Moon Crossed

Chapter 14

*****

When I came into the kitchen for breakfast, the next morning. Aunt Martha was on the phone. She stood at the counter with her back to me. But she turned as I said good morning to my uncle, and flashed me an angry look.

"Yes, I understand" she said into the phone. "Well, it won't happen again." I took my place at the table beside Uncle Collin. He sipped from a red coffee mug, his eyes on Aunt Martha.

"It won't happen again," my aunt repeated into the phone. She frowned. I will make sure he stays away. No. He was not spying on you, Mr. Marling."

So that's who she was talking to. Uncle Collin shook his head unhappily. "I warned you not to go near that place, Alex," he said. "We don't need those people calling over here."

"Sorry," I murmured. "But —" I wanted to tell him about last night, about everything that had happened to me and everything I had seen. But he raised a finger to his lips, motioning for me to be silent while my aunt was on the phone.

"No. My nephew wasn't taking pictures of your house, Mr. Marling," Aunt Martha continued. She rolled her eyes. "I promise. He won't bother you again. I will talk to her right now. Yes. Okay.
Goodbye." 

She set down her phone and turned to Uncle Collin with a sigh. "Those people," she murmured. "We have to be careful," Uncle Collin replied, narrowing his eyes to me. "We don't want to get them worked up." "But — but —" I sputtered. "I saw things —" "They saw you, Alex,"  my aunt interrupted.

"They saw you prowling around their house late last night. They are very angry about it." She poured herself a mug of coffee and came over to the table. She sat down and swept a strand of gray hair off her forehead.

"What were you doing outside last night ?" my uncle asked. "I am really sorry. But I had no choice. I left my camera out in the woods,"  I explained. "I had to run out and get it. I couldn't leave it out all night — especially with the rain." "But you didn't have to go near the Marlings house — did you?" Aunt Martha demanded.

"I — I heard animal howls from inside their home !" I blurted out. "And I saw strange footprints going up to the bedroom window at the side." Uncle Collin nodded calmly. He took a long sip of coffee. "The footprints were probably from their dogs," he said, glancing at Aunt Martha.

"Dogs ?" I cried. They both nodded. "They have two huge German shepherds," my aunt explained. "Mean as they come." "And as big as wolves," Uncle Collin added, shaking his head. He reached for a slice of toast, and began to butter it.

I sighed. I felt a little better. Two German shepherds. That explained the howls and footprints in the wet grass. "Are you ready for school ?" Aunt Martha asked. "Hannah will be here in any minute." "I am almost ready," I replied. I gulped down a glass of pomegranate juice. "When I was in the woods last night......" I started. They both stared at me. "I saw some animals that got ripped up. I mean, killed." Uncle Collin nodded. "The woods are dangerous at night," he said softly. "We really don't want you out there at night, Alex," Aunt Martha said. She pulled a piece of lint off my shoulder of my T-shirt. Then she tenderly brushed my hair with her hand. "Promise us you won't go again."

"Promise," I murmured. "And promise that you will stay away from the Marlings," my uncle added.

Before I could reply, the doorbell rang. Hannah came into the kitchen, weighed down under a bulging backpack. "Ready ?" she asked. I nodded and shoved my chair back from the table. "Yeah. I guess I am ready," I told her. "This is so weird. Going to someone else's school."

"You will like my teacher, Mr. Eric," Hannah replied. "He's very interesting. And he's really nice." I grabbed my backpack and my jacket. We said goodbye to my aunt and uncle and headed out the front door.

I glanced at the Marlings house as we made our way to the street. The bedroom window at the side had been closed, I saw. The house was dark as always.

"Did you find your camera ?" Hannah asked. I nodded. "Yeah. But it wasn't easy." I told her about my scary adventures. "I warned you, Alex," she said. "You wouldn't catch me in the woods after dark."

A yellow school bus rumbled past. Some students in the bus called out the window to Hannah. She waved back to them.

The morning sun still floated low in the sky. A silvery frost clung to the lawns. The air felt crisp and cold. "One more block to school," Hannah said. "Are you nervous ?" I didn't answer. I was thinking about the Marlings. I told Hannah about the howls I had heard inside their house.

"Uncle Collin says they have two German shepherds. Really big and really mean," I told her.
"No, they don't," Hannah replied sharply. I stopped walking. "Excuse me ?" I cried.
"The Marlings don't have any dogs," she repeated. "I have lived here as long as they have, and I have never seen them."

"Then why did my uncle tell me that ?" I demanded. "So you won't be scared," Hannah replied. "I — I don't understand," I stammered. "If the Marlings don't have dogs, what made those weird footprints outside their window ?"

Hannah shook her head. Her olive green eyes locked onto mine. "Alex, don't you get it?" she cried. "Haven't you figured it out yet ?"

"Figured what out? I asked.
"The Marlings are werewolves !" Hannah declared.

*********

Enjoy ? Don't forget to Vote ❤️