Shifter

Not alone anymore.

It had been days since Chase had been down to his spot but he just couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen. As soon as this horrible weather let up he was gonna be straight back down there. It had never been this bad before.
3 more days passed before Chase could get back down there.
He dumped his bag by the rocks and raced to the edge of the woods hoping he would see the dog again.
He sat there staring into the darkness of the woods for ages, nothing but silence came out of the shadows.
Eventually, Chase gets up, brushes himself down and slowly walks back to the rock kicking the dirt as he walked. He gets his supplies out ready to draw. Looking out at the glistening sea he lets his mind wander and started to draw whatever came to him. A few hours had passed, he glanced back at the woods but there was still no sign of the dog. That feeling of hope he had felt was starting to fade. He looked down at his drawing.
The cabin in the woods. The tall trees and thorny bushes that surrounded it.
He looked back towards the woods and decided to pack up his things and try and find that cabin again.
There was still plenty of daylight left but the trees were so thick they just swallowed up most of the daylight that tried to sneak through the gaps of the branches. Good job he had the torch on his phone.
The ground was so wet from the bad weather and lack of sun that it was slippery in some places. The dew splashed up from the leaves as he moved the branches to go passed. The smell of earth and pine was refreshing from the usual smells of smog from the cars and the town.
Chase didn't have any clue if he was going in the right direction or not. No sign of paw prints or footprints for that matter. He just felt this was the right way. He pushed his way through the moss-covered trees and broken branches until he came upon a familiar sight.
Broken bricks laying on the ground. Smashed glass. Half-built walls with broken windows attached. It was the cottage he'd been looking for.
"I've found it!" he called out grinning.
He looked around. No sign of the dog or that strange person. Chase had a much better look around the little cottage. He ran his hands along the building. The texture of the bricks was old. Substantially old. Nothing like the buildings he'd seen in town. Fragments of old faded fabric hung from some of the old windows. This old broken building had charm, and character. It was loved...once.
Chase scoured every inch of the cottage looking for any signs of the dog or the person he saw that night.
Finally, he found some paw prints partially hidden by some of the thorny bushes. They lead away from the cottage. What else besides following them was Chase going to do? They lead deeper into the woods but he didn't care. He needed to find that dog. They lead him back to that cave. He hid behind a bush for a while just waiting and watching. He still wasn't exactly sure what he saw that night. What he saw couldn't be real, right? Those kinda things don't exist.....right?
Chase didn't hear or see anything so ventured further toward the cave. Hanging onto the edge of the opening of the cave looking inside he hovered for a moment almost like he was talking himself into going inside. The ground inside wasn't as slippery as outside despite being in a dark cave. Chase walked along keeping his hand on the cool rock of the wall of the cave to guide him. Further and further inside he went. The path twisted and felt like he was going downhill.
He could hear the sound of trickling water. Using his torch he searched the cave. Finding a small spring of water coming down the wall ending in a small well-type thing on the ground. He reached out to touch the water coming down the wall.
'Cool' he thought. As he did he heard a rustling sound.
Spinning round his torch flashed on something moving in the far edge of the tunnel. He tried moving the light to find it again.
There, sitting across from him was the dog.
Chase just stood there staring at the dog, he watched as the dog slowly got up and walked closer to him.
The shadow of the dog started to flicker on the wall of the cave from Chase's torch trembling in his hands.
The dog moved its head under Chase's hand for him to stroke him. Chase's body relaxed as that feeling of hope started to return, he felt more at ease now, sitting down he continued to pet the dog who curled up next to him.

A short while later the dog's ears pricked up.
'He heard something' Chase thought to himself looking around.
Sure enough, moments later footsteps could be heard echoing through the tunnel to where they were sitting. Chase felt his whole body tense up at the sight of the tall thin figure approaching them. The same figure he saw the dog with at the cottage the other night.
The figure stopped on the other side of the cave to Chase and the dog. He just stood there, hands in his pockets and propped himself up against the wall of the cave. Now there was some light Chase could see him better. Dressed from head to toe in black, with white piercing eyes. Eyes that looked straight into you.
The dog just laid his head back down on Chase's lap, Chase looked at the dog then at the strange man and then at the tunnel trying to decide if he should make a run for it.
"No point. I'd catch you" a deep gruffly voice spoke. Chase's gaze shot back to the man opposite him.
"So this is him eh?" pointing a gloved finger at Chase. The dog looked up and snorted a response back.
"This scrawny-looking kid, you sure?" the man mocked. The dog got up coming between Chase and the man, bearing its teeth and letting out a low growl.
"Ok ok, I'm only messing Munk!"
Getting up Chase looking confused asked
"What the heck is going on? Who are you?"
"Whoa there. Munk, I think you need to come out and explain this" with that the man backed away from them both.
"You a might wanna move back a bit there boy" the man gestured to Chase.
"I'm good thanks" he snapped back. The man just smirked at him.
Those horrid sounds of bones snapping filled the caves, the echo made it seem so much louder that it made Chase jump, falling back against the wall. He looked up at the man who was sniggering. Chase covered his ears with his hands and watched as the dog began to change just as it had done the other night. Paws turned into hands. Fur turned into skin.
The sounds eventually stopped. Chase looked as another young man stood before him where the dog once was.
"I know you might be scared..." the young man started to say.
"I'm not scared" Chase interrupted as he moved closer.
"My name is Munk" holding out his hand.
"And this, well this is Dz" motioning towards the other man. Chase looked as Dz gave a nod.
"So you're a..."
"Yes, you can say it I won't be offended. I'm a werewolf." Munk smiled. Chase's eyes moved to Dz.
"He's a bit more complicated but that's his story to tell. He's not as mean as he looks" Munk joked. Dz shot him a meaningful glare but softened his gaze before he looked at Chase.
"So...so why are you here, why have you shown yourself to me?" Chase asked them both.
"Now boy that's a good question" Dz replied walking back to the pair.
Sitting down Munk began to explain to Chase why they were there.

"We both come from a place called Ishness. It's a land far away. There are many of us. I live here as I'm part human, but I see all those who live and come from Ishness"
"So you're not human?" he asked Dz
"No....." he replied looking down. Munk knew he didn't want to carry that conversation on so he quickly continued.
"We feel when people need us, like you"
"Me?"
"Yeah....your, shall we say not having an easy time right now and we can feel that. So we have come to help you, support you"
Tears started to fill Chase's eyes.
"You could feel how bad it was?" he asked. Munk and Dz both nodded.
"I'm sorry" Chase said through the tears that started to fall.
Dz stood up.
"Hey, you listen here. You have nothing to be sorry for do you hear me? You never asked for any of this. This was done to you. Don't ever think this is your fault."
"He's right Chase. Your not alone anymore. You have us now. We are your friends"
"Friends?"
"There are more of us too, in Ishness. You can meet them if you like"
Chase smiled realising he felt like had people who truly cared and that he might make it after all.

.