ENDOHUMAN: Book 1 - Love Vs Duty (Completed)

Chapter 15: Echoes on the Lake

Present day

Coach Michael Sanders speeds down the gravel road towards Lake Sealoch in his old pick-up truck. He turns his gaze to the shotgun resting on the passenger seat beside him and reaches over to open the box of cartridges. They spill all over the seat.

"Shit. I'll never get there in time."

Just minutes ago, the Seaford County Sheriff called him on his cellphone, telling him that a dangerous Giant White had been spotted in the Sealoch Woods. They had sent a dispatch, however the coach's house was much closer to the lake.

Sanders hadn't fired a weapon in more than ten years, but his instincts kicked in immediately. He was armed, ready, and on the road within three minutes of the call. Seaford hadn't had a sighting of a Giant White in almost fifty years. Some folks even thought they were extinct. Even so, Coach Sanders knew that all wolves were dangerous, especially when hungry. He had heard stories from his grandparents that the Giant Whites used to wander through the pine forests of Seaford and Pallford, hunting for prey. Some even said they would not only feed on small animals but had a taste for human meat, too. There was a legend that some people disappeared after Giant White sightings, leaving nothing behind but crushed bones and torn fabric.

Coach shakes his head, dismissing his thoughts. Stupid local folklore. But his anxiety climbs minutes later as he parks his car behind Daniel Garo's red convertible.

"Just great! There are kids in the area too," he mutters while loading a cartridge into the cylinder and holding the second cartridge between his teeth.

***

About three hundred yards away Mary is holding a rose.

"You still angry at me?" she asks half seriously, half playfully.

Evie is sitting on a flat stone, leaning against a pine tree with her arms hugging her bent knees. She lifts her headphones from her ears. "Hmm?"

"Oh come on, the doctor said it's a mild concussion. Besides, the fresh air will do me good. Lighten up. Live! Enjoy the scenery!"

"I just think you should still be in bed recovering. It's like you're always by my side, like a bodyguard. Even now, when you're hurt! And these guys should just grow up." Evie gestures with her chin in the direction of Brad and Daniel, who are competing to see who can throw rocks furthest into the lake.

Mary smiles dreamily. "Hey. Lighten up Madam Nightingale. You are not a nurse yet! Leave the advice for when you finish high school and then go to nursing school. We needed a lift and Danny offered. He's kind of sweet if you look deep enough."

Evie rolls her eyes. "How deep?"

"Says the girl who has a crush on the weird boy who tried to kill me with a baseball bat."

"I don't have a crush! And that was an accident. I'm just worried about him."

"Like friendly 'awww-worried' or sexy 'take-me-mysterious-nerd-boy' worried?"

Evie smiles. "You are so stupid sometimes."

Mary turns her head towards Brad, who is signaling something to them. "You do know that Brad still has feelings for you? Don't go chasing angels and demons. I don't trust Adam."

"Brad is more like a brother to me. He's changed."

"Oh come on. Not the poem again. That was three years ago!"

"It's not the poem."

"Admit it. That stupid poem Brad slipped in your bag was the only reason you went out with him in the first place."