her hand and arm.
The bullet wound sealed up and scarred. Chloe looks to it blankly. Then away.
"Great... Another one for the collection...", she muttered solemnly, brushing her fingers over her previous bullet scar; then gripping her hand over the newest one.
"Guess its my fault... Should've known that every time I go near her... I'll be shot... I'm done trying...", she sighed bitterly.
She wiped away the tears she felt on her face and took a deep inhale and looked up at the moon through the gaps in the branches and tree leaves.
"I need to kill something...", she growled angrily and jumped down from the tree and landed in Dire Wolf form and walking off back toward the town, angrily.
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
Max flipped another page in the photo album, smiling at a picture of her and Chloe secretly eating cookies they had, relieved, from the not so cleverly hidden treasure jar in Max's house when they were way younger.
Little had they known, Max's father was hiding nearby grinning and capturing the thieves red handed on film.
Max chuckled at that memory.
She remembered her dad winked at them and told them "As far as mommy will know, I gave them to you".
Max shook her head; much like William, her own dad, Ryan, always took her and Chloe's side in things.
Then Max felt a sharp pang in her chest, and she paused her album browsing; a sick feeling starting in her stomach.
She looked at Chloe's image in the picture worriedly.
Then glanced to her phone.
"Is she okay..."? She thought worriedly.
She closed her eyes, and shook her head, ridding it of the thought; but the knots in her stomach weren't leaving.
"No, come on Max, Chloe's fine... She can handle herself, she took on four of those wild ones at once before, right ? You saw it, she knows how to defend herself... So... why do I feel so fucking worried right now..."? Max mumbled to herself.
She took as calming a breath as she could manage. Then returned to browsing the book.
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
Chloe was mauling wild ones in Hybrid form; one hybrid attempted to flee from her but Chloe chased it down in Dire Wolf, she tackled it hard to the ground and clamped her jaws around it's neck and shook it around.
She threw it aside, it was motionless for a moment, deep puncture wounds in it's neck. Chloe stared it down and stalked over to it.
Just as it flinched, she stepped onto it's back hard with her full dire weight, a deep crack sounded and the hybrid yowled out in agony, only to be silenced by a swift decapitation.
Chloe watched the head roll to the curb and stood over the limp corpse.
Her ears twitched in alert and she quickly jumped back as a silver bolt impaled the corpse.
She landed from her dodge and growled at Dana. The huntress approached her re-loading her crossbow and glaring sharply at Chloe.
"You're quick for your size... Good, that'll make it more fun to hunt your ass. You caught me off guard last night, mutt; but I had other concerns. Tonight will be different", stated Dana angrily.
Chloe bowed her head a bit, growling lowly at the huntress. Her eyes darted around the huntress, looking for a tag along.
"What are you looking around for dog breath ? Let me guess, the girl you tried to make an easy meal out of last night"? Asked Dana.
Chloe's ear twitched at the mention. Dana aimed her crossbow again.
"Well sorry to break it to you, she's not with me this time and won't be back outside to play anytime soon, I won't allow it", stated Dana sharply. She pulled the trigger and Chloe quickly dodged the next projectile.
Chloe watched her carefully, relaxing at the words. "Good, Max is safe...". She thought calmly.
"But of course, that also means, theres no one here to stop me from putting you down ! A werewolf your size is a bigger threat to every living in Arcadia"! Called Dana.
She ran forward shooting a third bolt at Chloe, immediately following it with a few silver stars.
Chloe dodged them in repeated succession. They impaled the cement in a zigzag line.
Dana continued advancing on her. Chloe kept avoiding her attacks, not making any of her own.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck ! She's human, I can't hurt her. I've gotta run"! Thought Chloe anxiously as she continued to dodge.
She turned tail and started to run off.
"Oh no you don't"! Called Dana. She reached into her cloak and pulled out rope attached to small but heavy iron balls, and threw them as hard as she could.
They went flying through the air, spiraling rapidly and snagged Chloe's back legs, entangling them and forcing Chloe to hit the concrete in a rough slide on her face.
She yelped out painfully. Dana was quick to close the gap.
Chloe was panting from the running, but her ears instantly perked in alarm and she lifted her head to look back at Dana approaching her with a silver short sword drawn.
Chloe struggled against the rope in vain. But heard Dana nearly over top of her.
She quickly rolled herself to the side. Dana's blade clanged against the ground.
Chloe leaned down and bit through the rope tangling her legs, snapping it; instantly getting up again, in time to evade backwards from a swing of the blade.
Dana didn't let up. She forced Chloe further and further into the defensive; making her back away more and more.
"I have to do something"! Thought Chloe desperately.
She quickly launched forward changing into hybrid and grabbing Dana by the arm that held the blade. She lifted her up by it. Dana struggled.
"I'm not-", Chloe tried to speak.
Dana was already pulling something out of her cloak with the free hand. She swiftly threw the mace powder into Chloe's face.
Chloe yelped out closing her eyes painfully, and instinctively tossing Dana aside so she could rub the red powder from her face.
Dana landed in a sliding kneel and panted, rubbing at her sore arm.
Chloe brushed the powder from her face as she staggered around, disoriented.
Dana got up and rushed her again, wielding the sword.
Chloe barely managed to regain her sight, before she started to evade Dana again.
She kept redirecting Dana's attacks to the side, occasionally shoving Dana herself to the side. But the cheerleader turn vigilante was relentless.
Chloe changed into her dire wolf form again, and once more attempted to retreat, but Dana cut off her path with more throwing stars; forcing Chloe to back away to avoid them as they swiftly impaled the ground.
Dana took note of their surroundings and smirked. She changed up her attack style as she once more got in front of Chloe, swiping the blade at her legs repeatedly.
Chloe stumbled around trying to avoid them.
Chloe soon noticed Dana's movements were off, and felt her senses go on high alert.
She froze her own movements and quickly glanced behind herself at a silver barricaded shop window, a foot away. Silver spikes lined the windowsill, jutting out toward her. They glowed very faintly.
"Shit. She's trying to trap me"! Thought Chloe in alarm.
She looked back ahead and saw Dana mere feet away from her and lunging with her sword. Chloe's eyes widened.
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
A loud roar of agony tore through the sky.
Max jumped ripping out her head phones and getting up, inevitably dropping the album from her lap.
"Holy shit ! What was that"?! Asked Max in alarm, looking around. Her heart was racing, a cold chill cradled her spine; and she felt her heart drop to her stomach.
"That sounded really close", stated Max fearfully. She clutched at her chest, trying to calm herself down.
She looked back at the dropped photo album and knelt down; picking it up slowly.
She looked at a picture of a fourteen year old Chloe and her thirteen year old self, focusing on Chloe's image in it.
"Please be okay...", she mumbled sadly and worriedly .
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
Dana stood, calmly panting, blood dripping from her short sword as she looked down at the massive dire wolf by the shop.
It lay un-moving.
She swiped the blade to the side, maintaining a grip on it, letting the blood splash off the silver blade and onto the pavement.
She sheathed the steaming sword, looking at the deep wound on the beast, as it also let off steam.
"Pathetic, even the biggest one is a light weight after all", stated Dana.
She closed her eyes and started walking away.
The massive dire shifted and slowly stood up.
Dana heard the shift and quickly looked back in alarm; only to be grabbed by the throat, by a massive hybrid and lifted to the air.
She gasped out painfully, grabbing it's arm tightly trying to loosen it's grip. One eye closed.
"In-Impossible ! You took a direct blow from silver ! In the chest ! You should be dead"! Dana managed to choke out as she struggled in vain.
The hybrid just growled lowly at her. The wound on it's chest had steam coming from it, and the blood leaked down it's tall torso; dripping to the ground. But the wound wasn't bubbling.
"It- Its adapted ! It can resist some effects of silver. Shit"! Thought Dana fearfully alarmed.
Chloe glared into her eyes sharply, her own eyes feral and hard, with a cold darkness to them.
She pulled Dana in close, baring her fangs. Dana's cloak swept back, then forward in the swift movement.
Dana eyed her fearfully. "It's going to kill me", She thought alarmed.
Chloe moved her free clawed hand, to deliver that fatal stab.
Then paused as Dana's cloak brushed close to her snout. Her eyes widened at an extra scent on it, hidden partially by incense, but faintly there.
"...Max"? Thought Chloe. She blinked, her eyes no longer feral, but calm and soft.
Dana looked at her in confusion. Chloe loosened her grip as she looked at Dana.
Chloe shook her head completely snapping out of it, pressing her free hand to her wounded chest; gritting her fangs painfully.
Chloe gently set Dana down, before backing up , cringing in pain. Then she turned away and ran off.
Dana did not pursue her, watching her leave, slowly lowering herself into a kneel, her heart still pounding hard in her chest, still in shock.
"Holy...Shit...", She thought fearfully.
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
Chloe tore through the forest avoiding wild ones and soon breaking out of the woods into the clearing with the waterfall from earlier.
She quickly went under the falls, reverting to human form, tearing off her shirt and bracing against the rock wall; letting the cold water run over her gripped chest wound.
"Fuck this hurts ! Damn it"! She called out in pain, gritting her teeth.
She hung her head, her fingers dug into the rock wall tightly, drawing some blood from her fingertips as they burrowed into the stone.
Chloe stopped tensing her fingers and relaxed them. Her eyes solemn.
"I almost killed that girl... But then...", she stated uneasily.
Her eyes softened slightly, she stood under the falls in silence; closing her eyes.
"... Max...", she mumbled sadly.
She opened her eyes partially, looking down in thought, solemnly.
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
Max was back on her bed, looking through the photos in her album sadly.
She looked at a large photo of Chloe and her playing in their newly completed pirate tree fort; dressed as pirates and beaming with laughing smiles.
Her fingertips brushed lightly on the protected image.
"...Chloe...", Max mumbled sadly.
She felt herself start to tear up; her eyes burning softly with the fresh tears.
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
~A Note from Pure Set~
Okay that took months, but that concludes Chapter 8~ Hopefully its now more memorable than originally how it was.
Hope you all enjoyed~ I apologize for the wait. Thank you for your patience.
Next Chapter is: Old Wounds
I'll get it out as soon as I can. But I do have a work schedule, and may have another one, since I've recently applied for a second job. So I will be busy, but I hope to find time for typing Chapter 9 out.
Please leave a review if you so choose; keeps me going.
I'll usually list story updates in this section of the chapters, or on my profile description. And occasionally I do go back and adjust some things in previous chapters. So keep an eye out for those too.
Take care~ Thank you again for your patience~