Monster party III

The body was carried away.

…Well, what was left of it.

'Was this a failed mission?'

Black scowled at the question. 'The only failure tonight was that a kid had to make that kind of decision. And now…she'll have to live with it.'

:[

'How's Pat?' Vince asked as his uncle walked into the living room.

'Bertrand got him out of town,' Big D said. 'Poor fellow's been starved nearly to death, but he should be recovered by the time of the next full moon.'

'Was Vince right?' Howard asked. 'Was it Helsing?'

'Of course it was!' Big D scoffed. 'Who else would take a werewolf prisoner and starve him just to throw him at a houseful of children?'

Vince nodded at that statement. 'So they were probably also lying in wait.'

'I wouldn't be surprised,' Big D said. 'Also, if it had gone on much longer, I imagine they would have come to see why the werewolf hadn't attacked any humans.'

Howard winced. 'Scary.' He paused. 'I hate to say it but…it sure is lucky the tramp came along then.'

There was an uncomfortable agreement in the air at that statement.

Frank winced. 'I feel bad for that guy, though, wandering in when he did. Talk about bad timing.'

'Be glad he did,' Big D told him. 'A ravenous werewolf would have done far more damage in a crowd.'

:[

Jess leaned over the toilet bowl, trying to catch her breath.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Jess flushed the toilet. She quickly left the bathroom and headed downstairs. Her mother was sitting in front of the television, watching the morning news as she drank her coffee. Jess ignored her and passed through to the kitchen. She quickly filled up a glass and drank it down.

Putting the glass down, Jess made a decision. She quickly moved around the house and finished up with grabbing her book bag. Rage boiled under her skin, and she had to get it out. As she headed for the door, her mother finally looked up. Jess pulled open the front door before her mother spoke up.

'You don't usually leave for another half hour.'

'I have something to do before school.' Without another word, Jess marched out of the house.

The whole bus ride there, rage churned in her stomach. When she arrived, hardly anyone was around. That was fine by Jess. Only the teachers and a few of the kids from out of town were here this early. And that was exactly what Jess wanted. Merle flew along behind her as she marched into the art department and to the teachers' offices.

Careful, Merle told her. You don't want to have this conversation in front of the other teachers.

Jess stopped at the door and cocked her head.

'What do you mean it never got that close?' She heard the art teacher through the door. 'Damn it! They showed up! Where the hell did they come from? Yes, probably. Tell me it at least killed someone. A tramp? That's it? Just a tramp? What? Who took the body away? The NSA! What are they doing around here?'

'I don't think we have to worry.' Jess shoved the door open.

Ms. McGowan spun around. Jess strode in and snatched the phone out of her hand. 'She'll call you back.' She hung up. Then she rounded on her teacher and cut her off as the older woman went to say something. 'What the hell is wrong with you?' She grabbed the cat by the tuft of the neck as he pounced at Merle. 'You think I didn't notice that werewolf? What kind of person throws a werewolf at a human party on the night of a full moon?'

Ms. McGowan bristled. 'I told you, supernatural creatures are dangerous! That party was deeply disturbing, to begin with. You were celebrating the monsters!'

'So you threw a werewolf at it?' Jess demanded. 'And, judging from that phone call, it was the Drak Pack that intercepted the beast.'

'There is no denying it,' Ms. McGowan stated. 'They must've have been there to hunt.'

'As opposed to what you were doing?' Jess demanded.

Ms. McGowan scowled and drew her hand back. As she brought it around to slap the teen girl, Jess dropped the cat and caught her wrist. She herself was surprised at her own speed. At the same time, the rage in her was at boiling point. She didn't give a damn. She just wanted to let this woman have a piece of her mind.

'Don't slap me because you don't like what I say,' Jess said. Her next words, she felt weight behind, though she didn't know why. She didn't care. 'You don't deserve the power you have.'

Ms. McGowan yanked her arm free. 'Who are you to make a declaration like that? If it weren't for me, you would still be an untrained fledgling witch, set to be destroyed by her own power! You owe me!'

'Not anymore, I don't!' Jess snapped. 'The werewolf would have torn apart everyone at that party, and you threw him at it, knowing that.'

'You don't question!' Ms. McGowan snapped. 'The hierarchy of the Helsing Society is very clear. I am the highest ranking witch we have. You are just a novice in the Society.'

'I never agreed to join,' Jess said. 'And I want nothing to do with your little cult.'

'Cult?' Ms. McGowan demanded. 'The Helsing Society is no cult! We are the human race's last line of defence against supernatural threats! We are the saviours of mankind! That…Drak Pack, they're monsters! We are the good guys!'

Jess scoffed and turned her back on her art teacher. 'You'd have sacrificed several of your own students to force a point. It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong. Last night, they'd have died if it wasn't for the Drak Pack. If you're so desperate to see a monster, go look in a mirror.'

Jess turned on her heel and walked out.

'Come back here!' Ms. McGowan demanded.

A warm coil of magic wrapped around her wrist and pulled. Jess scowled and yanked her arm free. Her art teacher's magic dissipated. Behind Jess, something fell heavily to the floor and the older woman gave a squawk of surprise. The teenager didn't bother looking back to see what it was. Merle flew down and landed on her shoulder.

You're really coming into your powers.

Jess stepped outside. 'You think so?' The school grounds were beginning to fill up with students. 'I was just angry.'

You still are.

'Yeah. But I got it off of my chest. It feels better.'

Be that as it may, we still have to worry about what they'll do next.